Truly: Help me understand the CompactLogix 5480

[JeremyM]

Okay.

On a semi-impulse, I scored one of these units relatively inexpensively. A development rig upgrade over my L320ERM: 5MB user memory, 120 EIP node capacity, and a Windows box built in? Awesome.

Well...

Just don't lose power. Ever.

Learn your C++ and whatever it takes to tell the tethered power-hungry i7 to shutdown as soon as possible while you're on a UPS. Then pray the UPS doesn't drain too quickly. If so, project is cleared. IP settings remain, time settings DO NOT, and you get to download on reboot.

Okay.

So I turn to storing the image on the included 2GB SD card. On initial store, you lose connectivity (as is the case with any CompactLogix) and the unit reboots. Upon the first reboot from SD store, I needed to manually toggle the Run switch despite telling the store utility to boot into Remote Run. I rebooted again (without an SD store) and it landed itself into Remote Run.

Pretty much defeats online programming updates. Unless, of course, the unit is tethered to its very own main sequence star for the next 5 billion years.

With the SD card, I can reboot and start the project again. Now I'm in the territory of reliably restoring configuration settings in AOIs throughout the project. Assuming I don't have a main sequence star at my disposal and without learning some elaborate SD card or CIP File Object programming magic, what's the rub here?

Is there a Rockwell utility tucked away on the Windows side that can periodically upload and download projects on reboot?

What's the goal with such a device?

 

[JeremyM]

Tag values are saved when changes are committed to the SD card. Mild plus, I think.

 

[L33er]

My mom always said, "son, dont buy it cheap, you'll get ya paid for".

So you get yourself a 5069-L450ERMW, and running what firmware? v33? with 4 ethernet adapters and win 10 OIT? Can you install & run VS?

 

[Contr_Conn]

Pretty much the same initial reaction, but if you open the manual, it actually states that it’s designed to work with specific Rockwell UPS. There is even UPS connector on it.
It will do program save and shutdown after 60 seconds running on the UPS.

Without UPS I found that if you run it at about 22V, and apply voltage to the Buffering pin, then it will do normal shutdown in about 1 minute and save all data like other PLCs do using internal memory. Kind of simulation of UPS. No SD card is needed.

 

[JeremyM]

Right @ UPS. Interesting find with the buffering pin.

Another thing I’ve noticed (going to test some more) is that the scan times are significantly lower than the 5380 and 5580.

On that, I’m guessing that I was mistaken in thinking that there’s two execution units, the usual 5380 CPU + i7? Maybe it’s an i7 only and Rockwell has “virtualized” 5380 hardware, or attached a 5x80 control unit to its PCIe bus?

Either way, I think I can be more patient in understanding this to be primarily a “real time” Windows box with an added 5x80 CPU and backplane, rather than the other way around.