Sy/max 600 clear memory error

[bmazingo]

I am new to this site let me start by saying hello to all. I am not a plc person,but I am having to learn since we lost our plc guru at work.

We are having problems with our system going into halt. Various faults and lights at work. I believe it is am internal memory problem.

I am trying to install the programming onto a sy/max 600 processor. But I cant get it to come online. I have a flashing Halt led and a steady Memory led. When I try to go online with the computer I get a "needs clear memory" message.

So How do I clear the memory????

 

[wolverine1981]

With the memory led on and the halt led flashing could from the keyswitch being in run or disabled outputs with no ladder or addressing in memory.

With not being able to go online check the cable connections, what software are you using Symate Plus.
Need more info.

Have A nice Day

 

[wolverine1981]

Check out this link.is tells how to clear the error.<br>Take a look at page 21. Th<br><br>http://ecatalog.squared.com/techlib/docdetail.cfm?oid=09008926801077ee<br><br>Have A Nice Day<br>

 

[wolverine1981]

Sorry guys.<br><br><a href="http://ecatalog.squared.com/techlib/docdetail.cfm?oid=09008926801077ee">http://ecatalog.squared.com/techlib/docdetail.cfm?oid=09008926801077ee</a>

 

[bmazingo]

Thanks for the links. I finally found a document ,in some files at work, that described how to clr the mem. I got it cleared but I could not get the program to stay in the memory once. When the power is cycled it loses the program. I read something about a memory wrtite protect bit or something that prevents the program from being dumped when the power fails or is cycled.

I hate not knowing what I am doing. But the economy has put a hold on our budget and they don't want to pay for training. Training I think I definately need to continue this type of repair.

Unfortunately our main plant wanted us to send the processors to them to be loaded. I have no way to train myself with out these and our programming laptop. So I guess the next time our PLC goes down we will be back to the darkages.

Thanks again

 

[Jim Dungar]

The model 600 processor memory is all volatile RAM.
Have you checked your power supply batteries?
How about the battery on-board the processor?

The memory write protect function is to prevent on-line editing.

For what its worth, the earliest literature I have seen on the Model 600 is dated 1989

 

[bmazingo]

The plant was built in 1999 but thye used the same system as out parent plant. The processors are sy/max 600 8020 (not sure that relates to the age) I do remember the low battery light flashing on the processor I was trying to load the program on. I am not sure I was loading the program properly. I will not have any way of testing my methods until they send the laptop pc and processors back.

How ever I do have the Sqaure D program loaded on a desk top pc located in our MCC room, I use it to look at the plc systems offline. I never could get the desk top pc to communicate with the PLC, so I never could go online with it. I used same cable as the laptop and the same program and it was in DOS mode, is there something that must be set up in a pc to get it to communicate with the PLC processor?

 

[Jim Dungar]

Battery low light means you need to replace the batteries, in the processor and in the power supply.

Good luck with getting different computers to work. You are dealing with +20 year old technology. The Symax to PC communications used clock pulses on the Comm port for error checking. Square D/Schneider Electric, never upgraded their original software packages (i.e SFW3xx and SFW4xx) to work on any system past DOS6.0. In the days of DOS computers this meant that processors faster than 25MHz needed to be slowed down in order to prevent a Comm error. As we passed the 125MHz level the speed of the comm port tended to become irrelevant, but the problem became how Windows (mis)managed the Comm port itself.

 

[wolverine1981]

Installed in 1999 that must have been a good year for Symax. A company I worked for had a couple of lines installed with the model 400 processor.

I am thinking you are probably using Symate Plus software, I would check the laptop for the port configuration and that of the desk top unit. Do this by open project in off line at the bottom there are labels F7 is the term, hit your F7 key and it will take you to another screen where F8 is labeled term setup hit the F8 key and you are in port configuration. Check and verify what comport is being used on your pc. If you still have problems there is a program I use called slowdos I use for the Symax 50 plc.

Tom

 

[bmazingo]

I think we tried that, but I will retry. I have to replace the power supply in out mcc room pc before I can proceed, go figure.

Also waiting on main plant to send back our laptop. Also, we are still having problems with the processor going in hault. More patch and pray. The problem with troubleshooting this thing is that it may go back in halt after 30seconds or it may take 30 minutes or it may be a week.

Hard to duplicate the instant it halts.

thanks

 

[jrwb4gbm]

Maybe you can add a computer type fan blowing on the plc to help with the random HALT problem and get a few more months of use. Sure sounds like it is getting near the "end-of-life" point.