

I use this option quite a bit in smaller machine applications as it is cost-effective. Siemens offers the ET200 line of remote I/O which can be used as remote I/O or a standalone PLC system as the ET200 can be purchased with a CPU and can be programmed just like the S7-1500 a failsafe CPU can also be purchased. One area that I feel Siemens has Allen-Bradley beat in is the remote I/O field. The S7-1500 also comes with a small graphical display which allows for troubleshooting right from the front of the PLC. The S7-1500 also comes standard with two PROFINET ports, which allows the user to separate networks and makes connecting to other devices simpler. Siemens S7-1500 Family (click for source) The main difference between these two is the S7-1500 does not require a backplane, as it is a din rail mount system. On the larger scale Siemens offers the S7-1500, which is comparable to the ControlLogix family of controllers. It supports a max of 1 signal expansion board (aka plug-in), 8 signal modules, and 3 communications modules, while the latest CompactLogix line, the 5380 series, can support up to 31 I/O modules (with the largest Controllers – Ed.) Image by Shawn Tierney That said, the S7-1200 is more limited in add-on modules. Siemens S7-1200 (click for source)īut the S7-1200 is actually more comparable to the CompactLogix in terms of processing power and memory. Let’s start by looking at the Controllers or CPUs of each manufacturer.įrom an Allen-Bradley programmer's perspective, at first glance a Siemens S7-1200 might look like a MicroLogix, with its small form factor and on-board I/O. So in today's article I want to share with you a comparison of these two product lines, including both the programmable controller hardware, as well as programming software.

Are you an experienced controls engineer working in manufacturing or integration with an in depth knowledge of Allen-Bradley and have recently been introduced to Siemens? Image by Chris Wrightįor eleven years I've predominately with Allen-Bradley Programmable Controllers, which is not very surprising as they are the most common brand used in North America.īut recently I started working with a manufacturing company who’s equipment is all Siemens, and for the past year I've been exclusively working with the Siemens line.
