Comm failure...

[Guest Guest_Learner]

Dear gentlemen, Hi, how are you all doing? Hope everyone of you are very fine over here.. I back again and this time I encounter a communication failure problem. During the first few times downloading the file to the omron touch screen, I can comm or hook up the comm (serial) between the ns-designer and the touch screen so easily. However, recently I encounter a problem then can't even 'establish' the communication between the ns-designer and the touch screen. I am using Port B for the serial comm and the Port A is for the comm to omron plc. It does give the alarm message like 'time-out occured. check the cable and restart the download again'... I do check my cable but nothing wrong at all (continuity check is ok)... Secondly, sometime even can hook up also but then when downloading half way, it hang or just time-out again (I increase the response time even more but still not helping here)... Initially, I use the comm cable that is not the omron cable which soldering on our own. Then, I use the omron own's cable to do the comm. Can hook up easily but still fail sometime and also will hang halfway during the downloading... There are a few questions that I am doubting: 1. What could be the reason that the omron cable can hook up easily? What can I do? 2. Why sometime the hook up between the pc and the touch screen fail? 3. Could it be the file is so big(~68MB) and causing the hook up or the downloading fail? I do seen most of the time it does hang when downloading the bit map pictures. What can I do? 4. Any other suggestion that can be given to me? Even I transfer the file through plc do ns also fail. Can't really understand. Got read through the manual. Manual only mentioned increase the response timing only if frequent communication error. Other than that, no other solution (I think)... Hope can hear from the expert people again and hope you all don't mind to help me up... Thank you...

[PdL 71]

I can't really tell what would be the problem but why don't you use a compact flash card to download you application, its very simpe and fast! Serial comms is sooooooo slow!

[Jay Anthony 118]

The NS Screen can only accomodate 24mb. Plus individual .bmp files or .jpg files cannot be larger than 1mb.

[PdL 71]

Well, there ya go! Jay to the rescue

[Guest Guest_Learner]

Hi, So, in the very first place is I didn't type correctly. The file size is 68KB and not 68 MB... Sorry.. Then, to answer another question is we didn't buy the memory card for the downloading cause we also never expect got such comm failure happen. Then... Any of the gentlemen here can provide me some ideas or suggestion? What I need is just to have a smooooth downloading. I had try the ways that I can think of else I won't just get to the forum and simply ask for help without trying my best first... Hope someone can help me out. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience caused...

[ChrisKozanecki 2]

Are you changing the comm settings when you download? The Default in NS designer has comm B off. Did you change this in your program so that when its downloading it doesn't turn off comm B? (if you didn't make any changes to the system settings while in NS designer then you did not enable comm B and its overwriting what is in the NS screen during its download) Edited 27 Aug 2005 by ChrisKozanecki

[Jay Anthony 118]

Tell us more about the use of bitmaps in your NS program. Do you use the resize feature in the dialog box for bitmaps? The bitmaps are converted to 256bit resolution and this is the format that the NS screen is looking for. Perhaps you are using non-resized bitmaps. It's about time for you to post your program or we will be asking you other "inane" questions.

[Nibroc 4]

... just a quick question are you using a USB-Serial converter? If so, is it an Omron one? Not all USB-Serial converters will give consistent results. Nibroc

[BobB 58]

Finished commissioning a job today with 3 NS screens. Had absolutely no problems downloading to the screens using a serial connection or pass through. Home made cables too!!!! Nice and long.

[Learner 0]

Hi, Ok... I am using both 9-pin d-sub cable without the usb converter. Regarding about the bit-map screen, I got all together 9 screens with 8 of them are the autocad (print screen and save in 'paint' software and then input to ns). When all these bit map input to ns, ns does reduce them from 24-bit colour to 16-bit colours... (it mentioned so when you input them to ns ver. 6) Then, may I know how to explain the 'hook up' failure between the pc and the touch screen? Don't have the response at all most of the time but then when using omron's cable, this comm failure reduce (still exist). Also, I got seen that when hook up successful but then hang halfway during downloading and after you restart the pc or ns then the subsequent hook up even worst and like totally no response at all.. Can I suggest a way that, I don't download all(or some of the bit-map screens) first then after that I download them one screen by one screen... will it be possible or will it be any side effect when I download them not with the very first time doing downloading? Every of the screen will contains an alarm bar and everytime there is a changes to the alarm bar or system setting then ns requests to re-download ALL again. I just afraid if I don't do so there might be something wrong to those bit-map screens... Hope the gentlemen here can provide yours valuable opinion again.. Thank you So Much...

[Jay Anthony 118]

Can you temporarily try another computer? This sounds like computer hardware.

[Guest Guest]

Ok, I will try it out again and will reply again after off duty. Thank you.. :)

[Guest Guest]

Maybe for the time being, still hope the gentlemen over here help to figure out also base on yours ideas or experiences or some other possibilities that could cause these problems (hook up failure and hang when downloading half way).. Thank you and thank you again...

[Learner 0]

ooppsss... sorry for not log in yet before replying... :)

[Learner 0]

Hi, While, I got ask two of my seniors regarding about the pc problem.. but then one of my senior who is doing the same project with me also facing the same problem. Today, I just try to use the omron host link's cable and it manages to hook up the comm and the downloading hang one time among the three times I download to two touch screens. I got open up the host link cable to compare the pin assignment with the cable that we did last time which is 4 wires (handshaking type) while the host link cable is just 3 wires (transmit, receive, ground, and 2 pairs of the pins short each other)... I got contact my local supplier and send him the file and he also not facing any problem too... He mentioned that if using the 4 wires (handshaking type) the probability of failure is even lesser... He then suggest me to use the usb type cable to do the downloading... Anyway, he will still trying to figure out what could it be the problem. Initially, he suspect my pc got error but after I told him my senior also encountering the same thing then he suspects the ns designer software and he try to download himself but face no problem... I will return here after off duty to try to update again any latest changes... Thank you...

[Jay Anthony 118]

Learner, I am sorry you are having this problem, but I can assure you that it is not a problem with NS Designer. There are plenty of successful installations of NS Designer among our members here. There has to be either a computer hardware or third party software installation affecting your download. I encourage you to find another computer that has minimal software installed and prove to yourself where the problem lies.

[BobB 58]

Do you have Alan Bradley software installed on the computer (RSLinx)? I have seen on other forums that if this software is installed to automatically start, it will hog the serial port. Just a thought.

[Learner 0]

Gentlemen, gentlemen... Well, well... Finally I had found out the root cause..... I can just 90% sure about that because I donwload the files 10 times. Out of 10x ONLY 1x is failed... The root caused is (from what I knew)..... is so, so, so unexpected and even can be neglected. It is just as simple as the comm cable is not shield. I thought this can be ignored but actually NOT REALLY... May I know why is it the 'shielding' is so important? Also, my pc got RS Linx but not really affecting the downloading although the RS Linx always starts everytime the window starts. Hope this can provide some info for others especially those who are 'fresh' to automation... :) THANK YOU SO MUCH for helpS given all the times...

[Jay Anthony 118]

The shield shouldn't have made much difference unless you are longer than about 25 ft. My hunch is still on RS Linx.

[PdL 71]

You're right Jay. It occupies the port. Learner, you should be able to prevent RSLinx from starting up automatically through some setting options at the systray icon.

[Sleepy Wombat 27]

To stop AB services add the following to a batch file. and put a short cut on your desktop. net stop "RSLinx" net stop "RSLinx Enterprise" net stop "Rockwell Tag Server" net stop "Rockwell HMI Diagnostics" net stop "Rockwell HMI Activity Logger" net stop "Rockwell Directory Server" net stop "Rockwell Event Multiplexer" net stop "Rockwell Directory Multiplexer" net stop "Rockwell Event Server" net stop "Rockwell Application Services"

[faseeh shan 0]

Hi all

i have an error in SE, when i tried to configure alarms, an error occurs "unable to connect tag alarm and event server"....can any one help?

 

[Crossbow 297]

Faseeh, what does this post have to do with Omron?  And what does it have to do with this topic from 2005?

Please be more specific with your problem and the involved components, such as what is SE?  What software is this screen shot from?  What is it communicating with?

In the future, create your own topics instead of posting on a 10 year old unrelated topic.