Comactlogix with two serial ports

harryting said:

Another option that may work, Red Lion Datastation?

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Yes, we discussed that. The customer doesn't have any Red Lion experience, and I would have to put the polling logic in the Crimson program. I would like to experiment with that for my own benefit actually. Then we wouldn't need a PLC at all, just a Graphite HMI (since a rugged HMI is also called for in this project), add some supporting hardware and some keyboard magic.

I could use gateway blocks or creative tag data source construction to map the results from the radio polls back to Logix 5k tags in his main plant PLC.

The new panel does need to bring in 2 or 3 discrete inputs and one 4 to 20mA pressure sensor, but that can be done with Red Lion I/O hardware too.

I would need to thoroughly test it all to get my code right. I think I may send him a note describing this...it would save a ton of money and dramatically simplify the panel.

Ken Roach said:

All I know is what I saw in Automation Fair 2018 slideshow showing that the 5069-SERIAL module that has ASCII and Modbus RTU functionality now will be getting DF1 and DH485 "in the future".

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I just wanted to post a follow up to the question about the 5069-SERIAL module.
I've got one now and I have had a chance to "play" with it albeit briefly. I can confirm that at this point it is Modbus and ASCII only. It operates as a Modbus RTU Master/Slave, Modbus ASCII Master/Slave or in raw ASCII. I've only worked with the Modbus RTU configuration and found it a little difficult to use primarily because you don't treat it like a typical Allen Bradley communications device I.E. you don't use message instructions but rather there are tags that enable/disable the Modbus functionality and during the module configuration process you define the different MB commands. I started to get the hang of it but I was also limited on time so I had to move on. I wouldn't shy away from it however I could make a good argument that, depending on how easy the Gateway of your choice is to setup and use, you might be better off using it to bridge the 5069 via EtherNet/IP to MB (or DF1) rather than using the 5069-SERIAL module. I'm sure that argument could go either way and it's probably really just a matter of preference.
One other note, the module requires Studio 5000 V.31 or higher. I installed V.32 and discovered that CCW is going to start looking more like Studio 5000 because they are making Studio 5000 look like CCW.

is it just telemetry or does the compactlogix "master" need to perform functions based on input from the remote sites? I would just poll the sites directly instead of using the compactlogix as a data concentrator unless i really needed to.

Might consider using Digi One IAP for protocol conversion.

To elaborate, use message instructions from CompactLogix via ethernet to digi. Digi converts to DF1 radio modem with serial port connected to radio. In the future, if Micrologix disappear at other end, a Digi could be added to convert to whatever protocol replacement requires. We do this frequently, and it works well.

OkiePC said:

...the 1769-L31 with two serial ports are obsolete...

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Hi Paul,

I have four L31's gathering dust on a shelf that I know I'll never put into meaningful service ever again. They were "upgraded" to L32's on four identical barcode reader machines about 10 years ago. One port communicated DF1 with a serial only PanelView Plus 600 and the other did ASCII from a serial handheld barcode scanner for teaching in the barcodes at each product changeover.

If feasible, you would be more than welcome to one?

Regards,
George