PanelView 600 Selection Guide
PanelView Standard Family Overview
Allen-Bradley offers a wide range of Visualization Solutions designed to serve as the critical interface between human operators and the automated systems being controlled. Separate from industrial computers and mobile terminals, the PanelView family of Human Machine Interface hardware serves as the primary ‘machine-level’ solution in Allen-Bradley’s catalog. While you might expect a small range of products in this machine-level category, the PanelView name represents hundreds of various part numbers and configurations, thanks to active use of the name going back decades. The PanelView terminal lineup has evolved into a bit of a haphazard product group, often attributed to confusing naming standards and difficult-to-follow generational successions.
To begin outlining the PanelView Standard family, we go back to Allen-Bradley’s HMI lineup circa 2008 – a time in which the family had a singular naming convention, and during which the model we’ll be examining closer in this article (the PanelView Standard 600) was still very active. In this era, HMI terminals were available in color, greyscale, or monochrome displays, and featured either touchscreen or keypad input. Applications were often used with PLC 5 and SLC 500 PLC systems. At the time, the lineup often dropped the term ‘Standard’ and was referred to only as ‘PanelView 600’ or similar. For consistency with older documentation, we’ll default to this naming convention for the rest of the article but know that it refers to the legacy ‘Standard’ lineup.
PanelView 600 terminals were the first models in the PanelView line to offer a color display, utilizing TFT screen technology for a better visual appearance than the smaller LED-backlit LCD screens. The entire series was fairly uniform in its feature set, including robust networking options for the time, advanced alarming, universal language support, and removable memory cards. In effect, models in the line were selected primarily for their screen size and input method (touch or keypad), and of course overall cost.
Please note that Allen Bradley uses Bulletin numbers to categorize their product lines. The PanelView series from this era, for instance, has a Bulletin number of 2711, followed by two digits that identify the exact model. This bulletin number in turn becomes the prefix for all part numbers (otherwise known as catalog numbers) used when specifying and ordering parts specific to each PanelView series.
In many other Allen-Bradley product families, bulletin numbers tend to change within a singular family, making it very confusing to identify accessory and replacement parts since each could have different bulletin numbers but still be compatible. The PanelView family on the other hand seems to have evaded the issue for once, as accessories all begin with the same bulletin number 2711. That said, we still do suggest that readers check your model’s applicable User Manual and Parts List before purchasing components, in case numbering schemes change over time (or were different farther back in history). This complete family is obsolete and discontinued at the time of this article’s authoring, and though unlikely, information is subject to change should Allen-Bradley revise legacy reference or part information.
PanelView 600 Series Overview
Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation's series of PanelView 600 HMIs feature a wide range of standard benefits in every catalog number, including:
- A 6-inch diagonal TFT active matrix color display, with a 320 x 234 pixel resolution for touch/key models and 320 x 240 pixel resolution for touch-only models
- Touch/key models include 10 function keys, a numeric keypad, cursor control keys, and a 3.6-inch installed depth.
- Touch-only models include 128 touch cells across the screen, and a 3.12” installed depth.
- Keypad, Touch Screen, or Keypad/Touch Screen combination terminals offer convenient and flexible choices for operator input
- Pixel Graphics Displays in color are designed to offer minimal depth with maximum viewing angles
- Full Complement of Operator Devices to create screens including push buttons, selectors, numeric and ASCII entry devices, diagnostic indicators, message displays, embedded numeric and ASCII variable displays, custom graphics, and more
- Extensive Alarm Capabilities to record and display important data on triggered alarms including active status, with additional options for printing or clearing the Alarm List.
- Screen Security – operator access can be controlled by assigning security classifications to application screens
- Optional RS-232 Printer Port to print alarms, alarm lists, triggered messages, and triggered states of a multi-state indicator
- Field replaceable backlights to extend each PanelView 600’s service life
- Universal Language Support for over 46 languages
- Communications Flexibility. ControlNet, DeviceNet, Data Highway Plus, Remote I/O, DH-485, and DF1 protocols make these terminals ideal for PLC, SLC 500, ControlLogix, and MicroLogix control platforms as well as open device-level communications
To add a clarification, Allen-Bradley’s documentation often states that the PanelView 600 series (and all others in the family) are available with “touch or keypad interfaces”. This is only a portion of the information readers will need. These PanelView models are available in three configurations: Keypad Only, Touchscreen Only, or Keypad + Touchscreen. Options vary by model, so be sure to confirm each catalog number. We will outline the PanelView 600’s options directly below.
PanelView 600 Models
Let's now take a look at the complete inventory of PanelView 600 models, beginning with showing individual catalog numbers. To explain the way these catalog numbers break down, purchasers have three main decisions to make in determining a final catalog number.
- Select the interface option desired – Keypad (2711-K…), Touch Screen (2711-T…), or a combination of a Keypad and Touchscreen (2711-B…).
- Select the communication protocol and connectivity desired, filling in the rest of the catalog number after the first letter, such as selecting Remote I/O with a catalog number of 2711-K6C1.
- Determine the input power type desired:
- Selecting a Touch Screen model automatically selects 18-32V DC input (not available in any other choice), which adds the suffix "L1".
- Selecting a Keypad or Keypad + Touchscreen option allows for the choice of either AC or DC power.
- 18-32V DC power is selected by adding L1 to the end of any K or B catalog number (which are not shown in the below table), such as 2711-B6C2L1.
- 85-264V AC power is denoted by leaving the L1 suffix off of the catalog number, using the number as stated below, such as 2711-B6C2.
Listed below are various PanelView 600 terminals:
- Keypad Terminals
- 2711-K6C2, 2711-K6C3, 2711-K6C5, 2711-K6C9, 2711-K6C1, 2711-K6C8, 2711-K6C10, 2711-K6C12, 2711-K6C14, 2711-K6C15, 2711-K6C16, 2711-K6C20
- Touch Terminals
- 2711-T6C2L1, 2711-T6C3L1, 2711-T6C5L1, 2711-T6C9L1, 2711-T6C1L1, 2711-T6C8L1, 2711-T6C10L1, 2711-T6C12L1, 2711-T6C14L1, 2711-T6C15L1, 2711-T6C16L1, 2711-T6C20L1
- Keypad/Touch Terminals
- 2711-B6C2, 2711-B6C3, 2711-B6C5, 2711-B6C9, 2711-B6C1, 2711-B6C8, 2711-B6C10, 2711-B6C12, 2711-B6C14, 2711-B6C15, 2711-B6C16, 2711-B6C20
The list above of possible catalog numbers shows 12 items that are distinguished by the communication protocol. Each of these protocols can be delivered in one of 3 different interface types (keypad, touch, or combo), resulting in 36 possible catalog numbers in the table above. Further, referencing our selection steps above, we know that we can modify either Keypad or Combo Touch + Keypad selection between AC power and DC power by adding an L1 suffix, which effectively adds another 24 possible catalog numbers to the list. All in, this is a total of 60 possible catalog numbers to choose from in selecting a PanelView 600 terminal!
When referencing older literature, please note that the Profibus (2711-…12) and Modbus (2711-…14) protocols were added sometime in more recent history. These catalog numbers do not show up in earlier documentation, which only shows 10 communication options instead of later documentation’s 12 options.
All other features of PanelView 600 models are the same, other than the above few differences. Once readers absorb the large volume of possible catalog numbers, making a selection should be relatively straightforward. Check technical specification documents to make sure that communication protocol versions and exact input power voltages/phases/hertz match your application.
Migration and Accessory Considerations
Most users look to upgrade from their PanelView 600 HMI terminals purely out of a desire to keep current with warranty, technology, support, and replacement part availability. For readers looking into migration, Allen-Bradley points towards their current PanelView Plus 7 series, or industrial computers paired with thin clients. See ‘PanelView Migration’ documentation on Allen-Bradley’s website for more information.
For some users, migration is not yet needed or desired, especially in cases when ample new OEM or aftermarket parts are still available, including reconditioned whole PanelView units. For those readers still relying on their dependable PanelView 600 units today, below is a short list of available accessories that might be useful in getting a little more out of your units:
- Catalog number 2711-NM11: 256 Kbyte Flash Memory Card
- Catalog number 2711-NM12: 1M PC Flash Memory Card
- Catalog number 2711-NM12: 2M PC Flash Memory Card
- Catalog number 2711-NM28: 8M Flash ATA Memory Card
- Catalog number 2711-NM216: 16M Flash ATA Memory Card
- Catalog number 2711-NMCC: Memory Card Retainer for PanelView 500, 600, 900, 1000
- Catalog number 2711-NMCE: Memory Card Retainer for PanelView 300/600 Touch Only
