PV+ to multiply A-B 5/05 PLC's

Long story short, I have an interesting problem. When I started with my current company a year ago, they (we) were in the process of removing a machine that could not keep up with the line rate. The machine had a PV+ 1000 and an A-B 5/05. The operators would pick the part number from the screen, messaging was then used to write the part numbers to another plc which in turn sent data over RIO to the rest of the line for change-over’s. Discrete I/O (24 VDC photoeye) would pick up a change over sticker and would either stop the line for the operator for manual machines or automatically change the automated machines. When the old machine was taken out, a PV+ 1000 was used to send the part number straight to the second PLC.
Now we are getting ready to add a vision machine to the line that is run over Ethernet and will be tied into a machine that was not previous part of this loop. I could re-write all the messaging over Ethernet, but is there a way just to have the PV+1000 talk with two (2) different PLC’s? Both are A-B 5/05’s. The messaging in the past would sometimes miss but the PV+ to PLC has not had a problem is the reason I am asking. I have done 2 PV+ to one PLC but never the other way around. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Yes, you can do that. You just need to add the path to the 2nd PLC as a Device Shortcut under communication settings.

You'll have to make sure that you distinguish which shortcut you are referring to in all of the objects on your displays.

I thought about trying that but I wanted to be able to send the same data to the different PLC's with one confirm button. Right now I have a piloted list selector so they can choose the part and then use a confirm button to send the data. I have not been able to figure out how to use one tag value to two different shortcuts under communications settings.

You could try triggering a Macro with your "Confirm" key. Have the macro send both tags high. Should work out though.

Let me know if you succeed

thank you

Thank you for your input, doing both I was able to get the project to work.