New Mark VI PANEL not in control state

Hello guys, hope everyone is staying.
I have a Mark VI TMR panel I'm trying to commission, I have cloned a working HDD from a running MKVI to be used. I have established comms with the controller, downloaded and uploaded to the Mark Vi But some errors and major difference (as expected) are standing. Any ideas on how to resolve it? If you need more information to assist I am ready to provide it.
Thanks guys. Merry Christmas
 

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cheedee,

Speaking from painful experience if you have an .m6b from a site/Mark VI other than the Mark VI panel you are working on and the .m6b file has different cards than the Mark VI panel and the version of Toolbox you have doesn't have firmware files to match the versions of cards in the Mark VI panel--it is going to be a difficult and arduous and probably long (longer than you thought it would take) process to get the panel to the 106 control state.

Seriously, unless you have the software (.m6b file) for the panel you have and the right version of Toolbox, it's probably more than likely that you will spend a lot of time and effort and may not get to 106.

Also, if the panel wasn't maintained or stored properly, the chances of all the cards working are not very good, either.

Personally, I would never tackle a similar project without the software that was last downloaded to the panel again. The biggest problem--and the one I suspect you are encountering is the VCMI configuration. I forget the term (I think it's something like 'topology'), but it's critical the VCMIs know the locations of every card in their processor rack. And the right versions of the cards and in some cases the right firmware versions. It's a tricky process. And, of course it's poorly documented.... Why would it be well-documented when almost nothing else is?!?!!!)

I wouldn't attempt it by forum or email or DM/PM or even by phone or remote computer access. I had some very good help via all the listed methods, and in the end it was just a trial and error method, me working on my own and writing down every step I took--AND the results of every step I took--AND some serious time analyzing everything and reading the manuals. I also had at least thirty backups of .m6b files and unit directories--just in case.

In the end, I am still not sure exactly what the root answer was, but I learned I was re-booting the Mark VI in the wrong order. I have always rebooted Mark IV's and Mark V's and Mark VI's starting with <T> then <S> then <R>. It's always worked and worked well. But for some strange reason the panel and/or firmware in the panel only wanted to be booted up starting with <R> then <S> and then <T>. I had to do all the downloads, then power down all three processors and the VPROs, power-up the VPROs, then <R>, wait until all the green LEDs on <R>'s I/O cards were blinking, then power-up <S> and wait for the green LEDs to start blinking, and the power-up <T>. And that worked. And it has continued to work, even when I had a nasty intermittent problem with a VCMI card, and it still works now. (And, I still try my old, trusted method of <T> then <S> then <R> from time to time and it works less than 1 time out of 10 tries. Old habits die hard, and people are always asking, ”What's the proper order to reboot processors?” and you would be shocked at how many people tell me I'm wrong when I tell them what has worked for me!)

But that's all I'm willing to do on this thread. Maybe if we were sitting side by side and we worked well together (which isn't too often for people who have experience with Mark* systems--because we're all mostly self-taught and headstrong and opinionated) I would attempt this. But not remotely by forum or email or phone or even remote PC access. It's too frustrating--and like I said, I'm not even sure exactly what I did to solve the ”other” problems, only that in the end changing the boot-up order was what finally worked. (And using my backups I even tried downloading other configurations and then booting up beginning with <R> then <S> then <T>, and all three of those attempts were successful. I stopped trying after that.)

Good luck. It's a complicated beast, the Mark VI, and Toolbox, and it's NOT for the faint of heart or those using the shotgun approach (trying six things at once and then not knowing what worked and what wouldn't have--and not remembering what six things were done). And unless I had good feedback from every step that was attempted, I would probably stop before the panel got to 106 (because it's VERY important to me to understand and know what the proper steps are and not to guess or just be happy it got to 106; in case you can't tell I'm not happy my panel went to 106 because I don't 100% know why it did or why I have to boot-up in the order I do, but I spent so much time on the process I had to move on).

Best of luck!
 
Thanks CSA, I'll revert to booting up the processors the way you stipulated.
In regards to the preservation of the MK6 it was poorly done and some cards burnt as we powered up, even after vacuuming and blowing. We luckily got replacements for the I/O cards VCMI and UCVE cards, did the change out and rebooted the controllers, all 3 (R,S,T) are have their green LED blinking

*But the connection to the T core is still faulty. Reason being that the IP address of the T core doesn't match the R and S
R: 192.168.101.121
S: 192.168.101.122
T: 192.168.101.111 ( Possibly because we swapped VCMI and UCVE from another unit). How can we solve the T core problem?

Secondly the collision detection LED on the VCMI is standing , how can we solve this too?

Also is it possible that some TBs that are disconnected can prevent the MK6 from getting to 106 ?

Please help with any suggestions. I would love to get my hands on your cheat book
 
cheedee,

As I wrote above, what you're asking is very difficult to do via a World Wide Web forum (or email or even remote PC access).

There are Help screens for changing/setting the I/P address of UCVx cards. If I recall correctly there are multiple ways to do this, including via the FLASH card (which DOES NOT work with the majority of FLASH card readers!) and one of the mini-DIN serial cables to plug into the mini serial port on the front of the UCVx card.

That's all I can really really tell you. It's a long, slow, arduous process and I spent weeks (literally) going through Help screens and manuals (the Help screens are almost exclusively the same information as in the manuals--occasionally there's an added nugget of information, but that's rare). I used the index feature of the Help feature, and context--everything trying to find what I was looking for. (Quite often I found it as I was reading/skimming through the paper manuals (I do NOT like using .pdf readers to find information in manuals--even though some .pdf readers have good Find (Ctrl+F) capabilities. I like being able to dog-ear pages and highlight sentences and make notes on the pages (I'm VERY old school--but I have found that the technicians I meet on sites who have made notes in their paper copies of manuals and on the P&IDs are very often some of the best tech's I meet and work with; those who just ask for electronic copies of the manuals (when they're already available on the HMI--sometimes multiple copies in different folders) don't really "read" the manuals unless there's a problem and then they don't really read, they just search and get frustrated when they can't immediately find what they're looking for). I often find things, unrelated to my present needs, that I remember later and go back to and find VERY helpful.

I don't know what you intend to use this "new" PANEL for, or what software you are using (Toolbox version and .m6b file) and how they are related (if at all). You said you did some downloading and uploading.... I would have (and did) the opposite; I tried uploading what was in the panel first, and saving that in a unique folder, and trying to open and have a look at that information. It was from a very old version of Toolbox (something like ver. 3 or 4, if I recall correctly) and I couldn't find a version that old.

Again, patience is important. Several times I had to get up, and take a hike (sometimes two or three miles) while I thought things through without those DAMN cooling fans running in the background (when I finally got the panel to 106, I moved the HMI to a different room just to get away from those DAMN cooling fans!). I even tried unplugging the cooling fans for a few minutes and checking the UCVx temperatures--but they got warm/hot pretty fast (in under 30 minutes) so I had to plug the fans back in (AARRGGHH!!)). I even stepped back for a week-and-a-half, just to work on some other things and not think about the Mark VI and Toolbox.

Again, it wasn't ONLY the boot-up order that eventually solved my issues. In fact, part of the problem was a bad IONET BNC connection (storage issues caused corrosion--actually I think it was rodent urine; I had to carefully wipe every surface down, and used compressed air and non-conductive wipes on cards and card connectors, even the 37-pin plugs/receptacles in the beginning--got to beware of Hanta virus!) that was intermittent. But, I do know that 98.89% of the time the boot-up order of <R>, <S> and <T> works. But only if the VCMIs and IONET are working, as well as the VPROs (which was another problem--one of the VPRO power supplies stopped working but didn't cause a Diagnostic Alarm).

I had estimated it would only take me 2-3 weeks to get the panel up to 106 and communicating and usable. It took more like 8-9 weeks, some 10-11 hour days, and an occasional Saturday or Sunday, too. And, that doesn't include the week-and-a-half I stepped away (because I was so frustrated and disgusted). But, perseverance and doggedness eventually paid off--plus the help of a couple of really patient and dedicated friends--I couldn't have done it without their help, too. (One of them actually asked me what my boot-up order was... )

My notebook is about 3000 miles from where I am now and for several months. Also, it's pretty cryptic--just a lot of notes and scribbling that wouldn't make much sense to anyone but me, and probably only after some serious recall efforts about what was happening at the time. I did refer to some sections often--and they were helpful in correcting some of my assumptions and procedures. But, there's nothing such as a complete, entire, step-by-step "cook book" procedure. Especially since the panel wasn't new and had so many issues (I still have VAIC card with issues I can't solve, and one VTCC card that doesn't want to play well with others at times--damn rodents!).

Best of luck. Use the manuals and the Help screens. And, keep notes. If you don't have a mini-DIN serial cable, you need to get one or make one. And, if you don't have a FLASH card reader/programmer that works with Toolbox, you need to get one (I spent about USD50-60 on eBay buying different ones; I actually found the one that GE used to put in the "Start-up Kit" they sent out with Mark VI panels in the early days (before budget cuts stopped that practice).

Oh--and I screamed, LOUDLY, sometimes. (Scared our Office Manager the first time, and actually the second time, too!)
 
Hello CSA,
Thanks for the support ,I think I'm making little progress on the project but the end is not yet close. I have attached images of the VCMI diagnostic of each controller.
The major alarms I THINK that maybe preventing control state, that i need help with is
*IONET communication failure.
Please any assistance is welcomed
 

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Cheedee,

did you ever resolve this issue? A few things i saw here in your post that may help:
* T controller has the wrong IP address, that needs to be fixed to 192.168.101.123. the should always be consecutive. this should be shown in your toolbox config
* the controllers are all not talking to each other and not talking to all of their IO modules. Verify that all the controllers can talk to each other (through ethernet). you can do this with ping tests, and make sure there is no one else on the network with the same IPs
* The VCMI does not seem to be talking to the IO modules. did you do a full 'topology' download to the VCMIs?
* you need to fix the S controller before you can move forward with the R & T. Make sure you do a full download to that, and make sure you are downloading to the correct controller.

Just some quick thoughts. keep us posted and I will add more input later.
 
ME42,

I'm not familiar with the command for modifying/creating, verifying and then downloading topology to the VCMI.

(cheedee is using an .m6b file from a different unit and I believe part of his issues are related to getting the right topology downloaded to the VCMIs.)

He has been directed how to change the IP address, but he has not replied if he has a micro serial cable or a FLASH card reader, and if the IP address is still incorrect then the lack of either or both of those is probably the reason.
 
Cheedee,

did you ever resolve this issue? A few things i saw here in your post that may help:
* T controller has the wrong IP address, that needs to be fixed to 192.168.101.123. the should always be consecutive. this should be shown in your toolbox config
== Yes, this has been fixed.

* the controllers are all not talking to each other and not talking to all of their IO modules. Verify that all the controllers can talk to each other (through ethernet). you can do this with ping tests, and make sure there is no one else on the network with the same IPs
== Yes, i have done ping test and can confirm all 3 controller IPs are responding. (Hmmm..is possible to detect which IO module in a rack isnt responding, even when all the green LEDs are on ...might be on to something here)

* The VCMI does not seem to be talking to the IO modules. did you do a full 'topology' download to the VCMIs?
==I'll attempt this..

* you need to fix the S controller before you can move forward with the R & T. Make sure you do a full download to that, and make sure you are downloading to the correct controller.
=== Yes, i also strongly believe S is the issue. Also a major concern is Collision Detection LED on the S-VCMI for IONET 2. ANY IDEAS ON HOW TO RESOLVE THE COLLISION DETECTED?

Just some quick thoughts. keep us posted and I will add more input later.
 

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Firmware and topology. VCMIs are very "picky" and want everything to be properly specified and match for proper communications--and IONET comm's are critical to the Mark VI (and VIe as well).

Glad to hear you got it resolved!

Am I to understand you are going to use this to operate a turbine?
 
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