stembera

The greatest task of last year for our company was a project of replacing old control systems (mainly KOYO) on nine hydro power plants in Lithuania. Our goal was to replace old control systems (nearly 20 years) with new ones, fulfilling actual demands for operator comfort, reliability and ability to communicate with external devices. Furthermore, there was requirement for decommissioning of old equipment, replacing most of cabling, and installation of new control systems in shortest possible time in effort to minimize economic loss. UNITRONICS Vision 1040 was our best choice for that task. Finally, thanks to precise cooperation with our customer, we were able to plan the whole action for really short time, and above that, keep the schedule without time loss. Beyond the replacing of the control systems, we were able to equip the control systems with SMS ability and to connect them to the internet for future remote access. We used Cinterion TC65i modems for SMS communication; and Lenovo mini PCs with 3G USB sticks for connecting technology to the Internet. Software: There is Remote Operator installed on every PC along with DataXport for collecting data from technology. Notable fact: The whole mission took less than 30 days for only three employees: Project Manager, Software Engineer and Electrician.

Hello world, some years ago there was possible to download a complete Unitronics documentation for all Vision products in one package. Now I tried to find updated version but I did not succeed. Is there some way how to get it? Thank you very much, Michal.

Hello world, is it possible to make Remote Operator to re-establish communication automatically after losing TCP connection? If negative, is there some workaround (e.g. some VBscript)? Now, if the connection is lost, only informing text appears on the screen and user has to click "stop communiaction" and "start communication" again to see the display. Many thanks for an idea, Michal.

Thank you, it works! I found the root of the problems. In order to precisely keep the setpoint of the water level, the proportional band was set too narrow. Now, when the OPLC detects the oscillations, the proportional band is automatically enlarged. Now everything runs normally without problems, no AutoTune is needed.

Hello world, I have set AutoTune PID regulation of water level in my last Small Hydro Power Plant project. Most of the time the regulator works excellently but sometimes it starts to oscillate. The level in the river is rising and the power of the turbine is rising too. After some minutes the level starts to fall and the output power is falling also. The operator of the plant has to start new AutoTune cycle and everything is OK again for next months. My question is: Do you have some idea how to detect the situation when the regulation is oscillating (and eventually start AutoTune without operator intervence)? Thank you for any advices.

Frequency of switching can be the reason, I think. Typically I use transistor outputs for signal lamps and PWM.

Hi all, I have the same bad experience with the Virtual PLC. It supports only very basic functions; e.g. drum sequencer is not supported at all but this is a key point of my programs. OK, I wrote a special subroutine simulating the drum sequencer for testing purposes. Some days everything run normally. Suddenly after a small change of the software the virtual PLC has stopped working. The virtual PLC showed only static text "Starting PLC" and nothing more. I asked authors for fix - without success. Furthermore, the software has only one possibility to "download" program into VPLC: "Download all and burn". This type of downloading code took nearly the same time to download as on physical PLC! Every time I changed a piece of code in my appllication I had to wait about five minutes for finishing the download. I think the software needs radical improvements and should not be offered in current state.

Hello world, I was asked to enable access to my Vision project from mobile devices (smartphones, tablets). I installed PC with Remote Operator connected to Vision PLC via Ethernet card. This PC is connected to internet and it is equipped with TeamViewer software. In the next step I installed TeamViewer client to customer's mobile devices. Now I can see interesting phenomenon: The desktop of PC is now visible from Android phone or tablet. Actually I am able to start and control all windows programs on PC with one exception: Remote Operator. I am able to start communication with OPLC; I can see the display but I am not able to activate buttons or change variables. Probably it is not a feature of Teamiewer, it is probably a some kind of bad cooperation between Remote Operator and Android environment (I never noticed something similar on Windows or iOS based devices). Did somebody face to similar behavior of the Remote Operator via TeamViewer? Is it possible to do some workaround to make the Remote Operator work through TeamViewer? Thanks, Michal.

Hello world , I have two suggestions for improving VisiLogic software: 1. When I edit the string table, I would appreciate to have a possibility "Get Next Unused Place in String Table" (similar to the "Next Unused" button in Variable definition) 2. I would like to have a compile warning "Unpaired timer" for the instance of timer which have a contact but no coil and vice versa. Thank you, Michal.

One suggestion: If you send text message from your phone to PLC side, use SMS with confirmation. Sometimes your message is not delivered to a modem at all. I experienced that situation in some areas with weak GSM signal, e.g. in mountains or rural areas.

Many thanks. Now it works.

Hello world, I noticed a strange behaviour of COM Port Init FB on my V1040: If the modem cable is disconnected or the modem is switched off during the process of initialization, the initialization will never ends. Both system bits of that port (SB80/SB81 for COM1) are forever in 0, SI80 is in 1 (initialization in progress), SI81 is in 0 (no error). No mention about dead device on the port. (I expected timeout, i.e. the SI80==3, SI81==1, SB81==1). VisiLogic 9.3.1, Vision 1040 HW rev. A, O/S 3.3(20), modem type CINTERION TC65i Terminal.

Hello, I have read the above discussion about advantages / disadvantages of having the own electrical grid analysing instrument. I have such example: Our company buys annually about 20 pcs of Electric grid analysers Circutor CVM 96. Yes, they have reasonable price and they have the Modbus capability. Everything is easy when you need just to read and store data from them. But if you need to generate any software electrical protection, the Modbus commmunication is too slow. For Over/Under frequency protection, Voltage/Vector protection, asymmetry analysis etc., we have to buy very expensive Woodward analysers with electrical protections embedded. But this solution has still some restrictions: There is very difficult to set boundaries for protections just from Vision display, there is nearly no possibility to bypass some protection under special conditions etc. etc. The idea to have proprietary grid analysing module as an special function module is very excitating for me. Try to imagine the possibilities... I know, it is not a priority for today... but in the future? I would like to have this.

I am sorry, I forgot to provide the technical data: The Vision model is V1040, hardware rev. A, SN LP0100594, OS version 3.3(20). The program was created under the VisiLogic 9.3.1, version of Remote Operator is 1.0.30 (the newest one, I hope). That issue I observed for the first time from the DELL laptop computer with OS MS Windows 7 Pro CZ. Thank you for cooperation, Michal

Dear ladies and gentlemen, my customer made a mistake when using Remote Operator. He unintentionally entered a system menu and subsequently clicked to "Touch screen calibration". The text "Not supported" appeared on Remote Operator screen and I did not find any way to get back to user displays. Please tell me if there is a possibility to block a touch screen calibration for remote users or if there is a escape from that trap. Thank you for advice, Michal

Thank you, it works.

Dear GS, there must be some problem in another part of your program. Let us see your sample once more: Both TD0 and TD1 are active (the condition NOT SB2 is true). Your screenshot was taken later than 10s after start of your PLC because TD0 is online. However, TD1 is still offline at the same moment despite of the preset time is the same. Please try to search your program for another instance of TD1 coil. I bet this will be the problem.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, sometimes I have the problem with Remote Operator and V1040: I use the Remote Operator software for remote supervising of the hydro power plant which is connected to Internet via a Wi-Fi router. Sometimes, when the connection is not closed properly (e.g. when the WiFi connection is broken), there is not possible to restore connection between Remote Operator and PLC. Even if I try to reset PLC through VisiLogic, the connection via TCP/IP cannot be established. The only way how to renew connection is to call a technician on site and aask him to restart PLC. Probably this behaviour is not a problem of Ethernet because in that situation is not possible to connect a PLC even through an old-fashioned serial modem. Maybe there is a system bit which is ON when remote connection is open and goes OFF when connection is properly closed. When the connection is broken unexpectedly, the bit is still ON and there is not possible to enable new connection. Does somebody have a similar experience? Thank you for feedback.

Hello Rene, there is a (binary) file ...Program Files\Common Files\Unitronics\Eth_favorites.evb. Try to start your experiments here... Good Luck!

Hello world my project is not so great but I really enjoyed it. Our company is specialized in control systems for small hydro power plants (up to 5MWe). Last year we faced interesting demand: Our customer wanted to put his 90 years old power plant into unattended, fully automated operation. The plant is located in the northern part of Czech Republic (village Viska, district of Liberec). It is equipped with three Siemens synchronous generators powered by Francis turbines, 200kW each. Output power works with 3300V voltage. My mission was to create a program for unattended startup, run and shutdown of the three machines. Furthermore, it was necessary to ensure optimization of the operation of individual machines depending on the flow of water in the river. The third task was to realize emergency shutdown of machines in case of electrical or mechanical failure. Vision 570 with 7 external I/O modules was chosen as brain of the system. First serial port of OPLC was connected to Cinterion MC35i Terminal GSM modem to enable remote access and for sending / receiving SMS. The second serial port communicates with three Woodward MFR13 grid analysers, every for one generator. It supplies data for evaluating of electrical parameters. Furthermore, system is equipped with fast voltage, frequency and vector protections, connected to digital inputs. Despite initial doubts the commissioning of the new hardware and software took just a few weeks. Now the power plant works in fully automatic operation for more than six month without failures. On attached pictures you can see the 200kVA generator from 1928, the original control panel, part of the new one and new M+R cabinet (the UNITRONICS modules are located in the upper line). The picture was taken in the time of testing so some temporary wires are visible.

I have a new Acer Aspire laptop with W7 Professional 64 bit version. VisiLogic 9.3.0 works very fast. (Details: Acer Aspire 5738; Pentium Dual-core@2.30GHz, 4.00GB of RAM)

Hello world, I have experienced the same problem with one older V280 (installation in 2004). That OPLC was installed in the equipment room of the small hydro power plant. The temperature in the room never exceeded 25degC. The application program in the OPLC switches off the display illumination one hour after last button (or Touch Screen) manipulation. Suddenly the backlight changed color from white to dark red. Owner of the site bought a new controller, the faulty one is now in my office. If there is some possibility to repair the backlighting (I would like to use it just for my own testing purposes), I would very appreciate some advice how to do it. Thank you.

There is one good sample of implementing DST with calendar functions in the "old" forum. Try to search there with keyword "DST".

Hello world, during startup of technology I need to use input/ouput forces to simulate various operating conditions. I would appreciate to have some system bit signalizing that at least one input or output is still forced (for activating warning text on display). Maybe such bit is present in the system but I couldn't find it in help.

Hello world, Everytime I have my system connected to Remote Access via GSM modem, I face the problem of slow response from the remote site. Even if I use an URC compiled file, first display appears after two or three minutes after establishing connection. I tried to create very simple display with only a few objects but the response time was the same. I experienced extreme situation with application in area with weak GSM signal - modems connected but the first display did not appear at all. I tried it many times without success. Do have somebody some similar experience with modem connection? Is there some way to increase speed of display refresh? (Hardware: V570 / Cinterion MC35i Terminal)