dWiseman

I am trying to set up a 1769-ASCII card to read data from a Honeywell Intermec printer. I am trying to monitor the LTS sensor so that I do not print duplicate labels. Using hyperterminal when I send the command (PRINT PRSTAT) I receive the status bit then OK. it would look like this: ***** 0   OK ***** When the first part of the message is 0 the label is taken and if it is 2 the label is still present When I send the exact same command via the 1769 Card I ONLY receive the Ok portion of the message. I imagine the card is reading the 0 then overwriting it with OK immediately after. I am sure the data is getting to the printer as when I send commands to print a label it works flawlessly. The cable is wired as follows: 2-3 3-2 5-5 7&8 connected on PLC side. Any insight as to what could be happening would be greatly appreciated :).   Cheers, dWiseman

Good Morning, I have some questions around the FactoryTalk View software used to create and modify Panelview Plus programs. I am currently working with Panelview Plus 1000. I have recently done a bit of programming on older panels through Panelbuilder32 so I have a some AB experience, but by no means am I an expert. This whole process seems a little overcomplicated (coming from an OMRON background)... having to upload, restore, then create back to runtime whilst having to match versions... First question is file types. I have noticed there are two file types. .APA and .MER. I have tried doing a little research but cannot figure out what the actual difference between these two file types are. I do know that when I upload the program from the HMI it comes in a .MER. Will this file contain all of the information from the original program? I have read some things about people losing security and communication set-up... Before I go downloading a modified program I would like to make sure this is not the case. Second question is with regards to editing procedure. My understanding is, as I mentioned above, I upload the .MER then I proceed to restore the application using FactoryTalk. I then edit everything I want. Is the correct procedure to then create a runtime application and then download that to the HMI. This question kind of ties into the first as I am really only worried about downloading and losing comms / security log ins. Third question is with regards to version. My understanding is I must match the version with the current version installed on the HMI. Is there anything more to this? When I create runtime application all I have to do is make sure the version type matches that of the HMI? Any help is very much appreciated :) Cheers, dWiseman

Managed to get everything going. Followed exactly as posted above. Loaded in the .MER and security was NG. All I had to do was add the users back to runtime security. Kind of a pain... but an easy fix nonetheless.   Thanks again.

Hello again,   I have been struggling uploading & downloading from and to a NS15 terminal over Ethernet.   I have tried changing priority of the PLC network on windows and numerous different setting in the CX Designer software. I cannot seem to get online with this sucker. The settings are as follows (would have uploaded pictures but the forum thinks my ~500kB picture is greater than 3.9MB :/):   PT Settings: -Nework Address: 1 -Node Address: 5 -IP Address: 192.168.250.5 -Sub-net Mask: 255.255.255.0   CX-Designer Transfer Settings (Direct Data Transfer to NS/Computer): Network (I am slightly unsure of how these settings are to be set up): -FINS Source Address Network: 1 -FINS Destination Address Network: 1 -FINS Destination Address Node: 5 -Frame Length: 1004 -Response Timeout: 2s Driver: -Workstation node number: 3 (auto detect de-selected, IP of PC is 192.168.250.3) -IP Address: 192.168.250.5 -Port Number: 9600   Any help will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance.   -dWiseman

Armadillo, Thanks for the prompt reply! So just to confirm to edit a current program on a panel: 1)upload .MER from the panel using transfer utility from FactoryTalk 2)restore application through application manager 3)make changes as needed 4)create runtime application from working file - must make sure version matches that of HMI 5)download using transfer utility Following this process I will retain all security settings and comm settings? Is it necessary to deselect transfer communications when downloading? Or because the version is above 5 the .MER keeps all information(???... I am running v8 on laptop and v7 on panel) If the case is the .MER does have everything I need to fully backup an application, what is the point of the .APA file? And when would I need to worry about losing Comm/security settings? Cheers, dWiseman

Jay, Tier 1 supplier to the Big T. I never thought of adding a separate NIC card for the HMI. My thinking was more along the lines of the line network is being bogged down by the data collection and for some reason the HMI does not like that. You think a separate NIC would help this issue? I have never heard of wireless serial... have you done this before? What kind of hardware does one need? Thanks again Cheers,

And that is what the we have done for a couple years. Only problem is the line PC is quite a ways away from the panel. It takes a master cable runner just to get a USB from the PC to the HMI - It has to go through the working section of the machine, meaning it must not be running. Really not a major concern, I was just determined to get ethernet coms working. Apparently data collection > HMI ease of use LOL. Thanks again. Cheers.

Jay, Thanks for the response. After screwing around for what seemed like ages, I found an application running on the line PC that was doing data collection via ethernet. It doesn't make all that much sense because its polling data from the PLC and not the HMI but as soon as that software was shut down upload / download from and to the HMI works fine. I guess the HMI transfer causes a decently heavy load and the ethernet connection was being bogged down by the data collection app. CX-Designer did not like this. Cheers, David

Thanks pcmccarney1 and kaiser_will. That was my understanding as well. My only real option would be to reset which is not an option I would like to prusue. I am only trying to find login info for machines I am not familiar with to get access to different screens without changing the panelview program altogether. I guess I'll have to keep bugging people for login and passwords to various machines. I am used to Omron where if I do not know the machines login info - it is very easily obtained through the designer program... I guess AB takes their security a little more seriously,,,? Thanks again, Cheers.

Hey There, I am wondering if there is a way to retroactively get the passwords for the different users loaded on a Panelview program? I have uploaded the .mer and found where the users are set-up but could only find an option to change the password. There has got to be a way to see these current passwords. Thanks in advance.

Jay, After playing around with the set-up and cycling power numerous times the issue seems to have resolved itself. Really not sure what did the trick. I will grab the code today and upload just in case there is something you can see that I missed... Cheers.

I am trying to sort out some analog input issues on a CJ2 with analog inputs through an AD041-V1 input module. I traced the issue to incorrect special I/O unit setup but noticed the data is changing dynamically as the PLC is running causing the analog inputs not to work. I cannot see anything writing to these values over ethernet, nor locally in the PLC. I have tried re downloading sepcial unit setup and it will work until power is cycled.

I wondered the same thing. Searching the code does not bring up any logic moving any data into the special IO setup (Unit 0 so DM20000 to DM20099). I attempted to add some logic to try and force the values of DM20000 -> DM20002 as they are most critical for the setup of this module and I still saw values fluctuating.   After re-downloading special I/O and cycling power numerous times it seems the issues has gone away. I'm sure it will be back soon enough though....

I will have a look and see if this is the issue. I don't think the PLC is using a memory card, and the only other thing that leads me to beleive that is not the case is if I am watching the address while the PLC is running I can watch the data change - it is not only changing during startup.   EDIT: after checking the PLC, we do not have a memory card installed, and all of the DIP switches on the CPU are set to OFF.