Hey guys...

I know I should be asking my AB rep about this but, Is there a way to access my SLC 5/03 from my office across Ethernet?

I've got about 70 or so PLCs with SLC 5/03 processors, none of them are linked together, but each PLC has a networked AB VersaView 1500 Industrial PC that is attached via serial comm. All my VersaViews are on my local network.

I know about the SLC processors with Ethernet ports, We use 5/05’s in our out of state satellite plants, I'm just looking for some creative alternatives to make local comms easier...


Thanks in advance
TRW

If the Versaviews could communicate with the SLC5/03 through Ethernet then you could put a 1761-NET-ENI on the SLCs channel 0 to put it on Ethernet

It may also be possible to use some type of pass through or bridging through the Versaview but I have never used a Versaview

TW....
The Versaview is for all intents nothing but a PC with a Touchscreen, We us a program written in VB for all of our interface screens.
It communicates to the PLC via serial communications for Bit and Interger read/writes.

All I need is that bridge between the two... I have extra Comm ports on the Versaview that I could use to get to the DH485 port on the 5/03 with something like a PIC module in between, I'm just not that versed in DataHighway type communications.


The AB "NO"ledge base has a posted question refering to the 1761-NET-ENI....
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Answer ID 37235
Can I connect a 1761-NET-ENI to a SLC processor and use passthru to communicate from ethernet to DH-485, DH+, or another ethernet network?

Question Can I connect a 1761-NET-ENI to a SLC processor and use passthru to communicate from ethernet to DH-485, DH+, or another ethernet network?

Answer No, the 1761-NET-ENI does not support passthru capability.

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TRW

The Versaview has an Ethernet port, correct? It couldn't communicate with the SLC on Channel 0 through a 1761-NET-ENI through the Ethernet port?

We are using that Ethernet port to communcate to the network....


My hopes were to be able to daisychain my 5/03's via DH485 and attach some type of bridge device that I could see them in RSlinx across my LAN.

TRW

I don't see why you couldn't communicate with your network and the SLC at the same time over Ethernet but I don't know your layout.

Controllogix chassis with a DH-485 module and a ENBT?

We use to do what you are wanting. I cant give you any part numbers because we have since upgraded all those CPU's to 5/05's and gave each the own network connection and I don't remember what we used, but it can be done.

So let's see If I get this. You have about 70 PLC Cells. Each cell has an SLC 5/03 connect via it serial port to a VersaView PC. Each Versaview PC is then connected to your plant network via ethernet. You have a PC in your office and want to connect to each SLC 5/03 if possible.

Plan A
Add RSLinx Gateway to each VersaView PC and then connect your local PC Rslinx thru the Gaetway Linx to The SLC 5/03. Cost is $2095 per unit.

Plan B
Use the DH-485 port on each SLC 5/03 and add a 1761-Net-Eni. Connect the ENI to your plant network. You now have your 5/03 accessible from your office. This assumes the DH-485 port is "free" and the Versaview is using the Serial port.

Plan C
Use the serial port on each SLC 5/03 and add a 1761-Net-Eni. Connect the ENI to your plant network. You now have your 5/03 accessible from your office. This assumes the serial port is "free" and the Versaview is using the DH-485 port.

Plan D
Break each serial or DH-485 connection and attach the SLC 5/03 to a 1761-Net-Eni. Connect the ENI to your plant network. Revise each Versaview program to read values over ethernet rather than serial./DH-485 You now have your 5/03 accessible from your office.

Some of the options here depend on whether or not the local VersaView PC is running a custom DF1 serial driver or is running the RSLinx DF1 driver.

Networking 70 controllers that don't have an Ethernet port will necessarily cost a little money, whether in wire/conduit/labor or in hardware or software.

If it was cheap to run DH485 cable among all the SLC-5/03's and you already had 1747-AIC isolators in place at each station, I'd say go ahead and buy three or four 1747-UIC's and three or four copies of RSLinx Gateway. 70 stations / 4 = average 18 stations per network is pretty heavily loaded but tolerable for slow data collection, or for one-at-a-time online monitoring.

If you could get a good deal on qty. 70 of the 1747-UIC interfaces, you could try a Virtual or Network Serial Port connection. On the VersaView, the 1747-UIC would appear to be a COMx serial port, usually enumerating as COM3 or COM4. Run a Network Serial Port program like the one from FabulaTech, and that COM port could show up as another COMx on your office computer, allowing you to run a local copy of RSLinx. I have not tested this, but it doesn't violate any of the principles of DF1 networking.

My option is Go with Net-ENI interconnect all the SLC use RADmodem to connect to the Internet