Just to add...
I remember reading this technote from the last time we were looking into this problem in that other thread...
456890 - NSE on the CompactLogix 5370 1769-L30ER-NSE
Access Level: Everyone
...but it relates specifically to the NSE controller, which is a "No Stored Energy" controller for high risk explosive applications. As we know, in the controllers we are dealing with, the RTC is normally held up by the capacitor alone and is not saved to the non volatile memory. The NSE controller, as it has no capacitor, does not backup its RTC. The program is, however, retained in non volatile memory.
While the controllers we are dealing with on this issue so far do have an Energy Storage Module (ESM) i.e. capacitor, it is still interesting to note the effect of not having one.
The NSE controller defaults its non ESM backed RTC to...
12/31/1997 7:00:00PM
Which is the same "symptom" as our friends have presented with here.
So we know that this TIME/DATE is a actually default for these controllers more so than just some anomalous values.
Now, what is causing the ESM based controllers to not backup their RTC values and default?
A firmware issue is certainly feasible here and after reading rdeyoung's solution in the other thread it would act to reaffirm that notion. A bug in a certain firmware revision that does not execute the ESM store at power down. Very possible.
Also, of further note on that, is the fact that it was r20.xx firmware that was at fault and flashing up to r26.xx firmware fixed the issue.
This makes me wonder, if the fact that r20.xx/RSLogix 5000 was the starting point for the new 5370 CompactLogix, but was not their intended home i.e. r21/Logix Designer and higher; that the r20 firmware written for these controllers was somewhat rushed while under pressure to get them to market, leaving them prone to having potential bugs. Lots of initial releases are full of bugs, as we know.
Of course, in some cases here, it could also simply be faulty ESMs that are failing to backup the RTC. A bad batch of them perhaps? Just another consideration.
But then we have our friend here...
Pablo_660 said:
...Firmeware version 20.13...
Low and behold, you are using r20.xx firmware.
Hmm, well fancy that for coincidence?
A flash to something newer than r20.xx would indeed be advisable to see does it remedy the problem, but...
The only thing for r20 users facing this issue, if it does turn out to be r20 firmware related going forward, is that if they have not, or cannot, make the leap from RSLogix 5000 to Studio 5000/Logix Designer, at this point in time, then they cannot resolve this issue for the foreseeable future.
EDIT: Spanner in the works...
I forgot, your problem is resetting the RTC to ...1998 and not ...1997!
Which would indicate some "other" issue besides the RTC defaulting to ...1997.
If we look at the technote that KuulKuum linked, which I remember now viewing before, a 1998 reset on an RTC means the RTC is defective itself. The only instance where something else is also defective is the RAM; but if so the controller clears its memory and this is not the case here as the program is retained.
Yes, I would now concur with Ken here that the RTC hardware is most likely defective.
Regards,
George
