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Author Topic: Remote racks  (Read 54639 times)

DLTimmons

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Remote racks
« on: October 12, 2012, 05:50:53 PM »
Can a H2-SERIO card be used in a EBC remote rack with a Do-More CPU? If not is there a way to get remote serial working?

Donnie
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BobO

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2012, 06:19:18 PM »
Not at this point. We have talked about it with the new native Ethernet remote I/O feature we are adding to Do-more, but are unsure about whether we can do it well. We will likely try it and see how well it goes, and then keep it or not based on stability.
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odwyerpw

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2012, 03:25:09 PM »
Looking forward to the new ERM100 w/ Native DoMore compatability.  Will ERMWorkbench be able to assign native DoMore IOChannels/MemoryAddresses for D2/F2 Analog IO modules on the RemoteBases?

Will D2 Digital IO modules on the RemoteBases be able to be read/written from/to faster?
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BobO

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2012, 03:32:02 PM »
We have no specific plans about when ERM100 will add native Do-more support. It will probably not be in the initial release, although that might change.

What we are developing now is an Ethernet Remote Master function for the internal Ethernet port of the DM1E, which is a completely native implementation for Do-more. That will come as a free upgrade as soon as we get it done, likely in Q1 next year. After we have completed it on the internal port, we will evaluate the effort to put the same behavior into the ERM100.

We don't expect to use ERM Workbench for either Do-more implementation. The configuration will be done through the Do-more system config in Designer. But yes, all remote I/O will show up exactly like local I/O does now.
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odwyerpw

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2012, 04:46:12 PM »
Bob, thanks for the information. Glad you guys are addressing Remote I/O so quickly...and for the consumer you are takhng the most cost effective approach first. One question, If, I'm using the interal Ethernet port to do a small amount of data gathering (via an OPCServer) and connecting a C-More HMI, will I still be able to realize decent performance on at least 1 Remote base? Or will I need to add an ECOM100 module to talk to the other equipment on seperate networks.

I'm just considering sticking a few analog IO modules and one bulk 24v module for indicator lights in the remote, so not allot of additional IO at all. (I know theorectically a system could support 8*ERM with 16 bases per ERM for a theorectical 128bases, but no one will ever do that?)

Like the Do-It-All from one place configuration.
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BobO

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2012, 05:12:19 PM »
That's one of the things we will be evaluating as quickly as we can. One of our internal discussions has been about how much we should allow at once with the internal port. One school of thought would be to make the port operate in one mode or the other, but not both. I am personally not in favor of that, but we will let engineering realities govern the final answer. My feeling is that for reasonable amounts of traffic it will be just fine. I have pounded on the Ethernet port in the most hateful ways and it does an admirable job of keeping up.

Ironically, at 100Mb per second, the time on the wire for a byte of data ends up being faster than the 205 backplane...so...it will always take more time to send the data to an ERM in the base than to send it out the Ethernet port...even if it was actually waiting for the packet to be sent...which it's not. And since the PLC is dealing with the data one way or the other, a comm co-processor can be a false savings.

Which is not to say that there aren't very good reasons for using extra ECOMs or ERMs...there are many...but the PLC's performance isn't necessarily going to jump because you do, and in certain cases can actually decrease. Obviously I am a big fan of folks using lots of my modules...but...I am not going to push things on false pretenses. Beside being wrong...it's bad for business. But don't tell AB... ;)
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odwyerpw

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2012, 08:51:42 PM »
Bob,
Last question on Remote I/O for a while.... Will the older 10mb H2-EBC work? 

I know only the H2-EBC100 is available now, but I have an older one... If it will, then I will go ahead and buy the H2-ERM now, even with the DL only limitations, and start fooling around with Remote I/O too... ahead of your version 1.1 with the internal ethernet port work where Remote I/O goes Native DoMore...
Peter
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Controls Guy

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2012, 02:28:03 AM »
Quote from: BobO on October 16, 2012, 05:12:19 PM
I am not going to push things on false pretenses. Beside being wrong...it's bad for business. But don't tell AB... ;)

Hey, you can buy a better PLC, but you can't pay more!   :D
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DLTimmons

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2012, 02:01:59 PM »
Has there been any progress on using Serio and Ctrio card in a remote rack? I have a project that I have to start just after the new year, that being able to use those two card in a remote rack would be "sweet" otherwise I will have to run encoder cables and serial cables all over the project.

Donnie
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BobO

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2012, 02:14:24 PM »
Currently working on Ethernet Remote Master function for Do-more. Current plan is for CTRIO/2 to be fully supported, but have not yet made a commitment either way on SERIO. If it is supported, it may be that we have to limit the baud rate. The problem is that there is a 256 byte FIFO for each port that must be serviced via Ethernet. With longer scan times and high baud rates, that becomes difficult.

No specific date yet on release. We were wanting it for January, but gut tells me it will be February by the time it is fully tested and ready for release. Current plan is for it to be part of Do-more Designer 1.1.
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DLTimmons

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #10 on: December 20, 2012, 04:40:14 PM »
Need a beta tester for the Ctrio-2?

I planned to have the serial do one port modbus to a a group of GS2 drives the other two be bar code readers 12 byte at 9600 baud.

Can the GS-EDRV100 connect to more than one drive I have 32 1 HP GS2 drives in this project in two different cabinets. If I could connect all drives in one cabinet thru a ZL-CDM-RJ12X10 and a GS-EDRV100 that would be a very workable way to do it but if I have a GS-EDRV100 for each drive, I can not go that route.
 
My bar code scanner Litatire state it can work Modbus TCP.

I need to figure this out before I start ordering hardware.

Donnie
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MikeS

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2012, 11:04:02 AM »
a GS-EDRV100 can only connect to a single GS drive. You can use our MB-Gateway (Modbus TCP/IP to Modbus/RTU Gateway) to connect the 32 drive serially, but you will have to use MRX and MWX instructions to read and write the desired registers in the GS drive.
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BobO

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2012, 11:43:17 AM »
Additionally, we are still debating whether to allow both normal Ethernet functions and Ethernet Remote Master functions on the internal port at the same time. We really have mixed emotions about this. For customers that don't have unrealistic expectations and understand the finite nature of the resource, having the port do both would be great. Unfortunately, it's more likely that the majority don't get it, and we would be doing them a favor to limit the port to one behavior.

I really don't want to commit to one plan or the other until we have a chance to do some testing. We'll make our determination on observed impact.

As for beta, yeah when we have something functional, I would be willing to let some folks get early access. Testing is good.
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DLTimmons

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2012, 06:00:25 PM »
Back to Plan A, H2-Serio's in base rack basicaly one for each of the three drive cabinets then run a few hundred feet of cable Rs485 and RS232 to each drive cabinet using MRX and MWX for the drives and ascii for the barcode scanners. Would have been sweet with just a ethernet cable running to each cabinet. Then two H2-CTRIO-2s in the base rack with longer than I would like cables to the 4 encoders. then remote racks for all the sensor on this project



Happy Holidays
Donnie
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BobO

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Re: Remote racks
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2012, 06:17:54 PM »
Multiple CPUs? Might be less painful and more stable in the long run...
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