SLC 5/03 Communications

[AlignPLC]

Hello all I need some expert help here. I'm going to dump a whole lot of information that hopefully helps relay my dilemma.
I have an SLC 5/03 CPU (1747 L532 interface mod) with several other I/O modules (1746 IA and OA16 modules)on that rack that also use a 1746-C7 over to another rack that has mostly thermocouple modules and this whole setup runs the chemical auto line of the company I work for with other functions of the plant, i.e. scrubbers, air agitation, push air, etc. tied into this. Our main functions on the auto line, mainly auto and semi-auto, currently don't function properly, in fact almost not at all. We are down to a very basic manual operation of our line where our operators have to push the fwd joystick fwd for both fwd and rev operations with a toggle switch that I myself wired up from the AC drive to get them running so parts can go through. Our line is hooked up to a plc, a distance meter, an ICS 5000 to be specific, that tracks our hoist that also sends a signal to our vfd, a 1336e-brf15-an-en AC drive, thats supposed to give control to the drive to run the hoist. So all three, the plc, the drive and the distance meter are linked. I am currently, simply, trying to download now an updated version of the program given to me by the tech who programmed this years ago before my time and I must be doing something wrong. The reason I want to download this now is because I believe I downloaded the wrong, older version of the program and even if its not the cause of the problem I will feel much better with the proper one on there. The program currently on the cpu is titled "Bldg 2 Auto Line" and the new one is simply titled "MTi.RSS" and apparently something must not be configured as everytime I perform the download (and I do mean download) it seems it works but upon performing an upload or just going online first thing, the older program is what it shows on the top next to "RSLogix 500." I have updated our version of RSLogix to v12.0 as instructed by the tech who gave me the updated program. I have gone through RSLinx and configured my driver, I have configured my I/O list under "I/O Configuration," I have checked to make sure my driver under TOOLS>SYSTEM COMMUNICATIONS matches with the driver I set up. For instance it would say under system comms that the driver in "current settings" is AB_DF1-1 but the one I started and configured on RSLinx was AB_DF1-8 and that's what I changed it to. Maybe I'm doing something wrong there? I have opened a ticket with RW but they are taking forever on getting back to me. A response a day to be exact. What could it be that I'm not able to perform the download properly? It never gives me an error or unsuccessful message so at first I thought I accomplished it, but it doesn't seem that way. Are there memory protect switches on the slc 5/03? Or maybe I missed something on the config side?
Sorry for the length of my dilemma here but I hope it makes sense and someone can maybe give me something here that will stick.

 

[OkiePC]

There are a couple of things that come into play:

1. The file save path and the RSLogix 500 default path.
2. EEPROM (memory module)

When you perform a download, typically at the end of the process, assuming no changes were made to communication channel settings, the software will prompt you to put the CPU back in Run Mode and afterward prompt you to Go Online or not. If there are differences in the communication channel settings between the CPU and your offline file, you will be prompted to apply the new settings (or not).

How are you responding to those prompts?

I'll wait for your answer before going into either of the two topics that I mentioned up top.

 

[AlignPLC]

Ah yes, so I have had it where it's asked me if I wanted to apply the new settings. Last time it asked me that I said yes. Previously I had said no because I wasn't positive what those settings might be, but since I had been getting nowhere I clicked yes. To my recollection I haven't been prompted to go into run mode. At least recently

 

[OkiePC]

Okay, since you did apply new channel settings, the software will do that, leave the CPU in program mode and, rather than ask you "now what" it just kinda goes and sits in a chair and waits for you to do something, leaving the system idle.

I don't know why it is like that and I don't bother asking or complaining, it is just another tidbit in the mountain of obscure knowledge that goes with this line of work.

So now you have a copy of the program still open, the CPU also has a copy of the same program, but you are not online with the PLC and you need to be online with it in order to put the thing in RUN mode.

So you go online and your software uses the last path and tries to go online with that processor. In the process, it briefly closes the file you have open (for no good reason with any valid explanation as to WHY???) and then realizes it needs the file (which it JUST closed) to go with this CPU it is connecting with. Instead of looking at the file IT JUST CLOSED, it will look in the default project path and, sure enough, it finds a file that seems right and opens it up and goes online.

Two things here:
A) All comments and symbols are stored in that offline file and they won't affect operation whatsoever, but may not match what your latest and greatest file has.
B) If you are online, then the PLC has a program in it that matches what you see and you can go ahead and put it in RUN mode and test it out.

But most likely you want to use the new, latest, greatest revision of MTI.RSS when you go online, so to make that happen there are two methods that I have found to work.

A) Download again. This time, the software should not find a channel setting change so instead of going and sitting in the corner, it will advance to the all important prompt 'Do you want to go online?' and when you answer YES, it will NOT close the handy dandy new file you have and will go right online, where you can then put the CPU in RUN mode and then SAVE AS or just SAVE the file and make it the best match for future 'go online' operations.

B) Hide the old file from the RSLogix Default Path. Make it so that RSLogix can't find a matching file or can only find the new file when you go online. Don't delete the old file, by the way, just move it somewhere safe and off the beaten path.

You can see and edit the RSLogix default path under Tools > Options > Project Files Search Path.

There are other ways around this obstacle, but the two above are the simplest to achieve in my opinion.

 

[OkiePC]

After you get this far, post a reply and we'll talk about the potential EEPROM module. Even if there is a memory module in your system, based on your description of the situation, I suspect there are probably multiple field device or hardware related issues on this system preventing normal behavior and getting the clean slate of a fresh and trusted program in the PLC is just the beginning of your task of restoring automatic functionality.

 

[AlignPLC]

Your breakdown there is very helpful thank you! I will give that a try and get back on how it goes. And yes absolutely, we are in the middle of the programming for the drive as well but I would like to just get this part done right.

 

[joseph_e2]

I don't want to confuse the process, but I'd like to throw in a few more details, from memory.



If the PLC is not in Run mode when you download, I don't think it will prompt you to switch to Run mode after downloading. I'd have to test to be sure. Also check the position of the key switch. If it's set to PROG, your PC won't be able to switch the PLC to RUN. If it's in RUN position, you won't be able to download, so it's probably either in REM or PROG. One thought is to use the key switch to change it to run mode, but I'd want to verify everything downloaded properly first, since that seems to be an issue right now. In fact, I would probably set the key switch to PROG until you can verify the correct download happened.



I've had...weird...things happen when downloading and then going online. It sounds like the "go online" dialog is searching for a file and the first one it finds with the right processor name is the old one. One thing to try is to gather all of your RSLogix files that have the same processor name (that's what RSLogix uses to match the file to the PLC) EXCEPT the one you just downloaded and move them to an alternate location. That should help alleviate some of RSLogix's confusion.

 

[AlignPLC]

Okay so it took me a couple times, only because I didn't move the old program to another, well new file that I made. But it seems the download went successful after trying those steps. I rechecked by going online and it asked me to upload to not risk losing data tables or something like that. So it performed an upload and I "saved as" and so far every time I've went online it's been the new file.

 

[AlignPLC]

Just to be more clear, I've checked in every way I know to verify that the new file is the one now on the SLC. I went offline closed out rslogix went back in without selecting which file I wanted and went online with the controller and its showing the new one. This normally was not the case