Panel View 550 thinks it has DH+ but doesn't

[Storms-Engineering]

Hello all,


I have a Panelview 550 Cat 2711-K5A5 that has one Serial port ( RS-232). Which I can talk to via my cable via DF1. Which is weird because the manual says the K5A5 is a DH485 only. Is this because someone but the wrong firmware on it or something? Or is this because someone probably replaced the back with a different part number? Also the communication screen on the panelview says it has DH+ even though it clearly doesn't have the terminal for DH+. I am asking because I would like to change it to DH485 so it can talk to an existing PLC that is already setup for DH485. I can change the PLC to DF1 but would require turning the key to rem prog, which I don't really want to do inside the plant, because then I would probably have to bypass everything and even then you never know what might happen.


Thanks

 

[Mickey]

What cable are you using?

 

[Storms-Engineering]

Straight through DB-9 cable. The 2711-NC13.

 

[Mickey]

Straight through DB-9 cable. The 2711-NC13.

And this cable is connected to your PV and PLC or PV and PC? Or is there any other hardware? (UIC?)

Can you post the PLC's program? zip it first.

 

[joseph_e2]

Is this an already working arrangement or are you trying to add the HMI to it?

 

[Storms-Engineering]

For right now I have the panel view in the shop. So connected directly from PV to PC. Serial port on PC.



I will put it back once I get everything figured out and it will be PV to PLC that it plugs directly into with cable.



I am aware that you can change the communications method and model. I set it for my PV model and it says :


Application file is for an incompatible communication type.


I have gotten it to download with K5A8 model # and DH+ selected as communication type.





I have attached the program.
This is what it says under terminal info for hardware:


HWCFG KP P0.232 P1.DH+ SS5.5


Which is random, because there isn't even two ports on this Panelview. Hopefully you can pull something from this @Mickey

 

[Storms-Engineering]

Is this an already working arrangement or are you trying to add the HMI to it?

Trying to add HMI, old one died had to put a program on this one and now trying to get comms working.

 

[Mickey]

Hmm?

The PV program you posted show's its a 2711-K5A5, as you said. (DH485 protocol)

If you are connecting your PC (with a real serial port) then the DF1 driver should not work.

If you are using a 1747-UIC (USB to DH485 converter ) then the DF1 driver would work.

The PV's program (you posted) also shows in its comm setup. That its connected to a SLC5/04, which has a DH+ port and a serial port that can be configured for DF1 or DH485. If you have the .rss file for the SLC then you can look to see how the serial port is configured.

 

[alan_505]

Is this a new panel view or a second hand unit, maybe someone swapped the back cover over when the back cover got damaged a long time ago.

 

[Ken Roach]

It sounds likely that someone put a different back on the terminal and/or swapped out daughtercards.

Stepping back: The PanelView 300 Micro has only an RS-232 serial port, and that same hardware that can accept either DH485 or DF1 firmware.

It would be neat if the 2711-K5A5 could do the same with its RS-232 port. But I do not believe that it can.

If the terminal was labeled -K5A5 (DH485 over RS-232) but was running -K5A16 firmware (DF1 over RS-232) firmware, then I would revisit my recollection about whether the PanelView 550 could also accept such firmware downloads.

Some PanelViews have a network port plus an RS-232 port that can be switched from serial Printer mode to upload/download mode. But the DH-485 terminals equipped with such a port restricted it to serial Printer only (-K5A3 and -K5A9 for example). The 2711-K5A5 has just one RS-232 port, that supports only DH485 protocol.

The fact that you've got a RS-232 port that supports DF1, on a terminal the reports itself as a DH+ terminal, but that is labeled as a DH-485 terminal, is consistent with the DH+ daughtercard being removed and the back shell being swapped with another unit.

 

[Ken Roach]

Followup: To my knowledge every PanelView Standard motherboard gets its model number loaded at the time of manufacture, and I think it's stored with the boot code, not the runtime firmware. I've been deep into the guts of these terminals and boards (the hardware was repurposed into a few non-PanelView products in the 90's) and never seen a tool in the field that could do it.

So the terminals will reject firmware that is meant for a different unit. You cannot load DH+ firmare onto a DH485 unit or a DF1 unit and have it show up like a DH+ terminal. The model number just isn't part of that firmware you load into it.

But the back covers were almost universal, especially after the PV550 went to LED backlighting.

 

[Storms-Engineering]

Mickey, Yes I am connected via DF1 direct to my laptop, which took a while to figure out.



Ken,


I think you are right as usual, it is probably a repaired unit or something patched together over the years. I can make the PLC talk DF1 (hopefully), just have to take down the PLC. Which I need to change a battery on it anyways so I guess now is as good as a time as ever. But thanks for the clarity that I cannot change it to talk DH485, or else I probably would have kept trying, you would think they would give you that option. OH WHALE.


Thanks all for the help!

 

[Mickey]

Mickey, Yes I am connected via DF1 direct to my laptop, which took a while to figure out

Your laptop has a real serial port? ( 9 pin)

 

[Storms-Engineering]

Yes Sir! It is nice actually. Don't have to have drivers for a converter, less cables. Older laptop, running windows 10, but nearing the end of its life