Control logix Job posting of sorts..

I have a client who has 3 machines that i retrofitted. 1 has a control logix PLC and the other two have compact logix PLC's.. they are now looking to grab some info from them..

All three PLC's are on seperate networks now..(all over ethernet) so they would have to be linked..from there they would go to a seperate computer. the client wants about 7 or 8 points of info pulled from seach machine..(all points would be input from the operator at various times of the day..such as weight, size, machine # etc..

these point would be grabbed and imported into say an excell spread sheet and printed from there, either automatically or manual.

This is beyond my scope and i know when i am out of my leauge..is someone interseted in working with me for this project?

One thing i will make clear is this will be a learning experiance for me..so i will pick the hell out of your brain and expect full disclosure and co-operation, any code that results from this project would be yours and mine..meaning i could use it in the future with no credit to you and you could use it in the future with no credit to me....

Please PM me ONLY if you have experiance in this kind of work..i have to put some numbers together for the client in the next week or so and the project would go around the November time of year..

Thanks

If you need clarification respond here, i will be as specific as i can be while protecting my client.

D

darrenj said:

All three PLC's are on seperate networks now..(all over ethernet) so they would have to be linked..from there they would go to a seperate computer. the client wants about 7 or 8 points of info pulled from seach machine..(all points would be input from the operator at various times of the day..such as weight, size, machine # etc..

Click to expand...

Hi Darren,

Are they on the Ethernet now?

This would be a piece of cake for you...and plctalk.net, maybe we can get Terry Woods back then S&M can help

You should be able to do this with a HMI such as Wonderware or RSView or etc, I would help but I'm to far away, but I can help from here, I have done a few WW and RSview apps

Let me know If I can help (for free and you can keep the program)

That is a clear and precise request and offer, I like that, Sry, can not help.

darrenj said:

I
This is beyond my scope and i know when i am out of my leauge..is someone interseted in working with me for this project?
D

Click to expand...

Are you sure you are out of your league? Six months ago I would have said the same thing. Most of my 10 years experience in industry is with electrical power systems, plc's, drives, light bulbs etc.....

In my current job I have had to work with and learn systems that are doing exactly as you have just described. Not being a computer programmer it was daunting at first but the more I do this type of thing the more it all makes sense.

We use Intouch Wonderware and the more I work with it the more I really like it. It might be overkill for what you are doing $$$ but it is really slick at capturing data and transfering it to a database. Some VB programming in excel pulling numbers out of the database and you are there.

Like I said it wasn't that long ago I would be scared to tackle something like this, now I would drool to have the opportunity to do a project like this!

There are others here that I'm sure will help you out and take up your offer but I encourage you to have a go at this yourself. I've discovered that it is not rocket science, you just need to take some time to figure out how to do it.

I can PM you a copy of the spreadsheets we are doing to grab data but I'm afraid the wonderware stuff is off limits. Let me know if you are interested.

I am working my way up to a company internet page that will let anyone query production data as they like. If I were to do one of these systems from scratch that is what I would aim for.

rsdoran said:

That is a clear and precise request and offer, I like that, Sry, can not help.

Click to expand...

I maybe could, but there are others here that would be more efficient....

geniusintraining said:

Hi Darren,

Are they on the Ethernet now?

This would be a piece of cake for you...and plctalk.net, maybe we can get Terry Woods back then S&M can help

You should be able to do this with a HMI such as Wonderware or RSView or etc, I would help but I'm to far away, but I can help from here, I have done a few WW and RSview apps

Let me know If I can help (for free and you can keep the program)

Click to expand...

They are on ethernet now but 3 seperate networks..all with cheap broadband routers, if i limked them i would have to go with managed routers..as for S&M..i dont thin i could afford the bar bill

each machine does have a PV+1000 connected to it. i and the client have RSViewME. they (Not i) do not want to go above that for now..

allscott said:

Are you sure you are out of your league? Six months ago I would have said the same thing. Most of my 10 years experience in industry is with electrical power systems, plc's, drives, light bulbs etc.....

In my current job I have had to work with and learn systems that are doing exactly as you have just described. Not being a computer programmer it was daunting at first but the more I do this type of thing the more it all makes sense.

We use Intouch Wonderware and the more I work with it the more I really like it. It might be overkill for what you are doing $$$ but it is really slick at capturing data and transfering it to a database. Some VB programming in excel pulling numbers out of the database and you are there.

Like I said it wasn't that long ago I would be scared to tackle something like this, now I would drool to have the opportunity to do a project like this!

There are others here that I'm sure will help you out and take up your offer but I encourage you to have a go at this yourself. I've discovered that it is not rocket science, you just need to take some time to figure out how to do it.

I can PM you a copy of the spreadsheets we are doing to grab data but I'm afraid the wonderware stuff is off limits. Let me know if you are interested.

I am working my way up to a company internet page that will let anyone query production data as they like. If I were to do one of these systems from scratch that is what I would aim for.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote of confidence..i am like you...i dont turn dont much if anything..

The PLC portion i have no problems with its the OPC client and importing into excell that i have issues with..could i do it on my own..yep i am pretty sure i could if i had all the time in the world, however the client want a number and wants it now...so i have to go with someone who has done this before and knows how long it would take..

GIT..for this project location means nothing..i send you what you need and you return..by the end of the project i should be able to sort out minor changes and such..(At least if i paid attention to the lessons that come with this project..)

as an afterthought...if someone is intested in taking me up on this offer we post all code and solutions on this forum?..it would be a good learning tool for others..the only thing i could not post pulicly would be the program and specifics, i could subsitiute names to protect the innocent!!

The final program we come up with could be posted with generic names for tags so people get the idea...

any takers...

Ron..i was hoping you would jump in!!

I do it all the time...

Since you're talking about Rockwell hardware and Ethernet/IP you can just grab RSLinx, RSSql, any database and maybe Excel for a remote data view-filter-print tool and it's a slam dunk! May not be bottom-feeder price structure but the customer should see the power of RSSql and utilize it for other purposes like stored procedure recipe managemet and downloads or anything else he or his production, maintenance or IT departments can think of. You'll look awesome! It's easy enough to setup that I could talk you through installation and configuration over the phone and a few e-mails. Finding the time for me to help you may be a lot tougher than the task...

I know Canada is big just like the US but Pierre may be the one to talk too.

Hey Pierre, willing to help out a fellow Canadian?

Seriously though, may want to PM him and see what he says or if knows someone in your area.

Price out a PC, call Wonderware and AB and tell them exactly what you want to do (Intouch or RSView). You might want to talk to these guys as well. I haven't used their product but they seem competent and eager.

http://inductiveautomation.com/

Get a price from these guys and factor in about 100 hours of your time.

You said in your OP that you wanted to learn, what better way to learn than doing it yourself.

edit:
holy cr$# you guys are fast, if this was 5000 points of data I would say hire an expert but with the help here it should be no problem.

I'd personally recommend a Red Lion Data Station Plus http://www.redlion.net/Products/HumanMachineInterface/DataStationPlus/DataStationPlus.html

They are quite simple to setup and only cost ~ $500 for the unit. The data is stored to a Compact Flash card in .csv format and can be accessed thru the ethernet port on it.

Just my 2 cents

hd_coop said:

I'd personally recommend a Red Lion Data Station Plus http://www.redlion.net/Products/HumanMachineInterface/DataStationPlus/DataStationPlus.html

They are quite simple to setup and only cost ~ $500 for the unit. The data is stored to a Compact Flash card in .csv format and can be accessed thru the ethernet port on it.

Just my 2 cents

Click to expand...

Darren,
I'll help but you also may want to look at hd_coop's idea.... the support from Mike, Dan and the boys from redlion this would be up their alley and they bend over backwards to help

The only reason I suggest going with RSView or WW is because I have them and I have spare license from plant closures in the not so distant past

Either way you go, keep it on plctalk.net we all will help...or hurt

BTW, I just started my own automation LLC (last month), I would want to be there on start-up for my first job...I'm still looking for my first job, thanks for the offer...and hell your a friend I could not charge a friend...

I have done a project similar to this (5 PLCs, RSSQL and SQL DB).
It's pretty easy as long as RSSQL has access to all the CPUs.

The RSSQL side wouldnt take long at all after all the software and license are installed.

I also did all this remotely!

Once the data is in SQL its a simple matter to have Excel query it.

PM me if you need more information.

I have no problem sharing how its all put togther.

Side Note: A bonus of using RSSQL is it can work with Linx Enterprise and no need to mess with Linx Classic/OPC.

I agree that a datastaion plus would do this and redlion are just fantastic (IMO)