RS-232 Port on SLC 5/03's / 5/04's

Hello,

I have a situation where I'm using an AB SLC 5/03, and I'm using the DH-485 port for a network of panelviews, and I typically use the RS-232 port for a link to an AIC+, and then out to a different DH-485 network, which eventually leads to a data-collection computer.

Well, I also have an engraving machine, that only spits ASCII data out of it's serial port. So, my question to all of you is,

Does AB make a card that will allow me to have another RS-232 port?

Or if I use the original RS-232 port for my engraver, is there a card that will allow me to link the SLC to my other DH-485 network?

I've searched on AB's website all over, but couldn't find anything..

Thanks,
-Dave

Use port multiplexor

Use MuxiPort to split the RS-232 port on the SLC 5/04. It will give you the ASCII as well as DF1 capability you are looking for.
www.tomantron.com

Re: Use port multiplexor

Jiri Toman said:

Use MuxiPort to split the RS-232 port on the SLC 5/04. It will give you the ASCII as well as DF1 capability you are looking for.
www.tomantron.com

Click to expand...

It looks like this device only lets you use DF1 and ASCII, .. but I need DH-485, right? .. or does the SLC use DF1 between itself and the AIC+ ..?

extra RS232 ports for SLC

Does AB make a card that will allow me to have another RS-232 port?

Click to expand...

their partners at prosoft might have something you'd be interested in:

http://www.prosoft-technology.com/prodinfo.cfm?pid=83

I think the simplest thing would be to use an A-B 1747-BAS or Prosoft MVI46-GSC module to interface to your ASCII engraver device. That will leave your existing two DH-485 networks in place and put the burden and complexity entirely in ladder logic and a specialty card.

The MuxiPort would be ideal if your second port was strictly DF1, not DH-485. To use it in this application you'd also need a 1747-KE module to convert from DF1 to DH-485, which will increase your cost, size, and complexity.

If you were using DeviceNet, I'd have a handful of suggestions for you, but we'll leave that topic for another day.

The 1747-ke DH485/RS232C interface module has a config, DF1, and a DH485 port on it (2 9pin ports-config & DF1).

1747-KE

Everything I'm finding online talks about using this card with a modem.. Has anyone else out there got any experience with it?

Can this card be plugged into an AIC+ to give me an additional DH-485 communications port?

The 1747-KE converts between DF1 protocol and DH-485 protocol (that's why it has one port for each, plus one for menu-driven configuration).

DH-485 protocol uses some strict timing rules and therefore can't be run over a modem connection. That's why most uses of the 1747-KE are for systems that include modems; the DF1 protocol runs fine over asynchronous media like modem connections.

It was originally used for SLC-5/01 and 5/02 systems that had no DF1 serial port, and retains popularity for SLC-5/03,4,5 systems that are using their Channel 0 serial port for something else.

It's possible for you to hook up a MuxiPort to split your Channel 0 DF1 port into ASCII and DF1 ports, then connect the DF1 side to the 1747-KE, which then connects to your existing DH-485. That's a little more complicated than I like to make things.

Probably the Prosoft MVI46-GSC is the simplest solution to your "I need an ASCII port" problem.

Thanks

Thanks for all who responded. I think I'll see about getting myself a ProSoft card.

Prosoft also makes an external 3 port expander device that connects to the DF1 RS232 port. The model number is 4102 or something close to that. See this LINK. It's about $500.00 less, however, I had a very hard time working with it. Looking back I know that the lower initial cost was lost in programming time.There are some other advantages to using the MVI46-GSC that Ken could probably point out.
There is also a 1746-BAS Basic module to add a port. I don't know anything about it, I have seen one, that's all.

Sid