Real serial port for new laptop?

has anybody tried one of these? would this be the solution to my new laptop not being able to comm with an allen bradley slc5/04 configured for DH485?

http://www.brainboxes.com/content/newsresources/mainnews/article_4_380.aspx

Hello Myles,

I have heard very good things about them... just not that brand, but that style of port is a very good option for a real serial port.

I still stand behind the product that I sell Keyspan (USB to serial), not sure if you can find one local (on that side of the pond) but they are very very good.

Also I just bought a new laptop (Dell d630) with a real serial port, its a very nice laptop ... so far

Myles,

I have tried a number of serial devices and by far, the best has been the 1747-UIC especially for the purpose that you site. Check out:
http://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/pp/1747-pp017_-en-e.pdf

It has a serial output and a DH485 port. I have used both for a variety of applications and all have worked well from a USP port on an XP Pro laptop.

Best Regards,

Bob A.

I have used a similar device for a PCMA slot but not the express slot.

I also use the Keysapn model Genius is talking about. Keyspan has a 4 port model that is really cool.

One trick to remeber when using the USB style adaptor. Plug things in in the same order or else you com port allocations change.

Hi guys

Thanks for the replies

GIT I have at the moment a USB to Serial converter for my laptop (not the model you mention) it works fine for the DF1 driver but not the PIC driver, does the one you mention work with this driver?

The Allen Bradley one looks good to i will get some quotes for it Vs. the porduct i posted.

cheers have a good weekend

Myles

Myles said:

GIT I have at the moment a USB to Serial converter for my laptop (not the model you mention) it works fine for the DF1 driver but not the PIC driver, does the one you mention work with this driver?

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Hi Myles,

Your 504 needs the PIC? but I think I know what you talking about (now) you have the serial port configured to DH... when I have done this then I used the DH+ to communicate to the PLC, is that an option?

But as far as I know the only USB that will work with DH is the UIC (as Bob has stated) I don't think the Keyspan will work... sorry

The Allen Bradley one looks good to i will get some quotes for it Vs. the porduct i posted.

Click to expand...

Its not cheap...

cheers have a good weekend

Click to expand...

same to you...

Yeah it does need the PIC the DH+ port is connecting the SLC 5/04 to the network and is not so easy to unplug when the system is running,SCADA in control room uses it, the other port which is configured DH485 for a local panelview can be unplugged while it is running for trouble shooting beside the plant. Thanks again for the help!


cheers

myles

I am not sure of the part numbers... but I have something similar to what you are describing BUT what I have is a (lack or better words) 'pig tail' out of the DH+, with this I can plug into it and not interrupt the data hwy... the pig tail is home made (by me) the cable part number is 1784-pcm5/b this is a 9Pin thats hard wired and split

That will work... and you can still have the speed of the data hwy, when you are plug in localy

If it does not make sense let me know and I will take a picture

yeah that does make perfect sense, but wait for it, i dont have a card for communicating on the DH+ either! I do have a KF2 module somewhere but dont really fancy lugging that about! we used to use that for our scada system comms before Controllogix and ethernet i/p cards.

is the DH+ card for the laptop a better solution than the USB PIC or the option i posted first? cost wise what is that like? there is two panels on site where i have the second port of a slc 5/04 used for a panel view on DH485, i take it the DH+ card is quicker than the serial ones? our DH+ network is going at 115 K.

thamks again for the help mark!

cheers

myles

Please sit down before viewing this: ( list price)

Mickey said:

Please sit down before viewing this: ( list price)

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well i think the pound is strong against the dollar just now, but not strong enough to stop my boss falling off his seat at that! it take it is the 1784-PCMK for the DH+? the 1747-UIC at the bottom is looking very good right now!

cheers mickey

myles

Myles said:

is the DH+ card for the laptop a better solution than the USB PIC or the option i posted first? cost wise what is that like? there is two panels on site where i have the second port of a slc 5/04 used for a panel view on DH485, i take it the DH+ card is quicker than the serial ones? our DH+ network is going at 115 K.

Click to expand...

I think I may try the card you posted in the first post... I have seen them for under 100USD (for good ones)

I am trying to find a good model to sell

I am spoiled at my real job, I just tell them I need it and they get it... but they ask me to due wonders sometimes it makes life fun

Check eBay, they are a lot cheap then the prices Mickey got

The 1784 PCMK will work for DH+ and DH 485. It is really the thing to have for these networks. It works flawlessly and mine never comes out of my laptop.

I know the price is stiff but you could consider this;

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=1784-PCMK&category0=

Just be careful because I don't know all the differences betwee the A,B, and C series. Make sure that the one you get will do everything that you want to do.

geniusintraining said:

I am spoiled at my real job, I just tell them I need it and they get it... but they ask me to due wonders sometimes it makes life fun

Click to expand...

I know the feeling, if something is down I simply tell the plant manager I need this thing in order to make that work, cost is seldom an issue.

However if I suggest to the same manager when talking about a running machine that maybe we should spend some money on this thing so that that when that thing breaks I can fix it, the purse strings tighten....

BTW, I have two extra 1784 PCMK series C cards along with about $40K of other AB PLC parts that will never be used (don't ask, they were purchased before I got here). I would love to sell it all and give the money to my employer or the company employee fund but it is against company policy so I guess it will just collect dust.

Myles,

As I read these posts, I continue to remember more of the issues regarding the need to go DH485 from modern PCs. The reason that I stopped using the AIC from a com port was because I had an external modem on one com port and the AIC on the other. In order to install the PIC driver, you must reboot so that it can take over the serial comm port before the Windows OS gets to it. But once that happens, it is possible for all serial communications to be corrupted by this move, so if you use the PIC, it is likely that other serial comm will get in trouble.

Rockwell explained to me after 6 weeks of fighting the PIC that Microsoft ignored RS232 conventions when writing Windows and since the PIC predates Windows, there is the potential for considerable trouble.

When you use the UIC that I mentioned earlier, you do not have to use the PIC driver, there is another one in Linx and it works great. In fact, now that I have the UIC, anytime the AIC is called for, I connect from the serial port on the UIC to the serial port on the AIC using a null modem cable. This system has worked great to everything that I have ever tried to connect to with very little effort. And NO PIC Driver in sight!

The UIC costs a little more than some other USB to serial adapters that I have tried, but as I said earlier, this is the only one that has never failed at anything.

Best Regards,

Bob A.