Created Date: April 22,2017

Created by: AeroSteve

Hello All,

Can anyone tell me how the Domore PLC roughly compares to Fanuc 90-30 PLC?

(My goal is to get a B&S coordinate measuring machine to communicate with a Fanuc Oi-TD control).

I'm completely new to PLCs (and the forum), I am confused as to why the Fanuc PLC appears to be over 10 times the price of the Domore. I'm wandering if the Fanuc might have advantages because of it being of the same name company.

Please understand that I wouldn't want anyone to go into a lot of detail with this (I probably wouldn't understand most if it anyway :) -- just a basic explanation would be great.

Thanks in advance!

Created Date: April 23,2017

Created by: BobO

No specific experience with it, but 90-30 is pretty old, so my first reaction would be that Do-more is more capable. I scanned a 90-30 manual and it does look fairly old-school. So in terms of instruction set and performance, my money would be on Do-more. Communication support is a different beast altogether though, so you need to be careful about evaluating that. Do-more has custom protocol instructions that allow it to talk to nearly anything, but coding protocols is a pretty advanced bit of programming.

Hopefully there are some users on here who have used both and can comment more specifically.

Created Date: April 23,2017

Created by: Ridgeline Mach

1. What are you needing in a PLC/PAC? I would recommend you use the PLC choosing tool on the main page of the Automation Direct website.

2. Since you write you 're new to PLC's, having good support after the sale, into programming the unit, and having access to people that can help is very important. What kind of technical support does GE provide? Do you have to rely on the local seller, or do you have to pay GE for support? I have a personal issue with ANY PLC provider who sees support after the sale as a profit center. Having to pay to read a knowledgebase, or to place a phone call with technical support is beyond arrogance. You don't need that hassle.

3. GE is obsoleting the 90-30. See that information here , so I'd stay away from it if I were you.

4. And then there's the battle I have every year with one maker; their software requires activation (think subscription). My company has to continually pay for activation so I can use the programming software to view/edit programs. I have three different programs for that we must do this for. This is a pain. The Do-more programming software has always been free.

If you 're limiting your choices between the 90-30 or the Do-more, I'd go with the Do-more.

Created Date: April 24,2017

Created by: AeroSteve

BobO & Ridgeline Mach,

thanks a lot for your responses. That all makes sense to me. I will go with the Domore H2-DM1E. I believe that is a very valid point about the support after the sale.

I just wanted to see if there was some reason that I had to use the Fanuc PLC. It seems odd to me that the H2-DM1E is $399 and the Fanuc is over $5,000. -- that seems to be an extreem difference.

thanks again!

Steve

Created Date: April 24,2017

Created by: jwbaker3

As others have said the 90-30/90-70 are on the way out. So like Allen Bradley they rise the price to force you buy the new (Rx3i or Rx7i) PAC units to replace the 90-30. That being said I would (given a choice) use the DoMore. We do a lot of programming on the GE/Fanuc PLC/PAC's some of our customers equipment comes from the OEM with them in place so they use them on all of their machines and support systems. They only need to have the single supplier spare parts and the maintenance staff understands how to service the units. But we prefer to use the DoMore PLC when we can. Easier for the customer to understand, less cost and easier to program.

JW