Need a low cost HMI that will work with Compact Logix

pallen3

Member
Join Date
Feb 2005
Location
Oakville Ontario Canada
Posts
5
I have a request from a customer to outfit about a half dozen assembly stations with a way to enter a "bypass" code. The hitch is that the bypass codes for all the stations needs to be set/reset from one central location. Most likely the main HMI for the PLC.

I had a Rockwell sales guy in this morning that had originally suggested something called PanelView Component. But apparently addressing that many IP addresses (More than 6) isn't possible for the CompactLogix platform. So he bumped us up to a ControlLogix. But since the little PanelViews don't work with ControlLogix, he bumped those up to PanelViewPlus 600s. Which means it's going to cost me way, way too much for such a seemingly simple thing.

Can a CompactLogix really only handle one or two Ethernet/IP connections reliably? Would 10 HMIs really bring one to its knees?

I was curious if anyone on this board had done something similar in that past, and what hardware they may have used.

My other option is to use a PC to interface with the hardware and pass any relevant data back to the PLC via OPC. But if I can do it simply and directly, I'd much rather go that way.
 
Hrm... Not sure. The TCP Connection limit on CompactLogix is 64, and I'm browsing to one now that sits on a network, talking to 4 other L32E's, 4 ControlLogix controllers (all messaging), and it interfaces with 3 FTView SE servers and two PanelView + HMI's.

It looks like none of the HMI's are browsing it now, but with all that I'm only using 11 out ofr 64 TCP connections, and 10 out of 32 CIP connections.

That is the most loaded CompactLogix here, but it's never had a problem.
 
I dont understand why you need many connections from the Panelview Component panels.

Do I understand it like this:
There is one CompactLogix PLC.
There is one "main HMI". The main HMI manages the access codes. The access codes are sent from the Main HMI to the PLC.
There are 6 small HMI's, just for entering the access code.
Does that not mean that each of the small HMI's have 1 connection to the PLC ?
 
I haven't used a PV Component yet. But when I looked at the literature, it said "preferred connectivity with MicroLogix and SLC500 controllers". No mention of CompactLogix.

In the quick start manual the example was an 1100, I saw where you pick controller type from a pull-down, but it didn't show all the available types. The addressing in the example was File:Word/Bit as expected, but it didn't say anything about ControlLogix type tag names. Mind you, this is just from a quick scan, so I might have missed it.

I'm really baffled why it would work with a CompactLogix and not a ControlLogix. I guess it could be intentionally limited, but that seems unlikely. It may be that you have to use File:Word/Bit style addressing, and map it on the ControlLogix end, but that's no big problem.

My guess is the Rockwell sales guy got confused.
 
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I got confused also, so had to read the text again.

He said that the salesguy suggested a Standard Panelview in stead of the Component Panels. But the problem with the Standard Panelviews was that they can not talk with logix tags, he had to switch to Panelview Plus. Why even mention the Standard Panelviews ? Nevermind.

I guess that the Component Panelviews require that PLC5 tag addressing is used. Which I guess is OK for a very small application.

edit: Hang on, no I am really confused. He never mentioned Standard Panelviews. You are right, that there should be no difference with CompactLogix/ControlLogix.
Maybe Pallen3 or the salesguy was thinking about MicroLogix.
I better go on weekend. :)
 
Last edited:
Tell the AB salesguy to get bent.
Talk to Red Lion.
The G3 can talk directly to the CompactLogix and can use CLX native tag addressing.
And six G3s will cost you about the same as one Panelview.
 

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