Trying unsuccessfully to download a new program into a PLC5/30

I have a PLC5/30 at home that I am playing/learning with. I have exhausted my enthusiam to try to download a new program (from work) into the processor. I am connected to the processor through channel 0. I have RSlinx installed on my computer. I can see the processor and can go online to it if I use the program that I created after I erased the processor memory. Now I am trying to download a different program that came out of a PLC5/30 at work but am having no luck. I have tried to delete all the modules as a deperate act through the I/O configuration file when I was online to the processor. I suspect that it is an addressing issue wrt the racks and the data tables. Is there a way to bypass this. I keep getting this error after I try to download the new program.

"cannot get connected to online processor
Diagnostic status failed: Sts=0x04
Local port disconnected."

Any suggestions? Where would I be able to search the above error for a description.

Hello ptine

I remember having a similar error message from RSLogix (*).
After much hair-pulling, it turned out that there is a switch in the chassis backplane with a "Processor Memory Protection" function.
The switch sits in the left side of the chassis. You have to remove the CPU and a couple of more modules to access it.
Switch 8 has to be OFF to remove Processor Memory Protection.

What aggrevated me at the time, was that the error message in RSLogix was so misleading.

*As this is from memory, I am not 100% sure that it is the same error message.

Didnt see this little detail.

I can see the processor and can go online to it if I use the program that I created after I erased the processor memory

Click to expand...

If you erased it by removing the battery and shutting down the CPU, then my previous post may still be valid.

But if you managed to erase the program from RSLogix, then forget the previous post.
In that case, the problem may be that you are downloading from the main window in RSLogix. In stead, use the "Comms.." menu option to go to RSLinx, when you can see the CPU in RSLinx, highlight it and use the "Download" button from the same window in RSLinx.

I'm be right back I'm going to pull it apart and check that switch. All that from memory? How did you research that error?

I removed the processor and found that sw 8 was off but I transitioned it and put replaced the processsor but when I tried to get online I got a prompt to save a crashlog error and to replace my processor as it was corrupt. I returned everything back to the way it was and all is well again. I will put some energy into finding out exactly what all those dips do. Trial and tribulations is a method that I am very familiar with. Thanks JesperMP for the info. I appreciate it. Its pretty late (early) here so I should sign off until the morning but any other help would be great.

You allready established that the switch is OFF, so dont waste any more time with it.

In stead check that you downlad as described below.

.. the problem may be that you are downloading from the main window in RSLogix. In stead, use the "Comms.." menu option to go to RSLinx, when you can see the CPU in RSLinx, highlight it and use the "Download" button from the same window in RSLinx.

Click to expand...

The reason why this is important is that RSLogix saves how the program was downloaded the last time. If you just use Download directly from RSLogix, then it is assumed that the settings from the last download shall be used. So if the last download was via DH+ for example, then you will get an error when you are actually online via DF1.

I have exhausted my enthusiam ...

Click to expand...

whoa ... do NOT let that happen ... if all else fails, PM me with your phone number ... I’ll give you a call and walk you through this ...



but ... I think that my distinguished colleague Jesper has already spotted your problem ... if you’ll follow his advice, you should be able to move forward with your project ...



also, here’s another way to go about specifying the “download path” ... some older versions of RSLinx might require this approach ...

finally ... there might be a problem with trying to squeeze a “too big” program from work into a smaller PLC processor ... but I don’t think that you’re getting that far ... even if this does seem to be a problem, do NOT give up ... there are ways of working around this ... if (big IF) your boss doesn’t mind, you might consider posting your .RSP program file on the forum ... we can give you specific advice about how to proceed with your learning exercises ...

good luck ... keep us posted ...

Thank you JesperMP and Ron. Thanks for the concern Ron but I only exhaust my enthusiam temporarily. It was 5:00 am. I had been playing with my PLC5 for about 7 hours. I was trying to fault it under all different types of conditions. I like the color red. I really appreciate the help. I'm having a ball I only wish I had the opportunity to have learned this stuff when I was a lot younger. Nonetheless, here's the update:

I did exactly what JesperMP said: I'll try to explain it so that anyone reading this thread can follow it step by step if they are having the same problem

1. I opened RSlogix and opened the .rsp file that I wanted to download into my PLC5/30

2. Click on comms button and then select System Comms and the communications window pops up. It shows you all your communication drivers and the nodes that it expects to see when it goes online ( now I expect someone to correct me if I'm out to lunch.....this is my interpretation ). On the right hand side of the communications window there is a download key that JesperMP so graciously pointed out in the above post. I click on that key. This message pops up because of "MY" situation I'm pretty sure that if everything matched it wouldn't (please correct me at anytime)

Downloading program (new program name) for PLC5/30 series C Rev Q to (old program name) PLC5/30 series A Rev F Driver: com 1 at node:1 octal. Are you sure you want to proceed with download?

I click on yes and this window pops up:

Current communications settings do not match selected settings
Current Driver->AB_KT-1 driver selected-> com 1
Current Node->Octal Node Selected-> 1 octal
Would you like to use controller setting as new project settings.

I click on no. (I have tried yes)

Cofirm change processor type
from: PLC5/30 C Q 32768
to: PLC5/30 A F 32768
changing he processor type may result in a loss of data and/or I/O configuration. Are you sure you want to continue:
conversion options: resize data tables
clear I/O
I choose to clear I/O
and finally I choose OK (I have left the resize data table checked.....also I noticed that I can leave both checked....whats up with that?)

A window pops up "verifying file"

and then a windows pops up "Downloading processor image" and I can see the new program being downloading into the processor.

However, this window pops up when it is finished downloading

"Communications lost. Configuration through current channel has probably been lost"

I press ok, goto my communiocations window and I can see that the PLC is not communicating (red X through it) and the name has not changed to the "new program name". It is still named default.

I should probably mention that I have tried this several times trying different conditions and have always come up with the exact same result. I have tried to reconfigure the channel in the new program before I have downloaded it and I have tried not clearing the I/O ( just checking off the resize data tables option) with no success. When I get to the stage I am at right now I usually power everything down, pull the battery out of the plc and wait a little while and try a different approach.

Any ideas?

ptine,

before you download the program file to the PLC make sure of the following;
1.the program needs to have channel 0 set to correct parameters.
for example: the file you got from work may have the comm port settings for channel-0 setup for ASCII RS232, which wont work with RSlinx communications.
2. processor type & revision in the off line file must match exactly the printed data on the side on the PLC processor. Pull the thing out & write it down so you can edit the offline file properties to make it matchup.
for example, don't download a program designed for a revision F processor if your actual processor is a revision D.

It sounds like you are able to communicate with the processor after you clear the memory, but not after you download the program. The only explanation for this I can think of, is that the file you are downloading has the wrong settings in it for channel-0 and or processor/chassis type & revision.
One more tip: after you get the offline file parameters set the way you need them,be sure to click on the "Save" button. Once the file has succesfuly downloaded, go back into RSLinx & click on the Menu Bar "Communications" heading, slide down to the "configure drivers" button, click on that. Click once on the DF1 driver to select it. Then mouse over to the right hand side & click on the "Configure" button. In the pop up window, click on the "Auto-Configure" button & cross your fingers that the application can find your processor out on the serial cable.
BD

Have you tried to reset the PLC, go online and note the comms settings for default. Then write a new program with just one rung of logic but with all of the right rack/card info. Then download using the the default comms settings.
At least then you can confirm if it is a problem with the program/processor.

bikerdude said:

ptine,

The only explanation for this I can think of, is that the file you are downloading has the wrong settings in it for channel-0 and or processor/chassis type & revision.
BD

Click to expand...

All of the previous posters are definately inline with their suggestions but I think this hits the nail on the head.

Think about it, if you download to channel 0 via DFI but your program changes the port to ASCII or whatever at some point your connection will fail. Another example is if you try to download via DH+ to a SLC that is running on say node 5. If your program configures that port as, for instance, node 1 when the download finishes you will be booted offline as your connection was to node 5 wich no longer exists.

Same with ethernet, if you are online with a certain IP and you change IP addresses in your program and download, at some point the IP you are connected to and the IP in the processor are different and you will get the boot.

The crash log is a common thing, I have never had it tell me my processor was corrupt and need to be replaced it though?? If you fight through all of the info in this thread and are still having trouble you may, actually, have a processor problem. Send the crash log to Rockwell, that's what we pay them for (assuming you have support). The info in this thread has covered everything I can think of and if I were in your positon I wouldn't be afraid to call tech support.

If you don't have support and still have trouble, keep posting or send me a PM with a phone #, I have a test PLC5 bench set up and I refuse to let one of these beat me.

Missed the part about phoning Ron. He can help you out for sure. We could conference though .

Just got home from dinner & a few drinks. I'm on it boys (& girls). Give me a few minutes and I'll have an update but I believe that the above posts are money. The downloaded program is changing the communications settings to something other than channel 0 and I am losing communications. See you all soon.

Well I finally got it to work. I thank everyone who helped. Especially Ron and JesperMP. I'll try to go through it step by step so that if anyone else has a similiar problem perhaps we can help them. As always I am fairly new to this and I could be posting incorrect information so if you see something that is incorrect please post a correction so that I won't be misleading anyone else. I'd appreciate that.

Basically the problem stems from me trying to download a program that has been uploaded from a PLC5/30 series C revision Q to a PLC5/30 series A revision F. Apparently that is not a good thing. All sorts of issues arise when we try to "swap" processor images that aren't running on identical systems.

I'm not sure if the processor issue was as big of an issue as the different communication configurations. It seemed as if I could download the program but after it was downloaded it changed the communications configuration and I lost communications (as per the above posts). What I was doing to recover from this was to simply power down my plc, remove the battery and start from scratch as far as the plc was concerned. I am using a serial port (channel 0) as my communications port and I could see channel 1A and channel 2B begin to flash as soon as I downloaded the new program into the PLC. The new program uses channel 1A for DH+ and channel 2B for remote I/O so I believe it was prompting the plc to try to establish communications through both channels. I don't have DH+ and RIO so it wasn't having any luck. Does anyone know if this will create a fault?

Also the new program was configured as node 21 and my PLC is configured as node 1.....my PC is node 0. What I did (after all the help from my previously mentioned friends) was to go online to the PLC after I had powered down and removed battery and give the processor a name ( can anyone tell me how to change a processors name once it is online) and then recorded all the info in its controller properties and channel configurations in the project tree (RSLogix5). I then went offline and opened my new program in RSLogix and made sure that all the info in controller properties and channel configurations were the same. Now i'm starting to get a little cloudy here but after all this I would still lose communications after I downloaded the new program. I went to controller properties in the communications tab and I noticed that my comms path was empty (real cloudy here) but I did a "who active" ( right above the comms path still in controller properties/communications tab) and ROCKWELL_(the name of my driver) appeared. I went back to my comm tab/system comms with my new program still opened in RSLogix5...the download button was hightlighted (not shaded out) clicked on it and away she went. It is up and running and I feeling pretty thankful to the people who helped me and this forum. I hope this helps someone out in the future and if I made any mistakes or left anything out I hope that someone will correct me.

I have one question though. In the "confirm change of processor window" I saw 2 options there that I could have checked off they were "resize data tables" and "clear I/0". Can someone go into detail about these two options.

Clear I/O will write zeros to the memory locations in the PLC that are reserved for I/O. This is useful if you are moving things around and want to make sure you don't leave any stray ones out there in memory. I have a story about a weird problem with an AMCI resolver module that relates to this issue.

Resize Data Tables will shrink the data tables down to the smallest size based on the addresses used in the PLC program. I usually UNcheck this one because it can wipe away my spares. It is useful when you are putting a program in a processor with a smaller memory size and need to free up memory to make it fit. RSLogix does the work for you.

Paul