GE-Fanuc 90-70 communications

[bdoutney]

We have 12 PLC's(6 main and 6 standby)that are linked by serial cable through genius bus controllers to an old SCADA system(Fincor interrogator) that cannot be edited and is no longer serviced by anyone. We have made a lot of changes to these newspaper presses this last year so some of the I/O is now used for other things and there have been additional processes added that we can't bring into the existing SCADA. We want to tie into A new SCADA system Like our RSview 32 we use for other things. My question is what is the best way to connect to this serial network?

 

[jandrul]

Have you considered CIMPLICITY ? It supports Series 90-70 with Genius Bus Controllers.

 

[Steve Bailey]

As far as I know, RSView doesn't have a way to connect to a Genius network. That would require a Genius interface in the PC that RSView is running on. I expect that's how the Fincor system is communicating with the PLCs.

You may need to have one of the PLCs collect the Genius data from all of the rest and make it available to RSView via some other protocol. What does RSView offer for communications with GE? The 90-70 ethernet module supports GE's ethernet protocols, but I don't know if it supports Modbus TCP. I'm quite sure it doesn't support ethernet IP.

 

[RussB]

I suggest that you look into adding a GEIP RX3i with a low end CPU, dedicated Genius Bus Controller, or two for the 90-70 redundant processors and a Ethernet module. Add to this OPC for Modbus TCP/IP and Ethernet IP, or as someone recommended one of the GEIP SCADA systems. But depending on what information the SCADA needs I would think that GEIP's Proficy SCADA may be a good fit.

Or better, replacing one set of these obsolete 90-70 PLC's with a redundant pair of RX3i PAC's. Which should have been done last year when the changes were made.