GE Fanuc 90-30 Help for a non PLC guy...

[cnc_james]

Hey Everyone,
I am hoping that someone out there could help me get a program loaded onto my GE Fanuc Series 90-30 PLC.
Here is where it gets tricky, I am a machinist, not a PLC guy, so I don't have any of the various software bundles (VersaPro, LogicMaster, Proficy, etc...) to connect my PC to my PLC. I did get my hands on a Hand Held Programmer (IC693PRG300C) and a memory card if that helps with a solution.
I also have 19 possible programs (this is for a bar feeder that could be attached to many different brands and models of machines) and I'm not exactly sure which of the 19 is the one I need (though I do believe that based on file names I can knock 2 or 3 off the list right away.)
After spending a few hours searching this site and looking back through threads, I believe that these programs are from Logicmaster, but am not sure. I've attached a zipped file if anyone is interested in having a look.
Is it possible, through other various out of the box ways to get these programs onto the PLC? Is there a cable out there that i can use to save programs directly to the memory card in the hand help programmer? Can I save the programs to an EPROM and directly mount it to the 5 slot base and use the hand held programmer to have the PLC read from the EPROM on start up everytime instead of from RAM?
Thanks in advance for any and all help!
James

 

[Steve Bailey]

First, they are indeed Logicmaster programs.

You will need programming software to get a program to the PLC. The handheld can only communicate with the PLC. It can extract a program from the PLC to the memory card and it can send the program from the memory card to the PLC, but it can't take a Logicmaster file and send it to a PLC. And there is no way for Logicmaster or any of the other programming packages to read/write to the memory card. Also, there are some CPU models and firmware versions that are incompatible with the handheld.
Furthermore the memory card for the handheld can only hold one program at a time, regardless of the program size. So you would need nineteen memory cards and I don't know how easy they are to find.
If you want to pursue that route, I have Logicmaster software, a handheld, and several 90-30 CPUs. If you send me the memory cards I can download each Logicmaster file to a PLC and extract it to a memory card using the handheld. Send me a PM if you want to pursue that option. I'll check to make sure my handheld still works.

Talk to your local get distributor to see if they are willing to help you out. If you can get an installation CD for Proficy Machine Edition, you can run it unlicensed for four days. After four days you will need to uninstall it and reinstall to reset the four day clock. Proficy can import the Logicmaster files.

 

[cnc_james]

Hey Steve,
Thanks so much for the quick reply!
I really appreciate you taking the time to look at those files... at least I now know they they are in fact Logicmaster programs.
I like the idea of having all of the programs on memory cards to easily swap, load, and test, however, 19 cards wouldn't be an easy task to round up (not to mention they are anywhere from $300-$600 online right now).
Before I go the Proficy Machine Edition route that you have laid out above, is it possible to save the program as is to a System or Program PROM and install it that way? Or are you saying that the program files that I have are specific to Logicmaster (or Proficy) and without that software to interpret the files, the programs as is will not work in the PLC if directly downloaded to it?

 

[Steve Bailey]

You would still need software to send the program to the EEPROM chips and they are likely to be as expensive and hard to find as the handheld memory cards. It might turn out to be less expensive to purchase a bunch of CPU311s along with the software. In any case, having the software will probably be your least expensive option and give you the most flexibility.

It looks like there is a mixture of CPU models included in the files you sent. The majority call for the CPU311, which is a 5-slot baseplate with embedded CPU. However, there are a few which call for a CPU331 module in a ten-slot baseplate. What hardware do you actually have?

Communications with the CPU311 is limited to the serial RS485 port on the power supply module. I don't have a good track record with Logicmaster communicating through a USB/serial converter, so I'd recommend getting Proficy Machine Edition software. I have had success with Proficy communicating through a USB/serial converter from Staples.

 

[cnc_james]

I didn't realize that the program could tell you which hardware it wants to talk to... are you able to see any other hardware that is attached to the baseplate?
Now that I think of it... what else will the program tell you? Will it give you the name of the equipment that it is for?
The machine I have is a Star brand SR-16 Model and my barloader is a FMB Mini Turbo (the PLC is in the Mini Turbo).
I also attached a photo of the front of my PLC. (The best that i can describe it is it looks like it has alpha-numeric notes based on location?) Maybe it will help or make sense to you?

Here is also the list of part numbers that make up my layout in order from left to right:
IC693CPU311K (Base 5-Slot w/ CPU)
IC693PWR321L (120/240VAC, 125DC 30W Pwr Supply)
IC693MDL645B (Input 24VDC 16PT POS/NEG Logic)
IC693MDL645B (Input 24VDC 16PT POS/NEG Logic)
IC693MDL630B (Input 24VDC 8PT POS Logic)
IC693MDL930C (Output Relay 4A SPT Isolated)
IC693MDL945C (Output Relay 2A 16PT)

Thank you again for all of your help... I'm going to go start looking for a GE software dealer in my area.

 

[cnc_james]

doesn't look like the pic posted... let's try that again

 

[Steve Bailey]

There are ten programs with the string "Mini" in their names.
MINI, MINI1, MINIENC, MINIS2, MINIT1, MINIT2, MINITEX, MINI_1, MINI_S, MINI_T
Of those, only MINI_S exactly matches your hardware, although several others match your I/O count but with different module part numbers. The description of the program (supplied by the programmer) reads, "Mini Turbo S MVY1_1".
I've attached a listing of MINI_S.

 

[cnc_james]

Steve! You've found it! Thank you so very much!
So, as I've said before, I've been looking for this program for a very long time...
There used to be a company that specialized in servicing these bar-feeders (they were very popular in the early 90's and seemed to be everywhere). Their website went dark about 6 months before I needed them so I spent more than 9 months trying to track them down through forums and friends of friends of friends. When I finally found a person, they sent me that file and said that they just had a back up file. However, they never did service themselves and only did parts so they had no idea which one specifically was the file that I needed. He only knew that one of them would be for a Star... the rest were for other machines.
I really, really appreciate your help. The machine is a tank itself and could run for years to come, it was just brain-dead.

 

[Steve Bailey]

Since you'll be using the handheld, I reprinted the ladder logic and included the instruction list which is the sequence of handheld keystrokes to duplicate the ladder. In case you need to modify anything or, heaven forbid, need to reenter the entire program.
Keep spare batteries on hand. I expect a dead battery is the reason you lost the program to begin with. My personal experience is that the battery can last more than a year, but I would recommend installing a new one every six months. The entire 90-30 product line is out of production, and I don't know if the batteries you can get today are as good as what you could get before it was declared obsolete.
The manual for the handheld programmer is publication number GFK_0402G and can be found here:
https://ge-ip.force.com/communities...0-Micro-Programmable-Controllers-Users-Manual