Allen Bradley Rslogix 500 Course for the Micrologix and SLC 500

Should You Learn RsLogix 500 since the Micrologix and SLC500 are Obsolete?

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RsLogix 500 is no longer supported

All Micrologix and SLC500 PLCs that use this course are now obsolete? That doesn’t mean that you should throw all of your Micrologix hardware out but it does mean that there is some special consideration that needs to be given to whether this is the best course for you to learn on.

Most of you will fit into one of the following categories:

Yes. You should learn RsLogix 500

1. Someone gave you a Micrologix 1000 or 1100. These two PLC use the FREE version of RsLogix 500. This is the only situation you scored a win with a hardware donation.

2. You work for a company and must maintain Micrologix or SLC500 PLCs. We can’t replace all of our obsolete PLCs tomorrow, we’ll be maintaining these PLCs for the next several decades. You must have a good inventory of the PLCs that are in your plant and make sure you have the software necessary to maintain them.

3. You are an instructor using Micrologix 1000 or 1100 PLC trainers. You are going to find a note for you in both the Yes and No section. Students need a way to practice after the class is over and that means they need a way to use the free software. These are still excellent PLCs to learn on but start looking at options to get a few Micro850 PLCs in your classroom to show students the differences between RsLogix 500 and the replacement Connnected Components Workbench software.

No. You should NOT learn RsLogix 500.

1. Someone gave you a Micrologix 1200, 1400, 1500, or even a SLC500 with a pricey SLC5/05 Ethernet processor. None of these use the free version of RsLogix 500 and the software will cost you more than a modern Micro850 which is far more capable and uses the free Connected Components Workbench Software.

2. You are planning a new project and want to use a Micrologix and SLC500 PLC. All of these PLCs are obsolete. This will not work out well for you or the customer in the long term. Look at the Micro800 PLCs

3. You are an instructor and all of your equipment requires paid licenses. This may be the toughest one. You likely have license and paid good money for the hardware but the support fees will probably cover a few new PLCs a year plus your students need a way to practice outside of the classroom. Start looking at opportunities to sprinkle a few Micro800 PLCs in that use the free software.

Definition of Rockwell Automation’s product life cycle statuses are:

  • Active - Fully supported and the most current offering

  • Active Mature - Still supported but there is another product that should be used on new projects.

  • End of Life - The date of discontinue has been announced. Make sure you have spares for your existing machines and begin planning a path of upgrade.

  • Discontinued - The product is no longer available. You need to immediately come up with a plan of action to upgrade existing equipment.