slc 500/03 sending data to pc

We have a SLC 500/03 that controls our batches. We also have RsLogix 500 (allows online programming version). We need to capture the weight of each of five batch ingredients and then send it out to a comma delimited pc file preferably with a date and time stamp. Is there a third party less expensive program available than RSView. This is a very simple operation and RSView seems like an overkill (especially after purchasing the original RsLogix program.)
Thanks
Chuck Knapp
[email protected]

Over 11 views - no advice. Did I ask something the wrong way - or am I asking something stupid or showing that I'm too much of a novice??

Chuck,

At the very least, you will probably need to upgrade your version of RSLinx to the OEM or Pro version. This will give you the ability to create topics and gather data from your PLC. Then you can use a program like Visual Basic to create a link to RSLinx, which is connected to your PLC. This is probably the cheapest route and will require the most effort, or you can spend some money and buy one of the SCADA packages out there and be up and running with a few mouse clicks.

Do a search of this site on using VB to get data from a PLC. I'm pretty sure you will find some help there.

Good Luck,
Jeff

Microsoft Excel and VBA and RSLinx single node.

grs

If you're looking to reduce costs then the 1st thing to do would be to get an OPC server for the SLC that costs less than RSLinx (I think that finding one MORE expensive than RSLinx is going to be difficult).

Another route is to buy an ActiveX DF1 object. Check out www.automatedsolutions.com

I've mentioned this before and it depends on your RSLogix license. You've got 2 really cheap routes:

1) Use RSLogix VBA to write the data to the CSV file.
2) If you can keep RSLogix running you can latch on to the application object and use VB to pull data out of RSLogix using the get tag command. Your VB app would then write the data to the CSV file.

Good Luck,

(8{)} ( .)

(Yosi)