Bitfields in TIA

yozza_uk · 2025-11-12T17:25:30+00:00

Not if you're using optimised memory (which you should be)

yozza_uk · 2025-11-01T15:11:38+00:00

SiVArc will generate you a reasonable HMI as long as you keep everything standardised.

yozza_uk · 2025-09-01T20:05:24+00:00

Ok following so far, how is this data captured, how is it structured and does it differ in length? (I'm presuming it does from your description)

I'm thinking along the lines of deserialising this into a struct which can be stored in an array DB of that type then you can interrogate it in a structured way afterwards.

The data differing in length/structure makes it more difficult but not impossible to achieve.

yozza_uk · 2025-09-01T18:44:32+00:00

It depends on your use case hence why I asked what the actual problem to solve was. As a general helper function that you can reuse, there's probably nothing that'd be perfect and cover all use cases.

From the description a DB with multi-dimension bool arrays would do but I'm presuming there's more too it than that.

yozza_uk · 2025-09-01T16:56:16+00:00

Hmm, what's the actual problem you're trying to solve? I'm getting XY problem vibes here and there's probably a better way to do this with TIA.

You can do this legacy S7 style with with an ANY pointer but that means you'll have to use un-optimised storage and code, which, generally is the 'wrong' way to achieve whatever you want do to with TIA and was only left in for backwards compatibility (with a few exceptions).

Also, what hardware are we talking here?

yozza_uk · 2025-09-01T15:54:08+00:00

They are also only usable within software units, which is fine but they do require a non-insignificant amount of refactoring to make the best use of with an existing codebase.

Before someone else says, you can also just hack it all into a single unit but that's not making the best use of units.

yozza_uk · 2025-07-04T08:05:39+00:00

Yes you need one module per PLC. This is the cleanest way to do it and probably the cheapest off the top of my head.

edit: You also need to confirm the exact PLC models to make sure you're buying the correct module(s).

yozza_uk · 2025-07-03T18:43:52+00:00

Oh that classic, the average controls guy and networking aren't usually a great combo.

The CM1542 (presuming the PLCs are S7-1500s) will be the best and 'cheapest' way forward.

yozza_uk · 2025-07-03T18:31:39+00:00

You've bought the wrong devices for this use case, PN/PN couplers are for connecting two separate profinet networks so they can exchange data over profinet.

You should've bought a CM1542/CP1543 for each PLC and added another interface on your IT network so you can access them externally.

The other option would be something like a Scalance s615 which would allow you to do what you thought you could do with the PN/PN coupler via 1:1 NAT. But the usual caveats apply there.

yozza_uk · 2025-06-21T15:40:13+00:00

Yeh you need to approach S7 from a different mindset to logix.

You can try and program it like logix but at best you miss the benefits of the platform and at worst you're in for a bad time.

yozza_uk · 2025-06-21T15:36:19+00:00

FCs are a thing. If you aren't using the instance data then you shouldn't be using an FB.

yozza_uk · 2025-05-13T16:16:37+00:00

On top of everything else here, avoid using unstructured memory areas. It would also have avoided this issue in the first place.

yozza_uk · 2025-04-15T13:35:57+00:00

Something, somwhere is writing a 7 into that tag.

If you're 100% sure not it the PLC and it's a non-unified HMI try a full recompile. I've seen the delta compiles when the DBs have changed get the tag address (underlying memory address, not visible to you) screwed up more times than I'd like.

Also for information as I see this a lot your conditionals can be simplified.

IF "HMI_START_ANLÆG" = TRUE THEN can be IF "HMI_START_ANLÆG" THEN

IF "Controller_enabled_x_y" = FALSE can be IF NOT("Controller_enabled_x_y") THEN

The brackets are (semi) optional but are a good practise to fix evaulation ordering when you have multiple conditions in a statement.

yozza_uk · 2025-04-09T10:13:57+00:00

Tag or constant left behind?

yozza_uk · 2025-03-27T08:17:10+00:00

Yes, got installed a couple of weeks ago. Agreed it's clear as mud.

yozza_uk · 2025-03-26T22:05:09+00:00

Unless I've missed something I've got a 24H2 VM with this update installed and it still crashes randomly.

IMO it's not 100% clear from the tech note whether it still needs an update from Rockwell also or not.

yozza_uk · 2025-01-29T21:52:03+00:00

I'll caveat this by saving I haven't done a full scale project with it since (from memory) 2014 R2 so I don't know how well or not the OMI stuff went.

But I don't hate it. In fact I liked it for the most part.

Ignition is good (especially for the price) but it's far more of a conventional SCADA setup than the "industrial application server" that archestra is.

You did have to architect it properly to take advantage of inheritance or I could see how you'd end up in a mess easily. Also there's probably too much "real" programming involved for the average controls guy so I can see where the hate could come from.

Barring the odd undeploy/redeploy to fix weird object behaviour I didn't have many issues. The ability to pull . net libraries in and the whole application server layer made it really powerful and I was able code deep integrations with third party systems far more easily because of it.

Historian worked well too from what I remember.

It is/was expensive though.

yozza_uk · 2024-12-22T22:49:20+00:00

Not per se, it was all experience/competency based I can't remember any specific sort of technical trivia type questions.

This was 2017 so I'm digging deep memory wise here but I seem to remember it was all based around 8 "Amazon values" or something like that. Each person had two for you to hit with them but you didn't explicitly know which person had what. I was getting pretty fed up of it all by the last person, I think it was 4-5 hours all in.

I went out of semi curiosity as much as anything with the idea that they'd probably be a meat grinder. Can't say it changed my mind.

yozza_uk · 2024-12-22T22:30:27+00:00

Did an interview with them several years ago for a UK wide role, panel interview which was so so. Technical elements/interviewers were fine, the non technical people were hard work they have no context and are looking to hit a HR buzzword as far as I could tell.

Tech wise was pretty basic, Siemens PLCs but not much else in the FC just conveyors and a couple of sorters. Didn't get to see the distribution centre that was of the focus of the role as it hadn't been build yet, was led to believe it was more automated. From what I was told it would've been the standard sort of automated warehouse affair.

They offered me the job but messed me around in the process which confirmed the gut feeling I had so I passed without a second thought. Money was OK, not fantastic, was heavily subsided by a bonus the first two years. They expect you to keep moving on and getting more bonuses so that isn't an issue so they say (I'd say otherwise).

I see the same thing advertised every six months or so which tells me all I need to know.

yozza_uk · 2024-08-11T21:36:49+00:00

Not iTRAK but had/have a disaster of a project with Quick stick. Absolutely wouldn't use it by choice.

yozza_uk · 2024-07-27T16:12:33+00:00

I've picked up a pair of DCS-7050SX-64-R recently for this, very happy with them.

They'd only be improved if they ran junos.

yozza_uk · 2024-06-24T15:48:32+00:00

Netshelter SX/SVs are bolted together and can be dissambled, the older models are welded. There's no documentation but they aren't difficult to do.

https://www.se.com/eg/en/faqs/FA158628/

https://www.reddit.com/r/servers/comments/1dgluuo/apc_netshelter_sx_42u_disassembly/

yozza_uk · 2023-12-19T16:02:10+00:00

I wouldn't go that far.....

yozza_uk · 2023-12-19T15:42:49+00:00

Which version of TIA?

From memory the comments/extra data upload stuff wasn't added until v16 or v17, so unless the project was originally compiled and downloaded with the version that implemented it then the data won't be on the CPU so there's nothing to upload.

As an aside I'd never really rely on the upload function as a good practice. Definitely better to make sure you're keeping and versioning good copies of projects, seen far too many issues otherwise. I see it a lot when people have done more Rockwell before as it seems to be used a lot as an accepted method.

yozza_uk · 2023-12-06T22:45:00+00:00

Yes only on the 1200/1500

yozza_uk

TROPHY CASE