Eurotherm 3504 control using Eurotherm 818p mnemonics

[KAFrost]

I have a need for controlling newer Eurotherm 3504 temp controllers using Eurotherm 818p mnemonics such as r1-r8 and l1-l8. I'm developing an LabView 8.2 data acquisition system for this purpose. Is there a LabView Vi that will allow me to send the 818p mnemonics to the 3504 controller? If so, where and is there documentation?     

[GerdW]

HI KAFrost,

you should use the VISA vi's...
Is the ET3504 still using the serial port as the ET8x8 does? So you have to use the visa resource named something like "ASRL11::INSTR" (or even better "COM1")...

[Dennis_Knutson]

Don't know about any 818p mnemonics, but there is a driver for the 3504 at http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niid_web_display.model_page?p_model_id=2439.

[KAFrost]

Communication has been established with the 3504 contoller. It's the 818p mnemonics that's giving me trouble. I've tried using the diffenent LV Vi's in the et3500 driver without any luck.  

[GerdW]

Hi KAFrost,

are you sure the ET3504 takes those old ET8x0 commands?
From the driver mentioned by Dennis it works as kind of register based microcontroller - you have to write to/read from certain register adresses to configure the ET...

[KAFrost]

Thanks for the responses. I definitely need more documentation. According to what I have, the ET3504 should accept the ET818p programming. I can use Eurotherm's "Itools" to see or modify the parameters I'm interested in. I need to figure out how to make LabView do the same.   

[Brian_Beal]

I don't think that them 818P commands will work with the 3500 series.  If they did, then iTools would support the 818, which it does not. 

[GerdW]

Hi KAFrost,

well, the German manual (found here, chapter 13.6) only talks about ModBus-like communication using unique addresses for each parameter...

[Brian_Beal]

You have 2 options.  The easy way is to use the Eurotherm modbus OPC server.  You can try it out.  It will let you connect to it for 30 minutes at a time.  If that is the way you want to go, then you will have to buy that option.  The other way, which is free, is to use the Labview generic modbus drivers and get the command set for the 3500 from Eurotherm.  They have always published this information, so I am sure it is available.