Lonworks and Allen Bradley

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Thread Starter

Alex Paulsen

I am trying to communicate with a Cummins PCC that has serial communications that will only work on the Lonworks Protocol.
Cummins promised me Modbus, but seomhow got locked into Lonworks. So far the only solution I have found is a $6500 PC/software device to bridge the gap.
Ideally I would like to be able to poll the Lonworks port throught the PLC-5 serial port.
2nd choice would be a Prolinx module on the PLC RIO link to Modbus to Lonworks. This would be ugly but if it worked I could live with it.
Has anyone had any success in bridging Lonworks with and AB PLC-5? (5/80E)

Thanks in advance.

Alex Paulsen
 
you should talk to Andy Piereder at Pinnicle Automation. He has a great turn-key gateway product that will bridge anything to anything.

Pinnacle Automation
783 East, 2200 North. Suite 100
P.O. Box 420
Lehi, UT 84043
(801) 766-0909

You should tell him I sent you...

Jim Stewart
Quest Technical Solutions
 
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Richard Theron - FieldServer

Hi Alex

FieldServer Technologies has extensive experience connecting AB to LonWorks, Please have a look at www.fieldserver.com for details on the gateways and protocols. Specifically have a look at the FS-B2011-01 LonWorks bridge, which can then connect to a wide variety of AB and Modbus protocols.

Thanks,
Richard
 
F
If you go to Echelon's website ( http://www.echelon.com ) and do a search on
Modbus you will find several companies that make LonWorks/Modbus bridge products without resorting to PC's. One other possibilty is the Serial
LonTalk Adapter (SLTA - also on Echelon's website). This provides LonWorks to serial interface. The downside to the SLTA is that it expects the host to talk a specific serial protocol. If you have the ability to program the
PLC-5 port to handle that protocol then there is no problem. The other possibility depends on whether you really need the Cummins to talk directly to the PLC or does it go up to an HMI? There is a LonWorks DDE server that allows you to link LonWorks into any application supporting DDE (which includes most HMI's). One final solution is the PSG (programmable serial gateway). This is essentially the same thing as the SLTA but without a fixed serial protocol. With the PSG you have to have a LonWorks development system and write Neuron code to take information from the LonWorks side and spit out the appropriate serial protocol on the 232 side.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions and would like to discuss options.

Regards,

Fred Graham
Graham Controls Consulting
Specializing in LonWorks technology
www.grahamcontrols.com
770.887.9024 (voice)
770.216.1668 (fax)
[email protected]
 
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