Palm Programming

So, I just got myself a nice little Cassio palmtop, Windows CE operating system. And I'm asking myself, "How can I get my boss to buy me a much more powerful unit at no charge to myself?"

Er, that is, "How can I use this spiffy little gadget to enhance my work performance?" Yeah, that's it...

Seriously, tho' what I'd love to see is an RSLogix500 viewer for a palm top. No programming capabilities, no RSLinx (or a minimal version), just something to let me plug in at a moment's notice and see why the darned machine stopped running. Of course, the original file must be on the palm too.

Any other programming software would be fine, too.

Lastly, I know about palm HMI software, and have even downloaded some to fool around with. But what I'm really after here is troubleshooting and debug power, and nothing beats just going on-line and being able to read the ladder, without having to lug a full-blown computer around.

Anybody ever heard of such an animal?

Thanks!

TM

There was a Rockwell Automation device called RSPocketLogix or something like that. It was not exactly 'pocket pc' but a palmtop(?), it had a small keyboard. If I remember correctly it ran Windows CE operating system, and had some form of RSLogix500 on it.

It must have flopped, as I haven't seen anything about it lately.

Maybe they'll sell you a leftover copy of RSLogix500 for WinCE....

without having to lug a full-blown computer around.

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Oh, how our perspective changes! I can't forget the night my flight from Pittsburgh to Erie was cancelled and I had to retrieve my luggage which included the 90 pound dedicated PLC programmer monstrosity and carry it all to the car rental counter and from there out to the shuttle bus to the parking lot. To me, that's what's implied by the verb 'lug', not the effort necessary to tote around an 8 pound laptop.

Of course, when I went to school, I had to walk ten miles barefoot in a blizzard, uphill both ways, and keep an eye out for hungry dinosaurs too, so maybe I'm just nostalgic for the good ole days.

I've seen and used software for a Ge 90-30 and Horner OCS on either a CE handheld or a pure palm OS box but not A-B as yet

mpfc

Of course, when I went to school, I had to walk ten miles barefoot in a blizzard, uphill both ways, and keep an eye out for hungry dinosaurs too

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You were lucky

We lived in a hole in the ground and we had to get up ½ an hour before we went to bed. We had to have cold gravel for breakfast and we had to walk a hundred miles to school in bare feet and when we got home, our dad used to whip us to death.

And you tell the young ones today – and they don’t believe you

I've seen used HP Jornada's with RSPocketlogix for SLC 500 series go fairly cheap on eBay lately, sounds exactly made to order for you. Other than that, they make some pretty tiny notebooks nowadays......

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3429622472

Aww Man
I check PLC's the old way

Look at the lights on the input and output cards

don't got no lights?

probably the LCD screen then

if its just a "look see" you want

most of the time the program ain't the issue
just something blocking an eye or limit

the reason companies don't buy the "neat little pocket PC's" for techs

too many just bugger up the programs "just looking"


my 2 cents

wevans

the hostile replies may begin now

Sounds to me like work in a place with a lot of downtime........lolis

I have to admit for some of us if it werent for those pretty lights that flash alot then a PLC would be worthless. The time involved without them would put you back in the relay days.

I also agree that its necessary for someone (maybe many) to actually view the ladder, in many cases its easier and faster to troubleshoot this way.

In today's fast paced environments its necessary to be able to do both, each has its place when it comes to troubleshooting. The pocket devices are just a NEW inexpensive method to view things "on the fly". Some companies have created software to allow ladder viewing...this is kewl, means a simple pocket device can be used to actually look at a process if/when needed.

Kinda takes the thrill out of having the pretty little lights. There are other advantages to using laptops/palm devices that I will leave to you to discover in the future. You have to investigate to learn the real power of these devices and the software available.