Choose a press-side batch count display by digit height and by network. A count read across a 400 ft bay needs 16 in digits at the planning rule, which only a 40 in TV driven by a small PC meets; matrix message displays read to about 230 ft. Feed the SLC 5/05 presses over Ethernet and the PLC-5 press over DH+.
A batch count on the back of a press is two decisions. The first is digit height: the count has to be legible from the farthest point where anyone actually reads it. The second is the network: the display has to accept the count the way the processor sends it. The two SLC 5/05 presses have Ethernet onboard. The PLC-5 press speaks DH+. An operator terminal mounted on the press fails the first test, because its characters are sized for one person standing at the controls. The options that work are an LED matrix message display fitted with the matching network module, a consumer TV driven by a small PC that reads the count from the processor, or a plain numeric display if the readers turn out to be closer than they look. The arithmetic below sizes all three for a 400 ft bay and ends with the decision for each press.
What decides the display
Distance decides the digits. Planning numbers in the LED sign industry sit between 20 and 50 ft of viewing distance per inch of character height. The readable end is 1 in of digit height per 25 ft, so a 4 in character reads to about 100 ft. Catalog ratings sit at the glance end, where the quoted distance is the maximum for a quick look: 1.25 in rated 6 to 60 ft, 2 in rated 10 to 100 ft, 4 in rated 20 to 200 ft, 6 in rated 20 to 300 ft. A batch count is read by people walking or driving past, so plan at that readable-end ratio. As a cross-check, a signage legibility rule based on FHWA letter-height guidance takes 30 ft per inch, tightened to 20 ft per inch for fast reading; the readable-end ratio sits between the two and is the number to carry. This is the same distance-per-inch math used to size a digital signage screen to a room, with digit height in place of screen diagonal.
The network decides the box. Whatever shows the digits must take the count from a SLC 5/05 over Ethernet and from a PLC-5 over DH+, either built into the display or reached through a gateway.
Match the network to each processor
The SLC 5/05 presses: Ethernet is onboard, so the display needs an Ethernet module. Put each display on the same network as the processors and give every display its own address. The message-display family built for these networks, InView, documents one unique address per display so three displays can be written to individually; the address is set in the communication module configuration, and the manual lists the data address the display expects the count in. The processor then sends the count register to that address with a message instruction.
The PLC-5 press: DH+ is the processor's native network. DH-485 belongs to the SLC family, so plan the legacy press around DH+. Two paths work: a display fitted with a DH+ module, or a DH+ to Ethernet gateway feeding an Ethernet display. Plan addresses for all three displays and the processors before anything is ordered; the discipline is the same as DH-485 network node addressing for several panels and PLCs.
Commission the Ethernet side press by press and keep a written list of each display's address. When a link will not pass data, a guide to PLC 5 and SLC 5/05 Ethernet communication fault resolution works through the usual causes.
Scenario: a batch count read across a 400 ft bay
Say the farthest reader stands 400 ft from the press, at the shipping doors, and reads the count while walking past.
Step 1, the digit height to buy: 400 ft ÷ 25 ft/in = 16 in of digit height.
Step 2, the matrix message display: the largest cabinet documented in the InView family measures 72 by 9.2 in with a 240 by 32 pixel matrix, so the digits top out at 9.2 in. At the planning rule those digits read to 9.2 in × 25 ft/in = 230 ft, which falls 170 ft short of the shipping doors. At the glance rating of 50 ft per inch the same digits reach 9.2 in × 50 ft/in = 460 ft, which covers the bay only where someone gives the count a full look from a fixed spot.
Step 3, the TV: a 40 in consumer TV has a 16:9 panel, so its useable height is 40 in × 9 ÷ √(16² + 9²) = 40 × 9 ÷ √(256 + 81) = 360 ÷ 18.36 = 19.6 in. Draw the count with digits about 17 in tall, roughly 86 percent of the panel height, and they read to 17 in × 25 ft/in = 425 ft, past the shipping doors with margin to spare.
The decision in this bay: the 40 in TV with a small PC is the only option that meets the 16 in figure at the planning rule. The matrix display wins if the display moves to mid-bay, or if a 230 ft glance read honestly covers how the count is used.
The options compared
| Option | Digit height | Reads to at the planning rule | Network side | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix message display with network module | up to 9.2 in (72 by 9.2 in cabinet, 240 by 32 pixels) | 230 ft, or 460 ft at a fixed glance | Ethernet/IP module on the SLC 5/05 presses; DH+ module or gateway on the PLC-5 | the count is a glance read and no PC should be maintained |
| Consumer TV plus small PC | about 17 in on a 19.6 in panel | 425 ft | the PC speaks Ethernet to the SLC 5/05 presses; the PLC-5 needs the gateway | readers stand past 300 ft, or the screen also carries targets and messages |
| Numeric LED display at the press | 4 to 8 in | 100 to 200 ft | serial feed or the same network modules | readers stay within about 230 ft |
The PC in the second row connects to the processors over serial or Ethernet; the connection choices are set out in how to connect a PC HMI to a PLC over a serial protocol or Ethernet.
When a different option wins
If the farthest honest reading point is under 230 ft, buy the numeric display and mount it at or near the press. Six-inch digits plan to 150 ft and carry a 20 to 300 ft glance rating, and the whole job programs faster than either large option. If the screen must also carry the shift target, a text line or downtime numbers, take the TV and the PC, because a matrix cabinet holds a fixed character set. If nobody on site should have to maintain a PC, take the matrix display and its 230 ft glance figure, or shorten the distance by mounting the display mid-bay.
What to ask for before you order
- Digit height and matrix definition in pixels, since pixels set legibility and how many characters fit.
- The network module for each processor: an Ethernet/IP module for the two SLC 5/05 presses, a DH+ module for the PLC-5 or a gateway behind it.
- One address per display and where in the configuration it is set.
- Brightness suited to the bay's lighting and a sealed front if the press area carries oil mist.
- The register that holds the batch count and its integer format; a signed and unsigned mix is what makes a count read as a huge positive number, the data-format problem explained in why an HMI shows large positive numbers and the signed decimal fix.
- Who resets the count, and whether the display should hold or clear the last value at reset.
- Mounting: keep the display clear of moving press parts and outside the guarding line, and hang a 72 in cabinet or a 40 in TV only from structure your millwright or electrical contractor rates for the load.
The decision
Recommendation: fit an LED matrix message display with an Ethernet module to each SLC 5/05 press, and a DH+ module or a gateway with an Ethernet display to the PLC-5 press, whenever the farthest reader stands within about 230 ft of the press. Take the 40 in TV with a small PC when the count must be read past 300 ft, as in the 400 ft bay above, or when the same screen should carry the shift target and a message line.
Questions
Does each batch count display need its own network address?
Yes. On the Ethernet side, give every display its own address on the same network as the processors, and set that address in the display's communication module configuration. The message-display family built for these networks documents one unique address per display, so three displays can be written to individually. Plan the addresses before the displays arrive and keep the list with the panel drawings.
Can the same display show the count and other production numbers?
A 240 by 32 pixel matrix cabinet holds the count plus a short line of text; pixels, not cabinet width, set how many characters fit. The TV option shows whatever the PC draws: count, shift target, downtime percentage, a message line. Every extra element shrinks the digits, so keep the batch count the largest object on the screen.
What digit height do I need if the farthest reader is closer than 400 ft?
Divide the measured distance by the feet-per-inch planning figure. A reader at 150 ft needs 6 in digits: 150 ÷ 25 = 6. Catalog ratings agree with margin, since a 6 in numeric display is rated 20 to 300 ft at a glance. Measure to where people actually stand when they read the count, not to the far wall of the building.
Planning information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules differ by place: check codes and permits with your local authority and your licensed trades.