Flashing Compact Logix firmware without an end cap

[ASF]

Hi all,

Currently having some fun in China, on a job with a Compact Logix 1769-L36ERM. The panel builders didn't supply the end cap for the PLC, and have told me it could be two months away (which seems odd being as it's all made here, but what can you do).

I know that the PLC will *work* without it, although there could be unexpected/unpredictable side effects. But what I'm most wary about is flashing firmware without an end cap.

Given that this is the new model that can handle a power loss/comms loss during firmware flashing without becoming a very expensive doorstop, I'm (very) slightly less worried, but if an end cap is 2 months away, I sure as hell don't want to have to learn about the lead time of an L36 CPU.

Can any gurus out there reassure me that it will (probably) be OK? Or give me any tips or hints as to what undesirable behaviour I might encounter running the PLC without it?

System info:

- 1769-L36ERM>IB32>OB32>PB4>IF16C>IF16C
- 1x 1769-AENTR remote I/O rack (also missing end cap) via Stratix 5700
- 5x 1734-AENT I/O racks via Stratix 5700
- 30x VSD's on ethernet via Stratix 5700

Thanks!

 

[dmroeder]

This is probably too late but I have a L30ER at my desk which I have flashed many times with no end cap attached. Probably 30 times. It's just a controller and power supply.

 

[ASF]

Awesome! Thanks Dustin, that makes me feel better.

I jumped up and down enough that the leadtime went from "two months" to "we have them in stock", and I have a couple on their way to me now. So that's good news. But I really need to get a program into this CPU so I can start I/O checking, and I don't know whether they've put the parts on a plane, truck, bicycle, or a larger than average rat to get it here, so I'm considering just taking the plunge anyway.

 

[dmroeder]

No problem. I can appreciate your hesitation and I hesitated to very confidently tell you that it's ok to do, but I'd feel comfortable doing it, even in China. Of course anything could go wrong, but I've done it enough times to say that whatever would go wrong would almost certainly be unrelated to the end cap.

 

[ASF]

Well, it worked. Thanks for your vote of confidence! Onward to making motors go round and lights go flash!