[Communication issues (over USB)]

s.pratt, thank you. I've never been able to connect with a UniStream by USB - I always use ethernet because of that. Your procedure worked!

[Communication problem]

I've run into some sort of communications limitation and I'm hoping someone can help me sort this out. What I'm trying to do is read and write some data between a UniStream 7 and a V1210 using MODBUS IP. The UniStream is the Master and the V1210 is the Slave. I set up the MODBUS configuration to do the following, which works perfectly:

 

COILS:

- Read an array of 48 coils

- Read an array of 64 coils

- Write a single coil

- Read an array of 104 coils

- Read an array of 195 coils

- Write a single coil

- Write a single coil

 

REGISTERS:

- Read a single register

- Read an array of 2 registers

- Read an array of 2 registers

 

That's a list of every line in the MODBUS Slave configuration. All are active. This works perfectly with no problems, but I found I needed to read a bit more data. When I added any additional read coils, one or more of the read registers stop working.

 

Is this a limitation of MODBUS or the UniStream? What can I do to overcome this issue?

 

By the way, I'm using version 1.12.20 of UniLogic on a Win 7-64 PC. Perhaps upgrading UniLogic will help?

[Power rail indication frustration/whinge.]

Keep in mind that when you go online in VisiLogic it's really only reading the state of each memory location and highlighting it in the ladder (at least that is what it looks like to me). It doesn't check anything about the logic - in fact it doesn't even care if it's the same program in the PLC as what you're looking at on your PC. In VisiLogic, never assume the power flow logic represents reality in the PLC.

 

All of that is changed with UniStream (and improved).

[Easter Eggs]

By the way, Cara, you guys should definitely develop a modest UDFB of this nature for us to use to wow customers and potential customers. Give it some thought.

[Easter Eggs]

bpond, please do upload the file - I'd love to see it!

[Communication issues (over USB)]

Can you use Ethernet?

[V570 need example with HMI timer]

You can save your timer preset by using the function: Load Timer/Counter Preset (found under the Store drop-down menu). Use a ML (Memory Long) to save your timer preset value.

 

You can update the timer preset either directly by HMI Timer Variable, or by storing from a ML using the function Store Timer/Counter Preset.

[Display issue on V560]

In Ladder Rung 2 you are continuously calling the screen called "Lift Alarm". You can't do that. You must call screens with single pulse or transition contacts.

[Best Method]

You will need to define what you mean by "input stops". If the interval that defines "stops" is large compared to the largest (i.e. lowest frequency) count interval than the problem is easy. Otherwise the problem can be very difficult. Do you have some other signal available that will tell you when the input is off?

[cannot export subroutines]

I've run into problems saving things in VisiLogic when the path name is too long. Try saving it someplace with a shorter path, or even as an experiment, directly to the root directory (C:\).

[send more the one SDO at a time]

Yes! Thank you.

[looking for simple way to do pause and stop program button]

You can place a timer activated by a button press to create long and short button press actions.

[send more the one SDO at a time]

"You do not have permission to view this image"

 

This is on s.pratt's post only. I can see Hannari's attachment fine. I encounter this problem often. Is it something on my end or yours?

["Sticky" SB217 - SD Card Present]

I've never used an extension cable - but only because I never thought of it - it sounds like a great idea. However, looking online, I see yours is a common problem across platforms. This is likely not something within Unitronics' control. If your process can tolerate it, you might try a quick reboot of the PLC (using SB 300) when you want to replace the card.

["Sticky" SB217 - SD Card Present]

I use SB217 as the link to a Binary Text Variable on every project I write. I haven't ever seen this behavior. It should reset almost immediately when the SD card is removed. No other "check" is required.

[Scan Time issue on V1040]

Sounds like an application for UniStream.

[need example with week timer]

 

Use MB0 as a contact for whatever you are needing to do on a weekly basis, but be sure to reset it - or you can change it to a Direct Coil and it will be True for a single PLC cycle.

[Power-up and password system bits in samba]

If you're not using a SET coil, you will never see the coil switch on since it will switch on for only one PLC cycle and it will be too fast to see.

[V570 Battery Change]

If the battery goes low in a V570, I can change it without disrupting the running PLC. However, the system bit SB8 appears to remain high until the PLC is power cycled. Is there any other way to reset this bit?

[Type A USB Host Ports]

I'm looking for some information about these USB ports. The Help file seems to indicate they can be used for serial communications. Is there any other functionality?

 

I find that 5 volts is available even if the ports are not enabled in the UniLogic software. This is very handy for certain applications I have in mind, but is there anything else I can do with these ports?

[Issues with UniStream and UniLogic]

I've dived into UniLogic full time now and am thoroughly impressed with the capabilities. Here is a list of items I would like to provide feedback on. Most are minor, but issues I'd like to see considered. I am using version 1.12.20. I realize that version has now been superseded, so if any of these have already been addressed, please let me know.

 

I'm adding issue #0 to the top of the list - the HMI screen does not update in a dependable way. There can be delay up to nearly a second for various HMI events to occur that should be simultaneous. Also, running animation by using "List of Images" is painfully bad, with strange stuttering delays. The delay when bringing up a keyboard for string element entry is way too long. I realize there are valid reasons for this, but it needs to be dramatically improved.

 

1) Can you adjust row height, font, and justification when displaying data tables on screen? If not, this needs to be added ASAP.

 

2) Runtime editing of slave IP addresses is critical and needs to be available. Network administrators sometimes want to make changes and I don't want to have to get on a plane to make that simple change.

 

3) How to create, upload, and download clone or application files (SD card)? I can't find any information about this in the Help file.

 

4) All HMI elements should have Touch properties (that was a great feature in VisiLogic). All text elements should have button appearance capability.

 

5) "OK" button in Message Box does not seem to trigger the associated action. Is this a known bug?

 

6) Replace function does not replace the tag name or alias. It also needs to be capable of handling an array.

 

7) A momentary contact pushbutton should be an Action selection (i.e. pushing the button energizes a coil while the button is being pushed) rather than needing two lines to Set the coil on Pushed and Reset the coil on Released.

 

8) Complex HMI screens can be very difficult to build due to not being able to see the edges of an element when it's selected. In VisiLogic, most elements can't overlap, so it was easy to just slide an element over until it stopped. At that point you knew the elements were precisely adjacent. You can't do that in UniLogic since elements can overlap. I find myself selecting an element, moving it a few pixels, deselecting it to see where it is in relation to an adjacent element, re-selecting it and moving another pixel, etc, etc. This is a time-consuming and painstaking process. Is there a better way? Also, in VisiLogic the selection box disappears briefly while the element is being moved to help in placing it precisely.

 

9) How do you select an HMI element for editing that is behind another element without moving the element that is on top?

 

10) In VisiLogic, every HMI screen element was exactly pixel perfect (i.e. what you saw on the PC screen in VisiLogic was exactly what you saw on the PLC screen. This is not the case in UniLogic. I've run across several instances already in my short time using UniLogic that what Is seen on my PC does not match the PLC screen. It looks to me like the HMI screen (for a UniStream 7) in UniLogic is 800x500 on my PC instead of the correct 800x480. This scaling might account for the problem.

 

11) It would be handy if a 2x magnification of the HMI screen was available, even if the whole screen didn't fit in the window, to allow for more precise placement of HMI elements. This was very helpful in VisiLogic.

 

12) Under the Tools menu, what does "Find Undersize Images" mean? I can't find any Help entry on this.

 

13) We desperately need an UNDO that works properly.

 

14) Rotating an image element 90, 180, or 270 degrees can blur it substantially. That shouldn't happen. Blurring at other angles is probably unavoidable, but those angles should be direct pixel translations, it seems to me.

 

15) There seems to be very little difference between 0% and 100% screen brightness. Can the screen be turned off to extend life?

 

And, of course, these 3 age-old requests from the VisiLogic days:

1) Software PLC simulator

2) Ability to run 2 instances of UniLogic and be able to copy/paste between them

3) Ability to open multiple windows within a single instance of UniLogic so that we can look at ladder and HMI side-by-side.

 

Thank you.

[HMI buttons]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[Automatically return to HOME screen]

I'm not sure what you're doing in that 3rd ladder rung, but this is how I'd do it.

[need example with week timer]

Create a TD timer for 24 hours that increments an MI. When the MI gets to 7, trigger your event and reset the MI.

 

Alternatively, if your event needs to occur at a specific time of day, do a comparison between the RTC and the time you want. When equal, increment the MI. When the MI equals 7, trigger your event and reset the MI.

[VisiLogic System equivalents in UniLogic]

Is there any way to modify the Slave IP address by ladder in the Master PLC?

 

Hey! I just found two String commands: "IP To String" and "String To IP". Perhaps those will allow me to modify slave IP addresses by ladder? I should be able to test this out tomorrow.

VisiLogic had a real nice RTC To ASCII function block to provide a nicely formatted date and time in string form. Anything like that in UniLogic?