I'm bidding on a project to migrate a couple of PLC-5 and SLC PLCs to a contrologix platform with an Ignition Server running the HMI.

There is no Ethernet on the floor. I'm planning on placing the Ignition Server in the server room (>350ft from the plant control room) the remainder of the existing PLCs are close enough for Ethernet.

Any suggestions about the network architecture? Here are some points of questions:

What is the best way to connect the server room to the Plcs. I was thinking of a Stratix switch located in a panel that is in the middle of the plant floor operations.

Do I need a router in there somewhere or will a switch be sufficient?

Should I be concerned that the Ignition Server is in the server is not co-located with the switch?

Any hardware suggestions. Do I need an Stratix switches or will any switch work fine. Our company typically uses NTRON.

 

Hi Dschmidt,

in my opinion, for distance of 350 F you would need fiber optics cable connecting Operator workstation PCs in control room with Server located in panel room. At each end, I suggest you to install Stratix Switch with FO ports and lay fiber optics cable in between.

Ikhtiander

 

Hi Dschmidt,

Since this is a new Ethernet Install, I would use the Stratix switches with the ControlLogix Platform. Make sure you do a Network Verification with RA as part of the project. This will insure that there are no issues with communications and you will be able to supply a reliable network. You may want to install a Ring topology for reliability. Use of FO is a must as in the previous email. This will eliminate interference from EMI on the factory floor.

We recently upgrade the SCADA network here with ControLogix platform and we used Stratix switches exclusively because of the platform and the need for a consistent Cybersecurity methodology.

You can contact me separately for details if you want.

Bob

Robert J. Dusza, Jr., COP
Project & Technical Support Manager
E-mail - [email protected]
Manchester Water & Sewer Dept.
Manchester, CT

 

> What is the best way to connect the server room to the Plcs.
> I was thinking of a Stratix switch located in a panel that
> is in the middle of the plant floor operations.

Perfectly reasonable.

> Do I need a router in there somewhere or will a switch be sufficient?

A switch will generally be sufficient, but you haven't given us enough information to give you a good answer. If you're talking about a handful of PLCs, and none of them have too many Ethernet nodes, a switch is fine. If you ramp up the number of devices, at some point routers start to look like a good idea.

> Should I be concerned that the Ignition Server is in the
> server is not co-located with the switch?

No, other than distance. That 350 feet definitely sounds like you need fiber.

> Any hardware suggestions. Do I need an Stratix switches or
> will any switch work fine. Our company typically uses NTRON.

There's nothing wrong with N-Tron. The only advantage that Stratix has is that it has "Rockwell Automation" stamped on it.

-James Ingraham
Sage Automation, Inc.