Download Over TCP/IP (Call) Function Issues

[Cordell Musser]

Hello,

Has anyone had difficulty downloading a program remotely using TCP/IP (Call)? Usually the first attempt may or may not work, 50/50 chance it seems. ( Communication Driver Error 210 Message Appears) I learned that if the first attempt does work, the 2nd download will not.  The only way I have gotten around this issue is to shut down Visilogic and do a restart on the computer. After restart, the program will usually let you do another download but rarely a 2nd one without another restart. 

Also, I always need to be lightning fast on the prompts that appear (around 1 second max) or the 210 error  message will come on again. I tried to lengthen all the timeouts to maximum values but it makes no difference. 

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Flex727]

3 hours ago, Cordell Musser said:

Has anyone had difficulty downloading a program remotely using TCP/IP (Call)?

Yes, this can be difficult at times. Try placing a Power-Up value of 10 in SI 101 You might need to go online and change the value in the register before your next download.

3 hours ago, Cordell Musser said:

Also, I always need to be lightning fast on the prompts that appear (around 1 second max) or the 210 error  message will come on again.

SI 101 will help with this also. If you don't need them, you can disable the prompts by going into the Project / Properties / Messages tab. But do this with caution because they will stay disabled until you go in and re-enable them.

[Ausman]

Also make sure it's not something as simple as making the timeout a little longer in the PC settings 1st tab area.  Try a big amount first to see if it helps, then back it off.

cheers, Aus

[Fernando Castro]

I always download over TCP/IP with no problems at all,  I think is how you have set up your Network settings on the PLC,  of course when restarted after a download it will be disconnected for a couple of seconds but it will allow you to reconnect afther the PLC restarts. and even if you lost connection during a software downliad you should be able to reconnect again.

Unitronics PLC mantains Communication even if the PLC is on stop mode or some falut happens during download  (I discover this because a colleague disconected the ethernet wire wile updating one of the plcs)

at least this works on V570 and V700

I have near 200 PLCS to mantain and deploy new version of software periodically with most of them having very difficult to reach ports because of the control cabinet design, so its ethernet conectivities eases my work a lot!

[Cordell Musser]

7 hours ago, Fernando Castro said:

I always download over TCP/IP with no problems at all,  I think is how you have set up your Network settings on the PLC,

Just to clarify, I was referring to downloading over WAN. It seems maybe in your application you are downloading within the same network. I have no issues either downloading within LAN. I have many PLC's online and I do updates remotely without being at the jobsite. This is a great selling feature and it works great most times. However with doing multiple downloads per site, the connection usually is not stable enough to do more than one at a time without doing a computer reboot. Doing a computer reboot almost always works, but I don't know why it does...? Even with putting SI 101 at a 10 power up value, I still have issues with getting the (210) error message. 

[Flex727]

39 minutes ago, Cordell Musser said:

Even with putting SI 101 at a 10 power up value, I still have issues with getting the (210) error message. 

But is it improved? That has been my experience. I haven't been able to get WAN connections to be as stable as LAN connections, especially with downloads across the Pacific, but it's tolerable. If you find other improvements, I would like to know of them also.

[Cordell Musser]

6 minutes ago, Flex727 said:

But is it improved?

I was sure it seemed to help right after you advised me to try it...but then the next day I wasn't sure anymore. Obviously I never know how strong the internet connection is on the other end so that might make all the difference.

P.S. Thanks for the advice, I'm still learning things every day about Unitronics so every tidbit of info is valuable to me! This forum has been a huge help for me over the past several years.

[Flex727]

27 minutes ago, Cordell Musser said:

I'm still learning things every day about Unitronics so every tidbit of info is valuable to me!

Aren't we all. 😉

[Ausman]

1 hour ago, Cordell Musser said:

However with doing multiple downloads per site, the connection usually is not stable enough to do more than one at a time without doing a computer reboot. Doing a computer reboot almost always works, but I don't know why it does...?

Please explain this procedure a bit more.  Multiple downloads at the same time? .......so you're running multiple instances of Visilogic?  "Computer reboot" still  = PC reboot?

One thing that you all could perhaps try might be to use your A / V to block everything else from happening at the time you're trying.  And let the A / V accept the connections as OK.  Perhaps ongoing A/V checking of the transfers is upsetting things.  And also stop anything M$oft might be dicking around with, too!

I only work with 130s, but don't have any issues, even with long timeouts that self-correct during the connections.

cheers, Aus

[Fernando Castro]

13 hours ago, Cordell Musser said:

Just to clarify, I was referring to downloading over WAN. It seems maybe in your application you are downloading within the same network. I have no issues either downloading within LAN. I have many PLC's online and I do updates remotely without being at the jobsite. This is a great selling feature and it works great most times. However with doing multiple downloads per site, the connection usually is not stable enough to do more than one at a time without doing a computer reboot. Doing a computer reboot almost always works, but I don't know why it does...? Even with putting SI 101 at a 10 power up value, I still have issues with getting the (210) error message. 

Well, then I think its how your networl is set up, in my case we have a LAN only  for the PLCS  that its isolated from the main IT network but some computers are allowed to tunnel thru the network to reach the PLCS (A server collecting data thru MDOBUS that host a database and a web based visualization interface for such data, my laptop and another tablet that some times we use on field), i think all of that is mannaged over a managed switch that IT already set up (I have no knowledge of how IT deppartment set it up everything, I just explained what I needed to reach and from where)

So I can reach each PLC over the specified ports, and even from home using the company VPN. the connection is very stable and I even have been able to download new versions of thesoftware using my mobile data connection and remote manage everithing ( Was slow but it worked )

Also for larger deployments I am using  unitronics download manager, I also have another small desktop pc on site in the same LAN  as the PLC with  all the unitronics suite, just in case I need to be on the same LAN , for that I remote connect to  I remote connect to that PC using the wifi  and Windows Remote Desktop or LOGME, we call it the "jumpbox"  that is the only device that is phisicaly connected to the same LAN as the PLCs.. but so far I havent had the necesity to do that.

[Cordell Musser]

On 11/16/2021 at 10:05 PM, Ausman said:

Please explain this procedure a bit more.  Multiple downloads at the same time?

Sorry, I meant multiple downloads per site but not simultaneously. I often have multiple PLC's  per site that all run the exact same program, so if I update one PLC, I also need to update all the other PLC's that run the same program.