Wireless or Bluetooth Interface

[Shiner 2]

We have an inquiry in about a project that requires connecting to a PLC system via a wireless device (maybe Bluetooth....smart phone/tablet). The product is going to be home based, so industrial network security is not a major issue, but the bottom line is they want to be able to turn this on and off via the wireless device, but also have manual operator controls. Any recommendations on a product line? Interface style? Thank you.

[Crossbow 295]

Home based? Look at X10 or something similar. PLCs really don't offer apps for smartphones or tablets. I know there are some exceptions, but that's just not a device which gets used in an industrial environment.

[Eternity Sales 0]

Greetings, Much will depend on the number and type of I/O you will require for your primary PLC. With regards to home automation, we represent a product line where controls have been used in this manner. The company is Triangle Research and their entry level product is the Nano-10. All of there products provide web based capabilities. More information is available through the following links: http://www.eternity-sales.com/tri-plc/files/Nano10_Quick_Start.pdf http://www.eternity-sales.com/tri-plc/tri-plc.htm The F-Series has been used for building automation and includes the ability to incorporate wireless on the board, dimmer control and IR remote control: http://www.eternity-sales.com/tri-plc/fseries.htm If you have any questions, feel free to post or email

[Maria_Lemone 0]

Zigbee wireless is good for use with PLC's. It is robust and can support mesh networks. They are set up with a free software utility. Each zigbee network has a PAN ID and RF Channel so the devices are int he same neighborhood. Each node has a unique node ID. The zigbee I/O devices support Modbus RTU protocol. You can use other I/O through zigbee slave converters. Each zigbee network has one host converter. You can have many slave converters in one network. You can use Modbus based Touch Screen PLC's with zigbee hardware. The TouchPAD PLC's are communicable over Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP protocols. If you have any questions, let me know. Zigbee Hardware: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/zigbeealliancetable.html?r=maria Touch Screen PLC's: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/touch_pad_controller.html Free Demo Programs: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/touchpaddemo.php Ladder Logic Training Video: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/trainingladderlogic.php You could also use a Wi-Fi network if you'd like. It may be preferable since most homes have Wi-Fi already installed. The TPD devices can be connected over Ethernet cabling to the router. You can use Wi-Fi based I/O and Modbus TCP protocols. Wi-Fi I/O: http://www.icpdas-usa.com/wi_fi_data_acquisition.html Maria Lemone 1-310-517-9888 ext 105