PLC_man_Stan

The best thing we can teach you is to use the instruction help files. In any of the RSLogix code (5, 500, 5000) you get very good help files which explain what each instruction does in each type of language

I'm just about to start a new project which will see us upgrade a PLC5 DH+ system into ControlLogix. We have a huge Ethernet Engineering network that most of our kit sits on. My Boss wants to use ControlNet for the remote I/O and i would like to conitune to use Etehrnet IP. He wants to use ControlNet becuase the original network did not seperate the engineering WAN from the machien LAN so when we had a bad input card it wiped out the whole of the engineering network. I have now addressed this issue by ensuring each machien has two ENBT cards on for the engineering WAN and then one for the remote I/O on the system. It works well. The trouble i have is that my boss has said the decision is mine so naturally i'm going to go with ethernet Anyone have any reasons for or against?

Hear Hear! This happend to us not that long ago. We have now not only seperated the IT and the Engineering Networks completely but we have also isolated the control on each machine with a seperate ENBT module.

Poll

Yeah opinions really i know both systems will do the job, i was looking more for a definate technical answer to back them up though. Your argument on the Ethernet for remote I/O is very valid though

I have an issue with an activation that i have purchased. I have downlowded the activation from the rockwell website and installed it in the correct area It now shows up in the list of activations to rehost but does not show up in the list of current activations. Is it beacause it is a concurrent activation and do i have to do something else with it. Help

Solved thank you.

This is my plan going forward it seems the only way to ensure no cross network issues, Thanks Bob its good to hear someone else is doing it this way

We have an Ethernet Network in our plant which all machines are connected to. Each Machine has around 20 nodes on it ranging from Flex I/O to a SCADA PC. At Present each node on each Machine has an IP address ranging from 10.156.1.1 to 10.156.14.77 and all subnet masks are set to 255.255.0.0. This currently means that every node on this network can communicate with each other. We had an issue last week where an input card faulted and dropped out the whole network we lost connections to every node on the network it was a good day to be the Controls Engineer on site. I fixed the problem by unplugging the faulty machines main switch from the network. Anyway my issue now is that i would like to give each machine its own subnet with an extra 1756-ENBT module in each rack which will then communicate to the engineerign network. This will hopfeully isolate the machine subnet which will continue to communicate (to the 20 or so nodes) even if teh engineering network dies. I have set up a rig in my office with 2 1756 racks each with an L61 and 2 ENBT modules. I also have 2 Flex racks. I want to have 1 ENBT module talking to the flex I/O and 1 ENBT module talkign to the engineering network this should give me comms to my CPU from the engineering network and if i loose the engineering network the flex I/O will still talk to teh CPU over the other ENBT. Does anyone else have plant setup in this way and are there any rules i should stick too when assignign IP adresses/subnet masks

1 - I know its the 1756-IB16 causing the issue as i replicated it on my desk by getting a 13 slot rack up and running and then plugging the faulty module in. (see previous post's) 2 - ControlLogix CPU's are shipped without the firmware in them so the first thing you always do is update the firmware using control flash. This is the exact same way i updated the firmware when it asked me to do so after faultng the system.

1. 1756-IB16/A part No. 96258877 A01 2. The Connection is local the card sits in slot 7 of a 13 slot rack which also includes the CPU and an ENBT (this ENBT connects to an 8 port switch which has a cat 5 to it from one of the managed switches on the hyper ring) 3. No it's not as standard we do not have this box checked (there is probably no ryme or reason for this other than that is the default setting) 4. Not sure what you mean as the card is in the chassis 5. Not to this module obviously there are other connections through the ENBT card 6. We don't currently use CF cards (although i am changing this). Fault lights - OK light on solid red no fault code captured as kicked off network when card is placed in rack 7. OK light solid red NET light flashing red 8. This is a tough one to answer but i think it goes like this Power off Chassis containing Rouge I/O card, CPU and ENBT Remove Rouge I/O Card Power on Chassis Try and communicate with processor ENBT will have reverted back to bootp so set network address Once ENBT has comms try going online with processor CPU will require firmware reload and then program download Then we are up and running.

Thanks Ken, you are correct in your assumption that the switches are RS20's and that the Flex I/O for each machien should not have to cross the hyper ring.

Thanks for the responses. At present we have a Hirschmann 1Gb hiper ring and each machine (group of 20+ nodes with various spider 5tx style switches) has a single link onto that ring. This is why when i unplugged that single connection onto the ring the ring corrected itself. Going back to the 2 ENBT cards i did some tests last night and it did work. As i only have a single CAT5 from each group of nodes onto the hyper ring i'm going to plug that CAT 5 into an ENBT module set as 10.156.13.7 subnet 255.255.0.0 which is in the CPU rack this means anything on my hyper ring can talk to the processor. Then i set the other ENBT module to a 10.156.50.1 subnet 255.255.255.192 and then each node with the same subnet and 10.156.50.x (upto 62). This means from the hyper ring in can see 10.156.13.7 and get online to the processor but i cant see any of the other nodes (to do this i would have to bridge the ENBT modules) so this is a good thing. I set two systems up in the same manner one using 10.156.50.X for its nodes and one using 10.156.51.X fo its nodes. I still have my rouge input card so i plugged it into one of the racks. I then witnessed the CPU in that rack error the two ENBT modules crash and every node on the 10.156.50.x subnet loose comms. I slo lost comms on the second ENBT module set to 10.156.13.7 which still did crash my hyper ring. But the main point is that the other subnet on 10.156.51.X stayed in tact as there was no bridge between the two ENBT modules. Ok so i think i have my answer to curing my machine level problem as this is the most important because it has all of the control level devices on it. Do people see any merits in changing to Control Net? I'll get some info on our hyper ring today and post it up so people can see, but i dont think its ahythign special just a bunch of managed switches with drops off it

I'm using a Dell Latitude E5500 with Windows 7 I am running RSLinx Classic 2.56.00.13 CPR 9 SR 2, which works very well.

We have a Hirschamnn engineering network with around 20 managed switches on it. Using a web browser i can access each of the switches and configure them. Except for 2 of them. When i type in the IP adress the correct Railswitch page loads and asks me for the password. I type in the known password but nothing happens it's as if i have got the password wrong. When i try this with my XP PC the known password is accepted and i'm allowed onto the switch. I've tried turning firewalls off and clearing internet history but the W7 PC will not connect to the switch. i am stumped on this one please help.

I need to update the firmware in a 1756-IB16 but i just cant seem to find a way of doing it. I have the new EDS file containing version 3.5 and i have control flash, but ijust can't seem to find out how to update it. When i open the control flash application it asks me to select teh module for updating and the IB16 card is not there. Come on peeps, put me out of my misery

So you're saying that i can't upgrade the firmware? This means i will have to delete the modules from the code and re-install them as the correct version. As i have 8 32 input modules to do all which have Alias tags, this will be a lot of work HELP!

Ask you local Distributor, ours came in on wednesday telling us about a new PanlView + which is much cheaper for small projects. Obviously it has limitations such as max 25 screens, but it may be worth looking at. Not sure about any other info on them yet but i'm sure if you look round you can find something

We do have an application that sort of doss this. We use a seperate PLC on a moving rig which is plugged into a wireless transmitter this then sends its information over the ethernet network. It's probably an expensive way of doing what your saying. But i would say that anyone who has had this as a requirement in the past has done somethign similar to us

Keep in touch with this forum, its a great place just to vent your frustrations and at best it's the best learning tool i've ever used Good luck, your never on your own!

The S88 method is definatlkey your best way to go i read a book a few years ago by a couple of guys who implemented S88 batch into a Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory. The book was very easy to understand and gave me some great ideas of how to break code down and how to structure it. I think it was call apllying S88. and when i do a search this is the only referance i can find http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?u...ds=applying+s88. If you want a taster of this book email me and i might be able to dig it out

I have just had my windows 7 laptop and i have tried installing virtual PC. This works with linx fine and logix 5, 500 and 5000 install ok, teh issue is when you try and activate them with the factory talk activation centre. I had a lot of trouble with this, so in the end i installed Linx 2.5.6 which works great with W7 Logix 5 - V 7.40 Logix500 - V 8.20 Logix 5000 - V 16 and they all work liek a charm. i'll keep you posted if i get any funny business but i'm very impressed at the moment

I'll second the Beckhoff, nice and easy to use and a good all round product

I would also ask about other input devices as what stops the barrier coming down on the car after 20 seconds? I also don't have much experiance with Foxpro but if you give us a little more info we should be able to help

I'm actually using firefox on the W7 PC as IExpl would not even load the railswitch page. Thinking about it this is the only differnece the XP PC uses IExpl and the W7PC uses firefox. hmmm...