PDA's and PLC's

[sorrells97]

Does anyone have any actual experience with using PDA's for control. I am interested in learning what software (HMI & logic) is used on the PDA. Please give me as much info as you can about anything remotely relating to this topic.

I am using DirectLogic PLC's , and Entivity (Think & Do).
Thanks

 

[Stephen Luft]

Sorrells97,

I can only offer you information regarding what we offer.

The PDA interface software we offer is strictly an interface. It isn't used for datalogging. You have the ability to read and write registers, obtain status of coils. You can set up what are called "aliases" with in the interface. An alias is a programmed function that can be labelled. An example would be "check pump status" When you select this alias, it would be programmed to check the status of the pump within the PLC. You have a level of password protection whereby you can make aliases read only, or read / write.

Basically the software creates a handheld operator interface for your PDA. Our software uses the Palm O/S and communicates to the PLC via ModBus RTU.

For your application, the front end would still be used. What the PDA would allow you to do is make modifications at your location, rather than go back to the control room. It would allow you to have one interface that can be plugged into various machines. It would allow your maintenance people to troubleshoot your product / equipment without using a laptop (should they only have to check internal information.

I do know that there are companies out there that offer other versions with different capabilities for more money.

An other company that I am aware of that offers some sort of PDA interface is Software Horizons - www.shorizons.com I do know there are others, but there names escape me at this point.

Hope this helps you out.

God Bless,

 

[glaverty]

This place has some stuff that you can download and try for free, assuming you are able to communicate with modbus. They don't have a verson for the Direct Logic PLC's.

 

[Mike]

I have seen an Omron PLC talk to a Palm through an IR port that Omron placed on a customers PLC. The customer takes his PDA and pulls data from the PLC and takes it back to his computer to store it. I understand that they also have some engineer somewhere who has developed a Palm program that will allow you to change the PLC program; I guess it also works through the IR port, but I am not sure.

Mike

 

[AndrewB]

We have a Windows CE device (jordana colour something) doing calculations on a gamma ray timber density measuring setup.

We then sending the result via RS232C to a PLC5's serial port
the data is then used in the PLC for grading/sorting purposes.

Dont ask me how the CE device is programmed as the gamma ray part was installed as a turn key project after the bin sorter, but i do know it has a PCMCIA serial card in it.