Quick question for ya...

I've got two nearly identical machines sitting side by side. Both are running SLC 504's and matching DH+ panelviews. There is a third machine just in between them that is sort of a go between between the machines. (It's running a DH485 on a 503.) Currently none of these machines really "talk" to each other other than via 3-4 digital I/O. There is alot work that could be saved, if they the two outside machines) could pass more information back and forth.

My question is this, would it be posible to throw a DH+ scanner mod into the 503, and tie all these together via the DH+. Then it would just be a matter of changing the node address and updating the PVs correct? (Just to get them running smoothly while hooked to each other... The reprogram for comm between them would come later.)

OR.... Would it be better to just throw 3 eni modules in there and com via the network. (This is most likely going to happen anyway for data collection reasons, but it may be a while...)

another way to skin the same cat ...

how about replacing the SLC-5/03 with another SLC-5/04? ... most distributors will give you a "trade in" allowance on the 5/03 toward the purchase of the 5/04 ... everything would be cleaner - and you'd only need one type of spare processor instead of two ...

or is there something else communicating with the 5/03 over DH-485 that you haven't mentioned? ...

There are a couple of things hooked to the "third" machine in this group. One is a DH-485 PV, the other is an ABB robot (Which also connects to machines 1 and 2). But only the PV uses the DH-485, everything else is done with IO.

Don't know of a DH+ Scanner for the 5/03 but there is a DH485 to DH+ Bridge Unit that AB makes. You'd have to watch node numbers, but you could combine the two dh+ nets and the DH485 net as one large net.