Time synchronisation on S7 300/400 plcs

Hello,

I need your advice. I have one S7 400 and two S7 300 PLCs, each doing it's own job. Now there is need times on these CPUs to be synchronised. I wonder if there is some solution that uses GPS. For example GPS device would acquire exact time and then distribute it to all PLCs.
Do you know for such solution?
What additional PLC's modules I'd need to buy?

Thank you very much

Siemens do their own time synch system called 'Siclock' which comes in various flavours none of which are cheap (of course).

If you use Ethernet (PN/DP) capable CPU's or Ethernet CP's you can use time synchronization in NTP mode. There are many manufactures of devices prowiding NTP serwer functionality.

Thanks for replies...
Can you give me more informations? I'm interested in cheaper variants (of course).
I'm not sure about s7-400, but I know that two s7-300 are S7-315-2 DP CPUs. I don't have general idea in my head yet, how this needs to be realized. I thought I'd need to have some GPS device, antenna and three pairs of wires, each pair to one PLC.
I'm a bit confused now...

hmm

We did it with a topologynetwork and the timemaster was a PC with WinCC.


For your case..., you could synchronise without an atomic clock too.

If the CPU's have different networks, then you should connect the networks with DP/DP couplers. Or you can build a topology on ethernet too.

DP/DP coupler = 300 euros I think.


To set the date and time you can use an HMI for example. The sync can be done in the CPU's.

Wireless WiFi is also possible, but more expensive.


If it really has to be the atomic time..., I don't know the price of these modules for S7-300 and 400 cpu's.

Maybe you could place and S7-200 timemaster with the SIPLUS DCF77 TIME RECEIVER modul ?


Many possibillities I think.

mikas_m said:

Thanks for replies...
Can you give me more informations? I'm interested in cheaper variants (of course).
I'm not sure about s7-400, but I know that two s7-300 are S7-315-2 DP CPUs. I don't have general idea in my head yet, how this needs to be realized. I thought I'd need to have some GPS device, antenna and three pairs of wires, each pair to one PLC.
I'm a bit confused now...

Click to expand...

gregoryg said:

If you use Ethernet (PN/DP) capable CPU's or Ethernet CP's you can use time synchronization in NTP mode. There are many manufactures of devices prowiding NTP serwer functionality.

Click to expand...

As Windows XP (I have XP Pro)
http://www.articlesbase.com/networks-articles/configuring-windows-xp-as-a-ntp-network-time-server-461171.html

Isn't there a way to syncronize the time on the plc if you don't have a WinCC or ethernet capable CPU's?

I'am in need of a sync method (if it's accurate to a minute, i'm happy, the most importand thing is the change of DLS-time)