WinPLC - Windows CE PLC Updated: 04/11/2016
Specification Documentation FAQs    


** Please Read **

As of 22 March 2016 the last WinPLC was sold by Automationdirect.com. It's been a good long run but, alas, there can be no more. The problem is two-fold:

First is part obsolescence with no direct replacements. Any replacement parts would require a hardware and/or software redesign that wasn't going to happen.

Second - and most problematic - was, about a year ago Microsoft dropped support for Windows CE v2.x and thus stopped selling us the the required Windows CE licenses that we redistribute with our hardware. The Cease-and-Desist order allowed us to build what units we already had parts and licenses for, but no more.

That said you may all be wondering what to do going forward if you need a replacement WinPLC. All of the answers are less than satisfactory.

  1. You may be able to find a used or repaired WinPLC at places like EBay or PLC Center.
     

  2. You may also consider converting the ThinknDo application that runs in the WinPLC to a ThinknDo application that runs on a PC and uses an H2-EBC100 as an I/O interface in place of the WinPLC.
     

  3. Another option is to port your application to a DL205 Do-more CPU. This uses the same base and I/O modules as the WinPLC but none of the ThinknDo application itself can be reused, it will have to be rewritten as a ladder logic project for the Do-more CPU.

We would like to thank all of the users of the WinPLC product. It's been a reasonably good product for us, that we feel was a bit ahead of it's time. When Microsoft stopped development of Windows CE for headless platforms after V3.x , and they moved toward a headless Windows NT, we were stuck with either a hardware / software redesign, or wait it out and see what direction Microsoft took. We chose the later hoping that CE development would pick back up, but it never did. So instead of porting the design to a new processor that could run the embedded NT we turned our development to other products. And here we are.

The WinPLC is a diskless runtime control platform that gives you all of the best features of both traditional PLCs and Windows capable PCs. The WinPLC allows us to take full advantage of all the recent advances in software technologies while still maintaining the ruggedness of the PLC type hardware. The WinPLC was the first platform to provide an industry standard operating system in a PLC form factor.

The WinPLC fits into the CPU slot of any DL205 base. It communicates across the backplane to all of the currently available DL205 discrete I/O modules and analog I/O modules as well as the H2-CTRIO, the H2-SERIO, and the H2-SERIO-4.

When used with the H2-ERM, you can create a remote I/O network of virtually any realistic size. Each WinPLC can control up to 6 H2-ERMs, each of them can control up to 16 remote slaves. This gives you over 3000 channels of analog I/O or 65535 discrete I/O points. That's a lot of I/O !!
 
  WPLC1
Retired 06/22/2006		 WPLC2
Retired 10/30/2007		 WPLC3
Retired 03/22/16
Module Type CPU
CE Version Windows CE Version 2.12
Processor Hitachi SH3 Series 7708
Processor Speed 40mHz 100mHz 100mHz
Memory (ROM / RAM / Battery-backed RAM) 4Mb / 2Mb / 16Kb 4Mb / 2Mb / 16Kb 8Mb / 8Mb / 16Kb
Interface Ports Ethernet - RJ-45, 10Base-T, TCP/IP protocol
Serial - RJ-12, RS232C, KSequence, ASCII (port can also supply 5VDC @ 0.5A)
Max Local I/O 256 Discrete (8 - 32pt modules)
64 Analog (8 - 8pt modules)  
Real Time Clock Yes
Operating Temperature 0 – 60 ºC (32 – 140 ºF)
5% to 95% humidity (non-condensing)

no corrosive gases, pollution level=2

Vibration: MIL STD 810C 514.2
Shock: MIL STD 810C 516.2
Storage Temperature -20 ºC – 70 ºC  (-4 ºF – 158 ºF)
Power Consumption 480mA / 5Vdc 480mA / 5Vdc 480mA / 5Vdc
Manufacturer Host Automation Products, LLC
Documentation

Use these following links to view the user manuals for these products. 

  • WinPLC Installation Guide

Product Advisories

If you're a current user of an H2-WPLC1-TD or H2-WPLC2-TD, you need to be aware of a potential safety issue with the Retentive Memory capability in the Think'nDo versions of the WinPLC.

There are two issues that need to be resolved to completely address this problem. One is a hardware repair to the WinPLC, the second is an upgrade for the Think'nDo software to version 5.2.3 or later.

AutomationDirect is handling the repairs for the WinPLC hardware. The upgrade for the Think'nDo software is available from their web site (www.entivity.com).

  • view the Product Advisory concerning the hardware repair.
  • view the Product Advisory concerning the Think'nDo software upgrade.

The Think'nDo runtime software requires the time between EPF detection (early power fail) and the actual loss of power to archive data points marked as retentive. The change to H2-WPLC1-TD (Rev 4G) and H2-WPLC2-TD (Rev 4C) can prevent the Think'nDo from seeing the EPF indication. Failure to detect EPF will keep the Think'nDo WinPLCs from archiving their retentive variables.

  • how to determine if your WinPLCs need to be upgraded.

The H2-SERIO module was built after the initial release of the WinPLC. Some of the original WinPLCs can be factory upgraded to support the module. 

  • instructions on determining how much (if any) work has to be done to get your WinPLC to support the SERIO module

NOTE: you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the files (available at Adobe Acrobat Free Reader ).

  • Can I use Visual C/C++ to write programs for the WinPLC?
    Yes. we have a version of the WinPLC that contains a Visual C/C++ runtime. You'll need the eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 and our WinPLC SDK to create Visual C/C++ projects that can be downloaded into the WinPLC. Since the WinPLC hardware is no longer available, contact us via email at Support@Hosteng.com if you need a replacement copy of the WinPLC SDK.
     

  • What I/O modules are supported? How many I/O points?
    Currently the H2-WPLC's support all of the discrete I/O and all of the analog I/O modules available in the DL205 line as well as our H2-SERIO and H2-CTRIO modules. While there is no practical limit to the amount of I/O the H2-WPLCx can support, it is currently limited by the application running in the WinPLC. If you need more I/O than you can get in one base, you can use our H2-ERM, to add expansion or remote I/O bases. Using ERMs, you can create a virtually unlimited I/O network.
     

  • Can I use the D2-CTRINT with a WinPLC?
    No. The D2-CTRINT ( Counter Interface module ) was designed to be used with the DL205 CPUs. It uses the counters that physically reside in the PLC CPU to perform the actual counting. It is a counter INTERFACE, not a standalone counting platform.
     

  • How can I use the onboard serial port?
    In general, it can be used for any purpose that CE application running in the WinPLC will allow. The WinPLC has the ability to configure the port as a KSequence slave, allowing it to service the operator interface panels sold by AutomationDirect. The port can also be configured for generic ASCII input/output to allow barcode scanners, printers etc. to be connected. The port is truly whatever the CE application tells it to be.
     

  • Will there be fiber optic interface versions of the WinPLC?
    We sure hope so. We will wait until there is sufficient demand for our fiber optic products in general. We do have fiber optic versions of our EBCs and ECOMs. We also have our own Ethernet adapter cards in both 10Base-T and 10Base-FL versions. So our commitment to fiber optic interfaces is strong, but we're taking a wait-and-see stance on this one.
     

  • Does the WinPLC support the Intelligent I/O modules?
    No. In the current DL205 family of I/O, there are 6 modules that are classified as Intelligent I/O, the D2-DCM, D2-RMSM, F2-DEVNETS, F2-SDS, F2-CP128 and the H2-ECOM.
     

  • Which protocols and frame types are supported?
    Windows CE only provide networking support for the TCP/IP protocol. So we only support that as well. We're not sure if Windows CE will support all of the "normal" frames types. But 802.3 and 802.2 both work.
     

  • What about WinPLC's performance? As an alternative to a Koyo PLC? When used with PC-based control software?
    We've had several requests for performance data on the WinPLC. It's hard to compile meaningful performance data without comparing it to something. While it can perform the same functions as an high performance I/O Base Controller, it has much more potential than just reading and writing data. Conversely, it's not like a traditional   PLC CPU because there's currently nothing that can create a ladder logic program for the WinPLC.

    As for using the WinPLC with a PC-based control package ( like Think'nDo ) instead of an EBC with the same package, the performance here will depend on the implementation done by these 3rd-party vendors. Since this technology is still new, we'll have to wait and see how much performance can be realized by the system designers.

    In general, we feel that in doing similar control functions, and addressing the same I/O, the WinPLC has more speed potential that the existing PLC CPUs and soft control packages with an EBC. In some testing we've recently done, it's 5 times faster than a DL450 doing Boolean logic, 10 times faster doing floating point math and 15 times faster doing integer math!! Way cool!!!
     

  • Will there be DDE/OPC communication through the Ethernet Port?
    It depends. If the CE application has DDE and/or OPC support built into it, then yes. There is nothing inherent in the module that would prevent it from servicing DDE or OPC requests, but again, it's up to the CE application designers to put the necessary support in their product.
     

  • Can I use LookoutDirect as an HMI for the WinPLC?
    The current I/O drivers for LookoutDirect only know how to talk to DL205 / DL305 / DL405 CPUs, with Xs, Ys, V-memory, etc. We have developed a KSequence interface that emulates most of the memory of a DL450 processor, providing some V-memory and some CR-memory. If the WinPLC runtime installs this driver, LookoutDirect will be able to communicate with it. Again, it really is up to the application running in the WinPLC whether this is an option.
     

  • Can I use DirectSOFT to program the WinPLC?
    No. The current versions of DirectSOFT only support the Koyo built CPUs sold by AutomationDirect. This necessitates a new version of DirectSOFT that will target the WinPLC. There will be a new instruction set optimized for the WinPLC, a new memory map, new data types, etc.. We intend to make the best PLC operating system available, bar none. We've got years of experience in using the currently available PLC Operating Systems. We'll draw from them all, taking the good parts, leaving out the bad parts, and adding new stuff that fits today's requirements for PLCs that can collaborate with other PLCs to solve complex control problems. We'll have communications that is fast and easy.
     

  • Is there any information on how big a program the WinPLC can hold?
    Program size is totally dependant on the CE application that gets loaded into the unit. Currently there's two memory sized models of the WinPLCs, one with 4Mb of FLASH ROM and 2Mb of RAM, and the second with 8Mb of ROM and 8Mb of RAM. The CE images we're seeing from various vendors range from 1 -> 2.5Mb. The remaining ROM and RAM are available for user programming.