IC693ALG221 How-to Troubleshoot GE Fanuc 90-30 Proficy Machine Edition Programming Tutorial

Introduction: GE Fanuc IC693ALG221 Troubleshooting Guide

This troubleshooting guide is a test of a GE Fanuc IC693ALG221 analog input card with 4 channels that measures current from 4 to 20 mili-amps. Illustrated is an IC693CHS397 5-slot rack powered by an IC693PWR330 power supply and a IC693CPU374 plus processor.

Step 1: Configure in Proficy Machine Edition and Get Reference Number

On the Proficy Machine Edition side (see below), you should select a new open file. Illustrated is a main rack, the same 5-slot rack IC693PWR330 IC693CPU374 plus and IC693ALG221 card as you see illustrated here physically.

The module should be in Run Mode right now with everything downloaded. Note that in the Proficy Machine Edition if you right click on slot number 2 or double click on slot number 2, where the IC693ALG221 resides, there is a sub category tab called settings. And underneath perimeters is Reference Address. 
Since this is a new file the computer automatically picks percent A/I 0001 which is the address at analog input. This tells you where you’re going to be able to see the readings that the device is giving you.

Step 2: Configuring Tables

So what you want to do now is go to your default tables (see below) underneath Reference View Tables and select the top selection, which is percent A/I or analog input table. You can double click on that or right click and open. And then you will have your reference table that you can see the readings that the card is
giving you.

Step 3: Go Into Run Mode & Do Test

So you are going to go ahead with the test. Everything should be in Run Mode.

Now if you open the door (see above), the door wiring information is on the inside and it tells me what terminals go to what channel.
So terminals 3, which is positive, 5 is negative, goes to channel 1. Terminal 4 is positive, terminal 6 is negative for channel number 2. 13 is positive and 15 is negative for channel 3. And 14 is positive and 16 is negative for channel 4. (see below)

Illustrated is a 4 to 20 mili-amp generator that has two probes, positive and negative probes that you are going to use to probe each of these channels to test the values.(see below)

Step 4: Operating the Probes in the Test

Next, you select the value somewhere in the middle of 4 to 20 mili-amps on the generator and not change it so that you can test each channel with the same amount of voltage to make sure that they all give you the same exact reading.
You do not want a reading that is far above or below the reading that the previous channel has given you. And if all these channels give you the exact same reading or figure, that’s good if they are working the OK light will be on too.

Step 5: Additional Steps if Necessary

Following are typical troubleshooting scenarios:

• If you think there is a problem with the analog card, the first thing you want to check is
  if the OK light is on. There are some instances where the light has been bent and it is not
  showing through the hole through the window. It is usually not the case, but it
  has happened. So, check is the OK light is on,
• next check to see that all the channels are giving you the exact same reading. If you still think that there is a problem on one of the channels , you can go up and down with the reading, maybe bring it closer to 4 and dial it up to 20 mili-amps to see that you have the proper range that the device is supposed to give you. Occasionally, when one of these cards is bad it will give you a reading but it will automatically give you the full reading of 32 thousand. So in other words, you would put the probe on any type of mili-amp value and it will give you full value, so it would be an erroneous reading. This is a typical problem with analog current modules.

Tags: GE Fanuc, IC693ALG221, Troubleshooting Guide

This entry was posted on April 28th, 2015 and is filed under GE Fanuc, Troubleshooting Guide. Both comments and pings are currently closed.