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First Look: Wago Pro 2 Power Supply (M5E06)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

We take a first look at the Pro 2 Power Supply from Wago in this episode of The Automation Minute.

The Automation Minute, Season 5 Episode 6 Show Notes:

Special thanks to Wago for sending us a sample of their Pro 2 Power Supply.

Join our new community at TheAutomationBlog.com/join!

Become part of our community to take part in the Q&A as well as get early access to many of our Podcasts and Shows with a one-time or monthly pledge of $5

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Podcast, Show or Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Logix Instructions – Bit Field Distribute and Message (MSG)

By
Brandon Cooper
-

Logix Programming Instructions Every Tech Needs to Know Part II

Image by Brandon Cooper

In part one of this series, we looked at an introduction to learning Studio 5000 programming instructions for ControlLogix processors as well as an application for using the CPT and ABS instructions.

I want to continue further and explore a few more instructions and hopefully provide a few tips along the way.

BTD (Bit Field Distribute)

The BTD instruction is a powerful instruction as it can allow you to map a word to another word and shift the bits in that word if needed.

As you will see in the illustration below, after a conversion to ControlLogix, when mapping 1771 I/O, the PLC-5 used octal addressing, so after bit 7, a BTD instruction is needed to shift the next bit to bit 10.

  • In the first instruction, the 1771 I/O module data is moved from the source bit of 0 to the destination of input array I_113, bit 0 as well and we map 8 bits as the length.
  • In the second instruction, bits 8 and 9 of the input array I_113 will not be used to keep in line with the octal addressing, so we start with the source bit of 8 and move it to the destination bit of 10 instead, still with a length of 8 bits (10-17). This is done to align the inputs read from ControlLogix to the arrays created by the conversion from PLC-5.

Image by Brandon Cooper

In a second use of the BTD instruction, it can be used for mapping DeviceNet data from a drive to another tag in the PLC such as a motor speed.

  • In this instance below, the DeviceNet I/O mapping was set up so that the last 16 bits of this word was the drive’s feedback speed. The source bit of the instruction thus starts with bit 16 and moves it to the destination bit of 0 in the drive speed tag with a length of 16. We didn’t need but 16 bits of this 32 bit word from DeviceNet and this single instruction splits it apart and maps if for us perfectly.

Image by Brandon Cooper

MSG (Message Instruction)

Another instruction that will come in handy is the message instruction. This will allow your PLC to communicate with other PLCs over different network types as well as different PLCs in the Rockwell family.

For instance, the MSG instruction can take a communication path over backplanes and make hops if needed. It also allows a ControlLogix processor to message a MicroLogix or CompactLogix processor or other types as well.

  • The MSG instruction only executes once when a rung is active, so you will need to add a timer as shown here to execute the instruction. This also allows you to execute as often or as little as needed. The tag MSG_TO_OTHER_PLC is a “Message” data type.

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • Inside the MSG instruction, you will have several options including the message type. Here we can use CIP data read or write to MSG another ControlLogix. In other applications, such as communication with a MicroLogix, you can use a SLC data-type read or write.
  • The Source Element is the array in this controller that we wish to write to the other PLC and the Number of Elements is how many values to write after this source. Here we will write 64 real numbers from this array.
  • The Destination Element is the array in the other PLC that we wish to write the 64 real numbers to

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • In the communication tab of the MSG instruction, you will browse the path between this PLC processor and the one that you wish to read from or in this case write to.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Editors Note: For more articles and videos covering the Message Instruction, check  out our previous coverage here.

Conclusion

Whatever step of your journey, as a control system engineer, that you are currently in, hopefully you were able to pick up something here or reminisce about your own experiences with these instructions.

I know every time I see a BTD instruction, it reminds me of my first job doing a mill startup where I literally set up several hundred DeviceNet devices and how, someone that cared, taught me how to do it.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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Most Popular Rockwell Tech Notes Of 2020

By
Shawn Tierney
-

With another year nearly in the books, I wanted to take a moment to review what links our 300,000+ readers clicked on the most in 2020.

Topping the list were the dozens of links to Rockwell Tech Notes (aka Answer Id’s, AIDs) that we’ve included in our articles over the years, and below I’ll list the top ten for 2020:

#1 – FactoryTalk View ME: Converting MER file to Project file

Restore ViewStudio v51 MERFirst up is AID 44554. While this Tech Note is not public, we cover the same content in our article here.

If you do have a Rockwell support contract (as a instructor and blogger I’ve never needed one) you can pull up the Rockwell Tech Note here.

#2 – FactoryTalk View: Legacy Tag Database Conversion Tool

Lagacy-TAG-DB-W7-CreateSecond on the list is AID 450509, which is closely related to the previous Tech Note.

It details the conversion tool used on 32bit OS PCs to make an .MER runtime file ready for a 64bit OS machine.

As I note in my article here, this tool is no longer needed if you’re using FactoryTalk ViewStudio version 10 or later.

But for those who still need it, you can find it publicly available here.

#3 – FactoryTalk View: Patch Roll-up

Next is AID 748634, which the link to is now broken, and not redirecting to the new version of the Tech Note.

But a quick search found the updated AID for the FactoryTalk View Patch Roll-up which you can will now find publicly available here.

#4 – RSLogix 5000 Translation Tool v2.0 RSLogix 5/500 Project Migrator

Translate PLC-5 SLC 2.0 Step 1Coming in forth place is AID 69790, which is the Tech Note where Rockwell details the “SLC-500 / PLC-5 to Logix migration tool.”

If you need this tool it’s publicly available here, and we have articles on how to use it here (SLC-500) and here (PLC-5).

There is also a RSLogix Project Migrator Version 3.0, which we detail here.

#5 – RSLogix 500 Starter Lite – what features are available?

RSLogix-MIcro-Starter-SplashNext up is AID 501746 which you’ll find here, and which is now incorrectly titled “RSLogix 500 Starter Lite” (that product never existed.)

The Tech Note should actually be titled “RSLogix Micro Starter Lite” (I sent them a note on that) and it covers the differences between RSLogix Micro Starter and Starter Lite.

Unfortunately, the PDF document they link to isn’t working at the moment, but if you need a copy just drop me a message here and I’ll send you my archived version.

#6 – FactoryTalk View ME: Restoring a Machine Edition Runtime (.MER) fil

Coming in at number six is AID 63228, which sadly is not public but the good news is we cover the same information in our article here.

If you have a Rockwell support contract, you can also pull up the Rockwell Tech Note here.

#7 – Recovering a ViewME Project from MER File version 4.0 or earlier

MERuntime-Configuraiton-Menu-XPComing in at number seven is AID 8913, which sadly is also not public, however we again cover this topic in the second part of our article here.

If you have a Rockwell support contract, you can pull up the Rockwell Tech Note here.

#8 – SLC-100/150 DOS Based Programming Software

SLC100 and 150 Public Tech Note With SoftwareComing in at number eight is AID 41633, which was public awhile back, and allowed users to freely download the DOS based software for the SLC-100 and 150 controllers.

Sadly, after first putting the Tech Note behind the “paywall,” Rockwell has now completely removed it.

If you need a copy of this free software, just drop me a message here and I’ll send you my archived copy of what was once a free download.

#9 – Failed to activate RSLogix 5000 v16, but other versions are activated

RSLogix 5000 Failed To ActivateIn the ninth spot is a Tech Note (525076) quite hard to find, as many experienced users like myself could not get it to come up using a keyword search on Rockwell’s Knowbase.

For complete details, see my article here, and to pull up this publicly available Tech Note, click here.

#10 – PanelViewPlus firmware 10 breaks version 9 and earlier

ME Firmware Upgrade Wizard Step 2Last but not least is AID 1071864 which originally was hidden behind a paywall, but now is publicly available here.

In this AID, as well as in our article here, you’ll learn what to do if the PanelView Plus Firmware Upgrade Wizard gives you the error message, “HelpWrapper.dll is missing.”

 

That’s if for our Top Ten Rockwell Tech Notes for 2020. I hope you enjoyed this article!

On behalf of all of us here at TheAutomationBlog.com, let me wish you a very Safe, Healthy, and Happy New Year’s!

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Real-Time Maintenance in Industrial Automation (P67)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Learn about Real-Time Maintenance applications and IFM’s products for those applications in this episode of The Automation Podcast.

For more information, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video.

Watch the Podcast:


The Automation Podcast is also available on most Video and Podcasting platforms, and direct links to each can be found here.

Listen to the Podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Automation Podcast, Episode 67 Show Notes:

Special thanks to Bob Drexel for taking the time to come on the show and talk to us about IFM’s Real-Time Maintenance products and applications. Product links below:

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Podcast, Show or Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Looking Ahead To 2021

By
Brandon Cooper
-

We all have a choice when faced with difficult circumstance(s). The experience of life in general is a series of lessons that make us who we are today.

While 2020 was certainly a year of changes and at many times adverse circumstances, it was also a year with great potential to make us better than we were before.

No matter what you did personally or professionally with 2020, you can make 2021 the best yet.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Evaluate your professional self

What kind of person do I want to be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and professionally? I’ll focus on professionally here because that is what this article is about, though I will say they all tie together and all need to be evaluated within yourself.

Do I have the skills needed for the upcoming year, upcoming chapter of my life or the next job opportunity that I would like to embark on? How can I obtain these skills?

Once you have evaluated where you feel like you are and where you want to be, now it is time to commit to learning the skills you need to reach your goals for the next step in life.

A little warning, just like people do in the gym, don’t get burned out in January, but create realistic goals and timelines and give yourself space to accomplish the goals.

Invest in your professional self

In these times of pandemic, you may have dealt with changing schedules, modified hours or even downtime that you didn’t have before. This downtime can be a great opportunity to invest in yourself.

That can be personally like learning about a new subject, improving your overall physical health, embarking on a new hobby or investing in others’ lives. It can also mean professionally like increasing your skillsets.

As I have come to learn, the more I know, the more I realize that I don’t know. I am confident in my experience and abilities and at the same time I realize there are more opportunities to learn new things than I could possibly have time to explore.

I also know that in five years, it will take even more knowledge to maintain the newest technologies in manufacturing and if I don’t constantly learn, I will be left behind. Maybe 2021 is the time to commit to learning a new skillset like PLC programming, networking, virtualization, a programming language, wireless and cellular technologies, SCADA or a myriad of other potentials.

In my experience, I learn a lot more about the things that interest me, so I tend to let one thing lead to the next. Another consideration is that to invest more in yourself, you may have to let some things go, at least in part.

For instance, that new training that you would like to embark on might need you to stay off social media for thirty minutes a day and do the training instead.

Invest in others professionally

I personally believe an investment in another person is never a wasted investment. Have you noticed others that could use some help this year? Maybe the younger engineer you work with is having difficulty adjusting to the different ways of working, or time management skills?

Maybe working remotely has not allowed others to collaborate and share experiences with each other.  One thing I have found very beneficial is to use a software that allows screen-sharing capabilities as well as instant messaging. My colleagues and I have been able to share screens, message, talk to each other and help each other when we are working out of our area expertise.

That is the benefit of being part of a team. You let iron sharpen iron and you are all better for it.

Conclusion

Early in 2020, I set some personal goals such as learning a foreign language, taking certain trips with my family and to visit people that I haven’t seen in a while.

Each of these investments were intended to improve myself or benefit others. The same goes for me professionally, I needed to improve several skillsets and while this is never-ending, I was able to accomplish a few things that I never have before.

I aim to take my skills further in 2021 and my very best to you in the year ahead.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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Merry Christmas from The Automation Blog!

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Wishing You and Yours a very

Merry Christmas!

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

FactoryTalk AssetCentre Basic Operation

By
Brandon Cooper
-

In a previous article here, we discussed the latest release of Factory Talk AssetCentre version 10.00.00.

In case you are unfamiliar with an AssetCentre project and the looks of it, I want to take an article to show you some basic setup, how it looks and how you can interact with it to build your own project. This will give you insight to what you can accomplish with it as well.

Organization – Adding a Generic Container

I would call a Generic Container an organization object. It can be used as an area of a location or equipment type that helps you organize your projects in that area or equipment location.

  • Click the “Design” button to place the project in the design mode
  • Click the “Generic Container” icon and select “OK”

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • Next, change the default name of the container to in this case “Hospital”. For our imaginary project, we could have a hospital area, with a PLC controlling the main gate of the parking garage.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Adding a Programmable Logic Controller

After creating an area called HOSPITAL, you could then create a sub-area called “Parking Garage” using another generic container. Then, in design mode, select the “New” icon again to add a new asset to the system.

  • Select “Logix 5000 Controller” and click the “OK” button

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • As shown in the circled areas below: next to Name you can give the PLC controller a name. Here we use “Gate”
  • Addressing Info: this will be the path to your PLC processor, that will be found by browsing through RSLinx to the controller
  • Configuration Data: This will be your Studio 5000.ACD File for the PLC Project that you will browse to through a windows explorer and attach to your asset.

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • Click the “OK” button and the Gate controller will live in the tree under the Parking Garage area as shown here. The .ACD file will also be shown under the Controller in the tree as well when a file is attached. This file is where you can “Check Out” the project to open it and make changes and “Check In” the project when work is completed. Only projects that are “Checked-In” will be backed up during a schedule.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Adding a Backup Schedule

A great way to have automatic backups of your plc project files is to create a backup schedule.

  • Under the “Schedules” tab, select “New”
  • Select Disaster Recovery – Backup
  • Give the backup a name: here we use “Hospital_Backups” and click the ‘Next” Button

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • In the 2nd step, you select how often you want the backup to run and on what day(s)
  • Here we select every Monday, once a week at 10:45 AM. Click the “Next” button

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • Select the “Hospital” Asset to back up in the Backup Schedule
  • Click “Finished”
  • You have now created an automatic backup schedule that will run automatically if enabled or can be run manually at any time.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Adding a System Search

Another feature in AssetCentre is the System Search feature. An example is a search on how many PLC projects are in the “Check Out” state. You might want to run this search before a backup is to run so that the projects can be checked back in and get backed up during the schedule.

  • Under the “Searches” tab, click “New” and select “Archive Check Out Status”
  • Give the Search a Name: Check out Status_Hospital in this case
  • Click the “Finished” button

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • Manually run the search by clicking the “Run Now” button and this is an example of a report that shows date, what computer(Client) each file is checked out from and what file is checked out.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Conclusion

While this is only a few examples and basic operation, it hopefully gives you some insight into the simplicity of setup and configuration and its capabilities of what it can and can’t do for you.

You can also do complex reports to show changes, forced values in controllers and so many other things. My best to you in your endeavors with FTAC.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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First Look: MTP1500 Unified Comfort Panel HMI from Siemens (M5E05)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

We take a first look at the MTP1500 Unified Comfort Panel from Siemens, in this episode of The Automation Minute.

The Automation Minute, Season 5, Episode 5 Show Notes:

Special thanks to Siemens for sending us a sample of their MTP1500 Unified Comfort Panel.

Join our new community at TheAutomationBlog.com/join!

Become part of our community to take part in the Q&A as well as get early access to many of our Podcasts and Shows with a one-time or monthly pledge of $5

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Podcast, Show or Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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PanelView 800 – Can it Communicate to a 5380 CompactLogix?

By
Shawn Tierney
-

One of our reader’s recently asked if a PanelView800 can connect to a 5380?

I did some research and here’s what I found:

The latest manual as of today for the PV800 states:

“CompactLogix 5370 L1 controller is supported only in PanelView 800 terminals with firmware revision 3.011 or later.”

“CompactLogix 5370 L2 and L3 controllers are supported only in PanelView 800 terminals with firmware revision 4.012 or later. Connected Components Workbench Release 9 or later software is also required.”

Source: 2711R-UM001

And Rockwell’s Knowledgebase states:

“The PanelView 800, 2711R, does not support the 5069 and 5380 series controllers.”

Source: AID 1036663

So in summary, as of today the research shows that according to Rockwell Automation’s documentation, the PanelView 800 does not “officially” support the 5380, but I personally have not tried this myself to see if there is any “unofficial” support.

On the flip side, the good news is the PV800 now supports all 5370’s, where as initially (from version 3.011 to 4.011) it only supported the L1.

For more information check out the community post here.

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

What’s New In AssetCentre v10

By
Brandon Cooper
-

In September 2020 Rockwell released the latest version of FactoryTalk AssetCentre, version 10.00.00, along side Studio 5000 Logix Designer Version 33.

One reason for the timing of this joint release was for compatibility reasons. If you install Studio 5000 version 33, you also have upgrade your Factory Talk Services Platform to 6.20, and that would have caused conflict with previous versions of AssetCentre.

With that in mind, today I’ll review what’s new with v10 of AssetCentre.

Image by Brandon Cooper – AssetCentre10.0

Operating Systems and SQL

The newest version of AssetCentre Server is designed to run on specific versions of Windows Server 2012, 2016 and 2019, while clients and agent computers can run specific versions of Windows 7, Windows 10 and Server 2012, 2016 and 2019.

The SQL installation has been approved on SQL Server Standard 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 as well as 2019 Express Edition. 

Notable New Features

Below is my pick of the most notable new features:

  • Asset Inventory displays the most current major and minor release for RA devices along with links to the release notes, product notices and safety advisories.
  • Remote Disaster Recovery Schedules can be run on wide area networks with a minimum of 2048 KB connection
  • Disaster Recovery Addition for E300 overload data backup and recovery
  • Automatically analyzes index fragmentation and rebuilds FTAC databases to optimize performance
  • FTAC logs automatic device descriptive analytics (ADDA) events from FT Alarms and Events and displays them in the Diagnostics and Health Log View
  • Integration with the ThinManager Client – checkout capability with ThinManager Client

 Notable Enhanced Features

Below is my pick of the most notable enhanced features:

  • Simplified Installation Process
  • Log Viewer Displays now up to 5000 log entries of each log type
  • Larger Systems Capacity – can now support up to 50 agents and 150 clients (that would be a very large system indeed!)

Benefits of AssetCentre

AssetCentre Provides some great benefits, and some of that is simply in the organization of your areas, files and equipment.

The system is very design flexible and you can organize by equipment, area, or any other means that you deem necessary to organize your system.

Backups can be created to backup a certain area at one time of day, and another area at a different time or day.

This screenshot shows how your projects show their backup status after a backup schedule has run in an area.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Another great benefit is the Audit Log of AssetCentre.

Devices that are monitored in AssetCentre have every move captured including rung comments, modifications, check in/checkout status by who, when and where.

This is a valuable feature that can keep and eye on what is taking place in your PLC systems. It also leads to the Backup and Compare Feature that allows you to obtain report on what has been modified on a particular system.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Reference:

 Conclusion

FactoryTalk AssetCentre is a great tool for organization, backup and recovery, auditing and now keeping up with product lifecycle status as well. They have also made great strides in VFD and smart overload backups.

Keep in mind that if you are planning or are already using versions of Studio 5000 greater than version 30, you will probably want to use the latest version of AssetCentre for compatibility reasons.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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IFM, S7-1500 – Encoder to HSC (S50B)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Learn how to connect and use an Encoder with an S7-1500 High Speed Counter Input and Technology Object in TIA Portal in this episode of The Automation Show.

For more information, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video.

The Automation Show, Episode 50B Show Notes:

A huge thank you to IFM for sending in the RVP510 Encoder, and to Siemens for sending us in the S7-1500 for use on the Show!

Support our site and get early access to our videos, free downloads and more!

You can now support our site with a small monthly pledge and in turn receive instant rewards! To find out more visit https:// TheAutomationBlog.com/join.

You can also purchase the entire season of The Automation Show for a one time donation of $40 at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theautomationshow.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Show, Podcast, and Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Logix Instructions – Compute and Absolute

By
Brandon Cooper
-

Logix Programming Instructions Every Tech Needs to Know, Part I

Image by Brandon Cooper

Learning to program anything takes time and effort. The more investment that you make, the greater the return.

When I have set out to embark on learning a new system, I first browse through other people’s code in the system to learn the standard way of doing things, the common instructions, if you will.

I then print out the help files and parameter lists for those instructions and read them until I understand them.

In this article, I want to look beyond the basic XIO, XIC instructions and look at a few others that may be of use to you if you are becoming familiar with ControlLogix programming.

The following are just a few of my go-to instructions and favorites. Maybe they will be of use to you as well.

CPT (Compute Instruction)

In the following illustration I’m using an ADD (Addition) block, then a DIV (Division) block and then a MUL (Multiplication) block to come to a result of an average profit of selling cars per day for the last four days.

There is certainly nothing wrong with doing logic in this manner. In fact, it is very easy to follow and very organized.

Image by Brandon Cooper

However, for the sake of efficiency and in general just another way to approach this is to use a CPT (compute) instruction.

In the expression of the Compute instruction, you can do complex math equations in the single instruction. Since this may be a little more difficult to troubleshoot, good rung comments would be a good practice to follow in this scenario.

As you can see in this screenshot, the slash is used for division and the asterisk is used for multiplication. The help documentation in Studio 5000 will help further if needed.

Image by Brandon Cooper

ABS (Absolute Instruction)

Another instruction that will come in handy is the ABS or absolute value instruction.

A typical use of this instruction would be, as shown below, to create an alarm based on the signal difference of two separate transmitters that are designed to measure the same variable.

Using the SUB (subtract) instruction, I subtract the value of one transmitter from the other transmitter. It doesn’t matter which one you subtract from the other, because you then use the ABS instruction to make the value positive.

Now that the absolute value is positive, you can then use a GRT (greater than) instruction to create the signal difference alarm at whatever value you choose.

 Image by Brandon Cooper

Conclusion

As referenced in the opening of this article, a great way to learn to program is to look at what other people have previously done.

Take some time to look through the programs available to you, the example projects in your studio 5000 library and there are many tutorials online for Rockwell products.

Then set yourself up an emulator system or test system and have fun!

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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ControlLogix – Programming: Different Ways of Accomplishing Your Goals

By
Brandon Cooper
-

Programmers can accomplish a task in many ways. They have many options available, and it is almost to the point that you can use whatever coding style your preference is for a task at hand.

PLC code does not need to be fancy, but it does help to be efficient, especially if you are embarking on a large project.

In this article, I want to show some differences in programming styles.

When I first started programming twenty years ago, I would have used the first style that I will discuss here. I will call this style hard coding.

After a few years, I would learn to program with sub-routines to accomplish the same things, with less effort.

Today, with the creation of Add-on instructions, you can go a step further and create your own instructions that can be custom defined for your individual needs.

What I will do in this article is show the differences between these three ways of coding the exact same scenario. I will show programming an analog input variable with a few alarms for low, low-low, high and high-high.

Hard coding:

In this example, each of the tags in this ladder are created individually. They are “REAL” data types or “BOOL” data types. The loop number is used in each tag and they can be created with the same scheme, but they are not bound together in any way.

This routine would be called from the main routine to run the code. If you wish to re-use this code, you must create another routine with all the same rungs and change the tags in each rung to match the new loop number.

Image by Brandon Cooper

The tags shown in the database are all individual tags.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Calling the routine for the hard-coded logic is a standard JSR instruction with no parameters.

Image by Brandon Cooper.png

Subroutines:

The second way I learned to program was to be able to re-use the same code over and over by creating a user-defined data type with all needed parameters. This data type can be used throughout the subroutine. Loop numbers can be passed to the subroutine and then returned with the result.

In the below screenshot, I have created a user-defined data type called “AI_SUB”

Image by Brandon Cooper

In this screenshot, when I create the subroutine, I use a tag with the same UDT data type throughout the routine.

Image by Brandon Cooper

The beauty of the tag is that the parameters are bound together as part of the tag itself. You only have one tag with all the needed parameters.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Calling the subroutine is a little different than calling the hard-coded routine. The tag that is used in place of the template tag must be passed and returned from the subroutine.

And here is a tip for you, this must be correct or you will fault your processor. Ask me how I know.

Image by Brandon Cooper

 Add-on instructions (AOIs):

ControlLogix programming now offers the option to create your own instructions, custom fit for your needs. These instructions allow you to take what would have been done in a subroutine and place it in a single instance or instruction. The instruction contains parameters, local tags and logic. Here I created an Add-on instruction called “Analog_Input” using the same parameters we have used in the previous coding examples.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Next, the logic is written inside the Add-on instruction as shown here.

Image by Brandon Cooper

The AOI is now listed in the instruction pallet in Studio 5000 software and can be inserted into a rung just as any other instruction would be.

Image by Brandon Cooper

Conclusion

For a quick recap, there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these options for writing a program, but take into consideration the scope of a project, writing code once and reusing it dozens or even hundreds of times can save large amounts of time and money.

Think outside the box too. What I have shown you here is a very small example of a few lines of code. Complex instructions can be created for countless uses only usually limited by our imaginations.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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SMC EX600 Industrial Wireless (P66)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Learn about SMC’s EX600 Industrial Wireless Communications and IO system in this episode of The Automation Podcast.

For more information, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video.

Watch the Podcast:


The Automation Podcast is also available on most Video and Podcasting platforms, and direct links to each can be found here.

Listen to the Podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Automation Podcast, Episode 66 Show Notes:

Special thanks to Mark Arnold for taking the time to come on the show and talk to us about SMC’s EX600 Industrial Wireless Communications System.

To find out more visit the links below:

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Podcast, Show or Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Migrate / Convert – Pico to Micro810: A Day in the Life

By
Brandon Cooper
-

A Day in the Life of a Controls Engineer: Migrating a dead Pico to a Micro810

Once upon a time, there was a control systems engineer that was able to leave work at a predictable time every day and make plans of his choice without any interruption.

Well, that would make a nice story, but not reality. As anyone in automation knows, systems always seem to fail right before you want to leave for the day, in the middle of the night or during the weekend.

Thus, the engineer gets to stay late or come in during the night or weekend and put the pieces back together.

Image by: Brandon Cooper

In one such incident, I had a call that a piece of equipment was no longer running and  the corresponding Pico controller was showing the mode “STOP”. It would not swap back to “RUN” mode.

I was just about to go home but found myself again going through the seven stages of grief that includes realizing the inevitable, that “I am here until it is fixed”.

When I started researching how to make repairs, I found that the Pico controller has been replaced with a Micro 800 Series of controllers and was able to get my hands on a Micro 810 within an hour.

Thankfully, there was a printout in the cabinet of what the logic program contained, but I could have retrieved it scrolling through the very small display if I would have had to.

On further research, I found the Micro 810 needed to be programmed by using the Connected Components Workbench (CCW) software from Rockwell, so I downloaded the latest release (free) from the Product Compatibility and Downloads Center.

Note: Learn how to get and use CCW in our previous articles here.

I found the software to be very simple to set up, navigate and configure. The most difficult aspect to me was figuring out the (TIME) parameter of the timer .PT (Preset Time) parameter of the Timer instructions in the program.

I did find it in the help documentation, but I would have never guessed the syntax of the tag value was in a format such as T#5s, but ok.

Image by: Brandon Cooper

Another snag that I lost a few minutes on was getting the driver to show up in RSLinx, as it seemed to have COM port conflicts with an external drive that was plugged into my laptop.

(Note – if you have any other USB drivers in RSLinx, they may also interfere with it and need to be removed as well – ed.)

As soon as I unplugged the external drive, I was able to see the controller in RSLinx. So, you may want to keep that in mind if you are ever connecting to one.

Image by: Brandon Cooper

This allowed me to connect to the Micro 810 Controller and download the project. Fifteen minutes later, the new Micro 810 Controller was up and running in production and I was able to go home just a little late for dinner.

Image by: Brandon Cooper

Conclusion

For an inexpensive controller to perform a small task, the Micro 800 series of controllers seem very easy to setup and implement.

I looked at the date of install on the Pico controller and it had been in service for fourteen years, not bad reliability for the price.

This is what I love about what I do for a living, it is never boring. You get to do something different and are always learning something new, every day.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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First Look: Distance Sensor with Analog Out and IO-Link, Pepperl+Fuchs OMT600-R200-IEP-IO-V1-L (M5E04)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

We take a first look at the Pepperl+Fuchs Laser Distance Sensor, OMT600-R200-IEP-IO-V1-L, in this episode of The Automation Minute.

The Automation Minute, Season 5, Episode 4 Show Notes:

Special thanks to Pepperl+Fuchs for sending us a sample of their NRB8-18GS40-E2-IO Laser Distance Sensor.

Product link:

You can now support our work on TheAutomationBlog.com/join!

You can now support The Automation Blog, Podcast, and Show with a small monthly pledge! To become a Patron, visit us at https:// TheAutomationBlog.com/join.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Podcast, Show or Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Switch Settings for Remote Connections and Maintenance using the Command Line Interface (CLI)

By
Brandon Cooper
-

In this continuation of getting familiar with the CLI (Command Line Interface) of your Cisco or Stratix switch, we will go beyond getting connected and look at some important features for remote connection and maintenance that will need to be utilized in maintaining your network for any environment whether it would be IT or OT.

Image by Brandon Cooper

IP Address Configuration

Each vlan in your network switch will need an IP address. This gives identity to each network for routing as connected to other switches and routers in your network as well as management of the switch remotely.

When you assign an IP address for a particular vlan, you must also provide the subnet mask.

To assign an IP address:

  • HMINET1(config)#int vlan 30
  • HMINET1(config-if)#ip address 10.20.1.50 255.255.255.0

Image by Brandon Cooper

IP Default Gateway

Your switch also needs a default gateway if it will be connected either directly or indirectly to a routed interface upstream in your network.

If you want to switch to be able to route information to other networks, then you will need to assign that routed interface to your switch’s default gateway.

  • A switch can have only one default gateway
  • HMINET1(config)#ip default-gateway 192.168.1.1

Image by Brandon Cooper

.

Backup and Restore Configuration

There is probably nothing more important than backing up your switch configuration and being able to restore it in the event of a failure.

During a network failure, users cannot access needed systems or maybe machines cannot run, depending on the network or environment.

Hopefully in a truly critical network environment, you are utilizing a redundant topology, but even in a redundant network topology, it is important to restore the network to a state of its full stability as soon as possible.

This can be done utilizing Windows Powershell with a telnet connection. We set up the line vty (telnet) capability in a previous article, so now it is easy to fire up Powershell. Right-Click on Powershell and “Run as Administrator”

  • Telnet to the switch using the connected IP Address & provide password

Image by Brandon Cooper

  • One way to back up & restore switch configuration is to use a TFTP server. There are plenty of free TFTP servers online to download. Simply have one running on a network server or your laptop if you are directly connected to the switch.

Backing Up Configuration

  • HMINET1#Copy running-config tftp

Image by Brandon Cooper

Restoring Configuration

  • Restore a switch configuration from a TFTP server
  • HMINET1#copy tftp running-config

Image by Brandon Cooper

Conclusion

In this article, part four of our series, we have made some additional changes to our switch to provide the capability for the switch to have unique vlan IP addresses to route to other networks and provided the switch with a default gateway address to know how to get to the router to communicate with other networks.

We then switched to the maintenance side of the switch and show examples of how to back up a switch configuration and restore its configuration.

While this is simply an introduction, I hope it gives you some insight into how to get started with your switch configuration and if you were previously unfamiliar with switch configuration and this series has sparked interest in you, then you are probably an IT or OT engineer in the making and this will spark interest for you to dive in further on your own.

I’ve found that making devices communicate comes with a sense of reward and accomplishment when the job is done.

Written by Brandon Cooper
Senior Controls Engineer and Freelance Writer

Have a question? Join our community of pros to take part in the discussion! You'll also find all of our automation courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

Sponsor and Advertise: Get your product or service in front of our 75K followers while also supporting independent automation journalism by sponsoring or advertising with us! Learn more in our Media Guide here, or contact us using this form.

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Automation Fair: My Session Picks (so far)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Automation Fair At Home 2020 is well underway with dozens of different sessions already available on demand.

In today’s article I share the sessions I took which I think will most appeal to our readers here at The Automation Blog.

Screenshot of the Agenda page on the official Automation Fair At Home website.

Day 1:

Perspectives Day 1 – Imagine YOUR Next with Rockwell Automation

If you’re looking for a high level presentation about Rockwell Automation’s vision for the future, this would be it.

You won’t find any specific product news in this presentation, but it does a good job of giving viewers an overall view of Rockwell’s focus.

PRPT01 – Overview of the New PlantPAx 5.0 System: What’s New and Next?

This presentation starts with a detailed recap of what PlantPAx is, before getting into the details of what new.

This second part of the presentation is what I found most interesting, as well as the cached Q&A which I highly recommend reading while watching the presentation.

Day 2:

Perspectives Day 2 – Define OUR Next Together Speaker(s): Dean Kamen

While several other speakers talked after Dean Kamen, he was definitely the part of the presentation you want to see.

Most of this talk was about Dean’s company ARMi which is trying to revolutionize the medical industry by making it practical to manufacture human tissues.

PRKN01 – PlantPAx Insights and Observations with David Rapini

This interview about PlantPAx was a nice edition to the previously mentioned PRPT01, and definitely worth watching for anyone looking to deploy a PlantPAx 5.0 system in the coming year.

PT41 – Single Pair Ethernet Applications and Implementation

Can Ethernet replace legacy I/O Networks? Well, the people working on the Single Pair Ethernet are better that it can, and those backing this initiative include all the major vendors include Rockwell and Siemens.

With a data rate of 10mbs, a distance rating of up to 1000 Meters, I expect in mid to late 2021 we’ll start seeing new products supporting 10SPE/10BASE-T1L (IEEE P802.3cg, ISO T1-A-1000, TIA SP1-1.)

Day 3, Day 4, Day 5

Hopefully I’ll get back to these within the six month window!

So those are my picks, now it’s your turn to share which sessions you liked in the comments below!

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Automation Fair Virtual Networking Tour (S51)

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Take a tour of the Automation Fair At Home 2020’s Virtual Networking Space in Microsoft’s AltspaceVR.

For more information, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video.

The Automation Show, Episode 51 Show Notes:

Microsoft’s AltspaceVR supports all major VR headsets as well as has a non-VR mode for those who don’t have a VR headset. For more information see Rockwell’s guide here.

Support our site and get early access to our videos, free downloads and more!

You can now support our site with a small monthly pledge and in turn receive instant rewards! To find out more visit https:// TheAutomationBlog.com/join.

You can also purchase the entire season of The Automation Show for a one time donation of $30 at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theautomationshow.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Vendors: Would you like your product featured on the Show, Podcast, and Blog? If you would, please contact me at: https://theautomationblog.com/contact

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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Automation Fair at Home First Look

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Automation Fair at home launched this morning at 8am Eastern Time, and the first thing you’ll notice on the show’s homepage is a large video player in the center of the page:

Have you ever wondered… why Automation Fair starts with a swim?

Aside from the video starting with a woman who looks like she was getting ready to take a swim (?) it was a extremely well produced and professional motivational video.

Something else I notice while watching it was, like most TV shows airing these days, I did feel a little awkward watching people in groups without masks and not social distancing. That said, it’s probably better for the longevity and reusability of the video for it to use predominately pre-covid clips.

Once the video completed, I headed over to the profile section to update my title and add an image for my avatar, after which I popped into the Media Chat room to say hello (no one was there 🙁 )

I next headed over to the Agenda section, and seeing as the keynote for the day was still a few minutes off, I read through all of the sessions for the week and added the ones of interest to my personal agenda:

One thing I liked about this process is that I was able to choose multiple sessions that were planned for the same timeslot.

Since all of the sessions are suppose to be available on demand, I think will be a good way to keep track of the ones I wanted to see so I can return later to watch them.

With several more minutes left until the opening presentation, I decided to head over to the virtual show floor to see if there were any new products of interest:

There are a few different choices here, but I choose the Product and Technology showcase which is accessed by clicking the blue, “Enter Rockwell Automation Experience,”

I looked around to see what was being shown, and as far as I could tell there wasn’t a lot of new products in my niche (PLC, HMI, Scada, and Sensors,) however I didn’t check out every kiosk as I want to try visiting the floor in VR later today.

At the time of our interview with Rockwell last month, the details about VR still weren’t being revealed, but after doing a bit of searching this morning it appears Rockwell has built three different “worlds” in the popular free AltSpaceVR app (a startup purchased by Microsoft back in 2017.

For those new to VR, Rockwell and provides an Users Guide to getting started with AltSpaceVR here.

To find out more information about VR and Automation Fair, select “Virtual Networking” under the Contact menu:

You’ll find information about attending in VR by selecting Virtual Networking under Connect

I hope to film a tour of the show in VR later today, but at this point it was almost time for the “Perspectives Day 1 – Imagine YOUR Next with Rockwell Automation” presentation to start:

During the presentation, several different presenters took turns taking about Rockwell’s focus and vision:

As advertised, this session was a very high level session which took a 10,000 foot view of Rockwell’s current vision and strategy for the future.

So obviously, if (like me) you’re more interested in new products and features, this presentation might not be you’re cup of coffee.

That said, I would recommend checking out some of today’s other sessions, some of which certainly are more product focused, and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

If you enjoy this episode please give it a Like, and consider Sharing as this is the best way for us to find new guests to come on the show.

Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

Eliminate commercials and gain access to my weekly full length hands-on, news, and Q&A sessions by becoming a member at The Automation Blog or on YouTube. You'll also find all of my affordable PLC, HMI, and SCADA courses at TheAutomationSchool.com.

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