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Summary of Contents for MERRICK MC3 35.00.EX
- Page 1 MC³ 35.00.EX Weigh Out Batch Controller Operation and Maintenance Manual Version C MERRICK INDUSTRIES, INC. 10 Arthur Drive Lynn Haven, FL 32444 U.S.A Tel: +1 850.265.3611 +1 850.265.9768 www.merrick-inc.com...
- Page 2 The information in this manual, including technical data and copies of drawings, embodies information proprietary to Merrick Industries, Incorporated. This manual is provided to the user of equipment purchased from Merrick Industries, Inc. for use only in operation or maintenance of such equipment.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS Introduction ............2 Bach Parameters ........24 Safety.............2 Fast Feed Spd ........24 In General..........2 Fine Feed Spd ........24 Electrical Precautions ........2 Fine Feed Wt ........24 Related Publications ........2 Fine Feed Tm ........24 Manual Conventions ........2 Fine Feed Adj ........24 Screens .............3 Curr Preact ......... - Page 4 List of Physical Outputs ......42 Forcing a Parameter Reset ....56 EMT Settings ...........43 Diagnostic Menus........56 Divisor ..........43 HPAD Diagnostics........56 Pulse Width .........43 Communication Diagnostic ..... 57 Comm Settings ........43 Clean Off Screen........59 Comm 1 Numeric ........44 Calibrate Diag .........
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Page 6: Introduction
INTRODUCTION SAFETY The Merrick MC³ Controller is used for the control of process weighing equipment. To insure personnel safety please read the following instructions and precautions carefully. In General Observe all standard precautions that pertain to moving machinery. Observe all standard precautions that pertain to electrical drives and electrical controls. -
Page 7: Screens
(Diagnosing Problems, page 54). Technical Support Merrick provides customer technical and spare part support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Assistance is available by calling +1.850.271.7878. After normal business hours, you will receive instructions on how to reach the support technician on call. You can also email support@merrick-inc.com. -
Page 8: System Overview
SYSTEM OVERVIEW A Weigh-Out batching system is designed to produce batches of material with a pre- determined weight. A weigh hopper is placed on load cells, producing a signal proportional to the weight of the hopper and its content. At the bottom, there is a variable speed feeding device, such as a material screw or a vibrating pan. -
Page 9: Rate Calculation
(page 49) or Electronic Calibration (page 50). You can also set it manually. See Scale Factor on page 28. Sample Time How often the controller re-calculates all internal variables. See Sample Rate on page 29. Normally, two different sample times are used, one while feeding or filling, and a longer time while idling. -
Page 10: Batch Parameters
Heel Weight The hopper weight at which a re-fill normally takes place. There are several exceptions to this rule, for example, no re-fill takes place during Fine Feed. The Heel Weight may have to be set surprisingly high, especially if the material is floodable. Fill Time Max time allowed for a re-fill. - Page 11 Text 1 Text 2 R[261] Action Screen Text Comment Paused Paused. Clear or Start The (ongoing) batch was paused by a Pause Batch command Paused BLOCKED! Paused. Clear or Start A Fault occurred during batching. After the Fault has been acknowledged, the ongoing batch has to be either cleared or resumed.
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Page 12: Feeder State Transitions
Feeder State Transitions During operation, the controller state will follow a sequence. This table lists all possible transitions between states. During normal batching, Next State follows the Current State. All other columns indicate to what state the MC³ will go on an external command. To find out what the controller will do if you issue a command, start on the row for the current state, and go the column of the command. -
Page 13: Block Conditions
Note 1 There is no continuing state. A command has to be issued. Note 2 A Clear Batch command will end batching, filling or cleanout. Batch statistics are not updated. State will change to Idle. Note 3 If the Heel Weight is reached during Fast Feed, state changes to Stable Check After, then to Re-fill. -
Page 14: Hardware
This allows for easier maintenance and simplified training. The Standard Merrick MC³ 35.00.EX Controller consists of an Enclosure, an LCD Display, Card Stack and a Power Supply. Refer to MC³ Hardware manual for details. It is available for download from [MCT]. -
Page 15: Getting Started
Quick Setup (page 11) procedure. Remember to record all changes to the parameters on the Spec Sheet. Merrick keeps a record of all Spec Sheets in a database. If you forward the updated Spec Sheet to the Merrick Customer Support Department, they will update the database. -
Page 16: Main Screens
This is what you see in the Main Screen: Item Description Abracadabra Editable text string, normally used to identify the material in the Powder hopper. See Printer Menu, on page 18. The default text is “MERRICK INDUSTRIES, INC.” 35.00.EX O&M Manual... -
Page 17: Batch Statistics Screen
Item Description 37.50 lb Net (material) weight in the hopper. Also called Immediate Weight. Graphical representation of the Fill Weight. See Fill Weight, page 26. Graphical representation of the Heel Weight. See Heel Weight, page 0.0% Speed Demand Signal for the feeding device. Grand Total. -
Page 18: Warnings
Item Description B tm: Total batch time for last completed batch. F tm Fine Feed time for last completed batch. Prea: Preact used in this batch. Prev: Preact used previous batch. Home Screen Button to reach the Main Screen. Action Menu Button to reach the Action Menu. -
Page 19: Faults
Warnings screen There is an active indicator to the left of the text ( = On = Off). There is also a “did occur” indicator to the left of the active indicator. You can acknowledge one warning at a time. Use the up and down arrow buttons to move the selection box to the Warning you want to acknowledge, and push Acknowldg . - Page 20 Unchanged Local Setpoint The “ Local On Screen ” text indicates the current setpoint method. Possible methods that can be displayed are: • Local On Screen . The setpoint is entered here, in the Setpoint Screen, by using the Numeric button. •...
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Page 21: Manual Setpoint Method
New Setpoint Method accepted To prevent changes to the setpoint method, you can turn the Logical Input Lock SP Method on. See Logical Inputs on page 35. This disables the ability to change the Setpoint method, and removes the setpoint method button. Manual Setpoint Method Manual Speed Setpoint The Manual Speed setpoint method allows you to directly control the Speed Demand... -
Page 22: State Indication Text
Start Batch Changes to Pause Batch when batching is in progress. In the Paused state, the button text is Resume Batch . Clear Batch Never changes. Start Fill Changes to Stop Fill in the Re-fill state. Start Cleanou t Changes to Stop Cleanout in the Cleanout Weight and Cleanout Time state. - Page 23 Pushing one of these buttons will send the selected print string to the printer. The last selected line will be the line that is printed. For example, if you have pushed the button for line 1 for a test print, line 1 is the line printed when the external print command is triggered.
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Page 24: Pf Buttons
When un-shifted this is used to place a space character in your string. When the shift is enabled, it places a NULL value at that character position, which marks the end of the character string. Any characters beyond the NULL are not printed or displayed. -
Page 25: Settings Menu
Settings Menu This is where you set up all the controller parameters. See Setting Up Your Controller, below. 35.00.EX O&M Manual... -
Page 26: Setting Up Your Controller
SETTING UP YOUR CONTROLLER Since there are many parameters to set, they are divided into categories. They are available from two setup screens. You reach the first (Settings Menu) from the Action Menu, by pushing the Settings menu button. Settings Menu You reach the second (Inputs &... -
Page 27: Settings Menu Items
Value is Out of Range SETTINGS MENU ITEMS Select Units Use the Up or Down arrow buttons to scroll through the list of units until the desired combination appears in the center box, then push the Settings Menu button. Select Units Menu The following unit combinations are available Weight/Batch Total... -
Page 28: Bach Parameters
The Design Weight is important, because it is used for automatically setting the hopper parameters and for scaling the Weight analog output. The Max Batch Wt is important, because it is used for automatically setting the batch parameters and for scaling the Setpoint analog input and the Batch Total analog output. Bach Parameters The batch parameters deal with the batching process. -
Page 29: Preact Limit
decreased and vice versa. The purpose is to minimize the batch error. There are limits and rules on the Preact update, See Preact Limit , Pre Max Chang and Preact Apply , below. Preact Limit Preact will never go beyond this limit, negative or positive. If you are using Fine Feed, start with 1% of Design Weight. -
Page 30: Hopper Parameters
Hopper Parameters The Hopper Parameters are related to the physical properties of the weigh hopper. Fill Weight Heel Weight Empty Weight Hopper Related Weights Fill Weight The Fill Weight is the target weight for the fill sequence. It must be greater than the Heel Weight. -
Page 31: Fill Time
feeding device can not feed out. The parameter is used in the cleanout by weight state. Setting this value too low can cause the Cleanout sequence to never run to completion. The default value is 1 % of the Design Weight. When the weight is below Empty Weight , the logical output Scale Empty is On. -
Page 32: Stable Span
While batching, if the time is exceeded, the logical output Stable Timeout will go on, and the less accurate Immediate Weight will be used to determine the batch total. The Stable Timeout output should be configured to qualify a warning. Stable Span This is how much the weight indication may change over the set Stable Samples , for the weight to be considered stable. -
Page 33: Sample Rate
Name Setting Page Feedrate Decimal Set for three significant digit feedrate Point representation Stable Span 0.2 % of Design Weight High Weight Limit 110% of Design Weight Low Weight Limit -10% of Design Weight Empty Weight 1% of Design Weight Heel Weight 10% of Design Weight. -
Page 34: Backlite Off
Backlite Off The fluorescent light behind the screen can be turned off if the touch screen is not used, just like a screen saver on a PC. Set the turn-off time here. A value of 0 will keep the back light on forever. Displayed FR Dampening factor for the Rate: indication in the Batch Statistics screen. -
Page 35: Analog Setpoint Setup
Analog Input Setup Analog Setpoint Setup When you use an analog signal for the setpoint (Remote setpoint method, see Setting the Setpoint, page 15), an analog input source must be defined for this input, either Analog Input 1 or Analog Input 2. In addition, the input must be scaled and calibrated. If possible, use the Analog Input Procedure (page 52) to set these parameters. -
Page 36: Analog Input Defaults And Limits
counts (A/D Counts), to form a usable engineering value. The A/D counts range is 0 – 1,000,000 for 0-20 mA or 0-10 V depending on the strapping on the PCIO board. The engineering value is calculated using the following formula. −... -
Page 37: Analog Outputs Numeric Parameters
With the next button down, you can select the output’s type The button caption will change between: 0-20 mA/0-10V The mode selected is scaled 0 - 20 mA or 0 – 10V. 4-20 mA/2-10V The mode selected is scaled 4 -20mA or 2 – 10V. You have to change jumpers on the PCIO board to change from mA to V outputs. -
Page 38: Digital I/O Mapping
20 mA 16.8 mA 4 mA 50 % 100 % 125 % 10 lb/min For example, design feedrate = 10 lb/min, by setting the Full value to 125% would set the 0 - 10 lb/min range equal to 4 - 16.8 mA Another example is if you want to scale the output from 0 –... -
Page 39: Digital Inputs Setup
CAUTION: This function must be used with extreme care. It is possible to force safety related input, or outputs, such as an interlock, thereby disabling them. Digital Inputs Setup This screen allows you to change the mapping and properties for the digital inputs. A Logical Input is always mapped to a Physical. - Page 40 Logical Input Description Rem Start Batch Remote Start Batch command. When turned on, if logical output Ready is On, a batch is started. See Feeder State Transitions on page 8. The Start Batch button in the Action Menu (page 17), this input and the Net Start Batch input all work in parallel.
- Page 41 Logical Input Description Cal Acpt Allowed Allows changes to controller calibration. When Off, you can still run the calibration procedures, but there is no Accept button available. See Calibrating Your Controller on page 46. Force Comm SP This input will force the Setpoint Method to Remote Serial, if and only if Ser Comm Lost and DF1 Timeout both are Off.
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Page 42: Physical Inputs
Logical Input Description Drive not Ready This drive feedback input is used to indicate that the feeding device drive is not ready to run. The state of the input is combined with other states to form the Ready Logical Output. It has no other effect, unless you make it qualify a Warning or Fault. -
Page 43: Logical Outputs
Select Column This button switches the active scroll area between the Physical and Logical columns. First select the physical output you want to work with, using the Up and Down arrow buttons. Then push the Select Column button to map it to a physical output, again using the Up and Down arrow buttons. - Page 44 Logical Output Description High Weight Output indicating that the hopper weight has stayed above a set limit for a set time. See Weight Limits on page 45. Output is active regardless of feeder state. Low Weight Output indicating that the weight has stayed below a set limit for a set time.
- Page 45 Logical Output Description Remote Setpoint The setpoint method is Remote. Net Setpoint The Setpoint Method is Network. In Menu System Output indicating that someone is working in the controller menus. Intended for tampering indication. Register Access Not used in this application. Weight Stable The weight value is stable, according to the Stability Settings (page 27).
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Page 46: List Of Physical Outputs
Logical Output Description Cal Weights On Place calibration weights on the feeder during a Weight Calibration procedure. Intended for automatic calibration equipment. Hi Panel Mtr An unused analog input can be used for arbitrary measurements. This output indicates that the value has stayed above a set limit for a set time. -
Page 47: Emt Settings
Controller and other devices. There are two serial ports, Comm 1 and Comm 2. On Comm 1, you can run a Merrick proprietary protocol, called Scalenet, or a subset of Modbus ASCII or RTU, which is a Modicon protocol in the public domain. -
Page 48: Comm 1 Numeric
Communications Settings For Baud Rate, Data Bits, Stop bits and Parity parameters, simply pushing the button for the corresponding parameter will toggle through the available settings. Comm 1 Numeric For details, refer to Modbus and Scalenet documentation at [MCT]. Param Meaning Controller # Controller Number for ScaleNet, Node Number for Modbus... -
Page 49: Limit Switches
Limit Switches Limit Switches Menu There are two programmable limit switches, one for hopper weight and one for the Panel Meter function. Weight Limits This button allows you to set the limits for the High Weight and Low Weight logical outputs. -
Page 50: Calibrating Your Controller
CALIBRATING YOUR CONTROLLER There are four categories of calibration procedures, intended for: 1. Establishing a zero weight indication when there is no material in the hopper, by running a Zeroing Procedure (page 47). The Zero Weight parameter is updated. It is important to note that this traditionally was called “tare”... -
Page 51: Zeroing Procedure
Calibration Menu You may run any of the calibration procedures when the feeder is the Idle state. The hopper should typically be empty. The only two meaningful procedures with material in the hopper are Weight Procedure and Material Procedure. If the Allow Calibr logical input is Off you will not be able to accept any results. -
Page 52: Material Calibration
The Zeroing Procedure can fail if the hopper weight is unstable. You will get an error reporting screen if this happens. The parameters for hopper weight stability are settable in Stability Settings. See page 27. Material Calibration The Material Calibration is used when you can verify the feeder totalizer with a reference scale or some other external method. -
Page 53: Weight Procedure
this screen shot means that this procedure has never been executed since the last time the controller was subject to a RAM Reset procedure. Weight Procedure The Weight Procedure is used to calibrate the scale to show a correct net weight. To run this procedure, you will need calibration weights that represent at least 20% of the Design Weight . -
Page 54: Electronic Calibration
Push Start when the calibration weights are on, and the hopper weight is stable. The weight is sampled. This requires, again, that the weight value is stable. This screen indicates that most likely, no calibration weights were applied. Your only option is to push Cancel . - Page 55 If there are more than one load cells supporting the hopper, add the load cells capacities. For example, for three 1000 lb load cells: 1000 Capacity Load Cells 1361 2.204 If the load cells are 3 mV/V, and the Design Weight is 400 kg, then: ECAL mV/V 0.8817...
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Page 56: E-Cal Factor Procedure
At this point, the proposed change to the Scale Factor will be shown. If you wish to accept the new value push Accept button, otherwise, push Cancel to abort the test. E-Cal Factor Procedure This procedure will update the ECAL Liveload parameter, using current Scale Factor . In other words, it is the reverse of the E-Cal Procedure . - Page 57 Set the signal at the source for full-scale value, typically 20 mA. The live counts should follow the input, and be around 1,000,000 counts. Push the Snap Full button. The live value will snap to the New column, Hi row. If the values are acceptable, push the Accept button, followed by the Cancel button, else the Cancel button only.
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Page 58: Diagnosing Problems
DIAGNOSING PROBLEMS There is considerable diagnostic support built in to the MC³ controller that can be used to troubleshoot the installation. There is also the possibility of an MC³ malfunction that prevents the firmware from continuing. This is called a Crash. THE CRASH SCREEN The Crash Screen is the firmware’s last attempt to communicate a fatal error to you. -
Page 59: Fatal Error Crash
In this case, you should reset the parameters ( Reset Ram ) to factory default (unless instructed otherwise by Merrick Customer Support), and then enter the new parameters either from the spec sheet or from a prepared parameters file, using WinMerik. -
Page 60: Forcing A Parameter Reset
Forcing a Parameter Reset It is possible to invoke the Parameters Crash Screen at controller boot by the upper left and right touch-pads on the screen during the boot-count-down. Ram Reset Touch-pads You can then reset all parameters to factory default. If you see a fatal error crash screen before the count-down starts, press and hold the touch-pads, and then turn the controller power on. -
Page 61: Communication Diagnostic
Values 0 and 1,048575 indicate that the HPAD is saturated at one on its end limits. Since the load cell excitation voltage normally is around 10 volts, dividing Counts with 33,333 should give you the approximate load cell input analog voltage in mV. mV/V: Load cell relative output. - Page 62 Counter Description Bad Message Counter. The MC³ does not understand the incoming telegram. Communication Interrupts Counter. Increments for every character transmitted or received. UART Status Register States, IIR IIR, UART Interrupt Identification Register Value Description Modem status changed No interrupt pending Transmitter buffer empty No interrupt pending Receiver buffer full...
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Page 63: Clean Off Screen
Value Description Waiting for controller address Addressed, Buffering chars Message received, not processed yet States, TX Transmitter Driver State Value Description Transmitter passive Transmitter active The last byte of the telegram is being transmitted Clean Off Screen Displays the Start-up Screen for one minute. Since there are no buttons in this screen, you can safely clean the touch screen. -
Page 64: Digital Diagnostics
Analog Diagnostics Analog inputs use a 20 bit A/D converter, just like the HPAD. In the Input section, you can see • The counts, directly from the A/D converter. For a 4-20 mA or 2-10V input, the value should stay between approximately 200,000 and 1,000,000. •... -
Page 65: List View
List View Logical and Physical I/O, List View In the List View, you can see status and properties of all logical or physical I/O points, regardless if they are used or not, but you can’t se the mapping. Logical outputs are listed before the logical inputs. -
Page 66: Misc Data Diagnostics
Register Monitor This screen shot displays the default register monitor set-up. It is possible to select the registers you see. Enter the numbers of the registers you want to see into register R[410 - 417]. See Register Editor on page 64. The screen is used mostly for telephone support. The first five registers should normally not be changed if network communication is used, since they determine what is reported in the CIT. -
Page 67: Modbus Diagnostics
35.00.EX… This line identifies the firmware application name, build (release) date, application identification number and version identification number. Hours On How many hours the MC³ has been powered up, accumulated. Hours Ran How many hours the feeding device has been running, accumulated. Reset to zero by pushing Clear Hours Ran button . -
Page 68: Gain
load cell signal before the A/D converter. The injected signal is -0.2 mV/V times the setting. If you have a slightly overloaded 3 mV/V load cell, with a fixed zero load, you can use this parameter to offset the load cell signal so that you avoid a HPAD Overload condition. - Page 69 Register Editor Before entering new values into the controller, you must clear the previous value by pushing the CLR button. When you have entered the number, you mast push the ENT button. The tab button is used to switch between the Register Number line and the Register Name/Value line.
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