"Easy" ControlLogix questions

[pelly09 0]

Hi everyone Just a couple of questions which i'm sure will be looked on as simple !!!! I work in maintenance and my primary role is training of other guys in many areas, the main one being PLC. I'm relatively well versed in PLC-5 and I'm slowly getting to grips with ControlLogix, the questions i have are.... Is there any way to clear the controller memory other than "battery out and power off", i create a lot of different projects and i like to show the guys how to "start from scratch" as i do with PLC-5 but i cannot find a simple way to clear the controller memory rather than creating my new project and over-writing my existing project. I also show the guys how to alias tags, which so far has gone quite well....until yesterday. I tried to alias a "multi-word" array, e.g. alias_tag[5]. When i tried to do this i got a fatal error and Logix5000 closed down. At first i thought it was to do with the fact i was trying to alias produce/consume tags but i have tried it with other tags and get the same result. I cannot find any documentation to explain this and was wondering if anyone could shed any light on this for me. Many thanks Steve

[gmferg 1]

I would think the fastest way to clear a processor would be to have a blank or near blank program and download it. I say near blank because I've never tried this and there maybe a minimum requirement for a project to be downloaded. Maybe you need at least one rung of logic? Another option may be to flash the processor.

[Ken Roach 194]

Usually RSLogix 5000 crashes are attributable to bugs that are known and have been patched, so check to see if there's a newer release of your editor (i.e. 16.03 patched several bugs in 16.00). There is a crash log that RSI might find of use, so give Tech Support a ring. Generally I clear ControlLogix controllers by removing the battery and cycling power. There's no "clear controller" button in RSLinx or RSLogix. I agree that a "clean" controller helps illustrate default communication setttings to your technicians.

[BobLfoot 301]

I have crashed RSlogix 5000 many times by using the Cross Reference Search window and typing an invalid tag name. Not sure if this "bug" exists in version 15 and 16 but I saw it a lot in 13.

[gmferg 1]

Still exists... I've experienced it most often if you enter a UDT tag with an extension that doesn't exist.

[jstolaruk 9]

Ditto on v16 - I thought it was a fluke. Wonder if they caught it in 17?

[pelly09 0]

Hi guys Thanks for the feedback so far From the replies that i've had, i am assuming that it is possible to alias a multi dimensional array as no one has said otherwise. this is the only area that i've had crashes with and it is when i try to create the alias that i get the problem. gmferg - thanks for the reply on the processor clear question, the way i am doing things right now is to create a new project offline, configure the local chassis and any remote i/o, i can then download to the controller with no ladder at all and i can start with a "blank canvas" many thanks steve