PKTX green light on. But no nodes in RSLinx.

JesperMP

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Hi.

I am trying to support an overseas customer per email. I have succedeed in sorting out 2 of his problems, but the last one remains, and it perplexes me.

It is simple. There is a PC with a PKTX card that is connected to ONLY an SLC5/04. The green light on the PKTX is constantly ON, but the only visible node in RSLinx is the PC itself. The SLC5/04 is not there.
:unsure:

Any bright ideas that can explain this ?

Not sure if it does any difference, but there is an OPC client on the PC that tries to poll data from the SLC5/04. Can that account for the constant light on the PKTX card ?
 
Ensure that the PKTX node number is not the same as the SLC.

SLC has initial DH+ node set to 0, and so does the PKTX. One needs to change. I typically set mine to 77 (or a number I am sure is not used on the highway).
 
The RSLinx driver for the PKTX card may not be configured properly. It may not match the actual card settings for station number and baud rate (DH+ speed). It is possible that no driver is even set up for the PKTX card.

Your customer should open RSLinx, then go to "Communications, Configure Drivers", and select the PKTX driver if loaded. If not loaded, then under "Available Drivers", select "1784-KT /KTX(D)/PKTX(D)", then click "Add New".

If the driver is loaded, then in the Configure Drivers menu, check the Status to see if it is "Running", "Stopped", or "Error".
 
I face the same problem once. After cracking our head for some time found out the DH+ cable(Blue hose) was wired wrongly at the card (white and Blue interchanges positions).

Just a thought.
______________
 
Hi.

With any of the mentioned causes, does the green light stay on constantly ?
It is this that confuses me. To me the constant green light means that the PKTX card can "see" another node on the network.
The DH+ PKTX driver is setup, and in RSWho you can see the PC itself but nothing else.
 
It is what I expected allready.

I am beginning to think that the customer saw the green light on and didnt notice that it was intermittent and not constant.
 
The explanation was simple, and yet so frustrating.

After much emailing back and forth the truth is finally revealed:

Actualle there are 2 lines with 2 PCs working in parallel and independently of each other.
It turns out that one line has a cable problem whereas the other line is working OK.
The information that the customer has given us was a nice mixture of observations and screenshots from both lines.

How in the world did they get the idea to combine the observation that the PKTX light was ON on one PC, with the information about no nodes in RSLinx from the other PC ?
Some people have absolutely no instinct for troubleshooting, or no discipline, or both.
 

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