Animatics and 5/03 RS-232 questions

I have a Animatics Smart Motor that I am trying to send speed and run commands to from my 5/03 over the RS-232 connection on channel 0. I have tried just about everything I know of and still no response when the motor is plugged into the PLC.

I can command the motor from hyperterminal and I can see the correct strings coming from the plc when using a sniffer from my laptop, but when I plug the cable from the motor (the same one I used when commanding from hyperterminal) it doesn't work.

Everything is set to 19200, No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no handshaking, no flow control, echo off, crc error det.

The plc channel 0 is set to ASCII driver and the user driver is selected.

I am using the Ascii write append command to push the strings and the append termination character is 0Dh (carriage return), I also tried using a space as the smart motor also accepts this as a delimiter.

I tried calling them and they say it is probably something in the PLC, their stuff should work.

Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks

mschaub said:

..I tried calling them and they say it is probably something in the PLC, their stuff should work...

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Just a guess...they are right

Try posting your code someone may see something that does not look right, the com part of the programs are the hardest for me

I read this a few times. I am a bit confused.

If you see the correct strings on your laptop sniffer, then you can be sure that the code on the PLC side is fine. If the code wasn't right, then you would not see the correct data.

But can you explain how your sniffer was setup? Something is not adding up here based on your description.

Is your cable of the correct type? Two of the most common types of RS-232 cables are straight through and null modem. It might be that the PLC to motor cable needs to be different from that used between your PC and the motor.

It seems that DCE versus DTE is a theme today, godfrey. Maybe it's just Spring.

The SLC-5/03 has a DTE type RS232 port, and so do all PCs, so the cable is likely correct unless there's some adapter he isn't mentioning.

I recently went through a brief but intense round of evaluating serial sniffers and have some opinions and experience on the subject if that becomes important.

Post more, it sounds like a neat little project.

I certainly don't want to hijack the thread but here goes...

Ken - I am curious as to your opinions and experience with serial sniffers. I'm all ears!!

Ken Roach said:

I recently went through a brief but intense round of evaluating serial sniffers and have some opinions and experience on the subject if that becomes important.

Post more, it sounds like a neat little project.

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For the sniffer I started using windows hyperterminal, then went online and downloaded free sniffer program that will display the hex values along with the translated characters. Even the hex values match up with what the PLC was supposed to be sending.

The cable that I am using is a null modem 9-pin D-sub cable. And I am pretty sure that the cable is correct. From my laptop I can talk to the motor using that cable. I have also tried reversing pins 2 and 3 on the cable when I connect to the PLC just in case it was a null modem/straight-thru problem. It didn't have any effect.

There are no adapters of any sort involved, just the cabling from the PLC to the motor.

I am also curious about your opinions on sniffers.

Since there haven't been any responses from Forum members who have done this exact application, it's time to let other eyes look at what you're looking at.

Post a link to a user manual for the motor.

Post some examples of the strings you're sending in Hyperterminal.

Post your *.RSS program for the SLC-5/03.

PLC program and manuals

Ok everyone, here is the link for the manual of the motor. I am also attaching a .zip file that has a simple *.RSS file that I have been using. There is a touch screen attached to a KE card where all the PB inputs are coming from. You should be able to see what is going on. I have also attached the test program for the touch screen. It is a beijer touchscreen and uses the information designer software.

All of the Ascii strings that I am using are in the ST9 file.

Thanks again for all the help.

http://http://www.animatics.com/download/ug_rev2_low.PDF

I can't get their damn manual to download, the link that you provided has double http:'s so it will not work, but I went to their website and tried it... but still nothing

http://www.animatics.com/download/ug_rev2_low.PDF

So everything in the comms look good to me (but I hate comms), but the strings look strange, just because they show up in hyperterminal does not mean that they are correct also when you send a string from your PC it may need to be different coming from the PLC, so again just a guess, but the strings that you are sending are they correct (I can't get the manual) do they need to have separators?

geniusintraining said:

so again just a guess, but the strings that you are sending are they correct (I can't get the manual) do they need to have separators?

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I believe that the strings are correct. They use the carriage return (0Dh) or a null character (00h) for delimiters. I have tried using both. If you look at the strings I am sending there is a space at the end of all of them. I was also having the PLC place a carriage return at the end of all the strings as it pushes the string out with the ascii write append command. I have also tried the program with just the carriage return and just the null space and neither of those worked either.

I have the distributor coming out this morning to take a look. Hopefully we can figure it out, but I still would appreciate any ideas from anyone else.

Thanks

I think there would be problem with the animatic tools which are being used

Hi Pepe21
Welcome to the site.

Please check the post date - This one was 2007

5 years old