CTi I/O driving us crazy

(8{)} ( .)

Lifetime Supporting Member
Join Date
Apr 2004
Location
Israel
Posts
625
Hi All,

We've got a CTi based system with 4 racks. The CPU is in the 1st rack and there are 3 remote racks numbered 1, 2, and 3. We are swapping out the controller with an AB CLX and a ProSoft ALX TI to EIP interface. We removed the CPU from the rack and replaced it with an RIO adapter module (2500-RIO-B.) The other RIO adapters are 2500-RIO-A. We plug in the ProSoft module and auto configure the system. It detects all of the modules in all 4 racks, that is, the original 3 plus where the CPU was.

The problem is is that while the CLX sees the original RIO racks without any problems we can't get that 4th rack to work! We did every kind of swapping out and swapping around that we could think of. The problem seems to be related to the I/O chassis but I could find no configuration jumpers on the chassis and there is no indication that there even exists more than one type of chassis (other than size.)

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here?

Thanks!

(8{)} :) .)
Yosi
 
Hello

For my understanding.

The prosoft module is the gateway between the Ti io and the ab plc that replaces the Cti plc?
The prosoft module emulates the Rs485 RIO master and replaces the Cti cpu?

Is the local base where you put in a 2500 rbc instead of the Cti cpu causing the problem?

Is your Rs485 cabeling correct because you added an extra remote base ( suppose you are familiar with the Cti Ti remote io wiring guidelines about termination lenght from trunk and drop cables etc)

Kind regards
Henny
 
Hi Henry. Thanks for your response. Here are my answers, explanations, (and excuses?)

For my understanding.

The prosoft module is the gateway between the Ti io and the ab plc that replaces the Cti plc? Correct. The TI (actually CTi) PLC is being replaced by an AB PLC. We swapped out the old PLC with an RIO module (CTi 2500-RIO-B)

The prosoft module emulates the Rs485 RIO master and replaces the Cti cpu? Correct

Is the local base where you put in a 2500 rbc instead of the Cti cpu causing the problem? Correct

Is your Rs485 cabeling correct because you added an extra remote base ( suppose you are familiar with the Cti Ti remote io wiring guidelines about termination lenght from trunk and drop cables etc)
Aaaah. Here come the excuses. We are using the existing cabling which I never care to do but we do have to go back to the working system until we finish the FAT. I did direct my office to fabricate a completely new set of cabling for the next time we go on-site. With that said we are dealing with a working system. There is a rack directly below the problematic one that communicates correctly. We switched the plugs from that working rack to the problematic one and the problem stayed with the rack.


I am not a TI guy but I do know that there are some controllers that have special racks for CPUs and other controllers with DIP switches and other racks with jumpers. I was unable to see any of these on the TI rack (damn!) I have little hope that the cabling will correct the problem but I do know that it is something that has to be done. Perhaps there is some kind of power-supply jumper. I just don't know...

Kind regards
Henny

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

(8{)} :) .)
Yosi
 
Hello

Thanks for your quick answers!

The rbc in the fourth rack at what adres did you set it?
The existing remote bases had adresses 1,2,3 and the default adress for a TI/CTI cpu is 0 but since there is no Cti cpu anymore did you set it to 4?

Also worth to try( if plant allows you) is to swap rbc modules to see if the problem is related to the 2500-RIO-B module?

Kind regards
Henny
 
Hello

Thanks for your quick answers!

The rbc in the fourth rack at what adres did you set it? We tried both 4 and 8. The ProSoft detected both just fine.

The existing remote bases had adresses 1,2,3 and the default adress for a TI/CTI cpu is 0 but since there is no Cti cpu anymore did you set it to 4? Yes

Also worth to try( if plant allows you) is to swap rbc modules to see if the problem is related to the 2500-RIO-B module? We tried that already. I was thinking that because the other 3 modules are series A that there might be an issue. ProSoft said that there are no known issues.

Kind regards
Henny

Thanks once again. Heading home.

Yosi
 
Hello

So it Seems that it,s not a cabling issue since the prosoft detects all the remote bases.
What kind of io is in the fourth base( where the Cti cpu was located) just analog and digital io so no sfpgm io like communication cards from Cti/Ti or Siemens 505?

Do all the rbc,s show a 0 in their display When connected to the prosoft?

Have a good trip home!

Kind regards
Henny
 
Thanks Henry.

There was an enet extension module that we removed. The modules don't have 7 seg displays so I don't know the status. The series B rio does power up much faster than the series A so we've reset ti manually when it comes up too fast. That's another issue we've got to fix but that's for later. When it does power up it sometimes displays a status of 7 but cycling power fixes that.

Tell me, is the configuration data stored on the adapter (like the 1747-ASB) or is it a "dumb" module. Remember that the other 3 racks were configured via the software. As someone with very little TI knowledge that question might seem silly but I've got to ask.

Thanks again.

Yosi
 
Hello Yosi

The configuration is stored in the CTI plc meaning the RBC module is a Dumb module and needs no software configuration. Attached screenshot shows the I/O configuration stored in a CTI plc using workshop programming software.

So as long as the adress setting (rbc nbr) is set correctly the Prosoft gateway should be able to connect.
Other things that you can set on the RBC is the baudrate from it,s serial port and how the I/o in the Rack acts in case of communication loss with the CPU (in your situation the Prosoft) leave the outputs in their last state or bring the outputs to a safe situation (every output to zero).

Kind regards
Henny
 
Thanks Henry,

This basically brings us back to square one. As I said, the ProSoft configures the base correctly, at least that's how it appears. At this point I'm thinking about sacrificing a goat...

Thanks once more,

Yosi
 
Hello Yosi

What if you connect all four racks to the prosoft but in the fourt rack
Place the io cards one by one and auto configure the io everytime.
This to test if you can get that fourt rack running and find out if an particulare io card causes the problem.

Otherwise if Prosoft can,t support you with this just call CTI, your probably not the first custumer who replaces a cti cpu for ab or a Siemens one and besides you are still using their io modules.

I,m sorry that I can,t help you further with this issue.

Kind regards
Henny
 
Thanks Henny,

That is a great idea! I should have thought of that!

We will be on-site on Thursday and try that out. I'll fill you in with the results.

Thanks and regards!

Yosi
 
Hi Henny,

Problem found!

It turns out that there were 2 incompatible CTi analog input modules, part 2558, that are incompatible with newer CPUs like the ProSoft. When the modules were removed the system worked perfectly. We are replacing these modules with point I/O from Rockwell.

Thanks for all of the great help and pass this on!

Regards,

Yosi
 
Hello Yosi

Great that you found the problem!
If the project was in the Netherlands we could have trade modules because we have the older version 505-6108-B and also CTI2558 ones.
But at the end it,s better to invest in newer io types.

Kind regards
Henny
 

Similar Topics

Hello Guys, I´m try to upgrade from an old TI-555 plc to CTI-2500: 1. Program has been downlaoded to CTI-2500 without any errors. 2. I/O config...
Replies
12
Views
2,520
We have six NICs for Siemens 505 chassis at our place, and four are acting normally. Two are not able to complete set-up. I have tried both the...
Replies
5
Views
2,128
Hello to everyone. In the part of the malting plant where I work we use CTI plc,s to control the malting proces. In all the other plants Siemens...
Replies
3
Views
1,940
I'm having trouble programming a PID loop in 505 workshop. Are there any examples out there of how to program this, or how it even works? I got a...
Replies
0
Views
1,476
Looking to see if anyone has been sucessfull in getting a Siemens plc, either s7-300/1200 or even 1500 to control the brooks automation cti...
Replies
1
Views
1,659
Back
Top Bottom