1756-ENBT as OPC Client

I was wondering if it is posible to us a 1756-ENBT as an OPC client. We would like to use a CLGX rack to pass information between a Honeywell DaVinci server and our Foxboro & Delta V DCS systems. We originally had a PLC5 when the equipment was installed, bur have upgraded to ControlLogix.

If it isn't possible with the ENBT, do you know of a third party card that would work

I might not know exactly, but the ENBT card doesn't have any capabilities to act as an OPC client to my knowledge. Then again, neither did a PLC-5. It can be a gateway to an OPC server hosted on another device however (as could the 5).

What network was used with the 5? If you are actually using the 5 'file' types to read / write info, then you can use a MSG instruction in the ControlLogix to read and write PLC/SLC data tables.

Sorry,

We didn't use the 5 to communictate with the Honeywell Server. There is a computer currently using Matrikon software to talk with the Foxboro DCS & the Honeywell Server. The Matrikon software talks to the FoxAPI. We would like to get rid of the Matrikon all together. We currently pass info between the CLGX rack and the Foxboro via DH+. We are in the process of connecting the Delta V to the CLGX Rack via ethernet. We thought if we could get the Honewell server to talk directly to the rack we could use it to bridge info.

Me <--- Totally unfamiliar with Matrikon.

But, if it supports any kind of OPC/DDE communications, the yes, you should be able to communicate through an ENBT. The 'Preferred' ENBT communications service is CIP, which actually is a pretty large standard, so there is probably an OPD/DDE server to hook the two up.

And, somewhere, hidden way in the dark, there is a definate connection between the Rockwell/AB ControlLogix architecture and Honeywell.

Beyond all that, even if you have to add a card, the ControlLogix (1756) platform is the very best thing out there for bridging varied networks together.

Talking to our onsite Honeywell Rep. & reading through what he had for information, it appears that the server's format is OLE for OPC. Currently the only thing we have used the ENBT's for is to send Data to our PI system or for programming access. On our conversions from PLC5's all are I/O has been RIO, and new systems it has been either rack mounted I/O cards or Flex I/O on ControlNet. We have never set up an ENBT to recieve Data. Just curious as the best way to try to attempt this