Conference 7.286::digital

	CSS probably knows something about this stuff. They see the
	strangest things.

							mike

    That must be MODICON, which was bought out by GOULD about 15 years ago,
    and may have been resold to another large corporation since then.  They
    build factory automation equipment.  MODBUS is their proprietary network
    stuff for communicating between the "high-level" computers and the
    ruggedized factory floor controllers (simpler computers with specialized
    hardware to connect to the devices actually doing the work).

    Whoever owns it now, I believe the MODICON division is still in
    Andover, Massachusetts.

			cheryl

    
    Tony,
    
    The company is Modicon.  We work with them often in the BASEstar group
    for connecting to shop floor devices.
    
    The connection must be Modbus Plus if they are using the SA-85 card. 
    The issue must be the fact that there is no driver for this card on the
    system that you were selling.  Is this a Digital Unix system?  If so,
    then it is correct that there is no driver available.  I talked to
    Modicon about this a little while ago.  There is a driver available for
    OpenVMS, however.  We are working with the third party now on this.
    
    Please give me a call for any further information.  I'd be glad to talk
    to you about this.
    
    - Gary
      CAM::SCHIESSL
      DTN: 320-5429

    
    It's blast from the past time...  I worked at Modicon from '79 to '87.
    Gould sold Modicon to AEG prior to selling the Gould core to Nippon Mining.
    About a year ago, AEG sold Modicon to Telemachinique, the parent
    company of Square D.  Many Modicon marketeers wound up in Digital's
    CIM Marketing group.
    
    Ron

    So we stuffed HP on price/performance but lost out because a last
    minute card wasn't available? Sounds like some clever selling from HP.

    Thanks for the info so far, especially Gary, and yes, very clever work
    from HP, but maybe the fat lady hasn't sung...

We handle stuff like this all the time.  It usually takes larger volumes
and margins to make the engineering cost worthwhile vs. competition that
has it off the shelf, but we're always willing to take a look at it.

If there is still hope give me a call at DTN 264-0851.

Ron Bruckman
Field Applications Engineer, CSS.

    >> very clever work
    >>    from HP, but maybe the fat lady hasn't sung...
    
    Now that i like to see, good luck to you, give HP a kick in the butt
    from me!!!!!
    Greg

    Is (was) BASESTAR part of the solution, or is it a 3d party sw
    integration?  There used to be some  Modicon DAS' (as well as T'mechanique)
    within the B* suite.
    
    I'd be willing to see if I can help, with possible contacts or whatever, 
    if you drop me a line.  Is there an SI house involved?
    
    Bill

    
    As a quick description of what happened....
    
    The problem here is not hardware related.  There is an SA85 card
    available from Modicon that works in PCI-bus Alpha machines.  
    Unfortunately, no one has created a Digital Unix driver for this card.
    The people creating these drivers are third-party vendors, not Modicon or
    Digital.
    
    There is a driver on OpenVMS/Alpha and OpenVMS/VAX that will support a 
    similar card.  
    
    As for Bill's BASEstar question....
    
    BASEstar's Modicon DAS requires the appropriate driver in order to
    communicate over Modbus Plus.  There is a separate RS232-based DAS for
    the Modbus protocol that is available with BASEstar for virtually all
    platforms, but it will not support Modbus Plus.
    
    So, I don't think that HP really slipped one by us.  Its just a matter
    that we can not support the functionality required.
    
    - Gary

Any possibility of offering an OpenVMS solution, then? or writing a driver ASAP?

    We use Modbus+ here at the Digital Hudson site. Currently we use 486
    machines to run the SA85 cards for the Modsoft interface, but we hope
    to go to NT on an AXP platform in the near future. A third party
    supplier to ASA (Modicon), Cyberlogic Technologies, Inc has a Windows
    NT driver for AXP. The contact is Kemal Turedi, 810-740-9842. They are
    in Troy, Michigan.
    
    I can fax you some info if this helps.
    
    Wayne Bentley
    DTN 225-6865

    re: 12
     
    	Thanks.  The requirements though call for a UNIX box that can
    support Modbus+ and the SA85 PCL.
    	It appears we may have lost this opportunity.  This customer though 
    does a lot of this work and is anticipating a larger opportunity within 
    the first half of next calendar year.  If a driver is available by then 
    we'll most likely get that business.
    
    Tony