2500 Series® Classic Programmable Automation Control System

2500 Series® and Simatic 505® controllers and is able to exchange data between the RLL program on the host PLC and the IEC61131 programs.Embedded client/server protocols perform data transfers based on configuration tables without the need for any additional logic in the PLC or ACP1 application program. It has been used to build

systems using 2500 Series® Processors to operate dozens of variable speed drives connected over Ethernet/IP and Modbus-TCP to control material movement in the factory. The unique capabilities of Function Block Diagram(FBD) programming in the ACP1 allowed the user to develop a single function block which controlled all the drives in the system. Development and maintenance of the software were dramatically simplified compared to doing the same project in RLL.

Smart ModernizationTM

Whether you are an existing user of the 505 Series® or looking for your next control system, CTI’s Smart Modernization approach ensures the CTI control system you are investing in will be around for many years to come.Smart Modernization encapsulates our philosophical approach to making control system advancements while ensuring seamless transitions for our customers through the continuous evolutionary improvement of our products.With many 505 Series® products still in use today—some in use for more than 30 years— the 2500 Series® allows these customers to modernize existing controls without expensivere-wiring, reprogramming, retraining, or product line shutdowns. Upgrading a control system with modern-day replacements of old components and/or enhancing performance with new advanced function modules — all of which are backward compatible — mitigates risk during migration and allows reuse of existing application programs and hardware — reducing cost and downtime. That’s what we call Smart Modernization.

CASE STUDY

Situation:

A French cheese making company running Simatic 505® and CTI 2500 Series® PLCs had replaced its obsolete Siemens PCS SCADA system with Wonderware Intouch but found that update times were very slow. Certain parts of the process had update times of 10 to 20 seconds making it difficult for plant operators to control the production in an optimized way.

Complication:

Continuous expansion of the plant and an almost continuous production process had led to a complex matrix of interconnected PLCs and a heavy load on the Ethernet network. Getting the Wonderware Intouch system up and running had taken a long time to commission, and the engineering manager was concerned that a replacement of the Ethernet network and/or replacing PLCs would lead again to a long commissioning time and extended production stops — a huge issue for a plant that cannot afford to shut down due to food quality regulations and the continuous nature of the production process (e.g., cows don’t stop giving milk).

Solution:

Working through NAPA, CTI’s international distribution partner, the plant purchased several ECC1 modules as well as new CTI 2500 Series® Classic C400 CPUs. Because of its advanced dynamic cache communications engine, the ECC1 modules reduced response rates to one second or less instead of 10 to 20 seconds before the upgrade. Its user-friendly programming interface allowed engineers to configure communications between the plant’s PLCs in less than a day, while it had taken several weeks of programming the original PLCs to set up that same configuration. Upgrading to CTI’s 2500 Series® CPUs delivered better performance and more memory without having to change any of the I/Os or PLC bases, making the investment considerably lower than solutions from other automation suppliers. Engineers were also able to use the program backup from the original CPUs to load the new CPUs without making any changes to the programs, making the process simple and efficient.

Implications:

The installation took place over a weekend with the goal of having production running smoothly again by Monday morning. The critical Pasteurizing Process was limited to a 4-hour downtime. The entire installation was completed by 3PM on Sunday, and the Pasteurization Process was up and running again well within the 4-hour window. In addition to having significantly faster HMI/SCADA response rates, maintenance personnel can now connect to all PLCs via the Ethernet TCP/IP network from their desktop instead of having to connect locally to the CPU every time they are called for troubleshooting, and the CPUs are faster and more capable.

Using CTI’s 2500 Series® Automation Solutions, the plant now has a modern automation system for a fraction of the investment in time, money and downtime required by competing automation solutions. That’s what we at CTI call Smart Modernization.TM

The CTI 2500 Series® Automation System

The 2500 Series® has a proud legacy as one of the world’s premier process control platforms and is known for its capability, simplicity and reliability. CTI has modernized this legendary product line with smart enhancements and rich features to create a complete automation solution that helps our customers run their plants as safely, efficiently and seamlessly as possible through: