Linking different PLCs

warglord

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Nov 2007
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I have different PLCs in our plant ranging from Omron, Mistsubishi, AB, Siemens, etc. I want to monitor their I/O using a centralized SCADA/MES. What is the best low cost third party system I can use?
 
I have different PLCs in our plant ranging from Omron, Mistsubishi, AB, Siemens, etc. I want to monitor their I/O using a centralized SCADA/MES. What is the best low cost third party system I can use?

Hello warglord;
Many SCADA systems offer access to multiple PLC families, either through direct drivers (Citect, InTouch) or through OPC channels (Siemens WinCC, GE Proficy...).
However, I doubt you will find agreement on the <best> system, and cost will depend in all cases I know of on the amount of tags you need to read/trend (basically the size of your project). You should choose between fairly equivalent systems based on the local support offered, accessing good help quickly when you are stuck will make more of a difference than que bells and whistles of a fancy program, especially if you are a beginner and whant to develop something robust (e.g. no phone calls at 3 in the morning from the client...).
Hope this helps,
Daniel Chartier
 
It will depend on your exact requirements.
As to the cost, it is almost always decided on the number of tags. Also, some will cost extra for reporting, logging, recipes etc.
One that is independent on the number of tags is Inductive Automations Ignition. It costs 9500 USD for a version that has everything you need, except for the OPC servers for each of the PLCs you need to connect to. It is not cheap, but less expensive than similar products from Siemens, Citect, Wonderware etc.
 
I will join BITS N BYTES.
Red Lion Offer very cheap solution for you.
You can connect few PLCs on one unit and monitor I/O and internal data.
It is not graphical but effective.
You can also connect your PLCs each other.
Map your PLCs what kind of communication you use and check RL.
If most of your PLCs have Ethernet communication it would be very easy.
 
There are two ways to do this; the hard way with extra modules, cables and programming and the easy way with OPC. With OPC you can communicate to different PLCs and DCSs. To solve your problem you will need an OPC Server for each PLC brand and Data Manager that will share, map, and bridge your data across your different PLC systems:

Here are the OPC Servers that you will need, select an OPC server for the PLC system that you have:
http://www.matrikonopc.com/drivers/plcs.aspx

and here is OPC Data Manager that will connect the OPC Servers:
http://www.matrikonopc.com/products/opc-data-management/index.aspx

The good news about Data Manager is that it can do a one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many connection to the OPC Servers

Hope this is helpful
Cheers,
Wassim Daoud
Global Solutions Architect
www.MatrikonOPC.com
 
Some of your PLC´s might not have OPC servers, due to lack of ethernet port...

Hello Patrick,

You don't always need an Ethernet port to communicate with the PLCs. For example, Modbus OPC Server can communicate with the PLCs over Serial RS232, RS485, and Ethernet. The Allen Bradley OPC Server communicate over DH485.... please take a look at each OPC Server and see what they support.

Cheers,

Wassim Daoud
Global Solutions Architect
www.MatrikonOPC.com
 
The good thing with Red Lion is you can use one unit for few PLCs with Ethernet.
You can use one unit for few PLCs with RS232&485 as well.
Also Red Lion can make every PLC with serial port to control's through Ethernet.
I dont know any other unit can do so.
I do Not Work For Red Lion.I Just Have Very Good Experience With Them.
 
LOL, I work for an integrator that is a partner for Red Lion, Matrikon and HMS... I feel torn :whistle:

As I see it, the Red Lion Data Station is a good hardware solution if you have no idea what you are getting into until you get there. HMS Anybus is better if you can plan more in advance, and Matikon is a good OPC resource if it can work for you (I like them better than KEPWare). I might add, using another HMI to connect to your SCADA system, assuming it has already been selected before you, is a bit of overkill. As was previously mentioned, the vast majority of good SCADA systems out there will be capable of communication to a variety of PLCs and I/O hardware systems, you just need the flexibility of connecting them using one or more of the 3 mentioned above.

Now if what you were asking about was a "low cost" SCADA system package to use, I would be very wary of going that route. Most of the projects I get involved with that used a "low cost" solution are, 5 years later, ripping it out and replacing it with one of the major players. It is difficult and expensive to maintain a software company, only the very largest and very smallest can hope to survive. Smallest (one man shows) can offer up-front lower cost products, but can be a support problem if you are not in their back yard. Larger companies, i.e. Wonderware, Siemens, A-B, ABB, GE etc., offer continuity for the long run and are often lower cost over time.
 

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