Automated Car Wash Project

Hi everyone,

I am working on my senior design project to graduate with an Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) degree. If I don't get these issues resolved, they might not let me graduate yet! I have had a couple of PLC classes, but all we did was learn theory and run a Ladder Logic simulation program. I have read some of the forums and tried to find some answers, and it seems that there are a lot of knowledgeable people that reply to the postings; so I signed up. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated; so let me get to the details...

Hardware and Software:

*Allen Bradley CompactLogix L32E
*Allen Bradley PanelView Plus 600
*RSLinx Classic
*RSView Studio ME
*RSLogix 5000

Main Issue:

PanelView Plus 6oo is not operating properly; maybe this is because I don't have my OPC server configured correctly through RSLinx. I keep getting errors such as, "Failed to add item 'whatever' to data server," and "Problem writing value '0' (or '1') to item:: whatever." The Ladder Logic program itself is working almost 100%, so I am not too concerned with it. I am concerned about the PanelView. I was able to run the HMI simulation through RSView ME Station, and I was able to, for example, start the car wash by clicking on the button that I had made and that I had related to the PLC tag that starts the wash. But when I downloaded this same HMI program to the PanelView and tried to PUSH the button, I only got errors, and I have tried many times using slightly different settings and such. Attached is a Word document that contains some of the errors that I have received. I named the OPC server "drier" because I was trying to make a small HMI program to test the operation of the car wash's drier by pushing buttons on the PanelView screen (attached). Thank you so much to everyone that has read about my issue and to those willing to try to help me out!

_Jeff_

1st reply(came from another forum):
You won't get much help on designing, but it looks like you are nearly there! I am pretty sure that RSLinx needs to be "Enterprise" for RSView ME? I haven't used it with a PLC5, just with CLX. You have to set up the path between the PV and the PLC, and Classic, IIRC, won't let you do it.

I need some confirmation of that...

My reply:
Thanks for replying!....
Well, it was working previously. This project has been done by various students, and each one is supposed to add something to it or improve it in some way. Earlier this year, I was running the program from the previous student, and the PanelView+600 was working well, each item that I touched on the PV screen would initiate the related function, such as starting the wash. During that time RSLinx Classic was being used; so I assume that it should work, since it was working. However, a couple of things have changed since then: first, after a few times of running the program, the overhead brush crashed on the car, and I had to fix some of the hardware (after this happened, the HMI program seemed to freeze up or something, because I don't think it has worked since then, even though everything works when initialized from the PC even now). Second, The PLC software (now Vers. 13.04, 15.02, and 16.03 are all installed) and firmware (now Ver. 15.4) were both updated, and the firmware on the PanelView was updated to ver. 4.0 (software was updated to ver. 4.0). The updates were done by our department's technician without my knowledge, which was rather frustrating. She actually updated the HMI software first and not the firmware for the panelview, and it took me a while to figure this out and update the firmware to match it. Anyway, I hope this info helps to clarify the situation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

The Linx Enterprise set-up has two tabs, Local and Target. Local is used by your PC to connect to the plc so you can browse tags and perform simulations. The Target tab is the set-up for the PV+ comms. Make sure that the path under the Target tab is what you want. Also, don't stop at the Ethernet port on the PLC. Make sure you have the PLC itself selected. Finally, make sure you hit 'Apply' before you leave the Target tab.


If this is all correct, also make sure you check the 'Replace Communications' box in the transfer utility when you download, at least until you get you communications established.

Keith

Problem Remains...

Thank You, Keith, for your advice. I checked into what you said about the target tab, and I realized that the Panelview was in the local tab but not in the target tab. So I copied it over to the target tab, but I am still having the same issue when trying to initiate a PLC function by pushing the button on the panelview (Problem writing value '0' to item 'whatever'). I was really thinking that target tab change was going to fix the problem. It should be noted that I am able to download my HMI programs to the PanelView, and they load up OK at first, until I try to press a button related to the PLC program (which, by the way is working when I run it from the PC). I just realized that in RSView Studio ME I see RSLinx Enterprise, although I have RSLinx Classic loaded on the PC, confusing. Anyway thanks for the advice, and if you have any other ideas, please let me know!

_Jeff_

You should be able to use a button on the bottom of the local tab to copy coms to target device. Or something like that.

In RSView you need to link it to the PLC. Once you do that make sure you have the name on the left selected and the plc on the right select then press apply and download with replace clicked and it should work.

Thank you so much, Keith and Chris!!!! I have fixed the issue thanks to your advice, and thanks to similar advice from a user from another forum...

[quote name='finfin' date='May 19 2008, 02:44 PM' post='69110']
I think RSlinx Enterprise is part of the RSView Studio package. If you look down the you will see: RSLinx Enterprise then branching off of that you will see Communication setup. That sounds like where your problem lies. You need to double click the Communications menu and setup a shortcut (Prob already done) and point the "local" and "target" tags to point where the Processor communication resides.
I think once this is correct the other errors will go away.

Do you tag addresses have a shortcut defined?
[/quote]

I'm not really sure what you mean by having shortcuts defined for my tag addresses, but I guess that doesn't really matter because, using your advice and a piece of very similar advice from another forum, I have fixed the problem!!!! Thank you so much!!!!..... you have helped to save me hours of searching for the answer, and I can now move on with the project!

I was the "other user". I feel so... so... USED, lol.

Glad you got it, I had to help my boss with the same problem last week.

note...

Just for the record, last time my communication configuration change didn't work, according to Keith's advice, was because I had my Panelview shortcut pointing to the wrong thing... The very top item was highlighted rather than the Panelview; I'm not really sure how this happened. I guess I accidentally clicked up at the top last time before I clicked apply. Anyway, I got it right this time, and I am very thankful for the advice, since I have been trying to fix this problem for some time!

Another Problem, similar issue

Hey guys,

I have been really learning a lot about PLCs and how to set up the communications, but I have hit another wall in the project. To make a long story short, I have upgraded the HMI software and firmware to version 5 (now called FactoryTalk View Studio rather than RSView studio). I am able to successfully download my HMI programs to the PV+600 using ethernet cable, but when I try to press the buttons to activate various functions I keep getting an error saying that the "item 'whatever' is no longer available". My RSlinx seems to be configured correctly, but I keep having a problem within the RSlinx Enterprise Communication Setup screen. I realize now, since you guys helped me out last time, that I must create a shortcut for each device (the PC, the PLC, and the PV+600), and I was able to do that before. Now, however, I can only click "apply" when I create a shortcut linked to the computer. I can see the PV+ and the PLC in the same screen, but when I try to create a shortcut linked to them, "apply" is dulled out and impossible to click, and I get an error stating the path cannot be used and I should select a different path. I tried everything within each network tree: the paths and the devices. And like I said, the PC (not the PV+ or the PLC) was the only one I could create a link to in the local tab of the communications screen. Any advice would again be greatly appreciated!

Thank You,

Jeff

You need to configure the shortcut in the Target tab for the communication path that the Panelview Plus will use for the application at runtime.

The Local tab is for development and testing on your local PC.

Target is for whatever device to which the runtime application will be transferred, in your case, the panelview plus.

I suppose any device with which your PC is already confuigred to communicate would appear in the local tab, and that is why the PV+ shows up there?

I am a novice with RSView ME/Factory View so someone correct me if I got this wrong.

Paul

In the target tab you need only create a path to the PLC, nothing else. This is true also for the local tab.

The RSView ME (FactoryTalk View) application simply needs to know what path to follow to get to the PLC it is communicating with.

When running View on the PC, the local tab defines the path the PC would need to take to get to the PLC.

When running View on the PV+, the target tab defines the path the PV+ would need to take to get to the PLC.

In most instances the local tab and target tab will be setup identical, but on occassion, the PV+ may follow a different path than the PC. For example, a Controlnet PV would have to follow a Controlnet path to get to the PLC, but for your testing on the PC, you might have an ethernet path to the PLC.

target/local

Thanks for the advice, guys. I was trying to set up the local tab first; then I was going to copy it to the target tab so they would be the same as each other. Well, my problem is that I am unable to link a shortcut to the PLC or PV+600 in the local or target tab (I have tried both). I am only able to create a link to the PC, which is odd, since I had no trouble doing all three before the software upgrade to version 5.0 of FactoryTalkViewStudio. Hopefully this helps clarify my issue.

Again, you should only create a link to the PLC and that's it. If the PLC does not show up in a browse, you can manually add it by right clicking on the ethernet device in the right hand side and select add device.

I'll give it a shot

OK, I'll try to add the device as you said. I'll let you know if it works. Thanks!

communication issue remains...

I cleaned up the shortcuts, and now I only have one, which is linked directly to the cpu of the PLC (I copied this info from the local to the target tab as well). Then I tried testing the runtime application, but I kept getting the following error, "Failed to load tag runtime server". Perhaps I don't have my server configured correctly. What do you think? Thanks!

attached document...

I rebooted the computer, which solved the "Failed to load tag runtime server" error, but I am getting errors as shown in the attached Word document. I would be so grateful if one of you PLC experts could open up that document and try to point me in the right direction as far as solving the communication issues!

Thank you,

Jeff

(attached)