any news on webcontrol32?

[CAI_Support]

You might be able to switch 300 lights if using BCD decoding for those output pins.  If switching on all the light together, would that cause a little power surge?  I suppose you can do that with ALLOUTS.  For 8 bit board, 8 TTL output bit can be BCD encoded to control 2^8 = 256 lights.

I have about 300 zones of flourescent high bay lighting that will be automated in the near future. The lights will be switched with SSR's so they switch at the zero volt transition. Anything I can do to reduce the number of boards needed to control this would be a plus.
I wasn't especially set on using that, it was just an example. The other problem is the W/C wouldn't be able to power all the relays at the same time?

 

[rossw]

I have about 300 zones of flourescent high bay lighting that will be automated in the near future. The lights will be switched with SSR's so they switch at the zero volt transition. Anything I can do to reduce the number of boards needed to control this would be a plus.
I wasn't especially set on using that, it was just an example. The other problem is the W/C wouldn't be able to power all the relays at the same time?

 
There are products designed specifically for this task, including dimming if required - that may be more suited to your application.
If you're determined to do it with the WC board, I'd personally be thinking of using a bunch of seperate boards - each controlling as many channels as it can. Run each with PoE (Power over Ethernet), locate the control boards and SSRs across the area to be controlled, and use the network.
 
This would use far less "expensive" mains lighting cable, gives you good control, but perhaps more importantly - gives you some level of fault-tolerance. If you lose one board, you don't lose ALL your lighting!

 

[CAI_Support]

It uses DS2480B+ chip to handle the 1-wire bus. You could talk to the device on the 1-wire bus over network from PC, but those additional device is not handled by the local PLC, and remote control for 1-wire bus is not fully tested right now.
 

Hi what kind of maxim chip do you use to control the 1-wire bus ?

Is the firmware able to manage any 1-wire sensor and not only ds1820 thermometer ? Eg counter , etc ...

Thank you

 

[tparvais]

It uses DS2480B+ chip to handle the 1-wire bus. You could talk to the device on the 1-wire bus over network from PC, but those additional device is not handled by the local PLC, and remote control for 1-wire bus is not fully tested right now.

Hi
 
Do you mean there will not be any possiblity to read/write values to one 1-wire sensor/actuator from the web interface ? or via the PLC program ?  or just, as Webcontrol 8 bit, few thermometers ?
 
how the control via a PC could be achieved ?
 
Thank you

 

[rossw]

how the control via a PC could be achieved ?

 
Taking it to the (silly) extreme... you could use 7 output bits to select one-of-128 latching relays and the 8th bit to set the value (on/off).
It's an absurd way to do it, but it fits in the "could" category

 

[CAI_Support]

Anything being controlled by PLC engine must be fully defined in our firmware. If a device has no fully defined in firmware, there is no way for PLC to control it.  Look all those 1-wire devices, none of them actually has standard way for user to manage or write to, their 1-wire commands are different, their data structures are different.  We wish there is a standard way for all 1-wire devices, then we can easily add support for all 1-wire devices.  Right now, we can only have temperature sensor support built-in, then add other support based on priority and resources in later time.
 
We have a software driver for PC and Linux that allowing host computer to connect to the WebControl32 over network. Through that driver, users can have RS232 driver installed, so that two RS232 ports on WebControl32 will become two local RS232 port. The 3rd RS232 port allowing user to send simplified command to 1-wire bus.  This remote 1-wire device support has limited capability, also.
 
WebControl32 does not have high speed counter like 8 bit board. That is limited by the hardware resources. We may change a lot of features and functions in the years to come, although we can not provide every feature users wanted right away, your suggestions are always welcome.

 

[Efried]

  One thing we don't like the most is that Microchip has no plan to provide USB hub support in its library.

From my side I would require remote PLC-update (user code), not via USB.
also SSL and safe key storage
USB connected devices would need too much power, 1 wire support would be sufficient.
Summarising: 32 bit WC should not induce a turn towards USB-gadgets. The focus on industrial automation should be kept intact.

 

[Tschmidt]

Just want to echo Efried's post. I don't see lack of USB hub a significant issue. If expansion is needed external hubs (chips or complete hubs) are available. Not embedding a hub reduces system power requirements.  
 
While I'm a big fan of USB, and it has been a tremendous boon to consumer devices replacing most other forms of interconnect, for an "industrial controller" not sure how important USB will be. I imanagine (without having any specific project in mind) the primary use of USB will be display/input device and Flash drive data logger.
 
If it has not been mentioned already SSL support for email is critical since many providers are moving in that direction and it is becoming harder and harder to use nonsecure POP/SMTP email access.
 
/tom

 

[CAI_Support]

WC32 currently does support SSL email, like gmail.  You can try it on your WC32 beta board.
Yes, USB is mainly for LCD display and keypad input, or using USB flash key to log data.  However, we really like to be able to do more if we could in the future.
WC32 firmware and gui update are through network interface, not through USB.  We like use network, since that will let us check network interface for real before shipping.

 

[todster]

Does anyone have the link to the w/c 32 manual?

 

[CAI_Support]

Hi, sorry for the late reply, the user manual is separated in few parts for WC32. PLC programming is similar to WC8. Hardware manual is here

 

[todster]

Thanks.
How about the display?

 

[todster]

Is there also a pinout for the beta board?

 

[CAI_Support]

It is same as the release board, except the USB connector type changed. But pin out is in same orientation.

 

[todster]

What about the display board?​