What PLC would like to try next?

Every body has their favorite brand of PLC and the one's that they have to use.

What brand has caught your interest that you would like to try out, that you have never used before.

What is your interest in that particular PLC??? Cost, Free Software, size, or ???

Please, not a brand that you already use!

regards.....casey

NOTE SIEMENS NOTE SIEMENS NOTE SIEMENS NOTE

Forgot to list Siemens - please use other for Siemens!!!

NOTE: POLL Will Time Out in about a month (Around December 1, 2004).

I voted for AB as it's one of the big 2 in this neck of the woods and I haven't really got to play with it yet. I've got access to s/ware but no time. If I was dropped right in it I'd have to fast track it (that's how I learned everything else I know!) but that hasn't happened yet.

We have used most of these brands or at least looked into them at some point the last few years. The posts on free programming software has caught my interest, and we have thought about the Entertron plcs as a possible addition. They're heavy contact ratings and warranty look prety interesting. Most of our customers want allen bradley or siemans.

I have never got to play with an OMRON. In TN worked in a plant next to a plant that I know someone filled with OMRON but we didnt have any at our plant. Years ago got close to C200H (I think thats the model) but never got to play.

I have listened to several talk about Omron and they do seem to have some solid features.

I voted for Omron but another choice would be Entertron.

We installed a system with Opto 22. I've had a little involvement with it but mostly just with the I/O side. I am hoping to go to the class at the beginning of the year and learn the programing side. The person that does the programing now really has alot of good things about Opto. Of course a few not so good things also. Anyone else have any experience with opto?

To answer Casey's question..

What brand has caught your interest that you would like to try out, that you have never used before

Click to expand...

I will go for 'any of the above', as someone who works exclusively with Siemens, apart from GE Series Six, I would like to 'try out' any other brand.

I did try to introduce an Entertron PLC to Thamesport a few years ago, but I was told "No, we will use Siemens". I went for the Entertron because I liked the price for the amount of I/O I needed and the cost of the HMI was reasonable, certainly when compared to the price of the Siemens equivalent.

Paul

I would like to try Siemense PLCs.
I avoid to use them Price Support and good substitude OMRON AB..
Siemens is leading in Eurpe.Lot of machine came with Siemense.
Ron Iam sure you will like Omron with CX programmer its great PLC.

I voted for AB, Iam very interseted in trying this brand as it is vary famous (and expensive too!!).
Also I feel that a good automation engineer ( or any similar position) must have an experience with some specific brands of PLCs (e.g AB and SIEMENS). Just because you will find these two brand names in every way you go and you will be asked if you can deal with it.

Iam willing to purchase the MicroLogix 1000 starter kit as soon as possible. (believe or not: the software is free!)

Rockwell ??

I voted for "Other" but I did not mean Siemens. Surly everyone has had to use that stuff at some time.

I mean Rockwell. Recently a company said that they would propose to use Rockwell PLCs (which I know nothing about) because they are better; so I would like to try them to find out why they (maybe) are better. Anyone tried them?

PC Control

This might be off track but I want to try a PC with Flash Ram for a Drive and use either PCI I/O cards or Ethernet remote I/O modules. I would write the HMI in VB or C.

The question is not correct IMHO.
And it applies to brand, not PLC, actually.
More correct would be to ask "What features must have a PLC you would choose next?".

Answering this question:
1. A single-unit PLC, expandable to at least 128 I/Os.
2. Typical scan time <1ms/KStep.
3. High-speed inputs for at least 2 quadrature encoders on the main unit.
4. At least 2 high-speed outputs on the main unit.
5. Expandable by both high-speed inputs and outputs.
6. Online editing.
7. Screw terminals, not multipin connectors.
8. Second communication port option.
9. Networking capabilities (by expansion modules, if necessary).
10.Ethernet capable, at least for programming.
11.Analog I/O options.

By the way, I am currently using Mitsubishi FX1N (missing only p.2,10 ) and Allen Bradley MicroLogix1500 (missing p.p.5,6,9,10).

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

carbonboy said:

We installed a system with Opto 22. I've had a little involvement with it but mostly just with the I/O side. I am hoping to go to the class at the beginning of the year and learn the programing side. The person that does the programing now really has alot of good things about Opto. Of course a few not so good things also. Anyone else have any experience with opto?

Click to expand...

right now i'm all about RLL lately, but i like opto. they use a flowchart design for programming. it's nice because you can flowchart out the logic first, then go back to each block and add the real commands or conditionals you want to use. it also makes it much easier to understand someone else's programming.

the i/o configuration is fairly simple, and you never refer to i/o points by their location only the name that you mapped them to. it's nice if you ever have to move i/o around.

the hardware isn't the most reliable. so if you get into it, always keep some extra I/O laying around.

the last i checked the software suite (Factory Floor 4.0) was about $400 and comes with everything from an interface designer (think rsview32) to the programming software as well as diagnostic utilities, and the other stuff that i haven't used.

string handling and com/ethernet communication are a breaze. our systems that use it are fairly complex because they talk directly to a unix application that in turn interfaces with the customer database.

if you're a fan of C programming, then you can also use optoscript blocks. sometimes i wish that i could just do away with the flowchart side and just program it all with script. but i've been programming pc's since i was a kid.

some weakness:

big one is stepping mode. it steps through the blocks and shows you what path it's taking, but it's slow and cumbersome and i'm not sure if you can step through the seperate instructions in each block. makes bughunting a bit tedious. also, no live edits, and if the source file gets the smallest little change made to it (even the timestamp), then you have to re-download the "strategy" to be able to connect to the controller again.

and if you're a big RLL fan, then throw out all your RLL knowledge when learning and using Opto.

One of these days, I'd like to revisit Omron PLCs. I learned on them, and used to use them exclusively, but haven't used them in probably 10 years now.

Sergei, the ML1500 1764-LRP processor has a second serial port, which would solve #8.

I'll let 'Prince Mike' make the sales pitch recommending a different brand that may better suit your wishes..

beerchug

-Eric

I'd like to learn siemens... Hell, if i had time i'd like to try them all. The next one i'll probably mess with will be AD.

Siemens S7 200
1. A single-unit PLC, expandable to at least 128 I/Os....128 in/128 out
2. Typical scan time <1ms/KStep......22microsec/instruction
3. High-speed inputs for at least 2 quadrature encoders on the main unit....up to 6
4. At least 2 high-speed outputs on the main unit....2 pulse @ 20khz
5. Expandable by both high-speed inputs and outputs...not sure but definitely a variety of option modules
6. Online editing....yes
7. Screw terminals, not multipin connectors....screw
8. Second communication port option....network options allow multidrop configuration
9. Networking capabilities (by expansion modules, if necessary)....yes
10.Ethernet capable, at least for programming....yes
11.Analog I/O options.....yes
What it cant do the S7-300 or 400 can.
http://www4.ad.siemens.de/dnl/DY1NjExNQAA_1109582_HB/S7-200_e.pdf

Omron I believe can offer those features but I have not gotten to play with them so not sure which model(s). This unit may give you an idea whether it can or cant do what you want: http://oeiwcsnts1.omron.com/pdfcatal.nsf/PDFLookupByUniqueID/A4501D42F904319586256AD3004B08E0/$File/D11DS03DIVP10801.pdf?OpenElement

Those are just 2 off top of my head except for AB but there you have to go with SLC 5/03 or higher or the CompactLogix line http://www.ab.com/logix/compactlogix/

Amazing what you find answering these posts, AB is offering a 90 day demo version of RSLogix5000 for download. http://www.ab.com/logix/rslogix5000/