Fernando Castro

I don't know why it is called "transpose" but is actually a "compression", that is useful if you store characters on MI's i.e, 1 ascii char is 8 bits in size, each MI has 16 bits, so if you store 1 Character per MI then you have 1 byte occupied, and 1 byte wasted, "transpose" extracts only the "used" bytes and combines them, so you basically store 2 characters per MI instead of only one.

If you have a good relationship with the manufacturer (which seems to be the case) you can set up a laptop with a remote access software so the manufacturer could connect to it and make sure that everything is done properly. I believe is the best way to do it if you don't have previous experience.

Not really, there is something you could take a look at in the examples folder. I started to implement an FTP client by myself but was very tedious job and never finished. I managed to get the responses from the FTP protocol as ASCII values then, list files on the server and start the download but got stuck buffering the file and then writing it to the SD card. basically, with TCP/IP you initialize a socket through a specific port, then connect to It and then and then you can use TCP/IP raw to build the messages. If you are going to try it will help to Install a program like Wireshark to monitor the messages sent over the network, and debug what is being sent/received. As I mentioned before, it will be time consuming

Isn't the rest API just a request over http protocol? the authorization is done in the server, right? I mean if that is the case in theory you should be able to do it using. TCP/IP protocol. and hard coding the headers of the messages, and the responses ... I mean I don't think it will be worth the time if there is already an easier solution available but seems doable to me.

I am on an older version of visilogic, so I couldn't open your project, but I think I may know what could be happening: * Messages 6, 7, and 11mean that the master has found incompatible elements in the data sent between master and slave. Are you using the correct function code to write on the Modbus slave? remember that on Modbus are different type of write functions: I had a similar problem once while trying to communicate with 2 devices (for one was using write coils, for the other write holding registers) and somehow, I got the IP addresses of each one mixed. so, I think I was trying to write holding registers on a coil address which of course was not available in the selected slave device.

complementing Joe's answer that USB port is actually an USB to RS232 converter embedded in the PLC. In any case, it is easier to use directly the serial port into the PLC the RJ12 (both are physically the same com).

Also, I just realized that in this examples that you gave there are no float numbers all of those are INT ... are you sure that you VFD is using float type?. In any case reading the values in hex format as I mentioned before will give you a hint on where the problem is

there is over there some different float 32-bit representations standards. I did not find the one that Unitronics is using but since I recently did some communication with a device that uses IEEE754 for floating point arithmetic and I got same readings, I am assuming it is IEEE754. In your case I'll start reading values in HEX to see if the "RAW" data being sent and received is the same to determine where that precision loss is. is it the data not being transmitted correctly or not converted correctly? Also, you mentioned REAL data which I think it's not quite the same as FLOAT data. but let's start with the hex values, you can use a Modbus master simulator in a computer (Modbus Master Simulator - free software utility for testing Modbus slave devices (dxp.pl)) to see what is in the AD 5000 from Nidec.

I agree, I mean at least I try to have everything documented too. I have seen that a lot of people "protect" their programs to charge for the additional services in the future, but not me ..for me is like Mr. Customer, you own this thing here is everything you need to know about it: diagrams, code, drawings help yourself. (I don't want to be bother for each time a minor change will be made to the system that doesn't affect my part) and chances are that if there is a good relationship with Mr. Customer, he always is going to request more services anyway and if there is not a god relationship with him, I don't want to be tied to Mr. Customer, it will be an endless scope of work, and nothing will be enough for Mr. Customer. I get it if it is a custom machinery, or a "turn-key" solution but in that case, the bare minimum is to deliver a hard copy backup that can be installed in a brand-new PLC in the worst-case scenario.

I am surprised by the number of times that question is made. And this is not only for Unitronics, but in the automation world, to have access to the source code/project that needs to be intended since the conception of the project. 90% of the time the original programmer doesn't intend to make their program available to others unless specified by the customer (In my opinion bad practice but it is how it is). If you don't have access to the password, then you need to contact the original programmer, if that is not an option then you will need to do everything from scratch. Every time I had to work on a project the first question I ask is "Do you have access to the original program or a way to make changes?"

I answered something like that a couple weegs ago. https://forum.unitronics.com/topic/9447-conversion-the-value-of-a-ieee-754-floating-point/ If I understood correctly you have 1 32 bit float stored in 2 16 bit MI, you can use the structure function to "Copy" those 2MI on a 1MF. Being the standar Float type AND assuming byte order is the same it will work, if byte order is different you can use swap bytes before structure

Same here, I tried to do a scrolling text once, and I noticed that it looked weird because of the variable character sizes.

you just need the master program; those examples are to demonstrate how to use the PLC as master or as Slave. devices that are slaves and non-programable like your VFD should have the configuration in the documentation along with a table with address table that they use to transmit the data. I'll suggest getting an USB to RS485 adapter (always a handy tool to have) and use a Modbus program on the computer to test first. Amazon.com: Teyleten Robot USB to RS485 485 Converter Adapter CH340T Chip 64-bit Suitable for Windows 7/8 MacOS WinCE5.0 XP(Pack of 3) : Electronics Modbus Master Simulator - free software utility for testing Modbus slave devices (dxp.pl) as I mentioned before you need to check that your hardware part is OK, then once you are sure it works you can start with the PLC side. the problem is that on the PLC it will be difficult to debug if you are using USB port to communicate as Joe mentions. I prefer to use the ethernet port for programing the PLC/ and debugging using online mode. This is correct; however, some vendors start counting at 0 some others on 1, also if you need values that are stored in more than one register (32 bits 2x16) bytes may be in the wrong order some brands use different "endianness".

NVM, solved it with the move function. on my computer is as follows: Windows + Alt + Space then the Move and Close appears on the edge of the screen, I press "Enter" to select Move. then maintain the left arrow pressed for a while (because the pop up was at the center of the screen on the right and it takes some time to be "dragged"). It is a workaround, and you kind of need to know where that window was, or to try both directions for enough amount of time until something happens.

What I do is that I created a banner at the top of my screen, color coded with the alarms and some text. the problem is that you could have many alarms at the same time. I have dealt with this before cycling through. all the active alarms. Each alarm can be linked to a specific bit, and the same with alarm groups so you can use those bits to track active alarms.

well, yes that is the main problem and it kind of happens with all other "pop up" windows, not only the "set/reset" one, HMI object properties, Find. etc. Not a big deal... but it kind of sucks it may be exacerbated because I use a docking station, with the 2 extra monitors, and I am constantly swapping windows across all 3 screens. 🥴 I don't want to be that guy but ... Visilogic software is the only one on which I have ran with this issue.🤷‍♂️

No, that's why I am asking if I am doing something wrong,: I press and hold old ctrl, then I press and hold shift then I double click on the desktop icon of visilogic but it opens like always... I am using windows 10 with all the current updates that comes with it, nothing I can do about it.

Yes, but my problem is that at work I use multiple monitors, at home only the laptop so, I need to remember to drag everything back to the laptop screen and make sure everything is being displayed there before leaving the office... that just isn't going to work I will forget that's for sure. 😂

Is this still working on windows 10? At the office I have 2 monitors I left the Visilogic "SET/RESET pop-up window" in one of the screens. when I needed to, I remote diagnose some PLC I couldn't make that pop-up window appear! I tried CTR +Shift and launching the program using the desktop shortcut (Or I am doing something wrong?). my solution was overcomplicated, but it was the only way I was able to do it: I have another desktop PC always ON, and connected to the same PLC network (that one only has one screen). so, I remoted into that computer then opened visilogic inside that computer to remote connect to the PLC.

I have seen those applications using ORMEC Drivers ORMEC | Motion Control | Total System Solutions for Factory Automation. axis coordination or synchronization are different that the "rotatory knife" when high speed and "electronic camming" is required you need specialized hardware as @kratmel said. on axis synchronization the controller does all the reverse kinematics of a given trajectory and send the desired position/speed/acceleration to the drivers. then the motion is "Sync" but actually each driver is doing an independent motion. on the rotatory knife application (used often on horizontal packing machinery at high speeds). the idea is that one servo motor is a master and the other a slave, and then one motion should be derived from the other one, you make a motion profile and a virtual cam, so that way the system should behave as it the two motors are mechanically linked together. so High-speed controllers and High-speed communication protocols are required in order to maintain the response time. So, it really depends on the application that you have, and the correct selection of hardware rather than the software. the UMD-0010E-B3 uses CAN-Open: Can Open 10 kbit/s to 1000 kbit/s in comparison Servo Wire (Firewire IEEE 1394) works up to 400 Megabit/s

Oh, we all agree on that. you need more than that: the SIL assessment, the required performance level (PLr), the category of the SRP/CS, measures against CCF on multi-channel systems, the component MTTFd , and the average test quality of components. But sorry I can't help you, has been a while since I took the "Functional safety in machine automation and risk assessment" training. I don't feel qualified enough to give advice on how to design the control system.

So, I did not solved the problem? 😂. Good catch! from @Gabriel Franco. I assumed that the program was working as it was with another older scanner before. If that is the case, the process that I'll do to troubleshoot is first. check the hardware configuration. I have the feeling that the issue may not be the Modbus address that you are trying to read (30001 vs 40001). If it is RS485, then it is a serial communication is the scanner properly configured? (Baud rate, parity, data bits, timeout) does it require a terminator resistor? sometimes there is a configuration option or dip switch to set those. And following Gabriel, you can test on a computer using this Modbus Master simulator: Modbus Master Simulator - free software utility for testing Modbus slave devices (dxp.pl)

Maybe I didn't explain myself properly. what I tried to convey is that usually I try to share knowledge and help others to solve problems, to the best of my capabilities at least (I usually care). However, in this case, I don't care. I don't care If you succeed or not. I don't care if you understood how to use a specific function on the PLC. I don't care if you did something overcomplicated to achieve what you were trying to do, and there was a better way. I don't care if you knew something that I did not and I miss the oppportunity to learn something new. There is No contradiction on my words, I am curious about what are you trying to do and what the heck did you programmed. I don't care if you solve your problem or not. You do you. Not my business. but If I had to guess maybe it is because Joe is the most active moderator in the forum? and at least someone (Not me, as I stated before I don't care) is worried that if it gets "off the rails this topic will be forced to be closed before you can get the help that you requested".

Hi, I tried to open your project but I have and older version of visilogic Installed. I was curious about, but to be honest I don't really care. However I will give you some advise I felt like you already burned some bridges here with all the other topics and I doubt that at this point someone will really wants to invest their own time on explaining everything. There is nothi g wrong with not knowing stuff. All of us learned in some way or another, I get that you have the attitude, but you should have started making an effort to learn the basics first, then asking for help on the specifics. At this point my first tought was "He is probably doing something wrong but I don't have the time to understand what he is trying to do, solve it and explain it"., and the fact that there were 0 other comments makes me think that I am not the only one, however I can only speak for myself.

I think you are confusing the terms: slave ID is usually used to specify the device on the Modbus Network. in the code that you sent is hardcoded to be 1: register 400001 and 300001 to me sounds like different function code registers. are you sure that the Masibus Old and New scanner uses different addresses? some background on Modbus: Modbus works using specified registry addresses, and the called function codes: so, 30001 is the first address on the Input registers, and 40001 is the first one on the Holding registers. the difference is that holding registers are Read/Write and Input registers are only Read. so, if you want to access register 30001 you need to point to addres 0 of Input registers using function code 4 (Read Input registers). the program that you sent is accessing address 0 using function code 3 (Read Holding registers) which happens to be register 40001: If you are sure that you need to read register 30001 then use the appropriate function code: Also, some Modbus devices starts counting on 0, others on 1 just to take into consideration.