PICPLC16 v6 Review

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st5
Posts: 192
Joined: 04 Jan 2011 14:14
Location: 3090 Belgium

PICPLC16 v6 Review

#1 Post by st5 » 18 Jan 2015 19:17

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This board got me into programming C for microprocessors. It's a good thing for newbies like me (I knew C/Basic for Windows, C/Jal for drives and Plc, ladder, Labview etc.)

There are many libraries and examples available and they all work, but they made me quickly run to the software demo limit.
Practically anything fancy you want to do runs to the limit. If you choose Lan, Gsm, or Exponentional functions it's over with the demo version.

It's a very good board for the quick&dirty solutions: Fix it into your machine, you have relays and inputs, and some network, wire it and it works.
But there's an undocumented downside to the board. It's impossible to use RS485+LAN+GSM+RS232+RTC+ADC+all relays and inputs.
The expierienced user knows it after looking 2 seconds to the board, the newbie knows it after buying it and putting a program on it.

For example, if you want LAN+GSM for making a simple home security system, you loose 10 inputs and 1 output.
If you want to make a workaround with port expanders and a new PIC that has 2 SPI's, the onboard programmer is too outdated to program it.

There are some design errors on the board.
-The Pic's I/O that have interrrupt functionality are wired to outputs instead of the inputs.
-Input and Output names are a mess. Port D bit2 has the name RD2, then becomes W9/NW9 on ComC, RBO goes to Relay1.
-The optocouplers work on 12V but you have to search this on the other side of the board and wire it to "OCVCC" ?
-What do the Speaker and Microphone connectors on this kind of board?
-Why is PIC18F4520 used, and not PIC18F4580, with CAN?
-There is a RS232 connector but I want RS232-serial-over-usb with a usb connector on the board.
-There is no scope ground connection. There is no place for a ZIF socket
-If you power it with DC and connect the programmer to USB from your computer, you have 50% chance you can't power the board OFF.
-Every relay has a Led, but you can't make the led work without the relay. Could be useful for testing/developing.
-You can't simply wire all your 230V lamps or 24VDC motors straight to the board. That W6/NW6/COMB thing is a mess. I want N0/L0 N1/L1 N2/L2 or Gnd0/Pwr0 Gnd1/Pwr1 Gnd2/Pwr2 ...

If you want to use it as a PLC just for the inputs+outputs+network, there is many space lost on the board for the GSM connector, RTC battery and all Dipswitches. It could easyly be half that size.

Summary: It is a nice board with much on it, but it is still a development/test board. Buy one, make your demo machine and then make your own customized board.
It's clearly a somewhat dated board, there are no 3state dipswitches, has a dated ICD programmer, no Mikrobus Click connections.
I hope V7 becomes <half the size, less dipswitches, with 3 Mikrobus slots.

I don't understand the power supply choice very well. You can make it work on 16V->30V DC or 12->22V AC.
That makes we can't make it work on 12VDC or (USB) 5VDC. We need an external adapter or dinrail power supply.
If we choose a quality product, stabilized ones cost the same as a simple AC transfo. So I choose a stabilized one and again loose space for the unnessecary power stabilisation on the board.
3x PicPlc16V6 1x EasypicV7

Going from programming on PC to embedded programming is like working in the dark with sunglasses on.

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filip
mikroElektronika team
Posts: 11874
Joined: 25 Jan 2008 09:56

Re: PICPLC16 v6 Review

#2 Post by filip » 20 Jan 2015 10:56

Hi,

Thank you for this nice review, you have certainly showed the pros and cons of the board. :)

Regards,
Filip.

st5
Posts: 192
Joined: 04 Jan 2011 14:14
Location: 3090 Belgium

Re: PICPLC16 v6 Review

#3 Post by st5 » 27 Oct 2015 13:36

filip wrote:Hi,

Thank you for this nice review, you have certainly showed the pros and cons of the board. :)

Regards,
Filip.
Feel free to send a bunch of presents, or the new version of the Board witch took my comments into account, I will review it with much pleasure :-)
3x PicPlc16V6 1x EasypicV7

Going from programming on PC to embedded programming is like working in the dark with sunglasses on.

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filip
mikroElektronika team
Posts: 11874
Joined: 25 Jan 2008 09:56

Re: PICPLC16 v6 Review

#4 Post by filip » 30 Oct 2015 13:16

Hi,

Will do! :)

Regards,
Filip.

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