info on GE 9030 plc

Hello,

I have a customer asking me if I will service his GE 9030 plcs. His current programmers is being too unresponsive. I am not very familiar at all with GE plcs or their lineup.

Can you give me some help on what i would need? I gather this is some old stuff? What about software? Is the programming platform pretty straight forward?

Let me know your thoughts on opinions on the GE 9030. Thanks.

The 90-30 line was introduced in 1990 and was recently declared mature. Its successor is the Rx3i platform. Similar in physical size and capability to the Allen Bradley SLC series.
Originally programmed with a DOS software package called Logicmaster. Later they used a package called VersaPro and currently use a package called Proficy Machine Edition. Programs created with the earlier software can be easily converted to the newer. Thus Logicmaster programs can be converted to VersaPro or Proficy and VersaPro programs can be converted to Proficy.
Conversion from 90-30 to Rx3i is reasonably clean, although there are a few things you have to watch out for. The 90-30 I/O modules can coexist with Rx3i modules in a converted system.
As with any platform, it has its strengths and weaknesses. The stronger your ties to some other platform, the more you will struggle with the learning curve when getting used to working with the 90-30. Just keep an open mind and avoid the trap of trying to make the 90-30 and the programming software behave like the brand you're most familiar with. All PLCs have to accomplish the same tasks, but they approach those tasks differently. Take enough time to learn the differences in approach and you'll save yourself frustration over the long term.

lesmar96 said:

Can you give me some help on what i would need? I gather this is some old stuff? What about software? Is the programming platform pretty straight forward?

Let me know your thoughts on opinions on the GE 9030. Thanks.

Click to expand...

I think its a good platform, we sell all the cables you will need but get the full part numbers before you buy anything as they may be Ethernet and you will need nothing

The software is Proficy ME http://www.geautomation.com/products/machine-edition

Straight forward? for me its the hardest software I have learned or tried to... and I know and have just about every software made for programming HMIs and PLCs, that said there are a few of the best on this site (Steve and Russ) so if you have there help you should be fine

lesmar96 said:

Hello,

I have a customer asking me if I will service his GE 9030 plcs.

Click to expand...

If that means doing troubleshooting and making a change here or there, you should be fine. Trouble-shooting is similar no matter what ladder logic you are using. You will have a learning curve - that's a given. But it should not be challenging for you.

I used the logicmaster software and 90-30s in 1991-92. At the time, the 90-30 took more programming memory for analog operations than modicon, allen-bradley, or the older GE series 6. The pipeline application was a good fit, but the program that we ended up with did not look like it would have in modicon, or allen-bradley, or Series 6, or Omron, or Siemens.

As has been mentioned - don't try to make it do things your way. Work with the instructions available and learn how to make it work the 90-30 way.

One nice thing is if you convert him from the old 90-30 to RX3i...
You only need new backplane, power supply, and cpu. Almost all the IO modules from the 90-30 are compatible with the RX3i.
So...no un-wire, just unplug 90-30 IO modules, replace backplane, ps and CPU, then plug 90-30 modules back in.

NetNathan said:

One nice thing is if you convert him from the old 90-30 to RX3i...
You only need new backplane, power supply, and cpu. Almost all the IO modules from the 90-30 are compatible with the RX3i.
So...no un-wire, just unplug 90-30 IO modules, replace backplane, ps and CPU, then plug 90-30 modules back in.

Click to expand...

Except for some 3rd party 90/30 cards, such as Horner communications cards like the RTM705 and others.

As far as software, like others have mentioned you'll need Proficy Machine Edition. Also, as Steve mentioned you can convert older programs like Logicmaster and Versapro up to PME, however if you don't have copies of those programs don't worry. In PME you can create a new blank 90/30 project with the correct CPU module a few appropriate hardware config settings and nothing else, then connect to the PLC. The software will tell you there is a disparity between the PME project and the config of the PLC you are connected to. At this point you can opt to upload the configuration from the PLC to your blank PME project. Choose to upload the hardware config and the logic. You will now have the running config of the PLC you are connected to and can save the project. It's a good way to get the running config if you have nothing else to go on, I.E. the customer doesn't have or can't provide the 90/30 program.

Sapper307 said:

Except for some 3rd party 90/30 cards, such as Horner communications cards like the RTM705 and others.

As far as software, like others have mentioned you'll need Proficy Machine Edition. Also, as Steve mentioned you can convert older programs like Logicmaster and Versapro up to PME, however if you don't have copies of those programs don't worry. In PME you can create a new blank 90/30 project with the correct CPU module a few appropriate hardware config settings and nothing else, then connect to the PLC. The software will tell you there is a disparity between the PME project and the config of the PLC you are connected to. At this point you can opt to upload the configuration from the PLC to your blank PME project. Choose to upload the hardware config and the logic. You will now have the running config of the PLC you are connected to and can save the project. It's a good way to get the running config if you have nothing else to go on, I.E. the customer doesn't have or can't provide the 90/30 program.

Click to expand...

So passwords shouldn't be a problem??

I expect to be basically troubleshooting and possibly making small changes here and there. Seems like it should be manageable.

if the program is password protected you'll need those passwords, no way around that as far as i know. And i've tried like h3ll to break into some password protected logic before without any luck.