scootabug

If you're looking for an extremely easy VPN connection (with encryption and all that guff), without needing to open your firewall or adjust any other security settings (except maybe your local PC firewall if you're unlucky), get into Google and download Hamachi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamachi You simply install this software on both the server PC (your system at work) and on your client PC (system at home), configure yourself with an account at Hamachi, and you can then do direct IP-IP connection between these two PCs. This will be perfect if you want to RDP or VNC to your work PC. Using their free product though won't give you full routing to your work network, hence the need for RDP or VNC. You could set up some port-forwarding on your server PC though if you needed to pull a swifty for something specific. However, you've got an IT department behind you, so maybe all the hard work has already been done for you!

Hey Bob, Thanks for the reply. This particular circuit actually operates on DC6 - 10V. So at 10VDC, I'd say that the PWM signal is 0.05VDC to 9VDC. Now, I'm not trying to count the pulses of a VFD (assuming you meant variable frequency drive) but of an ultrasonic sensor. What is it about a VFD that would require the intangible requirement of luck?! Hopefully the same requirement does not apply to an ultrasonic sensor! Hehe.

Is there a PLC I/O module or PLC that can accept PWM input and give us a reading of the pulses it's receiving per second etc? The pulses are 0.05*Vcc to 0.9*Vcc. I've really got no idea where to start with this. The AB site gave no result, just mismatched references to PWM outputs. I'd be hugely appreciative of any pointers in the right direction. Hit me back if you need more info. Thanks, Scott.

I found this guy, $329.00 AUD list price. It's more or less perfect, a tad pricier than I'd like give it's just a MCU and LDR! Perfect out of box solution though. http://www.intech.co.nz/products/plc/twnlux.html

Hi Everyone. I'm looking for some small light sensors that will switch on (and off) when the ambient light level drops below a predetermined level. I know this is a fairly basic function, but the extent of my suppliers for control gear at the minute is Farnell and they don't have anything that fits the bill. I know I could make a little circuit to do this quite easily, but that isn't appropriate for this application. So what I'm looking for is a pre-made circuit with LDR and Trimpot, with a relay output so I can just get 24VDC input into my MicroLogix PLC when the light is very dim. We have a 24VDC system so clearly something operating close to that range would be best. In addition, something with an extendable LDR (am I asking too much yet!) would be best so that the LDR could be meters away from the circuit, which I'd prefer be in the same cabinet as the PLC. Does anyone know of a little device that will fit the bill? Thanks all!

Hi all, I'm in search of a linear actuator, it does not need to be exceptionally strong...in fact the smaller and more discrete the better. In terms of size, overall: 50x50x300mm (WxD x Length). The stroke only needs to be 50-100mm at absolute max. Force at say 50nM? (does that make sense?...5kg against gravity would be overdoing it) We have a 24VDC system so clearly something operating close to that range would be best. 240V AC is going to be a nightmare for me so let's avoid that if we can! So if anyone has falling in love with a little actuator at some time, or knows of a company who makes good actuators...I'd be pleased to hear it. Thanks everyone! Scott

Hi Everyone, I have a water level sensor to measure the level of a freshwater tank. This sensor is supposed to connect to a gauge, but since we're not using gauges but an AB ML1200 PLC, I have to find a way to attach it to the PLC. The sensor varies in resistance depending on the level of water. For example, when it's empty, the resistor reads 3 Ohms. When the tank is full, the resistor reads 100 Ohms. I'm thinking if I just put voltage over the resistor, and use the varying voltage output (probably into an analogue input), I can read the tank level. Or, is there an easier or better way to do it? Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Scott

It'd have to be easer to borrow someone elses laptop that has a serial port on good old COM1!

Managed to figure it out by chance. Using O:1/0.0 right through to O:1/0.15 will give me access to all outlets directly with true/false or 1/0 on-off switching. It was all too easy, once I'd stumbled across it. Problem solved!

Hey everyone, Making some progress with the system. Making my own HMI in VB which is going to make life much simpler once I get all of the little bugs worked out. I'm using the ABLink .Net control and can successfully read/write to the ML1200 with my little app. Something I didn't anticipate though is that I don't seem to be able to have a tag to a specific output. I.e. O:0/1. I can read and write to ALL of the outputs at once (O:0) which is great, however this doesn't give me logic on/off states for each output. For example, I wanted to turn output 3 on, so I try writing 1 to O:0/3 but no luck there. However, if I write 2 to O:0 it will turn output 1 on. If I write 3 to O:0 it with turn output 1 AND 2 on. It's converting my decimal into binary. What I need to know is whether or not this is a setting on the ML1200 that needs changing or if it's an oddity of the ABLink .Net control? Has anyone seen this before? Any ideas would be great. I'm getting in touch with the ABLink developers as well but I'm thinking someone here probably has a better idea. Thanks for any help you're willing to give!

http://www.prowave.com.tw/pdf/sonar.pdf This may help explain the mystery. Make sense, anyone?!

No, she's quite the mystery and won't be ready to ship for another 2 weeks, followed by a 30 day shipping timeframe (seriously, how could it take THAT long, with TNT?). It's possible that they'll be completely useless. Eek!

This morning my delivery of MX066's arrived. I've desoldered and removed the variable resistor...now by delivering between 0VDC and 6.2VDC to the center post (or where the center post of the variable resistor was), I'm able to PWM the LED light and achieve the full range of output for perfect dimming. At 0VDC it's completely bright and at 6.2VDC it's as dim as it can be (at least for my LED downlight), beyond 6.2VDC it switches off. I've grounded the new VDC input (0-6.2VDC input) to the same ground of the main circuit, which avoided some interesting flickering that I initially had. It's an absolutely perfect solution, for my application at least. Thanks panic mode!

Howdy, Trying to use my 1762-NET-ENI EtherNet/IP. It's picking up it's IP address from our office DHCP server, but I'd rather have it manually configured in another subnet. The documentation refers to an "ENI/ENIW Configuration Utility", and then continues to show you how to configure it manually etc. I can't for the life of me find this utility in the Rockwell web site - have searched high and low! No disc with the device either. Anyone know where I can find it? Thanks, Scott

And the light shines before all! Thank you for the good link. I read the installation guide which came with the PLC itself, but alas, the documentation you actually need is NOT supplied with the unit. Kudos to you!

Alright so I'm back to being stumped. Can anyone tell me what I need to connect to which terminals on the ML1200 PLC to get 24VDC from an output? I can't seem to find any literature that gets this basic. What I need, is simply, 24VDC off each of the outputs when it has been set as an OTE (or whatever else). Seems easy enough!

Hmm. Well the first initial exciting part of this is that I got the output working (and providing 24VDC) off my 4th module which is the 16 Port DC Output (1762-OB16) based on your advice. What I don't understand now is that I have 24VDC into the ML1200 PLC but not working? I'll have more of a play around and let you know how I get on. Thank you very much thus far!

This may seem like a silly question, but I've done the TheLearningPit's RSLogix simulations and passed with flying colours...and now I'm trying to do some uber basc I/O on the MicroLogix 1200 without success. What's the obvious way to get DC Output on the ML1200? I've tried bit on, force etc, everything I can spot, but haven't struck gold yet. I thought I'd have been able to measure output with a multimeter (especially when the OUT LED is lit). To keep it fault free (which hasn't worked) all I've got is an OTE on O:0/1, on one rung all by itself. I've also tried it behind the XIC on I:0/0, no difference. Does anyone have a "idiots guide to..." for this? Sorry to ask the most obvious question in the whole world (or so it seems to me) but I'm about to pull my hair out! Thanks everyone...

Ahh, sweet as a nut. Thank you!

This may seem like a silly question, but is there anywhere you can get tutorials or sample programs on programming in RSLogix? I'm not able to get any officially training yet, so I thought some sample programs would give me a great headstart. Thanks

Thanks for the input. It'll just be a matter of getting some and having a play with them! I'll let you know how I get on...

Dropped the idea of the eBay item based on your advice and have since ordered the MX066 PWM from Bakatronics (same as the MX033 you referred me to , only it can handle more load) just on the off chance I need to do more with this than I originally envisaged. Now, here's something exciting. I am keen on the idea of incorporating reversing sensors into the vehicle, and I have found something that looks like it'd connect to the PLC with ease. Would really appreciate you guys giving it a quick glance. http://www.prowave.com.tw/english/products/ups/us040.htm Signal voltage levels Input Low 0.15 * Vcc High 0.4 * Vcc Output Low 0.05 * Vcc High 0.9 * Vcc Can I wire this into an analogue i/o (or a thermocouple i/o)? Personally I find this stuff a frag confusing without having any background or experience in the field. Thanks for the help once again everyone

Thanks, I'm currently planning on using a VIA EPIA Mini ITX board. The PC is purely to get an easy, very aesthetically pleasing HMI (hence the expensive Wonderware...it looks more Windows Vista than it does Industrial Control) in the mean time until I get the time to program my own HMI in Dot Net. We're planning on incorporating a better UI in the future with 'gestures', remote monitoring etc, and this is the main reasoning behind having a PC to HMI/data log, but not to actually control the logics. The PC will crash eventually (despite my best efforts) however the PLC will be far more reliable and will need to operate with or without the PC. I'm looking into the other HMI's you've mention. Thank you for the pointers.

What about this one on eBay? I like the fact that I don't have to desolder the pot, I can just wire it straight up (and it's already 24v). http://cgi.ebay.com.au/24-Amp-PWM-DC-Motor...ksid=p1638.m122

This looks like the simplest solution this far Panic Mode. Thanks for the hot tip. I'd actually found that Solorb.com link in my travels but it's a little meaningless without the method for connecting it to the PLC which you've answered straight off the bat.