Adding PowerFlex Datalinks to online VFD

[phuz]

What is the proper method for adding more datalinks to a VFD that is already online? When you go into the module properties in Logix, the datalinks are grayed out, but when you go into the drive parameters, specifically for the Ethernet/IP, you can add them here, and then they will show up under the datalinks in the module properties. The problem is that the controller tags are not updated with the new datalinks.

 

[Ken Roach]

I/O Connnections can't change in size after they've already been established, and for better or for worse RA chose not to make the UDT's created to match a drive with enabled datalinks modifiable at runtime either.

If this were simpler like creating a generic I/O object then filling in the DataLink pointers later, that would be one thing.

But when you create a VFD definition with DataLinks, Studio 5000 names the datalink'ed parameters in made-for-that-specific-drive UDT.


So I think the only available method is to do the changes offline, then download the program.

I've run into this challenge in the past, on a system I couldn't shut down, so I went to town with the SCANPort Scattered Parameter Read service in an MSG instruction.

 

[phuz]

Thanks Ken. That's sort of what I figured, so I am going to remove the drive from the online program (since it's not being referenced yet) and rebuild it with all the parameters that we need.
Appreciate your quick response, as always.