Email and Text from PLC/SCADA - Control Logix & FTView SE

ASF

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Hi all,

I have a client who has asked me to investigate adding an automatic email and/or text message alert for certain QC-related process alarms. Their plant runs Control Logix PLC's and a network distributed FTView SE SCADA system.

Any recommendations for a hardware or software solution? I've heard good things about Win911, but I always like to have more than one option to compare it to.

Thanks!
 
At the moment there are only a few alerts, but if my spidey senses are correct, once they realise how useful it is, it'll all of a sudden grow very big. So I think I'd like to stay clear of doing it in the PLC (which is a shame, because ever since I learned about that functionality I've been looking for an excuse to try it out. But I don't think this is it).

I've also come across SCADAPhone in my research, does anyone have experience to share with that one? Or Win911? Or any other package?
 
What about a Red Lion Data Station or Productivity Station? It has built in drivers for almost everything and the software is free and it's a hardware solution and if the equipment is networked and sounds like it is from your description then one unit could likely handle all the alarms.

With a Productivity station you display them on a large TV / process board as well but you don't have to.

http://www.redlion.net/product/productvity-station-plant-floor-communications-solution

http://www.redlion.net/products/ind...ss-control/data-acquisition/data-station-plus
 
This one has admittedly been put on the backburner a little, but I must admit I quite like the idea of the Red Lion DSP - I hadn't even considered that, thanks for the suggestion!

I've thought for a while that a DSP would be a useful tool for this site for the protocol conversion side of it - so this might be a really good fit if it will take care of their alert system AND give them the option to link in a few machines that previously they haven't been able to...definitely food for thought!

Thanks for the info on the gmail stuff too Garry - interesting stuff, and I'm always looking for an opportunity to try that sort of thing out - but I just feel it's the wrong approach for this particular job.

I think at the moment the choice is going to end up between Win911 or a Red Lion DSP.
 
ASF said:
This one has admittedly been put on the backburner a little, but I must admit I quite like the idea of the Red Lion DSP - I hadn't even considered that, thanks for the suggestion!

I've thought for a while that a DSP would be a useful tool for this site for the protocol conversion side of it - so this might be a really good fit if it will take care of their alert system AND give them the option to link in a few machines that previously they haven't been able to...definitely food for thought!

Thanks for the info on the gmail stuff too Garry - interesting stuff, and I'm always looking for an opportunity to try that sort of thing out - but I just feel it's the wrong approach for this particular job.

I think at the moment the choice is going to end up between Win911 or a Red Lion DSP.
Click to expand...

Red Lion will do a 30 day try before you buy with you that can normally be extended to 60 days on small orders. It may be worth just getting one in your hands to try.
 
Hah, unfortunately no such pleasantries here in Oz where we have to go through a distributor. But in any case, I'll definitely put it to the client as one of the options.
 
ASF said:
Hah, unfortunately no such pleasantries here in Oz where we have to go through a distributor. But in any case, I'll definitely put it to the client as one of the options.
Click to expand...

I don't know all the mechanics of the program but it's done through the distributor here not direct from the manufacturer.
 
many years ago the distributor for Redlion in Australia supplied me with a unit to do do my testing on spec that I would buy more. I didn't for that project (funding got pulled) but it worked just fine as a protocol converter.
So it could be worth giving them a call and explaining what you want to do.

Since then i have used them in other projects.
 
I have used the DSP as a poor mans SCADA with Virtual HMI and alarm notifications sent to email. Kept the budget in line and worked perfect for my clients needs. Win911 is also a solid application that I have used on many projects. It comes down to size of system, needs and $$$. A large water/waste water plant with a realistic budget, multiple sites, 100's of alarms and multiple people/multiple shifts... I would opt for Win911. With no additional programming an End-User can change holiday schedules, shifts, users, priorities, etc. A privateer with 1 or 2 sites and a handful of notifications is perfectly suited for a DSP, but if he wants to add new users or changes his number you will be doing these changes for him.
 
trentg@felixconstruc said:
I have used the DSP as a poor mans SCADA with Virtual HMI and alarm notifications sent to email. Kept the budget in line and worked perfect for my clients needs. Win911 is also a solid application that I have used on many projects. It comes down to size of system, needs and $$$. A large water/waste water plant with a realistic budget, multiple sites, 100's of alarms and multiple people/multiple shifts... I would opt for Win911. With no additional programming an End-User can change holiday schedules, shifts, users, priorities, etc. A privateer with 1 or 2 sites and a handful of notifications is perfectly suited for a DSP, but if he wants to add new users or changes his number you will be doing these changes for him.
Click to expand...

What kind of $$$ are we talking about for the software/hardware?
 

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