PanelView 550: can't download .pva file

[Ken Roach]

Thanks !

Those devices connected with the short trunkline are 1747-AIC passive isolators. The setup you have should work find with the PanelView as Node 2 and the SLC as Node 1. The isolators allow for another device to be plugged in simultaneously (like the ancient 1747-PIC, or the decade-old 1747-UIC).

You could also take the cable from the PanelView that connects to the left side 1747-AIC and connect directly to the SLC-5/03's Channel 1 DH485 plug.

If you had a duplicate node number, the PanelView would have given you a message indicating so.

Take a look at the DH485 status LED on the SLC-5/03 and the COMM status LED on the PanelView when everything's powered up and plugged in. A steady green LED means there's DH485 token-passing traffic going on, while a 1 Hz flashing LED means there's no DH485 traffic (thus very probably a cable problem).

 

[arpus4KM]

Thanks !

Those devices connected with the short trunkline are 1747-AIC passive isolators. The setup you have should work find with the PanelView as Node 2 and the SLC as Node 1. The isolators allow for another device to be plugged in simultaneously (like the ancient 1747-PIC, or the decade-old 1747-UIC).

You could also take the cable from the PanelView that connects to the left side 1747-AIC and connect directly to the SLC-5/03's Channel 1 DH485 plug.

If you had a duplicate node number, the PanelView would have given you a message indicating so.

Take a look at the DH485 status LED on the SLC-5/03 and the COMM status LED on the PanelView when everything's powered up and plugged in. A steady green LED means there's DH485 token-passing traffic going on, while a 1 Hz flashing LED means there's no DH485 traffic (thus very probably a cable problem).

I was actually on a system today with this same panelview (2711-b5a2)/SLC 5/03 setup, except no AIC cards.


Was able to communicate with both, 1747-UIC to the panelview RJ45, Panelview to the SLC with the 1747-c20 cable attached to it already. Worked fine with no AIC go-between.

 

[mscriven]

Thx for you replies.

Spent some time on machine today and actually got the motor to run. Yea! The machine is not complete, so have to bypass some stuff to make it run.
Bad news is PV and PLC still don't save their files. PLC has fresh battery, and battery light is not on. Is this a sign the PLC is no bueno? On the PV, maybe is possible to change file so it will boot from memory card each time?
Anyway, thx again all for you help.
Marty

 

[plvlce]

Bad news is PV and PLC still don't save their files. PLC has fresh battery, and battery light is not on. Is this a sign the PLC is no bueno?

I have heard of power issues causing loss of program on SLC at a power cycle -- faulty power supply, poor grounding, etc.

Not sure if the old Panelviews could be set to automatically load from card, I think so but it's been a while since I had to deal with them.

 

[mscriven]

Just noticing there is a jumper on PLC board: one way is program, the other is protect. It is set to protect. Try the other way?

 

[Ken Roach]

SLC Battery, Capacitor, and EEPROM

First, a note: always power down your SLC chassis before inserting or removing any CPU or modules. Unlike their newer cousins the ControlLogix, the SLC family absolutely does not support removing modules under power and can damage them.

PLC has fresh battery, and battery light is not on

That suggests that the SLC-5/03 does have a good memory backup battery. If you unplug that battery from its connector on the controller board, you should see a solid red BATT LED a few seconds after startup.

You will also see a short, round 5.5V 0.1F capacitor on the board near the battery. That's designed to hold memory for hours even with the battery disconnected. The SLC family has a reputation for far exceeding that: I've had SLC-5/03's with the battery disconnected for weeks retain their program.

Next to the battery and the capacitor is the EEPROM plug carrier socket. If there is a memory module there, then it's possible that your program is being written over by a blank or test program when you power cycle.

If you have a good battery and no EEPROM installed, and your controller is still erasing the user program after a power cycle, then the most likely culprit is a bad power supply. They can (especially after the 20+ years of service this one likely has) fail to bring up the DC power fast enough, which causes the CPU to detect a corrupted memory and clear the user program.

Of course the simple way to test this is to install the CPU in a known-good chassis and power supply. A visit to your local RA sales office or distributor technical specialist is a good way to get access to one.

jumper on PLC board: one way is program, the other is protect. It is set to protect.

That jumper is actually for the SLC operating system storage itself. You want it set to PROTECT unless you are installing a firmware upgrade EEPROM plug as part of an upgrade process.

 

[Ken Roach]

PanelView and Memory Card

Not sure if the old Panelviews could be set to automatically load from card

This is hazy in my memory as well, and I may have made a mis-statement earlier in this thread because I know you can set up a PanelView Plus to always run from a removable memory device; it un-zips the *.MER into RAM.

But the old PanelView Standard terminals, I think there can only be one *.PVA on the terminal at a time, and it is stored in onboard nonvolatile memory.

In PanelBuilder32 in the Power-Up tab of the Application Settings, you can select how you want the terminal to handle a memory card:

• Always load from card
• Never load from card
• Load from card if invalid application detected

In the application that was posted to this thread, the "Never load from card" option was selected.

It is my understanding that at startup, the PanelView checks for an installed card, and reads a file on that card that tells it which of those settings to follow.

I'm not certain what happens if you have a valid application loaded that's set for "Always load from card" and you remove the card.

It's not impossible that our new colleague got a machine full of busted control system parts at a bargain price. That sort of problem is fun to solve, so keep on posting details if you can.

My workplace celebrates "Pi Day" today, in coincidence with "Spring Cleanup Day", so we had fruit pie and coffee for breakfast and pizza at lunch and I may need to take a nap out by the pile of old PCs headed for the recycler.

 

[mscriven]

This machine is a 1/2 a basket case for sure.
Different power supply fixed the PLC, was hoping it would fix PV too but no dice. After machine is working, when i shut it down, then on, i get error 356 on PV. If i cycle power again i get "boot screen" where i can load program from memory card. Ken, if you want to try changing that "load from card " parameter i'll give it a try.
Everyone have a good weekend.
Marty

 

[Ken Roach]

Here's the project file with those two options (the filenames are indicative).

 

[mscriven]

Thx, Ken, but don't i need the .pva file?

 

[Ken Roach]

D'oh ! My mistake. They're attached as a ZIP to this post.

 

[mscriven]

I have to watch you like a hawk? Ha.
Both files act the same: when i power up machine i get that error 356. Cycle power and file will load from card, then PV will reboot itself and program will run.
Thx Ken for the files.