I've been on both sides of the argument for and against this. Currently as a builder with gas processing programs that control potentially hazardous processes. Our director does not want to provide passwords to give the customer access to the running programs fearing they might attempt a modification that could result in injury, death or damage. Do you open your programs to the end user? We provide graphical insight to all IO, digital and analog, process state and valves status via an HMI.

I am using FTLinx Gateway to read data via OPC UA. The issue is that after adding 65 UA Tag Lists, I am no longer able to select additional PLCs to retrieve data from them. In FTLinx Gateway, I can see a total of 67 PLCs, yet I have configured 86 in the FactoryTalk Network Browser / FactoryTalk Administration Console.

The version of FTLinx Gateway is 6.60.00, and I have a LINXGW.PROFESSIONAL license.

I hope you can assist me; thank you.

I keep seeing these wireless preventative maintenance sensors online that capture motor vibration and temperature.

I was wondering if any of you guys had any experience implementing these sensors on the shop floor. I’m looking for a similar sensor, but it plugs back to the PLC where the alarms are generated and handled.

Does anyone have any suggestions. I see that automation direct has some analog vibration sensors and that IFM has one that connects via IOlink.

Thanks!

Has anyone evaluated the SLM-RP4 from www.synergy-logic.com ? It looks like it is a RevPi competitor. It runs openplc, has I/O cards, and UL/CE.

Had some weird Internet stuff happen and now i have entire rio rack faulted with error 16#0118 that wont clear. Tried older program and also changing module also tried disabling handshake and mismatch identity still wouldnt clear.

Last we have metler toledo scale heads (at least 6 of then faulting with error16#0204.
Any info i could learn id greatly appreciate.

Hello, I am doing my first project ever using servo motors but i am using a Siemens s1200 and it seems that there isn’t any mc torquelimiting so I have to use a Siemens made block called TorqueFB_TEL750. But I can’t really grasp what every input does or output. There doesn’t even seem to be a mode option for fixed stop detection or torque mode. Is there anybody who knows anything about this? And please do explain as if I am really stupid, servos are very new to me

I am beginner in learning plc. I want to go really in depth in allen bradly studio5000 for the starter. I came accross this SolisPLC and want to know if it is worth it. though i do not have any subscription of Studio5000 but i do have the software that was made to work like it. plclogix5000 by Logic Design. right now i am very confused whether i should enroll in SolisPLC. My goal is to learn in depth studio5000 from beginning ?

Hi everyone,

Is it possible to communicate over PPI using the Siemens PC Adapter USB A2 (6GK1571-0BA00-0AA0)?

If so, how do I configure it to communicate with an S7-200 PLC in STEP 7 Micro/WIN?

Thanks for your help!

Hi all

Im currently commissioning a site and need some help with the drives.

One specific panel is giving us an error where after a power dip ( its Africa, so its frequent) the drives shows 44 - Switching on Inhibited (missing safety signal) even though the setting for safety check is off

Now a reset doesn't clear the issue, but p972 reset clears it and then i can go.

But is there anyway to prevent this?

got a job in a bind, need to send 4-20mA to a plc to read live tank levels. clean fuel, slow level changes from pump inlet / outlet (no foaming or churning) , no explosion proof req'mt, ambient pressure and room temp, nothing crazy.

the engineers and contractors, in all their glory, spec'd and approved a sensor that wont fit in the tank. the correct sensor intended on plan set is a magnetostrictive float on a rod, but is 8-12 weeks out. plc vendor says they dont care what instrumentation is used, long as it sends 4-20. I have a radar level sensor in stock , IFM LW2720 . fits the bill, cut sheet says it'll work.

question is, before I play the hero and swap in radar, anyone have a reason to caution doing this?
the measurement task is really simple, far as demands from instrumentation, but I havent used radar before.

i've found other issues with using ultrasonic transducers drifting, or being fiddly, i've had submerged pressure transducers drift over time. never had issues with magnetostrictive, other than having to be sure to order the exact size for the tank ( exactly the issue here).

so i got this radar sensor to play around with to see if we can stock these as standard cause they'll work on every size / shape tank we integrate with so we dont have to rely on garbage info from plans / others. i just havent had time to put it through paces to be confident i wont shoot myself in the foot.

Hi,

I try to run wincc simulation on V20 but im always getting site nog reachable and acces denied. does anybody know what can be the problem? i already searched the internet far and wide but no solution found yet. this is a test projects, but i have also this problem with projects for clients.

We have a global manufacturing footprint and as such, use a global SI who is supported at each location by local SIs.

In any given month 5-10 different engineers can access a sites PLC to make project edits or improvements. We manage it well in terms of security and such but we’re completely loosing the change management. Sadly our change logs are excel sheets and there’s just too many to keep up with given the various sites. I’m seeing too many edits that are being made and not correctly recorded. If a change needs rolled back, we’re missing the detail as to why it was applied, potentially re introducing a bug that was fixed. It’s like managing children who don’t want to open an excel sheet!

We’re mainly Rockwell focused but some sites use Siemens. We have Rockwell asset center but it seems it’s fairly easy to bypass. We’ve explored Version dog, now Octoplant and there’s no way I’m getting that through the budget at £20K a site, even with bulk pricing it’s still a clean fortune.

Any other solutions you lot have come across in your fields? I need something that engineers can’t bypass but can still allow online edits and multiple users online at once. Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading. One frustrated maintenance director.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I'm having trouble connecting a Delta DVP-14SS211T PLC to a Yaskawa SGD7S-120A servo drive.

I want to use the PLC to generate the control pulses for the servo motor. However, connecting it directly could burn out the servo drive's input, and I'll be using other PLC outputs to trigger relays. Is there any problem with connecting the 0V from the 24 VDC power supply to the 0V from the servo drive’s internal 12 VDC power supply at the common terminal of the PLC’s outputs?

Hi all, I'm looking for advice from anyone who has solved this cleanly in the Beckhoff ecosystem.

Context

• We have a TwinCAT 3 solution made of a PLC project, a TwinCAT HMI project and a TwinSAFE project, running on Beckhoff IPCs.
• The system is portable and is marketed as a product. Think of a mobile solar + battery + generator system on a trailer.
• More and more units are going out to the field.
• The units are usually offline (no internet) or on networks we don't control.
• Each unit can have its own configuration, managed through TcRecipeManagement. That configuration must survive the update.
• End users will run the updates, not our engineers.

Requirements

1. Simple for a non-specialist to run.
2. Reliable: atomic, or at least able to recover. It should never leave a unit half-updated.
3. Idempotent: running it twice, or re-running it after a failure, should give the same result.
4. Keeps the unit's configuration and recipes.
5. Works offline.

What we've looked at

• Connecting with TcXaeShell over the network and activating/publishing. This works for us internally. It isn't realistic for end users.
• Beckhoff Service Tool (BST). This would mean shipping USB sticks to every site for every release, which would be an operational nightmare at our scale.
• Automation Interface + PowerShell script that copies the individual parts (PLC boot project, HMI publish output, and so on) into the right places on the target. I've tried this the most and had the least success. It often leaves the system in an unknown state I can't trust, and it feels fragile across TwinCAT versions. I call this the Rube Goldberg method.

Beckhoff support confirmed these three options. They didn't have anything more elegant.

What I'm used to

I come from a general software engineering background. There I'd expect a versioned, signed artifact (an installer, a package, a container image, anything similar) that moves tested code to production safely, can be checked, and can be rolled back. I'm surprised I can't find an equivalent here. This can't be an uncommon problem for Beckhoff OEMs.

Questions

1. How do you package and ship TwinCAT updates to field units? Do you use an installer, a script, BST, remote access, or something else?
2. Has anyone got a reliable offline, end-user-run process covering PLC + HMI + TwinSAFE together? The safety project is the part I'm least sure how to handle without XAE.
3. How do you keep recipes and configuration through the update? Do you export and re-import them, store them outside the boot folder, or rely on persistent data?
4. Does anyone use an A/B or rollback approach, for example keeping the previous boot folder and switching back if a check after the update fails?
5. Have you hit any problems with mismatched TwinCAT runtime or HMI server versions between the build machine and field units?
6. Is there a Beckhoff feature or product I've missed that's meant for this?

Any war stories, or "don't do what we did" lessons are very welcome. Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I work as a PLC programmer at GM, and my new role requires me to work with Siemens PLCs. My background is mainly with Rockwell Studio 5000, so I already have experience with PLC programming, troubleshooting, and industrial automation.

I need to learn Siemens STEP 7 as quickly as possible and become confident enough to work with it professionally.

I have access to STEP 7 Classic (SIMATIC Manager) and can dedicate about one hour per day to studying.

My main priorities are:

• Understanding the Siemens programming structure and how it differs from Rockwell.
• Becoming good at troubleshooting and online diagnostics.
• Learning how to navigate and understand existing projects.
• Being able to modify and develop PLC logic confidently.

If you were in my position, what would you do to learn as quickly as possible?

Would you focus on official Siemens documentation, practical exercises, online courses, or studying real projects?

Are there any specific resources, exercises, or learning strategies you would recommend?

Since I already know Rockwell, I don't want to waste time learning basic PLC concepts I already understand. I want to focus on the Siemens-specific concepts and become productive as quickly as possible.

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have made the transition from Rockwell to Siemens!

Thanks!

I'm curious if any of the more seasoned folks can shed some light on this design choice, or have a theory as to how this came to be.

I'm chasing a gremlin in a high volume low mix filler installed in the early 2000s. This machine has many instances where an output point will run to a relay contact or some switch, then back to an input point in the same rack. Then that input will be used in a permissive for a different output point, which will then run through some contacts to an input point. Currently I am 3 Output back to Inputs deep in my investigation. Why not just run 24V through the device to an input and write normal ladder?

1st Edit:

Processing img 3ldbrziwxpwh1...

2nd Edit: First PLC logic: Contains mostly run permissives that have to do with the machine main machine drive. Middle PLC logic: Has to do with the pump that the section of the machine needs to be able to function contains some run permissives. Last PLC Logic: Uses an MAOC (Rockwell Electronic Cam) for timing, this sets when to actuate the final solenoid.

Gremlin: Machine will randomly stop feeding for an amount of time - allegedly the exact same amount of time. The machine continues to cycle, just does not feed, so it's an interlock thing of some sort. These operators are legit and put a high speed camera on the machine so I do believe them.

This seemingly comes from a downstream machine, as the downstream machine does show a fault on their MES, but it doesn't actually catch a fault code.

This issue has been going on for a few years at this point from what I can gather.

Hi this might be a bit basic but i cant find any way to do this in Kinco Dtools 4.5. When the HMI restarts from power loss i want to be able to see data stored in USB1 in my graph, but all i get from googling it refers to the pro version, if there is a way to progam it from macros it would be fine to. Sorry if this is not the right sub for this question but its the closest active one i can find to it.

Edit: I did it using a "Data report curve"

we upgraded the software of one machine and i asked the programmer to give me the programme so i can read at home but it not opening in my pc , i have V19 and i think that programmer had V20 or V21. What can i do to get access the programme? Thanks

I'm a 2026 CSE graduate and having a hard time getting my first job in software development.

I've been learning full-stack development (React, Next.js, Node.js, MongoDB, etc.), but the job search hasn't been going the way I expected. So lately, I've been thinking about whether I should explore other fields instead of focusing only on software development.

I came across PLC programming, HMI, SCADA and industrial automation, and it seems like an interesting career option. I'm considering learning these skills and trying to get into automation engineering, but I'm not sure if it's the right move.

Since my degree is in computer science, I don't have much knowledge of electrical engineering or industrial systems yet. I'd be starting from the basics.

I wanted to ask people who are already working in this field:

• Do companies hire CSE graduates for entry-level automation jobs, or is an electrical/instrumentation degree usually required?
• How difficult is it to get your first job in this field as a fresher?
• What's the actual work like? Is it mostly programming, or does it involve a lot of site visits, wiring and troubleshooting?
• How are the salary and career growth compared to software development, especially in India?
• If you were in my position, would you recommend learning PLC, HMI and SCADA, or would it make more sense to look into industrial software development?

I'm not expecting this field to be easy or a shortcut to getting a job. I just don't want to spend another year learning something without understanding the actual career opportunities.

Would appreciate honest advice, especially from people who have made a similar switch or regularly work with freshers in the industry.

Thanks!

Thank you guys for your advice concerning my last post. It was very helpful. But now as this panel is no longer done by Siemens I would like to change it to something more recent. which one do you advise me knowing that the new panel should have the same characteristic

I’m attempting to communicate with my buildings HVAC system using the BACnet driver in Ignition, but for unknown reason it cannot connect. I can ping each controllers IP via the server Ignition is hosted on, I can connect to all of the controllers using Distech Controls XpressNetwork Utility on the mini-PC that the contractor left, but for the life of me I cannot get it to communicate with Ignition.

The contractor has ghosted us and no one up the chain of command is responding to any of my calls/emails, so I’m on my own here.

Has anyone here connected Distech Eclypse controllers to Ignition yet?

Hi guys. I was online on a Siemens PLC and I forced an output. Righi after forcing, my PC turned off due to an update. After going back online with the TIA, I could not see any forced output in the forced table despite having the CPU in Maint mode since there is the said output still being forced. How can I de-force it? Did it happen to someone of you guys? Thanks