retriving existing code form plc

[yogibear87]

Hi all,

The company i work for has a couple of PLC units. The had some other company come in about 8 years ago and got the code installed onto the PLC. Unfortunately we do not have the actual program code nor does the company which actually did this for us exist now.

The two PLC units are the following
1. Allen-Bradley 1746 with SLC 5/03 processor with a PANELMETER Power Pro.

2. Allen-Bradley CompactLogix L35E with a PANELVIEW PLUS 2711P-RPI

Both are individually controlled with two separate laptops. We are looking to extract the existing PLC ladder logic code to make some corrections in both the system & the HMI associated with it.

How should i be proceeding with this problem? I kinda know that RSLogix 500 is the way to go but where can i find the procedure to carry it out?

Any help will be much appreciated!

 

[dmroeder]

Both processors require a version of RSLinx in order for your computer to communicate to them

The SLC 5/03 is going to require RSLogix 500 in order to upload the program from it.

The CompactLogix L35E is going to require RSLogix 5000 in order to upload the program from it.

I have no idea on your PanelMeter Power Pro.

You can get into the configuration menus of the PanelView Plus (requires shutting down the running application) and save the MER file that it is running to a flash card in order to back it up (no software required).

 

[Mickey]

RSLogix500 will work for the SLC5/03.

You will need RSLogix5000 for your Compactlogix. If you don't have it contact your local AB rep.

You will also need RSlinx to connect and communicate with the processors.

See some videos below for some help on getting connected.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzJa2Nhaop8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNoYO8C3XX0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIu1AGUR4N8

EDIT:


dmroeder types faster then I do.

 

[Steve Bailey]

I expect that "PANELMETER Power Pro" is actually a "PANELMATE Power Pro". If that's the case you will need PanelMate Power Series Software from Cutler Hammer (Eaton).

 

[Helliana]

For the 5/03, you should be able to connect to it using a serial connection (1747-CP3 is the AB cable part number)and using the DF-1 drive in RSLinx. You will need to use RSLogix500 to *UPLOAD* the program from the PLC. Also, any kindof of prints/electrical schematics you can find will be EXTREMELY helpful, because you won't have any kind of comments to tell you what each input/out physically is.

for the Compactlogix, you should be able to connect to it via an ethernet or serial connection. Will need to use RSLogix5000 to upload the program. CompactLogix use tags instead of date tables, so it *should* be a little easier to figure out what is going on by reading tag names.

For the panelview plus, you have a few options. You can connect to it through Linx using ethernet (i think that part# is the version panelview) or a serial connection if it is available. You can then use the "ME Transfer Utility" in FactoryTalk View Studio to transfer the .MER file to your computer. If that sounds too complicated and you know how to get into the setup/configuration, you can just file transfer to a USB flash drive or a compact flash card.

If the panelview firmware isn't extremely old, you can import the MER file into FT View and do any changes you need from there.

 

[Ron Beaufort]

Both are individually controlled with two separate laptops.

what did you mean by that? ... do you already have the RSLogix500 and the RSLogix5000 software installed on these "two separate laptops" ?

if so, then MAYBE the code that you require is already stored on those laptops ...

another thing that hasn't been mentioned ... the version of the RSLogix5000 software that you'll need MUST match the version that was used when the CompactLogix was programmed ... RSLinx can tell you what version number you'll need - but just don't expect the "latest" version to get you where you're going ... this software is NOT either "backwardsly" or "forwardsly" compatible from version to version ...

and ...

if you do NOT already have the software, check the prices before you dive into the deep end of the pool ... depending on how much work you need done - and how often you'll need to make these types of changes, you might just come out better hiring someone to come in and take care of this project for you ...

good luck - and let us know how it works out ... and welcome to the forum ...

 

[Lancie1]

Unfortunately we do not have the actual program code nor does the company which actually did this for us exist now.
. . .
Any help will be much appreciated!

Best advice you may get: Buying the PLC programming software and PLC communications software will only get you about 25% of what you need - connected to the old programs. Now the question will be "are they password-protected"?

If not, you may be able to upload the PLC program and look at it. Now what? You will not have any of the rung comments, address symbols, address descriptions, page titles, or anything except a bunch of bare-bones symbols. After all the expenses, I hope you love puzzles!

Spend some time looking for are any old print-outs, program descriptions, Input-Output lists, and process summaries. These will become very valuable as you try to reconstruct the PLC program.

Both are individually controlled with two separate laptops.

I assume that these laptops are running your Panelmate graphical operator software. The question is were they also used to program the PLCs, and if so they just might accidently have an old copy of the PLC program saved somewhere on the hard drive.

 

[yogibear87]

Thank you all for your advices. I just hope that the existing code in the PLC is not affected by my uploading. Also if there is a copy of the programs on the laptops, can i find it and open it using RSLogix?

@Ron,
Thanks I will look into the version first!

 

[yogibear87]

Ron,

Sorry when i rethink it, i dod'nt get it! What did you mean by version of software?? What if the older version is not available for purchase anymore??

 

[Lancie1]

What if the older version is not available for purchase anymore??

Old versions will not be available from Allen Bradley, but only as a used copy from some individual wishing to sell their copy.

There should have been a copy of the PLC program (not the RSLogix software) saved on the laptops. To find that, use Windows Explorer to look in likely directories on the computer hard drives. You can use Explorer to search your hard drives for file extensions (search term file name "*.rss" or similar).

I just hope that the existing code in the PLC is not affected by my uploading.

If you don't understand fully what you are doing, you can easily download a blank program from your laptop onto the working copy of the PLC original program. The only difference is in the direction of the data travel, and many people don't understand the difference between download and upload. In the AB software, the terms are used correctly.

 

[Ron Beaufort]

Also if there is a copy of the programs on the laptops, can i find it and open it using RSLogix?

the (usually) easiest way to find the program files is shown in the figure below ...

Thanks I will look into the version first!

when you buy RSLogix5000 you'll get the latest version – but usually two or three previous versions will also be included on the DVD ... even if you need an earlier version than that, the original purchase price should buy you the rights to download any version from the Allen-Bradley website for no additional payment (there's usually a one year limitation on this) ...

here's the basic idea:

if the CompactLogix processor was originally programmed using version 13 (just for example) then you'll need version 13 to open the file and work on it ... specifically, version 20 (the latest version) will NOT open the older file ... (and yes, that's weird) ...

the price for RSLogix500 is usually around $1,600 ...

the price for RSLogix5000 usually starts around $2,500 – but can go up to around $4,500 depending on any additional functions your existing program makes use of ... "additional functions" go beyond "plain-old everyday" Ladder Logic programming – and might include Structured Text programming, Function Block Diagram programming, and Sequential Function Chart programming ...

suggestion: if you DO have copies of the original program files, post them here in the forum ... we can tell you a lot more about how to proceed once we see those files ... you'll have to ZIP the files before you post them (forum rule) ...

good luck with your project ...

.

 

[yogibear87]

I tried to search for the file extensions as you mentioned and NOTHING showed up on the laptop. So can i safely conclude that there is no original code in it?

 

[OkiePC]

I tried to search for the file extensions as you mentioned and NOTHING showed up on the laptop. So can i safely conclude that there is no original code in it?

Yes, as long as your actually searched all hard drives + subfolders and not just the default explorer path (Libraries).

 

[Lancie1]

Any RSLogix5000 files would be saved with a different extension - "L5K" I think.

 

[yogibear87]

I did seach for all the file names and extensions in all the hard drives as well.

So the ideal way to go about this is to go for an RSLinx software first, decide the version and then buy the other Rockwell products??