Allen-Bradley PLC
HISTORIAN
RTA’s Allen-Bradley PLC Historian is the easiest way to log data from A-B PLCs. It is uniquely designed to store data in closed OT networks. The Historian allows control engineers and operators to gather time series logs of data from their A-B PLCs. These data sets allow you to increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary downtime.
The Historian operates locally and has no monthly service fees. You own and have full control of your data and all access to it.
The Allen-Bradley PLC Historian
The Easiest Way to Log Data from Your A-B PLC
Key Features:
- Log data directly from A-B PLCs without any programming or logic
- Publish packets at a definable rate to MQTT broker
- Secures your data during network downtime
- 128GB of on-board storage
- Simple browser-based user interface
- Automatically discover PLCs on your network
- Local storage extraction via USB or web download
Get Control of Your Data
The Historian operates locally and has no monthly service fees. You own and have full control of your data and all access to it. Making it the ideal solution for closed control network environments.
It’s the perfect solution to start realizing the value of information locked in your controls systems without needing to invest in costly and complex middleware solutions. Monitor KPIs, get data sets for OEE models, monitor predictive maintenance variables or simply get historic reports of your operations.
Log Allen-Bradley PLC Data the Easy Way!
Launch the A-B PLC Historian on your control network.
Via the browser-based user interface the Historian will automatically discover the PLC’s on your network. With ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs, the Historian will also present a list of data tags that can be added to your logs.
Define what points of data you want to log and how often you wish to log them.
How Does Allen-Bradley PLC Historian Create Records?
The Allen-Bradley PLC Historian creates logs of time series records. These individual records are created in two distinct ways. You can leverage one or both of these mechanisms.
- Cyclic Records: The Allen-Bradley PLC Historian will create a time-series snapshot of data at a user defined cyclic rate. Monitor your application every 30 seconds, one minute or one hour.
- Event Logs: Let an event in your application queue a log. Have your PLC increment a counter at the end of every successful run. Or allow the Allen-Bradley PLC Historian to capture the state of all application variables when a failure event occurs. Any value from the PLC can be set as a trigger for an event log. Multiple events can trigger record events.
Start your Digitization Journey! (When OT and IT Collide)
Most digitalization journeys need to start with data access. The PLCs in your manufacturing applications are work horses. They are already reliably controlling your process and discrete automation systems. The problem is PLCs have terrible memories. They are not designed to store or react to variables over time. They repetitively do a programmed task while reacting to real-time data values. Whether it’s part 1 or 1,000 the PLC generally does not know or care, so long as the process parameters it monitors were executed within the defined parameters.
The piles of data the PLCs generate and discard in a day is a gold mine of information. Getting access to this data is a practical first step in a digitization journey. Data logger and historians help unlock this inaccessible data and effectively store that data in time series logs. Adding a Allen-Bradley PLC Historian product to your automated process is the next practical step to take on a digitization journey.
Enable OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) With Data
Measuring OEE starts with getting access to the right data variables. Unlock these variables currently hidden inside your Allen-Bradley PLCs. Access downtime data to calculate availability. Cycle counts to tally performance and unit counts and good unit variable to measure quality.
To calculate OEE, you need to gather data on three key factors: Availability, Performance, and Quality. Here’s what you need to collect for each:
Availability
- Planned Production Time: The total time the equipment should be operating during a specified period.
- Downtime: The time during which the equipment is not available for production due to various reasons such as breakdowns, changeovers, setups, etc.
Performance
- Ideal Cycle Time: The theoretical fastest time the equipment can produce one product under optimal conditions.
- Actual Cycle Time: The time it takes for the equipment to produce one product.
Quality
- Total Good Units: The total number of units produced that meet quality standards.
- Total Units Produced: The total number of units produced, including both good and defective units.
This formula will give you a percentage representing the overall effectiveness of your equipment. The higher the OEE percentage, the more efficient your equipment is operating.
The Allen-Bradley PLC Historian will give you access to the variables that will allow you to properly calculate your equipment’s OEE.
Why Do I Need a Allen-Bradley PLC Historian on My Line?
In an automation system, the Historian plays a crucial role in storing and managing historical data related to your manufacturing processes. The value of the Historian product lies in its ability to:
- Store Data: Historians store vast amounts of data generated by sensors, machines, and processes over time. This data can include temperature readings, pressure measurements, production counts, and more. PLCs are not built to store this data, they simply react to it in real-time.
- Access Data: Historians allow users to retrieve historical data for analysis, troubleshooting and decision-making. This data can provide insights into past performance, trends and anomalies.
- Support Compliance: In industries with strict regulatory requirements, historians help organizations comply with regulations by securely storing historical data and providing audit trails for data access and modifications.
- Support Educated Decision Making: Historical data stored in a historian can inform decision-making processes by providing context and historical trends. This enables organizations to make more informed decisions about operations, maintenance and resource allocation.
- Enhance System Integration: Historians often integrate with other systems within an organization’s automation infrastructure, such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and manufacturing execution systems (MES). This integration allows for seamless data exchange and interoperability. Another step of your digitization journey.
The Historian logger’s ability to efficiently and effectively gather data will enable you to improve processes, ensure compliance and make data-driven decisions. Unlock the value of data being generated in your application.
Why Use RTA for Data Management Solutions?
RTA is dedicated to being your protocol partner. When you call, a live person answers the phone. If you talk with sales, you will get honest answers and recommendations. When you get support, it is from an engineer (or Enginerd® as we like to call them here) who had a hand in the product’s development and testing.
For gateway solutions and more check out our Solutions for Allen-Bradley PLCs page.
Physical Attributes
| Product specifications | |
|---|---|
| PLC Support | CompactLogix, ControlLogix, FlexLogix, MicroLogix, SLC, PLC-5E |
| Number of PLCs Supported | 10 |
| Supported Data Types | Usint, Sint, Uint, Int, Idint, Real, String, Bit Array 16, Bit Array 32, Bool, Long |
| Device Memory | Up to 128 GB LPDDR4 on CM4 |
| Power | 8 -24 VDC (22W Max) |
| Temp Range | -20°C to 60°C (Humidity: 10-95% non-condensing) |
| Certifications | RoHS, UL, CE approvals |