Networking MicroLogix 1000's

  • Thread starter Sudarshan Iyengar
  • Start date
S

Thread Starter

Sudarshan Iyengar

hi everyone,

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year

One of my colleague requires comments/suggestions on the following as this
is first time we are venturing into this.

For one of the project, for networking 4 MicroLogix 1000's (only series C), each would need to be connected to its own 1761-NET-AIC Link Coupler (which requires a 24V dc power source) with 1761-HMO2 cable, and these couplers are
daisy chained to each other using Belden grey DH485 cable.. Then one of them is connected to the SLC 5/05's own 1761-NET-AIC, which is then cabled (AB DF1 pin-out) to the RS-232 port on the SLC 5/05. The SLC 5/05 can then communicate to them using unsolicited messaging, and they in return can do the same back to the SLC.

Pros:
1. Considerably less field wiring.
2. With one additional AIC connected to a host computer on the main network, we'd have remote access to all the Micros.

Any suggestions/comments or alternate solutions over this will be of great
help.
 
R

R A Peterson

My first thought is WHY?

The Micrologix have minimal capacity. Unless there is some reason you have to use them (such as for a high speed input, or some level of redundancy) why not just run everything off the 5/05 and drop some remote I/O where the Micrologix would have been. Much cleaner and probably cost about the same in hardware.
 
M
> For one of the project, for networking 4 MicroLogix 1000's (only series C), each would need to be connected to its own 1761-NET-AIC Link Coupler (which requires a 24V dc power source) with 1761-HMO2 cable, and these couplers are ...<

Why not use the AB 1761-CBL-AM00 cable from the MicroLogix to the 1761-NET-AIC? This cable will let the MicroLogix provide power to its local net-aic. Saves a little wiring.

> 2. With one additional AIC connected to a host computer on the main network, we'd have remote access to all the Micros.<

Keep in mind that you'll only get DH-485 (not DF1) from the RS232 output of the net-aic. That is not a problem if you're on a PC platform that
has a DH-485 driver. If you're trying to connect to some odd embedded system and need to write the protocol yourself, you have a problem. We
currently have that problem. Any solutions would be appreciated. (DH485 is proprietary, and AB doesn't release that info without a lot of
convincing.)

Mark
 
B
One reason to use multiple Micrologix is to achieve true distributed processing. This may (or may not) result in smaller and faster programs
that are written exlusively for a specific process.

Of course it would be most practical to be able to program all of these micro plc's from one location on a network, which can be accomplished
with DH485.

Bill Sturm
 
Top