Ethernet

[Guest Guest_Electrode]

Is it possible to connect to a PLC 505 just using a laptop and a network cable? I can connect using a hub or a switch, but I was told that everyone just connects with a laptop and a cable. Can this be done or do I need a crossover cable?

[gravitar 3]

Well I don't know about "everyone" but all of the 5/05 panels I have encountered (few, admittedly) have had DIN-rail hubs mounted in them. For bench-testing at home, I go through a hub to save me the trouble of making a crossover cable. Do it whichever way is most convenient to you I guess!

[Ken Roach 194]

Most of the time, somebody has paid a premium for the SLC-5/05 controller's Ethernet connectivity, so it is connected to a hub or switch and a local area network. Yes, you can connect to them using just a crossover cable between the SLC and your computer's Ethernet port. My main problem with that is that my Windows 2000 PC goes into "autoconfigured IP mode" when I leave it unplugged from the LAN for too long, and doesn't want to accept a new static IP without rebooting. I hear this isn't a problem with some network configurations or maybe in Windows XP. One of the guys I work with has a handy crossover adapter for RJ45 plugs that he keeps in his toolbox. You can get them for a couple bucks from Cyberguys.com

[TimWilborne 108]

Ntron make a compact din rail mounted switch. You can get a 4 port for around $150. I would use this. Our panels are subject to a lot of impact. We had problems with the off the shelf switches circuit boards cracking. We have not had any failures with the Ntron switches

[Guest Guest]

I also had to use an Ntron switch but felt that it was way overpriced when you can get switches for half that!!!

[TimWilborne 108]

Try putting a off the shelf switch on a 200 ton press and you will see why those over priced switches are good. We were going through one of the shelf switch a month, havent had a failure out of any of the ntron switches

[Guest HalBishop]

"Never tell me what it will cost me, tell me what it will save me." This is a quote from a very wise customer from years ago.

[TimWilborne 108]

Tell me about it. Its hard to explain to the boss that we have 50 people standing around because we had to run to the computer store to by another $25 switch

[Contr_Conn 4]

Indistrial switches not just a vibration rated: - wide tempature range, - redundand power supply instead of wall transformer, - Ethernet and power line nosie filters - properly terminated unused pins - STP cable shield termination - DIN rail mount I would never used consumer switch in industrial application, but I am using $16 switches for simple testings and presentations.

[gravitar 3]

When I went to the A-B seminars last month they had a guy from Hirschmann talking about their industrial DIN-rail switches and routers. A big part of the seminar was explaining why theirs was better for control panels than the Netgear ones you get at Best Buy :) It seems like our culture (atleast consumers) have no grasp of robustness, durability, MTBF, MTTR, etc. Everyone goes by "features", with little regard to how long the product is able to provide those features. It seems like so much that is offered for sale these days is just plain crap, especially with electronics! It isn't nearly as bad with commercial or industrial products but we aren't immune to it, either..

[Electrode 0]

Thanks for the input guys, I do understand about the Press vibration causing problems we have several press operations here. Sometimes the higher price ones will do the job better, but for the most part we use inexspensive hub because we really are not relying on them in our production process. I will give the crossover adapter a try. Thanks Again! Elect.

[TimWilborne 108]

One other difference between consumer switches versus industrial switches is the layout of them. Consumer switches have gone to a better looking layout with the ports on one side and the indicators or the other side. By the time you get the switch mounted so that one side is accessible, the other is not. So usually it ends up laying in the bottom of the panel the first time you need to get to the back of the switch. Industrial switches are designed so everything is on the front of them. This is much easier to work on in the field.

[KlausR 0]

If your PC has a Gigabit LAN NIC, then it works also with a "Standard" Lan cable. All Gigabit LAN NIC are doing this!