We have 3 AB Integrator 30s here, talking to 3-5 PLC-5s apiece. I have yet to get one to saturate a 9600 baud serial link, which I can't understand, since I was able to do this in school with a lowly Z-80. We talked to Foxboro about improving the capacity/communications efficiency, and they gave us some helpful advice (as few ABSCAN blocks as possible, wiith as many scanned registers/bits each as possible; ABSCANs carry a lot of comm overhead), but when we tried to implement the changes, the integrators got really flaky on us. ABSCANs would smurf for no apparent reason, usually requiring a change in scan period or phase to get them to come back. Worse, at times the blocks would "freeze", not updating values but showing good. These usually take an initialize/reload cycle to fix. We finally left them alone. One is running with 200%+ IO load, and can take several seconds to update points, but I didn't know what else to do with it. So then we got an AW70 OPC integrator for some other OPC stuff we were doing. No, I don't like the Windows box either, but with XP, it's been pretty reliable (the NT version locked up every 1.5-2 months). I plan over time to migrate the PLCs to that box, as Rockwell RSLinx running on it handles comms far better than the I30 does (and it can cross bridges on the AB highways, which the I30 cannot). Maybe with just one PLC you will have better luck. And unless you are at version 8+, it's the only redundant option you really have. But IMHO it is not Foxboro's best AB integration solution. The AW70 integrator is expensive, and not redundant, so you may not want that, but it's working alright for us. The FBM224 (you'd have to use Modbus there I think) works well (for Modbus at least), but it's not module redundant, and requires a CP60. If you have V8.x I/A and CP270s, the FDSI sounds good, and is module redundant. Corey Clingo BASF Corp. "Baptiste, Nigel" <NBaptiste@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent by: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 03/31/2006 06:50 AM Please respond to foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To <foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> cc Subject [foxboro] Integration or replacement of AB PLC5 BMS? Hello List, At our plant we are considering a boiler control upgrade and the BCS = would be upgraded to the Fox I/A. However, the BMS is an AB PLC5 system = and the decision to be made is whether to replace it and implement in = I/A system or use an integrator. Does anyone have experiences with this sort of integration? What are the pros/cons. Cost would be a factor in the decision making process - however, = reliability is key. Regards, NB. _______________________________________________________________________ This mailing list is neither sponsored nor endorsed by Invensys Process Systems (formerly The Foxboro Company). Use the info you obtain here at your own risks. Read http://www.thecassandraproject.org/disclaimer.html foxboro mailing list: //www.freelists.org/list/foxboro to subscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=join to unsubscribe: mailto:foxboro-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=leave