AB PLC5 coms

[JDW]

I have a DOS IPDS program that I can't get to communicate with a PLC5.
I keep getting "Fatal editor error number x0ffff"
I have never used it before so.....
Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[Operaghost]

JDW, is the computer running Windows or DOS? If it is running Windows as virtually all do these days then you need to configure a piece of software called Interchange. This is used to allow your computer to talk to the PLC through Windows.

Or if you have the latest version of 6200 (IPDS) then you can use RSLinx to do the same thing. I think the latest version is 5.32.4 or something like that.

Also, how are you communicating? Are you using a KTX card a PCMK card, the RS232 connection? How are you connecting from the computer to the PLC/SLC.

Be aware that this software was meant to run in DOS and getting it to run is certainly possible. It can just be a pain sometimes to do so.

OG

 

[JDW]

I keep a seperate PC for DOS programs only.
I can get the program to run in DOS.
I'm using the RS232 port.

 

[Ken Roach]

I'm interested in what version of 6200-PLC5 you have (it's on the Main Screen) precisely what menu you're in, how the RS-232 communications is configured, and which Function Key you press just before the error appears.

I have three suggestions:

1. Make sure you're pointing toward a COM port that is available. If your computer only has COM1, for example, 6200-PLC5 software might give this error if configured for COM2. Be sure also that you're not running a TSR-type program (like Interchange) that might be using up the serial port resource for another purpose.

2. Make sure your serial settings are correct and match the PLC-5 serial port. Usually you just get a timeout, but I think this error is possible simply if the serial port settings don't match. One of the great features in AI-5 and in RSLinx (even in RSLinx Lite) is the ability to connect to a DF1 serial port and Auto-Detect it's settings.

3. There is a file called USER.P23 or maybe USER5.P23 that is in the C:\IPDS\ATTACH directory and holds all the communication channel configuration information. If this file somehow gets corrupted (like switching off the PC when it's open) it can cause that error. Shut down 6200-PLC5 software, delete USER.P23 (and/or USER5.P23) and restart the software. You'll have to reconfigure your preferences, but if that was the problem it'll let the software connect to the PLC-5.

 

[rsdoran]

I am not sure if this is relevant or not but here goes. I vaguely remember when dealing with 6200 IPDS for the PLC5 that it needed Share.exe loaded in config.sys, working with 3.1/95 this was easy enough but with win98 and up you dont have share.exe by default. I think I had to copy share.exe from an old system then go to the ipds folder and right click on abmenu.exe then click Properties, click on Program tab then setup an MS-Dos environment using share.exe in config.sys. I have on this system but its not installed, just in my backup files for my laptop, it wont start either. I tried it because of this post and it wouldnt start and thats when I remember share.exe problems in past. Maybe Ken knows another way.

 

[john paley]

What sereis PLC-5 is it?? Rockwell quit upgrading 6200 and A.I. a long time ago. When I used A.I. in the past, if AB came out with a new processor, I needed the latest version of A.I. to talk to it. This was true with the 5 and the 500 versions. I don't know when the latest version of 6200 was released, but I will bet my sweet bippy that there have been several new series of processors released since, and the 6200 probably will not talk to the newer ones. Just a thought.