Remotely programming PLCs. 4

[itsmoked]

I'm facing a project where there will be 3 PLCs on a moving platform that moves about the USA. Invariably there will need to be changes to their code. I want to be able to do that remotely. I'm looking for solutions in any form. That is it could be something you buy that will mimic a local programming computer or a fully enabled PLC that has the native functionality. This is going to be a wireless situation, of course.

I'd prefer to use Automation Direct's CLICK series as they have the biggest bang for the buck and I'm very familiar with them but they provide no alternative programming methods as needed, you just plug a programming computer into them via RS232. (Except since I last used one they've added an Ethernet port that you can program thru which might make this a little easier.)

I'm open to any suggestions or brain storming, what have you got?!

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[dV8r]

Look at

http://www.secomea.com

they are not free but can do it all quite securely.

 

[itsmoked]

Thanks SparkRay.
$839 Seems a reasonable price for Cellular.

And Thanks dV8r.
Very nice website (sans making one search all over the web to find prices).
Seems a little expensive on first cut. $1,200 but may provide other benefits as they specifically list the programming of PLCs using the PLC's native development tools over cellular and show a bazillion different brands doing it.


Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[dV8r]

If by chance you use a GE QuickPanel+ View or Control the $1200 part is included.

 

[itsmoked]

Update: Circa late June 2016

I finally pulled this off - very successfully too!

I Chose the Red Lion RAM6921 cellular modem router RTU. It came with a built-in 5 port router and GPS!!! I was able to set it up with passwords everywhere. I did end up needing a B2B Verizon Account and shelled out for a static address since I have other plans for the B2B now. I setup an IPsec Virtual Private Network and can look up the rail car anywhere, anytime. It's fabulous. The GPS is spectacularly accurate, always showing precisely where on the tracks the antenna is even mounted, (always over the left rail).

It was fun setting up my phone as a hotspot, then using my laptop to setup the VPN via my phone to the Red Lion 50 feet forward in the car via LTE. Data volume is very manageable.

I went with the Red Lion offered LTE MIMO plus GPS antenna which was about $260. It's an IP67 black 5" diameter half-dome. The RAM6921 was ~$950 and is amazingly robust and professional feeling in operation and it's steel case is very tough. Turns out Verizon is so impressed with the Red Lion offerings they actually offer the 6921's siblings as 'industrial cellular modems'.

I figured out how to run a VPN from my cell phone so I can locate and check status using my phone even.

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone. eeprom thanks for the Red Lion tip. Their tech support was very service oriented and worked diligently to answer my questions.


Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Doug W]

itsmoked, that is awesome , I'm trying to do a similar project , what is a B2B account ? And I'm guessing the static IP ran you about $500. I tried using a MIFI for this type of app. But the external IP address never worked , could not access my router on the public side. So I'm very interested in your solution and who did you deal with at Verizon, because the people I deal with on the phone or at the desks have no idea what I'm talking about. Also did you use a SIM or an APN for the carrier.?

 

[itsmoked]

Hi ZombieC.
A Verizon B2B account is pretty interesting. You sign a couple of agreements via a sales guy who becomes your account exec for Verizon. A B2B account theoretically allows you to provision your own devices adding and subtracting devices at will on/off the Verizon network. As the network manager for your own little cellular kingdom you pick the "group" and the data plan for that group to share. The two groups consist of data quantity plans with overage rates. Group 1 starts at 1MB runs up to 150MB a month which an unlimited number units can share. Group 2 starts at 250MB and runs up to 10GB. You assign which group your devices live in and share.

To clarify "theoretically" this is all doable and done thru the B2B "management console" EXCEPT the difference between G1,G2,G3, and LTE is great enough that Verizon hasn't figured out how to allow management console to work with LTE yet. They expect around the end of the year. The console works fine with all the prior comm schemes.

Additionally; You get dynamic addressing with everything I've explained above. No doubt I could've used a service to keep track of the shifting addresses or come up with a scheme where the field units phone-home but that limits where I can talk to them from if "home" changes. This would all take some time to setup too and I was working on a very short time schedule. So I decided to cut to the chase and go with static IP addresses. Verizon charges you $500 upfront for static IPs, all you want. I went that route as it makes a lot of things way easier.

Also the management console does work for the Verizon B2B network currently IF and only IF you opt for a Verizon "private network". This is considered many times more secure than the standard network because they setup a routing tables and run everything thru their routers as apposed to 'any' routers. They also work this thru a specific router you designate on your 'business' end. Apparently it actually takes a lot of work. It takes about two months for Verizon techs to setup. It also has a one time charge of, you guessed it, $500. I did not go for this as currently I have only one device on the system. As I add more Things I will likely take it all over to a private network for the added security.

A last point is you also sort of get a specific tech guy assigned to you. He's usually given to you by your corp contact guy. BTW My guy was astoundingly helpful and bent over backwards WAAAAY backwards to help me meet my strict time deadline. Doing a bunch of work from home hours after working hours for me.

SIM or APN I started this whole thing by going to the local Verizon Store where they sold me an addition to my personal phone plan increasing my data plan and handing me a SIM for the Red Lion 6921. It did not work happily and I ended up figuring out I needed what B2B offered. My account guy was going to send me a new SIM but instead after a bunch of after hours work changed the SIM card I had in possession to take it into the B2B network and what he would've sent me saving us another day.

I hear occasional horror stories about Verizon Support but I have to say the excellent quality support I have always received from them has me solidly in their camp. For more than a decade they have provided me with outstanding support. Everything from a kid racking up a $500 texting bill (they promptly retroactively changed my plan saving me $400) to dealing with phone failures, etc., etc., always fixed everything quickly for me and often in surprising and money saving ways I hadn't even known about.

Contact me and I'll pass on a name to you.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com