M172 USB programing

[sardila]

Hi All,

I am currently facing a few strange behaviors when I am programming a M172 07-18I PLC using USB memory stick. After upgrading Ecostruxture to version 1.4 and the bios 668.12, I realized that the EEPROM variables are not being updated by the default values. It seems that now when programming using USB method will remain the EEPROM values set before the update.

In addition to this, when I tried to change value of variables on live debug mode, I could not change them and, I was seen wrong values on them (PLC Display/variables). Pictures attached
.

My question is, are there any bugs reported related? any way to make sure using USB programing method will wipe and set by default values on EEPROM variables? 

Before the Ecostruxture was updated the USB programming was setting back the default values on the variables.

Thanks in advance for the time.

Regards,

[Bastian_Schmitz]

Yes in ESME HVAC 1.4 is a bug in the creating of the PARAM.BIN file for USB pendrive.

This issue will be fixed with ESME HVAC 1.5 

If you upload all Parameters manually you could load the correct PARAM.BIN file from the filesystem of TM172.

Your second problem looks like there is no communication between PLC and HMI part of the TM172PD.

Try to refresh the parameters in display part. If you rearrange the Modbus Register Addresses this could generate such a problem.

[FedericoM]

A patch for the PARAM.BIN creation is available at this link:

https://schneider-electric.box.com/s/svi3uam9raimwf51srhf70zv3idbup10

[sardila]

Thanks Federico.

I received this patch from you on the 7th of July 2022 and it fixed the problem of generating the USB files, however, the issue now is related, but a bit different. I compared the files and it doesn't change anything from the version you share in July.

I have been working with this version 1.4 and I have programmed using USB files into more than 150 units. Some of the locations of the units are in remote areas. 

I am facing a serious problem because I am not 100% sure what are the implications of this bug. is it just affect the USB creation files? is this bug affect just the PLCs that were programmed before or also affect new PLCs (blank from Fabrique)?

I am curious why Schneider did not roll back version 1.4 due to the bugs found since Nov 2021 or before. I could not find any information related to the bugs reported on version 1.4. is there a list of known issues published anywhere that I can access?

Regards,

[sardila]

Thanks Bastian,

I knew about the bug of creating USB files, but since I applied the suggested patch I have been programming more than 150 PLCs which probably will experience the same wrong operation. 

I think the second problem is a consequence of the USB files created using version 1.4, corrupted  PARAM.BIN could cause the storage of the wrong values on EEPROM variables. 

I would like to understand what are the reported bugs related to version 1.4 to take action on the way the production applications would be loaded into the PLC. 

Regards,

[Bastian_Schmitz]

The bug prevented the creating of the USB file PARAM.BIN which is needed to set the EEPROMs during project upload via USB pen drive. If you could crate the USB files without error the process should work.

Could you explain which differences between the value in ESME HVAC and your controler are still recognizable?

Please remind that the PARAM.BIN file use the values of the row  value and not of the row default.

[sardila]

Hi Bastian,

The suggested patch was implemented and fixed the creation of USB files. However, when I deployed the application using the USB files, I found strange behaviour on the PLC. For instance, I have this simple instruction:

IF Room_Active <> EE_Room_Enabled THEN

sysVoid := sysWriteParBOOL(ADR(EE_Room_Enabled), Room_Active);

END_IF;

Every time the Room_Active Global variable changes the state the EEPROM variable is updated. When I program the PLC onsite, the variable EEPROM was TRUE after the update, and it didn’t change the value to false when I changed the Room_Active to FALSE.

This is just an example of the wrong behaviour I saw on the site. Values from Digital input/outputs and Boolean variables were totally wrong. String values on some variables were filled with wrong characters.

Regards,

[Adawas00]

Could I get the file link again? Because this one is no longer accessible.

[FedericoM]

Hello,

the link is no longer needed, if you install Ecostruxure Machine Expert HVAC 1.6, the issue has been fixed

[Adawas00]

Hi, 

I currently have version 1.6.0 installed and am experiencing a similar problem as before. In general, when uploading the program from a pendrive, the parameters set by default still do not upload. Maybe I am doing something incorrectly.

Previously having version 1.5.0 I used the patch and there was no problem.

[Bastian_Schmitz]

Did you update the target in your Project ESME HVAC? 

[Adawas00]

Hello, 

I solved the problem by uploading the program in two parts.

First, I uploaded the full program generated by the ESME HVAC application, and then I uploaded only parameters (PARAM.BIN).

Thanks for your replies.

[FedericoM]

This sounds strange...

Note that if you upload PLCIEC.COD and PARAM.BIN at boot the program and params are first uploaded and then executed.

If you do the same when the application is already running, you'll have to reboot the controller after the upload.