How to Program Omron Zen Relay

[luckylou]

Does anyone have experience on how to program an Omron Zen relay. The Zen relays are programmable relays that are reasonably cheap. The way I see them, they are a bare-bones PLC device with a few inputs and outputs.

Are there limitations on what you can do? Aside from the limited number of IO which is easy to see...

[3rdshiftguy]

My thoughts on programmable relays are that you get what you pay for. They are basically a simplified PLC with some limitations. I think if you are using them for very basic control circuits they would be fine.

As for Zen relay programming, I have never programmed one of these but it seems like it would just be a basic ladder style software. Does it come with a software package or do you have to go to Ormon's website and download it?

[Cheller]

I bought a Zen relay starter kit from one of the big name electronics suppliers a few years ago. It came with the Zen programming program. I wasn't overly impress that I would keep buying them, but it didn't work.

The only negative thing i can remember was that the programming package was cumbersome and i think that was why I got discouraged. The relay I bought is still in use today incidentally.