Just curious: Does anyone use Simatic Microbox with WinAC ?

Hi.

I happened to stumple over the Microbox 427B with WinAC and WinCC Flex onboard. It just dawned on me that it is a surprisingly cheap combo to get a PLC CPU and HMI in one package. Approximately half cost of a similar solution with an S7 CPU + HMI PC + Licenses.
I checked the supposed execution speed of the WinLC RTX, and it seems it can outrun a 319 !

So with a Microbox with WinAC + WinCC Flex license + maybe USB and DVI extenders I could have a real winner.

Or ... ?

Any good / bad experiences to share ?
Can the two Ethernet ports be used for PN i/o ?
Is it easy to make a complete backup of the installation for emergency backup - given that everything is stored on a CF card ?
If archiving in the WinCC Flex HMI is used, does it affect the relieability of the CF card ?
Can you setup archiving to use a flashdrive ?

I might just consider to use one of these for our bigger project, in stead of a 317/319 + HMI PC. Problem will be to convince my collegues for yet another change.

Hi,

Not sure if the box is the same as the older WinAC Slot 3-4 combo.
Initally we had to change the motherboard which ment downing the whole lot to replace it which was not taken well!

Since then we have had no problems using it for our Nip pressure controls seems very robust and bullet proof.

Hi DCS.

It does not sound like it.
The MicroBox 427 is a small DIN rail mountable IPC with Win XP embedded.
I doubt that the MB is user-replacable.

The most interesting to me is that the HMI software resides on the same IPC as WinLC RTX.

Btw. I have never understood the naming. I think that generally WinAC is the same as the slot PLC, and WinLC is the same as the soft PLC. But Siemens themselves seem to use "WinAC" when it is clearly the soft PLC that is talked about.