Controllers : Smart SoftPLC's
Smart SoftPLC controllers (Models SM2S-x) are open architecture Programmable Automation Controllers (PAC's) that provide scalable solutions for a wide range of applications in virtually any industry. Priced to meet the needs of small I/O count machine control applications, yet with enough capacity and capability for large process control applications, they are the SMART choice!
The Smart SoftPLC design combines many functions which typically require multiple components, thus reducing costs, engineering time and panel size. A single Smart SoftPLC can provide:
- All features of the Smart Netbox - Managed Ethernet switch/router, firewall, remote access switch, media converter
- PLC functions - logic execution, I/O control, communication to SCADA/HMI's
- Protocol conversion - Communication Gateways
- Data logging, remote alarming
- Embedded web-based operator interface
- and more!
- Deterministic, high speed program execution
- “Unlimited” user logic and data table memory
- Ladder logic and data table addressing similar to Allen-Bradley PLC-5/SLC-500
- Fully documented applications, all documentation resides in the controller
- Supports user functions written in C++
- Compatible with all HMI/SCADA products
Overview
The Smart SoftPLC CPU is an unmatched value - it does the basics like storing and running application logic - but it also provides a lot more! Its 63MB of memory, a 4-port managed Ethernet switch, (6) COM ports, and flexible I/O interfaces are only the beginning. By combining these rich hardware features with advanced firmware functions, a Smart SoftPLC can often reduce the number of hardware components required for a complete control system.
Every Smart SoftPLC includes the functions and features of all SoftPLC controllers, including:
- 4-port 10/100MB managed Ethernet switch, with two Ethernet interfaces (MAC ID's) to support routing capability and to allow separation of communications and ethernet I/O traffic
- One RS-485 + three RS-232 serial communications ports
- One RS-232 serial console interface for low-level troubleshooting or system setup
- Additional RS-485 port, with 2 and 4-wire support (COM6)
- Allen-Bradley Remote I/O Master or Slave (Up to 2 ports - replaces COM5/COM6)
- Allen-Bradley Data Highway Plus (Up to 2 ports - replaces COM5/COM6)
- CAN or J1939 port (COM6)
- Internal serial telephone modem (COM6)
- SoftPLC Programming, Configuration, Monitoring & Troubleshooting
- Remote I/O (eg: ModbusTCP, Modbus) to TealwareTM or other vendor I/O systems
- Communication to SCADA/HMI's or other equipment (eg: drives)
- Peer-to-Peer communications (SoftPLC to SoftPLC or A-B PLC's, or SoftPLC to Modbus/ModbusTCP enabled devices)
- Connection to modems for remote access
- Connection to modems for remote management applications via TagWell
Communication Ports
The base Smart SoftPLC CPU has an industry leading TEN (10) communication ports! Smart SoftPLC is designed to be able to meet all your communication needs:
For very low cost, these factory installed communication port options are also available*:
*Not all of the above serial port options can be installed in a single Smart SoftPLC
With the PCI-104 style (SM2S-Px) you can add even more communication channels! Up to three (3) PCI-104 cards can be installed in these model Smart SoftPLC's, which adds support for industrial bus interfaces such as ProfiNet, Profibus, DeviceNet and others. Interfaces such as wireless, solid state drives and more are also available in PCI-104 form factor.
Each Smart SoftPLC CPU is built to your specifications, and undergoes a system-level test prior to shipment.
Functions
Use SoftPLC communication ports for:
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I/O
With a Smart SoftPLC, you have a LOT of I/O options! Smart SoftPLC supports a wide variety of I/O interfaces and can support virtually unlimited I/O points.
Remote I/O
With no added hardware, the Smart's 10+ built-in Ethernet and serial ports can be configured to communicate to a variety of I/O products, over a number of protocols.
Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley Remote I/O (A-B RIO) is supported with up to 2 optional internal interfaces. Smart SoftPLC can act as an A-B RIO master and/or slave.
Serial Options
- Modbus - any compatible devices - I/O, meters, drives, or other process equipment
- COMGENIUS supports ASCII string type protocols
- Other serial I/O drivers (eg: A-series)
- Write your own serial interface with the SoftPLC Programmer's Toolkit
Ethernet Options
Since the Smart SoftPLC has two Ethernet interfaces, one of them can be dedicated to the I/O network for optimum performance, with no interference from HMI/SCADA, programming, or peer-to-peer communications that may exist on the other network interface.
- ModbusTCP/UDP to compatible devices (including Tealware) on up to 127 remote slaves
- EthernetIP and other industrial Ethernet protocols
- Write your own ethernet interface with the SoftPLC Programmer's Toolkit
Local I/O
Smart SoftPLC also supports high-speed local I/O:- SoftPLC Corporation's Tealware I/O is a modular, high speed I/O system for the Smart SoftPLC. A variety of discrete, analog and specialty modules are available in this robust, proven, and value-priced I/O system. (NOTE: Tealware can also be connected to the Smart SoftPLC as remote I/O on Ethernet via ModbusTCP.)
- On-board FPGA I/O provides a platform for customized OEM solutions
Features of Tealware Local I/O Ready Smart SoftPLC Models
- Simple & Affordable: Smart SoftPLC's equipped with a Tealware Backplane3 interface (Cat Nos SM2S-B-x) need no rack or additional power supply and support any mix of up to (3) Tealware modules
- Low Cost: Every Smart SoftPLC equipped with a Tealware LocalPorts interface (Cat No SM2S-L) comes with built-in local and remote expansion capability. Racks do not need an expansion module, just connect them using a Local Rack Expansion Cable, available in lengths of 2, 4, 6 and 10 feet. Cable from each LocalPorts port to the first rack, then daisy chain up to 2 more racks per port using additional cables, the last rack can be up to 30 feet from the SoftPLC. This is a tremendous saving over many other vendor solutions.
- Huge Local I/O Capacity: A Smart SoftPLC (Models SM2S-L) can support up to 12 local racks - at 256 points per rack that means up to 3072 points of fast update local I/O!
- Remote I/O Expansion: With a Smart Adapter and Tealware I/O, each remote Ethernet drop can include up to 3 racks. Use the Remote Slave Expansion when your I/O count is extremely high, or when the racks must be separated by longer distances.
- Auto-Discover I/O Modules: With a Smart SoftPLC CPU and Tealware I/O you don’t have to spend time entering your I/O configuration into the system! Just install the modules in your racks (local and/or remote) and connect the cables. Smart SoftPLC will automatically sense which modules you have installed. A configuration file is created that lets you see the mapped modules and addresses in the TOPDOC NexGen programming software, where you can then manually make any changes you desire.
- Firmware Options - software enabled capabilities that can be added to any SoftPLC. There's so many, we've put them on their own page!
- Cables, Connectors & Accessories
- Power Supplies, Power Equipment
Options & Accessories
In addition to the factory configured hardware options (see "Models" tab), there are a number of other Smart SoftPLC options available:
Cables, Connectors & Accessories
| Catalog Number | Description | Image | Store |
| SM-VBKT | Smart Vertical Panel Mount Bracket Can be used to Panel mount the Smart so the Ethernet ports face out, requiring less horizontal panel space. Standard mounting is DIN-rail with Ethernet ports facing left. |
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| SM-SCBL | Smart Serial Cable, 6 feet for use with COM 2-5, supports both male & female genders |  |
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| SM-SCKIT | Smart Serial Port Connectors for user-made cables to COM 2-5 (contains 4 connectors) |  |
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| SM-COM6CBLTB | Smart COM6 Port Cable and DIN-rail mount Terminal Block (converts RJ11 port to screw terminal interface) |  |
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| SPO-NUA | USB Interface for Ethernet port (for use with LOGGER.TLM) |  |
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| SM-PSCKIT | Spare power supply connectors (contains 5) for Smart Family Products |  |
|
Power Supplies, Power Equipment
| Catalog Number | Description | Image | Store |
| ICO-PS1524 | DIN-rail mount P/S, 24VDC output, 15 Watts, 85-264VAC input |  |
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| ICO-PS4024 | DIN-rail mount P/S, 24VDC output, 40 Watts, 85-264VAC input |  |
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| ICO-PSUPS40 | DIN-rail mount UPS/battery controller, 24VDC output, up to 40A (requires 2 ICO-PSBP412 batteries) |  |
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| ICO-PSBP412 | VRLA Battery for ICO-PSUPS40, 12V 4AH, AGM |  |
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Specifications
| Processor | 166 MHz ARM9 CPU, 32-bit |
| User Memory | 63 MB RAM |
| Removable Memory | 128 MB Compact Flash, expandable to 8GB |
| Operating Temperature | 0 to 60°C (-20~70°C extended temperature version available) |
| Storage Temperature | -20 to 85°C |
| Humidity | 0-95%, non-condensing |
| Input Voltage Range | 9 ~ 36 VDC |
| Power Requirements | Maximum 2W normal |
| Real Time Clock | Battery Free, SuperCap backup good for ~60 days |
| GPS Interface | Embedded NTP Server |
| Serial Ports | Standard Ports: (1) RS-232 w/ full handshake lines, DB9 connector (COM1) (3) RS-232, 3-wire terminal block (COM2-COM4) (1) RS-485 2-wire, 3-wire terminal block (COM5) (1) RJ-11 port, function activated with factory installed option only (see below) |
| COM5 Serial Port Options (Factory Installed, Only One allowed - replaces RS-485 function): A-B RIO Master interface, 3-wire terminal block (COM5) A-B RIO Slave interface, 3-wire terminal block (COM5) DH+ interface, 3-wire terminal block |
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| COM6 Serial Port Options (Factory Installed, Only One allowed): A-B RIO Master interface * A-B RIO Slave interface * DH+ interface * CAN / J1939 interface * RS-485 2/4 wire * Phone Modem, Dial-In & Dial-Out * Recommend DIN-rail Terminal Block + Cable (Cat No SM-COM6CBLTB) |
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| Ethernet Ports | Standard Ports: 4-port managed Ethernet switch, 10/100BaseT RJ45 ports (w/ 2 unique host interfaces/MAC-ID's for routing functions) |
| Options: (1) Factory Installed Fiber Optic Interface, SC/ST connectors Multi-Mode or Single-Mode |
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| Protocols | Serial -
Modbus Master/Slave, DF1, ASCII Ethernet - ModbusTCP/UDP, DF1 Ethernet |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | Without modules - 5.75 x 6 x 1.5 in.
(146.1 x 152.4 x 38.1 mm) With modules - 5.75 x 6 x 5.625 in. (146.1 x 152.4 x 142.88 mm) |
| Packaging | Fanless/Diskless system, DIN-rail Mount, Metal enclosure Optional Panel Mount Bracket (SM-VBKT) |
| Local I/O Interfaces (only one/system) | Backplane3 - supports any (3) Tealware™ modules LocalPorts - Tealware rack bus (4 connectors, each supports up to 3 racks) |
| Remote I/O Interfaces | PCI-104 interface for up to (3) add-in cards Serial and Ethernet ports A-B RIO via COM5/6 options |
| Security | Embedded Gatecraft™ Firewall/VPN option SSH server for encrypted data transfer |
Available Models
All Smart SoftPLC's are custom assembled with your selected hardware options and runtime license size. Items to be specified include:
To each of these combinations, you can then select additional hardware and firmware options (see next tab). Each Smart SoftPLC CPU (Model SM2S) is assembled with all of your selected options, then undergoes a system-level test prior to shipment. Some examples are shown below.
Local I/O Interface
If you plan on using high-speed local Tealware I/O, or fieldbus I/O, one of the following should be selected:
| Local I/O Interface Options |
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| Cat No Suffix | I/O Interface | |
 |
No interface | |
| B |  |
Backplane3 interface, Up to 3 Tealware Modules |
| L |  |
LocalPorts, Up to 12 Tealware Racks |
| P<n> |  |
PCI-104 Interface,
Up to 3 PCI-104 cards <n> = number of card slots cover needs to accomodate |
Runtime License Size Options
There are (4) runtime sizes, where size determines the maximum supported number of digital I/O points and ModbusTCP servers (analog I/O is limited only by hardware, not firmware).
| Runtime License Sizes |
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| Cat No Suffix | ModbusTCP Servers | Discrete Inputs* | Discrete Outputs* |
| LT | 2 | 128 | 128 |
| 1K | 16 | 1024 | 1024 |
| 2K | 32 | 2048 | 2048 |
| 8K | 127 | 8192 | 8192 |
| * Select the size based on the larger value in either category. For example, a system with 130 inputs and 24 outputs would require a 1K version. An exception is for A-B RIO which is dictated by logical racks per the A-B RIO definition, details can be found in the A-B RIO driver documentation. | |||
Serial Port & Fiber Port Options
Specify these factory installed options by appending the desired option suffix(es) to the Smart SoftPLC Catalog Number.
Examples
The table below illustrates some example Smart SoftPLC assembly catalog numbers.
| Examples | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SM2S-B-LT | Smart SoftPLC w/ Tealware Backplane3 interface, LT capacity |
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| SM2S-1K | Smart SoftPLC no local I/O interface hardware, 1K capacity (eg: for Ethernet or serial I/O) |
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| SM2S-2K-ABRIOM5-DH6 | Smart SoftPLC no local I/O interface hardware, 2K capacity (16 A-B racks); equipped for A-B RIO Master on COM5 and DH+ on COM6 |
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| SM2S-L-LT | Smart SoftPLC w/ Tealware LocalPorts interface, LT capacity |
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Data Sheets/Specifications
- Smart SoftPLC Data Sheet Smart SoftPLC and Gateway product features and hardware specifications.
- Smart Product Family Data Sheet Smart family of products features and functions, and generic hardware specifications.
- TOPDOC NexGen Data Sheet
- Tealware I/O Configurations Data Sheet
Manuals
- Smart Quick Start Guide Quick start communication configuration and troubleshooting guide for Smart family products.
- Smart Family Setup Manual
