Connection to Maple Systems HMI

[willpower]

Hello, I am currently using a T100MD2424 with an I-7017 module using the RS485 network.  The PLC is the Master and the 7017 is the Slave.  

I want to add a Maple Systems Touchscreen HMI, which I believe will act only as a Modbus Master.  Can I still have the PLC interrogate the 7017 for analog data and still respond to commands from the Touchscreen?  Or. do I have to reconfigure the system to have the Touchscreen interrogate the 7017 directly and then tell the plc to execute commands based on the data received from the 7017?

Primarily the HMI will be displaying readings of analog data recieved from the machine process, although I will be adjusting alarm setpoints on the display.

[support]

If you connect the Maple HMI to the PLC's RS232 port, leaving the PLC's RS485 port for connection to the I-7017, then there will not be any conflict since the two serial ports on the PLC are completely independent.

If you want to use 1 Maple HMI with multiple PLCs via RS485, then I would suggest you purchase an Auto485 to convert the PLC's RS232 into RS485 port and use it to communicate with the I-7017.