IC697ALG230 How-to Troubleshoot GE Fanuc PLC Programming 90-70 Analog Input Module

Introduction: GE Fanuc IC697ALG230 Troubleshooting Guide

This troubleshooting guide is a test of a GE Fanuc 90-70 input analog module IC697ALG230, 0 to 10 volts or 40 to 20 milli amps, in an IC697CHS750 five slot rack, and (left to right, see image above) an IC697PWR711 power supply. an IC697CPX772 CPU and an ALG320 which you can ignore that for this test.

Step 1: Configure in Proficy Machine Edition

In Proficy* Machine Edition, go ahead and configure the physical information or configuration that you see illustrated here, into the software. 
Now if you go through all the channels 1 through 8 of the ALG230 you should have everything set to read voltage, 0 to 10 volts. You have a DC battery, you‘re going to be testing it with DC Voltage. And you should have it in Run mode.

Step 2: Going Ahead with Test Setup

Now you’re going to go ahead with the test so what you want to do is go down to your reference view tables and then select default tables and the first selection is AI, analog input, and that’s where you can go to read the information coming in from the ALG. 
So, what you have here (see below) is an accessory battery this is a 90-70 battery. It’s 3-volts and depending on how you’re scaling. Illustrated here is scaling set up in the default values which
is a high of 10,000 and low of -10,000 in this illustration. In the engineering units illustrated is a high of 32,000 and a -32,000 so this is actually negative ten to positive ten volt DC.


So the channels (see above) are channel 1 is screws 3 and 5; channel 2: 4 and 6; channel 3: 11 and 13; 4 is 12 and 14; 5 is 19 and 21; 6 is 20 and 22; 7 is 27 and 29; and 8 is 28 and 30.
And that will hold true also for milli amp when you do test that. So now you’re going to go ahead and place the probe on there and immediately you should get a reading 6.9 or 6947. Note that this will fluctuate a little bit and you’re going to go to the next terminal and what you’re looking for as you go terminal to terminal is that the value stays the same from channel to channel. Since they’re all configured the same, they should all be reading exactly the same, that’s very important.
So check all the channels 3 through 8 and make sure they are all reading good. Note that illustrated here is a 3-volt battery for a test. We also have another power supply here that’s adjustable from 0 to 48 volts, obviously you don’t want to go that high but you can kind of slowly turn up the voltage as it gets to ten volts and test each channel thoroughly all the way through the whole spectrum of the voltages from zero to ten volt DC and its a good idea to do that. If you think you’re having a problem with the processor, definitely do that.

Step 3: Checking Jumpers

So, next thing we’re going to do is go into Proficy Machine Edition and check you milli amp reads and as you can see in the illustration there are jumpers that are in place corresponding to where the jumpers are recommended on this door card. So, jumper number 1 (see above) would be 1 to 3; 2 would be 2 to 4; 3 would be 11 to 9; 4 would be 10 and 12; 5 would be 17 and 19; 6 would be 18 and 20; 7 would be 25 and 27; and 8 is 26 and 28.
Note that copper wires that have been put in place as a jumper and you won’t get a value or reading or a miliamp without that.

Now you’re going to go to channel 1, under RANGE, and switch it to 4 to 20 milliamp and that goes for all channels.
Now once that’s done you’re going to go back to Target to Online Commands to the Clear window and you want to clear Controller and I/O Fault Tables. You’ll also want to put the processor into Stop mode to allow you to re-download this information and once that’s done you’re going to download and run.

Step 4: Download & Run

It’s going to ask you what exactly you want to download and in this particular case, as it comes up in your software, it’s just Hardware Configuration and Logic so the first two selections, none of the other selections. Once this build is complete you’re going to be able to test this.
I have a milli amp generator and it has two probes, positive and negative. What’s nice about this 4 to 20 millliamp generator is I’m able to turn a dial so it can go up and down the whole spectrum of 4 to 20 milli amps. 
And then, the locations of the channels are the exact same locations as they were for when you were reading voltage DC so go ahead and place the probe, dial it up and down, see if you can see the whole spectrum, up and down.
If the channels are good then you have a working unit.

Step 5: Additional Steps if Necessary

With the ALG230, occasionally, the OK light may be off when you first power it up but then it comes on when the CPU is configured properly, maybe it’s on the whole time but it’t not always a solid indicator.
This doesn’t always mean that there’s something wrong right off the bat. But if you go through this test and you go through all these readings and your readings are not consistent and the Proficy software is configured so that it should all be the same, then there’s definitely a problem with.
Also if you never get an OK light on there’s probably also a problem.

Tags: GE Fanuc, IC697ALG230, Troubleshooting Guide

This entry was posted on May 1st, 2015 and is filed under GE Fanuc, Troubleshooting Guide. Both comments and pings are currently closed.