JesperMP

And neither LG or LS Industrial are mentioned on OPC Foundation. So I also do not think LG/LS Industrial have an OPC server. Which is odd, since their product portfolio is otherwise quite extensive.

Do you mean Lacroix Sofrell ? If so, they do have an OPC Server: http://www.opcfoundation.org/Products/Prod...I=426&CU=20 Apart from that, the best place to search for available OPC Servers is the OPC Foundation site.

Hi Colin. It sound as it could have to do with WinCC Flexible, but since you write it is WinCC, then I have no idea what it can be. Cheers.

Sorry, I cant let such a statement pass unchallenged. That is correct as fas as that AB created the term "PLC". But of course, the Modular Digital Controller was there first, created by Chris Morley. If his company had been slighly more succesful, we would all be programming "MDC's" in stead of "PLC's".Now, back to the original topic. Worldwide, I believe that Siemens has approximately 30-35%, AB/Rockwell 15-20%, Mitsu 15%, Omron 10%. It sounds realistic to me if AB/Rockwell has approx 40% in North America.

In stead of a CP341 with loadable Modbus driver, consider the ET200S 1SI module with onboard Modbus driver. It is a lot less expensive.

Code that triggers a HMI message "Profibus station either disappeared or reappeared !"

Hi zeratul. Does it say "the block is protected" when you try to open FB10 ? If so, it is because it has been locked by the original programmer. This is called "know-how protect". You may get an idea of what the FB10 block does by the symbolic name and maybe the parameters.

Justin. Rather than presenting the task at hand piece-meal, either post it all here or get qualified help elsewhere. Jumping from STEP7 LITE to PCS-7 is like jumping from a tricycle to the space shuttle. PCS-7 is Siemens top-of-the-line Proces Control System based on S7 hardware and software. It is not just a SCADA, it is more like a DCS. The hardware is either S7-400 or PC Stations with WinAC RTX (at least I think so). A complete PCS-7 system including "Engineering Stations" starts at 20-30000 €, just to put things in perspective.

STEP7 LITE is limited to support only S7-300, no configured networking connections (f.ex. PLC-to-PLC), no Profibus or Profinet i/o. Online only via MPI, not Profibus or Ethernet. Exchanging projects between the full STEP7 and LITE is quite cumbersome. Since there is Ethernet in the equation, I recommend to go for the full STEP7. Since both PLCs have Ethernet, save on the PC Adapter, it will not be required.

Hi Justin. PLCSIM is an option for STEP7, costs approx 600 €. If you are learning STEP7 on a budget for an upcoming project, then just purchase the PLC hardware so far in advance that you can "simulate" your code on the real CPU. For S7-300, you need at least STEP7 LITE which can be downloaded for free, or STEP7 which costs approx 1900 €. In either case you need an online cable, which can be the PC Adapter USB for approx 450 €. If you can use the somewhat smaller IM151-8 CPU for ET200S, then you can program via ethernet. That means you can omit the PC Adapter USB, but then again cannot use STEP7 LITE, only the full STEP7.

"KF" tells us that the value is formatted as an integer, so 4 is correct. edit: Since this value is placed in a datablock, it is not a constant. The "4" is probably just a default value. Most likely the value can be adjusted on an operator panel for example. Generally, all values that are stored in DBs, and appear to be not set anywhere by code, are probably operator udjustable settings.

It is in german notation, so that may explain why it is hard to read. U=und=and for example. Here is my attempt at a pseudo tranlation to AB Ladder lingo. SEGMENTO 1 0000 TIMER DATA 0000 :A DB 11 -TEMP TIMERS DATA Opens DB11 for subsequent use. 0001 :*** SEGMENTO 13 005D SPACING STEP COUNTER 005D :A DB 12 -CONT COUNTERS DATA (Opens DB12 for subsequent use) 005E :U E 0.3 -FC4 INDEX DEVICE POS XIC E0.3 005F :U M 12.6 -ICP START SPACING STEP (and) XIC M12.6 0060 :ZV Z 2 -C2 SPACING STEP = COUNT UP Z2 0061 :UN M 12.6 -ICP START SPACING STEP XIO M12.6 0062 :R Z 2 -C2 SPACING STEP = RESET Z2 0063 :L Z 2 -C2 SPACING STEP LOAD Z2.ACC (actual value) 0064 :L DW 2 LOAD DW2 (=DB12.DW2) 0065 :>=F COMPARE GREATER OR EQUAL TO 0066 :S M 12.7 -FCP END SPACING STEP OTL M12.7 0067 :U M 12.7 -FCP END SPACING STEP XIC M12.7 0068 :U E 0.2 -FC3 INDEX DEVICE CYL (and) XIC E0.2 0069 :R M 12.7 -FCP END SPACING STEP OTU M12.7 006A :A DB 11 -TEMP TIMER DATA (Opens DB11 for subsequent use) 006B :*** SEGMENTO 24 00BE STEP MADE CONTROL 00BE :UN E 0.2 -FC3 INDEX DEVICE CYL XIO E0.2 00BF :U A 10.5 -EV3 BAR STEP SOL VALVE (and) XIC A10.5 00C0 :O T 5 -T5 STEP CONTROL TIMER BST AND T5.DN BND (timer "done" bit) 00C1 :S M 13.4 -SPE STEP MADE CONTROL OTL M13.4 00C2 :O E 0.3 -FC4 INDEX DEVICE ON POS XIC E0.3 00C3 :O E 8.3 -PM REM EMERGENCY RESET PB BST XIC E8.3 BND 00C4 :R M 13.4 -SPE STEP MADE CONTROL OTU M13.4 00C5 :*** SEGMENTO 1 0000 FLASHING 0000 :UN M 100.0 XIO M100.0 0001 :L KT 025.0 = (start timer T0) 0003 :SE T 0 (Timer T0 contd.) 0004 :U T 0 XIC T0.DN (timer "done" bit) 0005 := M 100.0 OTE M100.0 0006 :U M 100.0 XIC M100.0 0007 :UN M 100.1 -FL FLASHING (and) XIO M100.1 0008 :S M 100.2 OTL M100.2 0009 :U M 100.0 XIC M100.0 000A :U M 100.1 -FL FLASHING (and) XIC M100.1 000B :R M 100.2 OTU M100.2 000C :UN M 100.0 XIO M100.0 000D :U M 100.2 (and) XIC M100.2 000E :S M 100.1 -FL FLASHING OTL M100.1 000F :UN M 100.0 XIO M100.0 0010 :UN M 100.2 (and) XIO M100.2 0011 :R M 100.1 -FL FLASHING OTU M100.1 0012 :BE

I think that there was a block protection in S5. Some blocks were marked with a LIB= number, and you had to have the blocks in offline project in order to view them offline. Or approximately so, it is many years since I last dabbled with S5. Anyway, at least you should be able to see OB1 and DB1.

Hi Corben. The ASM means that the CPU shall treat the subsequent instructions as machine code for the microprocessor. As far as I know, ASM was only used inside standard blocks. You may have to look what the calling code seems to do, or if it has to do with some of the standard blocks of the CPU in question.

Go online with the faulted CPU, and investigate the USTACK and maybe the BSTACK. This can tell you more specifically what goes wrong. Btw. I hope that you are merely investigating how to exchange these old S5 PLCs. I would not waste too much time trying to keep them alive, and I would absolutely not make a new control system, even if the PLCs are surplus.

Hi sandman. What is the software that is running on the PC ? If it is some Siemens software, such as Protool RT, WinCC or WinCC Flexible, then the necessary drivers usually comes included. It is also possible that the communication software called Simatic Net is used. This software may be used with the previously mentioned softwares, and also with other 3rd party software (Citect f.ex.). If Simatic Net is used, then it is probably a version for the CP5613 card, i.e. Simatic Net CP5613 or something like that. Go to the Windows Start menu .. SIMATIC .. Information .. Installed Software. Use this to list all the Siemens software on the PC, then post that here. Btw. Are you possibly working in a foundry ?

MPI at 187.5 kbaud may be a little underpowered for accessing 20 PLCs. So I also recommend going for ethernet. If you have not already settled or purchased the S7-300 PLCs, I may turn your attention to the IM151-8 CPU for the ET200S modules. It has oboard ethernet ports and costs approx the same as a 314 CPU. The performance is like a 314 so it may be enough for smaller projects. One pitfall is the number of supported connections of the OPC Server. You need a server that supports 20+ connections. Simatic Net Ethernet Lean only supports 8 connections for example.

Use DINT for the type of the tag in WinCC Flexible, despite that it is a TIME in the the S7 program. It will then show as milliseconds in WinCC Flex RT. If milliseconds is too fine, you can apply scaling in the tag in WinCC Flex. To get it to show as seconds for example simply specify that when PLC=1000, then HMI=1.

Paul. There is a quite new variant that does not use phosphor coating but 'quantum dots' in stead. http://www.nexxuslighting.com/news/pressRe...news_050509.php

It is impossible to answer without knowing your application.

WinCC or WinCC Flexible ?

Hi newman IM is for Interface Module. It is used to expand a main S7 PLC rack with extension racks. CP is for Communication Processor. It expands an S7 rack with a communication port like ethernet, profibus, RS232, RS422. DP is short for Profibus Distributed Periphery. Some ports, onboard or via a CP are called DP ports when they support Profibus DP.

Hi Muhammad. What is the status of the two licenses in Simatic Manager ? You can use the 'check' function to see if the license is OK. Also check i the version number of the license and PLCSIM matches. If the license for PLCSIM is OK, it seems to be a problem with PLCSIM. You can try to reinstall PLCSIM. edit: I think that maybe PLCSIM is OK even if there is an error message. You do not get license errors from STEP7, only from PLCSIM ?

I agree, it is a problem. We are leaving our children with a legacy of lead, cadmium and mercury in the environment. The amount of mercury in todays flourescent lamps is much less than just 10 years ago. Even so, with incandescent being replaced by flourescent on a large scale, it ads up to too much. To my opinion there should be a deposit on items such as lamps and batteries that contain lead, cadmium or mercury. It is crazy that there is a deposit on beercans but not on batteries and flourescent lamps. The light from flourescent lamps is also not as evenly distributed as natural white light. I guess this is the problem behind getting headaches from staying in areas with only flourescent light. I see that LEDs are beginning to appear, even as replacement bulbs for old style incandescent light bulbs. LEDs are still way more expensive than flourescent, but on the other hand yet more energy efficient. And the newest types have a much closer resemblance to natural white light than flourescent. To me LEDs is the way to go.

The 750kVA and 900A would be consistent with 480V (you forgot to specify this little detail, tsk tsk). But how can you even doubt this ? There must be a nameplate on the trafo with all the relevant details. Anyway, when 'looking' from one of the sides of the transformer, the simple formula is: P=U*I*1.73 P is W U is V across 2 phases. In 3 phase systems, when nothing else is mentioned voltage is assumed to be meant between phases. I is A in one phase. In 3 phase systems, when nothing else is mentioned current is assumed to be meant inside one phase. Notice that you can always measure U and I this way (U across, I inline) treating the trafo or motor as a 'black box'. Also notice, this just shows what P goes in or out of the trafo. It does not account for losses. The simple formula only looks at one side of the trafo. To answer you question: It is 900 A per phase @ 480 V between phases.