What is the oldest PLC system you have running?

JesperMP said:
No was different. I dont remember the brand now. The system I remember was with little grey blocks 5mm x 20mm x 10mm, with the pins on one of the thin edges. The pins plugged into connectors that were soldered onto a circuit board. Worst time I had to try and fix one of these systems were when there was a hairline crack in one of the copper circuits on the circuit board. Intermittent error that only showed up at certain temperatures. And it was near impossible to get access to measure anything. And of course the logic was inverted (signal high = off), but that was the least inconvenience.
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was it 'Norlog'
 
Mad_Poet said:
Ian,
First thing I would do is create a ghost image of the computer. Restore the image to
another computer (capable of Win-2000). Get the Windows 'fixed' so it runs and that should carry everything across - RSLogix 5000, RSLinx, and that precious license.

I did that to an IBM thinkpad. When the Thinkpad died, I was able to put the image on another (old) laptop and get it running. Including that funky card for allowing the laptop to interface with a PLC5/15. I still use it to access PLC-5, SLC, and an RSLogix 500 PLC.
Poet.
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Hi Mad_Poet,

Thanks for you advice, I did note that the PC is on a UPS and I think that it is already backed up (well, I hope)

We have quoted to upgrade their system, but the PO hasn't arrived yet.
I think that they originally thought that only the RSView 32 needed to be upgraded, but when I investigated it further, I found out that they really needed a new processor.

To make it more interesting, all of the I/O is on DeviceNet, I think maybe 1794 I/O.

Maybe I shouldn't say this here...I managed to obtain a dodgy license for RSView 32 & have had the project running on my laptop under Windows XP mode offline to the PLC (I was off work on sick leave), hoping it might work in an emergency, but they really need to upgrade it properly
 
seth350 said:
That’s weird. I can’t edit it either.
Yeah it was a pic of the plc and another pic of the programming spread. Plc in the cabinet, tape player, tape, and user manual. Lol
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Critical piece of troubleshooting equipment missing from the picture, a #2 pencil to rewind the tape if the tape deck eats the tape.
 
@ seth350,

GE Fanuc Series One

It was the oldest, it finally died last week. It started loosing its program off and on, and we actually had the original program tape and tape player with cables.

Next oldest is a GE Fanuc Series One Junior

I’ll kind of miss programming that plc. It was always fun to skip down the aisle with a tape player and user manual tucked up under my arm. It would always get questions and confused looks. “Your going to program a PLC, with..whatever that is..?” Yes, it’s called a tape player. While not sitting in your room waiting for that one song to come on the radio, and triple checking that you got the tape ready so that you don’t record over any other songs, you can program PLCs with it.
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I don't want to digress too far OT, but, if your old tape player fails, there is a workaround. You can record the program as a .wav file using Audacity software along with the sound input (Mic) and sound output (Speaker/headphones).
 
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I work for a SI / Controls Co. that are in a very lucky position that can afford to turn down work, so let others struggle with it.

Most of the dinosaurs above would be a straight no and wouldn't even get to the quote stage.

This was the latest straight "No Thanks"

98ufck.jpg


It went very Pete Tong and wouldn't do anything anymore, it was made in the early 70's! This circuit board company actually relied on this POS to enable them to get their products out the door.

If you're that blind as to not see that relying on a machine build in the 70's is a major risk to your business, then god help you.
 
My company got a contract to replace a Square D Symax with a Controllogix, but not before making some changes in the Symax programming while we prepare the new PLCs for use.

Let's just say that when I first laid my eyes on Symate, I felt spoiled by the (relatively) modern conventions of RsLogix. Not only is the interface in the traditional DOS eyestrain blue with white rungs and the expected "4 lines to a screen" format, but IMO the most grating thing is that you can either view addresses, or comments (if the bits even have them). Not both at the same time.

I'm pretty sure the program is one huge, long ladder as well. I'd have to check back to make sure.

At least the cross reference tool is usable.
 
I retired in 2015. In 2014 I was to seek out the old stuff. I knew there was a Modicon Micro 84 still running a small water filter system. We had spares from other machines scrapped out so they were not worried.
Anyone ever work on any airlogic? It was from the mid to late 70's I think. It seemed old when I started in 1984. It had logic gate modules, air switches, and relays. It looked like ladder logic but used tiny air lines to program. No electric components. The modules even had little flag buttons that would pop up when it had flow. So you would push down all the buttons run a sequence and follow the logic gate to gate to troubleshoot. It was replaced with a TI520 around 1995. That and many other TI520 and 530 and maybe a SL100 or 150 were still running in 2015.
 
John Soltesz said:
I retired in 2015. In 2014 I was to seek out the old stuff. I knew there was a Modicon Micro 84 still running a small water filter system. We had spares from other machines scrapped out so they were not worried.
Anyone ever work on any airlogic? It was from the mid to late 70's I think. It seemed old when I started in 1984. It had logic gate modules, air switches, and relays. It looked like ladder logic but used tiny air lines to program. No electric components. The modules even had little flag buttons that would pop up when it had flow. So you would push down all the buttons run a sequence and follow the logic gate to gate to troubleshoot. It was replaced with a TI520 around 1995. That and many other TI520 and 530 and maybe a SL100 or 150 were still running in 2015.
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Yeah, gives whole new meaning to spaghetti.
I worked for a company that had a machine that only had one 20HP electric motor and around a 120:1 gearbox. The rest was a bunch of Clippard valves.
This machine would grab the hide on a hanging hog with a number of fingers and then rotate a drum to peel the hide off. When done it would cut the hide loose from the hog and drop the hide.

Not too bad you say?

All of the air valves were inside the rotating drum. A gap big enough to fit one arm with a knife blade on one side.

Lock. It. Out.
 
seth350 said:
Yeah, gives whole new meaning to spaghetti.
I worked for a company that had a machine that only had one 20HP electric motor and around a 120:1 gearbox. The rest was a bunch of Clippard valves.
This machine would grab the hide on a hanging hog with a number of fingers and then rotate a drum to peel the hide off. When done it would cut the hide loose from the hog and drop the hide.

Not too bad you say?

All of the air valves were inside the rotating drum. A gap big enough to fit one arm with a knife blade on one side.

Lock. It. Out.
Click to expand...

My first industrial job I work on a Bristol-Babcock pnuematic PID boiler control system on a 65 ton boiler (IIRC). It was finicky to say the least. I think at least twice a week we were cleaning or replacing something. The only people allowed to touch it were me and my boss. I really didn't want to be one of those two people. I do have to say the craftmanship on it was beautiful however.
 
John Soltesz said:
Anyone ever work on any airlogic?
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My great uncle was unable to serve in WW2 because he was one of the only people understood the pneumatic logic circuits at the papermill he worked at. It was my understanding that pnematic logic was getting fairly outdated even in the 40s.
 
Helliana said:
My great uncle was unable to serve in WW2 because he was one of the only people understood the pneumatic logic circuits at the papermill he worked at. It was my understanding that pnematic logic was getting fairly outdated even in the 40s.
Click to expand...

I worked on an entire rear axle assembly line at Ford in the mid 80s that used "numa-logic". Open the panel door at each station and a rats nest of hoses interconnected with little logic gates would fall out. Amazingly, there were controls drawings so the circuits could be debugged; with hose lengths called out! Someone did a heck of a good job.

I think as recent as 20 years ago I had to use a pneumatic anti-tie down push button bar to satisfy a customer spec.
 

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