Frankenstein system

I have an old PLC 5 connected to an old Panelview 1400e. We also have a ControlLogix 5000 connected to a PanelviewPlus 1000. I want to make the ControlLogix talk to the PLC 5 and merge the two panelview's on to a PC running FactoryTalk View. I assume I need a remote I/O type card in the ControlLogix 5000 that will connect to the existing DH+ (Where the Panelview 1400e is currently connected). Does that work? What all is required (programming wise) to get the PC running View to pull data from both the PLC's? Then we are going to log into that PC via Remote desktop. Has anyone done anything similar to this? Any hints to share?

It's pronounced "Frahnken-steen"

You will need a 1756-DHRIO module for the ControlLogix, which has two ports that can be configured for either DH+ or RIO. When you connect it to the PLC-5's DH+ channel, you will be able to send MSG instructions between the ControlLogix and the PLC-5, and also go online or monitor data tables of the PLC-5 using RSLinx Classic by routing through an Ethernet module in the ControlLogix chassis.

Determine for certain if the PanelView 1400e is running DH+ or RIO; the RIO version will be more difficult (but still possible) to migrate to FactoryTalk View. PanelBuilder 1400e applications can be run through the migration tool to generate a FactoryTalk View application, but the result always requires some manual editing and it still looks like a PanelBuilder 1400e character-graphics application.

Depending on the age and memory of your PanelView Plus terminal you might be able to simplify your system by running FactoryTalk ViewPoint on it; that gives you a browser-based read-only access to the FactoryTalk View application. Check with Rockwell about whether your PV+ hardware will support it, and when bi-directional data will be available with ViewPoint.

The gotchas that come to mind right now are:

1. RSLinx Enterprise (the data provider included with PV+ and FTView ME) cannot navigate through a 1756 backplane to DH+ the way that RSLinx Classic can. A FactoryTalk View ME application would have to use a licensed RSLinx Classic OEM instance to communicate with the PLC-5 directly. The alternative is to move all the PLC-5 data into the ControlLogix using MSG instructions.

2. If you do use RSLinx Classic, be aware of how it interacts with Windows Remote Desktop. You cannot open the RSLinx Classic GUI to configure it when you are logged in as a non-Console user via RDP. VNC or other remote desktop alternatives allow you to work around this limitation, or logging in as the Console user (check to be sure that works).