PLC for training and testing

Hi guys,

I want to buy a PLC for myself and will use it for testing and training purposes. I need it to have Profibus or Modbus to connect to OPC Servers or SCADA.

Please suggest me something...

This should be ideal for you...
http://www.ezautomation.net/products/ezplc.php

I will check it. Thank you

Some people suggest me to buy some of Siemens PLCs because they have great documentation and a lot of programming examples.

I also want to be able to use the PLC in a real world and not only as training machine.

What is your target market for your PLC skills? If you are looking at a customer base with a particular installed base, then you should use that base. If all you want is the general skill set, scrounge around for something used in eBay or some place like that.

Part of the cost equation will be whether you expect the trainees to program the PLC, or not.

If the training PLC is preprogrammed and you're teaching OPC setup on an OPC server on a Windows box, then one copy of the PLC development program might suffice to set all the PLCs up identically.

But if you're teaching Modbus setup on the PLC, and something like data conversion where the trainees need to program the PLC, then the dev. software cost becomes an issue.

The development software can easily cost more than the hardware. 5 copies of development software could bankrupt you.

I spoke to an Automation Direct district rep at a trade show recently for much the same requirement - PLC for training with Modbus. He mentioned that they have a minor "educational" discount typcially for American community colleges where PLC training courses are offered, but that I should inquire of the sales manager for software. It wasn't clear what the outcome of that would be and that project got backburnered for more pressing issues.

Development software is intellectual property and the vendors are due their price for it.

Dan