Dead PLC-2/30

[Been Around 0]

Can anyone convert a plc-2 to plc-5? - CANT FIND MASTER DISK Plc-2/30 died today Replacing with 5/40 that is in the demonstrator my Father and I purchased in 1984. The 5/40 is newer and remote i/o to second chassis or some may say rack ( this could be another discussion). This will be the fastest way to get them running this weekend. With Qoutes to replace the whole system. I know lack of planning does not justify an emergency. I had warned the last three plant managers that one day it was going to go off and not start back up. And today was the day. But the plant still needs to make production. only 377 rungs long all digital, no smart cards 2 full chassis with high density cards I haven't used the software in a while and during move lots of stuff got packed away. I can probably just start new and rewrite before I can find MASTER DISK! Software went through two hands and Tech Support couldn't help. UNDERSTANDABLE Thanks for all help, sorry I haven't given my two cents lately to any topic, business has been good and projects abound, God has been good to us!! KUDOS ON THE 2/30 1983/84 - 2009 What great products we use. AB! version of Rslogix is 7.10.02 cpr 7 and I can update online in necessary Starting with Rung 0,,,, now 5:48 pm Phil Howell Industrial Controls & Electronics Augusta, Ga. Phil.Howell@comcast.net

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Checking back I FOUND THE BACKUP MASTER DISK FIRST BOX I LOOKED IN It was corrupt Started from scratch using the very used laptop with AI software ( licensed to my Father ). 70% instuction description on computer and 100% instuction description on PRINTOUT but no rung descriptions. Notice I highlited PRINTOUT. This printout was the one my Father printed in 1987 and that My Mother inserted into the sheet covers. HOW cool it that. Not only from both of them, but with the missing docs that are not on the laptop. I still have his original 8088 (turbo charged, with the mathcopressor at 12mhz ! ) with the original license 000029 purchased by him of ICOM software with this program on it. I figured it had been in retirement so long it probably wouldn't care to work a major reprogram. I'll let it keep resting. Back to basics. I am licensed with AB. I spoke with the local AB rep, Augusta Ga. Not hard to figure out. And the laptop they had met an untimely death and they are no longer able to convert the programs on the PLC's that made untold machines perform so adrimaly for so long. EVERYBODY TRIED HARD , Thanks AB During the transition of this plant from new owners the Licensed software for PLC-2 to 5 conversion is lost. Allen Bradley support was more than helpful in trying to help me get a updated key disk. Noticed I spelt Allen Bradley and just not use AB is that I have seen the help there equipment has brought into a plant and not just for all of the improvments of the machine itself, but for lives it has touched of operators and there family. I've got to see and witness it first hand and make a good life for my family. I could go on about this for days. Not enough time. At this point, getting the software would just save some typing, but knowing me , I will enjoy every line learning the mentality of the original programmers in 1983 ( German). Found bad habits from rung 1. Rung 1? Yep, rung 1 PLC 2's start at rung 1, not 0. That is with Icom, AI software starts at 0 Little hint, My 23 year old son is entering this code from me as I read down with instructions AND DOCUMENTATION!! Yea! How bout that Daddy. I know the machine anyway, but have never had to do anything but change timer preset. NOT even a bad output. 24volts to my knowledge I am not asking nothing for free. I know this is a forum for PLC discussion. I just trying, NO! I am going to make this machine run this weekend. We have done it to many times I really enjoying reading here. The people here are so free and forthright with there knowledge. Espicially the regulars. That Paulengr is amazing. I admire you all, and we know who you are! I will be happy to purchase a licensed copy of this software from anyone who no longer has a need. Just from the vast history with these plc's and 5's. (and slc's and CL) AB no longer offers it. I also would pay for this conversion. I am just trying the help a plant, a machine, a operator, a family Break over P.S. the 2/30 is going into the museum also Phil Howell Industrial Controls & Electronics Augusta, Ga. Phil.Howell@comcast.net Edited 8 Mar 2009 by Been Around

[kaiser_will 65]

The PLC-2...ah, the days. And your customer is not the only plant manager who is naive about what happens when one takes a steaming heap. Keep in mind that the PLC-2 uses double-slot addressing. This can be adopted in the PLC-5, but if you are not careful, you will be back-addressing your whole program. I would suggest you write up an action plan for the plant manager they have more obsolete controls in the plant... 1. Do nothing; cost = lots of downtime and pay your contractors huge sums to get back up and running (and maybe lose undocumented changes) 2. Purchase Spares: you can purchase spare PLC-2 on Ebay, from other used controls brokers; cost = a few hundred $ for spare processors, but then how do you download backups? Better keep that old laptop or desktop with the Icom software. 3. Upgrade (PLC-2 to PLC-5); cost = again, few hundred $ for surplus processors or buy new (must have programming computer and software) I purchased a stack of 2's off of Ebay in a pinch. Check it out...there are people there right now who could ship you overnight. I would hook you up, but I sold my junk bin 2's on Ebay years ago. My PLC-2 horror story...had a production with a PLC-2 and planned the upgrade on a weekend. Piece of cake. I had the program uploaded and converted and ready to rock. 15 minute job. I pulled the old CPU, slid in the new CPU, powered up, downloaded the program and a bunch of outputs started cycling on their own. Short story...one of the plastic bands on the old CPU had stuck in the backplane, and the new CPU joined one of the output backplane pins to the power rail. I had thought through everything, or did I? Spare CPU - check. Spare backplane - nope. While I had a spare backplane rushed in from our distributor, I bent the backplane pins back and said a bunch of prayers. The darned line is still running, but I took a beating from the plant manager for it.

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EVERYTHING on the previous post is spot on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 know double slot well, already revived on 2/30 4 years ago with this same type upgrade. 2 chassis in field 4 racks in program. ???????? It's in the chassis dip switches. What's that tell ya! Plant Managers some times don't listen well. this temporary fix also was a had to run, we will upgraded it later. Ever heard that??? But, they did let me design a Rsview to replace ver. 3.3 intellusion fix Them old plc-2's were and are also tanks. Centrial America has purchased a lot of the plc inventory good they will live on. I still have a bag of them yellow bands Edited 7 Mar 2009 by Been Around

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Machine Running ....................................... . today . tomorrow ...... etc That's the test, How long will it run? The best advise I could give to anybody (other than safety). is: Will, what you are doing today still be logically logical in the future no matter the advance in software and/or equipment. Thanks for all the views. I still would be interested in purchasing conversion software just to put in my museum. Thanks everybody!! Phil Howell Edited 8 Mar 2009 by Been Around