Much help needed, such noob

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MalcolmBoyce
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Much help needed, such noob

Post by MalcolmBoyce »

Good day guys. First of all i am an electrician by trade so i may ask questions that dont make sense to you but make perfect sense to me, dont hesitate correcting me please.

So we are constructing a kraft beer brewery, and we have a BCS-462 for temperature control on the fermenters. Basiscs seem simple but i first have to get up and running. first issue is that the supply is 110V-120V but i will sort that easily. I am looking for the software so i can start programming the Controller/PLC. Where can i get hold of it?
JonW
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by JonW »

The BCS is web based - there is no external programming software.

Looks like you might want to start with some of the basics from the manual : http://docs.embeddedcc.com/

That will give you an idea of the programming and configuration that is needed.
clearwaterbrewer
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by clearwaterbrewer »

MalcolmBoyce wrote:Good day guys. First of all i am an electrician by trade so i may ask questions that dont make sense to you but make perfect sense to me, dont hesitate correcting me please.

So we are constructing a kraft beer brewery, and we have a BCS-462 for temperature control on the fermenters. Basiscs seem simple but i first have to get up and running. first issue is that the supply is 110V-120V but i will sort that easily. I am looking for the software so i can start programming the Controller/PLC. Where can i get hold of it?
Tell us what the electrical devices will be that you plan to control the cooling of the fermenters with, and we can help you.

1st basic rule is that the BCS should NOT, and i repeat NOT 'power' anything more than an LED, SSR, or other low-currant device... Do NOT, and I repeat NOT set it up to power a relay or contactor coil all by itself!!!



for example:

if you had 24VDC valves, you will need:
24vdc power supply and:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-DPDT-Signal-R ... 1e6c957787

you wire up the supply, valves, and relays like a normal electrician would, then you connect an output of the BCS to the 'trigger' of the valve, and a thermistor to the temp you want to control that...

your total connections to the BCS would be:
power cord
network
2 wires for thermistor temperature probe (Temp0 and Gnd)
2 wires to the relay board (OUT0 and Gnd)


Then, you would program the BCS by going to process editor tab and setting Process 0 be in hysteresis mode, cooling mode, use temp probe 0, and setting your temp.

that is all that is required at the most basic level....
MalcolmBoyce
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by MalcolmBoyce »

clearwaterbrewer wrote:
MalcolmBoyce wrote:Good day guys. First of all i am an electrician by trade so i may ask questions that dont make sense to you but make perfect sense to me, dont hesitate correcting me please.

So we are constructing a kraft beer brewery, and we have a BCS-462 for temperature control on the fermenters. Basiscs seem simple but i first have to get up and running. first issue is that the supply is 110V-120V but i will sort that easily. I am looking for the software so i can start programming the Controller/PLC. Where can i get hold of it?
Tell us what the electrical devices will be that you plan to control the cooling of the fermenters with, and we can help you.

1st basic rule is that the BCS should NOT, and i repeat NOT 'power' anything more than an LED, SSR, or other low-currant device... Do NOT, and I repeat NOT set it up to power a relay or contactor coil all by itself!!!



for example:

if you had 24VDC valves, you will need:
24vdc power supply and:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-DPDT-Signal-R ... 1e6c957787

you wire up the supply, valves, and relays like a normal electrician would, then you connect an output of the BCS to the 'trigger' of the valve, and a thermistor to the temp you want to control that...

your total connections to the BCS would be:
power cord
network
2 wires for thermistor temperature probe (Temp0 and Gnd)
2 wires to the relay board (OUT0 and Gnd)


Then, you would program the BCS by going to process editor tab and setting Process 0 be in hysteresis mode, cooling mode, use temp probe 0, and setting your temp.

that is all that is required at the most basic level....
Thanx for the replies guys. Clearwaterbrewer we are making use of https://www.brewershardware.com/3-BCS-4 ... nnect.html . there wil be one on each fermenter and one solenoid valve (24VDC) per fermenter. So its pretty straight forward. above a certain temperature the (AI) it will activate the (DO) solenoid valves to open to allow the glycol to cool down the fermenters.
The problem is more with the programming, i havent programmed any plc before although ladder logic is very similar to drawings so i dont see that it can be to difficult. My concern at this stage is achieving comms and being able to program it.
MalcolmBoyce
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by MalcolmBoyce »

clearwaterbrewer wrote:
MalcolmBoyce wrote:Good day guys. First of all i am an electrician by trade so i may ask questions that dont make sense to you but make perfect sense to me, dont hesitate correcting me please.

So we are constructing a kraft beer brewery, and we have a BCS-462 for temperature control on the fermenters. Basiscs seem simple but i first have to get up and running. first issue is that the supply is 110V-120V but i will sort that easily. I am looking for the software so i can start programming the Controller/PLC. Where can i get hold of it?
Tell us what the electrical devices will be that you plan to control the cooling of the fermenters with, and we can help you.

1st basic rule is that the BCS should NOT, and i repeat NOT 'power' anything more than an LED, SSR, or other low-currant device... Do NOT, and I repeat NOT set it up to power a relay or contactor coil all by itself!!!



for example:

if you had 24VDC valves, you will need:
24vdc power supply and:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/8-DPDT-Signal-R ... 1e6c957787

you wire up the supply, valves, and relays like a normal electrician would, then you connect an output of the BCS to the 'trigger' of the valve, and a thermistor to the temp you want to control that...

your total connections to the BCS would be:
power cord
network
2 wires for thermistor temperature probe (Temp0 and Gnd)
2 wires to the relay board (OUT0 and Gnd)


Then, you would program the BCS by going to process editor tab and setting Process 0 be in hysteresis mode, cooling mode, use temp probe 0, and setting your temp.

that is all that is required at the most basic level....
Ok got the first rule down. Will get hold of 4 solid state relays then. Good thing you mentioned it as there are absolutely no limitations (voltage, current, T class etc) on the device.

Does the entire system work on 5VDC? If it switches 5VDC the i will have to get SSR's with 5VDC coils. Also, the inputs do they switch with 5VDC or with GND.

If it is 5VDC its becomming a merry go round with all of the different voltages 5VDC, 24VDC, 115VAC, 230VAC, unforetunately the person that sourced the equipment is a mechanical engineer..........................
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oakbarn
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by oakbarn »

The nominal 5 vdc supplied by the BCS is a "trigger" voltage. The Out went turned on simply provides the 5 vdc to the control side of the SSR. The SSR will have its own specifications for the "trigger" voltage but normally something like 3 to 35 vdc. The Power side also has its own specification range, but the biggest ones are the max amperage and either AC or DC.


The BCS is simply a controller that can control an external SSR that in turn controls motors, valves and other electro-mechanical devices. It wioll also contol other devices that take the 5 vdc to control. The thing to reemember is that is "control" or "trigger" that the BCS doses. It does not supply "power" to anything except the small control voltage. The amperage of the control voltage is milliamps!

THe first 8 outs on the BCS 462 are PWM types, meaning they may be controlled by the PLC using a Temp Probe. There are other methods of PWM control as well. You want to use those first 8 for anything that needs to be controlled by a temperature. The other Outs are simply On Off control.

You can also "stack" outs using Ladder Logic on the BCS. For example, you could have a 24 v valve open in a gylcol line. The open valve could then logically turn on a pump that is controlled by another Out. using Ladder Logic.

The basic lofgc is "IF --- THEN" (Mopre complex if needed)
MalcolmBoyce
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by MalcolmBoyce »

oakbarn wrote:The nominal 5 vdc supplied by the BCS is a "trigger" voltage. The Out went turned on simply provides the 5 vdc to the control side of the SSR. The SSR will have its own specifications for the "trigger" voltage but normally something like 3 to 35 vdc. The Power side also has its own specification range, but the biggest ones are the max amperage and either AC or DC.


The BCS is simply a controller that can control an external SSR that in turn controls motors, valves and other electro-mechanical devices. It wioll also contol other devices that take the 5 vdc to control. The thing to reemember is that is "control" or "trigger" that the BCS doses. It does not supply "power" to anything except the small control voltage. The amperage of the control voltage is milliamps!

THe first 8 outs on the BCS 462 are PWM types, meaning they may be controlled by the PLC using a Temp Probe. There are other methods of PWM control as well. You want to use those first 8 for anything that needs to be controlled by a temperature. The other Outs are simply On Off control.

You can also "stack" outs using Ladder Logic on the BCS. For example, you could have a 24 v valve open in a gylcol line. The open valve could then logically turn on a pump that is controlled by another Out. using Ladder Logic.

The basic lofgc is "IF --- THEN" (Mopre complex if needed)
The logic of programming is not the problem, the problem is more the software, because i dont have it. We have a beckhoff plc controlling the entire process, I will just add the temps and outputs to the beckhoff PLC.

Thanx for the help guys

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SamIam
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by SamIam »

FYI, if you have a BCS, you have the software.
MalcolmBoyce
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by MalcolmBoyce »

SamIam wrote:FYI, if you have a BCS, you have the software.
Cool thanx. Have a BCS-462. Just for interest sake the temperature probes.................is the output 4-20mA?
https://www.brewershardware.com/3-BCS-4 ... nnect.html
JonW
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Re: Much help needed, such noob

Post by JonW »

MalcolmBoyce wrote:
SamIam wrote:FYI, if you have a BCS, you have the software.
Cool thanx. Have a BCS-462. Just for interest sake the temperature probes.................is the output 4-20mA?
https://www.brewershardware.com/3-BCS-4 ... nnect.html
No, all temp probes are 10K thermistor type.
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