TelePace and C programming.

[Elcan 1]

Hi all, I have to deal with an old project a former fellow employee created, and now he's gone and I was not able to find the related documentation. The PLC is a ScadaPAck LP. The project consists in a ladder program (*.lad file) that I was able to open in Telepace, a *.csv file with the registers and its values, a *.cpa file that I was able to open in Information Designer, and a *.abs file. On internet I found out that the abs file is a compiled C program. Here is where my doubts arise: 1. Do I need the source file (a *.c file) in order to see what the code does, don't I? I believe I cannot retrieve the source file from the compiled file (I hope I am wrong). 2. Do the ladder program and the C program work together in the PLC? I would appreciate if someone could shed a light on this. 3. If I am not able to get the source C code, is there a work around for this? The PLC is on the client site, but they will collaborate with us. Thank you very much for your help!

[Elcan 1]

A guy with Control Microsystems replied with this: Our controllers have the ability to execute ladder logic (.lad) and C code (.abs) simlutaneously. This is what you appear to have. And unfortunately, you are correct; you need the source C code to see what the compiled .abs file is actually doing. There is no way to uncompile the .abs file to recover the source code. There is no work around for not having the source C code unless you know what the C code is doing and then duplicating this functionality in the ladder logic code.

[Rod_Hackney 2]

I did a few scada systems with Control Microsystems in the past. My understanding is the C program runs independent of the ladder. So as the control micro guy stated, if you do not have the source for the C, it will be difficult to know exactly what is going on other than review of the ladder program. I know that most developers us the Control Micro C primarily for data collection and do all the control and communications stuff in ladder in the telepace software.