edgecrusher
Member
This is my first on the job exposure to messing about in a PLC with a PC. So far it hasn't gone too bad but I'm having a problem and it all started with a dead battery alarm. I wanted to backup the memory because I was getting an alarm that couldn't be cleared and the machine would not run with this alarm active. I successfully saved a copy with GX developer, but I found out my battery wasn't arriving today which was my deadline to get it running. I decided to try something I noticed while backing up.
In the parameters there's a selection for "Battery less mode". I figured maybe this would help me run the machine Monday without a battery but after creating a new project with this selected and writing it to the PLC I started having an issue with it not wanting to go into run mode after restoring power. The first time I tried to write to the PLC I did not put it in STOP with the little switch next to the DB9 plug. I got the warnings on the screen but just ok'ed my way through. I tried "verifying" and had some 23 differences in my device memory. Not sure what that means or even where to start with that information. Oh and the battery less mode did nothing to help me run it with no battery. But when I look at the screens everything looks to be in the PLC correctly. I figure there must be something I missed along the way.
So anyway where I'm at now is it won't just start running when powered up with the main switch. I am able to connect with the PC and using remote operation switch it to RUN mode. Obviously when the operator shuts it down at the end of the day I'm back to restarting it with a PC.
Just wondering what the possible causes for this can be. Honestly, I'm in a little over my head at this point but I'm the only one here that can figure it out. Any help would be great and hopefully point me in the right direction. I hope I don't sound like an idiot.
thanks in advance
P.S. I made a makeshift battery pack with two AA's soldered together making 3.2 out the 3.6V of the required backup battery's voltage rating and got the alarm to clear.
In the parameters there's a selection for "Battery less mode". I figured maybe this would help me run the machine Monday without a battery but after creating a new project with this selected and writing it to the PLC I started having an issue with it not wanting to go into run mode after restoring power. The first time I tried to write to the PLC I did not put it in STOP with the little switch next to the DB9 plug. I got the warnings on the screen but just ok'ed my way through. I tried "verifying" and had some 23 differences in my device memory. Not sure what that means or even where to start with that information. Oh and the battery less mode did nothing to help me run it with no battery. But when I look at the screens everything looks to be in the PLC correctly. I figure there must be something I missed along the way.
So anyway where I'm at now is it won't just start running when powered up with the main switch. I am able to connect with the PC and using remote operation switch it to RUN mode. Obviously when the operator shuts it down at the end of the day I'm back to restarting it with a PC.
Just wondering what the possible causes for this can be. Honestly, I'm in a little over my head at this point but I'm the only one here that can figure it out. Any help would be great and hopefully point me in the right direction. I hope I don't sound like an idiot.
thanks in advance
P.S. I made a makeshift battery pack with two AA's soldered together making 3.2 out the 3.6V of the required backup battery's voltage rating and got the alarm to clear.