OLDI eATM - Setup Walkthrough

Hello,

I just enherited a projet with an OLDI eATM where we want to exchange data between a PLC and a PC.

I'm mostly a software developper and quite new to PLC.

One of the requirement of the project is to not use Transaction Manager. I saw stuff about OPC server / client and I wanted to understand:
- Does the OPC server runs on the OLDI?
- How do I configure the OPC Server on the OLDI (if it's the case)?
- How do I setup a communication between the OPC Server / Client
- Is there a .NET dll I can use to communication with the OLDI?

I'm sorry if my questions seems a bit messed up, I'm trying to figure out how this thing works.

Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge! :-D

I set up an Oldi eATM module not long ago, and with my very limited SQL knowledge had data transfer up and running in under half an hour. The software is very user friendly and the error messages are actually very clear and helpful.

The quick start guide for the module is attached below (also available on the Oldi website) - that should get you up and running fairly quickly. Otherwise, check out their website and it's knowledge base, and if required send an email to tech support - they were quite responsive and helpful for me.

Thank you ASF. This is helpful for someone who would like to setup the OLDI with Transaction Manager. In my case, we want to avoid Transaction Manager. I know we can use the OLDI as a OPC server but there's very little information on the subject. Is there any one who uses it this way?

Oh... I think that eATM Transaction Manager is different from FactoryTalk Transaction Manager... is it? With eATM Transaction Manager, do we have to pay to upgrade the number of tag we want to use?

This doesn't use transaction manager. Transaction Manager is a Rockwell software package that runs on a PC (and by all accounts, a horrible one, which is probably why you've been instructed not to use it). The eATM is a piece of hardware that you install in a Control Logix (PLC) chassis. The hardware then grabs data from a PLC and puts it into an SQL database, or grabs data from an SQL database and puts it into a PLC. You configure how and when and where it gets/puts the data in the eATM software, but it's the hardware module that does all the work.

FYI, the eATM module doesn't only get data from the PLC rack it's installed in. All the PLC data is gathered/sent via ethernet, so whether the target PLC is next to it in the chassis or across the other side of the factory, the process is the same.

I don't think you have a tag limit with the hardware, but I don't recall 100%.

Does that help? Not completely sure that I'm fully understanding what you're aiming at here, but hopefully I'm close to the mark

ASF, thanks a lot for the information... this is exactly what I needed to know. The goal was to get rid of Factory Talk transaction manager. For the control logix family, we were able to use the INGEAR.NET dll to communicate with the PLCs using Visual Studio. But with older modules like the PLC5, we had to use FTTM. So the eATM was an alternative way to access those older PLC without FTTM for which you need to buy new licences when you add more tags.

I had a look at the documentation you sent me and managed to install the xATM Manager. You're right, it seems very easy to work with. I now understand that the eATM transaction manager is something else than FTTM. Thanks again for your time and for sharing your knowledge :-D

No problem, hope you get it all working! FYI, I've only ever used it for data transfer between Logix family PLC's (Control Logix and Compact Logix) so I can't promise it'll work for MicroLogix or PLC5. But again, there should be information to that effect in their documentation or on their website.

Assuming the module does support it, it shouldn't be too hard. I was very impressed with the software, in particular the error messages. Instead of "error 43842248: unknown error" you get "error: I can't do [this action you just tried to do] because this other parameter needs to be set up first. Would you like to set this parameter up now?"

Very descriptive and proactive!