ModbusTCP to OSIsoft PI

Hello all,

Today I ran into customer using OSISoft PI Historian package. They asked how to get the ModbusTCP register data into PI without having to go through their DCS. One guy suggested the use of ModbusTCP to OPC applications and the OPC into PI. But then another guy stated that OPC stood for Oh Please Connect.

I looked all over the OSI website but could never really get a handle on what their software does. Or how to get this data into it.

What are your suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Joe_WaZoo

2 years ago, USX used OSI PI as an OPC client.

So, they used Kepware OPC server to connect to the controllers or devices. When the OPC was configured, PI got its data from the controllers/devices

Dan

We use OSI PI where I am currently working. It communicates via OPC to Citect. Basically it has access to all Citect Tags. I really havn't had much to do with it apart from the fact that when we upgraded our IO server PC's it (PI) stopped working until it was pointed to the new IO server. WE are currently investigating the pro's and cons of pointing PI directly at the Plant OPC server instead of Citect. But that is only because we are constantly modifing Citect and with the constant shutdowns and restarts of Citect we get breaks in the PI data.

This might be a stupid question, but I can't figure out what this PI and Citect stuff does? Looks like a bunch of mumbo jumbo charting, spreadsheet, logging, trending database stuff for the Suites to analyze and mesh things to increase output and productivity of the process for streamlined top-down performance objectives.

Joe_WaZoo

How does GE, or anyone else, for that matter, get to 6th Sigma quality?

They measure, analyze and interpret, all of which takes data.

The field instruments and production cycle data in the PLC are dumped into a database in OSI, Citect, all the DCS's, Wonderware, Intellution, RSView, which are just some of the HMI's that offer tools to crunch & analyze the raw data that OPC sticks into their respective databases.

Dan

Joe_WaZoo said:

This might be a stupid question, but I can't figure out what this PI and Citect stuff does? Looks like a bunch of mumbo jumbo charting, spreadsheet, logging, trending database stuff for the Suites to analyze and mesh things to increase output and productivity of the process for streamlined top-down performance objectives.

Joe_WaZoo

Click to expand...

Pretty Close ! At our plant Citect is the Control Interface. Basically Plant/process visualization and PI allows (those that have access) to play/manipulate plant data within Excel (mainly) so that they calculate efficiency etc. Citect's trending system could probably do what PI is doing but ( and this is only assumption on my part) PI may be a bit more user friendly in how it lets people configure/manipulate/display this historical data. But then again I prefer your explanation because if you can't justify spending mountains of cash on "increasing output and productivity of the process for streamlined top-down performance objectives. " how can you justify your own 6 figure salary ? (I WISH!)