RSLOGIX-500 Simulator advice

Hi guys.

I downloaded the 15 day free trial of the RSLOGIX-500 over the weekend and so far, i am pretty impressed. However, i do have a couple of questions to ask anyone who has this tool.

What i need to know is, if you buy the package, do you get a solution to each of the exercises? I have managed the Garage Door and Silo tasks easy enough, but some of the later exercises will be new to me, a finished example would possibly help me to understand it.

How close does the RSLOGIX-500 mimic the real Software, would a prospective employer accept it has real training in your opinion?

Also, wheres the best place to purchase it? I noticed the price is always in Dollars.

I have no experience of the Allen Bradley platform and would really like to learn a bit about it.

Many thanks.

Steve.

Steve,

I assume you are talking about LogixPro from The Learning Pit. (RSLogix500 is the real programming software from Allen-Bradley.) I have used LogixPro as well as RSLogix, and I can say that it is a decent tool for learning Allen-Bradley PLCs. However, keep in mind that there are limitations. For example, LogixPro only provides a small subset of the instructions available on SLC/Micrologix processors. Also, I have found that in some cases it allows you to do things that would not be allowed in the real software. (One example that comes to mind is putting a value larger than 32767 into the preset value of a timer or counter.) Things like that could trip you up when making the transition from LogixPro to a real-world system.

Another option to consider would be to purchase a PLC and get true "hands-on" learning. The low-end Micrologix 1000 from Allen-Bradley can be had for under $100, supports a good portion of the SLC instruction set, and the RSLogix software is a free download from their website (for the 10-point ML1000 only). Throw in a programming cable and you're good to go. If you're willing to deviate from Allen-Bradley, check out Automation Direct as they have very competitive pricing on their PLCs.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your reply Kolyur.

That explains the mix up with me quoting RSLOGIX-500 instead of LOGIXPRO.

Sorry about that Terry if your still looking in.

Just to explain a little. I am a Maintenance Technician and work with Siemens S5 and S7 on a regular basis, but only scratch the surface of the PLCs capability, if you know what i mean.

I am quite compitent at writing code for Pick & Place applications but would like to take my knowledge a lot further.

finding time to practice at work is nigh on impossible and this is why i was looking at the LOGIXPRO Simulator so i could work at home.

Has i explained earlier, i have never used Allen Bradley and this seemed like a good way of trying a different platform.

If anyone knows of a better Simulator that won't break the Bank please let me know.

Steve.

Hi

I've used the LogixPro simulator to get me started and could'nt find anything better for the price. I think it's a great tool and will take care of a lot of the learning curve. But sooner or later you'll have to deal with the analog side and I agree with the above comments on getting started for minimum $$$

Thanks for the advice guys.

Steve.

you can get the Micrologix 1000 1761-L10 BWA & download free software from AB site it will much cheaper

Before that read this carefully

http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?showtopic=9757