Ken Roach
Lifetime Supporting Member + Moderator
Any Red Lion Graphite Edge Controller users here ?
I have an application where Prosoft MVI46-GSC Generic Serial modules were used with an SLC-500 to communicate with two serial devices; a set of position indicators with a simplified poll/response protocol, and a couple dozen Yaskawa "XtraDrive" servo controllers.
The implementation that the SLC-500 programmer did was... adequate. I think I can do better, as the system frequently has comms problems to these devices and nobody knows if they're wiring or protocol or damage to the slave devices.
To my delight, Red Lion has a driver for those XtraDrives, already in their protocol list. Sweet.
And the Poll/Response protocol should be fairly easy to write using Red Lion's built in language; PortSendData and PortReadData are about all I need.
I don't actually need a "virtual HMI". It's nice to have if you want to check on the status of your serial devices, but it's not going to be used except for engineering.
I don't need the IEC1131 control engine, or the USB or SD ports, or the e-mail, or the data logging, or the SQL integration.
The price of a DSPLE with an Serial Expansion module is about half of the price of the GRAC001 with two serial ports.
So I think the compelling arguments to use the Graphite Edge controller instead of a DSPLE or DSPSX would be:
1. Its a lot faster and the DSPLE can't handle two drivers simultaneously
2. The DSPLE will be unavailable in the near future
3. There's something impossibly awesome in the Graphite Edge controller that I have not yet discovered.
4. The Graphite Edge RS-485 serial ports are impervious to lightning, saltwater intrusion, and rodent attacks.
Any input from folks who have used the Graphite Edge controller and can comment on its RS-485 performance ?
I have an application where Prosoft MVI46-GSC Generic Serial modules were used with an SLC-500 to communicate with two serial devices; a set of position indicators with a simplified poll/response protocol, and a couple dozen Yaskawa "XtraDrive" servo controllers.
The implementation that the SLC-500 programmer did was... adequate. I think I can do better, as the system frequently has comms problems to these devices and nobody knows if they're wiring or protocol or damage to the slave devices.
To my delight, Red Lion has a driver for those XtraDrives, already in their protocol list. Sweet.
And the Poll/Response protocol should be fairly easy to write using Red Lion's built in language; PortSendData and PortReadData are about all I need.
I don't actually need a "virtual HMI". It's nice to have if you want to check on the status of your serial devices, but it's not going to be used except for engineering.
I don't need the IEC1131 control engine, or the USB or SD ports, or the e-mail, or the data logging, or the SQL integration.
The price of a DSPLE with an Serial Expansion module is about half of the price of the GRAC001 with two serial ports.
So I think the compelling arguments to use the Graphite Edge controller instead of a DSPLE or DSPSX would be:
1. Its a lot faster and the DSPLE can't handle two drivers simultaneously
2. The DSPLE will be unavailable in the near future
3. There's something impossibly awesome in the Graphite Edge controller that I have not yet discovered.
4. The Graphite Edge RS-485 serial ports are impervious to lightning, saltwater intrusion, and rodent attacks.
Any input from folks who have used the Graphite Edge controller and can comment on its RS-485 performance ?