CP1413 alternatives?

[Phizza 0]

Hi We currently have a small network of desktop PC's that connect to some S5 PLCs via CP1413 cards and the H1 network. Does anybody have experience of using standard ethernet cards in place of the CP1413 cards? What software would be required and how would the step5 package go "online" to the PLC. I think that there is an "H1 line driver" on the current PC's for selection in page 2 of the settings within S5. I have tried to locate this driver on the PC but can't see it anywhere. Thanks in advance Phizza

[Moggie 17]

Not sure about the CP1413 cards but have you looked at the "S5-LAN" interfaces from www.process-informatik.de These give you an ethernet connection on the PG interface of the S5 and comes with PLC Vcom package that allows Siemens Step5 to communicate over ethernet.

[Phizza 0]

Thanks for the reply. There are 17 PLC's connected to the H1 network, the PG port of the CPU is connected to the H1 card and we communicate that way via the CP1413 card in the desktop PC. So from any of the 3 connected PC's we can access any of the 17 PLC's. So we would really only want to be changing the PC side of things. Thanks Phizza