Summary
The SP333E was developed in 2013 as a special RTU model targeting the WWW industry. It is similar to the widely used SP334E. With the introduction of the SCADAPack 470 & 474, it is expected that the the SP333E will no longer be sold after 30th June 2021, since the new SP47x RTUs are more cost effective and are the latest series of RTUs. There are two simple and clear migration paths from the SP333E.
Note that all other SCADAPack 3xx models (such as the SP334E, SP357E, etc.) will continue to be commercially available for a period of at least 2 more years (as of March 2021).
Product(s) concerned
SCADAPack SP333E, all part numbers starting with and covered by TBUP333-Exxx-xxxxx
Solution
Substitution and Upgrade / Migration Paths for replacing the SP333E:
A. Short-to-medium-term approach (Least Disruptive to the user):Users can continue with the SCADAPack E-Series platform by simply substituting SP334E in place of SP333E. The SP333E is a subset of the SP334E and shares the same mechanical and electrical connections footprint. This makes substitution ultra-easy as this approach does not require any change to the existing SP333E Configuration files. The Schneider Electric R&D team have incorporated this modification to minimise any short-term inconvenience to present users of the SP333E; see details below:
To ensure continued, E-Configurator v8.18.1 adds a feature that allows the SCADAPack 334E to directly accept a configuration built for a SCADAPack 333E Smart RTU. This feature allows the SCADAPack 334E to be used as a drop-in replacement for the SP333E without the need to update and maintain new RTU configuration files or IEC 61131-3 logic (WorkBench6).
As mentioned earlier, from a hardware product perspective, the SP334E will continue to be commercially available for a period of at least 2 more years.
Examples of direct drop-in substitutions:TBUP333-Ex5x-ABx0S (Existing 333E Part Number) > Continue on E-Series platform > TBUP334-Ex5x-ABx0S (Substitute 334E Part Number)
B. Medium-to-longer-term term approach (Most Beneficial to the user):Users can upgrade to the recently released SP474 SCADAPack device which is based on the proven and highly beneficial RemoteConnect Software platform.
The SP474 shares the same mechanical and electrical connections footprint as the SP333E, but additionally provides many more IOs, Serial Comms & Ethernet ports in the same package; and this is being offered at a considerably lower price point. This upgrade makes technical and economic sense - a low-hanging fruit.
Programs developed in WorkBench / IsaGraf for the logic execution on the SP333E will need to be rewritten using the Modicon Control Expert (UnityPro) Logic, which is an intrinsic part of the RemoteConnect Software. This RemoteConnect Software is a single integrated tool that is used for both Configuration and Logic Programming of the SCADAPack 474 RTU and is available to users at no cost.
This option is definitely the recommended path as it provides major benefits with minimal disruption. This platform is being developed further and going forward, users can readily expect the following benefits with this upgrade:
- Enhanced Cybersecurity suite of features
- Remotely program 3rd party devices connected to the SP474 through the DTM library
- Enjoy peace of mind with a 15-year lifespan followed by a 7 year support period
- Compelling features planned for release in late 2021 include modular IOs, Hot Standby RTU Redundancy, Web browsing, and more...!
Examples of upgrade / migration part numbers for the SP474:TBUP333-Ex5x-ABx0S (Existing 333E Part Number) > Upgrade to RemoteConnect x70 platform (free of charge) > TBUP474-UC50-BB00S (Substitute 474 Part Number)
See diagram below to assist further with SP333E to SP474 footprint and connections matching:
