CANbus fault in Vision230

[Capt David Kilmer]

I run a sailboat with Cariboni hydraulics and Vision 230 master and slave PLCs. The system was installed and programmed in 2007 by Cariboni.

When we booted up this season, we got a CANbus fault as shown in the photo. And we have no hydraulic function.

Our team has checked voltage, cable continuity and timer settings. What else can we do here in the field? I am immensely grateful for any help you can provide. 

 

[Joe Tauser]

I'd have to see the system drawings with module listings to get a better idea of what you have.  What is the part number of the CANbus slave nodes?  Are they EX-RC1's?

Where are you located?  You'll need to determine what distributor you can work through.  I am a distributor, but my contract does not allow me to sell product outside the US.

The V230 battery is inside the PLC.  It's a CR2450N.  You'll really want to have a copy of the program before you change it.  I would usually tell you to contact the vendor, but I have a friend who's sailing around the Caribbean and he's always trying to get me to come and fix his boat and have heard many tales of unavailable support.

I understand marine vendors can be difficult to deal with and your parts availability is limited.

I'd start with the V230.  You'll need a laptop with a serial port or a USB Converter and a CB1-RS232 cable to talk to it.  The programming software is a free download - I'd recommend version 9.8.65 which is available under "Previous Versions".

Joe T.

[Ausman]

Further to Joe's advice, in case you don't know, you're looking for Visilogic and the initial page is here:    https://www.unitronicsplc.com/software-visilogic-for-programmable-controllers/

We're both hoping for your sake that the program in the plc has been allowed to be read.  It is the original programmer's choice as to allow this or not.

Immediately on hearing the word boat and implied "sea", I think of corrosion.  I've seen fully sealed things opened up to show some corrosion happening.  Don't know how it happens but it does.  I'd be thinking the battery, too, and I read that you've checked continuity etc everywhere, but first I'd be tweaking/removing/tightening every single junction in your system.  As Joe implies, there are also perhaps I/O modules.  These are linked together by ribbon and other cable.  If "visible" connections tweaking doesn't fix things, next try the ribbon connectors b/n the modules, if you have them.

Before changing the battery, using Visilogic online, find what SB8 is showing.  You can also access this via info mode if needed.  If you do end up changing the battery, fiddle with ALL the other connections you find within the plc whilst apart.  But....if you can't get the program out of thing, ask us for more advice first on some tricks.

Also, does the 230 use a "snap-in"?  These don't fit as well as you would think and need a wiggle to "rewipe" the contacts it uses, and then assistance to better hold in place once re-fitted.  I use strips of gaffer tape, but others here use small screws which can be easily done.

I'd also perhaps take all the canbus things off the line and see if that works.  Then fit them one by one, checking as you go.

Again reinforcing Joe's words, we're a bit limited in what we can do without fully knowing the system.

cheers, Aus