Best AB hardware for 1000+ IO project

the_msp

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I'm looking into modernising an alfa laval control system. My preference would be to use Allen Bradley hardware. I have used 1734 Point IO in the past with a CPX L32E processor but it was on a much smaller system (~200 IO).

For CPU I think I'd like to go with the latest CLX, or 2 for that matter, with a redundant setup. Are the latest processor's all L7 and thus require Studio 5000 to program them, or are there recent L6 processers, requring Logix5K?

For IO, I read this on the AB website "Up to eight modules per assembly, for a maximum of 128 I/O" which was new to me. For this project I have 619DI, 637DO, some AI, AO, level's and counters. Does that mean for the DIO I would need at least 10 AENT modules? Or can I get more than 128IO per rack by using for example a 1734-FPD? I will need to look at the wiring of the level sensors to see if I can rewire them for DI cards. Are there any 1734 counter cards? Is there a better system for this amount of IO than Point IO?
 
Are the latest processor's all L7 and thus require Studio 5000 to program them, or are there recent L6 processers, requring Logix5K?

Pretty sure you can flash these latest L7 ControlLogix processors with firmware V20 so you can still use RSLogix5000 (I know you can do this with the latest 5370 CompactLogix PLC's), although it would be beneficial to flash them with V21 and use Studio5000 (Win7 only, no XP) as you can store program comments on the PLC.

As for the rest of your queries, I would suggest downloading Integrated Architecture Builder from Rockwell and use it to design your system.

It is excellent for calculation of IO requirements, remote IO connection limits, etc.
 
Studio 5000 is installed if you intend to use v20 firmware or newer, which means you are using an L7 processor or a new CompactLogix. However, you can still use Studio 5000 for older firmware, it will launch RSLogix5000 as required. Studio 5000 is only a central software launcher anyway. V20 still is using "RSLogix5000" for the programming.

I would recommend you bring in your AB vendor to consult on the system design of your project, you'll learn more in that hour then by waiting for posts here. This is a large project with a lot of considerations you need to consider, since this scale of a project is new, one-on-one consulting will teach you a lot.

- PointIO will work very nicely, read the manuals you can have up to 63 IO modules. But just because you can doesn't mean you should.

- For counters I like using the 1756-HSC cards in the local CLX rack.

- Your IO design should be based on control panel locations and IO requirements in the area. You may get away with cramming all IO on a minimumn number of 1734-AENT racks, but does it make sense to do that?

- May want to consider DLR

- 1734-FPD cards simply isolate backplane power from field power.

- Redundancy makes things more complicated, do you really require it or did you just throw it out there?

- Since you indicate you will use 1734-AENT cards it means you are using Ethernet/IP, have you considered your network design? 1756-ENBT cards, 1756-EN2T cards, DLR, star, managed switches, separate networks (IO, SCADA, Other)...etc.

Look at IAB as Brendan mentioned, however it's not that intuitive either, but if you bring your vendor in I'm sure they would do a demo and help get you started.
 

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