Maples and recipes

irondesk40

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Jan 2008
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nc
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Back looking at how to use a maples and a micrologix 1400 plc and create and use recipes. Was looking into this a few months ago but have been working in Dominican Republic and El Salvador and this got put on the back burner.
Would really appreciate any advice from anyone who has ever done this and would be willing to share. I have looked at it but is just not making any sense. I have a Maples HMI5043L unit that i experiment with at the bench.
Any sample programs, or basically anything would be helpful. I have read the tech notes on Maples site but is just not sinking in.
Thanks
 
Looking at the MicroLogix 1400 Programmable Controllers Reference Manual, Chapter 25 "Recipe and Data Logging", this PLC has a RCP instruction that can be used with Recipe Files. Each RCP file can store up to 256 recipes, and you can have up to 256 RCP files. The Data Logging memory limit is 128 kilobytes.
The RCP file allows you to save custom lists of data associated with a
recipe. Using these files along with the RCP instruction lets you transfer a
data set between the recipe database and a set of user-specified locations
in the controller file system.
I doubt if the details for this system will be given in the Maples HMI tech notes. Go to the MicroLogix manuals for information about where the actual files will be stored. Your HMI will only be displaying and editing those Recipe files in the PLC. On page 490 there is a short ladder example for a Recipe file. There probably are more Recipe examples on the Example files that come with the RSLogix 500 software.
 
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Lance1
Thanks for the reply. I had looked at the recipe feature of the micrologix 1400 but was not exactly sure how a manager or supervisor would then be able to update the recipe information unless they used RSLogix and RSlinx.
With the maples it looks like all the recipe data etc. is stored in the Maples HMI unit and then a manager or supervisor would use a free Maples utility manager to edit the recipe data then download to the desire machine through a ethernet connection.
Have to be honest i have not done a lot of machines that had recipes that you could remotely edit etc.. The way we have done all of our machines is you have setup screens that the operator would select at the machine and on that setup screen the operator or supervisor would enter the information for timer values, cycle counts, etc...
Thanks
 
If Maples has a Recipe HMI program, most likely it is simply an interface that allows easy use of the MicroLogix Recipe function. If they have such an animal, by all means save yourself a lot of development work and buy it.

You do realize that even with the Maples Recipe, the data will still be saved in the PLC. You could create your own by duplicating the same functions that most database-handling programs must have: Edit a Recipe, Add a New Recipe, Delete a Recipe, Print a Recipe, and so on. In other words, your HMI program must take care of all the details of using the built-in MicroLogix RCP instruction. This does not mean a manager or supervisor would ever have to use RSLogix. They would only have to use the programmed functions that you (or someone) have put into the HMI to access the MicroLogix.

The question is: Will you have to program your HMI from scratch, or is there a ready-made HMI program that you can buy for a budgetary amount that will do everything you need? In either case, you will have to write or modify the MicroLogix program that will run with the HMI program.

The disadvantages of a pre-packaged HMI program is that it may not have all the functions you need, or it may have a lot of extra bells and whistles that just clutter up the screen and get in the way. A custom-deveoped HMI program is always best for operating a system, but is usually much more costly to develop for only 1 application.
 
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Russ, now i really like that recipe. Makes me want to go out Ihop.
I took a look at the maples and it appears all of the info and data for the recipe is stored in the Maples HMI.
Looks like you use the Recipe editor utility to create the info and data and then you select the recipe you want and the Maples HMI then loads the recipe data into the PLC registers that are defined in the HMI tags.
Pretty new to this and have a lot to learn, thanks for any input.
 
Looks like you use the Recipe editor utility to create the info and data and then you select the recipe you want and the Maples HMI then loads the recipe data into the PLC registers that are defined in the HMI tags.
HMI programs can store some data, but most only pass data back and forth to/from the PLC. Of course the vendor wants you to think that everything is being done by the HMI! Experience shows otherwise. If the HMI could do all that much, you would not need to connect it to a PLC.
 
Did you download the "Recipe" sample project from the Maple Systems web site?? It has examples of how to use the recipe functions.
 
yes, downloaded some samples and actually got in touch with tech support. Very good tech support. They actually emailed me a simpe example that could help you get a better understanding and all of the recipe variables, data etc. are stored in the HMI and are linked to variables in the plc. From the example i got you use the Maples utility to edit and create your recipes and then when you select to Load that into the registers in the plc the HMI passes that information into the correct registers etc.. Then using the utility that you download you can then use that and update the recipe info in the HMI if desired. Only have limited time to work and look at it due to the projects we are working on at the moment, but something i am interested in learning more about. Have a long way to go yet but this site is very helpful.
 
Lance1
do not understand where you going with this. It seems you know a lot about recipes so it would be great if you would post some useful information instead of negative.
Hate to say it, but i did get the maples software and yes it was a recipe editor in the software and yes i was able to create a sample recipe using the maples software and download it into a maple hmi.
The information that is in the recipe for timer values for different styles was then in the maples HMI unit. In the maples you then scroll through and select the style you want and select to load it and then the values in the maples are pushed to the plc registers.
Not sure i fully understand your reply. Maybe you could explain in more detail why what i described above is not REALLY what happens.
Very interested in your explanation.
 
I am sure it is as you described. You build a recipe using Maple screens, then it gets saved into your MicroLogix memory. Most HMI programs are interlocked with the PLC addresses and memory registers, so that the operator knows what the PLC knows at all times. Only a very small amount of data is in the HMI at any one time.

Unless yours is something new and different. It is logical that as memory becomes cheaper, HMIs will be able to store more data. But does it really matter? As long you have a system that does the job, that is the important thing.

Does Maple also provide sample RSLogix programs to work with their Recipe HMI?
 
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Looking at your Maple HMI specifications, it does have 128 Mbytes of memory, and it does store the recipes in its own memory. I was wrong about it and sorry for my offenses.
 
Lance1
No problem, was a little short myself. Have done recipes in the past using the AB panelviews and some omron NT20 and Nt11 components and all of the info was stored in the plc, in the HMI you just selected a item you wanted to put a value in and it was then pushed directly into the plc register.
On a project i am working on now, have built 52 automatic molding machines and was only allowed to spend x amount of dollars so had to go with maples and only after all the machines are done now asked can we do recipes and a manager be able to update recipe data without having to use plc programming software. To be honest, not something i have done a lot of but looked over the maples units and saw you could do some recipes in the hmi and a person use the free download utility to update the recipe data without having to have the full programming software and know how to use. To be honest, still trying to get a better grasp as time allows. The only thing that is a problem is that with the Maples there does not appear to be a way to take a Excel file that already has all the info and then import that into the maples recipe utility. I called them and they said it was not possible. Hopefully this whole recipe thing will just fade away which is how things usually are around here. This site has been great.
Take care
 
Lance, have recently did a couple of projects using the Maples and micrologix 1400 and had the recipes built into the maples.
Have some older machines that have the 1400 and the small allen bradley panelview HMI units.
Would you happen to have a example program of a micrologix program with recipes stored in the PLC?
Thanks
 

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