PFLX 70 fault "EC missing 20-HIM-X6 file."

I am a rookie maintenance guy who uses some PLC skills.

We have a plastic pipe coiling machine that uses a puller motor, which is controlled by Powerflex 70 EC. It ran all night. After we loaded different size pipe, the drive kept faulting out when we tried to re-start the machine.

On RSLogix 5000, I brought up the module properties window. An error message came up "Cannot open the drive page; Missing 20-HIM-x6 file." It did not allow me to connect to the drive. The message was also asking for a certain revision number for the file. I checked the HIM version on the screen, and it matched the message's file number. Another message said I should create a database.

So I clicked on "Change" in the Module Definition box. Then I saw the "Create Databse" button at the bottom left of the menu. So, I clicked on it. Then after few minutes, nothing exploded (again, I'm a newbie) and the issue went away.

Although the instruction told me to create Database, I should not have done that because I really do not have the authority to do that in our plant. I would have been in deep sxxx if it didn't work.

I looked everywhere on the internet but cannot find any info on what "creating database" means in PFLX70. Please explain what that is and why something like that would happen without any component change.

Thanks.

That particular PC apparently did not have a drive HIM database file matching that firmware version, so the software warned you. I do believe that you can connect to the drive and the HIM as two separate devices (true with Devicenet, Drive Explorer, others...), and based on your wording, I think the error was because you got a newer HIM, not due to any difference in the VFD.

I have not worked much with these VFDs on Ethernet IP, but much with devicenet, so I am not sure if you need to worry about your created database being inferior to one you may or may not find available from R/A. It is likely that the firmware revision did not affect any pertinent parameters in your HIM or your application, but I always like to read the notes to be sure.

OkiePC said:

I do believe that you can connect to the drive and the HIM as two separate devices (true with Devicenet, Drive Explorer, others...)

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I'm not getting this concept. The drive and the HIM come with different MAC addresses then? If so, the HIM rides the ethernet cable connected to the drive?

OkiePC said:

It is likely that the firmware revision did not affect any pertinent parameters in your HIM or your application, but I always like to read the notes to be sure.

Click to expand...

What's a good source to find revision notes of certain firmware?

Thanks.

unsaint32 said:

I'm not getting this concept. The drive and the HIM come with different MAC addresses then? If so, the HIM rides the ethernet cable connected to the drive?

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I am not sure about separate MAC IDs but I suspect only the ethernet card requires one, and how the (DSI?) network is accessed I have no clue of the details.

In any case I am pretty sure what you did by creating a new database simply uploaded the information required for your commissioning software to properly scale and display the parameters. Again, I am extrapolating my experience from RSNetworx for Devicenet, and no one else with direct experience has said otherwise, so yes, from the perspective of your laptop running commissioning software, the HIM is available as a device unto itself with its own parameters and firmware revisions separate from the drive.

unsaint32 said:

What's a good source to find revision notes of certain firmware?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Go to ab.com and then to the literature library on the left under "Quick Links". From there search (on the right) by keyword or part number, in your case, just use powerflex 70 for its manuals. I like to sort the results by publication type descending so that "User Manual"s are near the top. . So now instead of sorting them you can filter them by publication type which is better than my old trick...

Search for the HIM and e-net card manuals and revision notes by part number...

PF70 Release notes:

http://search.rockwellautomation.co...tes&dnavs=inmeta:ddescription=Release%20Notes

EDIT: First, I would search the knowledgebase for "EC missing 20-HIM-X6 file" if you have not already done so.