Machine end of cycle signal to trigger PC for label printing

[tlindsey]

Machine PLC is Allen Bradley using RS5000. I need to use an output for machine end of cycle to trigger a PC, (desktop), that is used for label printing. How can this be done?

 

[Ken Roach]

How would you trigger a label print manually ?

Does the label printer program run as a service in the background, or does it run as an ordinary application ?

Does the label printer program use OLE Automation or ActiveX or any similar integration with other software ?

Do you need to just trigger the label, or do you need to select or provide the label data from the PLC ?

 

[tlindsey]

How would you trigger a label print manually ?
Answer: Push F1 key on desktop computer

Does the label printer program run as a service in the background, or does it run as an ordinary application ?
Answer:

Does the label printer program use OLE Automation or ActiveX or any similar integration with other software ?
Answer:

Do you need to just trigger the label, or do you need to select or provide the label data from the PLC ?
Answer: Just need to trigger the label.

Still trying to get answers to these questions.

 

[Ken Roach]

This might not be the most elegant solution, but it is one I've used:

Connect a null-modem cable from the PLC to a serial port on the computer, and enable the Windows "SerialKeys" feature.

SerialKeys is a Windows utility that allows specific formatted strings coming in the serial port to be treated like keystrokes and mouse actions. It was developed for disabled access tools like joysticks and sip-and-puff interfaces.

I've used this to allow the PLC to trigger Wireshark network analysis software; it worked very well. I documented it over on MrPLC:

http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=850

 

[tlindsey]

More Info:

1. We would probably use something a little more robust to monitor the serial port.
2. It will run as a windows program not as a service. The serial port should receive at minimum a text string, i.e. “PrintLabel”.
3. A better solution would be to have the system send, “Print,(qty)”.
4. This would be better because we will have partial containers.

 

[Dravik]

Do you have to use the PC for the label printing? I use a zebra printer for labels and I push the information I need from the PLC itself. Where we have a lotnumber or something, That comes from the SCADA pushing it into a holding register on the PLC.

 

[hd_coop]

We have used one of these before:
http://www.electronickeyboards.com/keyboard-encoder.html

Here is a USB version:
http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/products/modules.html

We've also used this program running on the PC to monitor the serial port.
http://www.taltech.com/products/winwedge/