Are there anyone else that will be using the new IM151-8 CPU ?

Hi.

Some of you will know that Siemens has just released a new CPU in the ET200S format.
It has a PN port (actually 3 ports via an integral switch) in stead of an MPI/DP port. And it has 128kB memory.
It also has a very interesting price (approx 600 Euro).

I think it is the answer to many of my wishes for S7 PLC hardware, at least in the low end of the spectrum:
The MPI port has been dumped (good riddance !).
You can connect PN slave i/o.
You can connect HMI and Programming via ethernet.
There is an integral 3-port switch so in most cases you dont have to install a switch yourself.
The i/o modules are from the expansive and flexible ET200S range (which I like).
The price is low for both CPU and i/o (which I also like !).

The only problem I can foresee right now is potential customer resistance. Some do not know what ET200S is. Some of my customers insist on S7-400, despite with the new high-end S7-300 CPUs they are more than capable enough.
The IM151-7 hasnt gained much ground. Maybe the IM151-8 can change that.

So, are there other that will use this kind of CPU ?
Or will it be a rare sight ?

Noone !

Oh well, I guess have to convince my colleagues and customers myself.

Maybe a replacement for the S7-200, which imo should not be called S7.

Lack of a DP-port is somewhat......concerning..

No no.
It has NOTHING to do with S7-200.
But that is in itself irritating, because customers will think that it is an S7-200.

You can add a DP master port, and it will still cost less than a 315-2DP CPU.
However, it has already PN ports onboard, so you can add remote PN i/o stations. And anyway, I consider this little PLC ideal for applications that can be crammed into the 63 ET200S modules that can be attached without resorting to multiple rows of i/o modules.

I just had a project where I used a 315-2PNDP + 2 rows of ET200S i/o + a Scalance switch. I could actually have fitted it all in one row with only the one IM151-8 CPU. It would have saved me a lot of space, cost and complexity.

I use the IM151-7 for a small pumping station design with a DP master module and simocode Pro Vs, and profibus PA instruments and a TP 177B touchscreen. It all works very well, at the moment I have a modbus module for telemetry but will the IM151-8 allow me to go to broadband or GSM?

I cant see why you should not be able to connect the ethernet port directly to a DSL router or similar.
For analog/ISDN, Siemens has a teleservice adapter for ethernet: 6ES7972-0ED00-0XA0
For GSM, there are 3rd party devices such as this one:
http://www.spectrumcontrols.com/pdfs/webport/WP2001_datasheet.pdf

I priced a IM151-7 a while back and it was too much. I went with a S7-200. My Siemens rep will be in this afternoon I will check into it again. If it is cheaper then it could be an option. I use the ET200S in my other projects and would very much like to keep the same I/O.

ET200S, IM151-7 and IM151-8 have nothing in common with S7-200.
You cannot keep the i/o.

What is revolutionary is that the IM151-8 is by far the cheapest Siemens CPU in the S7-300/400 "family" with Ethernet (600 Euro)

If you want S7-200 with ethernet, then it will cost you the price of a CPU (~150-700 Euro) plus a CP243-1 (400 Euro).

I misread your post.

You can reuse the i/o from your projects that use ET200S i/o.

The IM151-8 isnt cheaper than an IM151-7 (it is only much much better than an IM151-7, but that is another thing).
It will probably be slightly more expensive than an S7-200. But it is also in a completely different class.

CharlesM said:

I priced a IM151-7 a while back and it was too much. I went with a S7-200.

Click to expand...

Reason why I said maybe replacement for the S7-200. I think we know the difference between the 2 families and tbh I'd go with the 300/400 series cause it's easier.
Once the cost is becoming a decisive issue people often opt for the S7-200. With this new IM151-8, we might just see a shift away from the S7-200.

With STEP7 v5.4 SP4 I can now setup a project with an IM151-8.
Then I notice these details in the CPU properties:

"Work memory 128KB; 0.3ms/1000 instructions; PROFINET connection; S7 communication (loadable FBs/FCs); PROFINET IO-Controller; supports RT/IRT; PROFINET interface and 3 ports; PROFINET CBA; PROFINET CBA-Proxy; transport protocol TCP/IP, UDP and ISO on TCP; data record routing; firmware V2.7; expansion with a maximum of 63 modules of the ET200S range"

The IM151-8 is supposed to be based on the 314 CPU, but they seem to have absolutely nothing in common.

The IM151-8 has PN ports where the 314 has an MPI port. Good.

The IM151-8 has 128kB memory where the 314 has 96 kB. Good.

The IM151-8 executes 1000 instructions in 0.3 ms where the 314 uses 0.1 ms. BAD !
This is the little ugly detail they forgot to tell us about. With 128kB and the ability to make relatively large setups with PN IO, one should expect that the CPU has the computing power to match. Unfortunately this is not so.
I guess that there is a relation between the low price and the low performance, but still - this is quite a disappointment.
I am still gong to use this CPU, but only for the very lowest requirements.

Have now checked the CPU specs on Siemens support, and strangely it says the same for all the following CPUs IM151-7, IM151-8, 314, 315-2DP, 315-2PN/DP:
Bit 0.1us
Word 0.2us
Integer math 2 us
Floating point math 3 us
So I am beginning to suspect that all these CPU performance specs cannot be trusted. This because I know for sure that they are not all the same.

And this gives me the hope that the IM151-8 is still a leap forward in capability for the ET200S based CPUs.
I will come back with my real life experience after I have tested it.

Will be using IM151-8 for a new project

Hey JesperMP, I believe you are the 'go-to-man' regarding ET 200S, I got a questions for you.
We are looking to use the new IM151-8F PN/DP CPU for an upcoming project. I can't get the hardware set up in the HW-Config because I don't have the hardware file for that particular model. I tried the HW update in HW-Config but there are no updates for the IM151-8 models. I checked the Siemens website and was unable to find any hardware files relating to the IM151-8 or IM151-8F.
You mentioned you were about to set up the IM151-8 in HW-Config, how were you about to do that?
Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards

Tony

Also, did you use the 'ET 200 Configuration Tool' provided by Siemens? That tool does not have the IM151-8F PN/DP CPU model either.

Also, GSD files - are they only required for Profibus? or are they required for Profinet also?