Bob,
I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a few pointers on using cx-programmer. Im mostly an AB guy, and ive just started a program for a CJ1 plc. I came across a post you had on sub-routines, and thought id give you a try. Anyways, you say you dont use them, how do you get the program to scan the diffent sections? ie, I have a main section, a Z1 heat section, door sections, ect. I just want the program to scan all the sections from top to bottom. Does it do this automatically? No need to use SBS calls?
One more question, if you dont mind. How do you address analog inputs and outputs? I see that the digitals are 0.001, 1.002, etc. But where does the analog data end up? Thanks alot. You can email me at [email protected] if you dont want to use the plcs.net interface. Thanks again.
Matt
Hi Matt
Sorry to have been so long responding but I just checked a few things while working out of town and have just returned. Snail mail is pretty painful when accustomed to cable broadband and I try to use it as little as possible. The other problem is that I normally do my checks after dinner and a bottle or 2 of "big" Ozzy red wines. Usually pretty mellow by then.
I have placed the enquiry in the open forum as many more people may contribute and/or learn from the exchange. I do not have a problem with you contacting me though as I may miss a topic otherwise due to work pressures and locations.
CX-Programmer offers a multitude of programming options and at first these can be confusing. When you speak of sections I presume you mean the "sections" that can be named with routine or process names down the left hand side of the page.
These sections are just a way of breaking up the program into organised "chunks" if you will. They are not sub-routines, tasks or anything else but program broken into usable pieces. Quite useful - I normally start with a setup section for writing values to be used in the program (values into data memories on the first scan flag). I then normally write my shut down alarms into the next section etc etc. The program is scanned from top to bottom section by section as if the whole program was in a very long block. It is a way of "structuring" the program into like routine blocks and is quite useful for another person when trouble shooting a machine or process. I must say that I came up with DOS software and was used to a very long program in one section, although I still structured the program into similar blocks in the very long section of ladder.
Another useful way of programming provided is "tasks". Tasks can be turned on and off and are only scanned when turned on, thus reducing scan time to only the running tasks.
Sub routines are similar to other PLCs in that the sub routine is only active when called. A little like tasks I guess.
With respect to analogues and the I/O map, if you set up an I/O table in the "IO Table And Unit Setup" section in the left hand section of the screen, CX-Programmer will automatically place "I and Q" in front of inputs and outputs for you. In the symbols editor the input/output is also shown with the rack and slot position. This is determined by the setting up of the I/O table. In the tools section you can change this repesentation to "X and Y" if you prefer. The package is extremely configurable to work the way you want to work but, like the first time with any software, a bit daunting at first. Say you set up the first rack with a 64 bit input card, a 64 bit output card and then an anaolgue card address "0", the first 4 channels (0-3) will be inputs, the next 4 channels (4-7) will be outputs.
Analogue cards are "special" cards and are allocated to another area of memory. If the rotary switch on the first analogue card is set to "0", the channel address starts at channel 2000. When you set up the I/O table the channel setting with be displayed in the I/O setup area.
If you can post your I/O layout here (32 bit input, 16 bit output, 8 x analogue input etc) I will lay it out in CX-Programmer and post some pictures here to show all how it is done. I will also send you a program file directly with the I/O table set up and some notes as they would be far to extensive to place on the website.
Look forward to further exchages here with you as you "battle" your way through. I do expect, at the end of the day, that you will quite like your first experience with Omron after many hours of frustration learning how things work. I am just going through the same experience with the latest version of Siemens software. Have not used Siemens for about 8 years.
Hope this helps a little.