Phoenix Contact ILC150

I am working on a project that has a phoenic contact ILC150 PLC with ethernet. It uses the PCwork platform for programming and is quite a bit different than ladder logic.

I am used to AB RSlogix500.

Does anyone have experience programming with phoenix? Can you provide any feedback on what you think of it? Easy/hard? Good/bad?

Thanks.

ste1171

<disclaimer - I work for a Phoenix Contact distributor>

I find the ILC 150 a pretty good bang for the buck. It is harder to start up and get everything connected than say a micrologix if you are not used to it but once you have it up and going, it's pretty stalble.

There are 2 different versions of the software you can use but once you start with one, it's hard to switch to the other. One is the completely free PCWorx Express. The other is the full PCWorx running in Demo mode. I haven't figured if there is a difference between using the two or not. I have mostly used PCWorx Express.

When it comes to using specialized modules (analog, SSI input, counters, etc.) you can do it the hard or easy way. The easy way is to find the premade function blocks Phoenix has made to support the hardware. You can download them from their web site. You just have to use the version that goes with the ver of PCWorx you are using.

Currently, Modbus is done through a set of function blocks bit I'm told the next version of the controller will have Modbus as a native comm option. There is a lower cost version in the family, the ILC130, as well as 2 higher options the ILC155 and ILC170. The 170 includes an SD card slot.

P.S.

There is some good information on the product page for the controller at Phoenix Contact:
http://eshop.phoenixcontact.com/phoenix/treeViewClick.do?UID=2985330&parentUID=&reloadFrame=true

Click on the downloads link and the manual, quick start guild and function blocks for working with various hardware will be listed in a scrolling window at the bottom of the page.

Easy

HI ste1171

I am currently using PCworx software and yes you are right is is different. I was use too program in step7 logix 500 and control builder, and for me it is just until you learn all the small "bumbs"

All in All i would say this is a easy programming tool.

I had a lot of problems connecting up to a touch screen program (proface) but it suceeded quite well

Good luck