Recently a Siemens rep GAVE me not 1 but 2 S7-200 plc's.
OMRON CX PROGRAMMER SUCKS SOFTWARE
Offer us some form of demo/trial unit with software to experiment with.ĭont take this lightly because in the past Allen Bradley did just that for us with a PLC5/ software.this was along time ago but the fact was it was done to get the business.
OMRON CX PROGRAMMER SUCKS FREE
Mr Luft, I and several know of your brand plc/pc and its free software but since you are NEW to the market some of us are not in the postition to use/purchase because its an unknown product. I personally dislike the prices Allen Bradley charges but they do offer a product with an abundance of features.some that arent seen in others. Automationdirect was a poor choice as an example because their line of plc's and software is reasonably priced. Fuji electric also has free software with their plc's. Mr Luft, I know you represent a PC/PLC brand that offers free software. I dont see anyone or any brand being plain to understand or being just plain simple to use. Yes there are issues with them and others concerning manuals, support.just plain understanding. Put all that aside Allen Bradley does have awesome products overall, including their PLC's. I have had some totally awesome debates with Ken Roach on AB products, service and support, I have cursed, cussed, blasphemed, and totally disrepected Allen Bradley in more ways than you can imagine. OK I get to put in MY 2 cents worth here. (And don't knock shareholders for wanting to make money unless you work for free!) However, since A-B was well over 50% of the US market at one point they can drop a lot and still be the leader! And maybe 40% market share at 50% margins is more profit than 50% market share at 30% margins. (Remember, thogh, it took Modicon years to loose their position as a market leader.) Apparently I'm not alone, because A-B is loosing market share. If I had my choice I would never use A-B PLCs, and not just because of the price either. They can get away with charging higher proces, and since I don't want to break the law, I have to pay them as the entry price to my market. A-B is significantly more expensive than their competitors at GE or Siemens or Modicon too.) However, A-B is often specified as the only acceptable product by end users, mainly because of their huge installed base. I agree that the A-B software is egregiously over priced, and out of step with the market. Simple Answer: I pay for programming software because I have to! How would you justify giving away something that you used to sell? So why doesn't someone try it? Shareholders. If I invest time making a program using it, I've committed myself to either discarding that investment of time (and money), or buy one of their PLCs. If I got RSLogix for free, I could only use it on AB PLCs. But custonmers want it both ways - the lastest OS from MS, and software that works on it.īut you could always apply the Gilette business model ("Give away the razors - make money on the blades").
But the software development requires a bigger effort than the hardware (some of which hasn't changed in a decade).Īnd don't forget the body-blocks that Microsoft throws them - software that used to work, doesn't. I can buy one programming package and program hundreds of PLCs with it. The usual spiel from the manufacturer is that the Hardware and Software Development Groups are two independant groups, and each are expected to be a profit center. The old way was to buy a "Programming Terminal". I pay the service fee to get "free" upgrades, phone support, and bug fixes (TANSTAAFL). I buy the software because I can't program the PLC without it.
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