Simple questions

[derrick]

Hello;

Trying to figure out how all these things work together.  These should be easy questions for somebody:

1) If I have a DL06 PLC with an ECOM100 card, and I wish to communicate with Terminator I/O, is my only comm option Modbus/TCP? (If I understand correctly, this is true; however for the 205 series PLC, I could use the H2-ERM and access Terminator I/O as if it were local I/O).

2) Can an ECOM100 be both a Modbus master *and* slave, simultaneously, or is it just one or the other?  I want the PLC to gather data from remote I/O, and have a PC and/or C-More panel gather data from the PLC at the same time for fancy HMI.

3) The reason I'm considering a DL06/ECOM100 unit instead of a 205/H2-ERM is solely because of cost (I don't think memory is going to be an issue, and by looking at my local I/O requirements, the DL06 set up will cost about $600 less).  Would moving up to the 205 remove any configuration/communications issues that would be worth the extra expense?

Thanks for your input!

Derrick

[Greg]

Hi Derrick,

1)  True; in DL06 to talk to T1H-EBC100, the only option is an H0-ECOM100. There is currently no H0-ERM.

2)  Yes, the H0-ECOM100 can be a Modbus TCP master (client) and slave (server) at the same time.

3)  There is a big advantage by moving up to the DL205 and using the H2-ERM. There is no ladder logic "overhead" (so to speak) with an H2-ERM. Once the H2-ERM is configured using ERM Workbench (which is very easy), then it scans the T1H-EBC100 and deposits the I/O in the DL205 memory and, as you have noted, it just looks like local I/O. But with the DL06 and H0-ECOM100, it is you, in ladders, that must read (RX) and write (WX) the I/O in the T1H-EBC100. So the H2-ERM is much easier to manage and design an application around (it just works!). You'll have to be the judge of whether that is worth the extra expense.

Hope that helps!

[derrick]

Thanks Greg, that helps a lot!

Derrick