DaveBitByter

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About DaveBitByter

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    Hi, I am New!
  1. Controllogix

    Let's see if I grasp the concept Philip. Everytime A/B updates the programming software, I'm supposed to fly off to various points in the world where our machinery is installed to upload the customer entered data, install my new version of RS5000 software, flash the processor, download the program with the customer entered data, re-install the old version of software on my P.C. and fly off to the next customer sight and repeat the process? Based on the number of new releases and the number of machines produced I will rack up about 500,000 frequent flyer miles per year. Who is supposed to pay for this traveling circus?
  2. Controllogix

    Here's another real recent example. One of our customers suddenly has a processor fault. His options: (1) Pay one of our techs to fly there (2) Buy a new processor from us loaded with the original software (3)Get the local A/B guy to come by. Option 3 of course is the fastest and least expensive. This was one of the reasons the CL was chosen in the first place, the availability of local tech help. Here comes the firmware trap again, he can't get online until he flashes the processor. Guess what!?! Now you have no idea what caused the original problem. Not to mention the customer has just lost the hudreds of recipes he had stored in the processor. These things may be great for the in-house automation market, where you can get on the LAN, upload, flash, and download everytime a new version hits the street, but for the OEM they are a NIGHTMARE!  
  3. Controllogix

    Could it be that the ControlLogix is the worst concieved product to ever reach the market? After choosing the CL as the base controller for our line of servo controlled products, we came to discover the "firmware compatability" trap. This trap causes the user to flash upgrade the firmware in a processor after installaing later versions of RS5000 before you can go online to the processor. So you wipe out any customer entered data i.e. recipes and go back to the original program as it existed during your last visit to the customer. After seriously upsetting a couple customers, it was determined that the best bet was to cease software upgrades until a solution could be found. Meantime several other systems are built using old versions of software, at least they are all the same version. Lo and Behold, almighty Rockwell has found a solution! Version 10 allows you to keep two versions on your PC!! All you have to do is upgrade your operating system to Win2000, and everything is Okay!! Praise Almighty Rockwell!! A few hundred $$$ to Bill Gates and several fun installation hours later , VIOLA version 10, Windows 2000, and old RS5000 Ver. 2.25. Of course I still had my old DOS partition for the machines dating back to the 80's, and no room for an NT partition, but things were looking up! Then my euphoria burst. Version 2.25 is NOT SUPPORTED IN WIN 2000!! Several creative phrases from an old sailor followed, and then the light came on. So what you can keep two versions on your PC, If you update from version 10, your back in the same boat! If only these pesky $100,000 systems were disposed of as frequently as PC's we wouldn't have a problem. Just think what a boost it would be for the automation market! Hey, . . . . maybe I'm starting to get it!  
  4. Anyone out there experiencing memory failures with ControlLogix Processors? I have a system that has been in the field for over three years and has twice lost the program. The first occurance was about 6 months ago, then again last week. Both cases were corrected by e-mailing the program to a local A-B rep and having him visit the customers site for a download. The same customer has two other identical systems of the same age and neither has ever failed. These are all older 1756-L1 processors with 4.? firmware versions.