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Ausman

MVP 2023
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Everything posted by Ausman

  1. I edited this screenshot slightly to remove unrelated video feeds (like news services love to punch at you) and the result is actually still genuine. I'm thinking it was a Freudian slip...... or one of the journo's workmates pulled a swifty.
  2. Benito, the direct answer to your question is NO. If I try with the programming tool, the PLC hangs. But....you can get around this issue by having an onsite PC with serial port as an intermediary connection. Your factory floor people could have a laptop they carry round, they plug in the serial connection and you do the rest by accessing the PC via wifi using a VNC. Please also have a look at this topic to get an understanding of what Flex is saying: https://forum.unitronics.com/topic/7245-dont-update-just-because-you-can/
  3. With your PLC being a 130, I respectfully disagree with Flex saying you can update firmware by ethernet. Software yes, Firmware no. As far as I know, unlike higher level Vision controllers, you cannot update a 130's OS via ethernet, it has to be done via the serial port. It will start, but then fails and the plc is left in limbo. To do this is not a usb cable, it needs a proper serial port on the PC using the correct PLC adapter and cable. If the PC serial port is achieved using a usb to 232 adapter, the adapter has to be based on a Prolific chip. As for your 130s losing OS, I would be looking at two things. 1). Electrical interference. Shielding and correct elimination of spikes from coils, contactors etc has to be done. 2). If you already have ethernet connections to the 130s and they are accessible from the internet, then I would immediately change the default port(s) to something else. It is very possible that what you are experiencing is due to hacking attempts. If you can do so, update to the latest Visilogic version for better security and be prepared that you might need to change your program a little due to the upgrade. cheers, Aus
  4. The Help system is your friend, along with doing simple trial and error learning. To fully understand something new, work on that one concept alone as a project until you fully understand how it works and can then relate it to your other needs. At present I would also have a good read of everything HMI related in Help, and also some other things that are important to know with regards to how the scan proceeds and can actually take a few scans to settle HMIs, in Program Sequencing: Modules, Subroutines, Labels & Jumps. (copy that into Search and it should be the 2nd topic). With single calls it is very easy to muck things up if other ladder elements have not got to where you think they are! Sometimes a relocation in the ladder is all that is needed. I often use a Negative Transition Contact for using the physical button pushes on 130s (ie no touch screen) and this inherent delay is useful. Everyday you learn something new. cheers, Aus
  5. Perhaps it would be useful at present to try and monitor the strings, change things and find the successful resolution by using a PC, like I often suggest for getting around modbus 485 issues. It is far easier to manipulate strings/sends etc on the PC, and then once the correct one is found for what is wanted, transfer it to the PLC. I am likely showing my ignorance as I don't use can-open, but I know you can get usb canbus converters that can then be monitored easily, and a quick goggggles showed many programs available. Perhaps there are other easier methods as well....but I would think that you at least need an actual interface/device on the PC. Can you use a native serial port somehow? I don't know. cheers, Aus
  6. Sorry, I missed that you had already said "burned". re Latest version, updating might upset an existing program's operation. I'd stick with the version you made your project on, until you iron out what your issue is. In the bottom left of the Visilogic window you can usually see progress through the download. Is this actually happening? It shows the type of connection, name of unit, and % progress etc. How are you doing the connection? Cables DO fail for no reason. If serial, on the PC are you using a usb converter or a native com port? And if serial have you tried another cable and adapter? cheers, Aus
  7. As well, ensure you have read Help about downloading. If the battery is ok and you still have failure, you could perhaps see if saving it permanently to the PLC works. If you want the PLC to retain the program in flash, you need to at least be doing the following: Read help to fully understand all the differences. cheers, Aus
  8. Doesn't the 8 character rule apply to everything on the SD? Which in this case means the file name is too large and the PLC won't play? Quote from Help: Note ♦ Note that the main EXCEL folder and subfolders EXCEL0, EXCEL1, EXCEL2, EXCEL3 can each contain 64 files, for a total of 320 .csv files. ♦ The .csv file name cannot exceed 8 characters. It may include only English characters and numbers: 0 - 9, A - Z, a - z, and the underscore character "_". cheers, Aus
  9. Others who know 350s might know the answer to your final observations/questions. Perhaps you are doing something wrong with the sequence of things. But it still could be a faulty unit. I think official support should be involved and can do a remote session for you, submit a ticket. https://support.unitronics.com/index.php?/ticket/submit-ticket And an aside......Another forum member contacted me directly and politely pointed out they never have trouble with OS updates regardless of what methods are used etc. I can only relate my experiences of occasional issues and solutions I've found that worked for me. Note that I only use 130s which can only be updated via serial. cheers, Aus
  10. No to a teamviewer session for me. Some last things to try but I think you're in trouble. 1). Did you do the connection with W10 or W7? In my W10 "upset" I could not write the boot files which previously I could. W7 worked. There are parts of the transfer that are done in a special way, which is why the prolific chip is needed along with other PC bits working as planned. Somehow a W10 update on my PC corrupted this. (I could not find the reason with quick looking and haven't had time to fully explore) 2). Remove the battery, wait a minute and replace with definite new. 3). Force your comms to run at a slower speed, by setting both the PLC and PC rates to 9600. The PC end is done by using device manager and selecting the port and then Port Settings. And while you're there, check that the other settings are 8, None, 1, None. Then in Visilogic set the same speed in the Communication window that you already know. After doing all this, try again. cheers, Aus
  11. Highly likely. However.... I think a repeat of a previous mention is needed here. How complex is the machine? How many parameters? What did the parameters do? How were they entered? Via screen? Optimised by machine usage itself from basic starting amounts?.......but the answer is likely "no" given you had trouble due to battery die. Entered by being online with Visilogic? These things are important. You might be chasing your tail for no real reason if it is all fairly simple. cheers, Aus
  12. Yes, many on the forum have (cheap) older laptops specifically for this reason. Also, I found this on the Keyspan site: What chipset does the USA-19HS use? The USA-19HS uses a Texas Instruments/TI chipset. This might be the issue. You need to use a Prolific based converter. I don't know if the TI chip works or not. If you can use a PC with a native com port, if it doesn't work using W10, try to use it with W7 if possible. W10 on my systems upset some serial stuff a while back. cheers, Aus
  13. And I also agree with Gabriel's interpretation. "together in a Write Multiple Registers command" However, I do find this manual a bit confusing, given I can't find setpoint setting in any of these commands : Commands can be issued to the Alicat device using Modbus register1000. Commands are described in the table below. Some commands require a parameter to be passed in Command Argument register 1001 using the “Write Multiple Registers” Modbus function code. But then we also get to the legacy stuff at the end, so perhaps you should be trying register 24. Look in 2.1 So with all this confusing info, I still reckon your easiest avenue at present is using the PC. I always start with a new device on the PC, and often find contrary things which take some time to figure out, along with other registers which have no reference in the manual but actually contain useful stuff. It can be a "fun" game stepping through registers as a first try at a block of 10 and see if it reads ok, or then go to one by one. cheers, Aus
  14. It's time to do the send with the PC, and find what is the correct way of doing it with the innately much easier method. cheers, Aus
  15. I was at the homewares shop buying a new sofa for my loungeroom. The salesman said, "This will fit four people without any problems." "Where am I going to find 4 people without any problems?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I took my cat's medicine by accident. Don't ask meow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul and Joyce were at a marriage guidance meeting, and the counsellor told them that 80 percent of couples were so disconnected that the husband didn't even know their wife's favourite flower. Paul pondered this, looked at Joyce and whispered, "It's self-raising, isn't it?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- and yes, there'll be more......... 🙃
  16. I pondered this some more and perhaps this pdf might be of help. Page 16+ in particular. Given this is some years old, I don't know whether it all still applies, but I would think so. cheers, Aus VisionCommunication.pdf
  17. Thanks for clarifying, I've never done this so I can't answer the question. I'm sure others can. cheers, Aus
  18. I'm not exactly sure on what you're asking, but the software way of doing this is using SD Card Explorer, which is part of the suite found here: https://downloads.unitronicsplc.com/Sites/plc/Visilogic/Download Software Utilities/Unitronics-SD-Card-Suite-2.0.70.zip cheers, Aus
  19. So...just a follow up on this odd behaviour. I discovered a topic already existed on the forum here: https://forum.unitronics.com/topic/1747-visilogic-94-invalid-bands-collection-index/ There is mention of deleting the folder in C:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Unitronics, but in my case the only entries in this folder relate to Remote Access. So I tried the initial suggestion which relates to the .lyt file which is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Unitronics\Unitronics VisiLogic_C2\Main\Layout. (Note the _C2 added for the instance in question) Added old to the name for safe keeping and copied the same file over from one of other instances. I didn't use the one Cara has a link to as the size mismatched significantly. The faulty instance booted up ok, but needed direction to the project that I was initially using. Once there everything is fine. I haven't had any other errors appear (so far.... fingers crossed) like others mentioned in the earlier topic. Of special interest is what I discovered about the .lyt file upon closer inspection. Opening the good file in Notepad++ brings up multiple lines of code up to 1672, but opening the dud one and it only has ONE line of code that is all NULS. So somewhere in proceedings the file has obviously been significantly corrupted. I can't really explain this, I don't believe I bit the byte gods that day (readers can now laugh at my little pun), and I don't recall any other odd things going on. Both drives in the puter in question are good name, young SSDs and smart shows no errors or reallocations have taken place since new. As already mentioned, caching is disabled as well. Something to ponder, but not too long for, unless it happens again. cheers, Aus
  20. All fair enough, but doesn't your explanation mean that it is on for a number of scans matched to the length of button push? Which is what Joel is doing .......... And that was why I suggested the possibility of repeats each scan messing something up. cheers, Aus
  21. Sorry for delay, weather events knocked systems out. Further explanation. I don't use unilogic, but in visilogic such a button press utilising a set and reset based on the button push would keep the bit on for quite a few scans, instead of just one. The action you are trying to initiate might then perhaps be unable to operate properly because it is being called in consecutive scans, rather than the single call it needs. cheers, Aus
  22. Thanks Flex, I already know this, but I am going to do it progressively as previously described to try to narrow it down a bit. That's why I first said "easily fixed". I have the same system of virgin copies. Just annoying that something so stable suddenly throws a wobbly for no apparent reason. cheers, Aus
  23. Thanks, but the project opens fine in the other instances I have. In the faulty one it doesn't get to run the window at all. But it does leave Visi as a running program that I have to force close to try again. The "This application is already running" alert. The real puzzle is how a fully closed program was affected by a sleep instance. I don't have write caching enabled. Visilogic was well and truly closed, done ages before the sleep. A full drive scan of both drives involved shows no errors. Regarding doing a repair, I can't do it because the instance is the "2nd one" and the "1st" is where the install/repair tries to go. I can't choose destination during the process. What I am going to do (for interest's sake) is spend a little time replacing particular folders in the faulty instance until the error goes, and then try to narrow it down progressively. Unless someone can pinpoint the exact file and trigger for me. The one thing I have found with a detailed look is that Windoze has at some stage once again turned on a host of "features" that I disable. It is possible that one of these damn programs has upset something during the sleep. I reiterate that everyone should have a look at what task scheduler does in the background. You will likely be a bit amazed. It is plain as day that if a huge number of people take steps to disable a method, then M$oft will work their butts off to do it another way, under another name. I'm not paranoid, just careful, and try to limit my "internet exposure". But it is a bit hard when an O/S I am forced to use, and have paid for, is so aware of everything I do and tells their data miners all about it, even though I constantly try to stop such things. cheers, Aus
  24. Never seen this one before. It appeared during loading Visilogic after a wake the puter from a sleep, which I don't do too often. It's only in one of my instances, so should be easily fixed, but it would be nice to know what caused it and what particular file is corrupted somehow. I'm guessing it's got nothing to do with a number of musicians playing outside their contracts....! cheers, Aus
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