Posted 3 Apr 2015 Can I use a touch panel like magelis (schneider electric) or Panel View (AB) with a stand alone PLC to monitor the level of a silo in real time or would have to be a SCADA system? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 4 Apr 2015 1) Something needs to measure the silo level. Top mounted radar? top mounted ultrasonic? Radar on a rope (TDR)? Load cells on the ground? motorized plumb bob? 2) The level measurement value has to be available as a signal 4-20mA? Modbus? Profibus? 3) I'm not sure what 'real time' has to do with it. The lag between making the measurement and getting a signal to a display is irrelevant on a silo that might have, maybe, a 1m/min maximum level change. The distinction must be with respect to retrieving the value from a data base historian after the fact. That's archival data. 4) When the measurement signal is 4-20mA, some people use a wall mounted digital indicator to display the level right at the silo in real time, as the measurement is made. A loop powered digital display is used when there's no local power to power the display. 5) Precision Digital has an indicator that operates as a Modbus master and can get data from a Modbus level transmitter and display the data in quasi-real time, maybe 1 second after the measurement is made. 6) Touch panels deal in digital protocols, Modbus, Ethernet/IP. Touch panels do not have I/O and are not 4-20mA compatible. To use a touch panel, the level measurement needs to be sent to a PLC and the touch panel needs to get it from the PLC (or the PLC sends it to the touch panel). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 20 Apr 2015 Red Lion's Graphite panels can control I/O: http://www.redlion.net/hmi-operator-panels/graphite-series I've never used them, but they look solid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted 30 Jun 2015 Hi Robert, I have used ICP DAS USA product in the past for same purpose. They have some TouchPads also used as a PLC which is built in. You can check the link: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/touch_pad_controller.html?page=2 Thank you, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites