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Can’t run the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool? How to fix the missing mfc100.dll error

By
Shawn Tierney
-


So you’ve downloaded and installed Rockwell’s Ethernet/IP capacity tool, but it won’t run?

Are you getting the below pup-up error which states, “The program can’t start because mfc100.dll is missing…”

Ethernet IP Capacity Tool ErrorWell the good news is there is a pretty easy fix for this issue.

What you need is to install the Visual Studio 32bit redistributable package.

To get it, start buy navigating to the below URL:

Once downloaded, install the above package.

Once installed, you should now be able to open and run Rockwell’s Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool.

For more information about this tool, see our previous articles:

I hope you found today’s article helpful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by filling in the “post a comment or question” link 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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How to get Rockwell’s EtherNet IP Capacity Tool

By
Shawn Tierney
-
4 How to get the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool

In Monday’s article we compared the Ethernet I/O capacities of two Allen-Bradley CompactLogix processors.

To accomplish that comparison, we used Rockwell’s EtherNet IP Capacity Tool.

In today’s article we’ll show you where you can find and download the latest version of this free utility:

2018 UPDATE: Rockwell has removed the old Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool covered in this article, and integrated a new version into IAB. To learn how to get and use the new version, click on the below link to my updated article:

Step 1) Navigate to IATools

Open your preferred web browser and enter in the below address:

http://ab.com/go/iatools

1 How to get the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool

Step 2) Select “Choosing An Architecture”

From the Integrated Architecture Tools page, select the “Choosing An Architecture” tab:

2 How to get the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool

Step 3) Select the EtherNet/IP Capacity Tool link

From the list of links under “Choosing An Architecture,” click on “EtherNet/IP Capacity Tool”

3 How to get the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool

Step 4) Click on “Download”

From the bottom of the paragraph about the EtherNet/IP Capacity Tool choose the “Download” link:

4 How to get the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool

Step 5) Download the zip file

The last step is to download the installation zip file. Once it’s downloaded, unzip and run the installation file inside:

5 How to get the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool

Well that’s it on how to find and download Rockwell’s EtherNet/IP Capacity Tool.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to post them here by using the “post a comment or question” link 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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The CompactLogix L32E vs L33ER: Which controls more I/O?

By
Shawn Tierney
-
L32E vs L33ER Fi

L32E vs L33ER FiRecently I’ve been running into the perception that Rockwell’s new 5370 CompactLogix controllers have the ability to control less I/O than previous models.

To address this question, today we’ll take a look at the 1769-L32E versus the 1769-L33ER to see which one of these CompactLogix processors can control the most I/O.

L32E vs. L33ER: Local I/O

Number of local I/O modules supported by L32EWe’ll start by comparing the local I/O limits of each model by reviewing Rockwell’s CompactLogix selection guide documentation.

Results:

Number of local I/O modules supported by L33ERL32E: Supports sixteen local I/O modules.

L33ER: Supports sixteen local I/O modules.

Winner: Tie

As far as local I/O goes, the L32E and L33ER tie as each support sixteen 1769 local expansion I/O modules.

L32E vs. L33ER: Remote Ethernet Racks of Discrete I/O

2b 1769-L33ER Discrete Ethernet IO LimitsNext we’ll take a look at the number of remote Ethernet discrete I/O racks supported.

Using Rockwell’s Ethernet IP Capacity tool (more on this tool here,) we are able to add thirty two remote racks of Point I/O (or Flex I/O) to the L32E.

3a 1769-L32E Analog Ethernet IO LimitsHowever, we are also able to add a total of thirty two remote racks of discrete Point or Flex I/O to the L33ER as well.

Results:

L32E: Thirty two remote racks of discrete I/O

L33ER: Thirty two remote racks of discrete I/O

Winner: Tie

As far as the number of remote racks of discrete I/O, the L32E and L33ER tie again since each support thirty two remote racks of I/O.

L32E vs. L33ER:  Remote Ethernet Analog Modules

3b 1769-L33ER Analog Ethernet IO LimitsNext we’ll add some analog I/O to the mix.

This time we’ll start with the L33ER and the current configuration of thirty two remote Ethernet racks of I/O.

Using this configuration we find we can add up to six analog modules (at an eighty millisecond update rate) to each of the thirty two racks and still be within this processor’s limit.

3a 1769-L32E Analog Ethernet IO LimitsHowever, when we switch over to the L32E we find that with the same six analog modules per rack we can only support a total of four racks.

Results:

L33ER: Thirty two racks with six analog modules each

L32E: Four racks with six analog modules each

Winner: L33ER by a very wide margin

As far as which processor supports the most analog modules, the L33ER and it’s expanded number of connections supports many times more analog modules in remote Ethernet I/O racks.

L32E vs. L33ER:  Remote Ethernet Variable Frequency Drives

4a 1769-L32E VFD Ethernet IO LimitsAfter remote I/O, VFD’s are the second most common device I see added to the RSLogix 5000 I/O configuration.

With that in mind, let’s compare the number of VFD’s supported on Ethernet by each processor.

4b 1769-L33ER VFD Ethernet IO LimitsSimilar to our discrete I/O test, we can see here that both the L32E and L33ER support up to 32 PowerFlex 525 drives.

Results:

L32E: Thirty two VFDs

L33ER: Thirty two VFDs

Winner: Tie

Bonus Round: Number of HMI’s supported

While not I/O, I thought it would be helpful to also compare the number of HMI’s the L32E and L33ER support.

Before we begin though, I wanted to share this warning from the Ethernet IP Capacity Tool that pops up when adding HMI’s:

5 Disclaimer5b 1769-L33ER HMI LimitsWe’ll again start with the L33ER.

Here we can see it theoretically supports up to 51 PanelView Plus HMI’s when the HMI project has 200 tags updating at 250ms.

However, when we select the same HMI configuration for the L32E, we find it can theorectically only support six PanelView Plus units.

5a 1769-L32E HMI Limits

Results:

L33ER: Fifty one PanelView Plus HMI’s

L32E: Six PanelView Plus HMIs

Winner: The L33ER by a very wide margin

After reviewing the I/O capabilities of both the 1769-L32E and 1769-L33ER above, it’s quite clear that the newer L33ER supports the same number of Ethernet I/O racks.

But, in those racks it can support many more analog modules, as well as theoretically support a substantially larger number of HMIs at the same time.

So with that said, the L33ER is the clear winner of this VERSUS competition.

Winner: 1769-L33ER

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article comparing the amount of I/O supported by the L32E and L33ER.

If you have any comments, questions, corrections or suggesting please feel welcome to leave them with us by filling in the “post a comment or question” link 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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1747-PIC, RSLogix, RSLinx – I can’t connect to my SLC-5/03 (Q&A)

By
Shawn Tierney
-
SLC-500 Rack On Set

Today we dig into our mailbag for another edition of “Insight’s Inbox.”

Reader Question:

1747-PICI’ve run into an issue for which I would like to ask your opinion.

Here in our plant we have SLC-500, specifically a SLC-5/03, which controls our material handling system.

Whenever I connect to the SLC-5/03 to attempt to make a change, I kept getting a “Fatal Error.”

I’m using a 1747-PIC with my Panasonic Toughbook running Windows XP Service Pack 3.

Insight’s Answer:

SLC-503-FrontI think the problem may be you are using Windows XP Service Pack 3.

If memory serves me correctly, most (if not all) versions of RSLinx do not support the 1747-PIC on any operating system past Windows XP Service pack 2.

As an alternative, you could try to connect to the 5/03 via it’s channel 0 DB9 port, using either a 1747-CP3, or a standard null modem cable.

Just keep in mind you’ll most likely need to stop and remove the 1747-PIC driver in RSLinx, and add the DF1 full duplex driver in it’s place. This is because the 5/03’s channel 0 port is by default set to DF1 Full Duplex.

If you want to know for sure what this SLC’s channel 0 communication port it’s set at, open the last program you uploaded from this PLC, and look at the channel 0 communication settings.

You could also try Rockwell’s new 1747-UIC, which is supported on newer operating systems. I recommend the 1747-UICC13 which is a bundle of 1747-UIC and C13 cable, since using the wrong cable (like an Ethernet cross over cable) with the 1747-UIC will permanently damage it’s RJ-45 port

There are also low cost third party UIC cables available, and I’ll link to one below:

Update: If you have your own question you’d like to ask, please post it as a comment on a related post here at TheAutomationBlog.com

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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Low Cost Operators For Home Based PLC Learning

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Push Button Station


MIcro Basics DVDWhen I began my quest last May to create an affordable PLC training video, I knew the cost of the video itself wasn’t the only obstacle.

More ambitious students would want to buy a physical PLC and test out their programs with actual inputs and outputs.

And in my twenty fives years as an Automation Specialist it was pretty clear the simplest Inputs and Outputs to learn with were basic push buttons and pilot lights.

With that in mind, I headed off to test some affordable (but not very industrial) buttons and lights. Below I detail the models I decided on using in my Micro Programmable Controller Basics video.

All-in-one Push Button Station, $16.30

Push Button StationWhile not something I’d feel comfortable using on a piece of industrial equipment, for a home learning project this little push button station is a pretty awesome deal.

The unit comes with four push buttons installed in an enclosure. Three of the buttons are momentary, and one is a mushroom style push in / twist up.

Two of provided contact blocks are normally closed, and two are normally open. And like industrial grade buttons, these contacts were easy to rearrange and wire.

LED Pilot Lights, $6 each. Four Hole Enclosure, $16.25

Pilot Light StationWhat do you need from a pilot light used on a home project? Reliability of an LED, and they need to be bright and easy to wire.

That’s what I found in these low cost LED’s which come in either 120/240vac or 24vdc versions, both of which I tested.

Again, these aren’t going to stand up to the vigor’s of an industrial environment, but for home based learning on a budget they worked extremely well.

I also needed a box to put them in, and while I would have preferred something a little shorter, the box I ended up choosing worked just fine and the price was right.

Well, I hope the above recommendations of low cost operators you can use for home based learning projects was helpful.

If you have your own recommendations or questions, please feel free to leave them with us by filling in the “post a comment or question” link 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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Panelview Plus 7 Standard – Is It Right For You?

By
Shawn Tierney
-
PanelView Plus 7 Standard Fi2


PanelView Plus 7 Standard Fi2With Rockwell’s release of the PanelView Plus 7 Standard last month, I’ve begun to receive “migration” inquires from PanelView Plus 6 users.

NOTE: You can learn about the new PanelView Plus 7 Performance models in this article.

However, unlike the PanelView Plus 6 which replaced the original PanelView Plus, the PanelView Plus 7 is a new line with unique features which must be considered before a decision is made to migrate to it.

With that in mind, below I list my top five questions to clients considering moving to the PanelView Plus 7:

Five questions to consider before migrating to the PanelView Plus 7:

1) Does your HMI need to communicate to multiple PLC’s?

The “standard” in the PanelView Plus 7’s name means the same thing “compact” meant when added to the PanelView Plus 6.

And just like the PanelView Plus and Plus 6 Compact, the PanelView Plus 7 Standard is limited to communications with one PLC, 25 graphic displays, and 200 alarms.

So, unless your HMI needs already fit within the PanelView Plus Compact limitations, the PanelView Plus 7 Standard is not for you.

2) Do you need serial communications?

Reminiscent of the paint choices available for the Model T, with the PanelView Plus 7 Standard you can have any communications network you want as long as it’s Ethernet.

So if your HMI needs to communicate to serial devices, like the popular MicroLogix 1200, the Micro830, or the innumerable number of Modbus RTU devices out there, the PVP7 is also not for you.

3) Do you need to re-use an existing cutout?

One of the design decisions I love about the PanelView Plus and PanelView Plus 6 was the cutout compatibility with most legacy PanelView products. However, this also limited the available form factors the PanelView Plus could come in.

Take a look at the PanelView Plus or Plus 6 400 and 600. You can’t really describe them as “small” HMIs.

That’s where the PanelView Plus 7 Standard breaks new ground for the PanelView Plus series. With a cutout of 4.61×3.62, the PVP7’s four inch touchscreen cuts the previously smallest PVP cutout by nearly 50%.

4) Do you need a keypad?

Today most every HMI ships with a touchscreen interface, and that may be why it’s the only option available on the PanelView Plus 7.

So for those out there who require a keypad, the PanelView Plus 6 is currently is your only keypad interface option in the PanelView family.

5) Is resolution important?

Having grown up in an era where fifty inch “big screen” TV’s had a resolution less than 640×480, I often don’t have issues fitting everything I want on a ten inch PanelView Plus 6 sporting the same resolution.

That said, we now live in a time where ten inch iPad Air 2’s are selling for $400 and have a display resolution of 2048×1536.

The PanelView Plus 7 Standard begins the move towards more modern resolutions by upgrading the six inch model to 640×480 (from the previous model’s 320×280) and the ten inch model to 800×600 (from the previous versions 640×480.)

I hope this article discussing if the PanelView Plus 7 is right for your application was helpful.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by filling in the “post a comment or question” link 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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Flashback Friday! RSLogix 5 Sum Integer File using FAL

By
Shawn Tierney
-
RSLogix 5 Ladder Logic Sum a Integer File using a FAL


Welcome to The Automation Blog’s “Flashback Friday!”

Today I’m highlighting PLC-5 code I wrote and published twelve years ago using RSLogix 5.

ap_ladderlogic_clx_asciiint2string_1The year was 2002, and my client needed to calculate a running average based on file of integer values he had been collecting.

The first step in doing this was to sum all those integer values together, and this is the simple code I put together to show him how to accomplish that task using the FAL instruction in the PLC-5.

Posted on my original website back on October 11th, 2002, you can now find this article and link to the RSLogix 5 RSP program file HERE on The Automation Blog:

And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to share them with us by using the “post a comment or question” link 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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Firmware – How to download it for CompactLogix and ControlLogix in 2016

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Download A-B PLC Firmware fi

In today’s article we walk you through the updated steps you take to download CompactLogix and ControlLogix Firmware.

Step 1) Navigate to http://www.ab.com

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 1

Step 2) On the left, click on the “Product Compatibility and Download Center” link:

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 2

Step 3) Now select “Firmware Updates”

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 3

Step 4) Here select your processor type. In this example we’ll choose “CompactLogix”

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 4

Step 5) Select your processor from the list. In this example we’ll choose an L16:

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 5

Step 6) You may be prompted to choose a “Series,” and then choose your desired firmware “Version”

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 6ADownload A-B PLC Firmware Step 6B

Step 7) Next, select “Downloads”

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 7

Step 8) Now click the picture of a red arrow and hard drive:

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 8

Step 9) Select “Firmware” and then click on “Download Cart”

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 9

Step 10) “Accept” the license agreement:

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 10

Step 11) Select “Direct Download”

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 11

Step 12) And now you’ll see a link to download your selected firmware:

Download A-B PLC Firmware Step 12

I hope you’ve found this article on how to download firmware for a CompactLogix or ControlLogix helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, corrections, or suggestions please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by filling out the “post a comment or question” link 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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The New 1769-L1 Series B Currently Supports v20 and v24

By
Shawn Tierney
-
1769-L1-Series-B-Version-Support

5370 L1 CompactLogixIf you’ve been using the 1769-L16 or L18 CompactLogix from Rockwell Automation with either Studio 5000 version 21 or 23 take note: The next processor you receive may be the series B version which currently only supports version 20 and 24.

The easiest away around having to upgrade from 21 (or 23) to version 24 is to insure you specify series A model when placing your order.

However, if all the inventory in your local area is series B already, you may have an extra wait to get the older series from the factory itself.

The better solution for those who can’t wait would be to install version 24, assuming you already have it, or have the support contract to access updates freely.

A temporary situation?

1769-L1-Series-B-Version-SupportIt’s not uncommon for new hardware to release with limited version support, and to later pick-up additional versions as time goes by.

One example of this was the new series of the 1769-L23. When it initially shipped, it came with a sticker on the processor itself stating it only supported version 19. Over time though, the new series picked up the same version support as the original series.

A reason for the new series…

When the L1 processor originally launched, there was some confusion about powering this new processor.

As it turned out, Rockwell designed the series A of the L1 to be powered by a different power supply than the Point I/O.

However, many customers didn’t appreciate having to install two 24vdc power supplies in a single cabinet for a single PLC.

Well, it appears Rockwell heard this feedback since the main difference between the L1 series A and B (aside form version support) is that the series B supports using a single 24vdc power supply for both the processor and Point I/O.

Where to find more information:

If you need more details about the 1769-L1 processors, the below manufacturers documentation seems to contain all the updated information with regards to the series B processor.

I hope you found this article about version support for the new L1 series B helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, or corrections, please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by using the “post a comment or question” form found at the bottom of this page.

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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ControlLogix, CompactLogix – How Do I Access A Controller’s Clock (Q&A)

By
Shawn Tierney
-
RSL5K DateTimeOff4Hours Featured Image

Today we’re kicking off a new series entitled, “Insight’s Inbox,” which are articles based on the reader email questions we receive.

RSLogix5000 Splash Compact Control Featured ImageReader Question:

I would like to enable some ControlLogix code when it’s between 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday.

How do I do this?

Insight’s Answer:

Logix DateTime Off By HoursYou’re in luck, this is definitely do-able with the ControlLogix.

Here are the two steps I would take to make this work:

Part 1) What time is it?

The first step is to find out the current time, which you can read from your processor using a GSV instruction.

Unlike the PLC-5, SLC-500, and MicroLogix, all of which have a status file, to access similar information in a ControlLogix or CompactLogix requires a GSV (get system variable) or SSV (set system variable) instruction.

In this case, to get the time you would use the GSV instruction to read from the WALLCLOCKTIME object and put those values into a tag array of seven DINTs.

Note: More information about the WALLCLOCKOBJECT can be found in the ControlLogix instruction set reference manual.

Learn to Program ControlLogix Programmable Controllers

Next, in the sample code which comes with RSLogix 5000 there is a program called, “DayOfWeek.ACD” which you can use to calculate what day of the week from the time.

At this point you’ll have both the current time and the day of week, so you’re now ready for step 2 below.

Part 2) Compare the current time and day to your operating range

Now that you have the current time and day of week in your Controller Tags, you’ll do some comparisons.

The first comparison I would do is for the day of the week – if it’s Saturday or Sunday then you code would not run according to your schedule and you don’t need to do any additional comparisons.

The second comparison I would do would be if it’s before 8am. If it is, then your code again would be not run according to your schedule and there’s no need to do the next comparison.

The final comparison I would do would be to check to see if it’s after 5pm. If this last compare is not true then your code should run as the current time is between 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday.

I hope this article base on an email conversation with a Insight’s reader was helpful.

If you have anything you would like to add to the above conversation, or have a question, please don’t hesitate to use the “post a comment or question” for at the bottom of this page.

Update: If you have your own question you’d like to ask, please post it as a comment on a related post here at TheAutomationBlog.com

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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Low Cost MicroLogix Programming Cable

By
Shawn Tierney
-
1761-CBL-PM02


MIcro Basics DVDAs I began production of my Micro Programmable Controller Basics DVD last May, I realized that people who wanted to learn PLC’s on their own would likely need help finding low cost alternatives to expensive industrial programming cables.

With that in mind, I ordered both the official vendor cables as well as the low cost third party models, and in today’s article I’ll share with you the Serial DB9 to MicroLogix 8 Pin Mini-Din cable I tested and found to work well with both RSLinx and its auto-configure feature.

NOTE: For the low cost USB to Serial cable I tested see my previous article HERE.

The Generic 1761-CBL-PM02

The cable I tested was the 1761-CBL-PM02 from Amazon, which cost roughly $30 depending on the vendor chosen.

As can be seen below, it comes in a simple zip lock bag:

1761-CBL-PM02Once I opened the bag and took the cable out, the only major difference I notice was the cable was a couple feet longer than the official A-B cable.

1761-CBL-PM02

In examining the 8 Pin Mini-Din side, and comparing it to the official cable, the port clearance looked similar, and in my testing I had no issue plugging it into any of the MicroLogix processors..

1761-CBL-PM02One final note: I had concerns about whether or not the Mini-Din side would be keyed since some third party cables are missing this feature.

Without the key, I often feel like I’m going to bend the pins of the cable by inserting it incorrectly.

In this case my worries were unfounded as this generic cable does indeed have a key to insure you plug it in correctly.

1761-CBL-PM02After a thorough examination, the next step was to test the cable out.

First, I connected my USB to Serial adapter to my PC. Then I connected this generic 1761-CBL-PM02 to it, and to my MicroLogix 1000 test stand.

I then opened RSLinx Classic Lite, added the DF1 driver, assigned it to my USB Serial adapter comm port, and pressed “Auto-Configure.”

The result: RSLinx not only found my MicroLogix 1000, but I was able to download and go online without any issues.

So if you’re looking for a low cost MicroLogix serial programming cable which supports RSLinx’s “Auto-Configure” feature, after my hands-on testing I feel very comfortable recommending this generic 1761-CBL-PM02.

Learn more in the below episode of The Automation Minute:

I hope you’ve found the above information about the low cost MicroLogix serial programming cable I tested helpful.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or corrections please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by filling in the “post a comment or question” link 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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Getting Started With Programmable Controllers (PLC)

By
Shawn Tierney
-
PLCs on workbench

I often get asked what is the best way to learn how to program PLC’s?

PLCs on workbenchIn my opinion, there’s nothing like first hand experience. Therefore, I always recommend buying a small Micro PLC to use at home as the best way to learn.

But then comes the obvious next questions: Which Micro? What software will I need? Are there any special cables I need to buy? What about I/O?

With that in mind, in today’s article I’m going to list the items I would recommend to anyone who would like to learn how to use and program PLC’s.

PLC Starter Pack: Items I recommend to anyone who would like to get started programming PLC’s:

1) Micro PLC: Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1000, 1761-L10BXB ($150)

MicroLogix 1000I chose this particular model because it’s inexpensive ($150,) it’s 24vDC powered (safer than 120VAC,) and it programs with FREE software that’s very much like the popular PLC-5 and SLC-500.

For more information about the MicroLogix 1000 check out the below links:

2) RSLogix Micro Starter Lite (Free)

RSLogix 500 online with a MicroLogix 1400This is the free programming software for the MicroLogix 1000 and 1100. For information on how to get it, visit the below link

3) Low cost cables ($55)

USB to Serial CableSince the MicroLogix programs via serial, below I link to a low cost serial cable as well as a USB to serial adapter needed if your PC doesn’t have a serial port.

4) Inputs and Outputs ($56)

There’s nothing like actually wiring up inputs and output to your PLC, and below I list the low cost push button station, LED pilot lights, and a Pilot Light enclosure I used to make my Micro Basics video:

5) Micro Programmable Controller Basics DVD

MIcro Basics DVDThis last item is a four hour instructional DVD by yours truly 😉

I spent the better part of a year creating this four hour DVD for the backers of my Kickstarter project, and now it’s currently available as either a two disc DVD or via HD Steaming.

To find out more about it just head over to PLC Basics to be taken to the product page for this video at The Automation School.

I hope you’ve found the above article about the items I recommend for a PLC Starter Pack helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to click on the “post a comment or question” link below to share them with us.

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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CompactLogix – 5370: Seven more things you should know

By
Shawn Tierney
-
5370 L1 L2 CompactLogix Fi

At the end of a very hectic couple of weeks teaching Logix and View introductory classes, I thought I would share seven more things you need to know about the current generation of CompactLogix 5370 controllers.

NOTE: To find out the first seven things you should know about the current generation of CompactLogix, check out our previous article HERE.

Seven more things you need to know about the current generation of CompactLogix

1) Mode Switch is now a toggle switch

5370 L1 L2 CompactLogix FiThis seems to be a growing trend with Allen-Bradley PLC’s… well at least on the low end models.

Personally, I prefer the ruggedness of the old key switch, and the ability to lock the controller in either Run or Program mode.

2) Built-in dual port Ethernet switch

Having built-in Ethernet is not new to the CompactLogix line, as the L32E and L35E both supported a front facing port.

But these new 5370 models now sport a two port Ethernet switch on the bottom of the unit.

This allows the small machine builder to eliminate a switch by using one port for his HMI, and the second port as a programming port for either device.

It also allows for the daisy chaining of devices when used with other two port Ethernet devices, or for ring configurations when used with other devices supporting Device Level Ring (DLR) technology.

3)  Ethernet port now supports Open Sockets

While some may bemoan the loss of the DB9 serial port, the addition of “open sockets” support via the Ethernet port more than makes up for it.

The “open sockets” support gives the 5370 CompactLogix the ability to communicate over Ethernet to bar-code readers, printers, and even devices using Modbus TCP with a free AOI.

4) CIP and TCP connections greatly increased

The old L32E and L35E has some serious connection limits, only supporting 32 of each.

The 5370 CompactLogix now supports 120 TCP connections, and 256 CIP connections.

This results in configurations with plenty of connections left over for HMI and SCADA systems even after the Ethernet I/O limits have been reached.

5) Ethernet I/O limits per model

5370 L1 CompactLogixWith previous CompactLogix products, a manual calculation or separate utility was needed to insure a design didn’t exceed the product’s connection limit.

Now, each 5370 CompactLogix has a published number of supported Ethernet I/O drops, simplifying design decisions.

Here’s a quick rundown of each models Ethernet I/O drop limits:

  • L16ER:       4
  • L18ERx:     8
  • L24ER:       8
  • L27ERM:    16
  • L30ERx:     16
  • L33ERx:     32
  • L36ERM:    48

6) Local I/O limits per model

Just like with previous CompactLogix processors, each model supports a limited number of local I/O.

Below is a quick rundown of each models limit:

  • L16ER:       6  Point I/O Modules
  • L18ERx:     8 Point I/O Modules
  • L24ER:       4 Compact I/O Modules
  • L27ERM:   4 Compact I/O Modules
  • L30ERx:     8 Compact I/O Modules
  • L33ERx:     16 Compact I/O Modules
  • L36ERM:    30 Compact I/O Modules

7) CIP Motion support

5370 L2 CompactLogixFinally, each of the new 5370 CompactLogix lines has at least one model with CIP Motion support. This support is indicated by the M in the part number.

Below is a quick rundown of each models CIP Motion Servo Drive limit:

  • L18ERM:    2
  • L27ERM:    4
  • L30ERM:    4
  • L33ERM:    8
  • L36ERM:    16

I hope this additional article about the new features of the 5370 CompactLogix was helpful!

If you have any questions, suggestions, comments, or corrections please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by using the “post a comment or question” link 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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CompactLogix – 5370: Seven things you need to know

By
Shawn Tierney
-
CompactLogix L3


CompactLogix L3I’ve been teaching Logix and View introductory classes the last few days, and have to say I’ve been a little surprised how many people are not familiar with Rockwell’s current generation of CompactLogix.

With that in mind, in today’s article I’ll cover the seven things you need to know about this line of small Logix processors:

NOTE: To find out seven more things you should know about the current generation of CompactLogix, check out our additional article HERE.

Seven things you need to know about the current generation of CompactLogix

1) Now referred to as the 5370 family of CompactLogix processors

While the ControlLogix has had a 5000 designation from the very beginning, this latest batch of CompactLogix processors is the first to receive this number.

So while the current generation of ControlLogix processors, the 1756-L7x, are referred to as 5570, the current generation of CompactLogix controllers are referred to as 5370.

2) Only supported in version 20 and up

If you plan on using the current generation of CompactLogix, you’ll need to choose a RSLogix 5000 / Studio 5000 version of 20 or higher.

3) USB port replaces DB9 Serial Port

Gone is the old DB9 serial port, replaced with a standard USB port that current versions of RSLinx find and configure automatically.

This virtually eliminates the need to configure RSLinx, and BOOT-P is no longer needed as you can set the Ethernet’s port address by browsing to it through the USB port.

4) No more battery, replaced with capacitor

Gone is the expensive battery use for memory retention, as it has been replaced with a capacitor.

Now when the processor is powered off, the capacitor powers the transfer of the program from high-speed volatile memory to internal non-volatile memory

5) SD Card used for non-volatile memory, 1gb included in box

Gone also are the days when you had to order removable non-volatile memory separately.

Today’s CompactLogix comes with a 1gb industrial SD card for use as non-volatile memory, and with room to spare for all your project files.

6) Additional memory for new features

While we haven’t seen much done with this yet, since version 21 it has been used to store all your offline documentation on board the controller.

Future plans for this memory include a Controller based datalogging. However, no word lately on what version will include it (my guess is v26.)

7) Multi-core on the inside

Features of the future, like the previously mentioned controller based datalogging, may require more processing power than a single core can provide.

So by including a multi-core processor in the current generation of CompactLogix controllers Rockwell has paved the way for some pretty interesting options in the future.

I hope this article about the 5370 CompactLogix was helpful!

If you have any questions, suggestions, comments, or corrections please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by using the “post a comment or question” link 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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Low cost USB to Serial Cable that works with RSLinx

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial 1


Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial Box ShotAs you may know, last year I began a Kickstarter project to create a low cost Micro PLC Training DVD.

As part of that effort, I was searching for a low cost USB to Serial adapter that individuals could buy which would also work with RSLinx’s “Auto-Configure” feature.

Note: For a low cost version of the 1761-CBL-PM02 see this article

Keyspan USA-19HS: The World’s Best USB to Serial adapter?

After doing some research, I decided upon the Tripp Lite Keyspan USA-19HS which I ordered from Amazon for $30.

As can be seen below, it comes in an “easy to open” clear plastic clamshell package with the adapter itself front and center:

Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial 1

The back of the package shows the included USB cable, and also includes the claim that this USB to Serial adapter is the “world’s best.”

Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial 2

Inside the package you’ll find a driver CD with the notice that you need to install the software on the CD before you plug in your Keyspan adapter.

Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial Driver CD

So I inserted the CD into my laptop running Window 7 64 bit, and the software installation was friendly, quick and un-eventful:

Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial 3

Once the software install finished, I plugged the adapter into my laptop. Windows seamlessly installed the hardware driver, and as can be seen below it was assigned to Comm 4:

Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial 4

With the cable driver installed and working, the next step was to test the cable out.

First, I connected the Keyspan adapter to a 1761-CBL-PM02 which in turn was plugged into a MicroLogix 1000.

I then opened RSLinx Classic Lite, added a DF1 driver, assigned it to Comm 4, and pressed the “Auto-Configure” button.

Tripp Lite Keyspan USB to Serial 5
The result: It not only found my MicroLogix 1000, it actually seemed to find it faster than the Allen-Bradley 9300-USBS:

For the final test, I used this adapter to download a program to my MicroLogix 1000 and went online, all without issue.

So, if you’re looking for a low cost USB to Serial adapter cable that will work with RSLinx’s “Auto-Configure” feature, after my hands-on testing I feel very comfortable recommending the Tripp Lite Keyspan USA-19HS .

Learn more in the below episode of The Automation Minute:

I hope you’ve found today’s article about a low cost USB to Serial adapter helpful.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or corrections please don’t hesitate to leave them with us by filling in the “post a comment or question” link 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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The 9300-USBS: What comes in the box?

By
Shawn Tierney
-
9300-USBS USB cable

9300-USBS USB cableIf you’re responsible for keeping Rockwell Automation devices up and running, and some of them require a serial connection, you can’t go wrong with the 9300-USBS.

While it’s a little pricey for a USB to Serial converter, it is guaranteed to work with all your Rockwell serial cables, and supports the “auto-configure” feature of RSLinx as well.

So if you do decide to buy a USBS, what will you get in the box? That’s what we’ll show you in today’s article.

NOTE: For a low cost alternative, check out the below article:

9300-USBS Unboxing:

Handy carrying case

The first item you’ll find when you open the USBS’s box is a handy black pouch to carry the all of the other item’s you receive when you buy a USBS:

9300-USBS Bag

9300-USBS

Next you’ll find the 9300-USBS itself:

9300-USBSNote: On its side you’ll see the catalog number and version:

9300-USBS Version

USB Cable:

Also in the box you’ll find a matching USB cable:

9300-USBS USB cable

9300-USBS USB cable

Driver Disc:

Next is a driver disk with Drivers for common Windows platforms.

9300-USBS Install DiskNote: When I installed the USBS on Windows 7 64 bit, I had to open device manager and browse this disc manually to install the drivers.

Quick Setup Card:

The Final item in the box is a quick setup card with a cable guide on one side, and RSLinx settings on the other.

9300-USBS Setup Card Learn more in the below episode of The Automation Minute:

I hope the above information and pictures about what you’ll find inside the 9300-USBS box is helpful.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below using the “post a comment or question” link 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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How to quickly get newly ordered Rockwell Software

By
Shawn Tierney
-

Don’t have time to wait for the physical media to arrive? In this article we’ll discuss how you can get access to most Rockwell Software within a few hours of ordering it.

RSLogixMicroStarter-2-CaseWhen I started in this business nearly twenty five years ago, software ordered from Allen-Bradley came in a large box with floppy disks and physical manuals, and often took a couple weeks to arrive.

But as we’ve seen in Wednesday’s article, today’s Rockwell Software comes in a small DVD style case, with a red activation folder and limited printed documentation.

And while the software often arrives within days of placing your order, there is a way to get it quicker electronically by following the below steps:

Step 1) Provide a user’s name, address, and email with your order.

Rockwell Software Order Email 1Probably the number one thing you can do to insure you can get quick access to newly ordered software is to be sure to provide registration information with your order.

This not only includes a company address, but also includes the name and email address of the person who will be using the software.

Step 2) Call your Rockwell distributor and ask for expedited processing

Rockwell Software Order Email 2I’m not talking about expedited shipping, although you could likely get the physical software quickly by paying for one or two day service.

What I am talking about is asking your distributor inside salesperson to move your software order to the top of his or her list to be processed, explaining that you need it asap.

Note: While you’re talking to them, it would be a good time to remind them to enter the email address provided with the order they place with Rockwell.

Rockwell Software Order Email 3Step 3) Check your email

Typically, in no more than half a working day after your salesperson enters the order with Rockwell, you’ll receive an email with your software serial number, activation code, and a link to download the software you just ordered.

Step 4) Download and Activate

The final step is to download and activate your software, and I highly recommend using a high speed internet connection to do so.

And unlike the physical media which often comes with just the most recent version on the disc, when you use the link in the email to download the software you’ll often have the option to chose from several different versions.

Rockwell Software Order Email 4

I hope this article about how to get newly ordered Rockwell Software quickly was helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, corrections, or suggestions please don’t hesitate to share them with us by filling out the “post a comment or question” link 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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RSLogix Micro Starter Unboxing

By
Shawn Tierney
-
RSLogixMicroStarter-4-DVD-fi


RSLogixMicroStarter-0-FrontLast year I purchased a copy of Rockwell’s RSLogix Micro Starter programming software (~$150) which programs all of Rockwell’s MicroLogix programmable controllers.

Note: Rockwell recently changed RSLogix Micro Starter to download only, so new purchases will not receive the package shown in this post – more details in this article.

Note: The programming software for the MicroLogix 1000 and 1100 is made available from Rockwell as a free download – more details in this article.

In today’s article, I’ll share with you pictures of the unboxing of the software when it arrived, as well as what you can expect to find inside the software case.

RSLogix Micro Starter Packaging

The below picture is of the box the software arrived in, which seems to be the standard box Rockwell ships most of their software in:

RSLogixMicroStarter-1-BoxAnd inside the box is where you’ll find the RSLogix Micro Starter software, which comes in a plastic DVD size case.


RSLogixMicroStarter-2-CaseOn the front is the product name and logo, and on the back is the part number, order number, and customer address.

RSLogixMicroStarter-2-Case-BackInside the RSLogix Micro Starter Software Case

Inside the software package itself, the two most important items are the software installation DVD (labeled 9.00.00-RSLogix_Micro-Str-DVD) and the red envelope which contains the software activation document.

RSLogixMicroStarter-3-Case-OpenRSLogixMicroStarter-4-DVDRSLogixMicroStarter-5-Red-EnvelopeThe Red Envelope

The important looking envelope contains a document with the software serial number and product key. You’ll need these two pieces of information to activate your software, which is required for the software to run longer than the initial 7 day grace period.

If you happen to lose this information, Rockwell’s Activation Support (no support contract required) can email you a replacement PDF.

RSLogixMicroStarter-6-ActivationSupporting Documentation

Finally, you also receive two pieces of supporting documentation in the software box:

  • Instructions on activating your software
  • Support services information for your software

RSLogixMicroStarter-7-Docs

I hope the above information and pictures of the unboxing and contents included with RSLogix Micro Starter is helpful.

If you have any comments, questions, suggestions or corrections, please leave them below by filling out the “post a comment or question” link 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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Latest posts by Shawn Tierney (see all)

The Automation Blog’s “Best Of 2014”

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Best of 2013 PLC Blogs Featured Image

Most of the automation world was happily on vacation last week, so today we’ll recap last week’s “Best of 2014” series.

7 Things about ControlLogix“Best Of 2014″ Logix blogs

Last Monday in this article we shared the seven most popular CompactLogix and ControlLogix blogs of 2104.

These included articles like, “What you need to know before upgrading to RSLogix 5000 v20.03,” Which RSLogix 5000 package is right for you,” and “Data Logging Options For CompactLogix and ControlLogix.”

To see the complete list, with links directly to the most popular Logix blogs of 2014, check out Monday’s article here.

“Best Of 2014″ PanelView blogs

7 Things about PanelView PlusLast Tuesday in this article we shared the seven most popular PanelView blogs of 2104.

These included articles like, “Downloading the updated PanelView Plus Transfer Utility ,” “Seven things you need to know before using the PanelView Plus,” and “Remotely controlling your Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus using VNC.”

To see the complete list, with links directly to the most popular PanelView blogs of 2014, check out Tuesday’s article here.

“Best Of 2014″ SLC & MicroLogix blogs

Fixed SLC-500 to MicroLogix 1200Last Wednesday in this article we shared the seven most popular SLC and MicroLogix blogs of 2104.

These included articles like, “How to get a free copy of RSLogix Emulate 500,” “Which Allen-Bradley MicroLogix models support Modbus,” and “Free MicroLogix 1000 (and 1100) Programming Software.”

To see the complete list, with links directly to the most popular SLC and MicroLogix blogs of 2014, check out Wednesday’s article here.

“Best Of 2014″ Miscellaneous blogs

Best of 2013 Misc Blogs Featured ImageFinally, last Friday in this article we shared the seven most popular blogs of 2104 which didn’t fit into one of the three above categories.

These included articles like, “Free Allen-Bradley software (part 1),” “Getting Allen-Bradley PLC data into Excel using RSLinx Classic,” and “Using Batch Files to change your PC’s IP address.”

To see the complete list, with links directly to the most popular miscellaneous blogs of 2014, check out Friday’s article here.

I hope you’ve found this recap of our “Best of 2014″ articles helpful.

If you have your own favorite post, or have a question about one of the above articles, please let us know by using the “post a comment or question” link below.

Happy New Year!

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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The Automation Blog’s “Best Of 2014″ Miscellaneous blogs

By
Shawn Tierney
-
Best of 2013 Misc Blogs Featured Image

Welcome to the fourth and last article in our “Best of 2014” series. Today we’ll list the seven most popular blogs that didn’t fit into any of the previous categories.

As we mentioned earlier in the week, older blogs have a distinct advantage as they’ve been around longer than newer ones. With that in mind, it doesn’t surprise me to see a couple of our “Best of 2013 Misc blogs” return again on this years list.

So without further adieu, here are The Automation Blog’s most popular miscellaneous articles of 2014!

Free Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Automation (RA) software (part 1)

Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley Free Software Downloads LinkRockwell Automation has a reputation of charging for their PLC programming software, and that’s true for most of the packages that program their Programmable Controllers. However, RA does make several software packages available free of charge, and I’ll detail those over the next two days… [Read More]

Getting Allen-Bradley (A-B) Programmable Controller data into Excel using RSLinx Classic

RSLinx Classic Topic for Excel Featured ImageIf you would like to display data from your Allen-Bradley PLC or PAC in Microsoft Excel, and have a licensed copy RSLinx Classic (aka RSLinx,) it can be accomplished using a few simple steps we’ll cover in this article… [Read More]

Using Batch Files to change your PC’s IP address

IP BAT Files Featured ImageI want to share a little trick I learned from Darrell Clark while visiting his site last week. Most of us in the industrial automation world connect to our company (or home) network using DHCP. But we also need to connect to our automation device networks via static IP address, resulting in many trips to the control panel to change our IP address settings… [Read More]

USB Cables For Use With Allen-Bradley (A-B) And Rockwell Software (RS) Products

USB Cable Data Highway Plus - 1784-U2DHPFor decades we’ve relied on our laptop’s trusty serial port or PCMCIA slot to communicate with legacy A-B devices. But when our old laptop dies, or our new one arrives, its very likely it with have neither a serial port or PCMCIA slot. This is when most of us begin thinking about moving to USB… [Read More]

Allen-Bradley (A-B) and Rockwell Software (RS) support for Windows 7

AB.com Multi Product Compare Featured ImageAlmost daily I’m asked about Rockwell Software (RS) and Allen-Bradley (A-B) software support for Windows 7. While I haven’t memorized the list, the good news is Rockwell has put together an easy to use compatibility website which makes finding operating system support for it’s software a breeze… [Read More]

FactoryTalk Activation Grace Period

Rockwell Software Grace Period Featured ImageWhen FactoryTalk Activation (FTA) was first released, many clients expressed reservations about moving to it. For some it was the fact that the older “Floppy Master Disk” activation would allow the use of the original “Master Disk” as a back-up activation in case the movable activation file was lost or corrupted… [Read More]

Free Allen-Bradley (A-B) And Rockwell Automation (RA) Software (Part 2)

Free Software Downloads From Rockwell Software Download ListingIn yesterday’s article we discussed getting free software for Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Automation from the RA Downloads page, the MicroLogix downloads page, the Drives Explorer page, and from the Knowledgebase. Today we’ll look at another less obvious webpage, the Rockwell Software Downloads Page… [Read More]

I hope you’ve found this “Best of 2014” article helpful. If you have your own favorite blog post, or have a question about one of the above articles, please let us know by using the “post a comment or question” link below.

Here’s to a very happy and productive 2015!

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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