Lighthouse PLCs, Inc. : Automation Forum
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Hopefully the information presented here will help provide solutions to some of today's automation challenges. Some issues are probably old, some are probably new. Many are products of the economy, the resultant reduction in manpower, exacerbated by aging equipment crippled by decreases in maintenance budgets. The ULTIMATE goal here is that we all become more successful in our careers and chosen professions.
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Sr. Alejandro Albán,
The Hitachi "E" series did not have a RS232 port. The least expensive (but most time consuming) option is to use a hand-held programmer (PGM-J or PGM-JR2). The display on these units show the program in "Instruction Set". Many programmers call this Mnemonics or Boolean - the point is that the display is NOT in Ladder Logic. Your options are to step through the program and write the characters down (you could convert them later to LD at some later date), or the Hand-Helds have microphone and earphone ports which can be connected to a tape (i.e. cassette) recorder. The PLC Programs can be saved, verified, and uploaded by this method.
The PGM-J/PGM-JR2 is connected to the "E" Series PLC via an attached ribbon cable. (The "E" models have provision for attaching the PGM-J/PGM-JR2 directly onto the face of the PLC for hands free operation.) These methods are generally rejected as too unreliable and too time-consuming. The best option, is that to which you eluded - software on a laptop.
< E-64 w/ PGM-J mounted on face >
Connection to a laptop is accomplished through the use of a "serial protocol converter". This device, part number PGM-JR2 (Yes, the same as mentioned above), is actually a hand-held programmer. By setting a DIP switch, the COM port on the PGM-JR2 is activated (and it no longer functions as a hand-held device until the switch is changed back).
A cable is then connected to the PGM-JR2 on-board (DB25) serial connector, and to your (DB9) laptop COM port. A USBtoRS232 adapter can be used, as long as the port settings in Device Manager match the settings in the software.
For software, you will need ActSip-E. This software is DOS based, but we use it in our lab laptops running XP without any trouble. ActSip-E probably will not work with Vista, 7 or 8.
Rather than using your mouse, you use the "F" keys and the Arrow keys to move through the menus. The running program can be monitored and used as a diagnostic tool for the machine. The program file can be saved on FDD or HDD or USB drive, as they are quite small.
ActSip-E provides some very nice documentation (in Ladder Logic or Instruction Set). Rather than identification solely by I/O address, a 10 character Label can be assigned, as well as "line comments". This type of identification is invaluable during troubleshooting. Also, if you do not have a manual for the "E" series, I suggest that you purchase one. Many of the available functions are shown as "Function Blocks" (do not confuse with the FB programming language). For example, FUN00 is DIF (leading edge detection). FUN45 is a latching relay. FUN47 is a SFR (Shift Register Right). Without the manual, much of the program would be meaningless.
We would be happy to quote you on any of the above mentioned items. Something that may/may not be of interest to you and your customer, is our PLC Lab. We offer a service where you send your "E"-Series to us, we download the program and print it out. Then we convert the program for use with the suggested replacement - micro-EH. After conversion, we print the program out again for purposes of comparison. The new program is uploaded into a suitable micro-EH and returned along with the printout which have been combined into a 3-ring binder.
I hope this information is beneficial to you and your customer.
Timothy 
Category: (VFD/PLC/HMI) hitachiplc@hotmail.com,3
