Walkerok

I do not believet that there is any way to directly get a Unitronics PLC to talk BACnet. Just as a quick education for those who may not have ever heard of BACnet. BACnet is a building communication protocol that was developed as a "desired" standard for the United States market by a group comittee process from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers). The standard has not been wholey adopted and has been in fairly heated competition with the other communication protcols (LON works, Johnston N2-Metasys, proprietary Siemens protocols, and modbus). Whether or not BACnet will ever achive the desired conformity is unknown but unlikely. LON has been much more successful to date at getting their standard adopted with a much wider variety of gateway products available from multiple manufacturers. At this time the easiest solution is to buy a gateway product such as a Fieldserver product such as the "Protocessor" and either go through the painful process of mapping everything yourself, or paying Fieldserver to do the maping for you. In general if you have Fieldserver do the work for you it will run in the $5000 range for a single project for the hardware and sofware. There are other solutions available but it is not an easy slam dunk solution that I would be able to say definately do it this way or that way. Sorry Keith

I am still looking for a little help here. Am I missing something on not seeing the ability to put specialized artword on a number or password entry? Thank You Keith

Hi, Thank you for the response, but I am looking specifically to make the button you can create on screen for number or password entry look better. There is no way to attach a .JPG image that I can figure out for this type on command button. I see nothing available except if the button is pressed, not pressed, or flat and only a single line of text with no multiline capability as the only option for this type of button. If you look at the button to the right I have shown this as a simple button and not a number or password entry to show what I want to show on screen. If instead I used a number or password button I would be blocked for successfully making this long of a description with multiline text. Thank You Keith

I am working with a V350. I am looking for a way to keep certain button types more attractive on screen and allow for different shapes. Specifically, when I have a tall but narrow number or password entry button, I can find no way to make the text wrap down the button so I can get a decent description on the button. I looked for a way to use a simple button (which does allow multiple text lines) and then link that through the ladder to bring up a password entry screen, but if this functionality is there I could not find it. For now what I have ended up doing is using a button to link me to a dedicated password entry screen so I can keep the attractiveness and functionality of a more verbose description on the main screen. While this works, it seems like it should be unnecessary.

I am not sure what you are exactly doing, but the use of the long integer bit only allows you to perform math calculations and operations on a net and store/manipulate the values into 2 consecutive MI locations. I do not believe the long integer function will allow you to display a value that would be larger than a standard single MI's 16 bit space since there is no way I can find to ask the variables list to pull two MI locations of data. I would recomend that you take your starting value and then do your math calculations using the long integer function and then after all of your math calculations are complete store the final value into a single 16 bit single MI location (if possible). If this is not possible I would say that you will have to switch to a higher level PLC than the Jazz or M90/91 that will allow long integers in regular calculations and screen data. One thing I have found that is unclear in the help files is that every single math function performed will require the insertion of the SB82 bit just before it. Even if multiple math calculations are all done on a single net the SB82 long integer bit will only apply to the calculation imediately following the SB82 bit.

I have gotten an answer to my question on UL 508a from yesterday and the answer is as follows: If an “unevaluated component†that uses 120 VAC or less is desired to be used in a UL508a panel then it can be used provided that there are certain precautions that are taken (this would apply to snap IO and remote IO as well as PLC/HMI combo units) then the product can be used if: 1) The power circuit feeding the “unevaluated product†has an isolation transformer with 2 primary fuses and 1 secondary fuse and the neutral of the secondary side is bonded to earth ground. 2) Either an approved class A ground fault receptacle or a class a (6ma trip) circuit breaker and ground fault circuit interrupter (CBGFCI) must be installed to feed power to the “unevaluated product†3) Discrete inputs that carry greater than 30Vrms must have an UL listed interposing relay placed on each input line 4) Discrete inputs that carry less than 30Vrms require no additional protection (so Unitronics DC inputs are all ok as is) 5) Discrete outputs that carry greater than 30Vrms must have an UL listed interposing relay placed on each output line 6) Discrete outputs that carry less than 30Vrms and the power source is inside the listed enclosure require no additional protection 7) Discrete outputs that carry less than 30Vrms and the power source is outside the listed enclosure require a .5 amp fuse placed on each output line 8) Sensing devices such as “transducer, tachometer, thermocouple, or similar feedback device†no additional protection is required. I have paraphrased the information so do not use the above information as a how to guide and only as a discussion on the ability to install no Ul product in a Ul 508a cabinet. I have left out the information on the multitude of marking labels that must also be provided and the special markings on electrical drawings but you get the idea. The use of the device is predicated that the device has never been evaluated and denied a UL listing or UL recognized status. This is good news for me in that I can use the New V560 and the upcoming 1040 and other products that have either not been submitted to UL or had the UL process completed. It is more work and more costly to use the non UL products due to the requirements listed above, but they can be used (I have been looking for a way to be able to use the new V560) and that makes me happy J

That is good news on the larger display. Now for the next obvious question. When will the UL approval process start? I know it takes time, but I am salivating at the availability of these two new products, but I am unable to use non-UL listed components since almost all of my equipment panels require UL508A listings. Or if somone can answer the following question? It is my understanding that there is a clause in the UL508A labeling requirements, that as long as a product has not been rejected by UL, that a product that operates at 120 VAC or less can still be put in a UL 508a panel as long as ground fault protection is put in the power circuit that feeds the device that is not UL listed or recognized. I have seen this done one time before, but it was not done by me and as a general rule I have always fallen under the opinion that if ther is no UL or RU on the device (Ind. Cont. Eq.) Anyone who can speak to this would be greatly appreciated.