Schneider Zelio

Modular, cheap (~ 220 EUR basic modul + TCP/IP modbus), well distributed on various markets. It can operate either in PLC mode, using programme, or as relay switcher, with outputs fully controlled by TCP/IP modbus. TCP/IP modbus is supported by RTS2 on connection level.

Zelio control site

Schneider provides software for programming. Once you will find out advanced features (=macros), you will be quite happy with it. The software runs on Linux under Wine (ask Petr Kubánek for details if you fail to run it). Software allows quite nice visualization of the results. Roof control in Zelio, which I designed and tested in ~ 5 hours (ask petr@kubanek.net for file), allows:

• Manual-Auto control switch
• Open-close switch for manual control
• Rain sensor to block dome operation (if in auto mode)
• PC control is by Modbus registers. You write to one register alive time, and continuously sends new value (increased by one,..) to the other register. If you fail to write to the other register, dome will close on its own - that is “dead man button” variant, to guard against PC failures.