Inexpensive PLC in HMI suggestion

ceilingwalker

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ceilingwalker
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Mar 2010
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Phoenix, AZ
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Hello all. I am looking for a very inexpensive PLC in HMI for a very basic control scheme..... a couple of discrete inputs and outputs with a decent enough processor to count pulses from a paddle wheel in a water line. Completely stand alone unit. Cost is the key with this. Since I am not very familiar with any off brand units I thought this to be the best place to go for this. Thank you.
 
Are you looking for

  • Inexpensive hardware (low capital cost, because labor is cheap), or
  • Inexpensive programming (low development labor cost, because labor is expensive), or
  • Inexpensive project (low total cost, considering both capital and labor costs)?
 
How many are you going to build ?

What is the pulse speed of the flowmeter input ?

What features does the HMI need ? Any networking necessary ? Webservers, IOT connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth, color graphics ?

What's the control power ? 12V ? 24 V? 120VAC ? Solar ?

Do you need UL, CSA, or CE ratings ?

An Arduino or ESP32 with a TFT display in a plastic housing is going to be the cheapest possible hardware.

>Off brand units

I don't think it's a surprise that you get what you pay for, especially at the lowest end of the market.
 
The Click is a great little low cost PLC and surprisingly rugged. We have a couple dozen in some nasty places and the only failure was caused by a lightning hit near a long RS485 link between a pair of them. They're easy to program too and store comments on-board.
 
ceilingwalker said:
[..]with a decent enough processor to count pulses from a paddle wheel in a water line.
Click to expand...
Be aware that it is probably not enough to use 'regular' inputs for this. The impulses from a directly connected paddle wheel are so fast and with such a short impulse duration that you normally would use a counter input for this.
 
I agree with Jesper, you are going to want hsc abilities. The click line from automation direct I think will have everything your looking for cheap, easy, accessible. Their Cmore HMI line is also very affordable and easy to program.
 
ArcReactorKC said:
I agree with Jesper, you are going to want hsc abilities. The click line from automation direct I think will have everything your looking for cheap, easy, accessible. Their Cmore HMI line is also very affordable and easy to program.
Click to expand...

I am familiar with Cmore and Automation Direct PLC's. I didn't realize they built the Click line. Thank you.
 
JesperMP said:
Be aware that it is probably not enough to use 'regular' inputs for this. The impulses from a directly connected paddle wheel are so fast and with such a short impulse duration that you normally would use a counter input for this.
Click to expand...

And be careful with the frequency limit for counting mode as opposed to frequency mode... I got caught out on the Rockwell 1719 frequency "counter" input.
 
The Eaton Easy E4 base devices (DC input or Universal Voltage Input) have high speed counter inputs that work up to 5kHz.

If all you need is a simple screen they have units with those built in as well.

www.eaton.com/easy
 
I think Norm has the right idea: one of the "nano PLCs" or "smart relays" with a brick form factor and an onboard LCD display.

To my knowledge the Eaton and Klockner Moeller devices are identical, and they compete with the Rockwell Micro 810, Omron ZEN, Siemens LOGO!, and IDEC Smart Relay.

Find one with an appropriate frequency input to handle the flowmeter, and you've got a $200 or so solution.
 

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