Data Station Plus/CUB5b & CUB5pb project

Wondering if someone can help me with the communications setup for a DSPSX000 in Crimson3. I'm not that expirenced with plc's or communications networking.
My project is hooking up 2 cub5pb process meters(setup as pressure displays) and 1 cub5b(rate/counter dispay) to a data station plus(DSPSX000) and a laptop and displaying the four values on the laptop via virtual display. I also want to log these four points of data for later viewing or for export to Excel. Hence the laptop, otherwise I would have gone with one of the G3 products.
I have the rs-485 comm cards for the cub5's and just need help setting up communications and network settings. All the other sections I can get through.
Mainly the network/protocol section.

carlor2 said:

Wondering if someone can help me with the communications setup for a DSPSX000 in Crimson3. I'm not that expirenced with plc's or communications networking.
My project is hooking up 2 cub5pb process meters(setup as pressure displays) and 1 cub5b(rate/counter dispay) to a data station plus(DSPSX000) and a laptop and displaying the four values on the laptop via virtual display. I also want to log these four points of data for later viewing or for export to Excel. Hence the laptop, otherwise I would have gone with one of the G3 products.
I have the rs-485 comm cards for the cub5's and just need help setting up communications and network settings. All the other sections I can get through.
Mainly the network/protocol section.

Click to expand...

Just store your data on a CompactFlash card on the DSPSX and you won't have to keep the laptop online. It will be in csv format. Of course, you will have to configure this.

You could have used any of the G3 displays that support CF also and wouldn't have needed the laptop to monitor the system at all.

I know this doesn't answer your original question, but the manuals and Redlion Tech support will certainly give you what you need to answer your comms questions.

Thanks for your reply.
Our project is on a mobile pressure testing truck. The unit works along side an oilfield drilling rig, supplying pressure and pressure testing. What we need to do is generate a report on site to the field supervisor and transfer that data to him via USB memory stick in a simple to read format. We must provide the data in a graphical format more than numerical. I need to record the data once per second up to sixty hours, so the amount of raw .csv data is large. If the pressure testing job went well, all the field sup. is going to need is a graph to put on file. If an issue arises then we dig into the data minute by minute. If a G3/Crimson had a spreadsheet program built in, this would be a piece of cake.
The only way I can see to achieve this goal is to export the csv files from the DSPSX to a laptop, modify the data with MS Excel and issue presentable reports on site.
The truck allready has four CUB5's installed to moniter pressures and flow rates. I have used many CUB5's in other similar applications. I love them, they are extremely dependable.
Long story short, thats why I went with the DSPSX rather than a G3. The need for a spreadsheet seems nesessary.

carlor2 said:

Thanks for your reply.
Our project is on a mobile pressure testing truck. The unit works along side an oilfield drilling rig, supplying pressure and pressure testing. What we need to do is generate a report on site to the field supervisor and transfer that data to him via USB memory stick in a simple to read format. We must provide the data in a graphical format more than numerical. I need to record the data once per second up to sixty hours, so the amount of raw .csv data is large. If the pressure testing job went well, all the field sup. is going to need is a graph to put on file. If an issue arises then we dig into the data minute by minute. If a G3/Crimson had a spreadsheet program built in, this would be a piece of cake.
The only way I can see to achieve this goal is to export the csv files from the DSPSX to a laptop, modify the data with MS Excel and issue presentable reports on site.
The truck allready has four CUB5's installed to moniter pressures and flow rates. I have used many CUB5's in other similar applications. I love them, they are extremely dependable.
Long story short, thats why I went with the DSPSX rather than a G3. The need for a spreadsheet seems nesessary.

Click to expand...

I wasn't suggesting that you use something other than the CUB5s.

I misunderstood that you were going to somehow collect data on the laptop from the DSPSX and was suggesting that you use the CF Card and then pull the CSV files as needed.

There are limitations on the amount of data and number of files you can have with a DSPSX, but I would suggest having at least 2 sets of csv files.

The first with data stored every second for backups. Pull the CF Card as often as needed to keep from overwriting files.
The second set to store data every minute (or more) for creating a chart to put in a file.

The two sets of CSV files can be based on the same data.

Yes you will have to create your own charts, but the only other solution that comes quickly to mind would be to use a PC based HMI with history and trending built in.

I'm not sure what the comms rate of the CUB5s are, but getting valid data every second over 485 might not be possible.

Finally, you do understand that a G3 display (other than the Kadets) can do everything a DSPSX can do and more (plus it has a display) and that Crimson 3.0 is used to configure both.

This is a "crude" file I created a while back. It displayed the count of a Cub5 and the big red button would reset the count. Not fancy but it did work so it may help you set up the comms

yep, realize g3 and dsp are the same. trying to take advantage of the virtual hmi. since i'm bound to having a laptop i thought the dsp was the way to go then i'm only dealing with one screen instead of two... or do i not understand the way the virtual hmi works?

thanks btalbot, let me have a look.

sure wish emulator worked for dsp

carlor2 said:

yep, realize g3 and dsp are the same. trying to take advantage of the virtual hmi. since i'm bound to having a laptop i thought the dsp was the way to go then i'm only dealing with one screen instead of two... or do i not understand the way the virtual hmi works?

Click to expand...

I think you understand the way the web based display works.

The DSPSX will allow you to configure a virtual 320x240 display that you can view using an internet browser. You can switch pages using virtual buttons in your browser. The DSPSX corresponds more or less to the G306 display.

Going back to your original requirement, with a large enough display (in my opinion larger than the G306), you could have made a trend(s) that showed the test runs you wanted to document and used the PrintScreenToFile() function. That would take a snapshot of the trend and store it to a file on the CF Card to later print and put into your file folder.

Then you could use the csv files as real data backup for your tests.

so, here's a stupid question, but could you hook a printer up to a g3?

i didn't know about the print screen function

carlor2 said:

so, here's a stupid question, but could you hook a printer up to a g3?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure. There are USB Ports on some, but I'll have to leave it to Redlion to tell you if it can print and the type of printer it can use.

carlor2 said:

i didn't know about the print screen function

Click to expand...

Load Crimson 3.0 and look through the functions. There are lots of things hiding in there.