HPC800
Has anyone replaced brc400/410 controllers with HPC800? My understanding is it runs the same firmware so you don’t have to reprogram anything ? Also we could then upgrade to Ethernet based HNet ? Is there documentation available on the upgrade path ?
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Hi,
No re-programming required for the upgrading from BRC to HPC controller. But create a new control network in the tree structure and create a new HPC controller and move or pack \unpack all cld's from BRC to HPC controller. Since the control network is different you cannot create HPC under infi network. It is possible to change the network from infi to PNI network from control network properties but not recommended.
Always use the latest firmware for HPC where all the issues were fixed. No additional changes are expected.
No re-programming required for the upgrading from BRC to HPC controller. But create a new control network in the tree structure and create a new HPC controller and move or pack \unpack all cld's from BRC to HPC controller. Since the control network is different you cannot create HPC under infi network. It is possible to change the network from infi to PNI network from control network properties but not recommended.
Always use the latest firmware for HPC where all the issues were fixed. No additional changes are expected.
Answers
I know that this is not the question that was asked, but for what it is worth... If you are upgrading a few controller sets at a time over to the HPC800 you can upgrade the existing INFI-NET control network using the Rack Modules, to the Ethernet based Plant Net by replacing your NIS/NPM modules with SPENM01 module. This is a newer module that basically is a Rack Mount Ethernet Communications module that is the functional equivalent to the CP800 that part of the HPC800 kit. This would allow you to link the HPC800 modules directly into the rack system, if you did not upgrade all of the controllers at one time.
Also, one thing that I did not see mentioned in your earlier question about the upgrade process was about the I/O. Given that you have BRC400/410, are you using any Rack I/O or is it all S800 or SD I/O? If you have Rack I/O, then you will need to add the RIO22 modules to allow the Rack I/O to talk to the HPC800 over HN800 and you will need to make a few minor configuration changes to basically change the rack I/O in the controller to behave like it is Remote I/O using the same Function Codes that you use with the IMRIO02/IMRIO22.
Now, if you are using S800 I/O, depending on when it was installed, if you were using IOR800s local to the controllers or RFO800s local to the controllers, then you will need to upgrade the local hardware to units that support HN800 (i.e. IOR810 or RFO810) as protocol wise the H-NET and HN800 are the same but electrically they are different, so on the HPC800 side everything would need to support HN800.
Good luck.
Rob Murphy
Also, one thing that I did not see mentioned in your earlier question about the upgrade process was about the I/O. Given that you have BRC400/410, are you using any Rack I/O or is it all S800 or SD I/O? If you have Rack I/O, then you will need to add the RIO22 modules to allow the Rack I/O to talk to the HPC800 over HN800 and you will need to make a few minor configuration changes to basically change the rack I/O in the controller to behave like it is Remote I/O using the same Function Codes that you use with the IMRIO02/IMRIO22.
Now, if you are using S800 I/O, depending on when it was installed, if you were using IOR800s local to the controllers or RFO800s local to the controllers, then you will need to upgrade the local hardware to units that support HN800 (i.e. IOR810 or RFO810) as protocol wise the H-NET and HN800 are the same but electrically they are different, so on the HPC800 side everything would need to support HN800.
Good luck.
Rob Murphy
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