PIC driver conflict

  • Thread starter Juan De los Santos
  • Start date
J

Thread Starter

Juan De los Santos

I'm using the RSLinx on NT 4.0. When we try to use the PIC Driver a conflict between the com port serial driver and the pic driver appears.

The release notes from Rockwell suggest to change the standard serial driver for the RSserial driver. Now my problem is how to change the serial driver on NT without crashing the whole system.

I appreciate any suggestions

Juan De los Santos
 
I have a work-around that may or may not be appropriate for you.

I remove the serial driver, add the PIC driver, then perform the necessary reboot. The PIC driver works fine after the reboot.

To use a serial driver with this same COM port, you must first remove the PIC driver, then reboot. After the reboot, you can add the serial driver.

I use this method with RSLinx on WinNT 4.0 Workstation. It works with service packs 3 through 6.0a. My platform is a Gateway Solo laptop with only one serial port installed. 2.00.97.30 is my RSLinx version. This also worked
with earlier versions. I use this regularly, so I know it works, but it is clunky!

I have also tried this method on WinNT 4.0 Server, service pack 5. This computer has two available COM ports. In this case, I can run the PIC driver on one serial port and the PIC driver on the other serial port. I tried this on an earlier version of RSLinx, but can not say how it performs with the latest. This was on an ASUS motherboard desktop that I built. (I do not
think hardware makes much difference.)

Dan Melton
 
J
I did the same thing (with the same model laptop!!) and found that after doing this a few times, it get to be more trouble than it was worth. Ditch the PIC box and get a PCMK card. It is a PCMCIA to DH-485 adapter. Price for card and cable is obscenely higher than it should be (about $1500 IIRC), but I am free from driver shuffling!! I can keep the DF-1 driver loaded,
and it does not conflict while RSLinx is not loaded.

--Joe Jansen
 
J
You can use RSLinx PIC driver, or any other serial device. If you have the PIC driver loaded, you cannot use the serial port for ANY
other purpose.

Additionally, to load and unload the PIC driver requires a reboot.

This is true under NT 4.0.

I have not found any work around other than change and reboot.

- --Joe Jansen
 
Joe,

Better yet, ditch the 503 processors and upgrade to 504 and forget about PIC. The 504 works great with a serial interface and you can ditch the
pcmcia card.

I prefer to use standard ports -- COM, LPT, USB, 10BaseT -- and not buy any expensive interface cards. The extra price for the 504 is actually cheaper in the long run.

Dan
 
E

Elroy Majestik

You can always use a null modem cable if channel 0 (the db-9 connector) is open. Just use the RS-232 DF1 driver and the auto-config feature. If the port is configured for DF1 Full-Duplex the auto-config will determine the correct settings.
 
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Troy Stearns

The 5/03 has the same serial port capabilities as a 5/04. Don't swap from a 5/03 to a more expensive 5/04 to get the serial port that is already there.

I assume that the PIC is necessary because the serial port is consumed by another device or is non-existent, as with a 5/02 or below.

Troy Stearns
Controls Engineer
Martin Automatic, inc.
 
J
Unfortunately, I have a lot of legacy equipment that uses 5/02, 5/01, and worse, a SLC 500 Brick!. These are already linked in some places
with DH-485. IIRC, the 5/04 talks DH+, and does not support DH-485. Thus, the 5/03's.

I have heard rumor that the 5/04 can be coaxed (sp?) into doing DH-485 through the 9-pin connector. Is this true? If so, I guess I could put them in where I do not need to do any RS-232 comms......

- --Joe Jansen
 
J

Juan De los Santos Naumov

Thanks a lot for your comments.

I need to use the PIC because we have more than one plc connected with the DH485 network.

We are trying to get some data from all the nodes to a Supervisory Control System. There just three ways :

1784-KTX, 1770-KF3 or the less expensive PIC.

Our PC have 2 serials ports, all that averibody said about rebooting the computer after selcting the PIC dirver is correct, but the problem after
that is the conflict between the PIC driver and the standar serial driver. It looks like the way to solve this conflict is changing the serial driver for the RSSerial.

Thanks again

Juan De los Santos
 
A

Amora Fibrianto

SLC5/04 can support DH485, but it run in RS-232 not in RS-485 as native DH485 does. and I think you can use NetAIC to networked it with other DH-485.

Try to configure the channel 0 as DH-485.
Be aware that you will lost communicatin with the PLC if you're online with DF-1 driver.
Change DF-1 driver with PIC driver...(i don't know but it's work just fine for me, i use RSLinx2.00). I forgot the cable pinout.


Amora Fibrianto
>
> I have heard rumor that the 5/04 can be coaxed (sp?) into doing DH-485 through the 9-pin connector. Is this true? If so, I guess I could put them in where I do not need to do any RS-232 comms......
>
> - --Joe Jansen
 
J
Another option:

I do all of my data collection by moving data from all of the PLC's on the DH-485 network into a SLC 5/05 processor, and then use the TCP/IP port to get the data to the computer. You could modify this approach by moving all ofthe data to a single 5/03 using MSG instructions and then pluck it out throught the RS-232 port using the
DF-1 protocol. I typically put all of my MSG instructions in the 'central' processor so that the communications can be written efficiently from a single location. refer to www.plcarchive.com for my entry titled DH-485_Comm for an example of how I do this. This
should take care of your problems without needing a PIC if you can get the data to a single processor.

HTH

- --Joe Jansen
 
For anyone else with a similar problem, AB sells a critter called an AIC+ that can serve as a interface between DH-485 and RS232. Unfortunately, it also uses the same PIC driver so ya still have to say goodbye to your serial
port. Thanks again, Rockwell!
You can always get a serial PCMCIA card for your laptop that would give you another couple ports, and if you don't use NT you can use a USB-RS232
adapter. Both would be way cheaper than a KT or PCMK card.


Jerry Holzer
Curt G. Joa, Inc.
Boynton Beach, FL

*****DISCLAIMER*****
The opinions in the above message are my own and don't necessarily express
the "official" views of my employer, Curt G. Joa Inc.
 
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Troy Stearns

Accomplishing DH-485 thru the SLC serial port involves attaching the serial end of the PIC to the SLC serial port. The other end of the PIC could then connect to an AIC on the DH485 network. I have done this in the past but do not recall how the serial port on the SLC was configured.

Troy Stearns
Controls Engineer
Martin Automatic, inc.
 
G
Yes, any serial port of any SLC-500 can be configured for the DH485 protocol. To get this 9-pin RS232 port onto a network the best module to use is the 1761-NETAIC. This module has terminals for the DH485 wiring an 8-pin DIN and a 9-pin port. If you use a 1761-CBL-PM02 from the processor to the NETAIC you will have the 9-pin available for your laptop using the PIC driver and a 1747-CP3 cable.
Once all of this is done you can actualy be on the other network of the SLC-500, DH+ or E-Net and pass-thru to the DH485 network.

Hope this helps.

Greg Critton
Warren Electric
Automation Specialist (AB)
 
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