Is there a specific setting other than the “offline timeout time” on the transaction that should be set to prevent the module from timing out? The issue I currently see is that if the module has been idle for a period of time, at least several hours, with no activity on the subnetwork the module no longer processes my consume transaction until I cycle power to the module. The module is not faulted and Logix reports the module is running.
Also, is there a way to reset the module without actually cycling power to the module?
Thanks.
Hello,
Do you have the control/status word on?
This could account for the current behavior as well as be the solution to reset the module without a power cycle.
Nick
I don’t have the control/status word on. I can try doing that and finding a time to download to the PLC. In the mean time, how does enabling the control/status word help with resetting the module? Or did you mean to monitor the health and status of the network via the control/status word in order to find out why the network seems to be timing out? Thanks.
Hello,
To correct myself, you cannot do a reset with the control/status word.
However, there is a bit that can prevent data transfer on the serial network. I am not sure what the issue is if it is not on. If it is ok to upload your configuration file then I can review it and a log file.
Thanks!
Nick
CW1_20180305.cfg (16.0 KB)
This is my current configuration. I will not get time to test the connection until later this afternoon. But I would appreciate hearing any tips you have or anything else I should watch out for when I am able to get on the line and test.
Also, having enabled the control/status word, it has changed the data format of the data I was bringing over to the PLC. I originally had a SINT array of length 20. Now I have 20 individual SINTs. Am I able to change it back so it sends me an array instead?
I recommend you test with the control/status word off, it seems to be on in your configuration. Other than that I would need to see a log in addition to the configuration.
Did you automatically generate the tags? If you manually set the array dimension of a SINT tag does it show any issues?
Nick
I guess I misunderstood your first post. With my original post on this thread, the control/status word was off and I thought you wanted me to turn it on. But with it off, I was having the time out issues. My original configuration can be found here.
I can try later today on manually creating the SINT array instead of automatically generating the tags.
Can you please also supply a log?
Nick
log.txt (5.2 KB)
Here is a log from this morning, after I cycled power to the module because it was not responding to activity on the subnetwork, i.e. no activity on the node, no data logged after repeated attempts to send an ASCII string. The data held in the node before I cycled power was the same string I sent the night prior. The status word reported “no error” the entire time. The module started responding as expected after cycling power without any changes to my setup (hard Ethernet connection to module, sample data being sent through PC).
If you do not have an offline timeout set I am not surprised it is not reporting any errors. When you do not see data anymore that log is empty?
If you are not seeing data in the log then either there is something wrong with the device or the ASCII string is not being sent by the device.
I think I recommend doing a factory reset by going to Tools>options>module>Factory reset. When doing this I recommend connecting directly to the unit.
Correct, the log is empty when I no longer see data at the node.
I was not able to manually set the array dimension of the SINT tag. The tag would turn red and the configuration manager would not accept changes. But if I start my data from address 0, I am able to change it to a SINT array. I think I’m limited by the addressing.
We tested comms again this morning after leaving the system idle all night and we were able to see data at the PLC. We tested randomly through the day yesterday and comms hadn’t timed out. We’ll just continue monitoring for now. The only thing I did yesterday was to verify and reseat the serial cable from the checkweigher to the module. Most of my testing has been with my PC mimicking checkweigher data.
There are some weird quirks with arrays. the total assembly size needs to even to use them I believe.
Thanks for the update, and let us know if you experience issues.
Nick