Need help debugging Weintek mTV100

I have a mTV100 project connected to a CompactLogix processor via Etherenet.

After some recent mods I'm getting a continual "PLC Comms Error", the error code is 23.

I'm assuming that means I have an object linked to a tag that doesn't exist.

However after many many hours of checking, I haven't yet found the offender.

I also can't see anything on the HMI that isn't working as it should... a bit sluggish because of the comms error, but everything appears to be working just fine.

I have done a thorough check in the areas that were recently modified, everything checks out.

I'm annoyed that the compiler completes without error, and allows a flawed project to be downloaded to the HMI unit.

Anyway, I'm looking for help, with suggestions for methods to trace the offending tag.

EasyDiagnostics won't work in this scenario, as it is attached to a CompactLogix (Free Tag Names).

Anyone had similar issues and found a way to ease the burden of going through every dynamic object on every screen and checking every single PLC tag.

Had a similar issue with a Wintek 5370 HMI, the reason I had the PLC no comm issue was one of the tags in the project was not valid. If you have and address in anything wrong or a tag wrong it will not let you establish your comm. Check the HMI project.

oldnerd said:

Had a similar issue with a Wintek 5370 HMI, the reason I had the PLC no comm issue was one of the tags in the project was not valid. If you have and address in anything wrong or a tag wrong it will not let you establish your comm. Check the HMI project.

Click to expand...

Yes, I am currently doing just that, working my way carefully through every single object on every window !!

As I said I can't use the Diagnostic tool, because I'm using Compact/ControlLogix driver, and am absolutely amazed that the compiler doesn't tell me there is a tag error, or that there isn't a "Window Verify" button !!!

I have about 30 windows, and am considering making 30 different versions of the application, each with one window that has no objects on it.

That will narrow it down to the window where the offending tag exists at least I guess.

Just wondering and asking if there might be an easier way....

When I had this problem I had to go through the tag on each window object. I also had to up load the tags because I had changed a tag in compact logic and the HMI screen will not tell you this only gives you the will not connect message.

oldnerd said:

When I had this problem I had to go through the tag on each window object. aI also had to up load the tags because I had changed a tag in compact logic and the HMI screen will not tell you this only gives you the will not connect message.

Click to expand...

I have completed my absolutely thorough checks on all the PLC tags on all objects on all screens... what a job !!!

Come on Weintek, this is NOT GOOD ENOUGH !! at the very least you could provide us with a tag export to csv file so that we can automate the process of verifying the tags exist in the PLC. Better still if the compiler checked that an objects tag is visible in the database. I certainly would not mind if the compiler/downloader took a few extra minutes while performing these checks, instead of just blindly compiling something that produces an error.

Anyway, rant dutifully done, needless to say I didn't find any PLC tag errors, everything that was attached to existed in the tag browser from a valid import.

However what I did find was that most (or even ALL) DINT tags were showing in the object browser as INT, and that BOOL tags were often shown as BitArray types (and that includes .bb bit elements of DINT, or {bb] elements of BOOL arrays). I put these right as I found them, even though those tags were attached to objects that were still working, I guess its just a quirk.

I've armed myself for the next site visit, I have dove what I said, made several versions with all objects wiped on one screen, I'm hoping one of these apps will run OK, and that will tell me on which screen the problem exists....

Failing that, I've installed Wireshark on my laptop, and I'll take a 10-second capture of the EtherNet traffic. I can take my time to analyse that later....

...fingers crossed...

I thought I'd take another approach to finding the problem....

I deleted all, and I mean ALL of the objects from every window, and recompiled.

EasyBuilder acted GOD and deleted my PLC from the configuration, which isn't a bad thing to do considering.

I put the PLC back into the configuration and imported a CSV tag-file that contained only one tag that I absolutely knew existed, and re-compiled.

Imagine my surprise that the compiler found an error, and "failed"... The error was a due to a test I had done months ago, where I had linked a PLC tag to an LB word with a "Data Transfer" link. That test was temporary, and I had forgotten to delete the data-transfer entry, which pointed to a tag that I had recently had to rename....

I don't know where the cut-off point is, but 1 tag in the database showed me the offending data-transfer tag was bad, but the whole project didn't....

All in all it has cost me about 15 hours tedious checking something that I know the compiler could have told me !!