A Quick Comparrison

PLC Pie Guy said:

So far, just the lack of parameter passing to the HMI. Also, the tiny little library of HMI objects. Referring to Sysmac Studio. I have an online session with an Omron rep later this morning so he can show me some of the capability. Id like to see some way to make a re-usable screen object and or display that can somehow be indirectly referenced.
Other than that, they seem pretty equivalent, just based on the tiny bit of time Iv had with it. Maybe it can do more than I think!
Perhaps still more than my customer wants to spend though. My system still comes in around the 18K mark with Omron. About 6K cheaper than the Ab alternative but about 7K more than the AD route.
Just weighing options, pros and cons.

Thanks

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I must correct myself. After an hour with an Omron guy, I see that the functionality I seek is there. I don't completely understand it yet as I need to do this on my own before I will. But there is a way to make "global objects", in a sense or IAG as this Sysmac software would refer to It. As well we can do popup displays using different STRUCT tags for each instance as I hoped.

Everything is so different though. An hour with him going as fast as we were certainly made my brain quiver. I'm really concerned about being efficient with the project and not spending 3 weeks just to figure things out. Especially where I wouldn't have any equipment to set up a test bench until a commitment is made. But then he'll want it yesterday!

Thanks

if switching from AB to omron is going to make your job harder, your life more stressful, or just plain old be extra work it won't take long to regret the $10k you 'saved' by using omron instead of AB.

V0N_hydro said:

if switching from AB to omron is going to make your job harder, your life more stressful, or just plain old be extra work it won't take long to regret the $10k you 'saved' by using omron instead of AB.

Click to expand...

I agree agree agree!!!!! 200%.
I sure hope he lets me do this with my normal equipment, that would make me very happy. It will go smoothly and quick.
Then I can learn other things at my own pace, and I do want to learn other things... All software discussed this thread included.
The Omron stuff is intriguing but so unfamiliar.
I do want to play with it some more.

Smoothly and quick vs. slow and painful should be end of discussion for your employer.



You can either spend a lot of time working with the new hardware, re-implementing your existing programs and interfaces with HMIs, and testing the programs and HMIs against a simulated or real process which makes the programming or commissioning take longer than it would by staying with the same hardware, or you can wing it and accept that there will be hiccups that cause lost production.



Probably neither the extra time to re-implement and thoroughly test, the value of potential lost production and time spend to remedy those problems, or even the cost of having a whole other series of part numbers to keep on hand as spares will make up the difference in hardware cost.


Don't let your employer be penny wise and pound foolish.

Better to learn on a smaller system if changing hardware. My first exposure to Schneider's Unity pro was on an existing wastewater plant that takes up to 3 hours to Re-sync the reactors if you stuff the sequencing. Let's just say that the Operators were ready to throw me into a sludge tank after i made a small change, it didn't go as expected and i panicked and downloaded my saved copy of the program.. without any setpoints saved. Oops.

Now it's almost all I use and projects go smoothly.

If they want you to use a different platform then they need to give you time and resources to learn first on the bench. Will the move to Omron be a permanent change in direction? If so, then that's all good but i hope he's not just selecting a chapter option for this one project just to shave a few dollars off.

I am confused about this whole discussion as it seems time isn't being billed. It's pretty clear that there will be added development costs by going with another platform and these should be passed on to the client specifying the equipment as the true value of the work being done.
Obviously, if you reuse a lot of what you have done in the past, then you'll be able to offer a cheaper service with the increased price of the hardware/software.

I'm sure if you bill your time correctly, the difference in implementation time would make it worth going with Rockwell.

However, some people don't want to pay Rockwell's absurd prices and by only being able to work with one brand you may be losing a customer.

I just remembered that other brands offer Rockwell conversion software for their own code. Does OMRON have any of this sort? Or the potential to import text based routines? This could at least minimise the time spent re-writing code that you already have.

Have a look at the IntegraXor web SCADA. It features a web HMI so really it's much less hassle on compatibility.