SysIntegrator
Member
Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to get some opinions on how to best approach a long-term project I'm going to embark on. I'm taking on a project where I'll be utilizing a Siemens S7-1518-4 PN/DP. I haven't worked with TIA portal much but I've used Simatic Manager extensively. The project will be a precedent and will likely be used for reference for many future projects so I wish to do it right the first time and establish a good standard. For reference, I'll be looking at and converting code from past projects, most of which will have been MBII or VME, written in either C, CFC, or something else non IEC-61131-3.
Additionally, in the very near future, I'll be replicating this on an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC (1756-L85E or something similar). So what I'd like to do is write the code in such a way it can easily be converted to RSLogix5000 and both standards dually maintained in a reasonable way (sounds easy, right?).
The automation itself is fairly complicated and previously hasn't been done in standard PLC's due to performance requirements (Motion control with lots of advanced math), handling all the code in just Ladder/STL/FB isn't feasible. So I'm thinking my challenges are:
1) Converting existing C code and CFC libraries to TIA Portal/RSLogix
2) Choosing languages that work in both TIA Portal/RSLogix
3) Maintaining this code in the future
Honestly, I don't think there's a ton of options, I think I'll have to rely heavily on SCL/Structured Text for the advanced math and Ladder for all the boolean logic. I don't think Siemens has a package for CFC in TIA Portal, otherwise that'd have been the easiest conversion (but wouldn't port well to A-B anyways). I've also seen Siemens's S7-1518-4 PN/DP ODK allows development in C, which makes the conversion easier, however I don't think anything equivalently exists for A-B? Are there any better options I haven't considered?
I just wanted to get some opinions on how to best approach a long-term project I'm going to embark on. I'm taking on a project where I'll be utilizing a Siemens S7-1518-4 PN/DP. I haven't worked with TIA portal much but I've used Simatic Manager extensively. The project will be a precedent and will likely be used for reference for many future projects so I wish to do it right the first time and establish a good standard. For reference, I'll be looking at and converting code from past projects, most of which will have been MBII or VME, written in either C, CFC, or something else non IEC-61131-3.
Additionally, in the very near future, I'll be replicating this on an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC (1756-L85E or something similar). So what I'd like to do is write the code in such a way it can easily be converted to RSLogix5000 and both standards dually maintained in a reasonable way (sounds easy, right?).
The automation itself is fairly complicated and previously hasn't been done in standard PLC's due to performance requirements (Motion control with lots of advanced math), handling all the code in just Ladder/STL/FB isn't feasible. So I'm thinking my challenges are:
1) Converting existing C code and CFC libraries to TIA Portal/RSLogix
2) Choosing languages that work in both TIA Portal/RSLogix
3) Maintaining this code in the future
Honestly, I don't think there's a ton of options, I think I'll have to rely heavily on SCL/Structured Text for the advanced math and Ladder for all the boolean logic. I don't think Siemens has a package for CFC in TIA Portal, otherwise that'd have been the easiest conversion (but wouldn't port well to A-B anyways). I've also seen Siemens's S7-1518-4 PN/DP ODK allows development in C, which makes the conversion easier, however I don't think anything equivalently exists for A-B? Are there any better options I haven't considered?