strantor_

I am playing with sending ASCII string commands back and forth between my CP1H and another device. I learned first how to do it using ladder and now that I'm getting into more advanced stuff (parsing, searching for certain chars, converting to INT, ect) I want to do it in Structured Text because the ladder for this gets hard to follow. My very first experiment (count string length) throws an error at me: It apparent takes exception that I've use the "STRING" data type   But it this works just fine in ladder:   So am I really not allowed to use STRING data type in ST on CP1H or am I doing something wrong?

From W451: NO MENTION of fb restriction on string functions

  I appreciate it but, no, it's not having any of that either. It won't let me define a string variable in ST. And if I try to get away without defining a variable (put conversion directly into TXD) it tells me "instruction not available for current PLC"   How frustrating! I didn't see this restriction printed in any documentation before I selected CP1H for this application, and I still don't. I have looked hard through all my manuals twice and I don't see this printed. In CP1L/H Programming manual W451, CX-Programmer manual W447, CP1H operation manual W450, it is never mentioned that I can find! It really lead me to believe it as capable. Omron is trying to make me feel stupid, successfully. Next time I buy a new car I will have to verify that it has gear oil in the differential. Because every car on the lot will have shipped with diff oil except the one that I select, and the owner's manual won't tell me that on this very specific model the owner is expected to put it in.

I just tried to do the same thing in a ladder FB. String variable, it gave me the same error. But then in the FB I changed the variable type to WORD and it worked. "neat" little workaround in ladder FB, but too bad it doesn't work in ST. in ST I get this error:

Change your end code to CR,LF. The reason you're not receiving anything is you have it set to 256 bytes. With it set that way, you would have to send letter B 256 times before it displays

nah, I think I'll pass. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm going to request a PLC to play with on Monday.

Sorry for polluting the internet; I already posted this on plctalk. Then I remembered there are more Omron experts over here, including @Jay Anthony who I've worked with before. Anyway, here goes... I am trying to write a program in CX-programmer and a UI in NB-designer, and simulate both in communication with each other. My previous Omron HMI experience has been in CX-designer, which interfaces seamlessly into CX-programmer and I can simulate both at once easily. This NB application has me confounded. I tried using the CX-simulator and was able to connect CX-programmer to it, but not NB designer.Is this even possible?  

Is there any possibility of simulating the PLC on one laptop, and the NB panel on another? Tricking both into thinking they are talking to a real partner?

Thank you for the answer Michael. Not the answer I was hoping for, but now I know.  Now I need to decide whether to buy the PLC up front for testing or switch to a NS HMI.