Trash find.....could be different

[spocktwin]

 
Ok I am not exactly a dumpster diver but I was looking behind the plant I work at and the maintenance guys were throwing out some stuff from our compounding area (we make high end tubing for medical and such) and they were about to toss an Allen-Bradley Plc which for everyone is a control system for mixers and automated batch controls.  Anyhoo I'm looking at it and it has a 12" lcd screen and is got a standard computer hook up on the side like a desktop.  I asked what was wrong and they said it stopped functioning and was replaced.  Could I have it?  Sure take it away.
    Took it home last night plugged it in and sure enough nothing.  took off the back and what is staring right at me is the motherboard power harness just hanging there.  Now these guys are no hacks but they have little to no experience with pc's, the problem could not be that easy could it?  Put it back in the mother board hit the power switch and voila up lights Windows NT!!!  Unit is a pentium 3 with 256 ram and a 10 gig hard drive and a dvd rom in the back for loading software.
    My thoughts know are to keep the original contral panel (has a complete soft touch keyboard with number pad, not keys but those plastic covered push swithches) and make a juke with an industrial look.  I will send pictures later but I was kind of excited by the find and couldn't wait to let someone know (yeah I live a sheltered life).
Live Long and Prosper
Spock

edit   I plan on putting some pictures up tonight to give everyone and idea of what I found

[spocktwin]

this is very close but I believe my screen is a little larger and mine has the function keys running up the left side
Spock

[leapinlew]

this is very close but I believe my screen is a little larger and mine has the function keys running up the left side
Spock

Nice Find! Good start to a jukebox... Make note of the mobo and drivers.

[Chris]

Silly question... does it have sound?  Not sure they'd put sound in an industrial control system... are there expansion slots?

Great catch!

--Chris

[spocktwin]

did not have sound but has pci expansion slots and I put in a sound card and it works......I have your software loaded in it now as it seemed the most natural.....I will be putting pics in tonight
Thanks for your jukebox program Chris!!!!
Spock

[Luckydevil]

Just a thought, but if that thing is working it is probably worth quite a bit of money. Throw it up on ebay and see what you can get. I'd bet more than enough to buy whatever you need for a juke, and probably quite a bit extra.

[spocktwin]

Had some other people suggest that also.....never sold anything on ebay and I not sure if I really want to but it is something to consider.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I did happen to look on ebay just looking at Allen-Bradley 6180 and was shocked at the price......

[JoeJoe97]

Trash find is right.  Haha sorry I work with these on a near daily basis. 

As far as I know the one you have there can only be programmed with Panelview32 software from Allen Bradley.  Internally its not running a normal operating system.

The newer ones from AB, however, are WINCE so those would theoretically be very good for such a project.  That one appears to be an older model though.

Older or newer they are all a big chunk of change to buy.  They are very stable and good for dusty environments.  We have ones that are 20+ years old at work.  They only seem to have problems if you stick something to the screen.  I work in the chocolate industry, and dust from chocolate is not enough but if you have chocolate on your hands and you get that coated on it, it will eventually fry the touch screen part. 

[Barry Barcrest]

Trash find is right.  Haha sorry I work with these on a near daily basis. 

As far as I know the one you have there can only be programmed with Panelview32 software from Allen Bradley.  Internally its not running a normal operating system.

If you read his first post he said it's running windows NT.

[somunny]

I'd go the ebay route (although find someone with a substantial amount of feedback to fence it for you).  I know for a fact that major manufacturing and industrial related companies use ebay to find replacement or spare equipment.

Steve

[spocktwin]

Well, I have been traveling alot lately and not had the time until now to mess with it.    I actually got xp to load on the machine and loaded Chris's jukebox on it and it works!!!.  Still think because of the industrial look I could do something with it.  Really don't want to sell it as I am too much of a tinkerer (spelling?) to want to part with this interesting item.  Ran the sound through the stereo in my rec room and sounded pretty damn good.  Now to work on some kind of design for the beast.
Anyone here been to St Petersburg Russia......next stop on my plant tour.