Uploading from IMC-S

I have a imc-s motion controller (4100-232-r) that i am trying to upload from. I do not have the original program and need to get a backup of this program.

It goes online fine, but it will not upload because i cannot stop the program from executing.

any ideas?

Are you using GML commander?

If so, then the stop button should stop the execution of the program, HOWEVER, if the CPU is very busy, it may take two or three tries in quick succession to actually get the thing stoppped.

The bad news, is that you cannot upload a GML diagram from the controller. When an S-Class or 1394 controller is downloaded, GML software coverts the diagram to a script file and that is what gets downloaded, along with the setups and tuning values.

So, you can only upload a script file, the setup values, and the variables (my terminology may be inexact, it has been several years since I used GML).

Now, it is possible, but very time consuming to recreate a GML diagram that would result in the same script that was downloaded, but the level of difficulty in doing that depends mainly on how complex a program you have.

For the purpose of an emergency backup, the script file, along with the other two files containing all the tuning data and variables, can be used, it just can't be modified very readily using GML.

I hope this helps, and let us know what your controller firmware revision level and software versions are if you have further questions.

Paul

Yes i am using gml commander 4.03. I do not need to modify the program, just dump it into another IMC-S so they can have a backup. i do not have the firmware with me atm, i am back at my office. but i had it when i was on with ab tech, and he seemed to think it was fine.

I tried hiting that stop button probably 30 times, with no luck.

what about faulting it out, would that let me be able to upload?

RIO to/from PLC?

There's a fairly good chance (if the thing is connected to a PLC) that when the CPU tries to stop, the PLC immediately restarts it (via RIO or other communication method).

Most of the s-class machines I used to work with were programmed to watch the "program running RIO input" from the motion controller and when it was off, the PLC program would send the "start program" bit to the motion controller.

If this is the case, you could disable any such rungs in the PLC (or simply unplug the RIO link cable).

The latter might be a reasonably gentle way to fault the motion controller too.

Just a thought.

One more thing, IIRC there is a novice mode in GML COmmander that disables certain actions like stopping hte program, make sure you are not running in novice mode. You'll have to poke around in the main GML menus to find out, as I don't remember where that setting is buried.

thank you for the advice, ill try that next chance i have to go out to the plant. Ill update from there

4100-234-rl

pinkfloyd7777 said:

I have a imc-s motion controller (4100-232-r) that i am trying to upload from. I do not have the original program and need to get a backup of this program.

It goes online fine, but it will not upload because i cannot stop the program from executing.

any ideas?

Click to expand...

I have a 4100-234-RL. I was wondering what software/cable to use to download a program. Thank you.