cUTLER hAMMER HMI PanelMate Epro Pushbutton Suck on in PLC

i have a cutler hammer panelmate epro hmi that is connected to my AB slc 5/05. the problem i am having is that random buttons from the panelmate cause the binary bits from the slc 5/05 to become stuck without anyone knowing. then i have to find out which button is stuck out of many! Then i toggle that bit and it works good for a good 3-10 months, and then another pushbutton on the screen gets stuck causing the binary input to the plc to be stuck on. is there a way to combat this?

Make all you buttons momentary. Is this the only terminal is there another that may be causing this issue?

Button malfunction can ruin your day.

there are 4 panels that do it. some do it more often than others. the operator will press the momerntary button on the HMI and then you cannot do anything else until that bit it toggled in the plc.

I've seen that too, except with a SLC 5/04 via DH+. Momentary button on a start latch. Cycle got finished, but system didn't shut down because the start button was stuck on...

My solution: No more PanelMates

lol i agree..wish i could get some AB panels but we have these things all over!

edwardel22 said:

lol i agree..wish i could get some AB panels but we have these things all over!

Click to expand...

Why?

There are probably half a dozen different panels I would look at using before I laid out the big $ for a PV or PV+.

Edward:

Try this if possible:
With the bit that is stuck try to unlatch the same bit. use an OSR for this purpose. This way that bit is momentaneuous and never will be latched.

OK, here's what I mean:



First two bits in top row are MOMENTARY, and the output is set until a "close" is sent. Any screen can set them, without interference. edwardel22, it doesn't sound like you are using this method.

At least you can toggle your bits!! Sometimes i have a bit stuck on the input card and cannot toggle it. the only way to reset is to cycle power to the remote rack. ugh!!

Stuck Button Syndrome is universal among HMIs

Stuck Button Syndrome can occur with any HMI connected via a communication channel.

I would bet that there are issues with the communications that go unnoticed.

The HMI will send a message to the PLC when it is pressed, and again when it is released. So, if the message gets "lost" then the SLC will never get it, and depending on comms settings, it may not be possible for the HMI to know that the packet was lost.

In my experience with PanelMate Power Series and Panelmate Pro on DH+, they were less likely to have the problem than panelviews...but it can still occur...I never used an Epro or ethernet Panelmate, so I can't tell you what you may try to diagnose potential coms problems there.


As a band-aid (stop some of the bleeding and limit the damage):

Use the OSR (as already suggested) and unlatch the bit in the SLC after it is read and used. Of course this won't work for every type of control. Sometimes you need a jog button that stays true as long as it is held down. In those cases, I put in a jog timeout timer (set to a reasonable amount of time) and unlatch the bit when it is done. Then you don't have to go online to toggle bits. Sometimes, the operator may need to "jog" longer than your timeoput allows...in those cases I simply trained them to release the button and press it again.

If there is a safety issue (human or machine safety) then use a hardwired pushbutton.

You may also want to let CH know about your issues and perhaps their tech support can improve the driver to help alleviate the issue, and/or guide you to diagnosing the communications.

In any case, it can still happen...what if someone pulls the plug from the comms channel (or cuts the cable) while the bit is on?

Adopt the practice of expecting this when programming HMI controls, and your life will be easier.

Good Luck, and be sure to let us know if you learn any specifics about the root causes.

Paul

I contacted cutler hammer and they say it may be a firmware issue, so im going to try to update that and wait to see if the problem happens again. I see what you are saying about the OSR but this program has like 100 ladder files, 50 different touch screen pages, and so many rungs i dont want to have to change everything. But if it comes to that ughhghrg!

widelto said:

This way that bit is momentaneuous and never will be latched.

Click to expand...

I nominate "momentaneous" as the best new coined industrial controls word for 2008!

A couple other series suggestions...

When you leave a screen, unlatch all the bits associated with the pushbuttons on the screen.

When you first start up the PLC (First Scan Bit) unlatach all the bits associated with pushbuttons on the screen.

When you drop your MCR (Master Control Relay) unlatch all the bits associated with the pushbuttons on the screen.

What can really help with all of these is if all the pushbutton bits in the PLC are organized together in continuous words in the data file (I usually put them in their own SLC file, B13 for instance). Then you can use CLR or even FFL instructions to set them all to 0 in a minimum number of commands.

Hope the firmware thing helps as well.

i have the Panelmate 5000 series and run across this every so often..the operators now know that if they cant stop or hold an action then hit the start button again then stop...Never figured on a firmware issue...always assumed a tru sticky button...


As said..keep us posted...

Good grief, just make all the buttons you can momentary, and do the switching in the PLC... it's MUCH easier.

If you have that many touchscreens that "hang", then it might be time to think about new ones, that don't hang.