Migrating Allen Bradely -> Siemens (SLC500 to S7)

Can it easily be done ?

We have a legacy project written on Allen Bradly 1746-l542 with Several racks of some on an extension rack and some on A Fiber optic Network


What we would like to do is migrate this over to a modern PLC preferable a SIEMENS S7 -300 or an S7-400 ( We have loads of these spare)


Andy

I don't think the S7-300 or 400 is going to be around much longer. I would go with 1500.

Can it be done? sure. Is it easy? not exactly. At the base, some logic will translate over (contacts and coils are contacts and coils), but most system instructions will require complete reworking. The tags will also need to be remapped. You CAN use DBs to emulate the data files in a SLC500, but you probably don't want to.

I'd 2nd the recommendation for 1500. I'd be wary of trying to frankenstien a system together out of existing spare parts, although it could be done.

Depending how the extension racks are set up, you might be able to use a gateway to control them and leave them in place, or might need to change them out for new IO on PN, and install Ethernet cables for the comms.

Siemens has a software that converts the code from Rockwell to TIA Portal. It is absolutely awful and ten times worse than something written new, but should do the exact same thing as the SLC.