PLC inputs to Computer

Good day



i am doing a project with a conveyor and sorting system using the Mirco 850 PLC and micro hmi for the control system of the conveyor.



I also have on a separate network a software application using Delphi programming language. Basically just for operator input and indication from weighing scales.



I wanted to add a sensor/scanner to the computer where it can pick up a counting pulse and display it on my computer program.



Is there a way to count a pulse from the PLC or device and count perhaps via rs232 or ethernet to my computer software?


thank you

The Plc(Micro850) can send MODBUS data out using RTU/TCP, so if the computer program can capture Modbus Data you could do anything you want with that data.

Thank you @damica1 for the reply.



How would i do that, do i need an card or interface in the PC to read that data?

I've used a python library in the past to extract inputs and outputs from a PLC. This can also be achieved with an OPC server software; for example: Ignition.

stallone said:

Thank you @damica1 for the reply.



How would i do that, do i need an card or interface in the PC to read that data?

Click to expand...

Depending on which protocol you use? If you use Modbus/Tcp and as long as the computer had an ethernet port all you need to do is find/download a Modbus Client that can provide some type of Capture/Export.

Now if you are the one writing the computer software you should be able to embed all the needed function into the PC software.

I think the Modbus options sounds the most promising.


If it does not pan out, somebody already mentioned Ignition (10kUSD and up); there is also AdvanceHMI, which I have not yet tried but seems to do this kind of thing well, in YouTube videos at least.

Here's what you need

https://ingeardrivers.com/products/net-products/netlogix/

they also have a MDBUS version both work well

The only problem of counting pulses sent from a PLC via Coms will be if the pulse i.e. bit you are reading is faster than can be captured via you PC program. In that case, it would be better to count the pieces in the PLC and read the value as an integer, you could then send a bit back to the PLC when you need to reset the count. In other words, let the PLC do the work, coms is a tricky subject, to make it more efficient sending information from PC to PLC will normally only be done on change releasing some coms time to for the PC to read data from the PLC as fast as possible, another consideration is to make data read or sent to be contiguous so that it reduces the number of transactions, reading values from areas of memory that are not contiguous means you have to read the ones in-between or make more transactions.

I would go w/ something like this -
https://labjack.com/products/u3?gcl...I59bTfp65t-X1NtO9iBOBIaaLNUIMMCRoCNlQQAvD_BwE

Go up or down in price depending on the criticality/how much you want to bodge the programming.

or a NI USB-6501 or similar.
You might have to deal w/ the signaling level differences.