SLC 5/05 wireless router

Hello everyone, I'm new at this, so please be understanding. I am an Electrical Engineering student from Kettering University (formerly GMI). My boss wants me to connect to SLC 5/05's through wireless routers. We have a wireless network in the plant, but corporate IT will not help me out unless we upgrade everything, aka, spend $200,000. So I was thinking about hooking a wireless router to the SLC and possibly using it as an access point, and then connecting to the router though a wireless card on the laptop, but I may be completely wrong. If someone could give me an easy and cheap way to do this, I would appreciate it!

Ben

Could you provide more detail of how it is setup now?
Are the SLC 5/05s connected together via Ethernet now?

Are they connected to the company LAN?

What are you expected to upgrade?

AB's Ethernet section has an extensive information and FAQ:
http://www.ab.com/networks/enetfaq.html

more info is definatly needed....

What do you wish to do with the SLCs once they are on this wireless network?
I've read that data accusation is difficult and slow/sluggish with wireless.

I've often dreamed that I could just have all of my Micrologix controllers on a wireless network so I could make program changes / eliminate call-ins and such. IE tell the maintenance guy whats wrong from the comfort of my own home

You can setup a simple wireless network with a Digi-One IAP, a dongle and a wireless card...
Just connect a AP or a router to a central location where you will have good signal for all of your devices.

Then again, someone will probably chime in with a better solution than me...just some food for thought.

Kettering University? Cool beans...are you currently working in Michigan?

I don't see that my wireless connection is slower than hardwired. I have many 5/04 and 5/05 in my plant and all of them are hooked up on an ethernet system that I can access both wirelessly and from the comfort of my home. As a matter of fact, my DH+ is much much much slower than my wireless 5/05. I take my 5/05s to a hardwired ethernet through switches (not cheap hubs). I have 3 wireless access points in my plant that gives me 99% coverage. I also take my 5/04 via DH+ to a contrologix gateway and to ethernet from there.I can go online wireless to any of my 5/04s or 5/05s anywhere in the plant. Also by just accessing the ethernet network, I can go online from anywhere. I've never hooked a 5/05 to a wireless access point though.

Kettering University...this is a rare one. I remember my days there

Hey another Kettering student. What year are you? A or B section? I'm a SR II B section. Only 1 more day left till I'm done for this term.

I can't really help you much with your problem unfortunately, at my plant us EE's aren't allowed to do much of anything with the network, IS guys like to own all of that.

I am also unclear on whether you want to connect these SLCs to an existing plantwide Wi-Fi system, or if you want to connect only to these SLCs with your laptop computer, wirelessly.

If you intend to connect the SLCs to the existing system, they will need an adapter, not an Access Point (AP). Most PC's use PCMCIA or USB or PCI type adapters to access WiFi networks, but your SLC only has a hardwired Ethernet port.

I'd recommend using a Wireless/Ethernet Bridge device. I have used "Game Adapters" like the Linksys WET11 to hook up controllers to WiFi networks.

If you are trying to create a little wireless intranet only for your laptop, then you can use the more common Access Point / Switch / Router combination devices that are sold for home networking. The SLC will hook into one of the switch ports, and your laptop will join that small network via its wireless adapter.

The idea is vey simple.
Get access point, wireless card (PCIMCA) and cross pach cord.
Conect the cross cord to your PLC and the access point set the right IP and it work.
You can also use it thru hub but then you need regular pach cord.
If you want something more solid bridge would be better.

bengineer
What I think you are looking for is a device that allows you to connect a SLC505's Ethernet port to another device which makes the connection wireless so you can access the SLC from a remote location with your laptop. Is this close?

Siemens has what you are looking for if this is the case. You would need a SCALANCE W "Client" Module, which allows a single Ethernet connection to things like PLCs, then it communicates wireless to SCALANCE W Access Points, or any 802.11a/b/g access point. Our wireless solution is industrial and IP65, so it can be mounted external to a cabinet.

You can find more information about SCALANCE W at this link, third one down.
http://www.theautomationteam.com/tat/net.htm

Good luck in your search!

Thanks for the help!

Thank you all for the help, and most of you are right. I just want to setup a small network that I can access from my laptop wirelessly. Data collection would be nice, maybe in the future, but for now, I just want to be able to download/upload and go online.
I cannot connect to the company's network, IT will not work with me. On most lines, the SLC 5/05 is connected to Panelviews via a switch(SPIDER 5TX), and connected to other I/O modules via Devicenet.
I am A section, SR III, this is my last work term and I have one more school term, done in September!!!!! I am currently in Michigan, Jackson area. Looking for a job in Lansing or Petosky to start in October, any help with that would be appreciated!

Ben