Cheap PLC recomendations Koyo CLICK? Others?

[Eric Nelson]

I have a little Click PLC that I have found to be no less than awesome...except for that pesky lack of analog...it's surprisingly powerful, fast and has lots of memory for a tiny little PLC.

And you can't beat the price! I recently used one on an extremely simple project where I needed a single analog output to be controlled by a little Red Lion G304K (gotta love Red Lion's HMIs!).

Operator selects from a large list of products. The 'recipe' associated with each product is really just a different conveyor speed.

I was looking at maybe something like remote I/O, but even A-D's inexpensive 'Terminator' stuff would have been well over $500. Then I realized that a $130 Click would work fine, and it did! I just send the recipe's value over Modbus to the Click to change the analog output to a speed control... Done!..



-Eric

 

[tommy23t]

Don't know how cheap, but this guy is doing it with Unitronics.
http://www.unitronics.com/Content.aspx?page=ApplicationV5

I have used their Jazz model, easy to program and pretty cool.

tommy23t

 

[Seewald]

I think I have decided to go with the CLICK PLC. $130 for the CPU plus $45 for each 16 pt IO module, $220 total. I am just going to be using the analogs for temp control so a few seconds delay wont effect it. I would really like some kind of HMI though without breaking the bank. What is a good cheap HMI with a 3-4" screen that will work with the Click?

The arduino has lots of features, but I dont have that much time to learn to program it right now.

I like that CuTouch HMI+PLC but I dont know how steep the learnig curve would be or what kind of support, reliability they have.

 

[(8{)} ( .)]

Ever look at Arduino?

Here's the site. I know that they've got a 16 AI board. Very cost effective and nerdy kool to boot

http://arduino.cc/

Good Luck,

(8{)} .)

Yosi

 

[Stephen Luft]

4.3" color touch screen

With regards to your last question about an inexpensive display, we offer the MMI series from KEP.

http://www.eternity-sales.com/KEP/MMI8000.htm

The MMI6050 offers a protocol for communicating with the Click.

Software is free of charge and can be downloaded from our web site.

If you have any questions, feel free to email or pm.

Hope this helps.

 

[JordanR]

You could do

I have used the click analogs with modbus master slave set-up. Meaning you can buy three click analog modules and set up the comm. This will give you six analog In's and six out's

I am only using the inputs for temp / pressure display on the cmore micro I am using in my app.

The temp control loop...........EH yer on yer own on that one?

Best
Jordan

 

[Lancie1]

I think I have decided to go with the CLICK PLC. $130 for the CPU plus $45 for each 16 pt IO module, $220 total. I am just going to be using the analogs for temp control so a few seconds delay wont effect it.

Good choice, Greg. But I need to correct my comments in Post #11 (see below). I meant to say that you will need about 6 more digital OUTPUTS to switch 3 analog inputs to one analog input on the Click.

It would require about 6 more digital inputs to switch each of the 6 analog inputs to the available two on the Click. Each of 3 brewing inputs could be switched to 1 of the Click analog inputs, read for 2 seconds, the value stored internally, then the timer would cause the next input to be switched in. Because 3 could be switched to each A.I., it would only require 6 seconds to read all 6 into the Click memory. I doubt if a 6-second maximum delay would be a problem in beer brewing. Because each value is now stored in memory, but only a maximum of 6 seconds old, these values can be used as if they are real-time.

 

[Seewald]

Lancie, with the built-in outputs and the 16 pt module I will have plenty of extra outputs.

I dont have much expeirence with dc IO. I read about another guy burning the outputs of his Click up. I plan on getting the 16pt. sourcing dc output module, and picking up Phoenix Contact plugin relays, http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=5W%252bNKB25SvLCU%2F1WTCCWzA%3D%3D. Coil current is only 10 mA, I believe the card is rated for 100 mA per output. I will also be picking up some SSR. Do I need to worry about damaging my outputs? Any special wiring practices recomended?

 

[Doug_Adam]

Hi Seewald,

Be careful of that relay, I have found they do not last well if they draw any type of current. If I was you, I would go for the larger sized relays, with 16A single contact, 10mm wide style such as Omron G2R or similar Phoenix contact of Finder style. These type last a bit better.

 

[OkiePC]

Coil current is only 10 mA, I believe the card is rated for 100 mA per output. I will also be picking up some SSR. Do I need to worry about damaging my outputs?

Interposing relays should make them last virtually forever. I am not a big fan of the tiny little terminal block relays. I would opt for regular old $10 ice cube relays.

Any special wiring practices recomended?

Accurate ones

 

[bce123]

I have a dl 260 with some analog thermocouple mods i might donate if this is going to be a fourm project pm me i will check back this afternoon

 

[Lancie1]

Any special wiring practices recomended?

Accurate ones

Greg, I second that motion, and raise it by 1. If your wiring accuracy is about like mine, you should double-check your wiring, then before applying power, remove the two ends going to your PLC Output terminals and check the resistance of the total circuit with an ohmmeter. If it is 0, then check again because there may be a short-circuit. Connecting PLC outputs to short-circuited wiring is a sure way to burn out that output.

 

[jman02]

Try Unitronics (www.unitronics.com) PLC w/ built-in HMI. Free software, wide variety of add-on modules to choose from.