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Frequently Asked Questions

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PowerStations

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Windows

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Interact

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Networking

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PLC's & Communication

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MachineShop

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Still have questions? E-mail us at: emn_support_ctc@parker.com

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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What type of driver do I use to communicate with my Allen Bradley Micrologix 1500 PLC?

Answer: Use the ABDH Driver and configure the PLC type to be an SLC5 as it adheres to the same addressing format.
Note:
You must set the Error checking to BCC in the Micrologix 1500.

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Question: I am trying to re-install Windows 9X or NT and I can't find the product code that came with it.

Answer: The product code for re-installing your Windows 9X or NT is located inside the unit. You must remove the black cover on the back and the code is stuck on the cross bar inside the unit.

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Question: How do I get the application on my PowerStation to run on boot-up?
Answer: There are settings in Interact development and on the PowerStation that need to be adjusted. In Interact under the FILE menu select Interact Settings and then select your Startup Application on the General Tab. Then in the Application Browser, Under Application Manager, Select Application Settings. Then on the General Tab under Startup Mode choose Run and make sure that you have chosen the appropriate Startup module.
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Question: What internal variable can I use to read and write ASCII?
Answer: The Link Variables are the only internal variables that will accept ASCII data. You must use the suffix ":A" on the link variable to allow the link variable to store ASCII data. For example: Link\State:A = "On"
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Question: I need more fonts for my Interact applicaiton. Are any more available?
Answer: Yes, we have a utility called Font Builder. You can have this utility when you join our Product Support Program (PSP). Please contact your local distributor for more information about the PSP program.
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Question: If I want to print graphics from Interact run mode, what do I need?
Answer: You need the correct printer driver in Interact to match your printer. A Printer Drivers Utility program is available. This utility is available to Product Support Program (PSP) members. Please contact your local distributor for more information about the PSP program.
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Question: How do I display alarms in a Remote Message Display tool within Panel Toolkit Module (PTM)?
Answer: On a Remote Message Display tool, use the Link variable: LINK\ALARMS:A in the Message Text Output field.
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Question: I am getting the following error message: "Cannot initialize PTM. ERROR - Invalid Panel list or Key Pad Address.
Answer: The most likely cause of this error in PTM is an invalid address in your Panel List setup (under the 'Controls' Tab) or in your Keypad Setup (under the 'Entry References' Tab). You should remove one reference at the time to identify and correct the error.
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Question: Can an ASCII register in the PLC be used as an alarm?
Answer: No. The Alarm Management Module (AMM) does not support ASCII alarms.
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Question: When I try to run Interact runtime on a Windows NT PC, Interact does not recognize the presence of the security key. What do I do?
Answer: Please make sure that you have installed the Windows NT service pack 4. Without service pack 4, Windows NT will not able to recognize the key. Also, make sure that Interact is run in DOS, not in a DOS window under Windows NT. To accomplish this, you must have a dual boot system with DOS and Windows NT. Please contact your PC/Network Administrator for more information on setting up a dual boot option on your Windows NT PC.
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Question: I am using the new single layer SST 5136-PFB-104 card with Interact to talk to an Siemens S7 315 DP-2 and I keep receiving the error message, "Card not found" when I try to go into Run Mode.

Answer: SST has released a new .ss1 file for the PC-104 version of the 5136-PFB card. This is a new file and has not been updated in Interact as of yet. Go to our Support Page and use the drop-down dialog box to select "Other Updates & Files" under Interact Updates & Files, and hit the GO button. Here you will see a file labeled PC014profi.zip. In this file is an .ss1 file and a .gse file for the card. You will have to use the .gse file in your S7 Programming for the slave and you will have to replace the PFBprofi.ss1 in the [C]:\Machshop\Interact\Drivers\PFBS directory.

Download PC014profi.zip


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Question: I am trying to install the network card in Windows NT, but the driver is not where it says it is in the User Guide.
Answer: When asked for the directory of the driver for the network card type in; for example: D:\Drivers\Pro100 Ethernet. D:\ would be the driver letter of the CDROM.
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Question: How do I remove the splash screen from the P9?

Answer: Disabling the CTC splash screen on the P9 PowerStation. This can be accomplished very easily with a few simple steps:

  1. Reboot the P9 or PS Series PowerStation

  2. During the early portion of the boot, type the F2 key to enter the CMOS setup area

  3. On a P9 using the right arrow key move to the BOOT screen. Near the top of this screen, you should see the following setting BOOT-TIME DIAGNOSTIC SCREEN - DISABLE. On a PS Series you should arrow down on the Main Screen as this Bios scrolls until you see BOOT-TIME DIAGNOSTICS -DISABLED.

  4. Using the arrow keys, move the cursor to DISABLE and type Enter.

  5. Change from DISABLE to ENABLE using the UP/DOWN arrow key.

  6. Exit the CMOS settings by Saving and Exiting. When the system reboots, you will see that the splash screen no longer appears during the boot process.

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Question: How do I install Windows 95 or Windows NT on a PowerStation?
Answer: CTC Parker Technical Support strongly recommends that you do not attempt to install a Windows operating system on a PowerStation. We recommend that you send it to CTC Parker for reprogramming and that, in the future, you purchase the PowerStation with the desired operating system factory installed.
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Question: When I installed Windows NT on my PC9 on the first reboot, it rebooted to Invalid Page Fault in the NTOSKERNEL.EXE error "Blue Screen of Death" memory error screen.
Answer: Windows NT needs to be reinstalled. During the install, you will be asked if the PC is connected to a network. Select "I am not connected at this time" and select the NEXT button. This will solve the problem.
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Question: Can I run Interact 6.X in Windows NT?
Answer: Only the Development software can be run in Windows NT. Windows NT has a limited DOS shell and it will not support Interact runtime with any device drivers other than the DEMO driver.
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Question: Why do I have a Servers Services error on boot up in an NT (Service Pack 4) PowerStation?
Answer: Goto the I386 directory and run SP4*.exe. This will reinstalled Service Pack 4. (Known issue with NT Service Pack 4)
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Question: How do I enable \ disable the screen saver in my Interact\PowerStation Project

Answer: In the development software highlight the Application Manager folder under the Application Browser window, and then goto File, Interact Settings..., and then to the screen saver tab.Then check enable to activate the screen saver or uncheck enable to deactivate the screen saver.

In the runtime system, Change to program mode, then select Interact Settings, then select Next Page, and then set Screen Saver to Yes to enable and No to disable.

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Question: How do I configure Windows to have both a TCP/IP Ethernet connection and a TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter (Serial) Connection?

Answer: The Ethernet Connection may be configured for direct connection, dedicated IP address on a company network, or DHCP on a company network.The important point is that the Ethernet network must be a different network than the Dial-Up Adapter (Serial) network. This is accomplished through the IP Address and the subnet mask.

The default serial connection uses an IP Address of 10.0.0.1 and a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0 in the “MachineShop Phonebook Entry?on the Windows system. The “runtime?system default configuration uses an IP Address of 10.0.0.2 and a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0 for a serial TCP/IP connection. When configuring the Ethernet Connection on the Windows system, the network definition must be different than 10.0.0.X using a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0. For example, a network definition of 11.0.0.X is a different network definition; however, 10.1.0.X is on the same network as 10.0.0.X.

To configure Windows to have both a TCP/IP Ethernet Connection and a TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter (Serial) Connection, please follow the instructions for configuring a TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter (Serial) Connection, and either a TCP/IP direct Ethernet connection, a TCP/IP Ethernet connection on a company network using a dedicated IP address, or a TCP/IP Ethernet connection on a company network using DHCP from the MachineShop list of questions.

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Question: I need to configure a TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter (Serial) Connection.

Answer: Complete the following steps on the MachineShop Toolbar and MachineShop Shell:

MachineShop Toolbar

  1. Right click on the “Network Neighborhood?icon on the desktop and select “Properties? The “Network?dialog will appear.

  2. Select the “Configuration?tab. The list will contain several items. Select the TCP/IP item for the Dial-Up Adapter (TCP/IP -> Dial-Up Adaptor) and click on the “Properties?button. A message box containing a warning will appear. The text is as follows. “You have asked to change TCP/IP properties for a dial-up adapter. In most cases, these properties are unique to the specific network, which you are calling. For this reason, it is better to set TCP/IP properties in each connection icon, which calls a network. Otherwise, properties set for the adapter will override the per-connection settings. Connection icons can be found in the Dial-Up Networking folder under Start Accessories. Right click an icon to see its properties sheet; select Server Type, and then TCP/IP Setting.?Click “OK? on this message box. The “TCP/IP Properties?dialog will appear.

  3. The “Obtain an IP address automatically?radio button should be selected (default configuration). If the “Obtain an IP address automatically? radio button is not selected, select this radio button. The IP address, to be used, is configured in the Phonebook entry in Dial-up Networking.

  4. Open the Dial-Up Networking folder by selecting “Start Program Accessories Dial-Up Networking? The “MachineShop Phonebook Entry?dialog will appear.

  5. Select the “Server Types?tab. Click on the “TCP/IP Settings ? button. The “TCP/IP Settings?dialog will appear.

  6. The “IP Address?radio button should be selected and the IP Address should be set to 10.0.0.1 (default configuration).

MachineShop Shell:

Using the MachineShop Shell, TCP/IP should be configured to exist on the same network as the MachineShop Toolbar. For example, if the IP Address of the MachineShop Toolbar is set to 10.0.0.1 and the Subnet Mask is set to 255.255.255.0; the PowerStation can be configured as follows (default configuration COM1):

  • IP Address: 10.0.0.2
  • IO Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Interface: Serial
  • IRQ: 4
  • Port: 3F8h
  • Baud: 115200
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Question: I need to configure a TCP/IP direct Ethernet connection.

Answer: Complete the following on the MachineShop Toolbar and MachineShop Shell:

MachineShop Toolbar:

  1. Right click on the “Network Neighborhood?icon on the desktop and select “Properties? The “Network?dialog will appear.

  2. Select the “Configuration?tab. The list will contain several items.

  3. Select the TCP/IP item for your Ethernet Network Interface Card and click on the “Properties?button. The “TCP/IP Properties?dialog will appear. Select the “Specify an IP address?radio button and specify an IP address and Subnet Mask; however. The IP Address cannot specify the same network that will be configured for the Dial-Up Adaptor connection (10.0.0.1). Provided the computer will not also exist on a company network any network definition other than 10.0.0.X can be used. For example, the IP Address can be set to 11.0.0.1 and the Subnet Mask set to 255.255.255.0.

MachineShop Shell:

Using the MachineShop Shell, TCP/IP should be configured to exist on the same network as the MachineShop Toolbar. For example, if the IP Address of the MachineShop Toolbar is set to 11.0.0.1 and the Subnet Mask is set to 255.255.255.0; the PowerStation can be configured as follows (default configuration COM1):

  • IP Address: 11.0.0.2
  • IO Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Interface: NE2000
  • IRQ: 10
  • Port: 280h
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Question: I need to configure a TCP/IP Ethernet connection on a company network using a dedicated IP address.

Answer: Complete the following steps on the MachineShop Toolbar and MachineShop Shell.

MachineShop Toolbar

  1. Right click on the “Network Neighborhood?icon on the desktop and select “Properties? The “Network?dialog will appear.

  2. Select the “Configuration?tab. The list will contain several items.

  3. Select the TCP/IP item for your Ethernet Network Interface Card and click on the “Properties?button. The “TCP/IP Properties?dialog will appear. Select the “Specify an IP address?radio button and specify an IP address and Subnet Mask; however. The IP Address cannot specify the same network that will be configured for the Dial-Up Adaptor connection (10.0.0.1). Specify a valid dedicated (static) IP Address for the company network. For example, at CTC Parker Automation our network is 172.25.8.X. A valid Static IP Address is 172.25.8.201. No other computer on the company network may use this IP Address.

MachineShop Shell

Using the MachineShop Shell, TCP/IP should be configured to exist on the same network as the MachineShop Toolbar. The IP Address must be static. For example, if the IP Address of the MachineShop Toolbar is set to 172.25.8.201 and the Subnet Mask is set to 255.255.255.0; the PowerStation can be configured as follows:

  • IP Address: 172.25.8.202
  • IO Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Interface: NE2000

Again, no other computer on the company network may use the IP Address configured for the PowerStation.

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Question: I need to configure a TCP/IP Ethernet connection on a company network using DHCP.

Answer: Complete the following on the MachineShop Toolbar and MachineShop Shell:

MachineShop Toolbar:

  1. Right click on the “Network Neighborhood?icon on the desktop and select “Properties? The “Network?dialog will appear.
  2. Select the “Configuration?tab. The list will contain several items.
  3. Select the TCP/IP item for your Ethernet Network Interface Card and click on the “Properties?button. The “TCP/IP Properties?dialog will appear.
  4. Select the “Obtain an IP address automatically?radio button.

MachineShop Shell:

Using the MachineShop Shell, TCP/IP should be configured for DHCP. This is accomplished by specifying an IP Address of 0.0.0.0 in the MachineShop Shell IP.

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Question: How do I clear Retentive Memory?

Answer: Retentive memory will be cleared on a cold start. A cold start will occur any time you change the program, recompile and send it down. The cold start will only work if the program date does not change from the time you stop the program to the time you want to restart it. The work around could be a patch the POU. The larger sized RTXDOS should give you the room you need in order to allow patches without a problem.

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Question: Problems with large numbers

Answer: Interact uses true 24 bit floating point numbers. A 24-bit number has a limitation of size in which it will hold its accuracy. The solution is either break the number down into two parts or keep the number as a string.

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Question: No project on the PLC.

Answer: There is a size issue on the MachineLogic side. The MachineLogic code you write has to live in the 640K boundaries restricted by DOS. Along with MachineLogic, DOS, Interact, Command.com, Himem.sys, touch screen drivers, Networking drivers and BIOS TSRs have to live there. With all of these programs restricted to the 640K the more you take for programming the less you have for these other programs. Your program just got to the limit of the original RTXDOS. We increased it by 15K. This will allow more programming room and online debugging room.

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Question: What do the indicator LEDs on the back of the Profibus card represent?

Answer: The following table explains what indicator LED displayed on the back of the Profibus card represents.

Bottom Top Problem
Off Red

Node is not connected.
Another unused node has a terminator resistor that is being used.

Red Red Wires are crossed on the network
Red Blinking GM/Red Terminating Resistor not set on I/O side.
Green Red Terminating resistor on PowerStation side needs to be turned on.
Green Green Working properly.
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Question: I am getting a TCP/IP open port failure and I am using the ABEN, CMOT, or MBEN driver, what does this mean?

Answer: You are using the latest version of the Driver ABEN Ver. 6.02, CMOT Ver. 6.04. MBEN Ver. 6.00 and they require the latest version of the TCP/IP stack Ver. 110 which can be found on the latest Flashback Utility at http://www.ctcusa.com/ctcnet/Support/Flash.asp

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Question: What is the latest version of software that is available?

Answer: MachineShop CD 1.06, MachineShop Toolbar is version 1.04, Interact Application Manager Version 6.10 in Development and Version 6.10 in Runtime, Panel Toolkit Module (PTM) Version 6.02 in Development and Version 6.04 in Runtime, and MachineLogic is version 2.11. Consult the FTP site for PTM upgrades/patches ftp://www.ctcusa.com/ctcsupport/

Question: I just got a new computer running Windows 2000 Professional. When I tried to install Machine Shop, I get an error that I need a minimum of NT 4.0 SP3 to install Machine Shop, what does this mean?

Answer: You need the MachineShop CD ver. 1.04 or Evaluation Package 2.3 (should say WIN2000 on it), which contains Interact Application Manager Version 6.04 in Development and Version 6.03 in Runtime, Panel Toolkit Module (PTM) Version 6.01 in Development and Version 6.03 in Runtime. Consult the FTP site for PTM upgrades/patches ftp://www.ctcusa.com/ctcsupport/

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Question: What is the weight of my PS-Series PowerStation?

Answer:

Model Number
Weight (lbs)
PS10-2
13.9
PS10-3
15.5
PS12-2
21
PS12-3
22.6
PS15-2
24.4
PS15-3
26
FLOPPY DRIVE
2

Question: I am installing the UPDD driver in Windows, but can't get my touchscreen to work without a mouse attached, Why is this?

Answer: In the UPDD driver under the Hardware tab, you need to make sure that the Detect Hardware check box is checked. Then you do no have to have a mouse attached.

Question: My New PS Series PowerStation will not boot up, Why not?

Answer: Check to make sure that you are using a switching power supply and not a linear power supply as the in-rush current may be to great for a linear supply.

Question: When I install MachineShop and Interact on my Windows XP/2000 System I get an error that says "Security Key Setup not Installed", How do I fix this?

Answer: Download the upgrade patch from http://www.ctcusa.com/ctcnet/Support/MSPXPPatch.asp

Question: On Windows XP I can't select any options on the Toolbar or Startup Splash Screen, How do I fix this?

Answer: On the MachineShop Toolbar, go to Tools, Options, and then check Always On Top, and AutoHide so that they are turned on. (Note: You must also be using Version 1.02 or higher of the MS Toolbar)

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Still have questions? E-mail us at: emn_support_ctc@parker.com

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