SLC500 battery

[ThomasGruetter]

Customer is buying several spare 504 CPU's to have one handy when there's an issue with the ones in operation. Having them on the shelf for years and draining the battery is a concern. I was thinking about installing the 1747-M11 memory chip or keeping the CPU's powered in a spare rack. Is there a solution that seems to work well?

 

[geniusintraining]

The M11 is the way to go, the only issue is when a program change is made on the working CPU someone needs to make sure to update the backup and save it to the M11

 

[L33er]

The chip you referred to is called EEPROM ( Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory).

Which bring us to a trivial question for the weekend: what is the real difference between EPROM and EEPROM?

 

[jaden]

Originally an EPROM was erased by exposure to UV light. (I still have an eraser unit. ) EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Memory. I'm not sure if the terms are always used correctly in all cases.

 

[L33er]

Correctamundo!

 

[OkiePC]

The drawbacks to using a memory module:
1) The program and ALL the data will be overwritten if the CPU loads from the module. This can be a problem if there are settings that are different than expected. This can be a surprise if the CPU and program on the module are set to only load on memory error. It might happen 3 years after the fact. It's a good idea to monitor S:5/8 "Memory Module Loaded on Boot" with an HMI to generate an alarm and allow this bit to be reset.

2) If you make a program edit with a laptop, you need to store it to the memory module which requires taking it out of RUN mode. If you forget the module is there, 17 months later, the machine behavior will remind you. At least that's how long it took the first time I learned this lesson.

 

[James Mcquade]

There are three types of chips
EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory)
UVPROM (Electrically Programmable and erased by exposure to UV light after x minutes).
we used those to debug our systems.

EPROM (Electrically Programmable Read-only Memory), program it one time after everything is proven to be correct and replace the EEPROM or UVPROM chips used is the debug stage. then compare the EPROM program to the program editor to ensure the program is correct.
james

 

[ThomasGruetter]

I was just at the customer - they bought 5 SLC504's online - First 3 I tried do not work so I stopped. Asked where they bought them from but my contact did not buy them...I will test one of them over the weekend if I can get it to work. All batteries were dead out of the box (they were unplugged). The date on the SLC label states manufacturing date 2011. I believe they are knockoffs...
We likely will go with the EEPROMS now. At least the customer took the initiative to make backups...I will post the error I get when downloading in a while. Time for a break.

 

[arpus4KM]

I was just at the customer - they bought 5 SLC504's online - First 3 I tried do not work so I stopped. Asked where they bought them from but my contact did not buy them...I will test one of them over the weekend if I can get it to work. All batteries were dead out of the box (they were unplugged). The date on the SLC label states manufacturing date 2011. I believe they are knockoffs...
We likely will go with the EEPROMS now. At least the customer took the initiative to make backups...I will post the error I get when downloading in a while. Time for a break.

is getting a knockoff SLC5/04 even a thing these days? you could just look inside the case of it and if you see new components, you could assume it's probably refurbished more likely than a knockoff.

 

[James Mcquade]

hi all,

in my previous post, i was answering a question about prom chips.
i don't know what happened, my post ended up here and i cannot find the original post.
i do apologize
james

 

[ThomasGruetter]

Trying to connect to this "new" SLC 1747-L542. I can see it in RSLinx but downloading any program results in this message:
Download Failed.
Could not get Processor Ownership!

I have not found much researching what causes this...
It seems this SLC is a replica. It looks different (color of boards, spelling errors on battery instruction etc. ). It states made in USA 9/11. I have an old box of a 542 made 7/11 and it states Singapure. It has newer revision levels than this one.

Maybe these units just don't work but still like to ask what the message above means. If there's no solution I guess the customer just wasted his $$. Btw there are lots of these SLC's on Ebay for around $400.- Also the box states L541 but inside was a L542 - lots of red flags. Please advise...

 

[Mickey]

Trying to connect to this "new" SLC 1747-L542. I can see it in RSLinx but downloading any program results in this message:
Download Failed.
Could not get Processor Ownership!

Maybe?..see links

https://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showpost.php?p=91087&postcount=3

https://www.google.com/search?q=Cou...ATRYO_enUS1005US1005&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[ThomasGruetter]

No luck with any of the suggestions - Tried key switch in all positions, load from EEPROM etc. - Bad unit.
The box it was delivered in states 9/21 - the PLC states manufactured 2011. Rockwell/AB logo look different than on my other box.
Thanks for the support.

 

[geniusintraining]

Yep, they are making 5/05, 5/04 and OW16... more to come I am sure.

 

[AutomationTechBrian]

Oh look, a pic from a service call last Monday... sorta relevant. The customer didn't realize the importance of the Bat LED on the SLC 5/05.

Sidenote to the tangent... I had the office order two new batteries from "geniusintraining". Btw, thanks for the free Ethernet cable.