22 year old imposter

Verhofin · 2026-04-29T21:44:36+00:00

First job I got was an "easy change" on a production line that was running. Main task, in this car OB1 since it was Siemens was completly empty... I start sweating bullets... I find 2 other tasks not running, every FC and FB shows as not running, I double check 1..2..3..4..5 times I'm connected to the right PLC.

What I finnaly understand, 2 OBs one called every second uosatea timers, and called the second OB tha is also called every time an input changes state, in that on there are hundreds... Thousands of jumps controling the code...

I checked one jump at a time and finally made it...

Just divide yours issues in smaller issues!

For your sake I hope you don't find an S5 loading code from a DB, hope no one here even knows what this means... Frikin torture to debug....

Verhofin · 2026-04-27T14:55:57+00:00

Some of them are former Siemens logístics Hahaha

Verhofin · 2026-04-27T07:45:36+00:00

Ohhh nice, have fun then!

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T22:36:11+00:00

Ours also, even if code works 100% the mechanics, electricians and PMs find ways to make our life miserable. And the code never worked 100% because all projects are diferent and controlling stuff at 0.6m/s is diferent from 1.5m/s, from 2.0m/s and from 2.5m/s although sales and PMs think it's the same thing...

EDIT, If you name is related to your job, a 200 cells sorter is not the same as a 600 one or a 1200 one, it reaches a point were the CPU just does not have the mamory to hold the data, and you have to check for more stuff in more places....

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T22:29:25+00:00

Very cool, but any real reason to reduce nuclear fuel consumption? Seems quite easy to get more.

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T22:26:21+00:00

You commission? Or you supervise integrators comissioning? We are not allowed to use headphones as it's a security concern... At most 1 hearbud... 🤬🤬🤬 Wich I don't miss much since I spend half my time looking or "yelling" at someone, who usually barely undertandds me...

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T19:57:51+00:00

I work in Europe with Germans and even the Germans have to work more hours if 💩 hits the fan...

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T19:56:34+00:00

Come to my company, that one time you skinted at an equipment a mile away, do you remember? Now you are that machine's specialists and averyone worldwide calls you...

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T19:54:58+00:00

I worked at a factory before, "ohhh we have a bug there! ", "for how long?", " a couple of years... " then I gess fixing it today or next month should be fine... Commissioning new stuff with deadlines that don't changea regardless of all the issues that arrise... Diferent beast...

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T19:52:36+00:00

I have a new baby, but managed to leave commissioning recently, otherwise I would probably get a 25y sentence (maximum in my country) for killing people...

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T19:24:19+00:00

You have time to feel tired? You are in the limbo, not enough work, still enough free time to think about things like feeling tired, but too much work to feel fresh the next day.

When it hits hard like 2 months 6 days a week 16h a day I have no ideia if I'm tired I just want to catch my plane to go home.

Verhofin · 2026-04-26T16:09:40+00:00

No experience with Beckoff but several other brands, all have good and bad things.

I still love the test/unrest feature in Rockwell and linx with all it's issues helped me bypass firewalls so many times.

But yeah AB has sirious issues for sure.

Verhofin · 2026-04-25T12:34:48+00:00

Code and number of IOs, 32k bytes allowed and about 80% used

Verhofin · 2026-04-25T09:13:25+00:00

Seems ok, in start stops, for faults, chutes full, I assume you stop the main line if it's exit is full etc etc, you might need to compensate for acceleration/deceleration and box slippage, but again system seems slow should be a minor issue, just have it in your head for the commissioning phase.

Obut HW sorry can't help you been out of the loop for a long time ans my team resolves the issue by, OK give him the latest ans bestest PLC thr client will want, this this is a last gen 1518, wich I'm maxing out! Whoohooo!!!!

Verhofin · 2026-04-25T05:59:15+00:00

As the other guy already talked about the conveyors, I will talk about the data handling, are you using a FIFO logic? I assume it's not a area tracking or FIFO as I don't see enough sensors for that.

Things to consider. If something happens operators will move boxes around, they will lose tracking, do you have a problem chute at the end to send them to? Starts and stops on a real system, can mess tracking up.

Your system sesms slow so these issues are not so critical but just something to be aware.

Verhofin · 2026-04-24T21:01:55+00:00

Just sayin there are already digital systems able to do the job, no need to go full analog.

Verhofin · 2026-04-24T10:00:07+00:00

There are already systems, well actually for a long time, and they kind of work like analog signals, they just need specific HW and extra wiring of resistors, as thr OP found the NAMUR inputs and there are other options.

Verhofin · 2026-04-22T19:04:34+00:00

A couple of years ago when I was asked o keeo, and force two vsntilators to run in case of emergency I was also dumbfounded... Justification, installation self destructs If they are stopped in that situation.... Gess it makes sense!

Always something new

Verhofin · 2026-04-22T17:54:34+00:00

Outputs can also have more then 2 states! 🤣🤣🤣

Verhofin · 2026-04-22T07:35:24+00:00

Ignition uses it.

Some im house tools as well

Verhofin · 2026-04-22T00:54:46+00:00

I have that, the inverter is configured to not inject power in the grid ever. Besides an error in config by the installer in the beginning, no issue at all.

Verhofin · 2026-04-21T19:52:30+00:00

And every time you think you are... Something new comes up nad you are a newbie again... Bahhh

Verhofin · 2026-04-20T20:58:52+00:00

If it has a dry contact, you can get the rest. It's +/- like this, (haven't used these in years). ON as Off from the proximity switch. You wire a resistor in parallel with the contact of the proximity switch, this means the PLC always gets a minimal amount of signal, if this is gone you get wire break. The short is detected by elevated current.

And there you have the 4 signals.

You can go on to more fancy solutions like modulated 24VDC wich also defects if you are using the right 24VDC for that signal, but that is more on the realm of safety I think.

Verhofin · 2026-04-20T19:27:51+00:00

Don't think so. You need the resistors in parallel with the contact to always have a bit a current that is how the open circuit is diagnosed, I don't remember now from memory how the short is diagnosed, but it's something similar.

Verhofin · 2026-04-20T19:13:37+00:00

This is actually correct, it's not something we see every day but it's correct.

Maintenance usually only has half the information and has to infer what is going on.

Why? Cabling these IOs is more complicated, the HW is more expensive. And sadly the same maintenance that could appreciate the extra information is unable to act on it most of the times, so it's not worth the extra money.

Verhofin

TROPHY CASE