New Ethernet CLICKs are out ... New Do-mores are ???

[Mike Nash]

The Ethernet CLICKs look very interesting, (especially for the price) and just in time for Christmas shopping. But I really, really want to see the new Host product soon.

[BobO]

And I really, really want you to see it. We generally don't like to talk about schedules because it tends to make us look like pathological liars, but, I feel pretty good that next year's Christmas tree could be well controlled.

[HB_GUY]

I have a do-more addiction! Like a junkie looking for a fix, i'm eagerly awaiting the new do-more

[deep6ixed]

Im actually a little sad about the new Do-More coming out...

I don't have any upgrades scheduled in the next year that would let me use it.

And looking at this new click, I think they are trying to step on your turf just a little.

[plcnut]

And looking at this new click, I think they are trying to step on your turf just a little.

No way is it stepping on Host's turf. It's like the difference between Tee-ball, and the Major Leagues. The Click is not even on the same scale as Do-more.
IMHO...

[BobO]

Honestly, if Click can do an app with its limited capabilities, and you like using it, we're certainly not offended. I personally think that for some apps it ends up being a false savings due to increased programming effort, but for others it is the slam dunk correct answer. Use the right product for the app.

That said, we are definitely expanding down market while Click moves up. By the time we finish our down market expansion, there won't be much daylight between the products. And after that, we'll be expanding up market. In time...Do-more everywhere!

[DLTimmons]

If it will do Modbus TCP slave, I see one real good use Remote I/O for a Do-more

[deep6ixed]

Here at Engineered Wire, We've pushed the Click into "Smart Devices" category.  It's great for small and simple projects, but it's not a work horse,  more of a pony at a petting zoo.

They did work nice for our local vocational school.  The price makes them great for a PLC trainer setup.  I keep one on a display board for our maintenance techs to use to learn basic PLC skills, and at 70 bucks if they fry one oh well...

[BobO]

Here at Engineered Wire, We've pushed the Click into "Smart Devices" category.  It's great for small and simple projects, but it's not a work horse,  more of a pony at a petting zoo.

They did work nice for our local vocational school.  The price makes them great for a PLC trainer setup.  I keep one on a display board for our maintenance techs to use to learn basic PLC skills, and at 70 bucks if they fry one oh well...

Ponies are cute. Probably shouldn't use them to plow the back 40 though.

[Controls Guy]

Ponies are cute. Probably shouldn't use them to plow the back 40 though.

Whereas with Do-More, you can automate the harvester, and check commodity pricing on the interwebs at the same time!   

I did notice on another forum that the new Click's are supposed to be 10X faster then the non-E's, so they must have upgraded the CPU and/or clock speed.  That's a significant improvement, except I can't imagine the app that would overwhelm a non-E Click where I'd be willing to use one because it's now 10x faster.  Seems like they're muddying their niche.  If I were them, I'd concentrate on upgrading the software instead of more powerful hardware.

[BobO]

Ponies are cute. Probably shouldn't use them to plow the back 40 though.

Whereas with Do-More, you can automate the harvester, and check commodity pricing on the interwebs at the same time!   

I did notice on another forum that the new Click's are supposed to be 10X faster then the non-E's, so they must have upgraded the CPU and/or clock speed.  That's a significant improvement, except I can't imagine the app that would overwhelm a non-E Click where I'd be willing to use one because it's now 10x faster.  Seems like they're muddying their niche.  If I were them, I'd concentrate on upgrading the software instead of more powerful hardware.

I've made the observation previously that for CLICK to significantly increase its functionality is to risk losing its appeal. Do-more's future low end product (not the new brick, but the DM0 nano class coming after) has the advantage of not needing to be any more than the lowest-cost easiest-to-use thing you can think of. When you hit the wall with it, the project migrates to DM1 class hardware without change. I think if we can get close to CLICK pricing, we will do well with such a product. And when a DM0 class device can also drop in as low-cost RS485-based remote I/O for DM1 class processors, it gets even better.

This is starting to get real fun.

[deep6ixed]

With the limited instruction set, bogging down the click really shouldn't happen.

Maybe I never have stressed our PLC, but I've never, ever had an issues where the PLC wasn't fast enough on any of our equipment.

We don't do much analog or math so maybe I'm under working our Do-More's.


If you can hit Click pricing with a new Do-More, I will personally videotape me smashing all our clicks in our bearing press and send it to Host.  Then I will replace all of them with the DM0.

[BobO]

With the limited instruction set, bogging down the click really shouldn't happen.

Maybe I never have stressed our PLC, but I've never, ever had an issues where the PLC wasn't fast enough on any of our equipment.

We don't do much analog or math so maybe I'm under working our Do-More's.

And this is exactly our philosophy for the future nano class I referred to. It will be built on the cheapest micro we can find, and will have no hardware acceleration or coprocessors like the DM1. Won't matter though. With a max of about 32 I/O and a very limited feature set, how slow is slow?

Further down the road, I want to move back up market with a true rack and cards modular, high density I/O, hot swap, etc. It will launch with a new DM2 class processor, which will be 10x to 20x faster than the DM1. Such big plans...so little time.

[deep6ixed]

Honestly, how big does a program have to be before a PLC runs into a scan time issue?

[Controls Guy]

We don't do much analog or math so maybe I'm under working our Do-More's.

It's like how being five minutes early is on time.  Underworking is right-working.  As cheap as hardware is, if you pick a platform that has a powerful instruction set and hardware power (and memory) to burn, you'll more than get your money back in saved engineering effort, and in the long run, end up getting a more robust system for LESS money.