I am looking to enter data into a spreadsheet, then have a Modicon PLC take that data and do an operation. The HMI will be a Magelis, and I don't know the processor on the PLC. The operation will be cutting material, where we enter cut angle, bevel, width of piece, cut speed, finding "home" position, etc. I am unsure of how to transfer from Excel to the PLC, and how to translate the information. Any help would be appreciated.

One potential avenue would be to use a Modbus OPC Server combined with an OPC plugin for Excel. You could also program Modbus directly into Excel, but that might be a bit harder.

Adriel Michaud
MatrikonOPC

We would be using CANopen already, and I would like to limit the amount of protocals used. I thought I heard somewhere that there is a PLC card that can read spreadsheets, I have never heard of such a thing but that doesn't mean it is true. But they could have also been talking about using OPC such as you described.

I know of no way for a Modicon PLC to read a spreadsheet. Your OPC example is the right way to go.

Alright, I will pursue that then. Thanks.

See example without OPC:

http://forums.mrplc.com/index.php?autocom=...mp;showfile=504