Learning my AB-C(ontrollogix)

Got a few questions about Controllogix and FactoryView ME.
Usually I'd just set up a test bench and figure it out, but money is in short supply (unless you're throwing it out of the windows), so project management didn't get spare parts for our new and never been used platform.

Controllogix (V17.01 & V20.01):
- Is there a way to achieve the Siemens way of preparing software offline and downloading specific parts of the program?
Currently everything is done online, which is nice, but it doesn't really allow for preparing vast modifications.
As I understand, one can only do a full download.

- When editing online and the communication drops before you could finalize the changes, what's the best course of action and what should never be done?


PanelView ME (V5.1 Runtime, V7.0 Design):
- OEM uses display number to perform certain actions in the PLC and selects new displays to be shown from the PLC. But display numbers aren't unique. So which display is opened when several have the same number?
Asking more out of curiosity really, in the process of checking all display numbers.

- We are experiencing intermittent communication loss between the PV1250 and the CLX. Communication is done via ethernet, using industrial, shielded, ethernet cable. Is there any way we can troubleshoot this? Any log generated by the PV?
I've also noticed ALL the displays have a max tag update time of 0.1s. Not sure if this might be part of the problem, but 0.1s seems rather fast.


I asked my local rep, but they don't have experience with setups like this. They don't use PV ME, they only know online programming, even for extended modifications, etc.
Since most people here know AB, I figured some of you might have interesting input.

Jeebs said:

Controllogix (V17.01 & V20.01):
- Is there a way to achieve the Siemens way of preparing software offline and downloading specific parts of the program?
Currently everything is done online, which is nice, but it doesn't really allow for preparing vast modifications.
As I understand, one can only do a full download.

Click to expand...

You can export your offline changes to an .XML file and import them when online. You can do this with rungs, routines and programs. Just right-click the item and click export. Having two instances of RSLogix5000 open (online/offline) usually you can copy/paste w/o issue. Exception might be for new tags, you might have to drag those over.

Jeebs said:

- When editing online and the communication drops before you could finalize the changes, what's the best course of action and what should never be done?

Click to expand...

Well, if you're having communication issues there is something else going on that should be looked at. Usually the processor will show the edits that have yet to be committed, once you are back online you should be able to commit those edits.

Jeebs said:

PanelView ME (V5.1 Runtime, V7.0 Design):
- OEM uses display number to perform certain actions in the PLC and selects new displays to be shown from the PLC. But display numbers aren't unique. So which display is opened when several have the same number?
Asking more out of curiosity really, in the process of checking all display numbers.

Click to expand...

You'd have to expand on this, sounds like they are using the PLC as a navigation reference to the PV??

Jeebs said:

- We are experiencing intermittent communication loss between the PV1250 and the CLX. Communication is done via ethernet, using industrial, shielded, ethernet cable. Is there any way we can troubleshoot this? Any log generated by the PV?

Click to expand...

Start at the CLX, open a webage and type in the IP Address of the CLX Ethernet card, you sill see a page of information although not very intuitive. Pay attention to CIP connections, it isn't uncommon for CIP connections to get maxed out on older systems becase too many things are trying to communicate with the CLX.

It could also be due to the CLX program not being optimized. If the scan time is too fast, RPI settings too fast, message blocks to fast...etc your processor could be maxed out and just doesn't have time to handle the communications. Would have to know specifics about your system to provide much more direction. You would have to start to use the 'Task Monitor Tool' to dig deep into the brain of the CLX to know what's going one, this is an additional software installation that integrates into the tools menu of RSLogix/Studio5000

Jeebs said:

I've also noticed ALL the displays have a max tag update time of 0.1s. Not sure if this might be part of the problem, but 0.1s seems rather fast.

Click to expand...

Sorry can't remember what that setting does, my PV knowledge is getting a bit rusty.

0.1s is not bad because it's only updating the screen that is active.

Of course, if you have 50+ PVs all doing that, you'll have some issues.

For comparison, I have a customer with a PVP6 1250 with a fairly busy analog screen that has an update of 0.05s. The operators need that kind of update because of the dangerous pressures involved. This is done over ControlNet, so you're only talking a 1Mbit connection, and it performs flawlessly. If you are having network issues, investigate the hardware.