I am not a plc person… but wondering what options we have. Our facility runs on 120v controls and we are expanding. We have a plc already configured with ios for the expansion, but this was done 10 years ago. Now we have an electical room much closer to where we are installing the new equipment and we’d like to run all our control wires back there along with the electrical instead of running to the two different locations which would be an intensive amount of extra labor and wiring. For various reasons we’d rather not involve the company that did the original install of plc and they have locked us out of making modifications. In the long run we plan to switch away from them but that’s a much more involved process that will require extensive work and is not an option in the short term. Essentially what I would like to have is a way to mirror the ios that we already have over an existing fiber data connection so that we can terminate the controls in the other electrical room but still have them controlled at the original plc location if that makes sense? This would be a semi permanent solution with plans to replace the entire system within 5 years at which point we would move a lot more of our controls out to the new electrical room. Anyone have ideas as to what we should look for for this?

Does anyone know if Siemens have a trial version of their software? Both plc & hmi My go to software is currently Schneider Machine Expert - Basic but I am aware that the majority of machine manufacturers favour Siemens or Allen Bradley ( I’ve done bits with AB) sometime B&R I’m considering a career change away from management but I feel I’ll be limited not being confident with more popular brands

Have a question on a Signet GF 2537 Flowmeter. How do you set the 4-20mA span? A little confused on where you get the value for the hi side. Is it just an arbitrary number based on your physical process? The k factor deals with the actual GPM calculation correct?

Hi friends

I have been trying to learn RS logix but struggling to do it because of lack of online courses (looking for reasonable price) and application to use. But not able to do so.

If anyone have idea please let me know.

And also anyone using AI to develop plc programs for an application?

Please do share your views regarding the same.

Not gonna lie, my nerves are killing me I still have more than half a year left to finish college and I have never been to a technical interview.

Any advice for PLC and automation? I have previously programmed a bit (5 months) with C++ and Python with a company that had manufacturing companies as clients.

Sabrán el funcionamiento de esto? Llegan varias señales de encoder de motores de cd Lo vi en un Rolling Mill

Hey guys, I’m a master electrician who never really had the chance to learn about PLC’s. I’m on a job right now where they’re frequently used for different types of motors, pumps, lights, scales etc. I would like to learn more about how to build the boards, how to follow schematics, programming.

It’s not needed on my job right now for me to learn, but always had an interest and wanting to learn the basics, and eventually more.

Curious, where is a good starting point for me to learn? I know there is freebies on this sub here, but wondering if you guys would have any insight on anything specific for my needs!

Thanks!

Mhas anybody used this specific vision system? How reliable is it and is it good specifically in an application where an entire fram is being inspected in a fixture. At my employer we use the cv-x series vision system and in my honest opinion i dont think its good for the appication due to the fact that fixtures constantly move based on adjustments or for instance we use the visio. System to detect weld nuts on a part within the frame but if the color of the weld nut is different due to the high heat of which it was spot welded the camera doesnt recognize it and deems it bad . Just the constant adjustments to the vision sustem everyday doesnt seem ideal.

Hi, I've been playing around with this protocol recently. I have no experience with this stuff except for some I/O standard.

Yesterday, during site visit customer requested some extra signals coming from IEC-104 (we use Schneider, BMENOR2200). I realised the setting don't have enough IOA space, so I tried to adjust the IOA for Measurements in the module but I get message " exceeded assembly capacity" (8k BYTE). So I guess the resources is out but according to the document I have, there are still more available IOA. What could be the reason for it?

Does anyone know if you are able to order these servo motor connections? Quick Google search was no help. Thanks in advance!

I have a rotary axis that I'm trying to use as a Master reference for an MAPC instruction. This rotary axis will run at a constant speed and has a position unwind of 10,000. The slave axis is a virtual axis that I'm trying to get to have a saw tooth profile. The CAM is a simple 2 points (0,0) and (170000,170000). Instead of going to 0 up to 170000 and repeating it will just continue upward for the second CAM execution (170000 to 340000) and so on. Does anyone have any tips for why this is happening? I've tried changing what feels like every parameter of the MAPC and nothing has fixed this.

Hi troops, it's a bit of af a IT/plc post about networking. I'm working on a PRP network where everything is pretty much physically and logically isolated to follow PRP network (same IP requests on same subnet to get the data) IEC61850 client requesting data from 9 Devices, however customer has decided to put all secondary NICs in different subnet (device 1 has original IP 192.168.100.1 on first port and 192.168.200.1 on second port). Customer is using layer 3 switches so it's possible to configure it to work, however, this will not align with PRP standard and might cause issues in the future.

How do I politely refuse his request to make my configuration not complaint with IEC standard?

Hey folks who work in machine manufacturing in the US, I’m curious to know if you all conduct risk assessments. You know, like a comprehensive analysis of whether a component needs to be labeled as PLc, PLd, or PLe, along with the appropriate safety distances and ISO 12100 compliance? Working with manufacturers in the EU, they seem to be quite adept at this, but it seems to be a bit more of a hit or miss situation in the US. So, I’d love to hear about your individual experiences and what you all do to ensure compliance.

Hey y'all does anyone know anything about EDS files for a wipotec HC check weigher to AB

Hello everyone, Does anybody know if it is possible to autoreset Safe Torque Off automatically? Our system has some position detectors which when losing contact triggers a security relay which triggers STO on VDF. When sensors are back to normal we have a button for the resetting of the security relays, but I couldnt figure out how to autorearm STO failure on the driver.

I searched inside the autorearm functions but couldnt find nothing about STO.

Thank you.

Im doing a water treatment project, I need 3-4 AI and 10-15DI/DO

What options do I have? Im mostly a Siemens guy, but i like options.

Thanks in advance

I'm looking for a way to simulate the Master/Slave function on a Allan-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 Series B. A PanelView 800 Series (I believe) HMI Screen is also in use. One thing I imagine can be done is using the Read/Write tags on the HMI in a specific way, that when I push a physical input, I can communicate a digital output to 2+ physical outputs. I can't seem to figure it out, or if it's even possible. Would anyone have any suggestions?

Hi guys, so there is strange problem with ControlLogix processors L6x series. When you have a compactflash card inserted into plc like 1756-L61 and "correct" program in plc and backed up program in compactflash card (for example 128mb rockwell CF card) we get fault. The main condition to catch a fault is: Controller is in run mode You are online in rslogix, connected to plc thru 1756-EN2T You have 60-65% of CPU load. Now you go to the controller properties into tab nonvolatile memory, you get fault. Any one have had experienced this?

Long story short, I'm in the middle of buying my own full tool kit. It hurts because it's expensive but at the same time, fuck yeah new toys. What's your favorite tool/most underrated tool in your collection and why?

RSlogix 5000 Module Profile core version downgrade or uninstall?

Hello Everyone, I am wondering what I should start doing/working towards to advance my career when the time comes and my current job disappears.

I currently work as an industrial automation technician. Due to some current events, I believe that in the next few years my job will no longer exist. I like programming, but don’t have a ton of experience. I have a few lower level certs from Festo that don’t really mean anything and I have my Siemens Level 1 Mechatronics certification.

Pessoal, preciso fazer backup de um PLC S7-300 da siemens, porém, não tenho o fonte e também não sei se o programa foi desenvolvido no Simatic ou Tia portal, como posso fazer isso?

Hi PLC guys,

I would like to have a Siemens (VIPA) question.

We have partially recomissioned production line where a machine's HMI with a Vipa plc is giving trouble. This VIPA PLC is connected to an HMI MP277 and to another siemens plc on its first (mpi) connector, and had in the old setup another connection to another network via the second connector through a dp/dp coupler.

The machine ran for 6 months whitout major problems but this week the HMI started to loose connection to the plc (displayed ### instead of values). At the beginning of the week a few restarts fixed it, now it's completely inoperable. Now smetines gives a faulty connection system message, or a cannot write to the tag message, if we prees some buttons. But everything is ###

I created a backup of the HMI via ethernet using peosave. But i cannot pinpoint the issue. Is it profibus related or does the hmi have hardware issue. Cabling is ok, i've verified it a few times.

I checked the vipa plc's hardware config and cannot see the other plc connection, neither the hmi connection, only a dp/dp coupler (we had production whitout that dp/dp coupler). The plc diagnostic buffer is full with vipa error mesages which i think are related to the dp/dp coupler (Error is: "16# e0cc - Communication error MPI / Serial" and the info if i read it correctly is "9:Incorrect SAP")

Of course after recomissioning nobody had time to check why are there red LEDs lit up on the plc, everybody said it's because of the missing dp/dp coupler.

My questions:

1. Can you have a valid hw config like this? Whitout the hmi and the other plc in it?

2. How could i test the hmi's dp/mpi/ppi port?

3. Am i guessing it correctly that the Hmi is the faulty piece?

4. Do you have any idea what can i check after this?

On request i can provide product codes.

Hey everyone! 👋

I'm planning to teach a basic PLC programming course and was looking for a starter kit to help students get hands-on experience. Initially, I searched for the Allen-Bradley 800 Starter Kit and Siemens S7-1200 Starter Kit, but most stores seem to be out of stock, and from what I found, these models have been discontinued.

Does anyone know of a brand that still produces PLC training kits or have suggestions for a current PLC model that I could buy separately (PLC, I/O modules, power supply, etc.) to build my own kit?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! 🙌

Hi , I have powerflex 700s class 2 attach with drivelogix 5730 version 16.02, tried to upload the program from it using rslogix 5000 v16.5 , the software see the drive and every time traied to upload the program the upload interrupt and show me message "there was unspecified communication problem rslogix 5000 has been taken offline " code erorr 806-8004280a , How to solve it?

TL:DR looking for suggestions on a converter from EtherCat to step and direction

We have a couple of hundred machines in the filed that use step and direction motor and drivers. While the controllers have since gone obsolete there is nothing wrong with the motors and drive. We have since moved on to full EtherCat servos. I would like to find a path were the old machines could be upgraded with the new controller. This would involve replacing the obsolete controller with a new one and a EtherCat slave that can convert to step and direction.

Has anyone use such a slave and can anyone recommend one.

Keyence LR-X. No reflector needed, simple setup. Can swap PNP/NPN if needed. A little Pricey at 575$ a pop. What is you guys go to sensor for object detection?

Morning,

Have an older pvp600 that failed with a black screen and trying to grab the program off of it to make sure I can reload it. I can see the HMI and ping it through ethernet comms, but any attempt at uploading from the HMI is failing with: "The source selected is not a valid device. Please select a valid device and try again."

Is program memory corrupt?