PanelView Plus touchscreen reliability

Has anyone else here had a reliability problem with the touchscreen used in the PanelView Plus? I've installed a bunch of these units and have had more than a few touchscreens stop working. This isn't always environment-related, as some of these were in clean control rooms.

The problem is bad enough that - warranty or not - I'm considering switching to a different brand.

You should seriously consider RedLion HMI's. They can do all of what you can do with the PanelViews with many more features for half the price.

Joe_WaZoo

Can the Redlion's unit do AB's Ethernet/IP?

Redlion G-3 is Ethernet IP enable. I am not sure about reliability.

I never had problems with PV+. But I think your PV+ may be installed in hot environment. I always use about 30% intensity as screen-savor to keep them from getting too hot.

cookie said:

Has anyone else here had a reliability problem with the touchscreen used in the PanelView Plus? I've installed a bunch of these units and have had more than a few touchscreens stop working. This isn't always environment-related, as some of these were in clean control rooms.

The problem is bad enough that - warranty or not - I'm considering switching to a different brand.

Click to expand...

Rockwell got their act together with the PV+ starting from Rev 3.4. I know of other companies that gave up on the PV+ prior to that release.

Operators can play a big part on touchscreen reliabilty. We are in the middle of a job using Siemens stuff, and already one of the TP277 touchscreens we have installed is pock marked by a ball point pen.

I still prefer the PV+ and Contrologix combo over another HMI and PLC

Ian

harryting said:

Can the Redlion's unit do AB's Ethernet/IP?

Click to expand...

Red Lion gave us one of the first G3 Ab ethernet I/P HMIs. I did not like it, the communication set up was to 'blocky', much like programming a PV using RIO.

Over two years later, the G3 is still sitting in a box on a shelf in our shop.

Ian

I have one AB PV+1000 that seems to "lock-up" (all of the animation stops)(no-error messages) and cannot be fixed unless restarted. I am connected Serially with a SLC5/04, that functions OK.
Others seem to be OK, but I don't work with them everyday.

We have had several PV+ failures due to their fragility under adverse power conditions. In one factory we upgraded PVs to PV+ units only for two to fail in short order under identical conditions. We install all our PV+ units with surge-protected power supplies now and haven't had any fail since.

curlyandshemp said:

Red Lion gave us one of the first G3 Ab ethernet I/P HMIs. I did not like it, the communication set up was to 'blocky', much like programming a PV using RIO.

Over two years later, the G3 is still sitting in a box on a shelf in our shop.

Ian

Click to expand...

I am sorry to hear that you have not had any other use for the G3. We have made several moves forward with our EIP drivers. We have added the PCCC/EIP driver which treats the CLX as a PLC5. We are also in the testing phase with direct tag addressing, which will be even better once AB adds the expanded export feature that Money4Nothing mentioned in my other thread.

Regards,

DanYost said:

I am sorry to hear that you have not had any other use for the G3. We have made several moves forward with our EIP drivers. We have added the PCCC/EIP driver which treats the CLX as a PLC5. We are also in the testing phase with direct tag addressing, which will be even better once AB adds the expanded export feature that Money4Nothing mentioned in my other thread.

Regards,

Click to expand...

Dan,

Once the G3 can access Clgx tags direct over Ethernet, then I would be willing to give the G3 another try.

Ian

shahn4 said:

...I never had problems with PV+. But I think your PV+ may be installed in hot environment. I always use about 30% intensity as screen-savor to keep them from getting too hot.

Click to expand...

Many of the units that failed are in control rooms that run about 70ºF. A-B replaces the units under warranty, but new bezels run about 800 bucks otherwise.

None of the units appear to have been abused. There haven't been any pen marks, dimples, or liquid spills. I'm of the opinion that the screens just aren't up to snuff.

I like many of the features of the PV+ (especially when compared to the older PV), but I don't like selling/installing products that continually fail.

shahn4 said:

Redlion G-3 is Ethernet IP enable. I am not sure about reliability.

Click to expand...

We have used the Ethernet/IP capability on the G3's to communicate with a MicroLogix 1100 and a ML1200 through a NET-ENI. No problems whatsoever with those setups, although I can't comment on CLX.

I have switched to G3's where i can and am very happy with them.

They are well priced, have some good fuctions, plenty of drivers.

The software is FREE and the firmware updates for the G3 are incorporated into the Crimson software so if the C2 software has been updated then next time you download to a panel with old firmware the panels firmware automatically gets updated.

Its quite easy really.

The support on email is some of the best support i have ever encountered on automation equipment.

Another good point is the multiple comms ports, you can talk to an SLC on DH485 and send data to the SLC from an SSD Drive on the RS232 port or a Micrologix hung on the Ethernet port via the G3.

G3 Panels go to a Max of 10" (G310) and some of my customers like to use 15" screens.

My only other issue is the Crimson software is at first a little cumbersome, but like everything you get used to it!

If your using a MicroLogix or SLC without an Ethernet connection, the feature of Pass-Through comms on the RedLion HMI products has proven to be a great "bonus" for those guys who want to connect to those PLC's from anywhere in the plant.

Here is more on that subject.

http://www.sghh-tech.net/~joe_wazoo/Bus_Applications/RedLion/RedLion_Pass_Through_COMMS.pdf

Joe_WaZoo