Data Logging software reqd

toma743 · Mar 26, 2010

I have a small project which requires me to record data. It is just a few I/O points that need to be monitored. The motor's temp, current and voltage.
This is to able me to troubleshoot if the motor stops working. I have all the hardware required, just need some software which would not be very expensive.
I looked at most of the HMI software and it is very expensive. Does anyone knows of a cheaper data logging software?

OZEE · Mar 26, 2010

There's a few things to be considered when answering that question....

How often do you want the data recorded?
How long does the data need to be retained?
How do you want to retrieve and view the data?
What kind of PLC are you proposing to use?

It's not too difficult to make a few points in a PLC available to something like Excel. It's just slightly more difficult to store data to a database, like Access, Oracle, or something SQL-based. If you're able to program with VB or something similar, you could make a custom application that would fit your needs...

TimWilborne · Mar 26, 2010

Exactly what type of hardware do you have? Personally for a down and dirty data logging project I like to use a Red Lion G303. It does data logging to a compactflash card and CSV format. Plus no PC or other software to maintain as it is a complete hardware solution.

Stephen Luft · Mar 28, 2010

How frequently are you looking to log the data?

sidsule · Mar 29, 2010

Tom,

You could try using something called as EZ Data Logger which is a ICP DAS USA product,EZ Data Logger is a free data logging software which is extremely good for small applications which dont require huge SCADA/HMI.
It is extremely easy to install and configure.

Following is the link to the software :
http://www.icpdas-usa.com/ez_data_logger.html

It enables you to monitor 64 I/O tags, 2 SMS or E-mail alarm contacts, 1 web camera, and up to 32 virtual channels.
This would perfectly suite your requirements, anyways it is free and whats the harm in trying it.

Regards,
Sid
Application Engineer
www.icpdas-usa.com

Forrest · Mar 29, 2010

Hi there, I have the same question. I am now using DL05 and trying to keep the time stamp for motor activity. I need to download the record from PLC to PC once a week. Can anyone tell me how can I do it with DL05 (I am a new PLC user) Thanks...

milldrone · Mar 29, 2010

Forrest said:
Hi there, I have the same question. I am now using DL05 and trying to keep the time stamp for motor activity. I need to download the record from PLC to PC once a week. Can anyone tell me how can I do it with DL05 (I am a new PLC user) Thanks...

Forrest, I see this a totally different question (or at least a totally different answer).

First a couple of questions.

Do you have the full version of DS5?

Do you have a spreadsheet program that can open .csv files?

If you have both of these we can go to the next question.

Do you need "real time clock" time? If you do, do you have the D0-01MC module?

If you do not need a "real timeclock" and the answers to the first two questions is yes. The DS5 software has a little known feature that may work for you.

Questions?

rigicon · Mar 29, 2010

Have you seen Archie's free HMI.

Free advanced HMI

or

A free HMI

Forrest · Mar 29, 2010

I am so surprised that I can get the reply so fast... thank a lot.... Please take a look on my answer below:

Yes, my DS5 is full version.
Yes, I have notepad and MS EXCEL
No

Do you have any idea or workflow for me to follow?

Thanks again

milldrone said:
Forrest, I see this a totally different question (or at least a totally different answer).

First a couple of questions.

Do you have the full version of DS5?

Do you have a spreadsheet program that can open .csv files?

If you have both of these we can go to the next question.

Do you need "real time clock" time? If you do, do you have the D0-01MC module?

If you do not need a "real timeclock" and the answers to the first two questions is yes. The DS5 software has a little known feature that may work for you.

Questions?

milldrone · Mar 29, 2010

Forrest said:
I am so surprised that I can get the reply so fast

Just like many of the regulars on this forum, I'm addicted to it!

Forrest said:
Please take a look on my answer below:

No

I'm going to presume that the "No" is the response for the "real time clock" question. But before we go any further I want you to understand what I mean by "real time clock"

The DL05 does not have a battery backup or a timeclock that keeps time. If you need to know that the motor ran for 309 seconds starting at 14:36 on Friday, March 26 20010 then you need the "real timeclock". On the other hand if all you need to know is that the motor ran for 26 seconds then rested for 43 minutes then ran for 13 seconds then rested for 17 minutes then we can do this with the DL05 without the memory module. I need to caution you right up front, I have not worked with the memory module (I would have purchased the DL06 instead).

Edit: Without the "real timeclock" if there is a power outage to the PLC it cannot tell how long the power is out. It wiil however "remember" how long the motor ran (presuming the PLC is controlling the motor).

Here is a thread over at the Automation Direct forum dealing with trying to export values from a DL series PLC to an external computer.
http://forum.automationdirect.com/showthread.php?t=6598&highlight=export

Questions? Need more of a nudge?

Forrest · Mar 30, 2010

OH!! I made a big mistake... this is my typing mistake... my PLC is DL06.. not DL05.. It seems that there is a real time clock in DL06..

milldrone said:
Just like many of the regulars on this forum, I'm addicted to it!

I'm going to presume that the "No" is the response for the "real time clock" question. But before we go any further I want you to understand what I mean by "real time clock"

The DL05 does not have a battery backup or a timeclock that keeps time. If you need to know that the motor ran for 309 seconds starting at 14:36 on Friday, March 26 20010 then you need the "real timeclock". On the other hand if all you need to know is that the motor ran for 26 seconds then rested for 43 minutes then ran for 13 seconds then rested for 17 minutes then we can do this with the DL05 without the memory module. I need to caution you right up front, I have not worked with the memory module (I would have purchased the DL06 instead).

Edit: Without the "real timeclock" if there is a power outage to the PLC it cannot tell how long the power is out. It wiil however "remember" how long the motor ran (presuming the PLC is controlling the motor).

Here is a thread over at the Automation Direct forum dealing with trying to export values from a DL series PLC to an external computer.
http://forum.automationdirect.com/showthread.php?t=6598&highlight=export

Questions? Need more of a nudge?

milldrone · Mar 30, 2010

Forrest said:
my PLC is DL06

Ok.

What kind of time stamp do you need? Four digits are easier, like 1530 = 3:30 in the afternoon (15:30 military time). The day and the month can be implied by attaching a zero run time to it and letting excell configure it with conditional formatting.

How many events do you need to store?

As I'm remembering you want to monitor how long a motor runs. What precision do you need? Tenths of a second? Seconds? Minutes? It would be easier if the numbers were only four digits long.

Forrest · Mar 30, 2010

Hello Millrone,

For the time stamp, 4 digits (e.g.1530) are good enough for me because I can change it in EXCEL.

Actually, there are only 2 events I need to store, Motor Start and Motor End.

For the precision, round up to second is good enough. Motor run time will within 5 minutes so 4 digits long is enough.

One more thing is that I need to store data in PLC memory location first and then download to PC on demond (about once per 2 weeks). It is a big problem to me. I don't know how to assign the size of memory address because I don't know how many times of motor start and end within 2 weeks. Any suggestion?

Thanks a lot

milldrone said:
Ok.

What kind of time stamp do you need? Four digits are easier, like 1530 = 3:30 in the afternoon (15:30 military time). The day and the month can be implied by attaching a zero run time to it and letting excell configure it with conditional formatting.

How many events do you need to store?

As I'm remembering you want to monitor how long a motor runs. What precision do you need? Tenths of a second? Seconds? Minutes? It would be easier if the numbers were only four digits long.

milldrone · Mar 30, 2010

Forrest said:
Actually, there are only 2 events I need to store, Motor Start and Motor End.

Would an entry like 1530 for the time in one Vmem (15:30), and a run time of 7772 (777.2 seconds)work? Or do you want 1530 and 1542? As in start at 15:30 and stop at 15:42?

Forrest said:
One more thing is that I need to store data in PLC memory location first and then download to PC on demond (about once per 2 weeks). It is a big problem to me. I don't know how to assign the size of memory address because I don't know how many times of motor start and end within 2 weeks. Any suggestion?

Thanks a lot

If you are not using any Vmem above V10000. We can start with a counter (to count how many starts) and try 2,047 events. If the counter goes over 2047 We will have to do a little shoehorning.
Do you know how to check for used addresses?

Have you read the thread I linked to earlier?

Forrest · Mar 31, 2010

Hello Milldrone,

We can use Start Time (1530) and Stop Time (1542), for the running time, I can calculate from EXCEL file.

Oh.. In our project, motor never start and stop over 2047 times within a month.. and we never use Vmem above V10000.

I have read the link before. It seems that we can export Vmem from DataView. But, I will try to use print Vmem function and write the Vmem to EXCEL via serial port 2.

Thanks

milldrone said:
Would an entry like 1530 for the time in one Vmem (15:30), and a run time of 7772 (777.2 seconds)work? Or do you want 1530 and 1542? As in start at 15:30 and stop at 15:42?

If you are not using any Vmem above V10000. We can start with a counter (to count how many starts) and try 2,047 events. If the counter goes over 2047 We will have to do a little shoehorning.
Do you know how to check for used addresses?

Have you read the thread I linked to earlier?

Data Logging software reqd

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