Trying to find a device

[Pierre]

I am trying to find a sort'a universal phone dialer.

I want to connect a PLC's serial port to a device which could, via an ASCII command, dial-out to pagers for alarm purposes to on-duty Operators.

This must exist, I just again don't find the terms to google it with good results.

Thanks.

 

[Dr. Watson]

I know there is a package you can install on an HMI station (mine was with Wonderware) that will do this, but I can't remember the name of it right now. I don't know of any way to do it directly from the PLC though.

 

[rsdoran]

Paging modem

http://www.ab.com/en/epub/catalogs/12762/2181376/214372/2183245/tab2.html

 

[Pierre]

Thanks for the links. I am looking for a "cheap" thing.

Something like there exist in residential phone alarm systems. Its a very small module that can be preprogrammed to dial-out with Pagers or voice system.

 

[PeterH_DK]

I don't know if this is cheap enough. I have been looking for something similar and decided to try this one out:
http://www.rfsolutions.co.uk/acatalog/GSM_Modems.html
But I haven't tried yet. It is approx $205

/Peter

 

[dchartier]

Hello Pierre;

Have you looked into autodialer modems, that accept a 24 v signal from a PLC as a trigger? This is by far the cheapest way to do what you want. Sixnet has some industrial modems that will work with PLCs in this way. There are others on the market.
Hope this helps,
Daniel Chartier

 

[mconner]

Hey Pierre,

Check out a DL-125C at smarthome.com. I used one on a degatting project awhile back. I almost felt guilty using it, it was too simple. I can't complain though, the customer loved it.

M.C

 

[Jim Knee]

Hi;

We used to use a dialex 4500, it cost about $225 CND. It accepts 4 dry contact inputs and can be programmed to call 8 phone numbers and deliver the message. Remote acknowledgement etc. There are a bunch of these things on the market. We call them auto diallers.

Jim

 

[CaseyK]

Entertron makes a couple of nifty modems for RS232 or RS485.

Here is a "LINK" for their standard phoneline modem. The manual is downloadable from this page. And, excellant tech support at no additional charge!

I highly recommend it!

regards.....casey

 

[LadderLogic]

Something like this maybe? http://www.sixnetio.com/htmlhelps/catalog_new/vt_modem_2.htm

 

[tom_stalcup]

I'm a little curious about this one too Pierre.... There are a couple of places around the plant that I might end up needing to implement something like this, but I since I haven't mentioned it's even possible, no one has tasked me to do it yet.

Do you need to be able to send individual messages this way? Or are you just telling them that an alarm exists?

 

[Pierre]

This "option" is to be installed at a latter date on 7 pumping stations.

Now they are running in Mexican mode i.e. Manual drives and walks every day to each station and takes a look at the pumps. (Gi'me a brake its just a joke)

They will not have the budget to implement a elaborate system but they do have a security system in place in one station.

Its cheap but would do the work if they had run phone lines when they build them things.

I install some PLC for Data logging and have serial port and 8 outputs free to use.

So when they install the phone lines, since they will be paying every months for the lines they could redirect the "security/alarm system" budget to an add-on for these PLCs.

They have pagers and mobile phones so they could have a descent system for not much $$$.

I like the "DL-125C" suggested by "mconner" specially the remote listenning function but IF they will later install a centralised SCADA then a real modem would be better.


Thanks to all, I will look into every suggestion more closely and get back to you guys.