RSLogix 500 descriptions.

[Dale87]

How does everyone handle getting the program from another automation company to work on RSLogix 500 programs. Do you just have to sit down and try to re write all the tag descriptions? That's a tough sell to a customer when they call asking for you to work on their PLC. "Yes I can troubleshoot your micrologix processor, but first I'm going to have to spend half a day writing descriptions for the I/O" I've asked them to have the company that was doing their work send over their copy, but you can about imagine how that works. They either hang up and never send it, or say they don't have it. I've got a few facilities are trying to get bids to upgrade their slc500 systems but they can't get the program from their automation company. Of course that company is going to be the cheapest, they don't have to spend 40 man hours writing tags descriptions for (3) full slc 500 racks trying to figure out what everything is.

 

[Tonk]

Allen Bradley to Siemens send them the RS Project and they have software to convert it to a Siemens Project. Shame AB Cannot do the same Obviously they are not bothered, think they Own the market NOT!!! Think you got to quote time to write new program.

 

[GaryS]

Your going to have a tuff time with the Symbols and Descriptions
Both the Symbols and Descriptions are not downloaded or stored in the RSLogix 500 or the PLC2 and PLC3 for that matter
They are stored as separate files in the same folder as ladder code is stored on the original PC

I try to provide a full backup including the Symbols and Description to my client when I complete a job but they can never seem to find them after a few months anyway.

Note you would be better off entering the Symbols when you figure them out
Symbols can’t be duplicated and they can be searched Description are just text and can be duplicated.
I wouldn’t trust the original programmer to send you them what would stop them from making changes to them just to mess with you
You are just going to have bite the bullet and enter them yourself. I would start with the I/O those you can trace the wires and be reasonably sure they are correct and work back from there
Good Luck

 

[Dale87]

We always leave a thumb drive in the cabinet with the program on it. But they seem to disappear also.

 

[OkiePC]

I've had to recreate documentation so many times...

Tips:
Use electrical drawings if available for the real I/O
If there are any HMI or SCADA pacakges connected to the SLC, export the descriptions from them, massage the info in your favorite spreadsheet editor so you can save it in the csv format supported by RSLogix 500 for import.

 

[Dale87]

I've had to recreate documentation so many times...

Tips:
Use electrical drawings if available for the real I/O
If there are any HMI or SCADA pacakges connected to the SLC, export the descriptions from them, massage the info in your favorite spreadsheet editor so you can save it in the csv format supported by RSLogix 500 for import.

Between the HMI and the real I/O I could probably get 75% of it. How many man hours would a person have in it? Little micrologix 1100 with an input and output card attached. Small 6" HMI with about 6 screens. Just controlling some motors and tank levels.

 

[Aardwizz]

Of course that company is going to be the cheapest.

If your client is worth having, cheapest doesn't necessarily mean a contract award.

Point out the fact that YOU will be supplying fully annotated code, which they clearly don't have, and thus cannot readily troubleshoot themselves nor cheaply hire someone to do so quickly.

Winning contracts is as much about marketing as it is engineering. Market your strengths and advantages.

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One thing you might want to do is reach out to your client's maintenance team, not their project manglers. If anyone has an annotated copy of the current code, its them. PMs don't always know what the peons know.

 

[OkiePC]

How many man hours would a person have in it? Little micrologix 1100 with an input and output card attached. Small 6" HMI with about 6 screens. Just controlling some motors and tank levels.

About 4-6 hours, but I have done that type of thing 875 times, so I have a lot of practice.

I once had to tell a customer, yes, that program needs to be rewritten, but before I can even start, I need 32 hours of labor to trace wires, draw a schematic, and comment everything. It was 7 Micrologix PLCs controlling 5 filters, raw water supply and a backwash system and there were lots of messages. The old logic was pretty much spaghetti.

They paid me. The new logic is ten times better at controlling flow and water quality, and anyone from our crew can troubleshoot it now.