We have HOPF time clock installed as an external clock to supply time minutes to the ABB AC450 controllers and Operator stations.
I have questions that, what happens if I turn off the external clock connected with ABB advant system and reconnect after the replacement of the IC chip?
Is there are any considerations I need to make?
or is there any synch issues I need to considered?

After turning it On and putting it back into the system is there anything I need to do?

 

I thought that the Advant system used NTP to sync time on the operator stations and that usually the IMS was the master time server, this was then used to sync the controllers. If it uses NTP then if the time sync changes dramatically the clock is adjusted in small increments over a period of time so that it appears as a seamless transition.

That is just from memory, I'm sure there are more details in the Advant documentation.

--
Chris Jennings

 

AC450 Controllers and Advant OS are usually synchronised through the CLOCK_SYNCH settings in the RTA board or AC450 controller. Yes, typically the IMS is used as the clock master if you have one installed. And if you have Advant OS you generally would not be using a controller as the clock master. (However, from memory (without checking the manuals) you may well find that the external clock is connected to a controller.)

Since you have an external clock master, then one of your controller or OS nodes will be synchronising to that clock and then re-distributing the time to the rest of the MB300 network.

In theory, if everything is working correctly, nothing will happen when you disconnect the external clock. When you reconnect the clock then as long as the times are still in synch then theoretically nothing should happen.

Of course, that's a big ask. You should first identify which Node is getting the time signals from the external clock. Then ensure that all the controllers really are synched correctly. Finally, before you reconnect the external clock again, ensure that it is on the correct time. Make sure you have accounted for any timezone settings. AC450 controllers do not have a TZ setting, but Advant stations do.

Finally, if you have a mixed AC800M / AC450 network be sure that the AC800M is a clock slave on the MB300 network and that the time settings are correct. I have seen issues where the AC800M controller time jumped to year 2046 when the time settings were not correctly configured during a project upgrade.

Rob
www[.]lymac.co.nz

 

Thanks for your replies guys,
External Clock (HOPF) is connected to Clock Master and backup, both are AC450 controller. We have few OS and AC450 controllers connected on MB300. Neither IMS nor any OS is clock master or directly connected to HOPF clock.

I am guessing if I disconnect HOPF than clock master will send time messages based on its own internal clock and when I reconnect the HOPF it will synch with it without any issues? its just a guess.
I will appreciate any more knowledge.

Thanks
Will

 

Correct

 

Hi,

we are having AC410 controllers and we want to synchronize the time with GPS clock. Please suggest us the HOPF GPS device model number to be used for the time synch. (we are planning to connect the External minute pulse to the SB171 module and then try to synchronize the AC410 node).

Awaiting for your valuable reply at the earliest.
Regards
Santhosh.G

 

Hi,
We Have HOPF rack installed to synchronise the control system with GPS, HOPF rack uses GPS7015 card, which is the GPS receiver card you can say. But I would not suggest this system since it only sends minute pulses rather than the actual time telegraphs.Which makes things extremely difficult during Day light saving, we have to manually change the time.

So contact HOPF and find out , do they have any product which can be interfaced with advant and work as a time master?

Thanks
Will P.
Technical Service Adviser

 

Here is how it works in our org.

the hopf system is connected to os500 station through ethernet cable. The os500 has hopf application running as NTP. I have seen time in os500 and on hopf exactly sync.

usually in advant dcs one of the controller database clk database is set to one meaning that its master, in case it doesn't receive pulse from mb300 connect os500, all other ac450 will syc to it.

thx