Ausman

Hmmm. More of that "fun" of yours, Michal! And I don't know the answer, either. cheers, Aus

I'm not into Unistream at all, but is there an "Initialise and Reset" somewhere? If none of the above in Flex and RobertU are true, perhaps it is something that simple...it is stuck on old info somehow. cheers, Aus

Yay!!! Lucky 1100. Aus

Well...not really. I see it as a fault of the program that I don't think would be hard to fix. And I'm actually a little bit grumpy about it, given I've raised it before and since seen other far more complex suggestions taken on board. cheers, Aus

Doesn't happen for me, Flex. The connections available are listed in the Communication/PC Settings correctly, but the program defaults into Direct Connection on the last one used, not necessarily the one in use at the time of the save. The main problem is if you are working with something on a bus. The system does NOT remember which ID your program is meant to talk to, and does NOT check that program names match. So you might be wanting to connect to ID 9 on Canbus yet the system will open into Direct Connection all the time. If you are chopping and changing b/n ID numbers, and you don't have multiple instances implemented like explained at the link below (read it all) then it is very annoying and very easily missed. Multiple instances works, but it needs desktop area. Saving connection type and checking program name matching would be far better. It is exceptionally easy to forget to change things and connect to the wrong plc. cheers, Aus

Yep...if the car doesn't go check the petrol tank first! cheers, Aus

Hi Yechel, please have a good read of this topic and in particular my post: The question you are asking is likely answered by my final response: "My method of creating "virgin" Visilogic installs and then copying them elsewhere for future use/reference hasn't failed me yet." Do each version you want as a separate install, make your virgin copy, then uninstall and do it all again for the next version, finishing off with the latest one you want to use. Virgin copy that, then use it's inbuilt version swapper to register all the rest. It is important that the only version of swapper you use is the one in the youngest version of Visilogic you are wanting to use. cheers, Aus

Yeah Michal...it makes you look again, doesn't it!! It is very easy to jump to terribly wrong conclusions thinking your PLC has gone astray, when in fact it is something else entirely. It's the sort of "fun" I can mostly do without. cheers, Aus

Just a quick heads up that I have had V130s do a strange HMI lockup a few times whilst on sites. I don't know the full sequence that causes it, but it is definitely something to do with changing between manual screen interaction and being online at the same time. I might do a manual entry then go to the physical location of a controlled item and manipulate it via online mode. Somewhere in this process it locks up. It is always the password screen that locks with the password entry area looking like it normally does on first open. But you can't actually enter any numbers at all. You can't do anything. However, the PLC continues to work normally. All a bit odd and confusing (and annoying when you have to go up/down that damn big ladder again!), but not hard to fix with a restart. cheers, Aus

I have asked for this in the past, but was reminded of the problem when I was recently on a site with just my laptop doing many different connections. I can't do my normal multiple Visilogic instances on this laptop. It sent me absolutely nuts having to constantly change the connection settings box as I closed/opened different programs to chop and change b/n plcs. Can we please have each program save the connection type it is being made for, as part of the normal save process. As in, open it and the connection is already set for ID4 or Direct etc. As well, often the connection box wouldn't display all types...just direct. Only a full close and restart cures this. Again, have mentioned this in the past along with strange character resizing as well. Lastly, I have also asked for a check of program name during the first stages of connecting, to ensure things match up. Please please please. cheers, Aus

Thanks Visco. Yes...Australia...where we have been metric for ages but imperial is still in common enough use. Put some pictures on the "just finished a project" area. Oddball things are always good to see. If during programming things a thought doesn't actually show up in any literature, try to do what you want anyway. It will either work or not! And often once you've done a layout in the ladder it shows how you can make it much simpler. I once spent ages working out a host of MBs all turning on a few outputs, and it took many many rungs and many lines. With it in front of me on the screen, all the myriad common combinations became obvious and it ended up in just a few rungs of 1 or 2 lines each. Then your brain says "why didn't I think of that in the first place?" and the other nasty part chimes in with "because you are a dumbdumb!" We all learn something new everyday. cheers, Aus

This is only my opinion and might sound harsh, but it's time to give up, Flex. Baptiste, Flex has given you many tips and a lot of time and effort. Remember that most members on this forum are volunteers, him included. And it looks like you are an employee of the firm with the equipment you are working on. To my eye, you need to learn how PLCs actually work through the ladder, which is vastly different to many other methods you may already be familiar with. This seems to be a cause of your continually wanting to do things that aren't needed, as you seem to be only thinking along certain lines you already know. You really need to either go and do a course, or on your own start experimenting with PLCs at the very basics of programming. This means the first thing is the simple act of programming one input to turn on one output, learning naming conventions and processes, and then building your knowledge from there with progressively more complex operations. Everyone who is experienced enough to be offering advice on this forum began at this point. Please take this advice in the spirit intended. cheers, Aus

If you have a thermocouple into the 0402N, I'm assuming you have sort of transducer involved. What are it's specs? cheers, Aus

Hi Baptiste, you have your block diagram to guide you in your thoughts. I strongly suggest that you make yourself an excel spreadsheet that lets you elaborate on the block diagram, with how you are actually going to do the block diagram actions in the plc program. The beauty of using excel is that you can easily move cells around all over the place. A sort of overview that can even use all the correct element names. Such a thing is also very helpful when coming back to a program years after writing it, through being able to see all steps and very quickly remember how it works. cheers, Aus

And now for my pearls of wisdom. They are all related to thinking many steps away from what you are immediately doing, and trying to forsee any consequential occurrence. You have a clever controller that can likely do a lot more than you are presently asking. 1). I am assuming (using memories of past questions) that you have a drive system that raises or lowers something in a tank, and when this drive mechanism is not moving it is locked by a clutch/brake or similar that uses power to unbrake, being a failsafe as it is braked without power. 2). Unless your contactors for the drive motor have auxiliary contact sets mechanically preventing the other direction contactor from engaging when the "first" one is on, you should do such a switch action in your program. This is not hard, it is simply an inverted contact from the other input placed in the relevant rung before the output. The reason for this should be self-explanatory. 3). Given delays between brakes unlatching and the time involved for your motor to turn on, perhaps a timer on the relevant output might improve performance, noise, or wear and tear on the machine, or even all 3. Without observing the mechanicals in action, I don't know the answer. If the motor is a DOL you may well have strain (you can't see) being put on the mechanism as it spins up against residual braking effort as the brake disengages. I am talking of a timer of only 1/10ths of seconds, but you might be amazed at how much smoother you can make things when you look into the "total" mechanics of how things work. I have my saying about a multitude of humans I see, it is "ZMS". Zero Mechanical Sympathy. These are the truck drivers who wear out their prime mover twice as quickly as the smooth driver. The car owner who slams the door each time. The kid who kicks the dishwasher door closed. You get the picture! A really close look at your mechanicals might show you are able to implement vast improvements to life and smoothness. As a quick example of this sort of thing, listen to a 24vdc relay in action with and without a clamping diode. You can actually hear how the clamping makes the relay much happier. 4). Further to point 3), you are engaging the brake immediately the motor call is stopped. This likely also needs a small delay to allow the motor to spin down without heaps of strain. 5). Using the outputs as inputs is the method I use in all my error checking routines. I don't use Visi's inbuilt alarm systems. Mine incorporate checking loops with a defined set of operations if there is a failure noticed, with an ultimate lockout if the problem persists. And as an example of how I do things, I have a current detector on one wire to a 3 phase drive. If there is no current a small delay after the actual plc call happens, then there is an issue. Most people only use the switches on the contactor overload to check if the motor is going, (ie if the overload has tripped it says the motor is off) which in certain circumstances can give totally false readings and depending on the way things work might be disastrous. My method covers ALL bases.....if the call is done and the motor isn't drawing power then there is an issue. CBs, contactor, overload, isolator at the motor etc etc. Some might view these thoughts of mine as "pernickety" but I always try to build things with full attention to all details to ensure the best operation possible. You can have a machine that works ok, but you can also have one that works really really well. cheers, Aus

And if any wiring method for any type of communication link says to use resistors, do it. Sometimes it will work without them, but they are there for a reason. Generally I put them into the relevant bootlace before crimping. This can be a bit fiddly at times, but works best. cheers, Aus

Correctly set up emergency stops should not just stop the plc, they should stop all machine operations through actual voltage cutoffs to everything that makes the machine dangerous. cheers, Aus

Gee whiz. What a hot potato! I'll have to put my other rants onto this forum as well! And Cara, maybe we could/should have an "experienced old codger" emoticon? But of course it can't be bald.....to keep Flex happy! cheers, Aus

Have a squiz at this. Hopefully it makes sense. And "direct action"? "drive" action. cheers, Aus

There is. Use O49 & O50 as direct actions. You can do this, thereby eliminating MB100 & MB101. You simply have O49 & O50 as direct contacts, replacing MB100 & MB101 in your rung 4. Or alternatively in your case, just do rung 4 again using your I0 & I1, given that they are linked to the "drive" action. cheers, Aus

And a clarification needed please. Have you actually measured the input volts at the terminals? When you say: that implies it actually doesn't physically do this. cheers, Aus

Here you go, you old codger: cheers, Aus

Aw shucks Jamie, come on. Show us! Show us! cheers, Aus

OK Steve. Welcome to the old codger club. We are all learning something new every day! cheers, Aus

Also, you have a pretty pic up there of "Inbound Services". You should also have something set up in "Outbound Services"....if it exists! cheers, Aus