In about four months I will be getting my wing worked on and I will be off of work for possibly 3 months. What I was thinking was I could use this time to try to acquire some new plc skills. I am very week in the area of analog, servo programming controls, etc. Does anybody have any idea on a way I could (inexpensively), set up some kind of training set up. I have an slc I can work with. I don't know what cards I need or what. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Bad Wing Sorta Ot
- Thread starter BOWRIDER
- Start date
bulletin blues
Lifetime Supporting Member
Not sure what type of slc you've got, but recently I aquired a 1746-NIO4V, which has both both analog in and out, this might save you a buck or two.
Also, a 1746-HSCE module will get you familiar with encoders... and Allen Bradley's sometimes confusing documentation.
Look on E-bay and don't jump into anything. You can usually get some deals.
I typically "buy now." My patience is weak.
Each module cost about 120 dollars.
Best Wishes.
Also, a 1746-HSCE module will get you familiar with encoders... and Allen Bradley's sometimes confusing documentation.
Look on E-bay and don't jump into anything. You can usually get some deals.
I typically "buy now." My patience is weak.
Each module cost about 120 dollars.
Best Wishes.
Bowrider,
For an Allen-Bradley SLC training set-up at home, with only 240/120 volts available, I think you would need a 1746-IA16 16-Digital Input module, a 1746-OW8 Relay Output module, and a 1746-NIO4I 2-channel In/2-Channel Current Out Analog module. These 3 will allow you do a wide variety of programs, except those involving thermocouples, communications, and other speciality modules.
For an Allen-Bradley SLC training set-up at home, with only 240/120 volts available, I think you would need a 1746-IA16 16-Digital Input module, a 1746-OW8 Relay Output module, and a 1746-NIO4I 2-channel In/2-Channel Current Out Analog module. These 3 will allow you do a wide variety of programs, except those involving thermocouples, communications, and other speciality modules.
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Ron Beaufort
Lifetime Supporting Member
post a COMPLETE list of all of the toys you have on hand ... give catalog numbers and series numbers - EVERYTHING! ... and your software version numbers too ...
we can make better recommendations once we know what you have to start off with ...
care to mention your budget? ...
we can make better recommendations once we know what you have to start off with ...
care to mention your budget? ...
O.K., Here is what I have.
1- 7 slot Chassis
1-1746-p1 ser. A power supply
1- 5/04 1747-L541 processor
1- dc source 1746-IV16 input card
1- dc sink 1746-OV16 output card
1- relay 1746-OW16 output card
My budget is going to be real tight. It depends on how much I can talk my better half out of our family budget.. Maybe 2-5 hundred tops. Actually, this is what perplexes me. I see the equipment we have at work and know this stuff aint cheap.
software is rs logix 6.o
1- 7 slot Chassis
1-1746-p1 ser. A power supply
1- 5/04 1747-L541 processor
1- dc source 1746-IV16 input card
1- dc sink 1746-OV16 output card
1- relay 1746-OW16 output card
My budget is going to be real tight. It depends on how much I can talk my better half out of our family budget.. Maybe 2-5 hundred tops. Actually, this is what perplexes me. I see the equipment we have at work and know this stuff aint cheap.
software is rs logix 6.o
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rsdoran
Lifetime Supporting Member
Old printers and hard drives use servo motors, there are numerous ways to use these for other applications and learning.
http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~ih/doc/stepper/control2/connect.html
Also check out robot pages like this: http://www.robotics.com/robots.html
http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~ih/doc/stepper/control2/connect.html
Also check out robot pages like this: http://www.robotics.com/robots.html
bulletin blues
Lifetime Supporting Member
Sorry Bowrider, my communications skills are also weak.
I didn't buy the module to sell, I bought it to learn.
I was just giving the recommendation that a card with both inputs and outputs could be beneficial.
Good question about the computer parts. I'm learning too!!!
Thanx
I didn't buy the module to sell, I bought it to learn.
I was just giving the recommendation that a card with both inputs and outputs could be beneficial.
Good question about the computer parts. I'm learning too!!!
Thanx
Ron Beaufort
Lifetime Supporting Member
Greetings BOWRIDER,
yep ... "Allen-Bradley" and "cheap" don't go together ... but ...
any chance there’s a “scrap pile” at work? ... often when one channel is “blown” on a module, the rest are still ok ... many shops throw their old modules in a “scrap pile” instead of in the dump ... you might be able to borrow something which is trash to the plant - but extremely useful for training purposes ...
based on your list, you’ve already got enough stuff to do quite a bit of discrete/digital programming exercises ... but you want to go further don’t you? ... here’s a link to an e-bay search I just did for “1746-NIO*” ... note: leave off the quotes but keep the star for a wildcard ... and note that the round character is the letter "O" for "output" - and not the number "zero" ... this brought up three sales of the same type analog “combination” module (with inputs and outputs on the same card) that was mentioned earlier in this thread ...
another thought: any chance that there’s a technical college or anything like that nearby? ... sometimes they have PLC training equipment available - but little or no instructor experience on how to actually use it ... volunteer some time to plug things together and whip up some “student ready” course material ... (that’s basically the way I got into this trade in the first place - so I know that the approach can work - if the resources are available - and the moon is full, etc.) ...
along the same lines ... any chance that another PLC user in your area might have a “scrap pile” available? ... knock on a few doors and plead your case ... maybe you’ll get lucky ... and you never know when having a foot in another PLC user’s door might just come in handy down the road ... I’d think about mentioning the plan to your own boss first ... you wouldn’t want him to think that you’re shopping around for a new job ... “just trying to learn, bossman, just trying to learn” ...
back to your own boss ... how many fellow employees are in your same “I want to know more about PLCs” situation? ... maybe a spare setup from the stockroom could become the backbone of a self-help training room ... put together a lesson plan which reflects the same types of PLC troubleshooting skills that your plant requires ... make a list of hardware and software needed ... have your buddies petition for the idea ... become the “I did it and so can you” cheerleader of the project ... part-time PLC instructor? ... stranger things have happened ... try to nail down a cost/benefit analysis ... look at reduced downtime and minimizing the cost and delay of relying on outside contractor work ... maybe the boss will foot the bill for the whole thing ... especially if you can work on it at home while you’d be unproductive otherwise ...
naturally I’ve made some wild assumptions here ... I don’t know your precise situation or your relationship with your boss ... but these are just some “brainstorm” ideas off the top of my head that you could knock around ...
I’ll tell you this much for sure: people who have worked hard to get ahead are usually eager to help other like-minded individuals do the same ... the operative word here is “work” and more specifically “hard work” ...
smart money says that your biggest challenge is to find that magic someone who’ll appreciate your initiative - and who has the resources to help you succeed ... find that person and the rest of the puzzle will fall into place ... been there - done that ...
good luck ... keep us posted ...
yep ... "Allen-Bradley" and "cheap" don't go together ... but ...
any chance there’s a “scrap pile” at work? ... often when one channel is “blown” on a module, the rest are still ok ... many shops throw their old modules in a “scrap pile” instead of in the dump ... you might be able to borrow something which is trash to the plant - but extremely useful for training purposes ...
based on your list, you’ve already got enough stuff to do quite a bit of discrete/digital programming exercises ... but you want to go further don’t you? ... here’s a link to an e-bay search I just did for “1746-NIO*” ... note: leave off the quotes but keep the star for a wildcard ... and note that the round character is the letter "O" for "output" - and not the number "zero" ... this brought up three sales of the same type analog “combination” module (with inputs and outputs on the same card) that was mentioned earlier in this thread ...
another thought: any chance that there’s a technical college or anything like that nearby? ... sometimes they have PLC training equipment available - but little or no instructor experience on how to actually use it ... volunteer some time to plug things together and whip up some “student ready” course material ... (that’s basically the way I got into this trade in the first place - so I know that the approach can work - if the resources are available - and the moon is full, etc.) ...
along the same lines ... any chance that another PLC user in your area might have a “scrap pile” available? ... knock on a few doors and plead your case ... maybe you’ll get lucky ... and you never know when having a foot in another PLC user’s door might just come in handy down the road ... I’d think about mentioning the plan to your own boss first ... you wouldn’t want him to think that you’re shopping around for a new job ... “just trying to learn, bossman, just trying to learn” ...
back to your own boss ... how many fellow employees are in your same “I want to know more about PLCs” situation? ... maybe a spare setup from the stockroom could become the backbone of a self-help training room ... put together a lesson plan which reflects the same types of PLC troubleshooting skills that your plant requires ... make a list of hardware and software needed ... have your buddies petition for the idea ... become the “I did it and so can you” cheerleader of the project ... part-time PLC instructor? ... stranger things have happened ... try to nail down a cost/benefit analysis ... look at reduced downtime and minimizing the cost and delay of relying on outside contractor work ... maybe the boss will foot the bill for the whole thing ... especially if you can work on it at home while you’d be unproductive otherwise ...
naturally I’ve made some wild assumptions here ... I don’t know your precise situation or your relationship with your boss ... but these are just some “brainstorm” ideas off the top of my head that you could knock around ...
I’ll tell you this much for sure: people who have worked hard to get ahead are usually eager to help other like-minded individuals do the same ... the operative word here is “work” and more specifically “hard work” ...
smart money says that your biggest challenge is to find that magic someone who’ll appreciate your initiative - and who has the resources to help you succeed ... find that person and the rest of the puzzle will fall into place ... been there - done that ...
good luck ... keep us posted ...
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Thanks for all of your suggestions. I will most definatly keep you posted. I have been browsing through rsdorans' links. I am wonder how I will control a pc hd motor with a plc. Give me time, I am going to do some searching on the net.....
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