Recommendation for an Inexpensive PLC with Mobile HMI App

[alizadeh]

I need an inexpensive PLC for home automation projects. I only need digital outputs and analog inputs. Pretty simple and slow process. Also, it would be ideal to have a mobile app as the HMI. I know there are some HMI apps out there. I'd appreciate your recommendations on the PLC and the mobile HMI solutions.

[chud]

The Latest Siemens logo has a webserver where you can create custom webpages.
Then also most codesys based plc's also have webservers with custom pages. I have only used the Schneider tm241 plc for this

[cardosocea]

Siemens S7-1200 allows you to create a web page to interact with your logic. More expensive than a Logo, but far more capable.

[ojz0r]

I second codesys.
Either run it on a raspberry pi with some remote io or get a complete codesys plc with some integrated io.

Otherwise there is HMI Droid for some basic HMI connection to plc.




Edit: Adjusted answer. Missread the OP post.

[BryanG]

I second the Raspberry Pi option. But would suggest you look at Node Red or Home Assistant to do the work.
https://nodered.org/
https://www.home-assistant.io/

[Manglemender]

Originally Posted by BryanG

I second the Raspberry Pi option. But would suggest you look at Node Red or Home Assistant to do the work.
https://nodered.org/
https://www.home-assistant.io/

Not used HA but I know many do. NodeRed is a favourite of mine.

I would ADD: ESP32 for the I/O; communicating via MQTT over WiFi back to the raspberry pi which hosts NodeRed and Eclipse MQTT.

If you want to make prettier looking dashboards then install Telegraf, InfluxDB and Grafana.

Nick

[glenncovington]

I have used these before with success. Inexpensive with Ethernet, web server, digital and analog.

https://triplc.com/nano10.htm

[mad4x4]

Ive used these for a "personal project"

https://aceautomation.eu/

[Jlandwerlen]

I realize you said PLC, but I would recommend Inductive Automation's Ignition Maker Edition, it is tailored just for personal projects like home automation. It is free but you are required to use it as intended. It fits the bill for mobile apps.

Worth a look in my opinion, https://inductiveautomation.com/ignition/maker-edition

[Manglemender]

Originally Posted by Jlandwerlen

I realize you said PLC, but I would recommend Inductive Automation's Ignition Maker Edition, it is tailored just for personal projects like home automation. It is free but you are required to use it as intended. It fits the bill for mobile apps.

Worth a look in my opinion, https://inductiveautomation.com/ignition/maker-edition

Looks Interresting. can it connect directly to remote I/O modules at all?

Nick

[Jlandwerlen]

Originally Posted by Manglemender

Looks Interresting. can it connect directly to remote I/O modules at all?

Nick

MQTT would be one option where it can connect directly.

[I_Automation]

Automation Direct C-More has a mobile app.


Also AdvancedHMI can be put on a Windows tablet. I have one with 4 projects for lines I regularly work on so I can walk around the line checking items and calibrating sensors and signal conditioners.

[alizadeh]

Thank you everyone for all the informative responses. I think I'm leaning towards inexpensive PLCs rather than Raspberry Pi or Arduino. So, if I want to interface a PLC with wifi feature such as Click Plus with an HMI mobile app like HMI Droid, I assume I need some intermediary device that can host an MQTT broker?

[busarider29]

Originally Posted by alizadeh

I need an inexpensive PLC for home automation projects. I only need digital outputs and analog inputs. Pretty simple and slow process. Also, it would be ideal to have a mobile app as the HMI. I know there are some HMI apps out there. I'd appreciate your recommendations on the PLC and the mobile HMI solutions.

I suppose the first question I would ask you is what do you consider "inexpensive"? When I think of real PLC hardware, a $1K PLC is inexpensive (CPU only).
As others have suggested, I would look at a PLC that has CodeSys integrated for the development environment (ie...Beckhoff). If you're savvy in .NET, Beckhoff has a free API you can use to read/write to your PLC program using C#, VB, or C++, so you could build out your HMI in .NET. They have all kinds of example code on their website for that. We've leveraged it several times for machines in our plant. Of course then you could also build out a mobile app of your own. Beckhoff's PLCs are PC based, so that's a plus as well.

Here is very capable CX9020 on Ebay for any home project you may want to implement. You would still require 24V power supply, I/O, and peripherals.

[alizadeh]

CX9020 would be an overkill for my project but CodeSys sounds promising. With the method you described, the mobile HMI app can communicate with the PLC from afar over cellular connection too?