CompactLogix & PowerFlex

[mjrx 1]

What would be the best way to communicate with 65 PowerFlex drives and a 1769-L32E? I can live with a few seconds (3-5) of latency, not much more.

[ASForrest 12]

I haven't actually used one, but I'd check out the 1769-AENTR. Gives you 128 Logix connections (or 96 TCP/IP), and has two ports so you can do a DLR network. A Linear network would be even easier, but then if you need to swap out drive #5, you lose comms to drives #6-65 as well. A star network would mean a LOT of patch leads and a 66 port ethernet switch There may be a way to do it without any extra hardware just using MSG instructions and staging them so that you don't run out of connections. But for my money, it wouldn't be worth the headache. When you can just add the drives to the ethernet tree and use the AB faceplates, it's just way too easy Edited to cross out incorrect and misleading information Edited 29 Aug 2014 by ASForrest

[Ken Roach 194]

I think you're misunderstanding how the 1769-AENTR works, ASForrest. It's not a scanner, it's an Adapter for Compact I/O modules. CompactLogix controllers are meant to be small-machine controllers, and it's just not a good idea to expect them to connect to large-machine numbers of devices. They don't have the capacity and trying to spread that capacity thin is difficult. Are the drives 4-series or 500-series or 7-series ? The 4-series might be stretchable to large quantities by using Modbus RTU over RS485 with some gateways or Prosoft modules. Or you could install several DeviceNet scanners. I don't think that attempting to extend the controller's EtherNet/IP capacity is a good idea.

[ASForrest 12]

Hmm. Yes, on further investigation you're right, I was completely misunderstanding what they were thanks for correcting me there. So there are no ethernet scanners available for the compact logix system then?

[mjrx 1]

It would be a combination of 7 series and 500 series (some are 200+ HP). I am now probably going with the ControLogix CPU instead of CompactLogix. The A-B Ethernet/IP Capacity Tool shows it wouldn't work with -L35E, only 64 TCP connections allowed, but with the ControLogix 128 allowed. I plugged in qty. 50 PowerFlex 525's and 15 PowerFlex 70's, update rate of 20 msec into the tool.

[Ken Roach 194]

ControlLogix and 1756-ENBT or 1756-EN2T modules are the way to go. I'm doing a project right now with 100 third-party EtherNet/IP drives. The program itself would fit in a small CompactLogix, but I need a lot more Ethernet connectivity so I'm using a 1756-L71 and two -EN2T modules.

[ECSI 17]

I just completed a project using a CompactLogix 1768-L43 Processor with two 1768-ENBT Ethernet/IP Modules. One module has 41 connected devices and the other has 38 devices. The devices are Powerflex 40's, 193-E1 Plus Smart Overload relays, and a SEW Eurodrive servo drive. There are also 3 Maple Systems HMI's connected. All is working very well so far.

[Hammerman 0]

We had a client that was using a 1756-L55M13 processor to control over 80 drives, extensive Point IO and had goo reports. Cpmactlogix are really only for the jobs the require a bit more expansion than the micrologix. for all else and total system control, enter controllogix. :) http://www.plchardware.com.au/567-controllogix