RsLogix5000 V16 Add-Ons

messing around with the Add-Ons,

already have some issues with the new Start Page, and came across
first issue.

I have created an Add-On and now wish to delete it, I cannot find anyway to do this. I can delete all the logic and tags, but the empty Add-On DELETE property is still greyed out.

Ian

You can't delete AOI if it is in use

I am using AOIs since early BETA and never had this issue

Yes, you are correct, I still had the Instance associated with the Add-On.
Once I deleted that tagname, then I could delete it

Thanks

Downloaded today, and gotta say, I ***LOVE*** the AOI's!!
I can finally put 20 or so of the subroutines I use so often into a simple instruction WOOT!

I don't know if you saw this:

Usually each JSR brings extra scan time compare to plain logic.
AOI dos not have this overhead (or may be very little),
so you will get significant scan time improvement by using
AOI instead of JSR

Just retooled a project I had underway to V16 with the AOI.
Nice.
Real nice.
Really, really nice.

Quite a fun little tool.

I did see that note, but the only time I've ever run into a scan time issue was a very large program, with 50 or so PID's, and many many tasks, talking to SE and half a dozen PV+'s, on an L55 CPU. Swapping the L55 to an L61 cut the scantime drastically (like, 75%). In retrospect, I think that the problem was more a communications bottleneck since the PV+'s can't connect to View SE as a data-server, the PLC was creating way too many connections.

I've yet to outrun the L6x series CPU's (but I'm trying... ).

Contr_Conn said:

I don't know if you saw this:

Usually each JSR brings extra scan time compare to plain logic.
AOI dos not have this overhead (or may be very little),
so you will get significant scan time improvement by using
AOI instead of JSR

Click to expand...

Switching gear a little:

Did you try these new features?
- Unicast for Ethernet I/O
- Alarm instructions
- 64-bit Long Integers (search for LINT in KB)
- Firmware Supervisor (scary) - no manual yet, search KB

Contr_Conn:
1) Unicast - No, I still (and will probably always have) strong reservations against using Ethernet I/O.
2) Alarm Instructions - Locally, yes. They seem to be very powerful, and time-saving. I will be deploying a very large system build on V16 in May or June, and will see how they work with our SE factory talk alarming. I'd rather have all alarming generated in the PLC, without having to edit the PLC, then the SE Server, et al if possible. Cons: The memory footprint is really large, but with available memory in the L6x series CPU's, that probably isn't a problem.
3) Long integers - played a bit, and will definately be using them for what are mostly minor tasks, like my 'machine lifetime' markers of total run footage, total run pounds, etc. Currently for those, I use floats that I increment in 100,000 foot or 100,000 pound increments. Long ints will give me much finer resolution there.
4) Firmware Supervisor - haven't looked it up, but is that where pulling a CF card out of one CPU and plugging it into a new CPU will load both firmware and program? If so, scary or not, I'll be using it, though (knock on wood) to date, with a whole bunch of logix class CPU's out there, I've never had a single failure of the CPU.

-- After note 4, I expect my phone to start ringing any minute...

Here is an example of AOI scan time improvement:

Here is application sample code for EWEB module:
http://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/rockwellautomation.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=33672


Max scan time on L6x is about 1.6msec
One sub has 160 rungs: set of 8 rungs repeated 20 times

If I create 20 JSRs instead, scan time increases up to 5 msec.
If I use AIO with the same code as SBR, scan time is only 1.8msec

Firmware supervisor is a little different:

It will flash modules other than controller to FW you specified

Let say you got ENBT ver 4.3 as a replacement but your project required 3.9 because system was validated with 3.9
Simply insert ENBT to the chassis and controller will flash it to 3.9 immidiately without any PC or external command.

Good for regulated indistries.

See
http://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/rockwellautomation.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=38137


RSView SE alarm instruction support will not be out until CPR9 - probably summer

Contr_Conn:
Thanks for the links.. very interesting on both points. Seems that just making an AOI of my _sbr_MOP MOP routine will be about a 7ms scan time savings on the line I was talking about. If that keeps up, mebbe I'll start to have negative scan times lol.

2) Firmware Superviser - Now THAT is interesting. I definately see how it would be almost manditory for 21 CFR 11 Stuff, (which thank the GODS I don't have to do anymore), but even in general use I can use strict firmware checking on systems. I've only been confounded once by swapping an DNB module and getting wierd results. The DNB I swapped in was a very old (like rev 2) revision, and didn't want to play nice. This feature would help.

-- Aside, have you played with the EWEB modules? I have a few, and they are very useful so far (well, actually one single module is gathering run information from half a dozen lines, and publishing a web page), but I (shamefacedly) never learned anything at all about HTML/Javascript. The Rockwell toolkit is okay to make basic pages, but have you found it useful for making decent status available via web pages?

DOH - Forgot to mention...

Even though the download was huge, I absolutely love the new installer, that gives the option to install all of the add-ons/toolkits. Co-workers used to look at me like I had three heads when I pulled up the data-monitor, or the version compare utility.

And it's about time they integrated Source Protection fairly well, though in general I despise the very idea, I can see where an OEM might want it.

Oh, and (sure, I'm sexist), but I'm glad that the installer screen highlights an attractive woman for once. The guy they keep showing for 'Tech Connect' has always scared me for some reason

Scary techsupport guy?

This one?

He is very nice guy, he is real RA engineer how use to work in techsupport.

/shudder... yes, that one.

He may be a nice guy, but to be honest, I have a mini-post-it covering his photo on my little tech-support ID card.

Somehow, I can't tell if he's 'Tech Support', or a character from a B horror movie that will turn on me in a cave and eat my arm for lunch.