Scale Data to PLC5 through RS232

[TerryJMyers]

Our company has a lot of Ohaus Ranger scales that we would like to get data from. Our current data collection technique is to plug all the scales into a router of sorts to access the data over Ethernet(somehow..). Then we use a program called BalanceTalk which can access the data over the network and plug values into an excel sheet.
We are measuring the average weight of 25 "doses" of liquid. This is all done automatically just by pressing a macro button made by balancetalk in the excel sheet.
We want to be able to access the current value on the scale via a PLC5, then jstu write the code to automatically do 25 shots take an average, etc, etc

so the question is:
How does one get RS232 data from a scale into a PLC5? Or more accuratly RS232 data into a flex IO analog input module.

 

[Ken Moore]

First thing you need to do is determine, what protocol the scale data is in. Is it ASCII text, Modbus or something else.

 

[TerryJMyers]

First thing you need to do is determine, what protocol the scale data is in. Is it ASCII text, Modbus or something else.

Thanks, I'll find that out and get back to you

 

[TerryJMyers]

Ascii

The manufacturer said it communicates via ASCII. What would I need to do to get this to a PLC5?

 

[Doug-P]

I'll assume since you mention a PLC-5 that you have 1771 I/O. It's not often mentioned in polite conversation but the 1771 DA ASCII module (now a legacy product, I believe) was designed for this purpose and performs well. It takes some block transfer ladder logic to initialize and send/receive but once properly programmed is pretty bulletproof.