Do-More and DL adressing

[deep6ixed]

Here's a question:  I'm upgrading on of our older machines to the Do-More, but the HMI (C-more Micro) still needs to use the DL Octal addressing.  I'm assuming that I would program the external devices exactly the same as I would as if it were talking to a DL240, and my confusion comes from how the DLX,Y,V,C Addressing works.  Does the Do-more automatically map those addresses or do I need to move the values from one memory block to another. 

For example does the new CPU automatically map X0 to DLX0 or do I have to use a memory copy command?

[MikeS]

there's no automatic connection between DLX0 and X0, you will have to map that I/O yourself. Look at the MAPIO instruction, it might be just what you need.

[BobO]

Actually MAPIO isn't really the best tool if you are planning to do a bulk mirroring. It is for creating a map between a logical I/O point and a physical one...on a point by point basis. If you are planning to mirror, bulk copies would be the preferred approach.

The design was driven by the desire to limit the access of unsecured protocols like DL's legacy protocols and Modbus variants to certain areas, with particular emphasis on keeping them out of I/O spaces. It is simply too easy to hack them...you don't want them directly controlling I/O. As a side benefit, it allowed us to address things in the most logical way for the target...Modbus registers for Modbus, and octal addresses for DL...while keeping Do-more the way we wanted it to be.

Be sure to take note that X, Y, C, V are decimal addressing, whereas DLX, DLY, DLC, and DLV are octal.

[deep6ixed]

Now that I physically have a Do-More on a test rack with a C-More Screen, I can testify that getting them to talk with K-Sequence isn't that bad at all.  And I have some feedback...

1.) Port Setup: Simple, I just changed the Do-More to use 9600Baud, 8 data, 1 stop, odd parity and right away the C-more started to do more (heh heh on the pun.)  Same cables as the DL240.

2.) X and Y addresses: Using the MEMCOPY instruction was a breeze, just threw it in the top of scan task and it mirrored everything to my HMI without issue.

3.) C Addresses: Instead of MEMCOPY I ended up just directly referenced the DXC address in my ladder logic.  No big deal on this point.

4.) V Adressing: threw me for a loop for about half an hour until I realized that the Do-More was expecting a DLV address to be in unsigned INT, but all my tags in the HMI were setup for BCD.  Here's my suggestion for more drop in compatibility for older equipment that is stuck with the Micro or even worse EZTouch , is to make away to turn the DLV heap into BCD or allow us to cast it.

Most of my HMI's use BCD to make it work with the old D240 Timer commands.  Now I ended up just converting every DLV value and storing it in V memory.  It's too big of a deal, nor is it a turn off to me about it, but if you didn't catch this it would have you scratching your head...

But all in all, most of my gear that is expecting a D240 doesn't know any better that it's talking to a much better CPU.

[BobO]

4.) V Adressing: threw me for a loop for about half an hour until I realized that the Do-More was expecting a DLV address to be in unsigned INT, but all my tags in the HMI were setup for BCD.  Here's my suggestion for more drop in compatibility for older equipment that is stuck with the Micro or even worse EZTouch , is to make away to turn the DLV heap into BCD or allow us to cast it.

The PUBLISH and SUBSCRIBE instructions were written explicitly for this: to take non-native memories and adjust them for use in Do-more's internal memory. PUBLISH is for taking Do-more memories and pushing to non-native with conversions, and SUBSCRIBE takes non-native and converts back to Do-more. BCD conversion is an option of both.

[deep6ixed]

I should have read the book a little better then...

[BobO]

I should have read the book a little better then...

Dude...this is a huge instruction set. I barely remember it and I designed it.

[deep6ixed]

The D240 was for me, how can I make this do what I want with this instruction set, now it's more along the lines of which instruction fits this situation the best...

There is one instruction I would like to see, but it's not much of a priority, in fact I never even thought of it until I used the P3K, the FLASH instruction, its like a normal output except it has a on/off interval built right into it.  Great for alarm indicators, or for when you want something to toggle at a rate other than what the default ST bits can do.

[BobO]

Take a look at TIMEPROP...

[ATU]

You could put that and anything else that are your  "custom" home brew system utilities in a task.  Then every time you write a program, copy that task into the application, then  you'll have them, the way you prefer.

[deep6ixed]

Is there anything this little gem cant do?

Ive spent the last 6 hours here at the shop with this thing rigged up on my test bench with a C-More 8", a C-more Micro 6" and been getting excited every time I can make it do something else "cool."  The mechanical guys are commenting about how I'm "giddy like a school girl."

Now when we get back to work monday the serious work begins, We are dropping one of these into a wire drawing line controlling 2 150hp DC drives.  Our old setup was a D240 with all Digital I/O, and the drives all interfaced with relay logic. Now we are moving into the modern era with the drives talking directly to the PLC and with analog finally added.  To do this with a D240 would be a nightmare.  Now I just finished the Do-More program yesterday and now am working on the HMI.  I was able to program the entire 'base' program that would allow the machines to run in about 4 hours, versus the 40 it took when we converted from Allen Bradley. 


 

[BobO]

Is there anything this little gem cant do?

I hope not!

Seriously though, I'm sure there are holes and as we find them we'll fix them. It is not much of a stretch to say that Host 'bet the company' on Do-more, so we are obviously committed to this for the long term. As you use it, please keep the flow of comments and observations coming.

[franji1]

Cockpit qualified young man: [after the plane gets out of the ditch] The instruction book said that was impossible.
Joe Patroni: That's one nice thing about the 707. It can do everything BUT read.