GE 90-30, Refurbished CPU 363 loses program every time power is cycled.

AutomationTechBrian

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Join Date
Jul 2013
Location
St. Cloud, MN
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I'm checking on an issue my customer is having with a refurbished CPU that we just installed. I downloaded the program, checked the save to flash box, the Battery light is not on (power supply battery), and yet, every time we cycle power, we lose the program.

Is there something I'm missing, or do you think this is a defective CPU?

CPU363.png
 
To use the program you stored to flash memory you also need to go into the CPU's configuration and set it to read program and data from non-volatile memory on startup. Default setting is to get everything from RAM.
However, losing RAM upon power restoration after just changing the battery suggests either a bad battery or bad connection from the battery in the power supply to the RAM in the CPU.
If you have the opportunity to experiment, you could try connecting the battery directly to the CPU module. To do so you need to remove the front cover from the CPU. The battery connector is between the LEDs and the keyswitch.
 
I'm getting ready to leave the jobsite...

Talked with the seller... Used Teamviewer so he could examine the problem. He thought the issue *might* be with the CPU... but it is more likely in the software.

Called GE... they're short on 90-30 support... I'll send them this attached pic. The seller says the Passwords: Disabled is probably an issue driving this problem. I'm trying to confirm and see what can be done... if anything.

Anyone have thoughts?

FlashProblem.png
 
Passwords disabled simply means you can't establish a password. It is a change from the default setting. You can have passwords enabled and not set a password. Setting passwords to disabled is a one-way street. You can't re-enable passwords after disabling except by clearing the memory to return the CPU to its out-of-the-box state.
What operation generated the message in the feed back zone? Were you trying to download to flash as shown in your earlier post? Try downloading to flash in smaller increments, program only, then configuration only, then values.
 
Steve, I'm a little bummed out I didn't get the notification from you earlier post while I was on the job site. I would have liked to look at it closer while I was there. I will pull the laptop out over the weekend and look at the saved configuration for the CPU. I will reply to everything you asked at that time. If I get this machine figure it out, it will affect my ability to work on several machines. Thanks again for your replies! I really appreciate the time you take.
 
If your boss and your customer will permit it, send me a copy of the program file. I have a CPU363 so perhaps I can duplicate some of your issues and possibly help resolve them.
You can email me at stephen dot bailey2 at Verizon dot net.
 
Well... "boss" is not a term we use, since we're all individually incorporated and work as a team of equals. And my customer has an interest in solving this issue for all of his machines. I originally had him buy the CPU so we could safely download the uploaded program to get logic equal for live troubleshooting. All of his machines use the same CPU 363. I showed him the power of troubleshooting by watching the program, and he's all in now.

...I will send you the file shortly.

Thanks, again!

Brian
 
I was able to download the program you sent me to my CPU363. The only thing I had to do was to put the keyswitch in the "Off" position (key horizontal) in order to be able to perform the download to Flash memory.
Unfortunately there are no variable descriptions or rung comments in the project file. Did you simply pull the program from the PLC or did the customer supply the file? This model PLC does not store any documentation in the CPU so all you get when you extract the program from the PLC is the variable addresses.
 
Like most of my interactions with PLCs for troubleshooting, I am simply working with an uploaded file. It seems the CPU my customer purchased could indeed be bad... which is what I originally suspected. Thank you for helping me confirm this. I can use this information to exchange the refurbished CPU for another. I was afraid my inexperience was the reason we were having problems.
 

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