Complete beginner-- IF movement stops THEN

mgaudio · Jun 27, 2014

Hello Everyone,
I am new to the world of PLC programming. Right now I have a micrologix 1100 and RSLogix 500 for programming it.

I would like to use an Electronic eye to keep track of a moving part in a test and if the part stops moving (say returning to the up position) then I would like that to stop the test.

Im lost, but I know its simple.

You're help is mucho super mega extremely very appreciated, for real and beyond.

mgaudio · Jun 27, 2014

Also, as a complete beginner. I see the RSLogix 500 has a custom graphical monitors section that looks pretty usefull to make things "glanceable"

Is there a way....a somewhat affordable software/plc combo that would let me have a graphical control interface from the computer.
Right now we are using a control box with buttons and knobs and counters and all the great whatnot.

I was looking at Velocio and they look nice and the interface is great, but I was worried about integration features. I know it has modbus ability but only one port for it from what I can tell (you can't have its vbuilder software accessing it and another program or workstation accessing data....from what I can tell). We want to access data from the controller and integrate it into a website that we are going to make. It looks like the micrologix 1100 will do that, but velocio wouldn't really be able to if it was being accessed by vbuilder.

dcooper33 · Jun 27, 2014

mgaudio said:
Hello Everyone,
I am new to the world of PLC programming. Right now I have a micrologix 1100 and RSLogix 500 for programming it.

I would like to use an Electronic eye to keep track of a moving part in a test and if the part stops moving (say returning to the up position) then I would like that to stop the test.

Im lost, but I know its simple.

You're help is mucho super mega extremely very appreciated, for real and beyond.

It would help us help you if you give more detail about your process. What is your test, and how are you starting and stopping it now?
What kind of eye do you plan to use?
How is your part moving, and what is moving it (motor/cylinder/hamster/other)?

Typically, using a photo-eye to verify movement of a part is tricky. An eye is usually used to verify presence or absence of a part. If your part is moving, and the eye is stationary, then how can you tell the part is made or not by boolean state of eye?
Often, an eye or proximity switch can be used to verify motor or shaft movement by the plc checking that the eye periodically changes states. If eye doesn't change states while motor is running then eye has failed or part of drive mechanism is broken.

As for your second question: Do a search on this forum for AdvancedHMI. It is an open source pc-based HMI solution that is built on vb.net. It has some great features and is easy to use with ethernet and Allen-Bradley PLC's.

Goody · Jun 28, 2014

im lost, but i know its simple.

Lancie1 · Jun 28, 2014

I would like to use an Electronic eye to keep track of a moving part in a test and if the part stops moving (say returning to the up position) then I would like that to stop the test.

Use two TON timers (you will figure out why 2 are needed much later in test runs).

1. Call the first timer "ON Time".

2. Using test runs, determine the maximum time that the photoeye stays ON, then set the "ON Timer" Preset about 0.5 to 1 second MORE than the maximum ON time.

3. Using test runs, determine the maximum time that the photoeye stays OFF, then set the "OFF Timer" about 0.5 to 1 second MORE than the maximum OFF time.

4. Use an XIC instruction for the photoeye to trigger your ON Timer.

5. Use an XIO instruction for the photoeye to trigger your OFF Timer.

5. I almost forgot the whole purpose! Use either XICs for both Timer DN bits in parallel (or XIOs for both Timer DN bits in series) to STOP the test, because if either timer gets to DONE, this means the part has stopped moving.

That should about do it.

mgaudio · Jun 29, 2014

Thankyou very much Lancie1 !

mgaudio · Jun 29, 2014

bmacattack33 said:
It would help us help you if you give more detail about your process. What is your test, and how are you starting and stopping it now?
What kind of eye do you plan to use?
How is your part moving, and what is moving it (motor/cylinder/hamster/other)?

Typically, using a photo-eye to verify movement of a part is tricky. An eye is usually used to verify presence or absence of a part. If your part is moving, and the eye is stationary, then how can you tell the part is made or not by boolean state of eye?
Often, an eye or proximity switch can be used to verify motor or shaft movement by the plc checking that the eye periodically changes states. If eye doesn't change states while motor is running then eye has failed or part of drive mechanism is broken.

As for your second question: Do a search on this forum for AdvancedHMI. It is an open source pc-based HMI solution that is built on vb.net. It has some great features and is easy to use with ethernet and Allen-Bradley PLC's.

As far as what we are doing: I have two pneumatic pistons that are pulling a sign down. The sign has springs that will return it to its upright position.
Eventually the sign will not return up...usually.
My idea was to place a reflector on the sign and a photo-eye that would be somewhere mid-arc of movement so when it stops returning the test is stopped. There is a picture below.

Where should I start searching for software that would let me make a computer-software based control panel for my plc?
somthing like velocio's vFactory? Are Velocio products any good?

mgaudio · Jun 29, 2014

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Complete beginner-- IF movement stops THEN

mgaudio

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dcooper33

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Goody

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Lancie1

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mgaudio

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