Remote display for timers on micrologix1200

[Lazybean]

I have a micrologix 1200 that will run one of three different timing sequence, depending on which input is triggered. I'm trying to find the best way to get a remote read out of the what ever timing sequence is counting down.

I am not sure if something like the Red lion LD4T06PO would work, since I'll have multiple timers. Or if the
LD4A05P0 would be better, and just have some logic scale the timer values to an AO.

I'm the only "PLC guy" here, and I'm just an election that learned PLC on the site. I'm good with ladder logic but iffy on Most of the communication and network side. So I'm trying to wrap my head around the best way to go.
Thanks for any suggestions or help.

 

[Ken Moore]

Depending on your budget, a C-More HMI from Automation Direct could be an option.
You could read the timer values directly from the PLC, and display them.
Plus gives you a learning opportunity.

 

[OkiePC]

The LD4T06PO is itself a timer. The display is going to show the timer value based on how it is programmed and the state of its triggering inputs. The LD4A05P0 is an analog meter. It will display a value proportional to a voltage or current input signal. You could probably make either of those work for your purpose, but you might have a cleaner solution if you can just write the number from the PLC to a device that simply shows the value.

Trying to make a timer in the PLC show up on a display of an electronic timer is (to me) going to be more trouble than what it will take to get you past some basic communications code that simply writes a number of your choosing from your PLC code to a display. The voltmeter idea wouldn't be bad especially if you have a spare analog output to drive it. That actually might be the simplest.

I would also suggest a different model that can more directly show a value from your PLC program, like a ViewMarq or something from Vorne Industries.

Do you really need 4" tall characters?

Does your (obsolete) ML1200 have one or two serial ports?

If you have a single serial port Micrologix, there are some hurdles to switch from using it as a programming port to using it to drive a display using Modbus or ASCII, and there might be a model out there that supports DF1 to avoid that hurdle. In any case, I think that is the general direction to go, but I don't have any recent first hand experience with large LED displays. I used the Vorne 2180 with a PLC-5 back in the 90s and really liked it for what we needed back in the last century, but since then, no hands on experience.

EDIT:
https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...plays/viewmarq_led_message_displays/md4-0212t

That product can link to a serial port and display ASCII characters, so a lot more code than a simple analog output, but you can show a lot more than just a number. Also, I agree with Ken, an HMI give you so much more and typically requires no new PLC code, but your size requirements might preclude that or drive the cost way up.

 

[Ken Roach]

Are you committed to the 7-segment large display format, or would LED/ dot matrix work for you ?

If you are displaying two different values it makes sense to have a label, or different colors, like you could get with a ViewMarq display.

The MicroLogix 1200 ASCII command set is fairly straightforward, and those controllers did have a "Channel 0 Comms Default" button that made it practical to switch between connection to a computer and connection to an ASCII device.

 

[Lazybean]

Thanks everyone. I'll definitely look into going with the dot matrix ASCII setup!

 

[Phil Buchanan]

Get you a small C-More HMI and be done. Support is free and they will help you get it configured and it will do what you want now and give you future capability.

 

[GaryS]

Here's the place to look
they should have what you are looking fo

https://www.vorne.com/index.html