Modbus to MB+ converter

  • Thread starter Adolfo Jimmy Saldivias Valarezo
  • Start date
A

Thread Starter

Adolfo Jimmy Saldivias Valarezo

Hi List:
I wonder if anyone know a converter from MB to MB+. We are offering a project based on PLCDirect, which can talk Modbus RTU as a master/slave. But one of the requirements is to
connect to a Bitronics power measuring device who speaks MB+. One alternative I thought was to ask the customer if he can "degrade" his Bitronics to speak only MB instead of MB+. Thanks in advance for your answers.

Jimmy Saldivias TECSIM [email protected]
 
J
A Modicon BM-85 Bridge Multiplexer does this. But I am curious, why are you basing what sounds like a new project around an ancient PLC? The 305 and 405's that PLC Direct sells have been passed around from Koyo to GE to TI to Siemens for years. The 305 is an 8 bit machine, it's a project just to read a 12-bit analog input with it. There are new micro-controllers at about the same price, take a look at the Modicon Momentum or Allen Bradley Micrologix.

Jay Kirsch
Macro Automatics
2985 E. Hillcrest Drive, Ste 101
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
[email protected]
 
H

Hunter Farris

Modicon makes a Momentum block with a CPU bilt in which will serve as a bridge between Modbus and Modbus Plus. They also make a bridge with one Modbus Plus input port and 4 Modbus output ports but is much more expensive. Try www.modicon.com
and research the Momentum Controller. Cost is usually about $500-750. I have used this in the past in the same type application.

Hunter Farris
 
A

Adolfo Jimmy Saldivias Valarezo

Jay:

You are right, 305 and 405 sold by Koyo are old models. The new ones -the one we are using- is the 205 family. Their last model 250 cpu was introduced to the market some 3 years ago. I am not aware what kind of processor they use.

I don't really know much about Momentum of Modicon - even when I used to work with Modicon 5 years ago. I guess it will be worth checking them now - which I will do.

The main reason to pick PLCDirect is the good price/performance relationship. I have installed several such units in a sugar cane industry 3 years ago and they are still working with no problem. The environment they are working at is temperature 45 degrees Celsius, high humitity.

The HMIs sold by PLCDirect are not that good. The ones installed on the same project started to loose several pixels (I do not know if this is the right word for the points in an LCD display) a few months after installed.

A couple of months ago I prepared a project using Modicon Compact PLCs, because that was what the customer had installed, and the price of the PLC as well as the modules and finally the software was VERY high -as compared to Koyo. Maybe I did not buy in the right place within the US.

Thanks for the advice. I hope these comments explain a bit. By the way, we are not related to PLCDirect in any way.

Regards
Jimmy Saldivias
 
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Hunter Farris

The momentum processor is very reasonably priced and has modbus and modbus plus ports on board a single unit. It is the most cost effective unit even if only used as a bridge between the PLC Direct and the Modbus Plus device. The setup is very simple using the "peer-cop" traffic cop by Modicon.

Hunter Farris
 
J
Jimmy Saldivias,

When looking into using a Modicon controller to connect to your Bitronix meter you may want to consider selecting one with one Modbus and one Modbus-Plus port. The controller should be able
to simply "peer-cop" the Bitronix meter. No communcition programming will be necessary. The Modicon can sit on whatever existing Modbus network you are using with the PLCDirect 205's.

Jay Kirsch
Macro Automatics
2985 E. Hillcrest Drive, Ste 101
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
[email protected]
 
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