Allen-Bradley 2711 PanelView Operator Terminals

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

Allen-Bradley 2711 PanelView Series Technical Notes

The Allen-Bradley 2711 PanelView series, manufactured by Rockwell Automation, represents one of the most widely deployed operator interface terminal (OIT) platforms in global heavy industry. Installed across petrochemical refineries, nuclear power auxiliary systems, offshore platforms, pulp and paper mills, and continuous process manufacturing facilities, the 2711 series established the baseline standard for panel-mounted HMI in the 1990s and 2000s. Its installed base remains substantial: tens of thousands of units remain in active service within legacy DCS and PLC architectures built on Allen-Bradley SLC 500, PLC-5, and early ControlLogix backbones. The series communicates via DH+, DH-485, and RS-232 DF1 protocols, making it a fixed dependency in facilities that have not undergone full control system modernization.

The Evolution of 2711 PanelView Architecture

The 2711 product line was introduced in the early 1990s as a replacement for discrete pushbutton panels in Allen-Bradley PLC-controlled systems. The original architecture used monochrome LCD or LED displays with membrane keypad input, communicating exclusively over Data Highway Plus (DH+) at 57.6 kbps. Display sizes ranged from 2.8-inch (PanelView 300) to 10.4-inch (PanelView 1000).

Through the mid-1990s, Rockwell expanded the series to include touch-screen variants (suffix T in the model number) alongside keypad-only (suffix K) and combination touch+keypad (suffix C) configurations. Communication options expanded to include DH-485 for SLC 500 integration and RS-232 DF1 for point-to-point PLC-5 connections. The 2711 series peaked in deployment volume between 1995 and 2005.

2711 PanelView Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following represents the primary SKU range within the Allen-Bradley 2711 PanelView series, organized by display size and input type.

PanelView 300 (2.8-inch Display)

2711-B3A1: PanelView 300, keypad input, DH-485, monochrome LCD, 24VDC power.
2711-B3A1L1: PanelView 300, keypad, DH-485, backlit monochrome LCD, 24VDC.
2711-B3A5: PanelView 300, keypad input, RS-232 DF1, monochrome LCD, 24VDC.

PanelView 550 (5.5-inch Display)

2711-T5A1: PanelView 550, touch screen, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-T5A5: PanelView 550, touch screen, RS-232 DF1, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-T5A5L1: PanelView 550, touch screen, RS-232 DF1, backlit monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-K5A1: PanelView 550, keypad input, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD.
2711-K5A5: PanelView 550, keypad input, RS-232 DF1, monochrome LCD.
2711-C5A1: PanelView 550, combination touch+keypad, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD.

PanelView 600 (5.7-inch Display)

2711-T6C1: PanelView 600, touch screen, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-T6C8: PanelView 600, touch screen, DH-485, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-K6C1: PanelView 600, keypad input, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD.

PanelView 900 (9-inch Display)

2711-T9A1: PanelView 900, touch screen, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-T9A8: PanelView 900, touch screen, DH-485, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-K9A1: PanelView 900, keypad input, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD.

PanelView 1000 (10.4-inch Display)

2711-T10C1: PanelView 1000, touch screen, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-T10C8: PanelView 1000, touch screen, DH-485, monochrome LCD, 120/240VAC.
2711-K10C1: PanelView 1000, keypad input, DH+ communication, monochrome LCD.

Quality Control for the 2711 PanelView Range

The 2711 series presents specific quality verification challenges due to its age and the nature of its display and communication subsystems. DriveKNMS applies the following test protocol to all 2711 units prior to shipment:

Display Verification: Full-screen pixel mapping to identify dead pixels, backlight degradation, and contrast uniformity. Units with more than 0.1% pixel failure rate are rejected.
Touchscreen Calibration: For touch-input variants (prefix T), a 25-point calibration grid test is performed to verify touch accuracy across the full active display area.
Communication Port Test: DH+, DH-485, and RS-232 ports are tested using protocol analyzers to confirm correct baud rate negotiation, message framing, and error-free data exchange over a minimum 30-minute burn-in period.
Keypad Membrane Test: For keypad variants (prefix K), each key is actuated a minimum of 50 times to verify consistent contact resistance and absence of bounce or dead zones.
Power Supply Verification: Input voltage tolerance is tested at plus or minus 10% of rated voltage (120VAC or 24VDC depending on model). Inrush current and steady-state draw are logged.
Memory and Application Retention: EEPROM and battery-backed RAM are verified for data retention. Units with failed memory are reconditioned or rejected.