Clgx serial to USB

curlyandshemp

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curlyandshemp
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Jul 2005
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Toronto
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I have a Softlogix to Contrologix upgrade project using Inductive Automation's Ignition to replace the existing RSView32.
One thing Ignition cannot do at the moment, is provide an Alarm audit trail printer output to a dot matrix printer.

I need to put this into the Contrologix using the CPU's front serial port to send alarm strings to a printer. I have done this in the past with dot matrix printers supplied with a serial port.

This time I wish to try the standard USB port on the printer, and need a Serial to USB convertor. Can anyone recommend a brand that will work?
 
I would think you need something special for this - I can't see how to get the usb-serial device driver onto the printer to use a typical usb-serial adapter.

I have run across this (http://www.ipcas.com/download/brochures-data-sheets/rs232-usb-converter.pdf) in the past, but have never used it. Note the warning at the end - some printers not supported. I assume this is because most of the printer function is in the driver for these devices which is fine for a PC, but not so for a PLC.
 
As Robert said above, this isn't just a conversion issue. USB printers are actually not very intelligent devices, they need a great deal of software support from the host system to function, and they don't generally respond to simple strings.

The device he linked would work, but you may have to limit yourself to the printers it supports.
 
Doh!

The PAC i am using is 1756-L72. USB port only for basic setup programming and no serial port capabilities.

Guess my SCADA guy is going to have to pull a rabbit out of his hat to get Ignition to provide an audit trail of alarms to a dot matrix printer.
 
Double Doh!

I have a PV+ within close proximity to where the dot matrix printer will be located. I will investigate using the PV+ to print alarm messages via USB
 
I don't think you're going to like that result.

The PV+ "print" function is essentially Print Screen. Most "alarm log printer" functions want just one line at a time. Add in the spotty pre-V6 support for USB printers for extra flavor, though V6 is supposed to support far more printers.

You might do better with the Kepware "UCON" driver, but that's RS-232 serial only, so you're back with the same problem.

If I absolutely had to have the controller do the printing, I would use an Ethernet/ASCII interface (the one from Real-Time Automation is fantastically easy to use) and that RS232/USB box. Costly but you know it would work.
 
if that is the case then, makes one wonder why Rockwell even bother having an Alarm Print option per tag in the PV+ Alarms messages.
 
They went down the path of sending Alerts via emails and text messages. The idea of printing individual alarms to an audit trail printer is something not in their immediate plans . This is something I have confirmed on Inductive's Support Forum.
 
curlyandshemp said:
They went down the path of sending Alerts via emails and text messages. The idea of printing individual alarms to an audit trail printer is something not in their immediate plans . This is something I have confirmed on Inductive's Support Forum.
Click to expand...

WOW, that just seems like standard stuff for any SCADA software, to me.
 
Last edited:
I have had this issue arise with Citect in the past.
I just wrote all alarms to a file and setup an event to print the file.
Worked fine in Citect - maybe a thought?
 
BobB said:
I have had this issue arise with Citect in the past.
I just wrote all alarms to a file and setup an event to print the file.
Worked fine in Citect - maybe a thought?
Click to expand...

Thanks,

we have already come to the conclusion, since all alarm tags in Ignition are being logged to a database, Queries will need to be set up to filter specific alarms. Results of queries then sent to printer.

Still does not give the customer what he asked for though, an audit trail of alarms.
 
Mickey said:
WOW, that just seems like standard stuff for any SCADA software, to me.
Click to expand...

snip from the Feature Request on Inductive's user forum

Re: Printing of Alarms/Alerts
Sounds like a good idea for a module someday. If you happen to have some programmers running around, point them to the Developer Program
icon_biggrin.gif


If not, we'll have to come back to it when we start focusing more on peripheral functionality. Unfortunately, that could be a while...

Regards,
Click to expand...
 

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