One PV+ to a CLX L32E & SLC 5/04 DH+

Hello all I am currently working on a project to incorporate existing pages from a pv1000 communicating with a SLC 5/04 via DH+ into a PV+1000 Via ENET that primarily communicates with a CLX L32E.

I may also have the need to read/write between both PLCS. I am looking for suggestions on the simplest way to achieve this. I am looking at option 1 a 1761-net-eni connected to the 5/04 and read/ write with this to both the plc and PV+. Option 2 is a 1756-DHRIO in the CLX (I have not used this card before).

Also is it possible to use both DH+ and ENET communication on the same PV+ and point to two different PLCs with the respective communications?

Any advise is greatly welcomed.

I believe DH+/RIO support is being dropped with newer PV+ hardware, but that would be the simplest, however would not be able to act as a bridge. I think you could add the DH+ module to the back of the PV+ and add a shorcut to the 5/04 in the application.

To begin getting away from DH+, I would use a digi IAP for more robust and lower cost and half the panel space of the NET-ENI. The NET-ENI is fine too, though, but then you are throttling that through the serial port of the 5/04, so there is a limit to how many devices you want to be beating on that connection including your programming PC(s). The digi doesn't handle or limit connections in the same way, and allows you to get around the connection limit of the NET-ENI, and they almost never freeze up until you melt them down in an overheated panel...

But with the 5/04 then on ethernet at 38.4k, then you can set up messaging between any of them regardless of the state of the HMI.

Thank you very much for the input, I will look into the digi IAP

http://www.digi.com/products/serialservers/digioneiapfamily

If you use it, you will want the digi device discovery software too:

http://www.digi.com/support/getasset?fn=40002265&tp=5

From that fairly simple tool, they are browser configured to set the IP side and the serial ports. The browser setup is pretty straightforward from just reading the web pages, in most cases once you pick the DF1 protocol. On the hardware, I like the terminal block serial port, it is sometimes better to cut the end off an OEM or generic ( I call them nine dollar ) serial cable and figure out the pinout for a secure and tidy installation than going through multiple cables and or adapters.

Also, you will need the rslinx eds file for the digi to appear correctly in RSLinx.

http://www.digi.com/support/kbase/kbaseresultdetl?id=777

Then, like the ENI, it will become transparent when communication is good to the connected PLC, and the PLC icon will be shown. When there is a serial communication problem between the digi and the PLC, you will see the Digi Icon instead of unrecognized device symbol in RSLinx.