PLC Communications

PLC Communications Cards

Does anyone know where I may obtain information on Monaghan cards? (I'm not sure of the spelling of this company who I believe are US based.) Specifically I am after details of cards which can plug into industrial PLCs (Modicon, GE, A-B, etc) and communicate directly using utility SCADA protocols (DNP3, Modbus

Re: PLC Communications Cards

At 09:20 AM 6/17/97 +1000, you wrote: Ian: Monaghan is an individual who is a Modconnect partner with Modicon. He developed an SOE card for the 984 PLC system. Information on Monaghan products can be obtained from Square D/AEG/Modicon dealers. If you need more information than you can get from your distributor, try contacting Ray Wright from the Andover, MA. headquarters office of Modicon. He can give you information concerning other Modconnect partners (such as NovaTech) who develop 3rd party drivers for various protocols. Most PLC manufacturers do not directly develop a large number of 3rd party drivers for their PLC systems. They do have modules which can be programmed in some suitable language which allows a protocol or two to adapted to the system. The Modicon PLC mostly uses the BM-85E bridge multiplexer. Allen-Bradley has some 3rd party vendors which use variations of their ASCII/Basic modules as well as the 2760-RBM in order to load and operate protocols. Two companies which I know of are Prosoft in Bakersfield, CA (Phone 805-323-2705) and CI Systems in Milwaukee, WI. (Phone 414-546-3335). I used to work for the PLC division of Siemens Energy and Automation. The Siemens Step 5 programming language is well suited for developing simple protocols when used in conjunction with the CP-524/525 type co-processor modules. Most higher level protocols however are usually developed at the factory and are fairly pricey. I do not know what is available for the TI division of the Siemens PLC line. The company which I represent is involved with developing drivers for the GE Fanuc Series 90 PLC systems. We have been developing protocols for industry in general for the last 10 years. We are presently involved in a very aggressive program to develop and market through the GE organization and through Horner Electric ( a GE hardware development partner) a wide range of protocol drivers primarily targeted at the SCADA industry. The products will be available on a co-processor module which plugs directly into the backplane of the GE PLC rack. Scheduled for release within the next quarter are DNP3, Conitel 300 and 2020, LG 8979, CDC I and II, and possibly some implementation of IEC 870

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