Wize

I have had the same sort of problems with Siemens PLCs and Win98, but that was a Dos program and 98's time slicing on Dos programs was a bit on the jumpy side. Even full screen it would drop out. Probably ok for most applications, but if the program handled its own comms routines rather than letting the system do it the data would be in burst instead of a smooth flow. Could be the same with those drivers. Also its likely to be a faster PC, so less likely to give the driver some odd sized time slices.

I'm guessing you have a Scada box with two serial ports, one connected to each processor. At the Scada end, you'll have to tell it only to use one serial link at a time. Only write down the other link if the first fails. Tell it to talk to Node 1 At the Quantum end, set the PLCs to be node 1 and turn on bridging mode (you'll have to disconnect them from each other to set it up) When you fire them up, the primary will always be node 1 and the standby will be node 32 (or is it 33, I can't remember off hand) and you will reach them by node number which ever serial port you are talking into. You'll have to watch which port is in use when it comes to powering down a node, and might requre something to monitor the status of the spare link, and to force change over between the two links.

I have to let another system read data from a Quantum system (a 434 12A). Simple enough, they can plug into a spare serial port and read via modbus. However, as far as I can tell, they will have access to write to any table they desire, and the Quantum will not be able to stop them. Does anyone know a nice solution that will prevent a mistake on behalf of the other system from writing junk over the tables in the PLC? I don't mind if they have no write access at all. Thanks in advance.

I have a customer with an old Modicon Micro 84 that they want to replace with a nice new Quantum. The have a copy of the code in a P371 program pack. What will I need to be able to pull the code out either the PLC or the programmer and, hopefully, convert it to Proworx. I did think about plugging in a laptop and seeing what it could pull out the unit, but it has a different connector for the programming port. Thanks

Can the PLC see the nodes past the third repeater? Have you tried swapping the repeaters (eg, swap 1 and 3 over) to see if its a faulty port?

I remember talking to a guy demonstrating S7 when it came out. He spoke of this conversion program from S5. But after some grilling he did admit there are some problems with it that its not all converted properly. On a large program, how do you check its converted correctly? Check line by line? We decided to go with re-writing the code for the projects we were going to use it on. Mostly new instalations, so not that big a problem.

I cant remember where the option is to print out the listing. It may be hidden under the title of documentation. From the menu, you can print the program, the data blocks, cross reference tables, assignment list etc. You can print the whole program or just one block at a time. Adding I/O is easy. You set switches on the I/O card and drop it into the rack. Inputs and outputs can have the same address, so you can, for example, read from I10.0 and write to Q10.0 The only problem is if you are dropping the card into an expansion rack. Expantion racks can be set up to map to P or O tables. If they are set to P tables, then any digitals addressed under 128 get mapped to the relevent I or Q. Everything in the main rack is mapped to both P and O tables at the same time. Theres more information about adding analogues or addressing digital I/O past the 128 limit.

I'm looking for the Westinghouse software too. Anyone spotted it?

The system I am upgrading is a Quantum PLC using Proworx NxT. The system has some ascii modules fitted (ESI062-10) The code I got from the customer consisted of the program code and three text files (one for each ascii module). How do I load these suckers up with the text files? They dont seem to be tied to the proworx code and the PLC has nothing set asside for ascii interfaces. Ta

This is set up so you are able to turn off one PLC at a time to be able to modify it. However, due to some extra 'safty' curcuitry round the system, they have the ability to power themselves, or each other, off. It has done so randomly while turning one PLC off or into program mode (as demonstrated last time I worked on one of them) so I cant risk putting on of them into program mode while they are controling plant production (or people get quite angry)

I was recently trying to edit a PLC3 while it was running, using one of the big industrial terminals. When I tried to insert an instruction or a rung I got the message "I.T. does not have edit resource". The one you normally get when you dont have remote program on or the keyswitch in the wrong position. However, I had remote program activated and the keyswitch was in the position to allow anything, but it wouldnt let me edit the program. I had to knock it into program mode to make my changes (which wasnt too popular with the running plant, but what can you do) Other than 'get a new plc' is there anything I can do next time? Is there some command that I missed to allow edits? Thanks

Via the industrial terminal, bit 5 is off. Bits 4 and 6 of the same word are on. I have two identical PLCs (with their own terminals) hooked up in a dual arrangement running the same program. So if its a hardware fault, its happened to them both at the same time. They have also been power cycled to no avail. <wonders if an oil soaked rag and a lighter may solve all the problems>

Thanks. Trying to hunt down the commands to display free/used memory on the thing to see if thats the problem. Would it be something that is fixable by telling it to repack the memory? (I remember having to do so on Siemens S5) It cant be that short of memory though as the last set of mods that I did added 4 rungs to the program and it didnt let me edit in run before then. The only cure I can think of at the moment is to tap it hard with a very big hammer (and get a new one in)

Its not working. No pending edits, no forces, key in right position, remote enabled. Still no edit resource. Heeeeeeeeeeeelp

Ahhhhhh, thats it. I think there was a forced input left on in the system while testing this change. That might have the same effect.

I've only just got to this forum and I'm asking the basics again. Hope no one recognises me from another forum, or bang goes my image of being the smart one, I'm setting up a PLC3 to test some code that our customer is running (making some slight modifications to it) but I cant get our test rig working. I've got a L2 module, an ME module and a KA thrown in for good measure. I stick them all in the rack, stick the safety bar into position (the one the kills power if you move it to pull a module) and hit the power button. The L2 and KA modules show they passed their tests. The ME shows nothing (unless I pull the batery and it shows battery low indication). The front panel lights up saying PLC3 (or it could be AB PLC3, its a long walk from here to check the exact wording) All sounds ok so far to me, but... None of the other LEDs light on the front of the rack (there are four of them, one marked PLC Program and the rest escape me at the moment, but whatever it is, it aint lit) The controls on the front of the pannel do not operate. Plugging in the system programmer and telling it to search for the PLC fails. I've tried everything I can think off (we have another rack, powersupply, a few L2 & L3s a few MEs and I've tried it without the KA module). I've even tried making threats with a mallet, to no avail. And one got any sugestions?

Thanks very much. Slapped on of them in and off it went. You wouldnt know where I could get my hands on electronic copies of the manuals for it, so I dont trip over any of the obvious mistakes again. Tried searching for them to no avail.

I have got my hands on the IPDS (or whatever its called) dos program and am trying to pull data off some old tapes. I can get the data off the tapes to .ARC format, but I cant do anything with them (other than fire them at a PLC) I would like to be able to see the code in the file, but it wont open it or convert it. Have I missed something funamental here?