adccommunitymod (AutomationDirect) asked a question.
Created Date: November 07,2005
Created By: Chris_PDX
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Using DL06, H0-Ecomm modules, Wireless Radios. Occasionally we get a loss of signal or a drop in radio strength. Once the Master misses one succesfull RX or WX, it still continues to index through all 9 units but never will it reconnect even though several others are full strength or even cabled connection. So far the only working fix is to go to the Master PLC and toggle power. Is there anything that can be done in programming to Reset the card? Again, no error lights come on, it continues to message to all other plc's, just every rx/wx results in a failure.
Created Date: November 08,2005
Created by: GKiser
Originally posted by Chris_PDX:
...Once the Master misses one succesfull RX or WX, it still continues to index through all 9 units but never will it reconnect even though several others are full strength or even cabled connection.
Do you have error handling PLC code? Meaning, when one RX or WX is missed, do you do anything in your program? If so, this code could be the culprit. It could be "stepping on " something in the PLC memory.
...Is there anything that can be done in programming to Reset the card?
There is no way to reset the H0-ECOM from the PLC code.
When it is in this error state of indexing through yet not communicating, I would be very interested to know what the H0-ECOM is doing on the wire. Is it possible to connect it to a hub (not a switch) along with a PC that has Ethereal (free sniffer software) and take some data samples and send them to me? (support@hosteng.com)
Greg Kiser
Host Engineering, Inc.
Created Date: November 08,2005
Created by: Chris_PDX
Meaning, when one RX or WX is missed, do you do anything in your program?
outside of totalizing the reads/writes/failures no. we do delay the messages by 3 minutes to keep traffic down, which did improve the sucess rate.
i can still ping/connect to all my remote plc's, just not message to them. i will try the sniffer software you recommended.
Am also going to try a new card, since we have spare. woud it be worth the purchase to take the whole network to the 10/100 model? this is a project thats long long overdue and we are looking to do what it takes to get the messaging resolved.
Created Date: November 09,2005
Created by: GKiser
Originally posted by Chris_PDX:
outside of totalizing the reads/writes/failures no.
So you just basically have the SP (not busy) bit (and some other indexing) that enables the WX/RX, right?
...woud it be worth the purchase to take the whole network to the 10/100 model? this is a project thats long long overdue and we are looking to do what it takes to get the messaging resolved.
Generally speaking going from 10Mbps to 100Mbps doesn't help all that much in PLC-land simply because the bottleneck is almost always the PLC scantime and backplane communications. And as far as the comm stop that you are experiencing, I doubt it is related.
Greg Kiser
Host Engineering, Inc.
Created Date: November 09,2005
Created by: Chris_PDX
we updated the booter file on all modules (firmware was most current already) and going to updated firmware on all the processors. The card has now gone into a red light fault twice in the last 36 hours (actually two seperate cards, we swapped the first one out).
Created Date: November 09,2005
Created by: Chris_PDX
email sent with plc program in case you get a chance to take a look.
Created Date: November 15,2005
Created by: Chris_PDX
any chance you 've recieved the email? also have calls in to AD tech support but after initial phone call nobody seems to want to return the call.
currently looking at returning all hardware and going with another manafacturer.
Created Date: November 16,2005
Created by: GKiser
Sorry Chris_PDX, but it takes time to evaluate and/or debug someone else's code. I will look at it today and try to post something here, or reply to your e-mail.
Best regards,
Greg Kiser
Host Engineering, Inc.
Created Date: November 16,2005
Created by: GKiser
Originally posted by Chris_PDX:
...The card has now gone into a red light fault twice in the last 36 hours (actually two seperate cards, we swapped the first one out).
I did not realize until just now, that you had said that the H0-ECOM is getting the red ERR light on. I just thought it was getting errors and not reconnecting.
If this light comes on (or is flashing) this is a fatal fault. This means there is a serious networking problem like a faulty ground, an electrical spike or other types of EMI.
Your program looks fine at a cursory glance. And I'll bet if, while it is working, you pull the cable to the H0-ECOM and allow it to get errors, then plug it back, it will resume working. However, if the red light comes on, then it is something electrical outside the H0-ECOM, not software or firmware.
Therefore, look at your Ethernet wiring / cabling / routing (wireways) / EMI / grounds and such.
Hope this helps.
Greg Kiser
Host Engineering, Inc.
Created Date: November 23,2005
Created by: wheels
I 've had problems with HECOM units in a noisy environment. I was getting an error light with no cable connected. I would say the HECOM cards are not so robust electrically.
I have switched back to serial but there's another problem. I'd like to use higher com port numbers like 6 ot higher. Any way to do that?
JLW
Created Date: November 28,2005
Created by: marksji
Originally posted by wheels:
I 've had problems with HECOM units in a noisy environment. I was getting an error light with no cable connected. I would say the HECOM cards are not so robust electrically.
I 've noticed the ECOM100s are a bit flakey in a noisy environment, but the original 10mbps ECOM seems to hold up really well in those environments from what I 've seen.