Mitsubishi Data Access Unit FX-10DU-E program?

[saucebox]

Hello, all, total noob here hoping for a little guidance. I bought a new piece of printing equipment that has a Mitsubishi PLC and this Data Access Unit. The Data Access Unit has a cracked screen, and I'm going to try and replace the LCD. I'm told that it contains a program, though, and I'd like to download that before working on it, if possible, in case I have to replace it altogether. I have GX Developer, and I was able to download the program from the PLC, but the software won't recognize this Data Access Unit. Is a program on this type of unit downloadable at all, and if so, what software/method would I use?

Thanks for looking
-Robert

 

[parky]

Is this an FX-10DU unit, I don't think you can access the program via GX or other IDE, the unit is programmed using the buttons, it is only used for modifying registers, timers, counters you can select these & the settings are stored in the on-board EEprom.
here is a manual for it.

http://www.inverter-plc.com/plc/FX_PLC/FX-10DU-e%20Operation%20user%20Manual.pdf

 

[Ron S]

There was software for it but I have long forgotten what it is called and it would only run on Windows 95 through a real serial port.
When windows moved to windows 98 and up and laptops stopped including real serial ports, it would not communicate at all through serial to USB adapters.
The E series HMI's took over.
So to retrieve the program out of it is now next to impossible.
If you find you need to often change values in the plc program - then you could change them via GX-DEV (for now)
But that isn't for a novice.
And - unless the HMI uses buttons to start the machine or some other input function, the program in the HMI is passive.
Meaning it will run without it.
If it was me, I would upgrade the HMI to a modern one and work out which buttons and values need to be programmed into it.

 

[saucebox]

Ah, ok, thanks. This all makes sense. I saw that it was programmable through the buttons, but figured there HAD to be a more efficient way to go about it. And yes, the machine runs without it. I'll see if I can fix it, and then maybe do what you suggest, Ron, and find a new unit that will work instead. Are HMI's all basically interchangable, other than the form factor and the hard buttons?

One question about the relationship between the PLC and the HMI, does the HMI alter the program on the PLC, or does the PLC just refer to the HMI for certain values (timers, etc) when the program tells it to? I would assume that it would modify the program, otherwise if the HMI were unplugged the PLC wouldn't be able to tell it what values to use...

Again, thanks for everyone's patience. Gotta start somewhere, lol.

 

[Ron S]

In simple terms, the hmi can only alter values held in registers in the plc's memory.
A timer like this in the plc program (T1 K10) cannot be altered but one like this (T1 D1) can be changed.
The hmi can put a new value into D1 to lengthen or shorten the timer. It cannot change the program. (but it will remember the last value put in D1)
They can do much more like act as buttons or load recipes etc etc but they don't alter the structure of the plc program.

 

[saucebox]

Awesome. Very helpful explanation, I get it. Thanks a ton for your time.

 

[parky]

The settings entered via the keypad (no download required) are written to the EEProm on power down so retains them it is easy to change timers, counters & D memory just select the type & the number i.e. T20, then you can change the values, this is of course providing the original programmer has used D memory for the time value. it's in the manual I posted.

 

[saucebox]

Thanks. Digging through the manual now.