Low cost AB Plc that uses RS Logix 5000

[Rob S.]

Good Morning ,

During this somewhat slow time,I want to take some time and do some training. I will be shot if I spend to much money.
I am looking at a low cost Allen Bradley PLC that uses RS Logix 5000. I imagine Compactlogix is lower in cost. What would be the cheapest Compactlogix model , or is it another I am overlooking.

Thanks

 

[BDL273]

I am not an AB guy at all but I have found cheap used plcs on ebay for training. I just bought a GE 90-30 with a bunch of I/O cards for dirt cheap and the thing worked fine right out of the box.

 

[TConnolly]

There is a fixed IO ControlLogix brick with limited expandability.

Another option is the Micro-800 line. The programming software for that line is free. I haven't used it but I understand that although it is a big step down from the CLX family, it is tag based.

edit,
Here are some links:
1769-L23 CompactLogix Fiexed IO Bricks

Micro800 Controllers

 

[Steve Etter]

You can go to AB's website and get their list prices. The lowest one I found was just over $1,500 US. Looks the the used route would be your least expensive one.

Steve

 

[James Mcquade]

Rob S,

you may want to goto your local distributor and borrow a demo unit for a couple of weeks. that's what we do.

software and pc is not part of the demo.
regards,
james

 

[Rob S.]

James , thats a good idea. Steve , I believe also that used may be the way to go. I hate that PayPal stuff with E-Bay.

 

[TConnolly]

Rob,

After revisiting this thread I have a couple of thoughts.

One thing you can do is just spend some time programming in Logix5000 without downloading into a PLC. Just getting a feel for how the different instructions work and what instructions are available and a feel for tag based programming and UDTs can take you a long ways. If you're looking for programming ideas then just follow the different threads on here and take a crack at the problem in Logix5000.

Another thing you can do if you have a ControlLogix PLC that is in use somewhere and is not super critical is to create a task on that PLC that you can play in. Under that task you can create multiple programs and as long as you keep all of your tags locally scoped to your test programs you can write and test programs online and keep it completely compartmentalized from the rest of the PLC - just don't make global tags, don't address any real outputs, and don't switch the processor mode. Most of our CLXs have a task named TestAndDebug where we try things out.

 

[RussB]

Low cost AB ???

Good Morning ,

During this somewhat slow time,I want to take some time and do some training. I will be shot if I spend to much money.
I am looking at a low cost Allen Bradley PLC that uses RS Logix 5000. I imagine Compactlogix is lower in cost. What would be the cheapest Compactlogix model , or is it another I am overlooking.

Thanks

I was under the impression that these terms "low cost" and "AB" were incompatible. Like "AC" and "DC".

 

[Rob S.]

I did a small project 3 weeks ago with a Automation Direct Click PLC for $129.00. Worked great. It had analog and digital I/O.

 

[Lancie1]

Rob,

Was the analog an add-on module for about another $119? That is best I have found for analog inputs for the CLICK so far. Is there a CLICK that has built-in analog inputs? The reason I ask, another fellow on here was needing two cheap analog inputs for a senior PLC project.

 

[Rob S.]

C0-02DD2-D Click PLC CPU 1 unit , no expansion modules needed
4 DC Inputs
4 DC Outputs
2 Analog Inputs 4-20 ma or 0-5 vdc
2 Analog Outputs 4-20 ma or 0-5 vdc

 

[Lancie1]

Thanks, Rob. I passed on your info in Cuztom15's thread:

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=66508&page=3