John Williams

Joe, You mentioned CANbus is set up in tables and the addresses you want to read and write are defined in the tables. Also that the new O/S handles all the handshaking and timing. If you are to setup I/O drops with EX-RC1 modules to use existing modules, what is required in the way of software in the EX-RC1 to work with the tables in the UniStream?

I hope it's not too long. I've a few questions.

This is one reason why I do not use the built-in alarm feature although I'd like to use the time stamping alarm duration features that come with it. We have applications where alarms need to be reset remotely via SMS. These alarms are often process values that can go temporarily out of specification. They do not pose any hazard and they can be checked remotely to see if they are back in tolerance before resetting the alarm, without an operator having to travel many kilometres to site.

The project was to modernise a drinking water treatment plant where potable water is filtered to NZ Drinking Water Standards for consumption by the local town community. Network operators control and communicate with the site by cellular phone. Operational data is recorded to the internet for resource consent compliance. E Power's task was the design, installation and programming of the site electrical and automation system. This included a bus communication network, pump control, dosing control, automated media filter backwashing, alarm notification and data recording. New Plant PLC, MCC and distribution switchboard. A Vision1040 the runs the entire plant automatically. As well as control it does data logging to web and SD. A connected GSM Modem allows for alarms to operators via SMS, plus remote interrogation. Automated flows, backwashing of the media filters and clarifier discharge can all be manually overridden. Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) signal modules. Dual 24VDC Power Supplies with Redundancy Switching and Battery Backup. Expansion IO was exceeded with the additional IO needing to be connected to CANbus. Pump MCC and plant distribution UV Reactors with automated start/stop and standby functions. Media filter flow is controlled at a remote filter valve control station via CANbus. Media filters with automated backwashing, turbidity monitoring and over-pressure protection.

This machine was designed and built by an appliance manufacturer for heat soak testing of one of their products. E Power's task was to develop the control software that the client's own engineers were having great difficulty with. Installation of the electrical equipment was undertaken by another contractor in conjunction with the client's engineering team. 80 appliances can be tested at once. The test for any individual unit can be started or stopped at any time without affecting the testing of the other units. The Vision OPLC runs the whole process. A great deal of multiplexing is used within the code to save having to repeat the same code 80 times for each test station. PLC I/O modules are mounted on the insides of the doors to make good use of space. The number of modules mean that some are treated as remote, via a CANbus, rather than a direct extension of the PLC.

Orif, how did I miss that part of the document? Thank you everyone for your replies.

Sorry Joe, too cryptic for simple ol' me. NG product?? My customers want Web functionality and it's them that pay the bills.

If you search iTunes there are a few SCADA apps. Not sure about ones for android. One as suggested above is ScadaMobile..... http://www.sweetwilliamsl.com/iweb/smhome another is MySCADA One.... http://myscada.org/mySCADA/mySCADA.html Then there are full products like JMobile or Ignition that are more web based servers that have a product module for connectivity to smartphones. I'm sure there are plenty of others and more options yet to come. At present I'm experimenting with the simple webserver and agree that security of page access is the biggest current downfall.

I found this in the Support Q&A..... "We have built some function like this, using the MI entry and a compare sto simulate a PW. We also use the a set of registers just for the web page, and if the PW is entered correctly, the really MIs will be sotred to the display MIs." That's fine for displaying PLC values on the web page but I haven't tried bi-directional changes for when you want to alter a PLC value from the web page. I tried the Advanced Web Server but using the password page caused it to be continually loaded each time I clicked a link to browse another page. Any idea if there will be a password solution for either Web Server version? (+100 views and no comments, I'm not sure "We're Listening " is the correct title)

What are the chances of the option of a password index page for the internal web server? It's great that PLC variables can be changed via the internal web server but not if this cannot be restricted from unauthorized persons that may discover the PLC IP address.

I too would like to see the ability of multiple racks that are directly addressed from the OPLC. The current system uses extra operands to mirror the remote IO in the project and also requires more programming of the CANbus communication. Other suppliers have the ability to expand thier systems using addtional racks. It should not be necessary to build installations, like the one pictured, where half the IO are expansion (direct address) and the others are remote (mirrored CANbus) when all modules are in the same enclosure. This is not the first time we have done such a system. Two projects I was involved with required 5 EX-RC1 each, all in the same cabinet.

I also have a problem with a V570 stopping due to Fatal Error and displays the following... V290/V570 (T20B) O.S. (Stop Mode - Fatal error) 003.004.16 Aug 24 2011 17:12:29 Enum : 0x00001110 IP : 0x000C7140 00077BDC Ldr : 0x000001DC Desc : Illegal Word Operand Access Status : Idle © Copyright by UNITRONICS I thought I had upgraded to VisiLogic V9.3.1 but not by the method described here. Must all upgrades be performed through the boot screen instead of the VisiLogic wizard? What types of grounding issues should I look for? Nothing in the EMI publication seems to point to a fault in the installation. All help welcome. Thank you.

iPhone Chicken Start with a free egg that you can roll across the road. (egg shell displays advertising) Then upgrade to a chicken for $1.95

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of the dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the shepherd... "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?" The shepherd looked at the man, then looked at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answered "sure". The man parked his car, whipped out his IBM ThinkPad and connected it to a cell phone, then he surfed to a NASA page on the internet where he called up a GPS satellite navigation system, scanned the area, and then opened up a database and an Excel spreadsheet with complex formulas. He sent an email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, received a response. Finally, he prints out a 130-page report on his miniaturized printer then turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1586 sheep. "That is correct; take one of the sheep." said the shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and bundle it into his car. Then the shepherd says: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my animal?", "OK, why not." answered the young man. "Clearly, you are a consultant." said the shepherd. "That's correct." says the man, "but how did you guess that?" "No guessing required." answers the shepherd. "You turned up here although nobody called you. You want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked, and you know very little about my business...... Now give me back my dog."