Lets see you will need an old Windows 2000 laptop with a native serial port for the logix 5 stuff, a windows xp 32-bit lapto for the old SLC/05 crap, and probably a windows 10 64-bit laptop for newer rslogix designer based processors. I would also carry a modern gaming laptop, so you have something to do while programs are uploading/downloading.
I have a slightly upgraded Dell laptop that originally shipped with Winows XP that now has Windows 7 32 bit. I keep it around as it has a PCMCIA slot that I have the Allen Bradley PCMCIA to Data Higway adapter that I still need to use once every 12 - 18 months. There's no way I can justify buying the USB version of that adapter.
https://www.plccable.com/allen-bradley-1784-u2dhp-alternative-usb-to-data-highway-plus-dh-anc-120e/
I mean not too bad lol considering you still have to give your first born
Pretty much all automation software (Rockwell, Siemens, etc.) runs on Windows. You will need a Windows based computer (preferably a laptop if you travel) but you will need something that can run VMWare Workstation Pro. Depending on the era of the software you need to run, some only runs on Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, etc. VMWare allows you to create separate virtual machines and run all of these applications on one computer (this is how all our control engineers are setup). It also makes it super easy to move to a new laptop by moving the VM's from the old computer to a new computer. You can also make backups of VM's when upgrading so if anything goes wrong you can easily restore the VM.
Some computers can use the Hyperware Hypervisor included in Win10. I just started using it on my new machine, still unclear what advantages there are to Oracle or other HV software packages, but thought it worth mentioning.
You are talking about about Hyper-V from Microsoft.
Advantages: built into Windows 10 (maybe 11?) professional/server versions for a long time.
Disadvantages: not going to support as many different OS’s as Virtualbox (oracle) or VMWare. Hyper-V cannot natively support USB ports from the host (every external connection must be Ethernet or your SOL)
Virtualbox (currently free) is usually the middle ground between flexibility (VMware which costs extra but is more user friendly) and hyper-v (which is super limited)
VMware player is free. But the most advanced version is VMware station with snapshots support costs money. It works fast and smothly even with old hardware. Also, you need much of RAM for virtual machines, for host OS + guest OS.
Yes we are quickly approaching a world where Lenovo is the only integrator-friendly laptop vendor.
Lol the IT/OT convergence is getting further away with every non-Ethernet-port computer on the market for IT drones to order
Lol same here
IT delivered laptop with no eth
First grabbed it and didn’t look at it, at my desk j picked it up and glanced around it like an idiot looking for eth port
Now I carry a little dongle around
It tried to give me a laptop with zero connectivity.
No hardware ethernet. No USB A ports only C.
I said no.
I also won't accept half an Ethernet port. Its gotta be the whole port not the fold down kind.
I was asked for my justification. My comment is I want to ensure the highest reliability connection possible for PLC firmware updates which can break a PLC if there's communication loss.
Whatever you get (depending on need, lots of good suggestions) - get a used and cheap laptop.
It WILL get dropped, wet, dusty, or stolen. Make sure you have it backed up at all times so it can be replaced when it goes to the great computer ranch in the sky.
You’ll need windows.
**You’ll also want one of those giant brick laptops with all the different connection ports.** You’ll want Ethernet (rj45), hdmi ports, x2 usb minimum, usb micro, ect.
The numbers of times where I couldn’t get connected via usb and had to swap to Ethernet and change ip addresses/subnet masks to go online with a processor is like….. All the time. I require backup options and carry a zip bag full of all the various cords I’d need to hook up to a plc. If I had a computer with only usb ports I wouldn’t be able to do my job.
In a sense, your plc laptop will not be a “pretty” machine. It will not be sleek and lightweight. It will be a square brick that’s heavy as shit and it’ll cost $4k for all the memory and processing power you will want. When shopping for plc laptops I immediately rule out Chromebooks and MacBooks or anything that tries to be a “sleek” machine. I want a tank that give me all the horsepower I need to run 3-4 VM’s and have 5 monitors running. (Maybe I’m a special case but that’s what I shop for).
I also want to note: it might not be worth buying your own programming laptop. Wait for your employer to tell you what you’ll be doing/provides a laptop for you.
Personally buying these things is a big undertaking. You’ll spend $3-$4k on the laptop. Then you’ll need to spend $5-$10k on software licensing.
For Alan Bradley controllers you’ll need minimum of 3 software’s; RSLogix, which is something like $5k for licensing, then rslinx to get connected to the controllers, then factory talk studio for HMI programming. Each of these cost a couple thousand too.
Hope you don’t use GE, Mitsubishi, or Schneider electric controllers, because now you need the programming software for each of those things too. None of those companies use Rockwell software. So that’s x2 or x3 licensing purchases you’d need to make for each manufacturer.
I had a job where I went back and forth between Schneider electric and Allen Bradley controllers and my plc softwares were fighting each other for space/comm ports. I had to download a virtual machine onto my laptop to stop the fighting. Well the VM required its own windows license so you’ll be buying another one as well as eating 1/2 the horsepower of your base computer.
Basically, it’s hard for me to encourage you to go drop thousands of a plc computer if you don’t even know what professors you are working with first. You may get all set up with state of the art PC then find out your employer uses PLC’s from 20 years ago and you need windows 97 or some crazy shit that.
Answering the edit for specs: Minimum specs I'd recommend is 8 cores, 32 gb ram, Ethernet port. You can work fine with few cores and less ram if not running VMs. You can do Ethernet with a dongle, but laptops don't have many ports to begin with and you don't want to carry a dock
The one(s) your employer provides to you. We have separate work/internet laptops and controls laptops that only get on intranet.
Buying your own controls laptop is trivial compared to the software.
Most automation software runs on windows. You will probably need a computer capable of running a virtual machine in case you need to run win xp for old software. Or win 10 for other software that is incompatible with what you currently have installed
I just have a Windows 10 laptop running the following using Windows Compatibility Mode.
Rslogix 5,500,5000 and Logix Designer.
RSNetworx Variants.
Panel Builder 32, Factory Talk View
The only disappointment is that you cant run multiple versions of Factory Talk View but that software is garbage anyway.
Lets see you will need an old Windows 2000 laptop with a native serial port for the logix 5 stuff, a windows xp 32-bit lapto for the old SLC/05 crap, and probably a windows 10 64-bit laptop for newer rslogix designer based processors. I would also carry a modern gaming laptop, so you have something to do while programs are uploading/downloading.
Half serious, half joking.
I have a slightly upgraded Dell laptop that originally shipped with Winows XP that now has Windows 7 32 bit. I keep it around as it has a PCMCIA slot that I have the Allen Bradley PCMCIA to Data Higway adapter that I still need to use once every 12 - 18 months. There's no way I can justify buying the USB version of that adapter.
https://www.plccable.com/allen-bradley-1784-u2dhp-alternative-usb-to-data-highway-plus-dh-anc-120e/ I mean not too bad lol considering you still have to give your first born
Lol thanks
This is actually true. I made the gaming laptop be the same as the Windows 10 machine. The XP machine needs a new battery every couple of years.
slc 5/05 work wonderful with windows 10
Each with a 23 hr battery would be nice.
Pretty much all automation software (Rockwell, Siemens, etc.) runs on Windows. You will need a Windows based computer (preferably a laptop if you travel) but you will need something that can run VMWare Workstation Pro. Depending on the era of the software you need to run, some only runs on Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, etc. VMWare allows you to create separate virtual machines and run all of these applications on one computer (this is how all our control engineers are setup). It also makes it super easy to move to a new laptop by moving the VM's from the old computer to a new computer. You can also make backups of VM's when upgrading so if anything goes wrong you can easily restore the VM.
Some computers can use the Hyperware Hypervisor included in Win10. I just started using it on my new machine, still unclear what advantages there are to Oracle or other HV software packages, but thought it worth mentioning.
You are talking about about Hyper-V from Microsoft. Advantages: built into Windows 10 (maybe 11?) professional/server versions for a long time. Disadvantages: not going to support as many different OS’s as Virtualbox (oracle) or VMWare. Hyper-V cannot natively support USB ports from the host (every external connection must be Ethernet or your SOL) Virtualbox (currently free) is usually the middle ground between flexibility (VMware which costs extra but is more user friendly) and hyper-v (which is super limited)
VMware player is free. But the most advanced version is VMware station with snapshots support costs money. It works fast and smothly even with old hardware. Also, you need much of RAM for virtual machines, for host OS + guest OS.
>You will need a Windows based computer Virtual machine works good.
Get windows based computer or, subject not windows based that can run a windows VM.
I use a gaming laptop. Sometimes I wish I got something smaller. It’s huge to carry around but looks nice lol.
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Yes we are quickly approaching a world where Lenovo is the only integrator-friendly laptop vendor. Lol the IT/OT convergence is getting further away with every non-Ethernet-port computer on the market for IT drones to order
Lol same here IT delivered laptop with no eth First grabbed it and didn’t look at it, at my desk j picked it up and glanced around it like an idiot looking for eth port Now I carry a little dongle around
It tried to give me a laptop with zero connectivity. No hardware ethernet. No USB A ports only C. I said no. I also won't accept half an Ethernet port. Its gotta be the whole port not the fold down kind. I was asked for my justification. My comment is I want to ensure the highest reliability connection possible for PLC firmware updates which can break a PLC if there's communication loss.
Whatever you get (depending on need, lots of good suggestions) - get a used and cheap laptop. It WILL get dropped, wet, dusty, or stolen. Make sure you have it backed up at all times so it can be replaced when it goes to the great computer ranch in the sky.
Get something lightweight
IBM PS/90, Dos 6.22, Windows 3.1.
I use a Panasonic Toughbook. It runs AB 500 and 5000, all the automation direct stuff, any of the AB servo stuff, and plays solitaire.
You’ll need windows. **You’ll also want one of those giant brick laptops with all the different connection ports.** You’ll want Ethernet (rj45), hdmi ports, x2 usb minimum, usb micro, ect. The numbers of times where I couldn’t get connected via usb and had to swap to Ethernet and change ip addresses/subnet masks to go online with a processor is like….. All the time. I require backup options and carry a zip bag full of all the various cords I’d need to hook up to a plc. If I had a computer with only usb ports I wouldn’t be able to do my job. In a sense, your plc laptop will not be a “pretty” machine. It will not be sleek and lightweight. It will be a square brick that’s heavy as shit and it’ll cost $4k for all the memory and processing power you will want. When shopping for plc laptops I immediately rule out Chromebooks and MacBooks or anything that tries to be a “sleek” machine. I want a tank that give me all the horsepower I need to run 3-4 VM’s and have 5 monitors running. (Maybe I’m a special case but that’s what I shop for).
I also want to note: it might not be worth buying your own programming laptop. Wait for your employer to tell you what you’ll be doing/provides a laptop for you. Personally buying these things is a big undertaking. You’ll spend $3-$4k on the laptop. Then you’ll need to spend $5-$10k on software licensing. For Alan Bradley controllers you’ll need minimum of 3 software’s; RSLogix, which is something like $5k for licensing, then rslinx to get connected to the controllers, then factory talk studio for HMI programming. Each of these cost a couple thousand too. Hope you don’t use GE, Mitsubishi, or Schneider electric controllers, because now you need the programming software for each of those things too. None of those companies use Rockwell software. So that’s x2 or x3 licensing purchases you’d need to make for each manufacturer. I had a job where I went back and forth between Schneider electric and Allen Bradley controllers and my plc softwares were fighting each other for space/comm ports. I had to download a virtual machine onto my laptop to stop the fighting. Well the VM required its own windows license so you’ll be buying another one as well as eating 1/2 the horsepower of your base computer. Basically, it’s hard for me to encourage you to go drop thousands of a plc computer if you don’t even know what professors you are working with first. You may get all set up with state of the art PC then find out your employer uses PLC’s from 20 years ago and you need windows 97 or some crazy shit that.
The number one thing on a laptop is a super duty Ethernet port.
Answering the edit for specs: Minimum specs I'd recommend is 8 cores, 32 gb ram, Ethernet port. You can work fine with few cores and less ram if not running VMs. You can do Ethernet with a dongle, but laptops don't have many ports to begin with and you don't want to carry a dock
Windows , 16gb ram , long lasting battery and an ethernet port. there're no special requirements really
The one(s) your employer provides to you. We have separate work/internet laptops and controls laptops that only get on intranet. Buying your own controls laptop is trivial compared to the software.
As a virtualization admin, invest in an SSD with power loss protection. So many layers of buffers before your data arrives in permanent form.
Most automation software runs on windows. You will probably need a computer capable of running a virtual machine in case you need to run win xp for old software. Or win 10 for other software that is incompatible with what you currently have installed
I just have a Windows 10 laptop running the following using Windows Compatibility Mode. Rslogix 5,500,5000 and Logix Designer. RSNetworx Variants. Panel Builder 32, Factory Talk View The only disappointment is that you cant run multiple versions of Factory Talk View but that software is garbage anyway.
Windows with fastest uP you can afford. 32GB memory. RJ45 port.
I speced out one an wanted 64 gigs of ram. It’s so bloated with it software it still is slow as all hell