Timers in AOI Not Working

Tim Ganz · Jul 30, 2021

I have built an AOI for tracking motor run time and have timers for seconds minutes hours days and years

The motor run is an input parameter to make the timers run and I move the acc of the timer to dint tags in the AOI and those are output parameters mapped to tags outside the AOI but the secondsds are barely updating so not sure why?

Nova5 · Jul 30, 2021

Post the logic. That's to vague to even take a guess with a shotgun.

JeremyM · Jul 30, 2021

"barely updating"

Are you maintaining a steady run input?

cardosocea · Jul 30, 2021

Perhaps you're overthinking this??
I can't think of an application where runtime seconds or minutes makes a difference. Usually hours is enough although you can be nice and calculate the number of days too.

I usually only use a retentive timer for one minute, although you can do it with one hour as well, thus saving you an awful lot of logic (it'll depend a bit whether this is for the process industry or machines that may be turned off at night regularly).

If you post the logic, we may be able to give some more pointers.

drbitboy · Jul 30, 2021

Nova5 said:
Post the logic. That's too vague to even take a guess with a shotgun.

and yet we all take out our shotguns.

there is no easy or polite way to say this: the quickest, best, and perhaps only, way to learn

is to be wrong
and to have someone show you
1. where you are wrong
2. the right way,
3. or at least a better way.

Stated philosophically, the only way to learn is via humility: post your code (PDF is most generally useful).

daba · Jul 30, 2021

There is a "P_RunTime" Add-On Instruction in the samples folders. See the pic for the full path.

It will accumulate Run Hours, and number of starts for a Pump/Motor.

Perhaps you could just use this "as-is", or use it as the basis of developing your own ....

Operaghost · Jul 30, 2021

Just as a general suggestion...One timer that runs for a longer period of time is usually going to be more accurate than shorter timers that reset frequently. For this instance, accuracy isn't probably all that critical. But it does simplify the logic having a single timer.

For example, I would not create timers for seconds or minutes. I would create a single timer that times to one hour and resets. Each time the timer finishes, add one to a counter and reset. Then use math to calculate the minutes and seconds and make those available as output parameters (along with the hour count).

Use a counter to count up the number of hours. Use math to calculate days, months, and years as needed. As stated above, in most cases hours is sufficient.

My guess is that something in your logic isn't incrementing or resetting properly. We need to see the code to offer any actual help though.

OG

I_Automation · Jul 30, 2021

Tim Ganz said:
I have built an AOI for tracking motor run time and have timers for seconds minutes hours days and years{/QUOTE]

I only use a single Timer - for SECONDS.

When the SECONDS timer reaches 60.000 seconds I SUB 60.000 from the ACC and ADD 1 to a MINUTES DINT. Putting in a RES for the timer will lose one scan count if the time log must be precise, on a SLC I have seen a RES lose up to 15 seconds a month.

When MINUTES = 60 I MOV 0 to MINUTES and ADD 1 to HOURS. 24 hours ADD 1 to DAYS, 365 days (366 if the date is ever FEB 29) ADD 1 YEAR

As for not running what I would do is OTU AOI_Ran BIT right before the AOI call, then in the AOI add XIC Timer.TT OTL AOI_Ran right after the timer rung. If this bit shows TRUE then the timer is running, but something else may be resetting it or overwriting the ACC.

daba · Aug 2, 2021

Operaghost said:
Just as a general suggestion...One timer that runs for a longer period of time is usually going to be more accurate than shorter timers that reset frequently. For this instance, accuracy isn't probably all that critical. But it does simplify the logic having a single timer.

....

OG

Just so long as that TIMER's accumulator value is retentive on power or prog to run changes

OkiePC · Aug 2, 2021

I just always use an RTO driven by the running status set with a preset of 36 seconds and increment a DINT and reset it when done. The DINT represents hundredths of hours so you can display it with an implied decimal point to two places.

daba · Aug 2, 2021

OkiePC said:
I just always use an RTO driven by the running status set with a preset of 36 seconds and increment a DINT and reset it when done. The DINT represents hundredths of hours so you can display it with an implied decimal point to two places.

Works for me, no need for anything more, accuracy is ok for "run-hours" and timing is retentive....

Timers in AOI Not Working

Tim Ganz

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Nova5

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JeremyM

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cardosocea

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drbitboy

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daba

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Operaghost

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I_Automation

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daba

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OkiePC

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daba

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