SlC-5/01 to SLC-5/05 Upgrade

I recently came aboard a new company. They (or we I should say) have a critical robotic process line that has an infeed conveyor section running on a SLC 5/01 processor. My inclination is to upgrade it to a 5/05, but with such a wide gap in years between the two, I'm wondering if everything else is 100% compatible, like the rack in particular. I remember 5/01's and using a PIC device twenty, maybe 30 years ago? Never thought I 'd see a PIC again let alone a 5/01. We do actually have a spare 5/01, but in the name of extreme obsolescence, I still want to bring it up to the latest and greatest ( I know also discontinued) SLC-5/05 for the sake of ethernet at the very least. Anyone see any problems doing that?

Thanks JT

terlizziJ said:

I recently came aboard a new company. They (or we I should say) have a critical robotic process line that has an infeed conveyor section running on a SLC 5/01 processor. My inclination is to upgrade it to a 5/05, but with such a wide gap in years between the two, I'm wondering if everything else is 100% compatible, like the rack in particular. I remember 5/01's and using a PIC device twenty, maybe 30 years ago? Never thought I 'd see a PIC again let alone a 5/01. We do actually have a spare 5/01, but in the name of extreme obsolescence, I still want to bring it up to the latest and greatest ( I know also discontinued) SLC-5/05 for the sake of ethernet at the very least. Anyone see any problems doing that?

Thanks JT

Click to expand...

I don't believe that the 5/01-5/05 had differences that would keep you from being able to convert it, and given that a program from a 5/01 would easily fit in any 5/05 that wouldn't be a problem either.

The PIC device is just a DH485 communicator for older hardware, the replacement for new PCs would be the 1747-UIC which allows you to connect to any of the DH485 interfaces (RJ45 on 5/01-5/03) with a PC that has USB ports.


But as for being the latest and greatest... That only applies you're talking the SLC line, latest and greatest to match that would be Controllogix or Compactlogix depending on the need, and that would require a full conversion to newer software and possibly program modifications.

Unless you need the Ethernet a 5/05 is overkill, but I would get rid of the 5/01.


You won't need to change anything in the program at all, but might want to look at the timers as the 5/01 was 'stuck' on 0.01 second timers. An upgrade gives you the opportunity to use different time bases for the same timers




I would use a 5/03 for this, a 5/04 if you have one and don't need the 5/03's Dh485 port and use just the RS232 DF-1 port.


A PIC is very old and I don't even think you could find one. What you now need is a UIC which is a USB to DH485.


The best place to get a UIC is from PLCCable.com run by a member of this forum - I have 2 of his.

I agree that an SLC-5/03 would be my usual choice to replace a 5/01 or 5/02. They were probably the most highly produced SLC-500 model.

I can't think of a feature that wouldn't translate automatically and correctly to an SLC-5/03 from a 5/01. The chassis, power supplies, and I/O are all 100% compatible.

Unless you've got an active node table or DH-485 dependent stuff on the machine, go ahead and use an SLC-5/05 to get yourself easy monitoring access.

I_Automation said:

...You won't need to change anything in the program at all, but might want to look at the timers as the 5/01 was 'stuck' on 0.01 second timers. An upgrade gives you the opportunity to use different time bases for the same timers...

Click to expand...

But to be clear, that is one of hundreds of things added or improved over the 5/01. Nothing is taken away, you just have new options.

I can't think of any items that would be at issue. I would just make sure I have a null modem serial cable as a way to communicate with the 5/05 until it has a functioning IP address. But I can't think of anything that would need to be changed in the logic. As Ken mentioned, the hardware wouldn't be an issue.

If I recall correctly, the 5/01 couldn't initiate a MSG instruction, it could only reply. So if you have a device like an HMI talking to the 5/01 using DH485, then you would need to look at some hardware to connect to the serial port and some configuration settings to configure it for DH485. I think that was the AIC+ you had to use. But it's been ages so I may not be remembering that correctly.

OG

the only thing that we had an issue with on an upgrade was the message instruction.
i would upload the program, then save it as a new name.
i would then open that file and change the processor and compile the program.
that should let you know what you are facing before mentioning it to the boss.
you should have a game plan in place first.
james

terlizziJ said:

Never thought I 'd see a PIC again...

Click to expand...

Does this mean you have a PIC there?


If you do make sure you don't upgrade RSLinx because I don't think the newer versions support a PIC driver.


If I remember right (3% chance of that this decade) it had to be RSLinx ver 2.8 on a Windows XP computer, or older version.

Why not replacing the SLC altogether? I'm sure they're still made or certainly repaired, but why chance it?