VB6 to SLC500 Question

[ceilingwalker]

Good day all. I have a SLC500 that is controlling an air flow rig. The HMI is a PC using a home-made program using VB6. I have no experience with Visual Basic, neither does anyone else here. I have been tasked with purchasing a new HMI for GUI and SCADA to replace it. I would like to know if someone familiar with VB might be able to help me locate the addresses for the tags that are used. The RSLogix 500 program at the PC does not have descriptions, tag names, nothing. It is a relatively small system so the I/O is easy enough to figure out however, the recipe info is coming from MSACCESS database, and communication between PC and PLC is via RSLinx DDE, serial connection. Thank you

 

[Mark-]

Hello,

The file you attached is the project file. There will be more files that contain the information you are seeking.

 

[ceilingwalker]

Hello,

The file you attached is the project file. There will be more files that contain the information you are seeking.

I am sorry but I don't know exactly what files you would need. I really know nothing about Visual Basic.

 

[yang1216]

You can open the file with notebook, then you can find out there is nothing about the tags. You can see a lot of .frm in this text file, then find the .frm files and look up the tags info.

 

[Mark-]

Hello,

Well you got the project file from some directory. There are more files.

The path is "\\srvfile\share\Brent McCabe\Bench7-9\." It looks like about 50 files.

Zip all the files and post it.

 

[ceilingwalker]

You can open the file with notebook, then you can find out there is nothing about the tags. You can see a lot of .frm in this text file, then find the .frm files and look up the tags info.

Yes, I tried this already and all I found was what you said.

 

[Helliana]

Have you checked to see if you have a copy of the PLC program with comments? It may be a lot easier to find out what data you need from the PLC code. Also, if the old HMI is working and the process allows it, make minor changes to the values and then look in the SLCs datatables and find the value that matches.

 

[ceilingwalker]

Have you checked to see if you have a copy of the PLC program with comments? It may be a lot easier to find out what data you need from the PLC code. Also, if the old HMI is working and the process allows it, make minor changes to the values and then look in the SLCs datatables and find the value that matches.

I wish it were this simple. I have tried however, I would need the ability to force changes to the VB program and there is nothing in the PC that will allow me to do so. I only have the project that is in the PLC. Searched all over for another but none to be found. A little to common here.

 

[Eric Nelson]

I wish it were this simple. I have tried however, I would need the ability to force changes to the VB program and there is nothing in the PC that will allow me to do so. I only have the project that is in the PLC.

Assuming the VB program is read/write and not just write, you could also try the opposite by changing the values in the PLC and see what changes at the HMI...



-Eric

 

[Mark-]

Hi,

I trust you could not locate any other files of the VB project.

You might try a DDE spy program and see what is going on between the VB program and RSLinx.

or

Can you contact Brent McCabe? He might have a copy of the program.

and

Since you have the MS access database you can select a recipe and see the value change in the PLC. I assume you know each 'ingredient'

 

[Lancie1]

Yes, I tried this already and all I found was what you said.

There is another VB programmer listed in the MassAir_6 file: Daryl Friedrich, and apparently the company he worked for. Also a copyright note, which means you can't modify or use the file without permission.

VersionComments="Converted 03_2007 From VB3 - Daryl Friedrich"
VersionCompanyName="Chromalloy Arizona"
VersionLegalCopyright="Chromalloy Arizona"

 

[ceilingwalker]

Hi,

Can you contact Brent McCabe? He might have a copy of the program.

That would be me. I set that location so I could pull it from the server anywhere in the plant. I am just going to have to spend more time getting to know this thing. It is unlike anything I have seen before. I do have the Access database and that has shown me where the recipe parameters are sent from the PC to the PLC so that was a big help. After "playing" with it a little more, I have a much better understanding of what it is doing, now. This VB project is difficult to understand though, it appears to be the product of years and years of being held together with "baling wire and bubble-gum" (seriously hacked-up and ran through a meat grinder). Thanks all for your help.