Simatic and MicroMaster

Dear Sirs,
I have a rather large machine with many MasterDrives and several MicroMaster drives. It runs under Step 7 with three PLC's and the drives are all on Profibus.

The device configuration shows all the drives - both the MasterDrives and the MicroMasters.

I can access the MasterDrives through Step 7 and the Drive Monitor program and I can pull the parameters out of the Drives. (I assume I can download parameters back into a drive but I haven't had the need to yet.)

I can not access the MicroMasters.

When I set up (Step 7 and Drive Monitor) to access the MasterDrives I used the MasterDrive MC Plus with profibus addresses of 4, 5, 6, etc. etc.

Using the same methodology I have MicroMaster, MicroMaster Eco, or MicroMaster Vectra . . . . and none of those options have the same software version as the MicroMaster 4 drives I'm using. (And none of them will access the MicroMaster drives.)

It is a MicroMaster 4 Drive. Software Version 1.2. Profibus Address of 88.
What do I need to do to get Drive Monitor to access them via Step 7?

Help?
MadPoet.

Mr Mad
Can you access them through Starter?. This is what I have always used with MM4 drives. (And integrated with Step7)
In your hardware config do the MM4 have a very small triangle on the right bottom of the gsd?

Download and install Starter software:

https://support.industry.siemens.co...8/sinamics-micromaster-starter?dti=0&lc=en-WW

Dear JRW,
I have no idea what 'Starter' is, yet, but I see where I can download it.
(Thanks, sigmadelta.)

There is no very small triangle.

I'm trying to paste an image from my hardware configuration, but it isn't working. On the image, the MasterDrives are shown as a big box with a purple line attaching the box to a motor, and the MicroMaster Drives are shown as a small box with a purple line attaching it to a motor. The MasterDrive has text - (91)rot-1 - where 91 is the Profibus address and rot-1 is short for rotor motor. One of the MicroMaster box texts has '(88)rel-2' where 88 is its Profibus address and rel-2 signifies it is a second drive in a two belt conveyor belt system 'release'.

And, yes, I used the front panel on the MicroMaster to verify the profibus address.

Sigmadelta,
I plan on pulling down that 'Starter' and I'll see what I can do with it.
Thanks,
MadPoet.

Starter is the programming software for MM4 drives. Drive Monitor is the programming software for MM3 and Masterdrives.
I could not get an MM4 to connect over profibus with Drive Monitor
Download Starter then we can talk about integrating your MM4 drives into Step 7

Many Thanks.
I have downloaded Starter, and the option and the help files. It might be a day or two before I get a chance to try installing it, in the meantime I do intend to look at the help files.

(I believe there was a software patch - do I need to get that also? And, my MicroMaster Drives date back to around 2007 . . . being old will that make a difference?)

I'll let you guys know how it goes.
Thanks,
MadPoet.

After installing. Create a simple stand alone starter project. Insert your MM4 model and firmware. Set your pg pc interface
Then try to connect to a drive.

Post some hardware config screenshots of your step 7 project

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/images/attach/jpg.gif

OK. I read the FAQ, and this should be from the hardware config screen.

From what you guys have told me, I am going to have to install that Starter.
First on my test machine just to get a feel for it, then on the live machine.

(My test machine is a PC with a PLC card in it running Step 7 and the same software as on the live machine. I also have a recent ghost image of the computer in the live machine so if I totally screw things up I can go back to what I had before.)

At the moment I am un-zipping the zip files the Starter came in.
Thanks,
Zim.

Heres how mine looks-
Notice the gsd file used for MM440- see bottom discription
Also back in Simatic Manager- the drives are part of the 300 station and Drives Monitor and or Starter can be launched from there

Hello mad_poet,

one question: are you not able to communicate drivemonitor to MM440 or PLC over profibus to MM440?

If first case: Sometimes in drivemoitor you have to create new project and set device type and version as required, this will create default parameter set. and from this project try to go online.

Hope this helps.
Kbv.

Dear KBV,
As JRW pointed out

JRW typed : >>
" Drive Monitor is the programming software for MM3 and Masterdrives.
I could not get an MM4 to connect over profibus with Drive Monitor "
>>

I believe that is my first problem - what is in my system is not what is needed to communicate with the MicroMaster 4's. (Drive parameter wise - I'm sure drive operation wise everything works great.)

JRW,
I downloaded and un-zipped the 'Starter' downloads . . . when I read the Install read me, I found that it starts with MicroMaster firmware version 1.3 - and mine are 1.2. And, this latest version requires Windows 7 . . . and I'm running XP on the machine.

So, I need to download the previous version and try, try, again.
Thanks guys,
I'm not desperate for this, but I would like to get the technology installed and know how to use it before something breaks and I do get desperate.
Thanks,
MadPoet.

Hello mad_poet,

Sorry. forgot to mention that you need to use MM440 communication kit order no. 6ES6400-1PC00-0AA0 for drivemonitor and your Laptop must have com port or you will have to use usb to comport convertor.

But if you only want to communicate with drive on profibus then you need starter.

P.S.- you can use drivemonitor with MM440 also.

Kbv.

Dear Sirs,
Starter Version 4.4 also started with firmware version 1.3. . .

And then I noticed that I had, sitting on the desk right in front of me, the CD that came with the machine and the spare drives. Which has Starter Version 4.1 on it and this looks like what I need.

It is not on the running machine. So I installed it on the test machine, and it looks like I will need to create its own project (which I did) and then set the 'PG/PC' interface. To what should I set the PG/PC interface? I have a CP5613 A2 interface card in the machine, but that, according to the hardware configuration, does not go to the Drives I need to access.

There is also a CPU 416-2 card in my machine and the Profibus which runs to the drives comes off its DP port (I'm pretty sure).

If there is a 'PC Adapter Profibus' can I just use that?

It will probably be Monday afternoon before I dare try installing Starter on the running machine.
MadPoet.

Success!

For a while I thought sure I was going to have to beg for more help . . .
But I got it. I installed Starter on my running machine, I managed to stumble upon
how to get the PG/PC interface to work (same as for Step-7 and accessing Master-
Drives) . . . And then when I could not find the parameter list, I found the 'Expert
List' - which gives me the table with all the parameters so I can make sure my
Profibus Address is what it is supposed to be.

Now as long as the Machine still runs correctly . . . . (Looks like it will.)

Thanks guys.
Mad Poet.