AB SLC5/05 Remote I/O Block transfers

[Marc]

Here is my setup

2 1746-A4 4 Slot racks
2 1746-P1 power supplies
2 1747-L552 Processors
2 1747-BSN backup scanner modules

Looking at
1 1746-a13 13 slot rack
1 1747-ASB remote I/o adaptor
2 1746-ib16 input modules
4 1746-ow16 output modules
2 1746-NI8 modules
2 1746-NO8I modlues
2 open slots

In that order on the 13 slot chassis.

I have established the high speed serial link (BSN-BSN) and the remote i/o link between the BSN modules and the ASB module.

I have the discreet transfer working correctly configured as 4 full racks in my g-file configuration fro the BSN modules.



I have also gotten 1 channel of the analog output working via BTW instruction but I can't figure out how to address the other channels of the module or other modules in the chassis.



Anyone able to throw me a bone? This is the first time I've taken a whack at remote I/O and I'm not sure if I understand the addressing scheme.

Thanks in advance

Marc

[rPraveenkum]

Read this manual in chapter 7

http://support.elmark.com.pl/rockwel...ra/1747622.pdf

[Ron Beaufort]

Greetings Marc ...

if you need detailed help with this, we need more information ... please tell us how each and every one of the 24 DIP switches are set on your ASB module ... we also need to know whether you're using your analog modules in "Class 1" or "Class 3" mode in order to completely nail this down ...

[Marc]

Thanks Praveen, I already have that manual.

Hi Ron,
I was hoping you might jump in on this one.

Dip switch settings are as follows

SW-1 1-6 on for logical rack 0
7-8 on for logical group 0
SW-2 1-2 on for 56k
3 off (reserved)
4 on for pri/comp chassis
5-8 off for asb module image size (32)
SW-3 1 off (do not hold last state)
2 on restart lockout
3 on restricted
4 on last chassis
5-6 on/off 1 slot addressing
7 off Block transfer
8 on save mode

I was going to use the analog modules as class 1 devices. I thought that you could not use as class 3 on remote I/O but I could be mistaken.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provided. I have learned a lot of things reading your posts and I look foreward to learning more.

Marc

[Ron Beaufort]

Greetings Marc ...



sorry that I don’t have enough time to nail everything down properly ... but this should be enough “bare-bones” information to get you talking to the first NI8 module ... I tried to show how the addressing works ... hopefully this will be enough to point the way ... please post again if you have specific questions ... I hope to have time to finalize this - but the bo$$ has work for me to do ...






good luck with your project ...

[Marc]

Thanks Ron,

It's work just like you said.

I am interested in how you determined the rack, group, slot, values since these would not have been what I would have guessed.

My BTW to my output module seems to work no matter what I put in for a buffer file address. Why is that?

I guess I'm not understanding how to count up to the module location and how the buffer file is utilized by the ASB. I know I'm asking a lot but I am going cross eyed trying to get a grasp of the details from the manual.

Reminds me of trying to explain how to locate an i/o point on a PLC5 with half slot addressing to someone who had never heard of octal numbering.

I know once it clicks I'll have it forever but till then I appreciate you taking the time.

Marc

[Ron Beaufort]

Thanks Ron, It's working just like you said.

I love it when that happens ...

I am interested in how you determined the rack, group, slot, values since these would not have been what I would have guessed.

the details are in the ASB User Manual - but as you said, that’s not the easiest thing to interpret ...



the secret handshake that confuses most people is that when you put an ASB module in the first slot of the chassis, that slot is no longer “slot 0” anymore ... most people tend to think of it as “slot 0” since that’s the assignment when you have a processor in the first slot ... but ... when an ASB is installed, the first slot no longer has a number at all ... the NEXT slot becomes “slot 0” ... keeping this straight is hard enough when you’re in front of the system ... whenever I play “Mr. Answer-Man” over the phone, I always make the guy on the other end use LETTERS for the slots rather than NUMBERS while we’re discussing the module layout ... notice that using that system, your first NI8 module is located in “slot H” ... that happens to be “group 6” ...



the “SLOT” entry in the Block Transfer instructions only comes into play when/if you’re using “two-slot” addressing ... otherwise you always just enter that as “0” and get on with your life ...








if I understand your system correctly, you really only have one and a half “racks” to deal with - not four FULL racks as you showed on your SN layout ... knowing that might become important if you need to add some more hardware in the future ...



the next item on your agenda should be how to condition the Block Transfer rungs ... the examples that I gave are “just getting started” setups ... the key issue is that the BTWs to configure the NI8 modules don’t need to be executed over-and-over like my example does it ... look up the rung examples in the SLC Instruction Set Manual ... it shows some step-by-step procedures ... I’ll try to post more along those lines when I have time ...

My BTW to my output module seems to work no matter what I put in for a buffer file address. Why is that?

that is only a BUFFER ... think of it as an “IN” or an “OUT” basket for your module ... this is how the processor “gets in touch” with the module - by using Block Transfers (of data) through that “buffer” ... your system has 32 of them ... you seem to have figured out the “by-the-hundreds” number scheme so I won’t go into that now ... it really doesn’t make any difference which one you use - just make SURE that you don’t use the same buffer for more than one Block Transfer ... that would be “bad” ...

I guess I'm not understanding how to count up to the module location and how the buffer file is utilized by the ASB. I know I'm asking a lot but I am going cross eyed trying to get a grasp of the details from the manual.

hopefully what I’ve posted above is adequate ... if not, ask again and I’ll try again ... right now I’m just very short on time ...

Reminds me of trying to explain how to locate an i/o point on a PLC5 with half slot addressing to someone who had never heard of octal numbering.

funny that you should mention the PLC-5 ... this whole system of numbering/addressing the Remote I/O for the SLC platform is taken DIRECTLY from the older PLC addressing ... take a look at the numbers under the modules in the sketch above ... OCTAL! ... look at it that way and maybe the “aha!” light will come on for you ...

[Marc]

I see said the blind man!

Now a simple diagram like the one you posted would be a great addition to the AB manual.

So if I have this straight, I should configure my BSN modules to reflect this configuration



and reconfigure my dip switches to 12 logical groups (SW-2) 5-8 ON-OFF-ON-OFF.

Or does it make more sense to limit the discreet transfer to only the discreet modules (6 logical groups) and use block transfer for the rest of the data?

You have been a big help Ron, I can't thank you enough.

Marc