Hi Pals,

I'm facing the problem of having to communicate with a group of 8 Zelio PLCs, over ethernet, from a PC station with only Excel as Client. Each Zelio has only 2-3 words of data which the PC needs to know. I've never handled a Zelio before. My questions are..

1. In the absence of any addressable 'words' like %mwi in the Zelio, where does one look for data and how is it done from the PC.

2. Since other than Excel there isn't any other client application such as a SCADA, where do I find a server for Modbus on TCP/IP which will look inside the Zelios.

Thanking you, and wishing all the best to any one who mulls over these questions, I remain,

Raj S. Iyer

Zelio is not a PLC. It's a smart relay. It's communication capabilities are extremely limited, as this is not a function it was designed for.

Recommend using an actual PLC. Zelio is an over-glorified programmable timer.

Hi,
There's an Ethernet server communication module (ref SR3NETO1BD ) designed for Zelio that could probably do the job, but don's ask me how it works i have never use it. You'll find some additional informations on the Schneider electric website here : http://www.schneider-electric.com/corporat...p_range_id=531#

JC

Why recommend a PLC when you dont even know the application ?

To the OP:

All you options are listed here:

http://www.schneider-electric.com/corporat...;p_range_id=531

Look at the Zelio range website, everything you need to know is here:

http://www.download.schneider-electric.com...OG/en/index.htm

The Zelio has an ethernet option which willl give you modbus, i am pretty sure there is a VB\Excel Modbus interface kicking around the internet somewhere if you look hard enough

Just a quick look around picks up as a good starting point:

http://www.modbusdriver.com/

Thanks a million, crossbow & ?69,

For heaven's sake.. Zelio has a good ethernet port as mentioned by ?69. The intention is to have a single down-counter in each zelio, which would trigger an"end-of-batch" signal to the PC's application. In addition to the preset for down-count, just 2 other discrete signals are to be conveyed to the PC's application. Thus you don't really need a true blue-blooded PLC.

You see, the scene is like this..

There are 8 conveyor lines (for loading cement bags onto trucks) emanating from a bagging plant. At the head of each line, there is a non-contact printer which sprays the Batch No, Date of Mfg, price and such typical label data on each cement bags as it pass by a light beam.. Near this printer is also a Large LED Display which is for showing the current data which is under print. This display and the printer are both pointing to the same data and directly controlled by the PC application.

The Zelio senses the passage of each bag, conveys this signal to the PC(This is the trigger for the printing) and keeps count. Now the Batch Number(&the other label data) is advanced when one preset count has elapsed. This will cue the PC application to reload a new preset to the Zelio and at the same time change the data to printer and display. PC application does the printer selection, data for each batch, and also queues up data for ensuing batches.

All the printers, Zelios and the displays; ie. 8 of each are networked on ethernet through a switch. The distance to the switch from the pC and in turn from device to switch are in the range of 50 metres and the maximum speed of the conveyor is about 100 bags/minute (The printer is fast!)

Please feel free to vent your opinion/misgivings on this scheme.. I'd be grateful to know what you think. It is in the design stage at present and I would really appreciate it if somebody sees anything that could affect this plan.

Once again, I thank & assure Mr. Crossbow that this site has been of terrific help to my life and career!
The beer's on me if ever we may meet

Raj S. Iyer

Well, knowing a little bit about the application, personally for a system like that i would be looking at basing it around a Schneider M340 using Advantys OTB or other Modbus TCP remote I\O.

Advantages are that you have one program, not 8, faster processor, more memory, easily expandable, use Unity for programming etc. etc.

Zelio has grown up a bit since last I used it (around 2002). But these type of devices were never intended to be networked or have massive communication capabilities. The reason i recommended a PLC is a better choice of communication options. It has nothing to do with a dislike of the product or anything like that. Too many times I have been faced with customers who were sold a smart relay by their distributores because it was cheap, and then complain that it doesn't have options which a more expensive PLC has. You truly get what you pay for.

The Modbus-over-Ethernet adapter works great. FYI, the input addresses are 40017, 40018, 40019 & 40020. Outputs are 40021, 40022, 40023 & 40024. All are 16-bit integers. The documentation I found said the inputs started at 40016.