rs5000 Emulate

[The_Electrician]

I have recently made a career change after 25 years of being an electrician. I am officially a junior automation controls programmer.

I recently asked my boss if he had access to rs5000 emulator software and he sent me the file and said have fun. LOL

Ran into a snag when try to add a processor to my virtual chassis. I looked online, found this site and resolved my issue by uninstalling the emulator software, then installing again.

Forum has helped before and I am grateful. Thanks!

 

[robertmee]

Welcome, and congrats on your career change.

 

[arpus4KM]

I have recently made a career change after 25 years of being an electrician. I am officially a junior automation controls programmer.

I recently asked my boss if he had access to rs5000 emulator software and he sent me the file and said have fun. LOL

Ran into a snag when try to add a processor to my virtual chassis. I looked online, found this site and resolved my issue by uninstalling the emulator software, then installing again.

Forum has helped before and I am grateful. Thanks!

I'm sure quite a bit of people will agree.... the emulator software for 5000 is not good and nobody I even know has ever wanted to use it. It's not intuitive, difficult to add processors to the slots you want if RSlinx or FTlinx is already in a rack slot. It's just not good.

If you're trying to learn, it'll be easier to just get an old processor/rack and run it on a bench with inhibited modules.

 

[The_Electrician]

Welcome, and congrats on your career change.

Thank you!

 

[The_Electrician]

I'm sure quite a bit of people will agree.... the emulator software for 5000 is not good and nobody I even know has ever wanted to use it. It's not intuitive, difficult to add processors to the slots you want if RSlinx or FTlinx is already in a rack slot. It's just not good.

If you're trying to learn, it'll be easier to just get an old processor/rack and run it on a bench with inhibited modules.

Lol, after spending some time with it, I would agree that using hardware has been a better learning platform.

The emulator Is touchy, to put it mildly.

 

[arpus4KM]

Lol, after spending some time with it, I would agree that using hardware has been a better learning platform.

The emulator Is touchy, to put it mildly.

If you use anything V36 and up, Factorytalk Echo is far easier and quicker to use. as simple as adding a controller and then downloading directly to it once it's up. only downside is needing to inhibit things in the project tree.

 

[The_Electrician]

If you use anything V36 and up, Factorytalk Echo is far easier and quicker to use. as simple as adding a controller and then downloading directly to it once it's up. only downside is needing to inhibit things in the project tree.

I will look into it! Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Jeev]

We have just gotten a licence for Echo, and so far I have to say that it's a lot better than Emulate was.

 

[The_Electrician]

We have just gotten a licence for Echo, and so far I have to say that it's a lot better than Emulate was.

I appreciate the suggestion, I'm looking into it now.

 

[CageFreeBMW]

Lol, after spending some time with it, I would agree that using hardware has been a better learning platform.

The emulator Is touchy, to put it mildly.

One thing to look into that was immensely helpful to me was to build your own ControlLogix rack. I built one in a Pelican case as an engineer 'test bench'. I could hookup prototype tooling the engineers made before installing in it on the production floor. You'll be surprised how cheap it can be done. I was able to get a rack, power supply, cards (PLC, ethernet, and I/O) for about $500-700 USD off ebay. Since I was able to use it as a prototyping station, my boss was more than happy to pay for it.

Then I started rescuing stuff from the maintenance garbage can that wasn't reliable enough for the production floor, but would be suitable for my build. Not long after I had enough device options to learn everything the production lines needed.

 

[The_Electrician]

That's awesome!!! I have been squirreling away all of the parts that are questionable at work and building testers as well.

We use Scadapacks, GE, SLCs, Compact log, Micro Log and some other stuff. So far, i have built a Scadapack tester....my previous career helps with all my panel building desires. Lol

Pelican case, for an Allen bradley tester sounds super cool and I think I may have to run with your strategy on this one!

 

[DaDaDadeo]

Years ago, we had a test bench simulator for multiple control systems. It had relays, potentiometers, 4-20mA signal generators, and many other bells and whistles. It must've cost tens of thousands to build. When we simulated cycles, it was like being the "man behind the curtain" with turning knobs here, and pressing switches there. It was mostly silly. In hindsight, its only purpose was to simply test an I/O card. It's now been completely stripped except for a couple of power supplies and whatever controller is needed to be connected.

For years now, the best way for me simulate a process and to test the logic is to add a simulation routine that emulates changes to the inputs based on what the logic is doing with the outputs or by natural external conditions. It's basically a logic loop. This works on all controller types. The nice thing about a software emulator is that process testing and debugging can be done with just a laptop anywhere such as an airport or classroom.