Use of Net ENI with PLC5

I am using RSView for the first time and attempting to setup a network at our facility that will allow us to monitor all production equipment with PLCs ranging from MicroLogix, SLC and a PLC5 SYstem. My first order of business is to establish my ethernet network.I am now at a point where I am trying to use the Net ENI to communicate with a PLC5. My problem is that I have 325 points to monitor, read and write to. I do not believe that the NetENI is capable of handling this. Am I incorrect in my assumption. Remember I am very new to the networking via Ethernet.

Thank You for any help !

I have no experience with the NET-ENI but I have heard about its limitations.

I can tell you about some alternatives to the NET-ENI:

1. Install an Ethernet "sidecar" to the PLC5 CPU (1785-ENET), it will give you full throughput, but is 3 times the price of the NET-ENI.

2. Exchange the PLC5 CPU in question with one that has an integral Ethernet port.

3. Connect to the PLC5 (and possibly SLC5/04 if you have them) via DH+. From PLC5/40 and up, there are 4 DH+/RIO ports on the CPU.
You can setup several communication channels in RSView at the same time, running to a mix of Ethernet, DH+ and maybe others at the same time. This will only cost you a PKTX card to install in the RSView PC.

I have 325 points to monitor, read and write to

Click to expand...

325 points means , is it 325 processors or 325 Dingial input points or 325 words ?

Net ENI will be an economical solution if you are happy with a few word updates in seconds from a few processors. One ENI can have a maximum of 6 TCP connections ( 2 incoming, 2 outgoing and 2 either )

wmhunter,

I was in a similar situation not too long ago with around the same amout of data. How the data is grouped in the PLC is important according to a technote from Rockwell's KB. I wound up purchasing a Prosoft module for the data collection and use the ENI for programming only. The Prosoft module gives excellent throughput, but you will need to set up a bunch of COP statements in your ladder to map the data to the M1 file.

As far as limitations on the NET-ENI, see this document:

http://domino.automation.rockwell.c...5961BA17E4673D9485256D98007F5795?OpenDocument

Also, do a search of this site for NET-ENI and I'm sure you will find some good info. This is the thread where I posted the above document.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6624

As far as the response from Digi, I wound up speaking with the guy who had previously worked for AB and now works for Digi who had developed the NET-ENI module for AB. He didn't seem to think that my problems were related to the NET-ENI module and wanted me to do some network testing with analyzer software and such, but I just don't have the time and am not willing to take the risk of putting the NET-ENI back online and risk shutting down my process again. The Prosoft module is working just fine, although as mentioned in some other posts, it is about 3 times the cost of the NET-ENI.

Hope this helps.

Jeff