SIMATIC S5 Remote Assistance for Medical Ship

Hello, I volunteer as a Project Manager for a medical mercy ship - I am land based in the US. 

The ship, YWAM Liberty, is at dock in Papua New Guinea, and is having issues with an Symatic S5 used to drive an engine room alarm display.  I believe they've accidentally wiped the EPROM, but I don't know for sure.  They replaced the CPU card, and now believe the EPROM software is invalid based on a troubleshooting tree.  But they are far from experts.  If they are correct, we will need assistance remotely creating the code and emailing it to the ship, so they could load it via PC.  It a very small PLC, driving perhaps a dozen indicator lights.

Would you, as a person experienced with Siemens S5 PLC, please assist our shipboard volunteers to verify their diagnosis? And basically guide us to resolve this issue?  If so, I can provide you with further info and facilitate communication with the ship.

We are a Christian volunteer organization providing medical services to remote people in the South Pacific, meaning we don't have much money.  I'm a retiree, and I help because I believe in the organization and the mission.  Thanks, John

fritz

Thanks Fritz, here is the info I have and I will find out the rest.

Hi John

the S5-100U CPU has an EPROM in it which requires half an hour under a UV lamp to be erased and we can probably exclude it being accidentally erased (or erased at all for that matter).

Best I can offer to help for now are a few pointers and questions as followed:

1.) Link to the S5-100U manual

Chapter 4.3 describes the steps for automatic and manual loading of the program

If neither works, please get full description on LED status for each step  

I WILL COPY YOUR INFO AND SEND IT ON FOR ACTION.

2.) Is there a backup battery in the CPU?  YES THERE IS A BATTERY.

If yes, power the CPU off, take it out and power back up (with EPROM in it)

3.) You say that "They replaced the CPU card". Does that mean they replaced the CPU OR they replaced the EPROM? 

I'VE ATTACHED A PHOTO OF THE CARD THAT WAS REPLACED. THE OLD EPROM WAS TRANSFERRED.

4.) Do they have the means to go online in the the CPU? (e.g .do they have Siemens Step 5 or ibhsoftec S5 for Windows and the AS511 TTY programming cable?)

NO THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS EQUIPMENT.  THEY'VE ASKED TO PURCHASE, BUT DO NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO PROGRAM NOR UTILIZE IT.  THEY CAN DETAIL THE AVAILABLE INPUTS AND THE CONDITIONAL OUTPUT STATES.

5.) Do they have the means to erase and burn EPROM's?  NO THEY DO NOT.

Thank you so very much Fritz for guiding our folks to solve the problem with the YWAM Liberty's engine alarm panel.  Your troubleshooting and fault isolation efforts solved the problem in loading the program from the eeprom.  We weren't easy to work with, and you hung in there!  We're deeply grateful as there was absolutely no way our on-board team could have solved this without you. 

God bless you and the folks at ISS.

John Cobb

YWAM Liberty Project Manager

fritz

Hi John

the S5-100U CPU has an EPROM in it which requires half an hour under a UV lamp to be erased and we can probably exclude it being accidentally erased (or erased at all for that matter).

Best I can offer to help for now are a few pointers and questions as followed:

1.) Link to the S5-100U manual

Chapter 4.3 describes the steps for automatic and manual loading of the program

If neither works, please get full description on LED status for each step  

2.) Is there a backup battery in the CPU?

If yes, power the CPU off, take it out and power back up (with EPROM in it)

3.) You say that "They replaced the CPU card". Does that mean they replaced the CPU OR they replaced the EPROM?

4.) Do they have the means to go online in the the CPU? (e.g .do they have Siemens Step 5 or ibhsoftec S5 for Windows and the AS511 TTY programming cable?)

5.) Do they have the means to erase and burn EPROM's?