small low cost PLC options

[2dye4]

Hi

I am looking for a micro PLC with ideally two serial ports and one ethernet port which has
language features that support string manipulation.

Ideally I would like a 'c' or 'basic' compiled or scripted language as these seem the best
for string handling.

If the ladder logic has string variables and comparisons that would be OK as a compromise.

Any suggestions ??

Thanks

 

[djs]

Check out Automation Direct.

 

[itsmoked]

Yep.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[tygerdawg]

Auto Direct first comes to mind, but there are many others too. Ummm.....umm....SmartPLC(?), EZPLC(?)...can't rightly remember. Little small very function-rich units. Unitronics(?) also. Websearch for "small PLC" or "smart relay" and you may get some good hits.

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[2dye4]

Yup, I love auto direct with their online pricing and no nonsense marketing.

I have used a CLICK plc and I like it very much for the price, the free software is very nice.
The only problem with CLICK is string handling ( it has none as far as i can tell )

I settled on the DO MORE series. It's a little more expensive than click but it has all the bells and whistles
plus free development software.

Thanks

 

[automatic2]

sounds like a possible solution is an embedded micro, depending on your I/O drive requirements

 

[itsmoked]

I used to recommend the TECO factorymation.com. You cannot beat that price. However you can certainly beat the lame software that you program it with and the even crappier Chinglish manual. I then stepped up from about $90 (TECO) to about $120 for the AutomationDirect.com CLICK and am super pleased with it and the excellent software and great manual. I haven't had any need for $tring handling, like 2dye4, so I haven't seen that shortcoming. I'd love to try out the DO-MORE but my projects revolt at that ~$300+ price point.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[2dye4]

I used a click to control a payoff reel, you know keep the thing turning smoothly to match the pull of the next machine.

They are really nice for roll your own digital filtering and control as long as the processes are slow.

Mainly i like the equation box that lets you just write out everything at once. I was surprised to see this
in a 70$ plc with free software.

 

[djs]

Allen-Bradley has a line called Micro800. More expensive but from a name brand.

 

[Macbeth]

Not sure what your doing but your spec would match a Redlion Crimson controller they Programs in "C" have multiple ports and includes many industrial protocols. For lower cost and you seem to not have a problem with “C” I would consider an arduino myself.

 

[FreddyNurk]

Sixnet (now RedLion) have some RTU units that handle C programming capabilities with serial and ethernet ports, as does Wago (both have their limitations, Sixnet needs extra software to handle C programming, the Wago units use ucLinux). None (at least in my part of the world) are as cheap as $200 though.

Industrial PC (Moxa et al) or even a supersized raspberry pi equivalent?