PCI I/O card (need advice)

This is not a PLC question, but I know that a lot of smart and experienced people hang around here, so I thought I'd give it a try

I'm working on a project that requires the automation of a locomotive simulator system. The actual simulator requires about 50 digital inputs and 50 digital outputs. Since I'm very familiar with programming on the PC, I was thinking to use a PCI Digital I/O card to interface with the simulator (something like NI PCI 6509 http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nioc.vp?lang=US&cid=12919) and implement all the simulation logic in software.
Does anyone have any experience with these cards they might want to share ? Any advice ? Am I on the right track ?

It is my opinion....

The stability requirements of your system should dictate as to weather or not to us a PLC or a PC. PLCs are designed for a variety of environments, and are above all very stable. In general the do not have mysterious "crashes".

Another parent at my daughters school wondered why in the world I would use a PLC vs. PC based system. I asked him if he would bet his life on Windows NT, or a PLC system.

If the operation of your project isnt critical, and infrequent crashes wont have an adverse effect, than a PC may offer far more flexability, for less $$$ than a PLC & HMI system, etc..

In regards to the NI I/O cards. I have used some ISA cards from NI years ago. They worked out rather well. I assume the cards in the link are updates with more I/O density.

Good Luck with it . MIke

Stability is not an issue. If it crashes, just reboot and restart the training sequence...The system simply simulates a locomotive ****pit with all the lights and switches and is used for training / psychological evaluation of train drivers.
I also expect that the PC solution to be much cheaper than a PLC based solution.

Ok so your better off with a PC in your case.

Now you have to interface the lights and buttons to the PC.

Some PLC manufactures make equipment that will allow you to use a PLC base for I/O to be controled by the PC. Automationdirect.com supplys a variaty of these type of PC based system products.

Best regards, Mike

by the way,

You may also want to check out Opto22: http://www.opto22.com/company/index.aspx

Hello,
You may try http://www.sixnetio.com

Hope this helps with your question!

Bitmore

Check out http://www.omega.com.

Thanks everybody for your feedback !

Bitmaster said:

This is not a PLC question, but I know that a lot of smart and experienced people hang around here, so I thought I'd give it a try

I'm working on a project that requires the automation of a locomotive simulator system. The actual simulator requires about 50 digital inputs and 50 digital outputs. Since I'm very familiar with programming on the PC, I was thinking to use a PCI Digital I/O card to interface with the simulator (something like NI PCI 6509 http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nioc.vp?lang=US&cid=12919) and implement all the simulation logic in software.
Does anyone have any experience with these cards they might want to share ? Any advice ? Am I on the right track ?

Click to expand...

Sounds like a good plan to me, I would go with the digi I/O. Probably the cheapest solution.

BTW, what program are you going to use for the simulator? Or are you writing that yourself?


John

The software will be developed by my company, probably in Borland Delphi 7.