Hphillips (Customer) asked a question.
I am an EE with a little over two years of experience in instrumentation, motor controls, and general plant electrical design. I don't have the opportunity to learn controls through my work, so I decided to take my education into my own hands and have recently purchased a Click Plus CPU and some IO cards.
Unfortunately, I have been having a very poor experience so far. First thing I did was try to upgrade the firmware to the newest version over the recommended USB connection. Not only did the firmware update fail, but it effectively bricked my CPU for several days as I could no longer even connect to the CPU to put firmware on it. I tried several versions of the software, followed all of the recommendations I found online, and nothing was working. Finally, after contacting tech support, I was able to get a hold of an older version of the software (v3.31) which I had heard was fairly stable. This finally allowed me to flash firmware onto the CPU and I was able to connect to it again through the software.
Finally, excited to get started I configured the CPU and modules, wired everything correctly, and wrote a simple program to turn on and off an output point on the DO card on 2.5 second intervals. The card is powered and recognized by the software. I upload the program and put the PLC into RUN mode and...Nothing. The output simply doesn't turn on. I check my wiring and the program. Everything is correct. I use the Status Monitor and the see my program is behaving as I expected. I check the System Monitor and see that the LED on my output card should be turning on and off, so I got the register address correct, and yet the LED on the actual card remains off. Checking with a multimeter confirms that there is no voltage on the output.
I say all of this to ask this community, are these PLCs actually worth learning on? Are these kinds of hiccups to be expected or have I just had terrible luck? I have heard wonderful things about Automation Direct's customer service and technical support and am sure if it is a faulty module that it will be replaced, but I believe the best customer service is the one I never have to call because the products work. Has anyone else had issues with the Click family of PLCs and IO cards? Would it just be better if I returned everything I bought and bite the bullet and purchase a higher end unit like the Productivity line?
I don't want this to come off as me just being a disgruntled customer. I absolutely love that Automation Direct exists and provides affordable products to people like me who don't have a business size budget.
Yes, it can be frustrating when you run into something that does not work like it should, and then I call tech support, as you did, and then they get me up and running, like they did with you. After using other PLC vendors, the AutomationDirect tech support is second to none. As far as which PLC to use depends on your application (and budget). We have used the Click for certain applications with good success. Most of our projects required a lot of sequence controls, and we wound of going to the Do-more, the H2-DM1E to update existing DL205 systems, and the Do-more BRX PLCs for new projects, mainly for the "Stage" programming, makes sequences easy. As far as your Click output problem, because your monitoring on your laptop shows the output should be on, but you do not measure voltage, could the problem be wiring? If you share your PLC and module setup you are using, and your wiring, perhaps people on this forum would be able to find the problem. Of course there's ADC tech support also.
Sorry, re-reading your post, I see "yet the LED on the actual card remains off". So, not the wiring. But still, can you share your PLC and module setup you are using, and your wiring.
I am thinking you may not have addressed the output correctly. In other words, the "Y" in your PLC ladder logic (that the Monitor is showing turning on and off) is not the same "Y" that is on your output module. What is the "Y" address number in your PLC program? Which light on the output module are you watching? The "Y"s for your output module should be Y101 thru Y116. Is this correct?
Like K Price says here, you may have the wrong addresses in your code. You attached an image of the system configuration, and let me show you that below the modules are the addresses assigned to the modules.
We've installed many Clicks and Click Plus PLCs with very little trouble. I have had two or three failures due to lightning or power disturbances. I have had few issues with firmware upgrades, zero using the USB interface. The only firmware issues I have had were when using Ethernet on a brand new Click and the IP address apparently changed during the process and it failed, but passed when I did it again using the serial port. This was not a Click Plus, so USB wasn't available.
I also have stopped at version 3.71 of the software and firmware, because I am opposed to mandatory passwords.
So you might have gotten a lemon or had bad luck and still have a learning curve too. There are a very small handful of things I don't like about the Click, but they are not show stoppers. Their versatility and reliability have made them very useful for us in real world installations.
My company has hundreds of Clicks in the field with no issues.
I have used Click's in some tougher environments and they all work well. It is my favorite "go to" PLC.
Some of what you are experiencing is a learning curve such as you might experience with any new to you PLC. I teach classes on PLC programming, and see usual mistakes among beginner students. Keep asking questions here or to Tech Support.
My experience level is much less than those already responding, but Yes, I have found the CLICK to be very stable for what I use them for.
The biggest issue I've had is software updates. As a beginner, get you program running before attempting the most recent update.
3.92 seems to be working well.
I don't see anything installed in Slot 0. I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Never tried it.
Hello,
I've been using Click for several years and recently upgraded to Click Plus. I'm still very satisfied, but yes, it's an adaptation.
The only thing left is that AutomationDirect gives us remote access via my VPN when I'm outside my network, and then everything will be perfect.