The IBM Pricing Spreadsheet - Latest Update: April 22nd, 2004.
The IBM PLC Estimator is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet designed to aid the
selection and pricing of Modicon PLC components as part of the Schneider
Electric alliance. It provides the ability to quickly generate bills of material
with the standard alliance pricing. It can do basic checking of I/O
configurations and power consumptions, but it is NOT a substitute for product
knowledge and training.
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- New pricing. This version reflects the pricing update that went into effect in October 2003. Yes, it really took that long for me to get this current.
- Momentum Configurator. Just like the Quantum one, this lets you fill in a few dialog box fields and it selects parts for you. Notice I didn't say that it does a great job of selecting parts. The I/O base choices are ones that I made when setting up the sheet. If you don't like them, you could always change them, except for the fact that you can't. Perhaps the next version will let you do that.
- Improvements to the Quantum Configurator. I'm sure if I thought about it long enough I might be able to tell you just what those improvements are, but I can't seem to remember them. Something about sucking less, or perhaps it was that it's more likely to be less wrong regarding network cards.
- New cards added by Bill Cox at Graybar Albany.
- Probably other things that I can't remember right now so they can't have been that important.
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- Quantum Configurator - Too lazy to pick out parts for yourself? If so,
this is the tool for you! Fill in the blanks and let it rip - presto chango, a
Quantum PLC configuration that will quite possibly be correct. The software
will grab the parts for you, and probably even get the rack sizing correct.
You'll find the configurator on the Automation menu when on the main quotation
page. It does NO sanity checking for things like networking counts and the
like, so make sure you review the parts list.
- Module Name changes - in a valiant, but perhaps futile, quest to get this
spreadsheet to work properly on Yun Lau's computer I've renamed all of the
public variables and modules to something that maybe, just maybe, won't cause
a name space conflict. The change should be invisible to everyone else.
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If you've been using one of the older versions of this tool you will find
several nifty new features. Well, I thought they were nifty.
- Room for two pages of parts - 111 lines worth. One more than 110!
- Parts Search. Don't remember the exact part number, or even any of the
part number? This can tool can find parts using a portion of the part number
or description. To use, put the cursor on a blank line on the Quotation page,
then select the Automation menu and then Find a Part. Follow the directions
for searching goodness.
- Page Specific clear. Each PLC product page has a clear function that will
remove all of the quantities from the page.
- Color Coding. Merged from the Schneider version of this tool, it
identifies parts that IBM doesn't normally use. Well, not normally used at
Fishkill - your mileage may vary.
- Quantum Conformal Coating page. Merged from the Schneider version, for
those times when a big steel box just isn't good enough.
- Nagging dialog box on startup. OK so maybe that's not so nifty.
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Nope - not at this time. It's free software - what more do you want?
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It depends. If your question is:
- About using the spreadsheet.
- Contact either the IBM account specialist at Schneider Electric or Kenneth Schunk at
General Control Systems. Note that I (Ken) can only provide limited help, so
please talk to Square-D first. Unless it's Scott Reagan they probably won't have a single clue what it is that you are talking about. Now, if you have money to spend just skip right on to me - you'd be surprised at just how helpful I can be!
- Technical about Modicon or Square-D Parts.
- Contact your either your Graybar Automation Specialist or
Schneider's IBM account people.
- I've found a bug or have a suggestion for a change or feature.
- I get a macro error message when I open the spreadsheet stating that there is an error in a hidden library.
- I get this same error with Office X on my Macintosh (hey, at least the CPU in my Mac is something that IBM makes!). I'm working on solving it. The spreadsheet seems to work properly in Office XP and most Office 2000 installations - please drop me a line with details if you see this.
- Can General Controls quote me a...
- I've recently hit my head rather hard, and as a result I can't resist the urge to send you money. May I?
- I didn't recently hit my head, so sure!. Contact Kenneth Schunk via email :
ken@kenschunk.com
- I really don't like having General Control's name come up when I open the spreadsheet. I know the spreadsheet is free and that I've never offered you anything for the use of it, and I know I'm your competitor, but would you kindly remove your name from the spreadsheet?
- Let me think a moment - NO. And, no Scott, it's not that easy after all, is it?
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No. The pricing tool uses lots of VBA macros. Not that I'm a fan of VBA, but
that's what you get with Excel. Unfortunately, that's not what you get with
Lotus. I had converted this to a version with far fewer functions that ran under
Lotus, but that version is long obsolete. Sorry, no Lotus version.
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Yes, it really is that large. There are over 48 thousand Square-D parts in
the database, ranging from Automation products to starters and push buttons.
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I'll skip the legalese - there is no warranty. Zero, nadda, zilch! If I've missed
something I'll apologize for that, but this tool is provided at no charge, and
carries zero warranties. If Graybar in Albany NY tells you that this is quoting a wrong price please let me know so I can fix it. If any other Graybar, or if Schneider Electric in a fit of direct order taking (also known as stabbing the distribution channel in the back) tells you the price is wrong then check with Graybar in Albany first. Not that I don't trust the oth...well, actually it is that I don't trust the others.
There are no express warranties, no implied warranties,
and no warranty of fitness for any purpose or of merchantability. There is also
no power train coverage, no road hazard insurance, and no life time balancing.
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