OptoNews - April 30, 2008

Carnegie Science Center Controls a City

Hot Tips from Product Support

Installing and Removing SNAP I/O Modules

Which SNAP PAC S-Series Controller Do You Need?

Carnegie Science Center Controls a City

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Opto 22 products control an entire city, from the rooster crow each morning, to the extensive railroad system serving factories and commuters, to the fading light at evening.

It's the Miniature Railroad and Village Exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center, where our latest video case study takes you behind the scenes to see the controllers and I/O that "run flawlessly."

Systems integrator and OptoPartner RDI Controls implemented and supports this sophisticated control system, so the kids who come to see the exhibit are never disappointed.

See the fun side of Opto 22: the new Carnegie Science Center video case study.

Hot Tips from Product Support

Opto 22's Product Support Group (PSG) develops some helpful tips as they work with customers who contact them for free product support. Here are a few tips from our PSG engineers.

Determining Time Since Powerup

Knowing how long a controller or brain has been running can be useful for troubleshooting or timing. Here are some ways to determine the time since powerup.

Use PAC Manager to inspect a controller or brain. In the Inspect window, scroll down till you see "Milliseconds Since Powerup." Because this 32-bit value rolls over every 49.7 days, it's better to use the next value, "Elapsed Time Since Powerup" (also called "Seconds Since Powerup" in an earlier PAC Manager version). This value doesn't roll over until 136 years have passed!

Use PAC Terminal to inspect a controller. If the device has a control engine, you can inspect it using PAC Terminal. Look for the "Up Time" value. This 64-bit value won't roll over for a very, very long time, so it's also a good one to use.

Monitor time in strategy logic. If you're using PAC Control, you can also monitor time since powerup right in the strategy logic, using the command "Get System Time."

Troubleshooting Module Communication

One indication of lost communication with a high-density digital, analog, or serial module (a "smart" module) is "Times Discovered."

You can find this value in the PAC Manager Inspect window. Choose the I/O unit the module is on and scroll down in the Inspect window to see the module number.

"Module X - Times Discovered" really reflects the number of times a module was re-discovered. Normally this value should be zero. If it is 1 or higher, the module has reset, been hot swapped, or lost communication with the brain for a time, and been rediscovered.

Installing and Removing SNAP I/O Modules

Getting your SNAP I/O modules fully seated on the mounting rack is key to accurate control and monitoring. In our latest OptoMinute videos, Engineer Kelly Downey shows you how to secure a SNAP I/O module on the SNAP PAC rack and how to remove it.

These one-minute movies are part of our technical series of quick how-to videos. Take a minute and learn!

Watch Securing SNAP I/O Modules
Watch Removing SNAP I/O Modules

Which SNAP PAC S-Series Controller Do You Need?

When you're looking at SNAP PAC programmable automation controllers, you'll notice we have two powerful standalone PACs. What's the difference between them, and which one should you choose for your application?

This is the question our Director of Training, Alexi Beck Gray, answers in just 60 seconds. Our new OptoMinute PAC S-Series video explains the features of the two PAC-S controllers, so you can easily decide whether to pick the unassuming yet powerful S1 or the hefty but flexible S2. What's the difference? You may be surprised.

Watch the SNAP PAC S-series controller video