# Plc help



## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

If MDShunk doesn't pipe up in this thread, shoot him a PM; I believe he's pretty knowledgeable with Allen Bradley PLCs.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

You might check with your local A-B distributor. Usually at least a couple of times per year they offer classes on PLCs and although you pay for the class, often they give a special deal on hardware to go with the class, as in half-price and free software. What part of CA are you in? I can give you some names if it's Northern CA


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## Tristen (Aug 20, 2011)

JRaef said:


> You might check with your local A-B distributor. Usually at least a couple of times per year they offer classes on PLCs and although you pay for the class, often they give a special deal on hardware to go with the class, as in half-price and free software. What part of CA are you in? I can give you some names if it's Northern CA


I'll ret getting ahold of a local distributor and see what I can find through them. Im living and working by salinas now. Originally from the valley, Merced area. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't mind spending some money to learn it but I was trying to keep it some what reasonable if possible. Let me know if you have any reps some where close to me that I could talk to. Thanks for your help


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

Tristen said:


> I'll ret getting ahold of a local distributor and see what I can find through them. Im living and working by salinas now. Originally from the valley, Merced area. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't mind spending some money to learn it but I was trying to keep it some what reasonable if possible. Let me know if you have any reps some where close to me that I could talk to. Thanks for your help


There is a Buckles-Smith office in Salinas, they are the A-B distributor. Their training classes are usually done at their San Jose headquarters, but the guys in Salinas should have a schedule of upcoming programs and events.


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## jontar (Oct 11, 2009)

AB panelviews ans panelmates are pretty easy to figure out, you need panelbuilder32 and it just a bunch of b3 (bit), n7(intergers), f8(floats) to make things work, you can copy and paste a lot of the basic's.

We have probably (20) PV550, and PV600 , and about (5) PV1000 at the plant I work and we add and delete stuff all the time with a laptop and a RS232 serial port cable, once you do it once, its pretty easy, PLC5 and mircologix1500 ones seem to be the easist. The 1000 on CRL5000 are more challenging, but then again they have alot more things on them.

If you have a test rack in the electrical shop and a panelview, just sit down and hook them up, they are usually wired with DH+, RIO or ethernet, and then just start playing around on them. If you can upload an existing program and then download on to the spare, you can see how somebody else has setup various items. And then go from there.


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## Glen Walker (Dec 30, 2009)

You can always pick up what your looking for on EBay pretty cheap. If you keep your eye out you will find a complete system with everything you need.


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## Tristen (Aug 20, 2011)

Thank you everyone for the help. I was hoping to find something I could practice away from work as well but I guess that's a long shot. I can find semi cheap devices but the software licenses from Allen Bradley are so much I can't afford them. I'm going to try piecing together something at work then just start playing with them in my spare time.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

jontar said:


> AB panelviews ans panelmates are pretty easy to figure out, you need panelbuilder32 and it just a bunch of b3 (bit), n7(intergers), f8(floats) to make things work, you can copy and paste a lot of the basic's.
> 
> We have probably (20) PV550, and PV600 , and about (5) PV1000 at the plant I work and we add and delete stuff all the time with a laptop and a RS232 serial port cable, once you do it once, its pretty easy, PLC5 and mircologix1500 ones seem to be the easist. The 1000 on CRL5000 are more challenging, but then again they have alot more things on them.
> 
> If you have a test rack in the electrical shop and a panelview, just sit down and hook them up, they are usually wired with DH+, RIO or ethernet, and then just start playing around on them. If you can upload an existing program and then download on to the spare, you can see how somebody else has setup various items. And then go from there.


You're about 10 years behind the curve. :laughing:


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## Tristen (Aug 20, 2011)

MDShunk said:


> You're about 10 years behind the curve. :laughing:


I've been told that also but I still see panel views everywhere and just wanted to become more familiar with them. What are the newer systems using?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Go to this link: http://www.rockwellautomation.com/solutions/integratedarchitecture/resources4.html#ftme

scroll down and click on the link entitled "FactoryTalk View Machine Edition Quick Start Videos". 

Watch all the videos that popup on the list under that link.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Tristen said:


> I've been told that also but I still see panel views everywhere and just wanted to become more familiar with them. What are the newer systems using?


No, I meant that the advice in Jontar's post was about 10 years outdated.


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## jontar (Oct 11, 2009)

Yeah our sites old (construction ended in 1989, major upgrader in 1996), what do you want me to do, we still had a PLC 2 or 3 there just before I arrived. Our oldest PLC5 is a 5/30 and most are 5/40E very few 5/80 then we went to slc 500/4 and /5 and finally the various versions of CXL5000.
We still use alot of DH+ and RIO either block, flex or point.

Oh and I forgot to mention the crap mircologix 1500 that ABB Bermac snuck in on 2 smaller projects.


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## jontar (Oct 11, 2009)

Oh, re-read your post, I actually never knew about the rockwell website showing step by step workshops. 

Still the best way to learn is to actually wire one up on a test bench in the electrical shop and play around on them, practising downloads, uploads, faulting them, seeing what they will and won't do. Entering the different TAGS, seeing when you push the blue buttons or touch screen buttons, if it will turn on an input in the rack or force on an alarm and see if it comes up on teh screen, or fire over some PID/Analog stuff and see if the proper numbers come up on the screen. 

As part of the on going training we get at my site, I go, along with the other electricians, to 2 or 3 PLC,Comms,VFD classes a year and I find working through a few problems presented by the instructor is nothing like playing with them on the test bench or out in the field.


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## ace24wright (Jul 10, 2012)

I just started a PLC course through George Brown College, Allen-Bradley based, Its online go at your own pace, tech support, so far my brain is fried from the modules, great stuff!


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## Tristen (Aug 20, 2011)

ace24wright said:


> I just started a PLC course through George Brown College, Allen-Bradley based, Its online go at your own pace, tech support, so far my brain is fried from the modules, great stuff!


Is that one pretty expensive? Does it go over any of that hmi stuff too?


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## ace24wright (Jul 10, 2012)

Hey Tristen, the class was around 2k, check it out on line George Brown College PLC Training the site has all info needed


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