S5,OP15,IPP144-40 (Printer)-->S7,KTP600,IPP144-40 Upgradation

Hello Everybody,

I need a help on the above subject :-

Scenario: We need to upgrade a present system consisting on S5 PLC, OP15 HMI and IPP144-40 Printer to S71200 , KTP 600 and same printer.

Now after studying the software I was able to convert S5 program to S7, but the problem i am facing is that the printer ( a small panel mounted printer) which directly communicates with OP15, sends it print command received from PLC.( Certain PLC Job command)
Now that we won't be using OLD HMI COROS OP15 instead using KTP 600,I think it is only possible to send print command directly from PLC, do anybody have idea or worked on this type of printer and OP15 HMI.

OP 15 has old software Comtext which is not available and neither it supports WinXP forget Windows 7.

Anybody worked on OP15 and IPP144-40 printer pls help.

Have you seen this?
http://support.automation.siemens.com/WW/view/en/11376409

Are you sure the OP15 is programmed with COMTEXT ?
It is also possible that it has been programmed with Protool.
Do you have the source file ? For Protool it is a .pdb extention.

What does the printer do ?
If it is just for printing alarms, then maybe just drop the printer and use the alarm buffer on the new panel instead.
For sure, an ancient printer will not work with a new TIA panel.

Apart from that, if it is a small project, consider to write completely new PLC and HMI programs, rather than trying to migrate.
If you have printout of both PLC and HMI programs it can assist in creating the new programs.

Hello JRW
I have seen that link..The printer which i have i project is not configured there.

Hello Jesper,

Yes I am pretty sure OP15 is programmed in Context, coz the HMI file extension is *.O15.

The printer here is a small panel mounted printer ( IPP144-40GS, Make:Metrix) It just print production report ( 3-4 Line and 2-3 variables) just like ATM receipt after every batch on Thermal paper.We are planning to communicate it with S7 1200 using CP340 RS 232 module. At present i think it is connected to OP15 printer.

Yes you right, It is a small project I have already planned to write the code for PLC and develop the HMI, now my only hurdle is how to configure the printer ? In old S5 software the PLC sends some HEX codes to OP15 ( known as PLC JOB) which pop up different screens for user interface guide for step by step process and one of the code to OP15 is to Print batch report after execution of every batch, which I believe prompts the OP to send Print command to Printer.
Now I know KTP 600 PN (which i need to use now) won't communicate with printer on RS 232. SO we are planing to use CP340 RS232 TTY card in PLC. After reading CP340 manual I found out that we can send Print instructions to Printer.

Have you or anybody worked on printing through S7 1200 PLC. I am doing my research just in case anybody have did it before, will be great help !!

Thank you..I tried my best to explain the scenario any doubts pls feel free to ask.

If I were you, I would exchange the KTP600 for a KP700 or a TP700.
With a comfort panel you can do a tons of things, including printing to a USB printer, or saving to flash card, saving to network etc. I would do the last thing instead of printing to paper.
The extra expense for TP/KP700 will be more or less the expense for the serial PLC card.

IMO printing reports to paper is like 1984, not 2014.

What can I say Customer is GOD...Well it's a small blending machine which has this panel with OP and printer mounted on it, so I believe having a network printer or accomodating regular printer is not possible. Yes, the machine was earlier commissioned in 90's...Hahahaha. Right now this printer is only hurdle in my way and I see CP340 mA20 TTY as solution.

Suggest save to flash card.
Then he can get the reports on his own computer as files. On the computer he can then get the data from the reports into Excel for example.
Much better than a pile of paper no-one cares about.

You mean in KTP 600 ? save the report on flash card ?
Hmmmm.....I can think about that, do you have any document on how to do that.

You mean in KTP 600 ? save the report on flash card ?
Hmmmm.....I can think about that, do you have any document on how to do that.

No, in a TP700 or KP700.

Thanks Jesper for your help, I dont think i will be using TP700 or KP700, SO i will have to figure out way for printing through PLC...While researching I found out that CP 340 is not supported by S7 1200 it is only for S7 300.