GE Fanuc can talk to RS232 device?

djshorty

Member
Join Date
Sep 2003
Posts
17
I know that you can use a RS232 serial cable to control/monitor the PLC but can I use it as an input?

Can I plug a flow meter with a RS232 serial interface into the PLC and read values?

Thanks.

K
 
I know that you can use a RS232 serial cable to control/monitor the PLC but can I use it as an input?
You can?

Can I plug a flow meter with a RS232 serial interface into the PLC and read values?
Can you?

I know these sound like goofy questions BUT you did NOT offer details..ie what GE PLC. Are you using a Serial communication card? GE Fanucs I deal with use RS422 and SNP for the programming port, yes if using an RS232 to RS422 and SNP you may be able to control/monitor the PLC...same as software like LogicMaster90, VersaPro, and Cimplicity (there may be others).

Offer more details please.

NOTE: If using a serial communication card that is RS232 and a device that is RS232 then it should work. It may be possible using the adapter BUT I am not sure HOW. Maybe Steve will see this and reply.
 
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First, you need a PLC model that supports the serial I/O protocol. That means oither a VersaMax PLC or 90-30 CPU models 351, 352, or 363. Any of these have an RS232 port that can be configured to accept ASCII strings.

Information on setting up the ladder logic to support serial I/O can be found in chapter 9 of the manual GFK-0582D, available here .

If your flowmeter can be configured as a Modbus RTU master, you have more options, not to mention a lot less ladder logic debugging.
 
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We have used GE Fanuc PCM ( Programmable Communication Module) with GE 90 30 to communicate with Advance Spectra flow computer. We had to write the protocol in basic.

If you need same.. let me know

[email protected]
 
First, you need a PLC model that supports the serial I/O protocol. That means oither a VersaMax PLC or 90-30 CPU models 351, 352, or 363. Any of these have an RS232 port that can be configured to accept ASCII strings.

Information on setting up the ladder logic to support serial I/O can be found in chapter 9 of the manual GFK-0582D, available here .

If your flowmeter can be configured as a Modbus RTU master, you have more options, not to mention a lot less ladder logic debugging.

I know this a super old post, but am hoping someone sees it and offers some input. I'm looking to do the same thing as the original poster on this thread. That is, control and monitor my RS-232 device using my 90-30 PLC. I have a CPU364 and PCM311 module on my legacy equipment and looking through GFK-0582D, I see neither the CPU nor the PCM supports serial I/O read/write functions as Steve's response mentioned.

I asked my PLC vendor about this same scenario and he suggested a) using MegaBasic to write a program for the PCM to send out the required text string to the RS-232 device or b) using a third-party module HE693RTM705 that essentially has done option A for me already. To be totally transparent, I simply do not have the experience to go down the option A route. I'm a mechanical engineer and my experience with PLCs is very limited to reading/modifying existing ladder logic to troubleshoot hang-ups in existing automated processes or bad I/O signals for example. I have no experience setting up new hardware nor do I have any programming language knowledge outside of said ladder logic troubleshooting above.

I am wondering though if anyone can offer any input on option B, which I have not been able to find any documentation for to see if it's even in the realm of possibility for my skill level. Searching for the HE693RTM705 online, the module is described as serving as a Modbus/RTU master channel. What I'm confused by is whether the Modbus RTU protocol can be used for my RS-232 device. I don't see anything in the device documentation mentioning Modbus... the only pertinent info is that the device communicates using "messages that consist of a series of ASCII characters transmitted via a standard RS-232 asynchronous framing convention of one start bit, seven data bits, a parity bit generated for even parity, and one stop bit; at a transmission rate of 2400 baud." Again, this is exposing how little experience I have with PLCs in general, but can any RS-232 device communicate using the Modbus RTU protocol?
 
What is the manufacturer and part number of the device you're trying to communicate with? Can you post a link to a manual for it? I'm pretty sure I can still find some Megabasic code for the PCM module that can be adapted to do what you need.
I even have a working PCM module.
That being said, the 90-30 is a mature product, no longer being manufactured. The CPU364 was declared mature several years before the rest of the product line. What are your plans for this PLC going forward? You might be better served by upgrading to something more current.
 
Thanks for your quick reply and your offer to help, Steve. The link to my device is here in Appendix B: https://www.brooks.com/support/tech...acuum/Cryopumps/Manuals Cryopumps/8040410.pdf

Any help with past code you could offer would be greatly appreciated, but please be forewarned, I'm probably also going to need my hand held getting the code downloaded and running on my system if we're going down this route, especially considering I don't have the PCM manual (GFK-0255) to reference.

I did consider the route of upgrading the PLC (or at the very least swapping to a CPU363 which supports serial I/O and which seems to have a good amount of documentation for setting up the ladder logic as you pointed out previously). However, I don't think I'll be able to gain much support for it since future upgrades/modifications are not very likely for this particular tool. Obviously, it all depends on the price tag and how straightforward the upgrade process would be. The price for a refurbished CPU363 seems like a doable price range and if it were as simple as dropping the new CPU into the backplane, changing the CPU model in the program, and re-downloading, I could probably convince my manager to do that. If we're talking about the price tag of moving to the Rx3i or potentially opening up a host of new problems in the upgrade process that need to be troubleshot and cause the tool to be down for more than a few days, that's probably much less justifiable.
 
Based on a quick look at appendix B of the manual it looks like something that can be done with a PCM module. The HE693RTM705 won't help here. The Brooks device doesn't use Modbus.
Many questions, though. How are you currently controlling the Brooks device? Has the monitoring device described in chapter 3 failed? Do you have the software that the manual alludes to?
What does the 90-30 PLC currently do? Do you have programming software for it?
Do you have an HMI panel communicating with this PLC? It could be used if it has scripting capability and an available RS232 port.
I've sent you a PM with my contact information. Call or email me and we can talk about how I might be able to help you.
 
I didn't see your PM for some reason (checked my spam box too) so don't have your contact info yet. Just posting a response here in the mean time.

How are you currently controlling the Brooks device?
There's no remote control capability right now. It's all manual through a physical keypad/panel (the manual calls it a remote keypad because it's rack-mounted vs pump-mounted), which might be confusing you.

Has the monitoring device described in chapter 3 failed?
The monitor function described in chapter 3 is accessed through a physical button on said keypad above. Status can only be checked physically scrolling through the display on the keypad.

Do you have the software that the manual alludes to?
Once again, bad nomenclature on the manual's part. The software it's alluding to is within the physical keypad/panel module described above.

What does the 90-30 PLC currently do?
Controls/monitors a variety of pneumatic and solenoid valves, mass flow controllers, flow switches, and safety switches. At some point years and years ago before my time, it controlled quite a bit more (RF equipment, power supplies, other pumps), but the machine was re-purposed for a simpler process and the equipment was significantly stripped down.

Do you have programming software for it?
Cimplicity Machine Edition v5 (name converted to Proficy Machine Edition starting with v5.5). I've connected to the PLC from a Windows 2000 PC and made other necessary modifications without issue.

Do you have an HMI panel communicating with this PLC? It could be used if it has scripting capability and an available RS232 port.
No dedicated HMI panel. The HMI is running on the same PC described above and was created using the Cimplicity HMI software.
 
...The HMI is running on the same PC described above and was created using the Cimplicity HMI software.


RS-232 serial comms might be easier to program from that PC, although you end up in the same boat if you want to integrate data gathered via comms into the PLC?


How is HMI implemented? Do you have source code?
 
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Do you have a development license for Cimplicity? The HMI, not the PLC programmer. The reason I suggested using the HMI instead of the PLC is because you're going to need some sort of user interface to choose from among all of the commands you need to use. What I envision is a control object on a Cimplicity screen that, when you click on it, runs a script that assembles the character string for the command, appends the checksum, and transmits it to the device, then parses the response from the device. A different control object for each of the commands you need to use.
The script underlying each control object is what you would have to program in the PCM and you still need some means of selecting which command to send and when.


Edit: Just sent you a second PM, 6:44 PM EDT
 
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RS-232 serial comms might be easier to program from that PC, although you end up in the same boat if you want to integrate data gathered via comms into the PLC?


How is HMI implemented? Do you have source code?

Thanks for jumping in. I'm currently PMing with Steve, but any and all input is appreciated. Yes, I want both control and monitor functions for this device to be integrated with the PLC (e.g. only allow another device to operate if temperature feedback from this device is within limit; only allow this device to perform certain actions depending on the status of other devices in my system). So communicating directly from the PC doesn't seem like it'll work for what I'm trying to do.

Sorry, not totally sure what you mean by "how is the HMI implemented?". It was created using the Cimplicity HMI software and yes, I do have access to the working HMI program files/code.
 

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