Sst-pfb-plc5

Hello All,
I have a query reagrding a SST-PFB-PLC5 card that I am trying to use with an AB PLC5-40E.
I can connect to the card using Hyperterminal but when I try to go online with the SST Profibus Configuration Tool (v3.8), i get the message - "serial communication failure".

It is not a new card but a spare that I using for some tests. I have tried the same method to connect to an exisiting working unit in the plant with the same results.

Can anyone give me a "for dummies" walkthrough of how to talk to this device, as I obviously am doing something wrong.

Many thanks,
Shaun.

I have not used this card before, but I have used the one for the SLC. I'm going from memory so bare with me. Setup your configuration with the sst program and then I think export to a different file format. Open up hyperterminal and connect, check the obivous first if you are having problems, Rslinx or some other program is turned off so that your com port is free. You may have to do a reboot once you have had an issue and if it was related to some other program had the com port. Once your sure you don't have a com port issue make sure you have a known working rs232 cable. I think one comes with the the sst card. If it is the same as the SLC card you have to hit shift + * to establish communication. I don't think it worked quite has smooth as the manual says it does. I think after the shift + * I had to hit enter a couple of times to get comms established. Now change it to configue mode and download the configuration file. You should now be able to go online with your sst program.

Thanks for the info. I have never worked on these cards before, so this is all new to me. I can connect via Hyperterminal, so that much seems OK. So, from what I gather, I have to first send the card a (binary) configuration via Hyperterminal and only then can I communicate with it? Am I understanding you correctly?

What if I already have a configuration on the SST card that I would like to backup first? Would I upload from the card in the binary format the manufacturer describes in the manual?

Finally, the manual describes using a Send command using the Xmodem protocol - does anyone have any experience with this protocol, as I don't? (I suppose I could just Google it to see.)

Thanks.

Yes, you send the configuration with hypreterminal. I can't recall if I used Xmodem or Zmodem. Once you gave the command according to the manual for Z or X modem then transfer the file which you should have already exported from your configuration program to a file. I don't know anything about the protcol of either. I just followed the manual and it worked.

For your second question I'm not sure. If you can't do an upload. I would go online with the sst program and document the configuration file so you can recreate it from scratch.