Local AB VFD rep not helpful at all...would be interested in hiring a consultant.

SilverLoop

Member
Join Date
Oct 2002
Posts
87
i have an application that involves over 30 AB Powerflex 70's and 6 AB Powerflex 700's all on ControlNet.

this is my first controllogix application and the first time i have worked with these AB drives.

i have written a control sequence for each part of the application in RSLogix5000.

now i am at the point of having to set up the drives and write the code to start, stop, send speed reference, jog, etc. in addition, i have to findout how to use the drives to do point to point positioning with incremental encoders.

because of the magnitude of the job, i have been spending time just trying to get the sequences where i want them and have not had time yet to learn about the drives.

the local drive rep is not responding to my requests for assistance so i am interested in finding someone who has worked with these drives and controllogix to get me up to speed in a very short time.

i feel that if i can just get a handle on dealing with one drive, i should have no problem duplicating the process with all of the drives since i now understand what needs to be done control wise with the machine.
 
I am going to assume you have used ControlNet/RSNetworx before? If not, then you do have quite a bit to deal with. Otherwise this is not as bad as it may seem.

You add the drives to the I/O configuration just like you would add a remote rack etc. Once you add the drives to the I/O configuration the tag database will be populated with the tags for stop start speed reference direction etc.

This will allow you to link your code to the actual tags that operate the drive. This can all be done offline without actually having your ControlNet scheduled.

I have never done an application with positioning like you describe. You should be able to define and use Datalinks to send and recieve any data you need to position your drive. A Datalink allows you to map parameters of your choosing to and from the drive straight into your CLX. They will show up in the tag database with the rest of the drive tags. All of these tags will be updated at the RPI you define when creating them.

It is possible that in addition to the Tags that are generated for basic control that you will have to use explicit messaging too. I really doubt it though.

The adaptor your using should be the 20-COMM-C for Coax, or the 20-COMM-Q for fiber media. I would start by reading the user manual for it.

To commission your system I would use the drive tools software. I believe lite is free. You can configure your drives parameters for initial setup at your desk and then download it across ControlNet to each drive. This also saves your configurations for future use. The software lets you go online with any drive on your network to make changes on the fly. It browses to the drives through Linx just like you are used to. This is WAAAY easier and faster than using HIM's.

I guess what I am saying is IF you have commissioned ControlNet before, and IF you have done positioning control with drives before then I really would not be too worried about setting this up. If all of this is new then, I would agree you probably need a consultant to get you going in the right direction.

RSL
 
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SilverLoop said:
in addition, i have to findout how to use the drives to do point to point positioning with incremental encoders.
Are you using motion control modules (1756-MO2AE)?
If not, what is your strategy?
 
In defense of your drives rep, I find that most drives specialists are a little uncomfortable with PLC's and networks. They know things about torque and speed and feedback and voltage that I'll never figure out, but the controller world can be a little foreign. That's why we have ACIG specialists too !

The straightforward drives will be fall-off-a-log easy once you get them into your I/O configuration and schedule the ControlNet.

For your positioning application you're going to need to tell more. The PowerFlex 700 Series B drives have a position control and indexer feature, rather than a general purpose absolute position controller. Appendix C (page c-17) of the User Manual describes how it works. You'll want to put Parameter 705 (the Control Word for the positioner) into a DataLink In link in the ControlNet configuration.
 
RSL said:
I am going to assume you have used ControlNet/RSNetworx before? If not, then you do have quite a bit to deal with. Otherwise this is not as bad as it may seem.

You add the drives to the I/O configuration just like you would add a remote rack etc. Once you add the drives to the I/O configuration the tag database will be populated with the tags for stop start speed reference direction etc.

This will allow you to link your code to the actual tags that operate the drive. This can all be done offline without actually having your ControlNet scheduled.

I have never done an application with positioning like you describe. You should be able to define and use Datalinks to send and recieve any data you need to position your drive. A Datalink allows you to map parameters of your choosing to and from the drive straight into your CLX. They will show up in the tag database with the rest of the drive tags. All of these tags will be updated at the RPI you define when creating them.

It is possible that in addition to the Tags that are generated for basic control that you will have to use explicit messaging too. I really doubt it though.

The adaptor your using should be the 20-COMM-C for Coax, or the 20-COMM-Q for fiber media. I would start by reading the user manual for it.

To commission your system I would use the drive tools software. I believe lite is free. You can configure your drives parameters for initial setup at your desk and then download it across ControlNet to each drive. This also saves your configurations for future use. The software lets you go online with any drive on your network to make changes on the fly. It browses to the drives through Linx just like you are used to. This is WAAAY easier and faster than using HIM's.

I guess what I am saying is IF you have commissioned ControlNet before, and IF you have done positioning control with drives before then I really would not be too worried about setting this up. If all of this is new then, I would agree you probably need a consultant to get you going in the right direction.

RSL


this is what i have. someone else "started" the plc program by adding everything to the I/O configuration. this person has left and is not available to discuss the project any further. so, i was given this program "shell", DriveExecutive Lite and RSNetworkx to work with.

now, i can definitely see and reference the drives in my program and have done so on a very basic level, but i am not sure how it will all work since i have not setup any .dno files or datalinks.

in my code, because the drives are all ready in the I/O configuration, i can do things like:

MTR.AutStrtCmd

VFD_MTR:O.Forward

VFD_:O.Stop

etc...

but i guess i am not sure if i am using these parts of the VFD datatypes correctly.

i was hoping the AB rep could show me some sample code that would clear up the above useage and also help me understand the connection between the .dno files, datalinks and my plc code.
 
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I have been in the same boat before. Taking over a project in the middle of it. If I can be of any help let me know. Either here or a PM. If you send me the information I will review it for any problems or hints that might make it better. I know that most of the guys on here will do the same.
 
moltra said:
I have been in the same boat before. Taking over a project in the middle of it. If I can be of any help let me know. Either here or a PM. If you send me the information I will review it for any problems or hints that might make it better. I know that most of the guys on here will do the same.

i will be going to the customer's shop tomorrow. i may be able to go online with a couple of the drives. i would like to write a very simple program to start, stop, send speed reference and receive encoder counts back.

if anyone could help me put together something like that for "playing" with the drives, it would help answer a lot of questions.
 
Have you got V15?
V15 comes with sample programs loaded in the project file, should be one that has some good sample code for you,
 

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