Walkerok

On your connector that says "coin" pin one is what needs to be jumped with the 24VDC power supply negative that powers the overall PLC ("0V" on the PLC). The two connector locations labeled coin1 and coin 2 are the signals from the coin switches to game board. You have to connect one wire to each of these locations and connect them to two of the PLC inputs. (the common for these inputs should be the +24VDC from your supply). You have jumpers you are going to have to set on your V130 to make it NPN for all of this to work. I am sorry but I just do not have the time to write out how to program and connect everything. I strongly suggest you watch the webinars (they are good) and read through the V130-33-TR20 installation document carefully and have fun figuring it out. Best Regards Keith

If you need to a small amount of math then using floats will work great. If you need to do a large number of calculations and you can accept a fixed decimal point amount in your calculation then the old school method for using integers on math calculation will work fine. In your example of 547/847 integer math is not capable of keeping decimals (by definition an integer has no decimal) so if you instead perform the operation of (547*1000)/847 the result is 645.8. With integer math the answer will always come back as 648. This would represent the decimal .648 on a screen. When multiplying this way you will want to use ML (longs) and not MIs but you have a lot of them available. You can always use floats but you only have a total of 64 of them available in any of the enhanced vision products (and they can go quickly). You have 512 longs and with the longs you have plenty of digits possible to not overrun the maximum size like and MI will when doing multiplication. As with all things there are multiple ways and choices on how to get things done. Keith

Yes all MIs are sequential. I can not use the data tables because my understanding is that there is a limitation of 32 columns in a data table and I need many more than 32 columns to write a single excel line of this many MI variables. Thanks Keith

We are creating an Excel delimited line in ladder and ultimately there are about 1200 MIs that have to be recorded. Is there a non-painful way to make the line that to one by one make and set the values. Asked another way is there a way to use a vector so I do not have to write appends manually? If there is no way around this then I would like to suggest that this become a development consideration item. Thank You Keith

When you make a number display/entry box on the screen you can select on the left hand side for the display box to be in Decimal/Hex/ or Binary. It will allow you to have an MI show as a HEX on screen and allow you to enter a value in HEX and save it correctly in the MI as the decimal the internal calculations/pointer need. Good Luck Keith

Here is a sample program that has been split out of a much larger program. In it you will find where the user can enter in PID variables and the set point along with dynamically being able to chose if the pump PID is controlled from suction or discharge pressure. This is about the best I can do for you at this time. Good Luck Keith PID example.vlp

There is absolutely nothing wrong with making calculation using only values for P and I. In fact many processes don't particularly do well with a D value (at least ones where D is picked by humans). For the work we do in my company we actually never set a D value to anything and only set D when we use the autotune function to generate at least the starting point for a D value.

This being caused by electrical noise. Read the very fist subject in the JAZZ forum labeled "flyback diode". Thanks Keith

Just use the 4-20ma sensor devices on one of the 0-10Vdc inputs by placing a 250 Ohm resistor between PLC terminal 4 (i6-7) and terminal 8 or 9 (i6 or i7)(whichever one you chose to put the 4-20 device on). This will give you a 1-5 volt input from a 4-20ma output device. Or a 500 ohm resistor will give you a 2-10v signal from a 4-20ma device. you would scale the input the same way you would a regular 4-20ma device if you use the 500 ohm resistor. Thanks Keith

In this particular case what I have had to do to make everything work out is to fully upgrade the firmware on a PLC I have using Visilogics (whatever version). Put an SSD card in the PLC, got to SD in info mode and then copy the "Firmware" (first button left column) and then you can email that file to someone if need be, or just install. This is the only way to get a complete firmware upgrade to a field PLC just like you connected it directly to Visilogics. The folder location may be different on the SD card (I have not needed to do this in about 2 years so I can not remember). But with this file and a clone file I have never failed to be able to update anything in a hardware family regardless of its age. Good Luck Keith

I like it. I needed a smile today

The voltages in a coin operated arcade game are +5, -5, +12, and depending on exact game 3.3V and -12V. None of these voltages can be read by a Unitronics PLC in its standard form. There are low voltage models, but If your games follow standard JAMMA convention then there is not actually a voltage line but a ground line being run through your coin switch (and that is good) as the signal to your motherboard to register either coin or bill pulses. For this to work you will have to install a 24VDC power supply in your arcade cabinet that will be used to power the PLC. The ground of that power supply (0V) will have to be joined up with the ground of your arcade power supply (not knowing what supply you have I can't tell you exactly where to land). So for example if you have a computer style supply in your game then you would join 0V from your new 24VDDC power supply to any black wire from your game supply (they are all jumped together internally). So if you are reading coins then one pulse is one coin. Just increment (do not use a counter) in your PLC to a memory integer location and use the clock functions found in Visilogics to make the pulses per day/week/month/year (don't forget the extra day in February on leap year if you want to be exact). You can store all of this information on an SD card in a .CSV format and then you can analyze to your hearts content in Excel. As far as the model of PLC to use the lowest cost unit that will do what you need is the V130-33-TR20. This would let you have switch readings from 10 locations (multiple cabinets if you join the grounds from all games you want to read together with your one 24VDC power supply). Good luck and have fun Keith

Yes you need items 1 and 2 in addition you need to put a scan-EX block in all 5 ladders to put all of the PLCs into listen mode for a standard Modbus conversation. On your cabling you can use the CAT5E cable and make your own RJ12 connector ends to series connect all of the units. RJ11 connectors are six position connectors but do not have conductors on the two end slots necessarily (just like the program cables that come with the Unitronics PLCs that you can not use) so get RJ12 connectors. They are the same physical size. If each PLC is to be viewed you must name each of the PLCs (5 different names for 5 PLCs). The V350 standard communications port is not an isolated 485 port you may need to install 5 isolated com ports (V100-17-RS4X) in port 2 in each of the 5 V350 units if you have noise issues you can't live with. (if you do buy the isolated communications cards they come with one RJ12 connector pre made with a very short crimped end lead .5 Inches- 1inch in length). Thanks Keith

If possible, can you entertain a totally different option. If you are in a C1D2 area and you have the ability to install an LEL monitor (Lower Explosion Limit) monitor then you are allowed by code to reduce the affected panel to a C1D2 status. This reduction will get you out of using the NEMA 7/9 enclosure and leave you with either a panel that has 100% C1D2 compliant parts in it or a purged panel (in either case your touch screen becomes available again. There are nuances to doing this and you will need to research what you need to do, but it does get you around an existing problem. NEC code pertaining to LEL monitors is in section 5 of the code book. Good Luck Keith

Without posting your program for someone to see either here on the forum or directly to Unitronics support I don't think anyone is going to be able to help you with a solution to your peoblem. Keith

I am curious to see what the final answer to this question is. As far as I know there is no way to block Modbus access or write capability to any register location. If you would please report back when you know the answer it would be much appreciated.

Because the function in progress bit is on for a unknown variable amount of time is the exact reason you need to do the traffic control like the illustration in my first response. You have to have a way to accommodate completely unknown time lags when talking to multiple devices. Looking at your code I would not expect it to actually work except maybe part of the time. I know it looks cumbersome the way I illustrated it but it has the benefit of proven working on multiple live customer units in current operation. Good Luck Keith

Since you did not include your program for anyone to look at we can only guess on your behalf. I sounds like you need to program in some "traffic control" into your application. In creasing the communications speed isn't going to have any kind of consistent help if at all. You need to write your communications lines to each VFD seperately. All of us have different methods of achieving traffic control that I have seen written about here in the forums, but a simple to understand method is to perforn one modbus function code operation to one VFD and then at the end of that operation incrment an integer by one. At beginning of """""""EVERY"""""" read and write you need to nake sure that only one modbus command is trying to execute at any one time. So for this example I want to make 4 code 3 reads of integers (2 from each VFD) and also send two code 16 write commands you want all 6 to execute when it is ok to do so, but you have to know when is a good time. Net 1: only execute when integer mentioned above is equal to 0, function in progress is false, read from VFD 1, increment integer to 1 Net 2: only execute if integer is equal to 1, function in progress is false, after done increment integer to 2 net 3: Integer =2 do operation increment to 3 * * * * for as many steps as you need to make then at the end make a net that resets the integer to zero automatically if the integer is ever greater than 5. This will allow all 6 modbus operations to run as fast as they can, but keep all of them from stepping on the other 5 operations. It is possible that you need to intentionally delay one function from the next (because if you execute multiple commands too quickly with no delay you can cause communications failures) but this will probably work given the ABB VFD s you are trying to work with. I have attached a PDF of a 4 burner modbus communications section from an older program that works as I described above. Like I said earlier there are a multitude of ways to end up at the same place and this is only one possible way. Good Luck Keith 4 device modbus VisiLogic Project.pdf

I don't think a JAZZ PLC is really going to be what you want to use for this. If you are going to use differential math to come up with some theoretical boiler characteristics I believe you will probably need the PLC to be able to make floating math calculations to correctly make your simulations. The Jazz is not capable of floating point math and additionally when you are transferring data to and from a JAZZ controller you only have signed 16 bit integers to move data back and forth. Is it possible to do what you want....I suppose, but I really think you should be looking at a V130 which does have floating point math capabilities and 32 bit longs and words/double words. Just a Unitronics note. MIs (16 bit integers) are only available as signed integers and there is no option to make them unsigned. If you still want to try a JAZZ you will need some kind of com card. The standard USB only gives you a connection through the U90 ladder program and as far as I know does not allow for General Modbus or other standard communication protocols. Good Luck Keith

Since you are running fans almost any Variable speed drive will work. I do not know what brands of VFDs are commonly found in your area, but as long as they have a communications protocol to use that you also have available in the V350 they will more than likely work. You only have 485 or 232 communications in your PLC unless you purchase an adder card so anything with Modbus 485 or modbus 232 will work (485 would be common as 232 has such a short working distance). In your pictorial you have a note for CO2, Temp, Humidity, that would be up to 3 sensors per zone. Buying 7 VFDs anf 21 sensors and then putting it all otgether is going to make it difficult to pay for in electricity savings given the small size of all of your motors. Since you stated that you are intending to just run at full speed for a set time period and 50% speed at a different time period you have options to save you money. You can run multiple motors off of a single VFD to lower the number of VFDs you need to run the system. The obvious downside is that all motors connected to a single VFD must spin at the same speed as each other. For example if wiring and process allow you to run 3 2.2KW fans on a single VFD you would need a VFD with at least 6.6KW of power capacity (it would be better to upsize slightly. Each motor would need a seperate overload, but with a dedicated overload per motor there is nothing wrong with doing this (as long as you can accet that when one motor is at full speed they all will be and they will all be at 50% at the same time as well. Keith

Well Cara, What I would like to use is a magical protocol that does all of the work automatically on its own just by my connecting one device to any other device, but since C3PO/R2D2 are still not a viable technology (COMON WORLD ) I will just have to continue to do it the hard way. Seriously the only com that I get asked for that an enhanced Vision does not do is Ethernet/IP. I know that Unistream will have this worked out soon (if not already), but it would still be most excellent to have it in a Vision controller as well. Keith

Can you post the part of your program that makes the print every 10 seconds? You should be able to use the RTC/UTC to get your prints to very regular, but I am a bit confused why the prints are not OK with just a regular timer. You could also try using just an increment function using the positive edge SB3 as the pulse. Every10 pulses print and reset the MI you chose and the increment storage location as long as you have a heating process in effect. Reset the MI to 0 whenever the heating process times out as well. Keith

I think the way to phrase this is what com protocols do I have to use regularly as compared to what would I like to use. Given my industry type (and being in Oklahoma USA) most equipment I have to interface to comes standard with Mobdus RTU 485/232 and some has Modbus TCP. From a generic standpoint we use the following (in order of frequency): RS485 modus to most VFDs and soft starts UNICAN talking between PLCs CANBus J1939 for engines and valve controllers Modbus TCP/IP to talk to Allen Bradley equipment BACnet for building BMS Lonworks for building BMS No one has asked us to use Profibus but I am sure it will happen sometime. Thanks Keith

All VFDs create noise. You can usually specify the "carrier frequency". This changes the speed the IGBTs of the VFD fire to make a better sine wave signal. The higher the carrier frequency the more noise is created. Mot of the noise that you find relative to VFDs actually comes from the motor being driven and not the VFD itself. If you have motor grounds connected back to your VFD/control panel you can try grounding the motors on a dedicated ground line seperate from the VFD/control panel. Your main VFD panel must also be grounded. Don't forget the small stuff. You can have all these VFDs and believe them to be the reason and find out that a single motor starter/solenoid valve/cooling fan, any inductive load can cause your problems. See the post labeled "problem with V1210" from started Dec 18 2014 and you will fing part numbers for noise reducing components for Ac and DC laods. Oh if you have a mechanical thermostat for your VFD cooling system the contacts on the thermostat can bounce badly and cause all of this also. An AC noise canceling device (assuming AC fans) placed accross the thermostat contacts will remove this (if it has anything to do with it). PS: the probability that this is being caused by one VFD going bad is virtually zero percent, but it can be one VFD going to one motor that in combination is the large contributor.