sorry chaps

AS may become apparent, I`m a time served, fully fledged plc expert. If it is within anybody`s knowledge band. could anybody take me by the neck, push my nose up the blackboard and explain the complex task of making a flashing light using two timers.
sorry for interupting your high level corespondents

Awww Jeeezzz Robo,

You didn't fall for that one, did you?

That's like being sent to a mechanic to ask for Relative Bearing Grease!

Here's how you do it...















Now, Think to Yourself...

- - - I AM THE LIGHTNING BUG ! BLINK ON !

- - - I AM THE LIGHTNING BUG ! BLINK OFF !

- - - I AM THE LIGHTNING BUG ! BLINK ON !

- - - I AM THE LIGHTNING BUG ! BLINK OFF !

- - - WOW, Imagine that...

- - - Just THINKING can make it so !

Sorry Phil, just couldn't help playin' with the new toy and this just seemed to be the right time!

Robo:

This place is called:



and the goal is to tutor. There are no "high level corespondents"[sic], and even the "experts" ask basic questions.

But first there is the hazing process, where you show what you know (and suffer the embarrassment), so that everyone can see what you don't know, and fill in the gaps.

I can think of at least THREE totally different solutions to the problem that you pose.

Can you provide the phone numbers of the places where you served your time? I could use to boost this quarter's service sales.

---

Cool new commands, Terry, Phil. Is there a list of all the vBcode features?

All Phil gave me for Christmas was a line

---

bawling

Jeeezzz, Allen,

YOU have ALWAYS been Phil's favorite! So, if he gave you the "LINE", then, you gotta know he's thinks that's the BEST GIFT, and he gave it to YOU!

All I got were these lousy special effect thingees.

Now, don't you go reading my source code. If you do, you'll know the secret... then of course, you know I'm gonna have to hunt you down and kill you! I wouldn't want to do that! No! Really, I wouldn't!

At least, not yet, ya little weasel!

I ain't so good with the VB codes, but how's this Terry?
[attachment]
At least mine is "fancy"...

beerchug

-Eric

y'all know I aint the sharpest knife in the drawer BUT why would you waste 2 timers for 1 flashing light? The code for that MUST be simple cause I have done it already but after I did it I got to thinking..WHY? What would be the need? That has taxed my brain.

Its easy enough to blink one output or alternate..ie flip/flop using one timer so this has me at a loss.

A bit of inversion

Hey Eric, jus'one question how come the lights are off when the graphics say they are on and vice versa. (BTW I couldn't get that far without some study time to figure out what is happening in the code) Sharp is good not dull and persistant is good too (Thank the big guy above)

tangents...

Hi Guys,

More VbCode is coming. As well as a revised help file.
Here's another look into the future:

[flipv]Gee I see what people mean about tangents being difficult to do[/flipv]

Enjoy,

Re: A bit of inversion

okiebob said:

Hey Eric, jus'one question how come the lights are off when the graphics say they are on and vice versa.

Click to expand...

Welcome to BIZARRO WORLD...

Pretty cool Phil... Looking forward to more!...

beerchug

-Eric

Eric,

That is exactly the effect I was going for...
(but of course, being Phils' favorite, you have access to such magic!)

How, exactly, did you accomplish that? (Yeah, yeah, yeah, then you gotta kill me, I know the routine - but you gotta tell me first!)

The following is in reply to a private message I received:

robosnag wrote on Today 05:34 AM:
Hi rsdoran
just looked through the replies i`ve attracted, yours hopefully is the most promising !!

I`m a mech engineer with elec education, ( yes i`ve done all about k_mapping and boolean equations )

just moved employers, now work at a plc controlled production plant ( new, still building and programming !)

I`ve been sent on a basic plc course ( willingly ) to learn ALL about them.
just been given a small program of my own to look at.

basically, a hopper is filled by a Cat shovel, operator then selects which silo the aggregate is transferred to ,via a rotating conveyor.
when a silo has been selected, push button, i want the silos indicator light to flash untill the rotating conveyor has moved to the correct position, then the light is lit constantly.

I`m using a ps4 201 klockner moeller.

looking back through the posts i noticed you had/have a ps3.

i`m as new to the game as you can get.

yours hopefully

robosnag.

Click to expand...

This is what you should have posted in the thread along with what you have done. I have worked with systems similar to this, we fed a bucket elevator which in turn could fill a silo of choice by a rotating chute.

The part you want is not that difficult actually, I have moeller plc's but have not programmed one but I can offer some general ideas that may assist you.

Not knowing all the details I will assume/ask a few things
1. Does the rotating conveyor have a sensor/switch to show when its arrived at the right silo?
2. Have you checked the manual to see if your plc has a "flashing" status bit, some have an internal clock bit that will be on for .5 sec or 1 sec and off the same length of time. I havent checked on this.

You can use 2 timers by enabling one when the other is done/off
like in this thread: http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?s=&threadid=651&highlight=flip+flop

OR since you must have Sucosoft4 then you can use the Impulse Function block, look at pg 571 of Language Elements for
PS4-150/-200/-300 and PS416
Sucosoft S40 Programming Software.
You can obtain this on the moeller.net website if you dont have it.

Knowing how to use K-maps put you way ahead of me, just look at the sequence and write some code then post it, others will attempt to assist then.

I will also post this into your thread for all to see and let you know if it can be done better or simpler.

Terry Woods said:

Eric,......How, exactly, did you accomplish that? (Yeah, yeah, yeah, then you gotta kill me, I know the routine - but you gotta tell me first!)

Click to expand...

Sorry Terry, no magic involved...

It's just an animated gif (just like the smilies). Here's the steps I used to make it...

1.) I did a screen capture (ALT-PRINT SCREEN) while your text was on the screen.

2.) Using IrfanView, I pasted the screen capture bitmap and cropped your text creating 2 image files (The Blink ON and Blink OFF)

3.) I popped over to C-Net download page and searched for a free gif animator and found Unfreez. This one is really "low tech"... There are better ones out there.

4.) I stuck in the 2 images and selected a reasonable frame delay, the created an animated gif

If you notice, the background image is the wrong color, since I wound up with the darker background in my post. Since I'll get the lighter background this time, it will look better
[attachment]
I'm afraid of think what we'll be seeing from you in the future now that you have this info... utoh

beerchug

-Eric

Flashing light

robosnag

Are you serious?

If so, why?

If you got a PLC just use the seconds bit of the internal clock.

You pullin my leg or what?

again Roger you are assuming...not all plc's have an RTC (real time clock) and some when they do dont really have a way to access the seconds bit as you call it.

AB has in most an RTC with a status bit that does what you are saying, its one reason I stated/asked if that plc had that. The AB SLC500 uses S4/0 to S4/7 to allow the use of free running clock. These have fixed millisecond timing values you can use.

The person emailed me because they saw I had dealt with Klockner-Moeller plc's from a previous post and I took the time to look at the Sucosoft4 programming manual to see if it showed the use of a free running clock (which was one of the questions I asked) because I couldnt locate it BUT since the programming is in an IEC format with function blocks I figured it had a TOGGLE/IMPULSE type function block that could be used, its what I suggested looking at.

I think the person made claims to his personal abilities that shouldnt have been made but the request was simple enough to address suggestions on IF familiar with the device being worked with.

Most here know I am not a real programmer. I have to deal with a multitude of brands on a daily basis and have on occasion had to do some programming, I also disagree with the use of thing that deviate from RLL ie programming where an electrician may understand it BUT at the same time I am also of the opinion that things like indirect addressing/indexed addressing/sequencing/staging should NOT be beneath the ability of the electrician. Most of these concepts have been instituted in the past with relay logic. As a maintenance tech I have recently learned to appreciate the features like function blocks though, they allow so much in a small package in a format that should be easily understood with minimal training or an attempt to learn. Simple fact: industrial maintenance/electrician personnel will have to KNOW more in the future...we have evolved past grease monkeys.

Timers

rsdoran

No I wasn't assuming anything, I was just not specific. I should have said "of the PLC's that I am familiar with". I will watch that in the future.

You may have evolved beyond grease monkeys but 95% of the places I have worked for DO NOT send their electricians for PLC training yet they dump the responsibility of maintaining and troubleshooting the PLC systems on them. Either you have not worked for many industrial plants or you have been very fortunate in the ones you have worked for. Most of all the places I know of will only send one or two of their favorite electricians for training and the rest will have to fend for themselves. I was fortunate I was one of the selected few of favorites but I feel for the rest because it just wasn't fair.
I tried very hard to take those that were less fortunate than myself into consideration when doing an installation and doing the programming. I tried to get the electricians to work hand and hand with the contractors so they would have some basic knowledge of how the thing went together and I tried to keep my programming basic and straight forward. It may have made the programming a little longer but I feel it helped in the long run.

Sorry about the ranting on and on.

Roger