tranh2

Hello All, I was hoping to get some input and ideas from some experts in here. What we are trying to do is to have three control modes for a VFD controlled pump (ABB-ACF600), described below: 1. Local Mode - Selected/controlled through operator interface - No further info needed. 2. Local/PIT control Mode - Drive does all the controlling to meet a pressure controlled setpoint. There is no PLC interaction at all. A PIT signal shall be hardwired to the drive for process feedback. Another analog device capable of sending an analog signal shall be hardwired to the drive for process reference (Setpoint). 3. Remote/PLC Mode - The PLC will send the process control signal to the drive. This signal shall be a 4-20mA signal to the drive through hardwired I/O. We were hoping to have a selector switch of some sort to select between the Local/PIT mode and Remote/PLC mode. Local mode will be selected through the drive local operator interface. Where we are getting caught up is how the drive will select the process reference (setpoint) source (PLC or Analog setpoint Device). Would we wire PLC reference setpoint to AI1, PIT variable to AI2, Analog Setpoint to AI3? When we select EXT1 we would use AI1 (PLC control) and ignore AI2/AI3. When we select EXT2 would it use AI2 as the process variable & AI3 as the process setpoint and VFD and be able to control through the drive PI controller? Is the above not feasible with this drive? Is there any device out there that is capable of being fed two different 4-20mA signals and having one output depending on what you select on the interface? Preferably, we don't want to do anything funky with switches. If you have something better ideas I'm also open to that. Thanks all!

Hello everyone, Looking for someone with some fiber experience to answer this. I'd like to spec out an OM4 category fiber cable (50um). Will this category cable be compatible with an NTRON 708FX2 switch? The specs for the switch say it will take fiber that is 50um-62.5um. OM4 cable is supposed to be "laser optimized OM4, for laser-optimized 50um fiber having 4700 MHz*km EMB bandwidth designed for 10 Gb/s, 40 Gb/s, and 100 Gb/s transmission.". But the switch is Fast ethernet. Do I need to go up to a Gigabit switch? I'm looking to stick with OM4 so for future provisions.

Hello All, I have a question about the setup of a 9300-RADES dialout ethernet modem for communications to SCADA system. On one end I have a compactlogix connected to a switch. The switch is connected to the rades. The rades is connected via phoneline which goes to a remote site that connects to a RADES on that end. The remote site has a computer running wonderware. This computer is connected to a switch. The switch is connected to the RADES mentioned in the last line above. Will this setup work for scada communications. We are using DASABCIP for the comm driver and not RSLINX. From what I was reading in the manuals...it only refers to a setup for an ENET MSG from PLC to PLC. If we require a PLC to SCADA node, the scada computer requires a analog modem device. Am I correct in my reading here? Thank you!

Hello everyone, I figured I can ask within this website since instrumentation is closely related to controls. I'm looking for a good textbook on instrumentation. Specifically something that doesn't talk to much about the theory, but focuses more on the practical (ie. different types, selection and why etc.). I reduced my selection to two books and I was wondering if anyone here as experience with these books and if they can comment. Others are welcome to give their opinon. http://www.amazon.ca/Instrument-Engineers-Handbook-4th-Vol/dp/0849310830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340652829&sr=8-1 or http://www.isa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Books3&template=/Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.cfm&ProductID=10293 Thank you!

Hello HMIman, Just letting you know that we've resolved the slow comms issue. They had a new version of DASABCIP 4.1. We were using 4.0. From what I can tell the new 4.1 cleaned up alot of problems with updating values, so I figure with about 4900 tags and 4.0 not updating values this could be the cause of the problem. The new 4.1 is pretty dang fast now. Check out the changelog here. https://wdnresource.wonderware.com/support/...—ABCIP_DAServer

Hmmmm...strange. What's the cost of TopServer? How is it compared to Kepware?

I hope that's not the case with DAS servers. I would assume that alot of their customers deploy large networks and they would want their customers to use their products. I'll keep you posted if I do find out whats up with the DAS servers. Thanks for the tip about TopServer. I'll take a look at it for future projects.

Hi guys, I'm working on a Water treament plant application in wonderware 9.5 and using DASABCIP v4.0 as the server. It is connected to a control logix plc. The problem I'm having is when I launch the runtime environment for Wonderware it is VERY VERY slow to update (I think there's about 4500 tags with this topic). I don't start to see values till about 2 mins after I've launched the runtime environment. I've also noticed that if I try to update a value in wonderware, the value will not update in the PLC. I know communications are running because I get alarms and other data but only on first startup and after waiting the 2 mins. It seems like it just scans on first startup then it will never update again no matter if I force the value in the plc or through wonderware. To further be sure of where the issue is coming from, instead of using DASABCIP in the access name of wonderware, I used RSLINX. Once I switched to this as the server, everything works fine and is very quick. I can update tags through the HMI and see the value update in the PLC. So this leads me to believe there is a setting issue in the DASABCIP I don't have correct. So I'm just wondering if you guys have had issues like this with DASABCIP, wonderware, and controllogix and how you corrected them? Are there special settings in DASABCIP for Controllogix PLC's or any settings that will run it similar to RSLINX? Thank you in advanced!

Is it possible to run RSEmulate on one computer and run Wonderware on another computer and have the two communicate to each other over a router? I understand that RSEmulate must run on the virtual backplane driver but how does it broadcast this information over the network. How do I setup the Wonderware computer to see RSEmulate on the other computer? Thanks

Thanks for the info guys. Unfortunately we're not lucky to have ethernet at any of these sites and the client does not plan on putting ethernet lines in. I don't know how far the pumping stations are away from the main station, but i'm assuming its pretty far if they carrently have leased lines. They're currently in discussion with the local phone company to see if DSL can be deployed at those stations. If so, then I'll just have them setup a VLAN and i'll setup a server and that should work out well! I'll keep you guys posted. lccllc - Thanks for the info about prosoft. If we do return to the original setup with the prosoft, i'll let you know! Thanks.

Hi, A brief background info, I’m currently working on a wastewater project where there is a main SCADA monitoring building and 6 remote pumping stations. Each remote pumping station has 2 pumps and currently has a Microsystems ScadaPack (PLC) and a Microsystems 5902 Modem connected to a leased phone line that communicates the ScadaPack info back to the monitoring station. At the monitoring stations they are using GE iFix for the SCADA package. See Diagram 1. What our client wants to do now is upgrade the Scadapack to an AB CompactLogix (L32E) but still retain the use of the Microsystems 5902 Modem. To have the modem communicate to the CompactLogix they decided to use a Prosoft MVI69-MCM modbus module which will interface the CompactLogix with the 5902 modem. The problem is this is the first time they are setting this configuration up and they’ve never tested this before. Someone told them that it “should” work. I’ve never seen this setup myself so I’m uncomfortable with this config. myself. In discussing with the client, they are open to other configurations and getting rid of the 5902 modem altogether. They are also in discussions with the local phone company about upgrading the phone lines. I’m assuming the upgrade is to DSL lines, but I’ll have to confirm this. See diagram 2. So my questions is, has anyone seen the Prosoft configuration before and knows how to set it up to communicate with the CompactLogix and send data over the leased line to the IFix SCADA system? If not, is there another setup you guys can suggest that will work for remote site monitoring and data acquisition? The only condition is using the CompactLogix. I’ve researched on Google and noticed a lot of wireless applications for this sort of thing. That option might be a last resort but I’d like to see other options before we suggest this one. I’ve been told that if the line is upgraded to a DSL line, we can get a module that can connect to a DSL modem and have a VPN to the SCADA system. Is that possible? Also, there is a GE Quickpanel at the remote sites that needs to be connected as well. Thanks.