Most cheapest / easiest Hardware to get simple sensor data to ignition

General Discussion
1

Whats the most convenient cheap way to get sensor data to Ignition ?

Thinking about getting machine running data from production machines that are not yet upgraded to be connected to Ignition.

Sorry if this has been asked before.

2

Well if you want industrial grade stuff I would suggest:

EZ automation - https://www.ezautomation.net/PLC-Programmable-Logic-Controller/ezplc-family.php

or

Click PLC - https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/programmable_controllers/click_series_plcs_(stackable_micro_brick)

outside of industrial grade I guess a Raspberry Pi would be the cheapest solution. But you would have to deal with configuration and setup and be comfortable with Linux.

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3

It might be difficult to combine convenient and cheap. Usually convenience comes at a cost. Take a gander at this:
https://www.opto22.com/products/groov-rio

Looks convenient… cost is subjective.

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4

I was thinking something like moxa ioLogik E1200 , those start at very reasonable prices (175 usd) Does anyone have tried to use those with Ignition?

Problem in this scenario with price is that if its a lot I should put those to the real plc the production line is going to have in the end anyway.

5

It’s cheapest solution out there. It support modbus tcp.

https://www.deltaww.com/Products/CategoryListT1.aspx?CID=060301&PID=243&hl=en-US&Name=DVP-SE+Series

6

I think it also depends what information you want to retrieve. Is it analogue signals, digital signals, info from a PLC, HMI or something else? There is a piece of equipment for everything so depends on what you want it to do.

7

Moxa IoLogik series are cheap, can come in as ModbusTCP or to a data concentrator PLC with E/IP or using Phil Turmel’s E/IP Ignition driver.

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8

I really think the AD Click is going to be hard to beat in this category. Also gives you some flexibility if you want to debounce the inputs, etc.

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9

The Delta DVP-SE looks interesting, but I didn’t see any pricing information. I’m not enthusiastic about submitting a request for quote, considering the spam that will certainly follow. The pricing of Automation Direct stuff is right there in public, and tough to beat.

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10

Yes you can’t find any thing cheap like that and also it has very bad software.

11

I have had good luck with the stride field io from automation direct. For temporary sensor packages I like to use a pi with node red and widgetlords boards.

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12

For a device with built in cellular the Ranger from SignalFire is a battery powered sensor device that utilizes MQTT/Sparkplug. https://signal-fire.com/lte-m1-cellular-products/ranger-node/

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13

In another life, I used the Samba series PLC+HMI from Unitronics. They speak ModbusTCP with an add-on comm card. We used them to get basic OEE-type data from machines ranging from relay logic to antique Mitsubishi, Allen-Bradley, and Siemens. They come out of the box with some digital IO, a couple of analogs inputs, and a color touch screen. OP, they may be overkill for your situation but having the onboard HMI allows you to make them field configurable. A nice feature if you’re deploying a bunch of them

In my current life, we’re using GE brick PLCs.

I agree that the AD stuff is hard to beat price-wise and it does seem to hold up well.

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14

Even if you count effort (convenient?), then probably the cheapest way to get sensor data into
Ignition is from a simulator, eg. IoT Simulator: Testing / Proof of concept / Training for the Internet of Things , and point your Gateway at
one of the public MQTT brokers that those sensor publish to. I'd say 15 minutes and $0 cost
will get you data.

15

For completeness, it should be noted that if you’re simply doing home automation or other things that are hobbyist rather than production, an Arduino might be your cheapest option. The ArduinoModbus library will give you Modbus TCP, and you can write your Arduino code to map the IO. Going this route, you’d write your own Arduino program that used that library to create registers, and then write a loop to update those holding registers memory values in the Arduino from GPIO. You may need to do your own Electrical Engineering work to figure out the right components to give the analog or digital signals the right electrical characteristics for the Arduino to read them correctly.

For anything dealing with actual industrial machines, the options already listed in this post would certainly be far better than considering the Arduino route. I’ve worked with most of the devices listed above in some capacity, and they are definitely more industrialized and almost definitely more reliable than the Arduino or Raspberry PI route.

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16

Let me also add that I have successfully used Arduino products with the MQTT library. MQTT is a great option if you are powering the device from a battery and just need to wake up to read sensor data and then immediately return back to sleep. Going though that programming effort was a really good primer for me on how to use MQTT effectively.

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17

What is being used for the control and monitoring of these machines at this time? What system are you moving to? If you have an existing controller, you will most be able to get data from it while you’re waiting to upgrade specific lines. If you’re just looking for a temporary solution, the above solutions are decent options, but if you are looking to prevent excessive rework and extra cost in the long-run, incorporating some version of the final product may be more beneficial to you. Rework is a time-sink.

18

Here’s a convenient MQTT-based solution showcased in a recent Ignition Community Live event:
https://inductiveautomation.com/events/ignition-community-live-with-grantek-and-opto-22-08-04-2020

19

But it is not cheap.

20

Is that DVP SE series something you still use/recommend?

Has it been holding up?