Hello, I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to this level of networking so looking for some help.

I have a project coming up with an Allen Bradley PLC with 5 AENTR IO racks in their own remote panels, 60 VFDs and 10 Modbus/TCP devices. I assume at this point I would need a Managed switch/switches to help deal with the traffic. All the VFDs will be setup with explicit messaging and the Modbus/TCP will be the built in AB AOI.

My main question is how important is it to have a managed switch in this instance? What would be the possible downfalls on going completely unamanged? On previous jobs and at other factories I've seen similar setups with nearly as many connections with all unmanaged switches and things seemed fine even after several years.

I have to admit, I was wrong multiple times on this sub. I have been writing a program in ST on a Codesys platform the past week, cause that's what my customer wanted. ST really is the superior programing language... I'm sorry for doubting all of you nerds, I have joined you in the autism. I need not explain myself, if you know, you know. I am prepared to be downvoted by the non-believers and uncultured.

Looking for insight/suggestions. We have a customer who has a schneider PacDrive LMC201C currently running their system. They want to eventually get rid of it completely and switch to the AB. However they want to do it in a phased approach. So Phase one is replacing their current HMI software with Ignition. But we need to duplicate the aprox. 2300 tags the current HMI is using over in the AB plc. Which means you need a data connection from the Schneider to the AB. How would you recommend doing that? In later phases we would be stripping control from the schneider and start controlling from the AB.

I want to jog a portal forward, backwards, up and down by pressing the corresponding button in the HMI when opening a screen in pop up. To do this faster i want to couple these buttons to the keyboard input z,s,q and D using the "hotkey" function. Apparently this does not work because i defined the jog by setting it on "press" event and resetting it on "release" event. The hotkey only works with the "click left mouse button" event (why Siemens...). But then the bit stays high... using the "press/release key" events also does not work because the botton must first be "focused" or something. I have not found a way to make this work, i think i have to script this but i have not much experience with that. Can somebody help me going in the right direction.

Es mi primera vez trabajando con este variador de LS electric, referencia LS-100 ya leí el manual como 3 veces y no encuentro el error o si falla algo más

Hi everyone, I’m troubleshooting an Allen-Bradley POINT I/O system and I’m stuck with a communication issue.

Hardware:

Allen-Bradley 1734-AENTR Ethernet adapter

Spectrum Controls 1734sc-IE4CH 4-channel HART analog input modules

Controller: 1769-L18ER-BB1B

RSLogix 5000

The AENTR is configured with IP address 140.168.0.165.

Initially, the AENTR had communication issues. After a power cycle, the AENTR LEDs are green and the device responds to ping. I can also access its web interface through the IP address.

However, Studio 5000 still shows the I/O modules as Faulted.

The main error I’m getting is:

16#0204 Connection Request Error: Connection request timed out

For example, one of the 1734sc-IE4CH modules shows this error under the Connection tab.

The physical AENTR shows:

Module Status: Green

Network Status: Green

PointBus Status: Green

System Power: Green

Field Power: Green

The 1734sc-IE4CH modules also appear powered, but Studio 5000 still reports them as faulted.

I also tried:

Power cycling the complete POINT I/O system

Using Reset Module from Studio 5000

Refreshing communication in Module Properties

Checking connectivity with ping

One thing I noticed is that the physical Spectrum Controls module has Series A / Rev C markings, while the Studio 5000 module definition shows:

Series: A

Revision: 1.001

Electronic Keying: Compatible

Connection: Data

Data Format: Analog with HART

Should I be changing the module revision/AOP configuration, or is this revision unrelated to the hardware Rev C marking?

What would be the correct way to troubleshoot the 16#0204 Connection Request Timed Out error when the AENTR itself is pingable and its LEDs are green?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I’ve got a project coming up which requires around 15 intrinsically safe barriers for equipment in a hazardous zone. Some are digital outputs and some 4-20ma.
What’s the best way to do this, would you have 15 individual barriers or is there a better solution?

Hi,

Does anyone know how to reset the Basic and Advanced level menu password for ABB CM15, 30 and 50 process controllers?

The menus are password protected, which means no new configurations can be uploaded or downloaded. This also means the password reset menus are unavailable.

I have access to the mainboards, but I don't see any jumpers or switches for a factory reset.

Happy to lose the existing config if it comes to that as I can load a backup, but without advanced menu access that won't be possible.

Nothing in the manual or on the ABB website about this situation either.

Thanks.

Customer demanded everything be in 0.75mm² (18awg)

🤨😳🥺😭😠😡🤬

I have been working on a Click PLC panel for a project where I’m filling tanks and moving water with a fill valve, a pump and a drain valve. I’m self taught, built the entire panel and am so close to perfect, and I have everything working in the PLC cabinet (relays, indicator lights, inputs all work) but I’m stuck on the very last detail I need to make this right. Currently my only issue is that my output for my fill valve and my output for my drain valve turn on and off at the same time. Pics show my addresses, data sets and the logic. Can anyone take a look and see what I’m missing here?

Order of operation on input button push:
1) drain valve on tank 2 closes, full light turns on
2) fill valve for tank 1 opens for 30 seconds, closes
3) pump comes on after waiting 10 seconds and stays on for 25 seconds to move water from tank 1 to tank 2, shuts off
4) after 40 seconds the drain valve opens back up (ready light comes on) and drain valve stays open until the button is pushed again

Next in the endless list of questions.

Modelling a mutually exclusive caustic delivery system.

Description:
I have a caustic system that can deliver to every vessel in the area, but only one at a time.
I just want to get some clarity on how this is to be modelled in the larger CIP system.

Attemp 1:
It seems like there should be one Caustic Delivery Equipment module that can deliver to each vessel. Where I then am a bit unclear, should there then be a recipe phase that to deliver to each vessel.

Then all of the recipe phases for say heating, recirculating etc is thrown into a CIP Recipe.

Questions:
If the caustic equipment module is the correct approach, how would you lay it out. A destination setpoint that jumps to a different part of the sequence logic for the module and a setpoint for how much to deliver? The Recipe phase then only requires the volume setpoint and the destination is hard coded.

Any tips and tricks to wrap my head around this would be great!

Guys, my drive is running a bit rough. Any suggestions?

Hi I am a mechanical graduate in India, Planning to do my master's in Canada .The fields that I am interested in are Automation and Mechatronics. I having doubt that canadian universities are well known packed for these particular programs and available of international students landing a intern in these sectors and goes further as well as job.

Any advice on these choices of courses and any recommended courses that I need to look into before proceeding to my application

Hi guys. Do you think a college degree is mandatory to reach positions as PLC Developers in big companies?

Hello

So my issue atm is that when I connect to a PLC, which is connected to the HMI, and try to use the webserver, I can open the page where it has "start program" "user management" and so on. Now the issue starts when I try to open the HMI screen, it opens but after a few seconds "waiting for IPSimatic logon" comes to the screen and that's it. The program is not mine, but I did find out after I got the backup that there are no users that have any assigned roles.

Now my question is:

How sure can I be that assigning a role to users under the security place, fixed this issue and I can connect remotely as well to the PLC?

I hope my explanation was somewhat readable.

My PLC/PAC experience is limited to a Opto22 SNAP system and pretty old Telemecanique PLC on a machine with all local sensors/actuators. I worked with both systems while managing and extending a machine at my now-defunct manufacturing business. That's my intro ;)

I want to start using Modbus with my home automation platform ("Home Assistant"), but I'm missing a fundamental piece of understanding. Before anyone asks or suggests it: I don't want to use WiFi/Zigbee/Z-Wave/Matter/Thread/etc. - I want Modbus, I want wired, hardened, multi-decade equipment.

Here's what I think I understand and then I'll ask my question:

1. To interact with a Modbus RTU devices over TCP/IP (my desire) I would need a Modbus TCP<>RTU converter/gateway
2. Many Modbus TCP devices are implemented as slaves/servers, they have their own IP address and are ready for integration

Now the piece I'm missing: Let's say I have 8 dumb/passive contact sensors that I want to access over Modbus. They have no IP address, they don't implement any communication at all - just switches. I need to connect these switches to -something- as binary inputs so that I can read their respective register values over Modbus. OK, assuming I have that correct, what is that Modbus slave/server hardware called?

I've found a few devices that appear to do what I've described, but they are low cost, missing any safety certifications and give me the sense I'm searching for the wrong thing. I would expect to find all kinds of devices from known, reputable manufacturers with all the certs a person could want, but I'm missing them somehow.

The closest I've come is an Adam #6502, but this is more feature rich than I need or want (built in web server, cloud access, Azure - ugh, no thank!) The Adam also lacks POE which is a dealbreaker.

I'm hoping I can identify the hardware I need and start watching ebay for good deals in used gear pulled out of service.

Hello, some time ago I saw a LinkedIn post about GIT integrated in Tia Portal V21, allowing to use GitHub (finally!)

Do you guys now anything about it? I have at work the most recent version of Tia Portal and don’t see anyt related to it in the software, nor from siemens itself

I work for a small programming and integration company. We work on pretty much every PLC you've heard of and many you haven't. Lately we are hitting an issue where all the PLC programs are bogging down our poor little laptop and we have to switch and swap programs. This causes issues when we are in the field and have the wrong program and need to download it or reinstall it or whatever we need to do. I'm just wondering what you guys do to keep your programs. Just a giant laptop hard drive? Maybe multiple laptops divided by PLC manufacturer? Just Siemens is so overwhelming.

Doing support/contract work on behalf of my employer, machine I knew nothing about going into it. Had some motion problems with an AB servo, poor programming by the OEM. Studio5000, 1769-L36ERM. PLC controls 8 small assembly stations, organized into their own programs with program scoped tags. These programs are under one Periodic Task, with a period of 30ms. There is only this one task in the PLC. No other continuous or Event Tasks.

What's the purpose in having one periodic task, instead of continuous?

Reading through manuals, I understand the task period and priority level concerns for execution and avoiding task overlap, that a task ignores a trigger reoccurring within one task execution period. But what is the processor response if a Task runs longer than its' programmed Period, and it's the only Task? I'm no longer on site, and never looked at program execution time, unfortunately.

Mostly the question is academic for my purpose, I'd just like to know. As an aside, if processor performance can be assisted by changing to a continuous task, I'd do that. There seems to be some serious lag in the ethernet network, want to clean anything up I can, though not really in the project scope.

Thanks.

Que tal, buen día. Quisiera preguntar si alguien me podría pasar o vender el firmware o archivo .dmk 34.016 para el PLC 1769-L30ERM series A

Hey everyone,

I’m running into a weird analog issue. I am wiring a 3-wire SICK sensor to a Siemens S7-1200 analog input module (6ES7231-4HF32-0XB0).

My probelm is that the raw PLC int values I am receiving fluctuate between 10 and 30246. Because the raw behavior acts completely non-linear, when I pass it through NORM_X and SCALE_X function, the calculated value never matches the physical reading shown on the sensor's built-in LCD screen. It only matches at limits of 60mm and 160mm(i matched those values with in NORM_X with manualy reading raw numbers at that max and min value). I am getting a maximum reading at 30246 and minimum at 10.

Sensor is SICK OD200 configured for a 4-20mA current output. PLC Module is Siemens SM 1231 8AI, configured for 4-20mA input. have it wirred like 3 wire system. Sensor gets +24VDC and M from an AC/DCpower supply. At the Analog modul the sensor's signal wire goes to the channel's + port, and the power supply negative M goes to the channel's - port. The cable is shielded. The sensor has warmed up to working temperature.

Has anyone encountered this non-linear scaling error with other type of sensors ? Any clues or troubleshooting steps would be highly appreciated! Thanks.

Hello, looking for some help regarding replacing a SMC ex210-sas1 on a AS-I network.

Old module was node 14 and we have set new one to 14. It faults out after 2-3 mins and we then have to reconfigure the the network via the master but it doesn't last.

The only difference I can find is when reading the profile the old one is 3.F and the new one is 3.F.F - I can't change this with our equipment - does anybody have any insight?

​

I’m troubleshooting an issue on an industrial conveyor system and would appreciate some advice from people experienced with EMC/EMI and static charging systems.

We have a conveyor that transports a laminate stack arranged as:

Laminate paper → Board → Laminate paper

At the end of the conveyor, the board needs to stop at a precise position before transferring to the next conveyor. The stopping sequence is based on encoder position/count + board-occupancy sensor feedback.

There are static chargers installed between the two conveyors, one above and one below the board, to electrically charge the laminate paper.

The conveyor motor/encoder and the static chargers are physically quite close to each other.

The problem

When the static charger output/setting is increased, the encoder starts giving incorrect readings. We suspect the high-voltage static charger is causing EMI/inductive or capacitive interference with the encoder signal.

When the static charger is at a lower setting, the encoder works normally. As the charger output is increased, the encoder starts accumulating incorrect counts / giving unstable position feedback, which causes the conveyor to stop at the wrong position.

We have already checked/eliminated other likely causes such as the encoder, PLC/input side, and mechanical issues.

What would you recommend ?

Edit: Encoder is inside the motor

Hi, I have a little side project as a new employee at my company. I am suppose to have these for rollers run in the same direction. My plc code works, I give a speed output and they all run as intended but when we unplug the power supply and plug it back in all rollers gets stuck in a sort of stop mode. When I press start on my HMI I can see it sends the speed value correctly to the output but nothing happens. The rollers only start if I manually turn them a smidge, almost as if they lost their position and need help finding it. What could be the issue and how to resolve it?

Using a multicontrol bi and EC5000 and a universal full process image