New to Unitronics, please help with a couple questions I can't find answers for.

[EngineerInElysium]

Hello All, 

I have a couple questions I have searched google and the forum for but have yet to find answers.

 

1.) All I see for my Unitronics Vision 350 PLC/HMI is an installation document. Is there a programming manual for this PLC anywhere? Or is there another resource on questions like how the PLC scans, how to use the programming IDE, etc?

2.) I am getting a warning 1209: "Changing a bit value and then reading the value in the same net is not recommended." If I do this, will it still work? I come from Allen Bradley. What I am doing is having debounce timers and reading the done bit in order to move to the next step in the sequence. However, I don't want to split this up into two rungs and then I am scanning two rungs for 1 step. 

 

Thanks for the help!

William

[Joe Tauser]

1.  There is no programming manual in document form.  The Visilogic Help is thorough and deep, and includes a bunch of example programs in the installation.   There are videos on the website that may be helpful - https://www.unitronicsplc.com/videos-and-tutorials-unilogic/

2.  Unitronics does not scan like Allen Bradley.  The nets are compiled into an instruction list - if you want to see what actually happens right-click on the network number and select "STL Quck View".  Sometimes the complier doesn't do what you think it will in the order you want, which is why you're getting the warning.  Go ahead and put the contact and it's logic in the next network - it won't affect the scan time.

Joe T.

[EngineerInElysium]

Hi Joe, 

Thanks for the response. Its a bummer though that you can search the help unless the word you are searching for is on that exact page opened. I tried to look for STL quick view in the help and couldn't find how to read it / interpret it. If it doesn't scan like AB, what is its order of operation for scanning? I couldn't find that in the help either unfortunately.. which is why I was hoping for a programming manual on how the PLC operates. 

[Joe Tauser]

I see from your IP information you're in the Chicago area.  I'm the distributor in St. Louis.  If you want to PM me with your phone number I'll just call and answer your questions - it would be much easier and quicker.

Joe T. 

[Ausman]

The Help file does sometimes need hunting around to find things, but they are mostly all there.  It is often a syntax issue like you say......same issue as when doing a googgles search and not getting a hit because wording is just not quite right.  However, I often use the Search facility to narrow things down.  In your case for sequence, doing a search for "scan sequence" brought up 14 references, the most likely one was Program Sequencing: Modules, Subroutines, Labels & Jumps.  So I opened that and voila, there's the page I've seen many times before.  Searching for STL only brings up one reference which is the overview.

As Joe says, these days there is no manual in document form.  But if you're an oldie like me, (and Joe is too, but is forever young at heart) you might possess a pdf of such a thing.  Have a look at my newly added Point 21 here:

https://forum.unitronics.com/topic/6229-ongoing-21-topics-almost-worth-pinning/

Enjoy chatting with Joe, he's a vast treasure trove of knowledge.

cheers, Aus

 

 

[EngineerInElysium]

Hi Aus,

Thanks for the response. When you say search facility, do you mind CTRL+F to bring up the find function? When I do this it won't find anything unless the word I am searching for is on the page. Or is there another utility that I am missing? 

Thanks for those links! Tons of stuff there to dig into. Additionally, if you happen to be an oldie with a PDF and care to share, it would be much appreciated!

-William

[Flex727]

The help file has 4 tabs: Contents, Index, Search, and Favorites. Click on the Search tab and type in the search term you're looking for.

If you don't see the tabs, then look along the left side of the help window for a line you can drag to the right. The tree window that shows all the contents of the help file sometimes gets compressed to the left.

[EngineerInElysium]

Hi Flex, 

My tree window was completely hidden on the left panel.... didn't even know it was there. I got it now, and now it is much easier to work with than before

 

Thanks!

William

[Ausman]

Ahhhh....you can't see the tree for the woods.  🙂

[EngineerInElysium]

@Ausman And usually people tell me I can't see the forest for the trees