In a migration strategy project specifically engineered for Columbus Stainless, Rockwell Automation again demonstrated its progressive engineering skills and the backwards compatibility of many of its products and processes by developing technology capable of communicating with the legacy GEM80 controllers. The industrial automation company recently installed a locally developed interface mechanism to facilitate communication between the legacy HDLC (high level data link control) protocol and Rockwell Automation EtherNet/IP.
The interface mechanism, the 1788-EN2HDLC, installed at Columbus Stainless in Middelburg, enables communication between a GEM80 PLC and the Allen Bradley ControlLogix platform. This means that the 1788-EN2HDLC allows the GEM80 to control the newly installed Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700S drives through the Rockwell Automation ControlLogix platform. This innovative solution shows that there is now appropriate equipment in the industrial automation industry to facilitate communication between existing hardware in GEM80 controllers and Rockwell Automation ControlLogix platform.
“Businesses making use of GEM80 controllers can now have their systems upgraded so the GEM80 seamlessly communicates with the ControlLogix platform via the EN2HDLC,” says Gert Visser, operations manager at Rockwell Automation. “This reduces costs and prevents downtime that may be associated with replacing older generation controllers. We’re extremely proud of this innovation, especially taking into consideration the complexity of developing and implementing the communication strategy. The rapid prototype legacy interface, took only three weeks, including protocol research, design and implementation.”
The 1788-EN2HDLC is a scalable solution enabling phased migration, so customers can upgrade at a pace suited to their business requirements, budget and available time. “The development of this solution, and recent successful implementation, has opened industry doors to migrate a large base of extensive legacy installations,” concludes Visser.
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