Customer currently has an S2 talking to a B100 using one of the onboard serial ports. Between the two is a fiber link (serial-fiber-serial). They need to co-opt the fiber for an Ethernet run. So can I install a EB-rack with a SNAP serial module at the other end of the new fiber Ethernet run to talk to the B100? Don’t see how to set that up in PAC Project.
Short answer: you can’t do what you describe in PAC Project.
However… how about an E1 in place of the B100? That’s super easy to configure in PAC Project as long as you have 9.5 or newer…
Except, my final run after the Ethernet is a few thousand feet of serial. I would have to talk to the E1 using Modbus or Optomux within PAC, yes?
I might need a diagram here. You’re saying you currently have serial-fiber-serial and you want to take out the initial “Serial-” part and communicate out of the S2 via Ethernet rather than the serial you’re using now?
The customer has a 750+ acre facility with ~30 irrigation valve stations throughout. Each station has one or two B100 brains. They are using three of the serial ports of an S2 via copper wire and AC38’s to communicate with the B100’s. On the fourth port they have a serial-to-fiber converter, fiber running ~2500 feet to a substation, fiber-to-serial, then comms running on copper for another 2000 feet to some additional B100’s. The original copper run had been damaged so they used an available fiber line to replace. Now those darn IT guys need their fiber back. There is Ethernet available on that same section. So I thought about installing an EB2 with a serial module to go the last 2000 feet with serial over copper. As you stated above, that is not an option. I think the the easiest and best for the future of this facility is to change the B100’s to E1’s (as you suggested) and go wireless the last 2000 feet, getting rid of serial altogether. Eventually change all 30 valve stations to this configuration.
Very convoluted. Hope that clears it up a little.
I think you are asking for something that I have been asking for years. Communication with a serial brain (of any type, or even limit number of types) by proxy of serial module on an Ethernet brain. This setup could even be used to allow SoftPAC to communicate with a serial brain, you just have to have an Ethernet brain (with serial modules) to act as the proxy server
Just an thought.
Few thoughts. Just throwing stuff out to get the creative juices flowing.
Here is how I think it looks - could be wrong, but hopefully close enough that we can talk in general terms.
Ok, so here are my thoughts…
You could track down a Ethernet to serial device. I have used these in the way distant past. They are a thing.
You need two, one at each end of the IT fiber.
You could do what I have done in red, that is, drop an S controller in the substation and run the B100’s there off one com port and run the other remote B100’s off another com port.
Not shown, but you could drop an R in the substation and move the existing digital points over to SNAP digital modules and then write a chart to bit bang the remote B100’s. (Personally I am not a good enough programmer to pull this off, but suspect it’s doable).
Yes, driving remote I/O from a SNAP rack serial module would be cool, but there are many deep reasons why we are not likely to see this, so I would not hold my breath while I wait for it to be a solution.
Thanks, Ben
I think that the first two options are both easily done. Option #2 would basically be similar to adding the EB2 with serial modules I had asked about above (and similar cost). I could use the new S2 as a simple I/O relay, keeping the program whole in the original S2. Minimal program changes.
Yes, driving remote I/O from a SNAP rack serial module would be cool, but there are many deep reasons why we are not likely to see this, so I would not hold my breath while I wait for it to be a solution.
So, with the awesome weight that Ride_Tech and I have, we can’t get that added to PAC Control?
