GE 90-30 - Online via Ethernet to CMM321 with Proficy 8.5 on 64-bit Windows 7

I'll keep this as brief as possible, but it is a long story. I've been programming 90-30's since the late 90's. Haven't used them much lately but have an old customer needing some work done.

I changed the CPU331 to a CPU350 so I can use Proficy Machine Edition v.8.50 (which is not the latest but what I have). I relocated all the I/O modules to open up slot 2 for a CMM321 Ethernet interface module. My goal is to throw up a wireless access point and be online to the CPU without having to use a serial cable.

Found CMM321's for around $125 on eBay, the AAUI transceiver is around $20. After much reading I decided to invest another $20 in a 10mb hub because it is reported the older CMM321 with AAUI transceiver's don't talk well with modern switches.

I have this working right now with the wireless access point so I can move around the room and stay online. Yes it has to have the 10mb hub in between the transceiver and the wireless access point, it will not work without the 10mb hub.

Here's my issues:
Unable to go online with Proficy Machine Edition 8.5 via Ethernet on Windows 7 64-bit. I can go online serially with this software on this OS. At first I thought this was my problem with the hardware.

I took an old laptop running Windows XP and LM90 and was able to go online to the 90-30 PLC using LM90 Ethernet, so that proved the hardware. Turns out this old Windows XP laptop has version 8.0 of Proficy Machine Edition and I can get online via Ethernet with version 8.0.

On this old laptop I can shut it down and stick in a Windows 7 64-bit drive running Proficy v8.5 and cannot go online via Ethernet. This echoes my testing on other computers (Virtual Machines) also running Windows 7 64-bit and Proficy v8.5.

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I know how to roll my project back to Proficy v8.0 by uploading from the PLC and importing the variables, but of course I cannot retain the rung comments. There are a LOT of rung comments so this is not desirable.

I'd like to be able to go online via Ethernet to the 90-30 CMM321 module using Proficy Machine Edition v 8.5 on 64-bit Windows 7. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul Blanchard

I'd like to be able to go online via Ethernet to the 90-30 CMM321 module using Proficy Machine Edition v 8.5 on 64-bit Windows 7. Any suggestions are appreciated

Click to expand...

And I:d like to be in my 30's again, but not likely to happen. Although you have a better chance than I.
Please upgrade the VERY old 90-30 to modern hardware and retire your problems along with your customers. Talk to your GE dealer and work out a trade-in.

Yes I bet you got a laugh out of this endeavor! It does sound like a science project!

Just to follow up in case anyone else hits this on a search in the future. I was unable to use Proficy v8.50 to talk to the CMM321. It works every time on Proficy v8.0. I suspect this is because of the Windows operating system, Windows 7.

I tested by creating a VM of 32-bit Windows 7 and installed Proficy v8.0 and it will also ping the CMM321 but Proficy v8.0 won't go online.

Proficy 8.5 won't install on Windows XP because of .dot Framework 4.51.

Proficy v8.0 will go online to a CMM321 when installed on Windows XP, proven on three computers.

So I just manually copied the rung comments from the Windows 7 Proficy 8.50 VM to the Windows XP Proficy 8.0 VM and I'm good for the duration of this project. Can go online via wireless network and this problem is resolved.

To repeat, the CMM321 won't talk to 100mb switches. I'm using a 10mb HUB connected to the CMM321. The 10MB HUB then connects to a modern 100mb wireless router configured to be a wireless access point.

Obviously replacing all this old hardware is the best path, but for some customers the expense of doing this is not practical. And yes, sometimes my pride gets in the way of forcing their hand.

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To downgrade in version of Proficy, simply load the PLC with the latest version.

Open the earlier version of Proficy and upload from the PLC.

Now in the later version of Proficy, export your variables. Then import the .csv variables into the earlier version. You now have all your annotation except the rung comments.