adccommunitymod (AutomationDirect) asked a question.
Created Date: August 25,2009
Created By: BrentD
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Alright, I am pretty new to PLCs and this is my first project with the Ecom100 (or any ecom) modules. We are working at a landfill and there are 4 pumping stations in the landfill that we need to monitor. Two stations share one PLC and the other two each have their own so there are a total of 3 PLCS (DL-06). The master PLC is at one pumping station and will be connected, via wireless radios, to the other 2 PLCs. I am currently programming the PLCs but having some trouble recieving information from both slaves at once. I can receive data from one (module 13) if I remove the rx/wx iboxes for the other (module 12) in the program, but I cannot receive data from both at the same time or from only module 12. Here is the txt file of the program so please let me know if you have any suggestions or need any further info. Thanks guys. BTW I have verified that I can ping each wirless radio from the radio at the master. PLC 06 STR SP1 GTS K1 STR SP1 GTS K2 STR SP1 GTS K3 STR SP1 GTS K4 STR SP1 GTS K5 END SBR K1 ECOM100 K1 K1 V400 V401 V402 STR SP0 LD K0 OUT V507 OUT V510 STR SP1 ECRX K1 V503 K12 V1400 K4 V2000 C100 C101 ECWX K1 V504 K12 VC0 K2 C0 C102 C103 STR SP1 ECRX K1 V505 K13 V1400 K2 V2002 C104 C105 ECWX K1 V506 K13 VC0 K2 C0 C106 C107 STRPD C100 ORPD C102 ORPD C104 ORPD C106 INCB V507 STRPD C101 ORPD C103 ORPD C105 ORPD C107 INCB V510 RT SBR K2 ANLGIN K0 K2 K3 K0 V1200 RT SBR K3 STR C0 OUT Y0 RT SBR K4 STR SP1 OUT C0 STRN C0 OUT Y1 RT SBR K5 STR SP0 LD V2040 OUT V2042 OUT V2044 STRE V2042 V2044 ANDNE V2042 V2040 LD V2040 OUT V2042 STRNE V2042 V2044 ANDE V2042 V2040 LD V2042 OUT V2044 NOP RT NOP
Created Date: August 26,2009
Created by: Do-more PE
Subroutines are not really a good place for communications. They only run when they get called, other than that they are inactive and are not scanned as a normal part of the ladder.
Unless you understand all of the "Gotcha's " with using subroutines, I would stay away from them. They do not process ladder in the same way that normal linear ladder programming does.
I would say that this is likely a problem. It may or may not be the only problem.
Created Date: August 26,2009
Created by: BrentD
I will take it out of the subroutine and put it before everything else. Maybe there are some nuances that I don't understand there. It still bothers me that I can't get data to transfer from one unit when it's by itself in the program but the other one works like a champ. Thanks for the suggestion.
Created Date: August 27,2009
Created by: BrentD
Ok, I put the communication instructions at the top of the program, outside the subroutines, and still ended up with the same results. I'm almost beginning to think that the ecom100 is bad since I can get one unit to work find when I do only it's rx/wx command but when I try to do them together or try the other one seperately then no joy. Any thoughts? Should I try writing the comm logic without using iBoxes?
Created Date: August 27,2009
Created by: Do-more PE
So slave 1 works fine by itself? And slave 2 never works?
Do you have slave 2 possibly set to an IP address that is in use by some other device?
Created Date: August 27,2009
Created by: krak
I doubt the Ecom is bad, if you can "talk " to all the plcs on a one to one basis. When you say “Wireless Radios”, What are you actually using? Are there any other devices on the network? I would recommend checking that the all the modules are numbered correct. Adjust the timeout and retries settings. Be sure to check that the dip switch 7 on the ecom board is set to on (look for the numbers printed on the board not the switch housing). Use the ecom100 ibox at the top of the ladder, then you can use ecwx and ecrx iboxes one each for each plc you want to connect with. So in this case you will use 2 ecwx and 2 ecrx iboxes. They will handle the interlocking for you so you don’t have to worry about the jamming the ecom card.
If you can attach the updated txt file.
Created Date: August 27,2009
Created by: BrentD
Ok here is a quick update. I swapped the radios between the two slaves and presto...the troublesome slave worked. So I am sure our problem is the radio since I cannot ping the Ecom100 module on the slave from the radio on the master. Problem is that I can ping the radio on the slave just fine so somehow the ecom is not getting through the radio properly. I then set that slave radio back to default and reconfigured it hoping I made a mistake the first time through. Unfortunately I got the same results so I have a call in to AD tech support and they are checking with the manufacturer. Hopefully we can get an answer pretty soon.
BTW these are CR-SEB radios that we are using. The radios are connected directly to the ecom modules at each station.
Created Date: August 27,2009
Created by: BrentD
Another quick update. After talking with Bruce (and him talking to the vendor) we finally decided the radio had a deffective ethernet port. We connected the PC directly to the radio's ethernet port and couldn't ping the radio, so we are getting a new one and hopefully that will cure this problem for good. Thanks for the help and advice everyone.
Created Date: August 25,2009
Created by: BrentD
Alright, I am pretty new to PLCs and this is my first project with the Ecom100 (or any ecom) modules. We are working at a landfill and there are 4 pumping stations in the landfill that we need to monitor. Two stations share one PLC and the other two each have their own so there are a total of 3 PLCS (DL-06). The master PLC is at one pumping station and will be connected, via wireless radios, to the other 2 PLCs.
I am currently programming the PLCs but having some trouble recieving information from both slaves at once. I can receive data from one (module 13) if I remove the rx/wx iboxes for the other (module 12) in the program, but I cannot receive data from both at the same time or from only module 12. Here is the txt file of the program so please let me know if you have any suggestions or need any further info. Thanks guys.
BTW I have verified that I can ping each wirless radio from the radio at the master.
PLC 06
STR SP1
GTS K1
STR SP1
GTS K2
STR SP1
GTS K3
STR SP1
GTS K4
STR SP1
GTS K5
END
SBR K1
ECOM100 K1 K1 V400 V401 V402
STR SP0
LD K0
OUT V507
OUT V510
STR SP1
ECRX K1 V503 K12 V1400 K4 V2000 C100 C101
ECWX K1 V504 K12 VC0 K2 C0 C102 C103
STR SP1
ECRX K1 V505 K13 V1400 K2 V2002 C104 C105
ECWX K1 V506 K13 VC0 K2 C0 C106 C107
STRPD C100
ORPD C102
ORPD C104
ORPD C106
INCB V507
STRPD C101
ORPD C103
ORPD C105
ORPD C107
INCB V510
RT
SBR K2
ANLGIN K0 K2 K3 K0 V1200
RT
SBR K3
STR C0
OUT Y0
RT
SBR K4
STR SP1
OUT C0
STRN C0
OUT Y1
RT
SBR K5
STR SP0
LD V2040
OUT V2042
OUT V2044
STRE V2042 V2044
ANDNE V2042 V2040
LD V2040
OUT V2042
STRNE V2042 V2044
ANDE V2042 V2040
LD V2042
OUT V2044
NOP
RT
NOP