What is the successor to the SLC500?

OK, I was reading on the Management Statement at the bottom of this page on the Rockwell site how they are planning to support the SLC 500 for the next decade blah blah blah
… While we cannot predict component availability and market forces for the SLC 500 that would allow us to do the same, we are committed to the sale and support of the SLC 500 family for the foreseeable future.

If you were going to put a new controller in a new machine, what would you replace a SLC 500 with? Micrologix?
Nothing too fancy, just a couple of analog cards and a few digital in outs.
This is what a similar machine has in it.
0 1747-L532B 5/03 CPU - 16K Mem. OS301
1 1746-IA16 16-Input 100/120 VAC
2 1746-NI4 Analog 4 Channel Input Module
3 1746-NO4V Analog 4 Ch. Voltage Output
4 1746-OW16 16-Output (RLY) 240 VAC
5 1746-OW8 8-Output (RLY) 240 VAC
6
Thanks

The only time we've ever got burned replacing an SLC500 with a Micrologix was when we used an 1100 with a 4 input analog card. The conversion time for the analog card on the 1100 was much longer than for the SLC and caused us a trip out the customer to change the thing to a 1500.

My only other comment is to say that almost every machine should have an ethernet interface. If not built into the controller then use the NET-ENI module to get it there.

For a machine like that I'd probably use:
1766-L32AWA Micrologix 1400
--20 AC Inputs
--12 Relay Outputs
1762-IF4
1762-OF4
1762-OW16

This leaves room for 3 additional expansion I/O cards.


As a general rule I will only install controllers with an ethernet port in new installations. I wouldn't install a new SLC5/05 either, instead would use a Compact or ControlLogix.

id go with compactlogix. rslogix5000 is going to be around for a while and I find it to be a much much better interface.

I agree with diat150. Once you are familiar with the 5000 software it is sooo much more functional/powerful.

If you wanted to keep the price down, I would look hard at the packaged compact logix controller- 1769-L23E-QBFC1B. For around $2100 you get:

>Built in Ethernet/IP and RS232
>16 DC In
>16 DC Out
>4 Analog In
>2 Analog Out
>4 high-speed counters
>add up to two additional 1769 modules (get your 16 AC In here)

I would then pull the AC off of the cards and put on terminal relays that are a heck-of-a lot cheaper to replace than relay cards. Fire these with the 24V DC output cards.

If you need more I/O later you can go distributed through the Ethernet I/P.

_______________________________

If you ever thought there maybe a need for motion control you could go ahead and spec. it out with individual 1769 modules and a 1769-L32E processor so that all you would need to do in the future for motion is add you 1768 components. (My only gripe with the 1768 processors is that AB makes you by the ethernet module separate instead of putting it on the processor like the above 1769-L32E)

Good Luck.

For a SLC replacement the CompactLogix is probably the way to go. Its much more powerful and its actually cheaper than a SLC-500.

If you're looking at the Micrologix family consider the ML-1400.

+1 more vote for Compactlogix. I used one of the packaged controllers on my last project to save a few bucks.

The performance is amazing compared to a SLC...under 1ms scan times for my relatively small project with two programs and a couple dozen routines as a periodic with a 5ms timebase and it screams.

It's really cool at the end of a bunch of edits to save and upload all data in about 3 seconds.

It's also really cool to be able to use UDTs and named tags. There are still a few things I like better about RSLogix500, like the Custom Data Monitor, and being able to use the "Y" key on my keyboard to finish assembling edits. Logix5000 makes me use the mouse and Click OK. The addition of the Finalize All Edits button was a great improvement though.