Connect to a PLC 5/30

I have been programming SLC 5/04 MicroLogix ControlLogix and Panelviews for years. I now have to program a PLC 5/30 with a Panelview 1400e. This stuff looks like its older than me! I bought the RS Logix 5 and the Panelbuilder 1400 but how (and what do I need) to actually connect to the arcaic stuff to talk to it from the laptop?

Oh and you can do online edits on the PLC 5/30 right?

Yes you can do online edits, themain difference between SLC500 and PLC5 is that the PLC5 uses octal addressing for the I/O data tables and you do not need to set up the I/O modules when setting up the processor, the PLC does not care about what is modules are connected to the base, it just writes and reads to the addresses.

I am sure that someone else will give more information if you need it, just ask.

Alan

See links to some manuals below for some light reading, would be a good place to start.

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/um/1785-um012_-en-p.pdf

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/rm/1785-rm001_-en-p.pdf

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/um/2711e-um004_-en-p.pdf

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/um/2711e-um001_-en-p.pdf

Mickey,
Yeah I've been going through all the manuals, but I can't find anything that tells me "You need this cable and connect it to here".
Here's a pic of the front of the PLC (poor quality). There is also a comm control card, what's that?

what does the other end of the white cable on the front of the processor connect to? ...

if you're lucky (I prefer to say "blessed") then that cable can be used to communicate via RS-232 (serial comm. port) for programming purposes ...

BUT ...

that 25-pin port (known as Channel 0) can be "reconfigured" to act as something OTHER THAN a programming port ... if that's the case, then you're probably going to need Data Highway Plus communication gear ...

can you post a copy of an existing program file? ... if so, we can tell more about your system ... (and yes, I know that you might not already HAVE an existing program file) ...

BUT ...

if you do NOT have an existing program file, then you're not going to see any helpful comments and other documentation once you eventually get online ... specifically, that type of stuff is NEVER present inside the processor ...

suggested game plan: find an existing program file (.RSP extension) and post it to this thread ...

The easiest way to connect is thru it's serial port. See PDF below for the cable pin-out. Its just a null-modem cable.

What is connected to the serial port now? Do you have the offline program file ( .RSP file)? If so take a look at its channel configuration.

Edit: Ron types faster then I do.

COMM CONTROL card info here...

http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/um/1771-um657_-en-p.pdf

PLC5/30 (see pic) has two DH+/RIO ports, it looks like both of yours are in use, you will have to determine if they are RIO or DH+.

The pic tells you that that top port defaults to DH+, and the bottom to RIO, but they could have been re-assigned.

Notice that the 8-pin mini-DIN is connected in parallel to the top port (1A)

geez, takes me too long to make a post......Ron types faster than all of us I think

Also what is the catalog number of that comm card?
What is the bottom connection connected to?

Here is a couple screen shots from the channel config.
I don't know where the 25-pin is connected to (haven't actually seen the unit yet - pics from operations).

I'm pretty sure the "COMM CONTROL" card is a 1785-KE, which is a DH+ to DF1 converter. If the serial cable on that card connects to the Channel 0 serial port (that right-angle top-exit cable), then the card is being used to connect the PLC-5/30 to a Data Highway Plus network.

This makes me scratch my head a little... the PLC-5/30 Channel 1A is by default set up for DH+, so why would you connect the serial port to DH+ through an interface module as well ?

It's possible that the DH+ networks are separate, and it's less likely that Channel 1A is configured for Remote I/O instead of DH+. I'm not totally sure if Channel 1A is reconfigurable on these PLC-5/30 controllers.

The previous posters have it right; it's easiest to connect to the serial port with a 1784-CP10 or equivalent cable, but it's fastest to connect to DH+. You have to figure out how the DH+ networks are set up (speed and available network addresses) before plugging in your 1784-PCMK or 1784-U2DHP connector.

It won't let me post the actual RS Logix 5 file.

the forum makes you ZIP it first - then post ... if you don't have anything to ZIP it with, try changing the RSP extension to ZIP instead ... post that and tell us what you've done ...

the screen shot of the Channel 0 configuration looks GOOD ... if you can get a computer with both RSLogix5 and RSLinx loaded on it connected to the other end of that cable, then you "SHOULD" be able to get online ... set up the DF1-RS232 Driver in RSLinx and try the Autoconfigure button ... it "SHOULD" connect OK ... then go to RSLogix5 and try Who Active Go Online under Comms ...

That's what I was thinking Ron.
It looks like (according to the Electrical Drawings) the 1785-KE comm card is used to connect a modem to the DH+ network which has the PLC 5 and the Panelview 1400e on it.
Thanks for the info about .zip
Here is a zipped copy of the RS Logix5 program.