It's good to talk - especially for PLCs on plants
15 Jan 2000
Matsushita's small PLCs have a modem function that allows the FP0 and FP1 models to communicate with central service equipment and hosts. The PLC 'calls' the host during faults or regular service intervals, then transfers to slave mode to permit interrogation by the host.
The PLC calls at any time to save wasting time, eliminating the need to poll remote sites at pre-set intervals for information. It is compatible with the cellular telephone network and can send text messages by mobile phones and pagers to service engineers.
The program can be monitored and modified using a modem by Matsushita's DOS-based NPST-GR, windows-based FPSOFT or NAiSControl 1131 software.
