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noxcuses

Inexpensive Ethernet/IP I/O

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I'm looking for some low point count (~8in/8out) Ethernet/IP I/O blocks. I've used AB Point and FlexI/O, but have found it expensive for low point counts. Does anyone have experience with EIP I/O that doesn't cost a arm, leg, or fingers??

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Look at Turck.

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Try Wago http://www.wago.us/products/27712.htm

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Also consider Beckhoff. Their Fieldbus I/O is very cheap and integrates well with Compact/ControlLogix PLCs. http://www.beckhoff.com/

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I've used Acromag Ethernet I/O modules in both Modbus/TCP and Ethernet/IP. They're low voltage DC only and you have to program message instructions instead of using an I/O connection, but they pack a lot into a 1" wide module. Mike

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I suggest you consider the ArmorPoint IO modules that support Ethernet which MIGHT be to your liking or else the Point IO stuff which was specifically meant to address low density IO. It takes a little hunting around but they definitely have Ethernet versions of this, even though it is obviously geared towards DeviceNet in many ways. I've used Acromag with Modbus/TCP but you mean to say that it doesn't actually support Ethernet IO except using CIP? I have seen for instance Spectrum Controls which used to require CIP generic instructions for configuration but I didn't know that Acromag doesn't support being treated as "real Ethernet/IP IO". Nowadays the CIP generic stuff is going away because AB added "AOP's" (add on profiles) which allows you to use 3rd party IO as if it's native. I looked at the Turck stuff but it's all DeviceNet, not Ethernet/IP, at least what the pointer was to. In AIM series they have just 2 modules that look vaguely similar to ArmorPoint IO (might even be the same thing) for Ethernet/IP. The BLxx series looks either exactly like Siemens IO or Point IO, depending on the terminology you want to use. I was reading through the Wago documentation. It's not clear...does it show up as traditional mapped IO or are they doing special CIP generic messages buried inside the AOI's that they provide to mask those details? Based on their documentation it looks like it MIGHT support "true" Ethernet/IP IO but it just isn't clear. Beckhoff...it uses Ethercat. Where is the Ethernet/IP adapter?

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While you're looking around check out Automation Direct Terminator I/O

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It looks like you've already gotten some great suggestions. One I'd like to add is SNAP I/O from Opto 22. Opto 22's "IO4AB" (I/O for A-B) is great for implicit messaging with ControlLogix or CompactLogix, and can also be used with SLC 5/05 or MicroLogix (using explicit messaging). Cost is reasonable, and the thing it does differently is the ability to do "distributed processing", w/out having to learn any new programming. All configurations (done in RSLogix5000 and a free EtherNet/IP config tool). Please check out this short video when you have a moment: http://www.opto22.com/players/bc_player.aspx?bcpid=30182984001&bclid=30105620001&bctid=9248245001

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Here are two: http://www.beckhoff.de/english/bus_terminal/bk9105.htm?id=201539126303 http://www.beckhoff.de/english/ethercat/ek9500.htm?id=68849446820093 (to be released)

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No call for ArmorPoint at the moment. I looked at Point I/O and it's about 50% more than a single Acromag 4AI/2AO/6DIO combo module. Against two or more modules the low cost I/O slices make up for the initial adapter cost. I must not have been specific enough with my comment about messaging. For Modbus/TCP modules, I used the Modicon 984LL MSTR instruction to read and write 4x registers. For Ethernet/IP, I used the A-B MSG instruction configured for a PLC-5 to read and write registers in file N7. I haven't had a chance to use AOPs on anything yet. Mike

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