Panel View or RS View?

Plant looking to have 2 processors on one panelview (in the maintenance shop).
At this moment everyone is looking at another panel view... (actually refurbising an AB CTC unit). (already has had 2 hard drive failures)...
But wouldn't it be better (long term) to have something RS View 32 ME? There'd be a data historian as well. Which, to me, seems like a nice way of finding operational trends...
Would it be more cost effective as well to use RS View 32 ME or stick with something like a CTC or other panel view type device?
Thoughts?

What are your requirements for a "data historian" ? RSView32 has a pretty good data logging function, but RSView ME's data log is really only an engine to run it's onscreen trends.

Ken Roach said:

What are your requirements for a "data historian" ? RSView32 has a pretty good data logging function, but RSView ME's data log is really only an engine to run it's onscreen trends.

Click to expand...

There are only a few parameters that would really need to be recorded: 3 temps, avg fan speed, fault history. Would like to have them for each shift. There has been some talk about one of the temps (avg chamber temp) being monitored for the epa (recording 3 hour avgs).
I must be misunderstanding the differences between RS view and view me. Will both function as an hmi, or is that primarily only ME?

There are only a few parameters that would really need to be recorded: 3 temps, avg fan speed, fault history. Would like to have them for each shift. There has been some talk about one of the temps (avg chamber temp) being monitored for the epa (recording 3 hour avgs).

Click to expand...

Sounds like an RTO...

martyh said:

Sounds like an RTO...

Click to expand...

It is an RTO! These things are fun. The whole epa issue seems to have arisen from a recent dre test.
At another site I had written up (what I guess) is a slight variation on the data historian.. by having the RTO average its CC temp for each 3 hour period. There's a bit more to that (including some vb stuff, but that doesn't apply to this discussion). It's not very complex code, but it works. Except for the vb stuff, all of the averaging code is contained in the processor itself. Also has a 3 week history. This minimizes data loss in case of power sags (which have happened numerous times over the past few weeks). Just periodically dump the data onto an excel sheet and it's saved. Give the client a new cd-rom every month.
But for the new stuff there will be 5 units that would require this code. I really think the better solution would be rsview (in some form), especially if needs change down the road. But before I bring it up to my boss, I'd like to know if it's a legitimate option, or if I'm off base.
RTOs are fun. Been doing them for just over 4.5 years now.

I must be misunderstanding the differences between RS view and view me. Will both function as an hmi, or is that primarily only ME?

Click to expand...

RSView ME (machine edition) is for Windows CE devices like PanelView Plus.
RSView 32 is the mature HMI that includes data logging and VBA among other things.

Gerry said:

RSView ME (machine edition) is for Windows CE devices like PanelView Plus.
RSView 32 is the mature HMI that includes data logging and VBA among other things.

Click to expand...

Thank you for clearing up my confusion.
I guess RSView 32 would be what I'd compare to a stand alone panel view (like the AB CTC units, or the old 1400E).

Thank you for clearing up my confusion.

Click to expand...

I appear to have failed.

RSView ME (PanelView Plus) is closer to (and a step up from) the original PanelViews which were a step up from the T30.

RSView 32 is a PC package for Windows NT, 2K, XP. You would compare it with Intellution's IFIX or Wonderware's InTouch.

Adding to the confusion

RSView ME can run on a Windows PC.
That said, RSView ME is not really a SCADA solution, it is more an HMI solution. So it is true that for datalogging RSView32 is better.

As a note, I have used RSView ME as a PC application myself, saved me a pile of time in screen development, machine had RSView Station, along with 5 Pview+'s, communicating all on ethernet to 5 SLC 505's. Worked great exept when it came to data logging as you all have said. Resolved it though by writing data logging logic into the PLC using FFL's and FFU's.
It did save a pile of money on software, but the amount of time to program PLC Logic, and the memory used up in processor would make me never want to do that again.

I vote for 'none of the above'

MUST it really be an Allen Bradley product???

WHY???

Don't forget that the 'total cost of ownership' for a PanelViewPlus
will involve a none too trivial investment in the developement software, and, might I add, a platform to run it on. Add then, to that, the learning curve (2X) for the new software.

Look at Maple HMI 5xx series, or XYCOM for a few low-cost, high-sense alternatives.

Or, perhaps your best bet is to hit eBay and simply get some spare CTC's and hard drives.

Vote For A Change!