PLC and HMI suggestion

Was wondering if the new micro800 serie was worth to give it a shot for a new small projet where the cost matter.

I will need a Small HMI like 6-7"
and my PLC will need

Atleast 32IO, 120v Relay
8AI
4AO

Will need Ethernet port to put it on the company network
and need to Datalog and export data

I own already Rslogix 500 ,5000 and View Studio ME. im trying to keep it in the Rockwell Family also.

Thanks for your advice !

I have found the click plc to be very affordable and have lots of nice features for the price. also, the idec line has a good price point. idec also has a new 4.3" touchscreen that is cheap but seems to be of good quality. I am sure you can step up and get a 6-7".

if cost matters those 2 will be very affordable compared to the competition.

They aren't "bad" per say. I have worked with them, but quite a bit different from the other products you are used to. Connected Components Workbench is an entirely different beast.

You'll need the largest one to handle Ethernet and the number of Analog I/O.
2080-LC50-48AWB. 24DC power. Optional Power supply. 2080-PS120-240VAC
Two of each analog modules. 2080-IF4, 2080-OF2. Front mount.
For side mount, use 2085-IF8 and 2085-OF4.

you can try Vision700™ from unitrinics, it is a plc and hmi in a single package

I have been using these a lot. It was not by choice that I started using them and in fact when I started with them I was kind of cranky about it. Now, I have grown to like them. I use them for small machines like fillers, level control for filling pumps, Mixing applications and even one I did to update an old high sped boxing machine glue system. That one uses an encoder and a full recipe scheme. Since then I have been asked to replicate the system for other similar machines. Some of the projects are even controlling 525 drives which is incredibly easy to set up.
Also, as is the case with the big boy software, now that I have a few projects done, I can put together a decent project with full drive control and an HMI in a morning.
There is some learning challenges but I don't see this going away anytime soon, so getting on board may be the only option. Or switching brands!

I can't comment on the data logging capabilities as I have not yet been required to implement that into a project.

Also I wanted to mention that the developer version of CCW is worth the $$$. It gives you most importantly the ability to create user defines data structures as well as online editing. It may have other good features, but that's my benefit.

Downloading and online change takes way too long. They may be cheap but you will spend far more money actually developing anything of a reasonable size. Working on a Micro850 at the mo and I am looking at 90-100 seconds for every download – and even more for an online change. Time is money and although the customer wanted AB (and the PLC itself is actually fine) we will never use these again.

PLC Pie Guy said:

I have been using these a lot. It was not by choice that I started using them and in fact when I started with them I was kind of cranky about it. Now, I have grown to like them. I use them for small machines like fillers, level control for filling pumps, Mixing applications and even one I did to update an old high sped boxing machine glue system. That one uses an encoder and a full recipe scheme. Since then I have been asked to replicate the system for other similar machines. Some of the projects are even controlling 525 drives which is incredibly easy to set up.
Also, as is the case with the big boy software, now that I have a few projects done, I can put together a decent project with full drive control and an HMI in a morning.
There is some learning challenges but I don't see this going away anytime soon, so getting on board may be the only option. Or switching brands!

Click to expand...

I agree with all this as I too was the same way. They do have a spot for small projects I believe. It is a small learning curve but not too bad. I would possibly team it up with a Red Lion HMI or a Panelview 800. Red Lion Crimson has a Driver for the Micro800 series and has good capabilities for data logging and exporting data.

If you are used to RSLogix 500, the Micrologix 1400 comes in at about the same price as your Micro850 for that I/O.

Martin,

If you are linking to a network, then data logging at the node level should not be vital, in that you are able to transmit data on a regular basis.

It is also understandable to "keep it in the family", referring to your last comment, in that you are familiar with AB's programming methodology, however, you may be eliminating valid options "outside of the family"

One such option is from Triangle Research. Their Fx1616-BA meets all of your I/O requirements, digital and analog. It comes standard with an Ethernet port, utilizing ModBus TCP/IP. Expansion is available and the programming software is part of a starter kit.

More information can be found through the following link:

http://www.eternity-sales.com/tri-plc/tri-plc.htm

You would want to review the programming information, which is available through the following link:

http://www.eternity-sales.com/tri-plc/plcsoftware.htm

http://www.eternity-sales.com/tri-plc/fseries.htm

Tri-PLC also offers a 7" touch screen, private labelled from Weintek, via KEP.

http://www.kep.com/productPages/ope...creens/MT6070iE_HMI-with-7in-TFT-Display.html

Or you can purchase any one of KEP's touch screens.

Disclosure - ESI is an authorized Triangle Research distributor. Should you have any questions, feel free to email through the link below, respond to this post or pm.

twocozz said:

... 90-100 seconds for every download – and even more for an online change...

Click to expand...

Minute and a half for an 850? How is it possible AB could sell something that horrible?
Just quoted an upgrade. Asked to quote conversion from the AD Click to AB.
4-20 mA pressure sensor, RS232 for HMI and Scale, RS485 for 3 VFD's. 820 has enough digital I/O, but I need the 850 to handle all the comms, and leave room for expansion.

The AD Click is 74 rungs. Am I going to be disappointed?

keithkyll said:

Minute and a half for an 850? How is it possible AB could sell something that horrible?

Click to expand...

Could this perhaps be a bit of a stretch? I am seeing just under 60 seconds with a fair sized project on an 820. That has 2 rives under Ethernet control as well. The main thing is to ALWAYS HAVE YOUR FILES ON A LOCAL HARD DRIVE!!!!!! This is absolutely imperative for the Micro800 series. Having your projects live on a network drive will drive you crazy. I wanted nothing to do with this stuff until the day this forum helped me realize that the file location was the error of my ways. It made it slow and would cause frequent crashes.

Also, how many times do you really have to download to the same Micro??

I had an issue with the Click, converting ASCII from the scale to an integer. If the weight was less than 1000, it rejected the leading space as an invalid character. It was quite a few downloads/trials until I got something that worked. The later Clicks with Ethernet allow runtime downloads, but this one didn't have it. Sitting on a folding chair in a hot warehouse environment. Don't want to experience that again.

Don't think I'll have an issue with the Micro, but lengthy downloads with any brand PLC is hard to excuse. Somebody said I'll need to pay if I want runtime downloads?