dan_lorentz

Is there any update on this? We are the customer mentioned above. The fact that you can see the file name via the info mode, means that the PLC has the ability to read the name and it stores that information somewhere. I was told by support that I should create a field and manually type in a version which defeats the purpose of this request. If a customer's internal memory battery dies (which happens too often on the V130s and that has been brought up as well) this input is lost and the file name would be the best method of keeping track of which version of code a user has. Daniel

Under the COM Init block there is only one option for CDMA that is supported by Untironics, is this still accurate? With Verizon's network being CDMA does this mean there is only one modem that can be used on it? If so does anyone have information on the modem itself as I can't find anything online for a Konder modem. Thanks, Dan

Has any one done this before? It was mentioned on a other thread that it might be possible. I was curious if there was any available sample code showing how this is actually done? Thanks, Dan

Is there a way to see thru the PLC (V130 for example) what the jumpers are set at for analog inputs. I believe using a simple SB to indicate voltage or current could be beneficial for OEMs that use lots of PLCs. Thoughts?

I learned that it can be beneficial to use a small buffer timer that runs when a new screen is triggered. From there use the -| P |- contact of the button SB and call the screen that way. It also make it easier to stack functionality of menus using a variable list of texts. I say this because I believe I experienced issue copying screens during development as well.

I suppose I didn't realize that I could use Modbus with the cellular modem. This is welcome news as it should make the retrieve of data easier. I'm not worried about displaying any information on the slave PLCs HMI. I already have that taken into account with a data logging both to a .CSV as well as key point logging to the the data tables which I have already written the logic for retrieving data and displaying it using row registers for retrieval. Is is possible to in any way to view information from the SD card rather than from internal memory of the PLC? That is currently my main question. If I can pull a vector of information from the SD card I can do that with a register value to shift which data is pulled. I haven't used trends before because I have mostly dealt with V130s and have written my slave PLC code accordingly. We finally have a customer who is ready to install a Master PLC (V1040) and add modems to all the units. I see added value for my customer to view trends on the screen rather than having to remove the SD card and use excel for analysis of the .CSV file. To summarize, I would like to store recorded data onto a SD card rather than eat memory but I will need to retrieve the data. I will hold off Modbus questions until I have the modems in hand and actually have the units spitting information at each other.

One PLC will be designated as the Master used for data collection purposes (yes from multiple sites). Each unit including the master will have a cellular modem. As far as the Modbus data table functions go, I honestly haven't had a chance to do that play with that functionality yet. I was originally going to make the slaves (outgoing messages) begin with a site specific format of the message that allows the master the ability to know which unit was sending information to it (activate a bit because the message matches) and from there I will have integers from the site and store them directly into the data tables (FIFO) as well as writing an excel file for each site. I am just worried about limiting the data that is visible thru the PLC to the point where it is isn't enough to satisfy the customer. There is no way to view information on the master's SD card thru the HMI? I'd like to use trends but it seems rather repetitive to eat memory in order turn data tables into vectors. Is there reason that this functionality wasn't build into SIs and just have the number of data points capped? To me a trend block that did the work that looked at the data tables or SD card would be very beneficial. Thoughts?

So I am working on a project creating a master/slave system and am trying to determine the best method for storing information that is going to collected via a cellular modem. I am at a stand still because I know the best way to probably store the information from 5 different sites is to write it directly to a .CSV file (seperate). Is there anyway to read the information from the SD card thru the PLC. I am not interested in having the customer having to open a software program to view it. I am open to other suggestions as well. I know I can store it in separate data tables and then dump the tables to the SD card but that will limit the amount of storage the unit can have. Thoughts? Input? Thanks, Dan

I was curious if I am missing something. It is possible to latch a button on the V1040 instead of tying a MB for when it is touched to another MB that actually Sets and Resets? It would make logical sense to me to have this functionality. Thanks, Dan

I've been designing a turn key product for the past 5 years that used the SD cards a the method for retrieving data from the site. I don't use the "SD Safely Remove" block because it didn't prevent anything from happening when I played with it several years ago. This is the first that I have heard that the SD card is not intended or designed to be removed frequently. I saw no mention of this in any of the technical information when we decided to retrieve data via this method. The reason for using .CSV files is pretty simple, when you sell a turn key product to 100s of customers having them install another software program on their computer is a pain. Almost all computers have excel on them so we just use the .CSV files.

I think I understand how the block works. That being said wouldn't it be easier to have the SD Write function blocks look at the safe to remove bit (if it is being used) rather than have to use a condition on every ladder rung that a Write command is being used? I'm not trying to a smart guy but I don't see that point of the function block if I have to protect the write blocks from is manually in the code. I am leaning towards just locking the write blocks out with the Safe to Remove bit manually to insure that the PLC can't write to the SD Card while any information is being dumped. Thanks, Dan

Alex, That doesn't really answer my questions. I understand that the PLC will execute the commands in the order they are written (rung by rung, function block by function block). Has anyone ever written to multiple .CSV files on the same SD card? I just wanted to make sure that it can be done before I write a bunch of code to do it. Don't think I mentioned anything about SD card extenders... Thanks, Dan

Is it possible to use multiple .CSV's at the same time. I have a situation where I am using my data tables to log vital information about its run conditions. From there, the customer goes to the site, puts in a micro SD card and performs a manual "dump" of the data tables to a named .CSV file. Another customer requested that more data be recorded. This led me to look at data loggers, look at changing the data tables I have set up, etc. After some thought, I wondered, can the PLC be used a data logger using different .CSV files recording separate information as long as I keep track of the MI's used for lines and make sure that I write the right stuff to the correct CSV. file name? The final solution is that the unit still records vital information to the PLC data tables as I already have the code written to do, and only when a SD card is present does the unit data log information into a separate .CSV file, Does this sound logical? Has anyone run across issues with using multiple .CSV files at the same time? Thanks, Dan

Eyal, What if there aren't any actual SD commands running. I do my data dumping to the SD card independently. The user goes out and does a dump of the data via command prompts thru the HMI. Do I have to have the function block energized for it to not allow further tasks or does it prevent further tasks from initiating based on the success bit state (is there another bit that I am unaware of?)? I want to test this because previously when I played with it I was able to perform SD commands while it was in the "safe" position. Thanks, Dan

How does the function block actually work? I assume MB2 in this case turns to the on state when it is in fact safe? That being said, does the function block stop recording to the SD card when that bit is on? Please confirm that the function block actually does something more than just being an if then statement. Thanks, Dan

Ozone, I hear you on not getting an answer, that is why I suggest using the register method to protect yourself so you can move forward with your project without waiting to find out. You could also use a certain register number (value), that once reached doesn't allow any writing to the SD card. Kind of a built in safety net.

I haven't had a chance to check this for a long time. Has anyone actually tested the code on this. I don't think the SD safely remove block actually locks the user out from dumping information while the bit saying it is ok to perform the dump is 1 / on position. Please confirm as I am having to change my data reporting and am going to need to actually use this block (assuming it works) to prevent the PLC from recording information to a .CSV when the user needs to retrieve the SD card from the PLC. Thanks, Dan

So I am going to using a SD card and writing delimited lines for data logging. That part of the reporting is rather easy. Can you go back into the .CSV file from the PLC/HMI (V130 series) and view the recorded data? I am aware that if I used a data table or something of that matter I could easily view the data but I want to use a .CSV file so the customer doesn't have to deal with another software package to view the data and they can just use excel which is pretty much common on all windows PCs these days. In order to write from the PLC to the SD card to I need to use a data table and then move the information from the data table to the SD card or can I directly write it to the .CSV file. Curious if there is a better way to do it. I would think that using a data table and then moving it to the .CSV would provide a little buffer to troubleshoot, should something go wrong in the process. Thanks, Dan

Ozone, The reason that you can record more than one file is that exact reason. If you want to record something to 1 excel .CSV file and then something else to another, allowing multiple files allows you write to the specific files instead of stacking all the information into one file. Stacking it all in one file would probably result is space being used that doesn't necessarily need to be used (i.e. if I wanted to record item 1 and not 2 the .csv would still create a blank cell for me not recording anything). As far as knowing when your SD card is full I would do some simple math, determine the rate which you retrieving data (1 recording is XX MBs) and then set a limit to where the PLC triggers an alarm that the SD card is close to being full allowing your user to replace / clear the SD card before it actually gets to the point where it can't record anymore. ^^ that being said, can someone confirm that when the SD card is full and the code calls for a recording that the code doesn't crash or get locked into a dump?

So I some how received a value of 64 for my fail bitmap value. The help says that the value will be 0-8. I was just curious if anyone had any input on this subject. If the unit is hex and the value of 0040 is supposed to be 4, that doesn't make sense because the 4th number in the phone book isn't being uses for SMS Send at all. Thanks, Dan

Thanks Ofir. That is is exactly what I was looking for.

Is there a way to cap the number? Or do you have to make sure that there is enough memory allocated for the maximum number of characters? Do I need to only allocate half (80) MI registers to store the message as a result of a MI holding 2 ASCII characters? Right now a long message will run over different parameters that the user has set, regardless of whether the number is in the phone book or now. I just want to be sure that when I move the MI registers I allocate the appropriate amount of space. Thanks, Dan

Just used the function block and the SD Safely Remove Block's safe to remove MB was set at 1. The PLC still performed my entire SD dump of information which contains numerous SD Utility Delimited Line & Write SD Delimited Line function blocks. Any input? Thanks, Dan

I am using SMS communication and allowing the PLC to receive text messages. I am using a storing the message received by the PLC into MI's and that leads to my question. Is there a maximum number of characters that the PLC can receive? Is there a way to cap the number? Thanks, Dan

Still haven't received any input on this subject.... Dan