Hi,
I have a customer with a strange communication problem between a GE Fanuc Versamax CPU001 and a QuickPanel model IC754CSL06CTD and I'd like to have some help from you to fix it.
The scenario and story is:
1) This app was installed 3-4 years ago and worked perfectly. Two weeks ago, the customer carried out a shutdown of the plant (by mantainment) and when it started again completely the QuickPanel stopped communicating to PLC and no data is shown currently (you can see "?" symbols or "0.000" in its displays only).
2) The QuickPanel uses its comm port 1 (DB25) to connect to PLC's comm port 2 (DB15) via SNP protocol. The link and connection is done via RS485 due to the distance is almost 30-40 meters. The original developer made the wiring based on "HMI-CAB-C82" cable recommended by GE Fanuc in these cases and everything is correct according to what I could verify (pin-out, jumpers and 120 ohm resistances at the ends of cable) but there is no communication so far.
3) The led of PLC's port 2 blinks (green) when the cable indicated in point #2 is connected to both of devices. The blinking is not fast but happens every 1-2 sec and according to Versamax manual it indicates that there is activity in the port.
Can anyone explain me the meaning of this blinking in the PLC ports with more detalis?
Does it mean that there is a connection in physical layer but no data transmission really?
4) We checked the voltage between port 5 and 7 inside the PLC's DB15 port and we got 5 volt so, the fuse is ok and the PLC's port 2 seems to be fine too.
Unfortunately I couldn't connect my laptop to Versamax using its DB15 port with the Horner cable HE693SNP306AX and test this port completly with my VersaPro 2.04.
My laptop does not have a real DB9 comm port and therefore I must use an usb-serial converter. I have read that there are some problems with this kind of converter and maybe it is the source of my problem but to be honest, I have used this usb-serial converter with other PLCs and has worked fine untill I found this PLC!.
I suspect that my converter fails when a device is using RS485 in some place of the connection.
Has anyone used a generic usb-serial converter to connect a laptop to PLC's DB15 port (along with the right Horner cable)?
5) I could connect my laptop (with the usb-serial converter) to Versamax using its DB9 port 1 (RS232) with no problem. I could check the ladder, variables and data in real time and even store and load the program to see if communication issue is solved but nothing happend therefore, the PLC, its program and port 1 are ok.
The parameters of connection via SNP in Port 2 (RS485) are by default: Port Type: Slave; Rate: 19200; Parity: Odd; Stop Bits:1; SNP ID: blank.
6) Testing later the ports belonging to QuickPanel and to discard problems with the original RS485 wiring (has 30-40 mt), I took, moved and connect the Panel (DB25) to PLC (DB15) using now a new and shorter cable (1 mt) following the pin-out of "HMI-CAB-C82" cable and the problem is the same: The panel shows "?" and "00.000" again and the PLC's port 2 blinks (green) every 1-2 sec.
A question about the QuickPanel's comm port 1 (DB25): The manual says that this port can work with RS232 o RS485 but must the programer set the type of connection manually or the port can detect and switch from RS232 to RS485 and viceversa automatically according to the wiring detected?.
Unfortunately to me, the original developer did not give the panel app (or the customer lost it?) and can't retrive and modify it to use the other comm port (DB9).
Any suggestion or procedure to retrieve an app from QuikPanel model IC754CSL06CTD from Proficy ME 5.9??.
Sorry for this long post but I just want to give more and better details about this strange problem which I must fix soon.
Thanks in advance for your prompt reply or ideas.
All the best.
Saludos.
Gavp.
I have a customer with a strange communication problem between a GE Fanuc Versamax CPU001 and a QuickPanel model IC754CSL06CTD and I'd like to have some help from you to fix it.
The scenario and story is:
1) This app was installed 3-4 years ago and worked perfectly. Two weeks ago, the customer carried out a shutdown of the plant (by mantainment) and when it started again completely the QuickPanel stopped communicating to PLC and no data is shown currently (you can see "?" symbols or "0.000" in its displays only).
2) The QuickPanel uses its comm port 1 (DB25) to connect to PLC's comm port 2 (DB15) via SNP protocol. The link and connection is done via RS485 due to the distance is almost 30-40 meters. The original developer made the wiring based on "HMI-CAB-C82" cable recommended by GE Fanuc in these cases and everything is correct according to what I could verify (pin-out, jumpers and 120 ohm resistances at the ends of cable) but there is no communication so far.
3) The led of PLC's port 2 blinks (green) when the cable indicated in point #2 is connected to both of devices. The blinking is not fast but happens every 1-2 sec and according to Versamax manual it indicates that there is activity in the port.
Can anyone explain me the meaning of this blinking in the PLC ports with more detalis?
Does it mean that there is a connection in physical layer but no data transmission really?
4) We checked the voltage between port 5 and 7 inside the PLC's DB15 port and we got 5 volt so, the fuse is ok and the PLC's port 2 seems to be fine too.
Unfortunately I couldn't connect my laptop to Versamax using its DB15 port with the Horner cable HE693SNP306AX and test this port completly with my VersaPro 2.04.
My laptop does not have a real DB9 comm port and therefore I must use an usb-serial converter. I have read that there are some problems with this kind of converter and maybe it is the source of my problem but to be honest, I have used this usb-serial converter with other PLCs and has worked fine untill I found this PLC!.
I suspect that my converter fails when a device is using RS485 in some place of the connection.
Has anyone used a generic usb-serial converter to connect a laptop to PLC's DB15 port (along with the right Horner cable)?
5) I could connect my laptop (with the usb-serial converter) to Versamax using its DB9 port 1 (RS232) with no problem. I could check the ladder, variables and data in real time and even store and load the program to see if communication issue is solved but nothing happend therefore, the PLC, its program and port 1 are ok.
The parameters of connection via SNP in Port 2 (RS485) are by default: Port Type: Slave; Rate: 19200; Parity: Odd; Stop Bits:1; SNP ID: blank.
6) Testing later the ports belonging to QuickPanel and to discard problems with the original RS485 wiring (has 30-40 mt), I took, moved and connect the Panel (DB25) to PLC (DB15) using now a new and shorter cable (1 mt) following the pin-out of "HMI-CAB-C82" cable and the problem is the same: The panel shows "?" and "00.000" again and the PLC's port 2 blinks (green) every 1-2 sec.
A question about the QuickPanel's comm port 1 (DB25): The manual says that this port can work with RS232 o RS485 but must the programer set the type of connection manually or the port can detect and switch from RS232 to RS485 and viceversa automatically according to the wiring detected?.
Unfortunately to me, the original developer did not give the panel app (or the customer lost it?) and can't retrive and modify it to use the other comm port (DB9).
Any suggestion or procedure to retrieve an app from QuikPanel model IC754CSL06CTD from Proficy ME 5.9??.
Sorry for this long post but I just want to give more and better details about this strange problem which I must fix soon.
Thanks in advance for your prompt reply or ideas.
All the best.
Saludos.
Gavp.