Thiago Turcato

Hi kdshaw87, The PLC 8-pin front port (MiniDIN 8) is RS-422 (4-wire), not RS-232. Appearently your HMI is set for RS-232, what seems incorrect. Another important point is the protocol. Does Proface driver for Mitsubishi mentions which protocol it does use? The PLC front port only accepts programming protocol, not MC Protocol in any format. The front port is "CH0" so, the serial port parameters you sent does not apply to front port, only to extension ports, what is not your case. Regards!

Hello RedViper, According to your description, it looks OK the procedure you did. To ensure that the program was correctly loaded in the PLC, you may open GX Developer, go to "Online" > "Read from PLC" and try to read the program again. The best way to check if the program is really running accordingly is to monitor the program that is in PLC memory. I checked your program and, apparently, you have 2 units 1PG installed, in positions K0 and K1. As I could realize from the program, 1PG modules are working in "Interrupt Single Speed Position Mode". In this mode, the servo movement is started by bit 9 of BFM #25, in speed mode first. I could detect that your program uses bits M9 and M209 respectively for modules K0 and K1, for starting the servomotor movement. These bits seem to be turned ON by interruptions: in the case of M9, interruptions I10 and I20. These interruptions are triggered by two high-speed counter comparison instructions HSCS, connected to counters C235 and C236. Long story short, my recommendation: 1- First things first: I know it may be obvious but make sure your PLC is really running (RUN LED is solid lit). Sometimes we neglect the simplest thing and this may be the problem. Check also if 1PG module is not in error (ERR LED in 1PG module is not lit). If 1PG is in error, you must check BFM #29 and see what is the error. Follow the potential error causes; 2- Monitor counters C235 and C236 while the encoders (which may be mechanically linked to the conveyors you mentioned, check it!) shafts are spun. If those counters are incrementing while the conveyors run, it is a good sign; if it is not incrementing, you will want to start looking at what may be wrong with those encoders, including if X0 and X1 (encoder inputs for C235 and C236) inputs are blinking when spinning the encoders slowly; 3- If it is all OK with the encoders, look at HSCS instructions, if the HSCS setpoint registers (such as D316 in your program) have correct values for triggering the interrupts (the value must be one that the C235 may reach and trigger the interrupt); 4- If the HSCS setpoint (such as D316) is good for the C235 to reach it, and C235 is actually passing through it, so interruptions are probably being triggered. Check if D302 has a value different from zero. It is the pulse train speed to be sent to servo drive; Important to have the manuals to follow the steps above: FX2N CPU Programming Manual: http://dl.mitsubishielectric.com/dl/fa/document/manual/plc_fx/jy992d48301/jy992d48301j.pdf  FX2N-1PG manual:  https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/dl/fa/document/manual/plc_fx/jy992d65301/jy992d65301n.pdf Regards!

As further as I know, DB inside data cannot be accessed by GOT Simple but I will check further with my colleagues to see if anyone found a way to do it easier than transfer data to/from %M type devices in S7-300 PLC and let you know! Best Regards!

The FX3 programming port unfortunately has a proprietary protocol. The documentation is not disclosed by Mitsubishi Electric.

     Vinícius,       Just adding a comment to Crossbow reply, currently 110 Ohms cable type is more common. I don't know if you already purchased the cable but, just in case, in Brazil you can find CC-Link compatible cable from Igus (Jundiaí) and Eurocabos.       If you need help in Portuguese, Mitsubishi Electric Brazil has a technical support address cat@mitsubishielectric.com.br where you can send your doubts.        BR,        Thiago  

    Bloggy,     You can make a lamp to blink by setting the option below. Click in the figure of the ON lamp and the configuration, shown below in green rectangle, will appear. You can select from slow (low) to fast (high) blinking.   BR, Thiago

     Dear wbaumgartner,      I took a quick look and your program looks OK for me, as program structure. I ran it under simulator to check if any errors would appear (and, believe me, if you do something inconsistent for these QPLC PID instructions, you will sure get 4100 coded operation error) and no errors (I don't know if you tried to run your program under it, and more recently the GXW2 simulator is supporting PIDINIT/PIDCONT instructions).      As you may know, PID is very process-dependent control so it is difficult to really know if it will work but all-in-all it the program looks fine.      BR,      Thiago

It's ANDed, so any of the conditions in your ladder line goes false, M3 goes false, as well. Regards!

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for but I recommend you add a FX3G-485BD and use computer link protocol that is open documented (like "MC Protocol C type, for serial"). I can send a link to you of this manual if you decide to use this option, just let me know.  Regards!

Sorry Bob, I can't help. This port only works with programming protocol which is Mitsubishi proprietary. Probably there's a specific protocol command to set baud rate in first communication cycle... I don't know! I don't have access or clearance to such as this information. Even D8118 and D8119 is undocumented in public manuals.

Are you getting some alarm or problem?

There are many reasons for the L alarms, the best way is to connect your Q170M to MT Works2 and check the diagnostics. The MT Works even may give you potential causes and possible solutions.

There is a blinking option in lamp or you may combine two bits in lamp for this, like SM412 (or M8013 depending on the PLC you're using). I can take a picture tomorrow and send of this config on GT Designer.

Hello m.rahmy, To implement the SFC by using stepladder in FX you must combine the usage of S type bits with STL instruction. The way it's programmed in your example will not work as SFC. As I'm answering from my cellphone, I cannot take a picture from GXW2 so, I will try to represent using text (if not clear, please ask again I will answer tomorrow): To work as an SFC, your ladder must be programmed like this:      X1 1 --| |---------------------------[SET S41]   2 --------------------------------[STL S41]    M8000 3 --| |------------------------(M50)     M78 4 --| |------------------------[SET S42] 5 --------------------------------[STL S42]    M8000 6 --| |------------------------(Y1) 7 --------------------------------[ RET ]  Ok! Line 1 runs all the time because it's not under any previous STL instruction. Consider the first STL instruction is on line 2 from the beginning of the program. Considering initial state S41 and S42 off, M50 and Y1 are off two because they depend on some of those states to be active.  Now, let's consider X1 turns on. Then, S41 state becomes active so, lines 1 to 4 are being processed (every line between the current STL active until and before next STL (S42) will become active and being processed). At this moment, as S41 is active and M8000 is always on, M50 now go on and stay like this, as long as S41 is active. Now, let's consider after a while, M78 goes on. Now, S41 goes automatically off (because of STL working way, no need to reset it) and S42 goes on. Lines 1 to 4 become inactive, so M50 also goes off. Because of STL S42 active, now lines 5 to 7 (RET instruction delimit the last STL region) become active, so Y1, that was off previously, becomes on. This is basically how SFC in ladder - stepladder - works on FX PLC. Hope it helps! Regards,  Thiago          

   I also had lots of problems with SC-09. I can't explain why but the MAX232 IC usually comes to fail and must be replaced. Some customer of us even had a problem when using for the first time or, sometimes, few times.

Bob, Let me try to understand better your situation:  1- Do you need to change the baud rate or just know what is current baud rate? 2- This baud rate is for MiniDIN port (embedded) or a BD expansion? 3- What is the exact FX model you're working with? BR, Thiago 

Gman1, When you install the battery for the first time, you should get AL.25 (abs position loss) after powering on the drive with the motor properly connected. This happened? After that you should turn off an on again and the alarm should disappear. Then you must perform OPR (home position return). If the above didn't happen, your drive is missing the absolute position detection parameter to be enabled or you have some problems with your driver/QD77MS. BR, Thiago

You're right, pcmccartney1. That is the shortest way. Thanks for your reply! Thiago

Hi, I need to select a Beckhoff system that basically must have PLC with motion capabilities for drives via EtherCAT. The purpose is to test the compatibility of Mitsubishi Electric EtherCAT type drives with Beckhoff PLC. As Beckhoff is a PC based solution and there are many options I'm honestly confused on how to proceed to select a Beckhoff system. Does anyone have experience with selecting Beckhoff PLC that could help with the way to select it? Thanks! Thiago

Chakshu,  I've been messing around CoDeSys for GOC looking for a CRC function but I'm afraid it doesn't exist for GOC. So, the way is to implement by hand. There are various ways, including a table based calculation instead of equation based calculation. BR, Thiago 

If you just plug it into the FX2N powered off and turn it on, it will automatically assume the program that is on EEPROM for running.  You may protect the program that is on FX-EEPROM-8 by using the switch for this purpose that exists in the cassette, before installing the cassette in FX2N CPU. After installing and turning FX2N on, use GX Works2 to read the program exactly as you was supposed to do if you were reading the FX2N embedded memory. Hope it helps! BR, Thiago 

Note that if you have multiple CPUs, depending on the combination of CPUs, you will have to change the rack (base unit) as well.

HMI JR, Only MX Component itself is an ActiveX component so, if you just use it, you can do whatever you want by using VBA script on Excel. But you will have to implement automation yourself using the VBA. There is a more readily tool, that also requires MX Component but all the VBA script is already made for many useful functions. This tool is the MX Sheet. It is possible to automatize many Excel functions such as opening a file or saving it by using MX Sheet + MX Component. In your case, you will have to connect the TV as an additional display to a computer where Excel and MX tools are installed and will run the communication and Excel automation. I don't know a way to "send" the spreadsheet to a TV.... BR, Thiago

Flodis, Points may mean one word or one bit, depending on the SLMP command you're referring to. Example: if we talk about command 0401 with subcommand 0000, for batch read, one point is one word, because as mentioned in the table it is "in units of words". Applying similar thinking, command 0401 with subcommand 0001, for batch read, one point is one bit. Let us know if you still have doubts! BR, Thiago  

Civet, Actually, in the case of FX3, if you use FX3U with no optional Flash memory card installed, FX3U-32BL battery still is required to keep the program. If we talk about FX3S and FX3G, yes, the battery is not required to keep the program as it is kept by EEPROM. Even though, it is important to mention that FX3G may require battery depending on how you use and save R file registers (you have two ways to keep R file registers data, one is saving them to an EEPROM area called ER file registers area by using RWERP instruction; the second option is to install an optional FX3U-32BL and set "Use battery" in FX3G parameters) and to keep file register and the RTC working with CPU power down. In case of iQ-F it is a little bit different: Program is kept in EEPROM memory and the latch/retentive memory up to 12k works is kept in an embedded FeROM (or FROM) memory, a memory with technology that allows keeping data without battery but, unlikely EEPROMs, it has rewriting life similar to a RAM memory! In the case of QPLC it is possible to save a backup program in Standard ROM embedded memory and do a boot every time the QPLC is restarted, so you don't necessarily need the battery in QPLC for keeping the program, besides the factory setting is using the battery to keep the program in the CPU memory. In the case of retentive/latch registers, you still need a battery to keep data when CPU power is down. In the case of iQ-R, the program is stored in an EEPROM type but the latch/retentive registers depend on the battery, as well as the RTC. The battery used by iQ-R CPUs may be the same as the QPLC or FX3 (FX3U-32BL) depending on the CPU model. BR! Thiago