Panelview 550 (with DH+) replace or migrate

[ThomasGruetter]

Panelview 2711-K5A8. Customer has 6 of these in service connected to SLC 504’s. One has a bad backlight and I need a solution to replace it. First thought was to buy 1-2 spares (new/used) but they are expensive ($2-4’000)! Migrating to a newer AB Panelview is also costly. It would also involve more work than just to drop in a spare PV 550. I’m asking for feedback from others who faced the same issue. Note the machines are not complex and there are 3 different application programs. The customer has no programming experience and I prefer to find a solution they can implement on their own if one of PV’s fails suddenly.

 

[OkiePC]

Are there other devices on each DH+ network?

If it is just an HMI and SLC 5/04, the quick and dirty is to swap to a 5/05 and your favorite brand Ethernet HMI. If the distance from the PLC to the HMI is under ~50 feet, and the 5/04 serial port is not in use, you could keep the 5/04 and use an HMI with serial capability.

If there are multiple devices on these DH+ networks, it may get more complicated.

We recently replaced an obsolete 3rd party DH+ gateway, 5/04, and PV Standard with a 5/05, Ethernet switch and cable and a Red Lion and the process was pretty painless, although it did require experienced folks to perform the migration and kill the gnats that I didn't have exactly right in the new HMI graphics.

If they have no experience programming, then some level of support through any migration I can think of is going to be called for.

 

[ThomasGruetter]

Hi OkiePC - thank you,
The system (application) is simple enough to use a 3rd party HMI and connect to the serial port. I'll have to verify that all 504's have a serial port. This would likely mean to upgrade all machines within a certain time so we won't face the issue with defective PV550's in the future. The cost of this will still be substantial and that's why I ask the forum for input. The customer will likely desire a more economical and simpler solution. The machines are standalone.

 

[5618]

If the controller and HMI are close enough for serial communication and you aren’t using the serial port for something else, I suggest to consider a 7” PanelView 800. It’s pretty straightforward to have Panelbuilder32 and CCW both open and duplicate the screens and buttons. It will work with the serial port on the SLC 5/04. I expect them to be around $800 each.

For a serial cable, I suggest search plccable.com for 1747-CP3.

 

[tarik1978]

Ezautomation has hmi's that support DH+.
https://www.ezautomation.net/HMI-Human-Machine-Interface/ezpanelview/ezpanelview-overview.php

 

[arpus4KM]

You want the easiest integration?

Serial comms to the 5/04, either through a cheaper HMI or a future proof HMI like PVP7 using a 9300-usbs adapter on the PV itself. the bonus of this is you can eventually move to an ethernet processor and have an HMI ready for it already in place.

or like 5618 mentioned, grab a pv800 and use those serial comms.

any other option to translate dh+ is going to require an adapter that runs about 1200 by itself.

 

[joseph_e2]

Another alternative is an aftermarket backlight:
https://www.plccable.com/panelview-repair-parts-do-it-yourself/
We bought one for an old PV5xx as an interim step before we migrated to a Red Lion (DH485 to a SLC 5/03) but it's been running great with the replacement for about 1.5 years now so we never got around to the migration. And, the lead time on the Red Lion went totally nutso too.
There's another thread about old HMI platforms. Look also at Uticor. They are by AVG and at least used to support DH+.

 

[Operaghost]

The issue with replacing with a serial device is that it will only be able to talk with the one SLC to which it is physically connected. With DH+, the PanelView could possibly be talking to multiple SLCs on the network. If we know that each PV is talking to just the one SLC, then a serial version of your favorite makes sense as a replacement. If it is talking to more than one SLC controller, then perhaps another vendor that supports DH+ would work.

The original PanelView Plus supported DH+ through an add-on comms module. It works, but would be expensive and out dated since they don't make that PV anymore. The newer models no longer support DH+.

If you can find a source for replacement bulbs, that is the obvious option. The PV550 even has a spot inside the door to hold a spare bulb, making it easy for the customer to swap out when necessary.

OG

 

[zachary.wilson]

Howdy, I had a similar situation, but it was the slc 5/04 that was the concern. It shorted out and we didn't have any spares, we took a 5/05, and a pv600, and used those, they go over ethernet but are pretty close, I actually was able to move the program in the hmi directly over. Only thing the 600 doesn't like is if you try and use physical I puts and outputs for stuff on it, has to be b bits, so I added a bunch of lines to turn on a new b bit with the inputs and just swapped the hmi program to that. The hole had to be slightly enlarged as the 600 is a little bigger. One thing of caution you cannot have a slc 505 straight into the 600, you need a ethernet module or a crossover cable...that one bit me for days before someone else brought it up and it started talking just fine after that.

 

[I_Automation]

I had a HMI with a backlight out that the customer couldn't get the right backlight. Seems every serial number used a different bulb. That one was a Proface.



I removed the bulb & fluorescent driver, ran 24V from the power input and strung 2 12V car LED marker light strips together the customer built. When powered up the clear LED's were bright red, but they lit the screen fully and the customer liked the red screen.


Since then if I have a bad bulb I grab an LED strip now. I've done it at least 6 times so far.


Except if it's a PV that used an incandescent bulb with a few hundred fiber optic cables.

 

[JesperMP]

I think you and your customer should ask this fundamental question.
Do we need a quick fix, or do we need a more permanent solution ?
If you need a quick fix, get a spare identical panel or repair the existing panel.
If you need a permanent solution, then replace everything that is based on SLC500 and/or DH+, install a modern PLC, HMI and networking in its place.
I would not sink substantial money into migrating only half the way.

 

[ThomasGruetter]

We decided to order a "new" PV600 (2711-B6C8) from Ebay and installed it. Also realized the system is on a network so DH+ connectivity is important. Customer ordered another PV600 as a spare. Replacing all hardware would be too much for my one man operation to be done in time. Need to learn more about the entire setup and make backups of all applications...