Topics

1

Feature Request / DF1 driver/documentation/help

« on: April 26, 2017, 03:56:46 PM »

Archie,

You have done fantastic work for the industrial community. I can't tell you how many times I search PLCTalk or Control forums and find the answer I need, authored by you! In addition to that, AdvancedHMI is really in a league of its own. I've been happily using AHMI for 3 years now, and it never fails to exceed my expectations! Thank you so much!

I have started working on a project where my license requirements are pretty strict, which sometimes means writing from the ground up (I wish I could use AHMI for this one!). The application is a Linux-based driver/HMI that can interface with a PLC-5 (no ethernet) and various SLC controllers (5/04, etc. also no ethernet) over a serial RS-232 connection.
So far, I've had quite a bit of luck with the SLC using this daemon application: https://github.com/leicht/Df1 The daemon handles the low-level comms over the serial port and listens on a TCP port so I can send commands to it from a different computer or loopback over localhost and use the same machine. It's been pretty slick so far.
I tried applying the same process to the PLC-5 and had far less success. I think I remember this topic coming up periodically, and the answer being that the packet format is different from the PLC-5 to the SLC. I've been using AHMI on my dev pc for troubleshooting, and looking at the AHMI serial logs, I can confirm that the packets are different, but I can't make much sense of why or how.
So here I am. The past few weeks of struggling have landed me here. I have an inkling that I'm doing something wrong, but I can't seem to figure out how to do things right. I was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction.

Is there any source code or documentation available for the DF1 driver that communicates with the PLC-5? How similar or different is the AHMI version to the ABDF1 version you penned in 2006?

Thanks for taking the time to read my novel,

Alyssa Wells

2

Support Questions / New project: SLC 5/04 not responding over serial

« on: April 24, 2017, 03:30:51 PM »

I have just started a new project to talk to a SLC controller and build a basic HMI. I'm new to serial comms AND to the SLC series of processors, and I'm drawing at straws here to get any response.
I have a fresh AHMI project with only the SerialDF1 driver, two basic labels (bits B3:0/0 and B3:0/1) and a standard VB label tied to the ComError event of the driver so I can get some amount of feedback.

Code: [Select]

Private Sub SerialDF1forSLCMicroCom1_ComError(sender As Object, e As Drivers.Common.PlcComEventArgs) Handles SerialDF1forSLCMicroCom1.ComError
        Label1.Text = e.ErrorMessage
    End SubWhen I run the project from visual studio, it doesn't do anything visually for a few seconds, then the ComError label changes to "No Response from PLC"
The two BasicLabels never change from their default text.

Driver: SerialDF1forSLCMicroCom
AHMI Driver Settings: baud=19200, parity=None, checksum=CRC, port=COM3
Controller: SLC 5/04
Channel 0 Settings: mode=DF1 Full Duplex, baud=19200, parity=None, stop=1, checksum=CRC, Source ID=9, No Handshaking

OS: Windows 10
AHMI version 3.99w
Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port adapter

3

Support Questions / Test available ports - EthernetIPforCLX

« on: December 08, 2015, 08:51:05 AM »

I have an application that is used as a tool by multiple people, all talking to the same PLC. It mostly works fine for me, but sometimes other people (who launched the app after I did) have issues communicating with the PLC. I'm inclined to think that it's a port issue, as all the instances of this application are identical and are coded to use the same port. I was wondering if there's any way to look for an available port in the PLC and use that, or if you have any other input for how to handle this type of application. It wouldn't be absurd to have pre-set ports for each instance of the app stored in tags in the PLC (first client gets 44818, next gets 44819, etc.) and have the clients communicate with the PLC that they are there and using those ports so the next instance can choose from the remaining pool.

4

Support Questions / Comms instability - EthernetIPforCLX

« on: November 10, 2015, 04:37:48 PM »

Archie,

I have a project with multiple forms (and a comm component on each one) that will occasionally drop communications and stop updating labels, data subscribers, etc. I haven't found a way to repeat this issue in development, it only happens in production, and it is seemingly random. I'm not sure what the actual error is, or if there is one.
When this happens, is there any way to catch that communication has stopped happening and handle that somehow? Are there methods to re-open communication without restarting the project/form?

Thanks!

5

Support Questions / CIP error: priviledge violation - CLX 398t

« on: July 16, 2015, 10:50:58 AM »

I'm getting this CIP error when I try to launch my application on a Windows 8.1 Surface Pro 3, exception detail is attached.
The line referenced in my project is a Write to a tag when the form's visibility changes.
I don't have this issue on my desktop PC running Windows 7, only on the tablet.

I'm going to install Visual Studio on the tablet to see if that will give me some more debugging capabilities/information.

6

Support Questions / GraphicIndicator

« on: June 29, 2015, 03:37:47 PM »

I was playing with the GraphicIndicator component as an LED-style indicator. It's watching a bit for on or off state and showing the on or off light accordingly.

I was wondering if there's a way to change the image alignment within the control?
Or turn off the "stretch" setting so it displays the image at its native size instead of resizing it to fit the control.

I traced the code until I hit the Object Browser for the MfgControl.AdvancedHMI.Controls.dll and I can't seem to go any farther or find the code controlling the paint event for the control.
Thanks!

7

Support Questions / IndexOutOfRange in Write function - CLX 398s

« on: June 24, 2015, 11:18:06 AM »

I just picked up a Micro820 for a budget project based on the micro800 support in AHMI, thanks!
Using the EthernetIPforMicro800Com driver talking to a Micro820 controller, I'm getting a couple different exceptions thrown in the Write function. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

8

Support Questions / InvalidOperationException in OnConnectionEstablished - CLX 398s

« on: June 22, 2015, 10:35:24 AM »

I've been seeing this error thrown from the comm driver on a hidden form for a few revisions of AHMI, I patched it by checking that the window handle is created before establishing a connection with the driver. It seems to work well so far, but if you have a better way to handle this error, please let me know. =]

9

Support Questions / DataLinkLayerComError NullReferenceException

« on: June 18, 2015, 09:15:25 AM »

e.ErrorId = -34
e.ErrorMessage = "Could not connect to 0.0.0.0, port 44818. Timed out"

It seems to stop throwing exceptions here after adding a line to the beginning of this sub (line 1401)

Code: [Select]

If e.ErrorId = -34 Then Exit Sub
Seems like more of a band-aid fix than anything, since I don't understand why it's trying to connect to 0.0.0.0...

10

Support Questions / DataLinkLayer_DataReceived NullReferenceException

« on: July 11, 2014, 04:42:02 PM »

I'm having these errors intermittently, and I guess I'm not sure how to troubleshoot the cause of it, or how to prevent it. I would really appreciate any insight or tips on how to investigate this further. Attached is a screenshot of the error I'm getting.
Thanks!