dataliner message display problem

Hi all,AB dataliner messgae display, cat no,2706-B23J8,equipped on an old press bought from aother place,there is nothing appear on the screen after autorun message disappear,then we took out of one chip and plugged in again in the rack,power on,the initial start step go on until message press 9 @ 9600 BAUD and stop,could anyone know its meaning?thanks a lot.

You may have lost your "User" program.
Can you trigger any messages from the PLC using your editing tool?

Hi SNK,I could not trigger any messages from the PLC output module,unfortunatly I have no DB20.EXE software,does anyone know where I could buy the software?Local AB representative recommended me replaced it with an updated display,but it cost a lot of money.I just want to fix this problem...

I may have it at home.
I will check tonight in the archives, it is fairly easy to use, I think I had W2K as an operating system at the time, it is operated through MSDOS I believe........
I am not even quite sure if it is still available as a purchaseable item from Rockwell. Maybe get in touch with your AB supplier. I have usd DL20 and DL40's in the past, but I believe that the software is different for both, although they look identical..

Here is the manual for it anyway...

link for the manual below

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/um/2706-um010_-en-p.pdf#xml=http://127.0.0.1/texis/search/pdfhi.txt?query=dl20&pr=literature.rockwellautomation.com&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=750&rdfreq=0&rwfreq=0&rlead=250&rdepth=0&sufs=1&order=r&cq=&id=4719917a9http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=13713

...the initial start step go on until message "press 9 @ 9600 BAUD" and stop,could anyone know its meaning?thanks a lot.

Click to expand...

I have an old Dataliner DL50 manual here. It has been a long time since I looked at it, but I will try to help you.

The DL50 was mainly a "slave" device, therefore it does not store any messages. The messages must be sent to it thru its RS232 or RS485 ports, as a series of ASCII characters. In many cases it was used with an Allen-Bradley BASIC module in the PLC or SLC (catalog #1771-DB for the PLC, and #1746-BAS for the SLC controllers). The BASIC module stored the messages in battery-backed RAM or EPROM memory. The modules were programmed (using the Basic language) to transmit the messages, along with status or variable data, when triggered by the logic in the programmable controller.

IF YOUR PLC OR SLC CONTROLLER HAS A BASIC MODULE WITH BATTERY, THE BATTERY COULD HAVE DIED.

Another way the DL50 was used with a DL20 or DL40 as the master, with the messages stored in the master device, then transmited to the DL50 slave.

To configure the DL50, there were 3 8-position DIP switches, S1, S2, and S3.

S1 sets the slave address.

S2-1 On = Duplex, Off = Simplex

S2-2, 3 sets character height

S2-4,5 sets Baud Rate:
4 5
OFF OFF = 300 baud
OFF ON = 1200
ON OFF = 9600 <-- I assume this is your setting.
ON ON = 19200

S2-6,7 sets operating mode (Slave or Test)

S2-8 is Duplex Checksum

S3-1,2 sets Display Type (catalog model number)
S3-3,4 sets Default Color
S3-5,6 Reserved (not used)
S3-8 is Bad Code Checksum.

Sorry, I did not know which model it was, I assumed DL20 or DL40.
In my experience using these units, the software configured the messages, and bits were triggered to display the messages.
In my case, there WAS NO BASIC card, there were Output cards, configured as BCD.
Is the unit an actual DL50?

SNK,

I now think you are correct. He must have a DL-20 Series G, so the manual you linked is the correct one, and the DL-20 stores its messages internally.

It is too late to delete my erroneous post above.

Hi Lancie1,thanks for your reply,I think my message display is DB20,thank SNK,the manual is what I need,I contacted the local AB supplier,they also have no this old software any longer,so could you have it,SNK?Need it in urgent,so many thanks.

Here you go.

I had a copy from the archives. Hope that this doesn't make anyone angry, but it seems like it is urgent...

Thinking about it further, PM me, and I will email it to you. I am worried about posting software on this site.......

Doesn't bother me, waited for a few posts before I chimed in because its been 10 years since I dealt with a Dataliner. It was a DL20 and also stored messages triggered by the PLC5.

The plant was in the middle of automating the system and I got the job of drilling a new hole for a PB in the door above the Dataliner. You probably guessed it, the shavings from the drilling took it out.