Interface: racoman
Can the Catalyst be connected to the Allen-Bradley SLC-505 PLC through the Channel 0 connection?
Catalyst only speaks Modbus RTU. SLC family only supports DF1 via the 9 pin serial port.
Micrologix would work.
1 possible solution is to add a Microligix to their Ethernet network. Message alarms over Ethernet from SLC5/0
[RAH] The SLC channel 0 can be configured for Modbus RTU Master but I believe it needs to be a slave device since the Catalyst is acting as the master. Can I put a Gateway between the two with a Modbus RTU Slave to Ethernet/IP Adapter interface and connect it through the SLC Channel 1 Ethernet port?
Micrologix is the only Allen Bradley platform that offers a bundled Modbus RTU slave driver.
The SLC platform offers only Modbus RTU Master not Slave.
The Gateway idea should work but we've yet to test this.
For price point, and a proven working solution we know that Micrologix will do what you want
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List price for a basic Micrologix 1100 is around $500 USD.
[RAH] I work for Siemens and would prefer to use that PLC, but the customer wants SLC500 with Ethernet. I will use the MicroLogix 1100 as a comms gateway. I see the Catalyst doesn't have Ethernet capability either. It's too bad this otherwise excellent product doesn't have a more varied communications capability like the Raco Verbatim Gateway. Maybe marketing can think about that?