1784-PCMK? Will it cure my connection blues?

The 1747 PIC seems to be causing me too much grief. Will the Allen Bradley PLC 1784-PCMK be as much trouble? All I want to do (for now) is connect a WinXP laptop to a SLC 500.

Frank

I have been using the PCMK card for long with RS Linx (remember the Interchange software and all those magical settings) for long time and never had any real problems. But I do not use it with WinXP I use 2000.

Jim

GO JETS
Crush Big Blue

Your circumstance sounds like a great candidate for the 1747-UIC USB/DH485 interface that A-B is going to start shipping next week.

No more messing around with Windows hardware interrupts and device driver swapping, and a lot cheaper than the 1784-PCMK.

Ken. Good news that the USB interface is at last shipping!!

PF...The poor old 1747-PIC was a never the most elegant of things. Remember it was designed in the late 1980's and predates laptops PC's by a 3 or 4 years.

The PIC is powered from the serial port RS232 lines, which in the early days of desktop PC's were usually a healthy +/-12v or so, as per the RS232 spec.

As time went on it became increasingly rare for ANY PC serial port to support the original 12v. The better laptops of the 90's would do +/=5v and the PIC would light up ok, but barely.

Most modern laptops barely poke out 3.3 v and the PIC only works erratically at that voltage....if at all.

Plus of course Windows 2000 and XP demanded an entirely new certified driver to run DH-485 out the serial port, and this left users of the PIC driver unsupported in Win2k for about six or nine months. The latest versions of Linx ship with it, but it still catches the odd folk out with earlier versions.

Plus as Ken mentions, the device driver runs as a Windows kernel device, and usually needs a re-boot to swap the sucker out.

The PCMCIA standard was meant to be the way forward, and has provided a good solid solution in the form of the 1784-PCMK, PCD and PCC cards.
These cards work well. (I own and use all three.)

However the USB port is the latest fashion to take over the PC world, and it is good to see a decent interface for it at last.

PhilipW said:

The poor old 1747-PIC was a never the most elegant of things. Remember it was designed in the late 1980's and predates laptops PC's by a 3 or 4 years.

Click to expand...

Also notice that it has a DB25 connector off the ribbon cable. Some of the newer guys may not remember when serial ports were 25-pin...

I'm looking forward to getting a 1747-UIC and officially tossing the PIC...

beerchug

-Eric

The 1747-UIC USB/DH485 USB interface sounds cool!

You can also communicate using the 1761-NET-AIC
AIC+ Advanced
Interface Converter.

I don't know the price, but I am sure that it's cheaper than the PCMK.

Works every time, though it's not very portable.

1747-UIC USB/DH485 - Where Can I Find More Info?

Once again I'm claiming I can't find my way around the AB website.

Will it work on the SLC500 1747L40?

Is there a link for this card? How about a price?

Can distributors give better prices than the catalog? Is it a big difference?

Thanks again for the help;
Frank

Unlike Radio Shack, We've Got Answers...

Will it work on the SLC500 1747L40?

Yes, assuming the SLC's port is still functional

Is there a link for this card?

HERE'S the sell sheet, and HERE'S the manual for the card.

How about a price?

http://shop.rockwellautomation.com shows it for US$260.00

Can distributors give better prices than the catalog?

It depends

Is it a big difference?

It depends

beerchug

-Eric

Thank you Mr. Nelson and Everyone Else

Thank you for all the help. Your reply is greatly appreciated.

I was at risk of buying the 1784-pcmk from ebay. The problemn with ebay is that you sometimes are pressured into making the purchase before you know for sure it is what you want. Used, 1784-pcmk is much more expensive than a new 1747-UIC USB/DH485.

One confusing issue is an earlier comment about this item "shipping this week". It looks like the 1747-UIC has been around for a few years, is that "USB/DH485" the difference?

Thanks again everyone for all you help. Your help saves people money.

Frank