Wireless programming connection PC/PLC

Wanting to use a wireless setup for programming between pc and mitsubishi serial connections. Want to get away with cables. Any advice.

Try looking at lantronix or pheonix. There are many wireless to serial converters out there.

Ryan hi, we are trying to do the same thing.
Havn't had much success with the Phoenix converters.(we don't want to make any changes on the PLC)
We are trying to replace 2 types of communications ,with the PC (rs232) and with a Datalogic optic wireless link (RS 485).
If I have any luck I will post.

Steve

I am using Bluetooth with Omron CJ/CS/CP processors. Using a Widcomm Bluetooth dongle in the computer and up to 6 Promi Bluetooth serial ports plugged in to the serial port in the PLCs. The serial port has to be set to 8, 1, none and a speed that suits the processor and programming software. I use 115 kbaud with the Omrons. If the software and PLC do not support 8, 1, none the Promi would be no good to you. Also, you require a 5 volt DC supply on a pin of the PLC serial port, cannot remember the pin number. You would also need to check out the pinout of the Promi to see if it is pin compatible with the PLC serial port. Search online for details of the device, I cannot find my electronic manual at the momenty so cannot post it here.

Recently, I was commissioning a job with 4 standalone PLCs and 2 others that were networked. Sat about 40 metres away drinking coffee andd having a smoke while monmitoring and changing programs in the 6 PLCs online at the same time. No one had a clue what I was up to. MARVELLOUS!!!!!
It is possible to connect to up to 7 Promis at a time. Comm 5 is used by the Bluetooth dongle in the computer and the next 7 comm numbers are used by the Promi devices. Have not had the need to try 2 Bluetooth dongles and up to 14 Promis yet but look forward to the day when I can be monitoring 14 PLCs online by this method. Will no doubt need a new laptop though with heaps of RAM and grunt. The present one will not do it that is for sure.

Hope this helps.

Thanks all for the replies..

How well do the units seem to work through the cabinet doors or do you leave the doors open?

We are debating using a wireless router(http://www.blackbox.com/Catalog/Category.aspx?cid=1246,1847,1848) or a bluetooth connection (http://www.aircable.net/products.html).

Just weighting our options right now.

Hi Ryan A,

Where I used to work we used a Radiolinx converter to transmit scale data wirelessly to a receiver hooked up to a plc. I don't remember exactly which unit we had but it transmitted through a block wall to the receiver in the control room. I know Radiolinx makes all kinds of units for different configurations and probably has what you would need.
Here's the link to their home page:

http://prosoft-technology.com/

Network

I go through my business network wireless system to get to my plant floor network. I use a controllogix bridge for this. It may be a bit more than you want to spend, but I had one in an existing machine so all I had to do was to add another ENBT moduel. What I had was a ENBT with an IP address which was on the business network subnet (setup with both wireless and cable). This was used for contract PLC troubleshooting for a press with a PLC5 (DH+) prior to me. I installed another ENBT and set it up with the same IP subnet as my plant floor network (192.168.???.???). Now I can navigate from my laptop on the business network into the 1st ENBT-> throught the controllogix backplane-> and out the 2nd ENBT to my plant floor PLC network.

my 2 cents
Ken