AB PIC communication help

russrmartin

Member
R
Join Date
Aug 2002
Location
Eastman, Wisconsin
Posts
744
I am trying to communicate with an old SLC500 thru an Allen Bradley PIC gizmo. I've never tried talking to this thing, and it is older than anything I'm used to. I think I have the correct driver configured in RSLinx, but I am wondering this. What is the correct driver? and what port should I be talking too. All I could find was male to male converter which would seat into the printer port of my laptop. Am I way off? If anyone has any input, it's appreciated as I'm stumped by this old girl.

Russ
 
russrmartin said:
All I could find was male to male converter which would seat into the printer port of my laptop
Click to expand...

Ahhhhhh!... :eek: Serial, serial, serial my dear Russ. The PIC has no ink in it!

Way back when, serial ports were 25-pin (male). Someone finally got smart and figured out that you only need 9 nowadays... :rolleyes:

You'll need a 25 to 9 pin converter and it'll plug right into your serial port, unless you goofed and bought one of those new laptops with NO serial port... :D

I'm not sure if the PIC enjoyed being connected to the parallel port. IOW, it might not work anymore... utoh

Just 'cause you can find an adapter to plug stuff together don't always mean they are SUPPOSED to be plugged together! (n)

-Eric
 
That's ok

Eric,

Thanks for the info. I'm not too worried about the PIC not working anymore. That would just be a good reason for a guy like my boss to give me the go ahead to change this thing into something from this millenium. I am still curious as to whether or not I have the correct driver. We'll give er a go though and see what happens.

Russ
 
As far as the driver in rslinx there is a driver just for the pic.
Although it can be used without the pic for other things as I learned the hard way (lost lots of sleep over it!!! )

Just one question do you have the pcmk card for the laptop?


Drewcrew6
 
one step closer, and yet so far away

Well, while using the 9 to 25 connector, we can see the PLC when browsing, but when we upload, it goes down with this. Upload Failed, then it says, decompiler->unknown error. What I am trying to do is this. This is a machine that was programmed outside the plant, and of course we have no written copy of the program, nor anything on the computer. I'm trying to upload the program so that I can try to make some sense of it and put it on our network file. The answer to the last question, yes, we do have a PCMK card. Is there another way we can communicate with this dinosaur?
 
Assuming its the series b pcmk card. You need the 1784-pcm4/b cable.
One end plugs into the pcmk card the other has the connector for the proc.(oversized telephone jack/rj-45 is it? )

Then set the driver for the correct cable. I believe the driver is at the end of a list that starts with 1784-kt/ktx but ends with pcmk.

The only thing to watch out for is that in configuration for the driver you can select dh+ or dh-485, i believe you will need dh-485 but if that don't work try the other. Also if the other settings don't match the proc. you won't see the proc at all. So try to be sure the settings match or try all combinations before you say it won't work.

Drewcrew6
 
Last edited:
Uh-oh. PIC or not, you've run into a problem that requires another fix.

That "decompiler error" means that your OEM probably used a *very* old version of APS software to program this controller. There are some compiler features that changed about nine years ago and the newer software (RSLogix 500) cannot understand a couple of code items.

Before yet another A-B flame thread starts, you need to know that this only happens in a limited number of circumstances; all old processors are still supported by RSLogix 500, but certain program features in a few old processors are not.

The good news is that A-B Support can give you an AI-500 based upload utility that can run in Win95/98 and load the program out of this controller. The resulting offline memory image can be opened in RSLogix 500.
 
Ken Roach is right on with his advice on older SLC500 units. I run into these at various sites. It is usually the panel they haven't opened in a while. I use a PIC Comm module also, but I keep on old DOS version of Allen Bradleys APS software just for these old tried and true PLCs. I can then convert the old program in RSLogix500.

I would be interested in hearing more on Post#5 where drewcrew6 says he has found other uses for the PIC driver.

Thanx Danocane
 
other uses for the PIC driver

Connecting to an AIC+

Connecting to a SLC 5/03,5/04,5/05 channel0 configured as DH-485

Connecting to any AB PLC (or any other AB device, for that matter) that has an RS-232 channel configurable for DH-485 communications, including Micrologix, Compactlogix, Panelview, etc........
 
I was actually going to post this as a bonus question but since it was asked.

93LT1 nailed it on the head. I found it by trial and error (accident really) tring to setup a panelview550 rs232 w/dh485 comms, but does work on what lt1 mentioned. since then I don't use the pic anymore and have one serial port (drivers that is ) for df1 and the second for pic. Never have to change drivers just cables. Granted my "play stash" is not that extensive. Since I don't have a pcmk card its actually enjoyable to get my comms setup in rslinx.

The only cable pinout I have used this with is the same as the comms cable for the above panelview to a 5/03,5/04, or 5/05.Maybe LT1 has had other uses/cables he has used.

Drewcrew6
 
Well....

Keep in mind that SLC ch0, Micrologix, and Compactlogix are by default configured for DF1, in which case you would use the DF1 driver. If they have been Configured for DH-485, You would use the 1747-PIC/AIC+ driver.

Cables:

1747-CP3 (AB part# for null modem RS-232 cable)

Any SLC channel 0
Micrologix 1500 (LRP) channel 1
Compactlogix channel 0 or 1


2711-NC13(AB part# for straight-through RS-232 cable)
Any Panelview RS-232 port(RS-232 DH-485, except 300micro)

2707-NC8 (AB proprietary cable; small din to 9-pin D-shell)
any Micrologix
Panelview 300 micro
 
Hey Guys Thanx for the info on the RSLinx Drivers. I haven't had the opportunity to work with that many of the drivers (just DH-485, DH+, DF1 and the 1747-PIC). It's always good to know some other ways to get connected.

Thanx Danocane :p
 

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