I have a SCADA system setup on network in my plant. I have (2) PLC systems that are Allen Bradley that I can not talk to? I have tried to set up with a lantronix gateway and that works for the RS Logix but not anything else. I have decided that maybe I can use linx to do this by setting up it as a OPC and then using the "OPC Client" driver of my scada to pass data? I tried to set up Kepware but was not successful, it acted like it would talk to the one comm port so long as linx did not have it captured but it could not read data. Any thoughts are welcome!
OPC and RSLinx Config?
- Thread starter REHJ
- Start date
russrmartin
Member
More info would help
What kind of SCADA package are you using. If I understand you correctly, your SCADA package includes an OPC driver to communicate with AB devices. I have questions about this type of setup myself, especially with the Kepware system. However, in the past what I have seen with systems like Wonderware or iFIX is that the PC running the SCADA software also had RSLinx installed. The OPC connection was run through RSLinx, so when you looked at the path for a specific data point in the SCADA, you would see the RSLinx topic in the path, etc. I believe though that a certain level of RSLinx is required.
What kind of SCADA package are you using. If I understand you correctly, your SCADA package includes an OPC driver to communicate with AB devices. I have questions about this type of setup myself, especially with the Kepware system. However, in the past what I have seen with systems like Wonderware or iFIX is that the PC running the SCADA software also had RSLinx installed. The OPC connection was run through RSLinx, so when you looked at the path for a specific data point in the SCADA, you would see the RSLinx topic in the path, etc. I believe though that a certain level of RSLinx is required.
Hello Russrmartin,
What I am using is a package called Winlog. It seems to work great on everything but the AB stuff. It has the drivers for the AB controllers but I have not been able to make it talk to any of them. The company is in Italy and although the guys have tried to help me there is a language barrier and I am just not getting it. So I decided recently to try to go the way of the OPC driver supplied with the SCADA software. Not for any other reason than seeing in RSLinx the capapabillity to set up a OPC topic? I am not that familiar with AB stuff but now it seems like it may not be able to even do that? I did try to set up the Kepware as an OPC and just use that one but was not able to make it read registers. Mostly I am just not that familiar with the terms in the AB setup stuff.
What I am using is a package called Winlog. It seems to work great on everything but the AB stuff. It has the drivers for the AB controllers but I have not been able to make it talk to any of them. The company is in Italy and although the guys have tried to help me there is a language barrier and I am just not getting it. So I decided recently to try to go the way of the OPC driver supplied with the SCADA software. Not for any other reason than seeing in RSLinx the capapabillity to set up a OPC topic? I am not that familiar with AB stuff but now it seems like it may not be able to even do that? I did try to set up the Kepware as an OPC and just use that one but was not able to make it read registers. Mostly I am just not that familiar with the terms in the AB setup stuff.
The Version I have is 2.10.118.0, I don't think is is lite because I have seen that installed somewhere here but not there? It has all the menus for the OPC/DDE then also has some other stuff like OPC test client in the RSlinx folder. I think my best option is either figure out how to make the drivers for that PLC work or find a way to make Kepware work. Only thing with Kepware is I can not run it with the RSLinx running at same time. I know the hardware is good because I can talk to the PLC with RS Logix just not the SCADA stuff. I am just not familiar with the setup for ABs.
russrmartin
Member
Going from memory
I am going from memory, but I seem to remember the drivers being RSLinx OPC drivers, not drivers specific to a controller. I cannot say for sure about RSLinx classic, but we used RSLinx gateway. The SCADA driver accessed RSLinx OPC topics, and the rest of the config occurred in RSLinx. Does Winlog suggest that their drivers are directly compatible with AB controllers? It seems to me that is unlikely, but could be possible. If your questions relate more to creating an OPC topic and accessing the PLC in RSLinx, that I am certain I can help with.
I am going from memory, but I seem to remember the drivers being RSLinx OPC drivers, not drivers specific to a controller. I cannot say for sure about RSLinx classic, but we used RSLinx gateway. The SCADA driver accessed RSLinx OPC topics, and the rest of the config occurred in RSLinx. Does Winlog suggest that their drivers are directly compatible with AB controllers? It seems to me that is unlikely, but could be possible. If your questions relate more to creating an OPC topic and accessing the PLC in RSLinx, that I am certain I can help with.
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Yes Winlog says that others can use these drivers with no problems. All the other PLCs and interfaces I have connected to work fine. Omron, GE, Idec, Modbus TCP, OPC (Kepware). I think my problem is not understanding the Winlog/AB Connection.
RSlinx classic will still have the OPC/DDE menus, but not work with 3rd party applications like winlog. When you open up RSLinx, what does the title bar say? RSLinx Lite, RSLinx Classic, RSLinx Single Node, RSLinx Gateway, RSLinx Professional, et al? Only RSLinx Gateway and the older RSLinx Professional will work, I believe. RSLinx as an application is the same across the board. There's only one install for RSLinx. The difference is in the licensing and what abilities are enabled/disabled through that licensing. That's why it is important to know what 'version' or what license you are using.
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Mickey
Lifetime Supporting Member
RsLinx Classic comes in different versions as stated above. See chart below to compare. Only RSLinx Classic Lite does not support OPC.
Mickey
Lifetime Supporting Member
I would delete that screen shot of the serial number if I where you.
That looks like the Lite version to me ( but not 100% sure of that). See picture below note "Gateway" for ver I have.
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As you could see my bar only showed RSlinx? So I have no idea? I did delete the bmp although I did not think anyone could get far on just the serial #? If I have the lite version I may not be able to do the OPC thing so what about the issues with getting the Winlog drivers set up? Has anyone ever used that besides me, and on AB stuff? It is a neat little package and very cost friendly. As I said it works great for what I needed here in a small plant.
russrmartin
Member
More questions than answers
I think, based on memory, that RSLinx Lite will not even show the DDE/OPC option in the bar. If it does show the option, it is grayed out as non operational I think. I think the first thing to identify is exactly how the drivers are to operate. If the Winlog drivers are for direct link to the ABPLCs, the question then is over which protocol? I should think that some examples of driver config should be provided in their manual or whatever documentation you have. We might be of greater help if you posted some of their documentation. Especially if you have familiarity with Winlog. If the questions are AB related, which it sounds like they are, we might be able to get you over the hump.
I think, based on memory, that RSLinx Lite will not even show the DDE/OPC option in the bar. If it does show the option, it is grayed out as non operational I think. I think the first thing to identify is exactly how the drivers are to operate. If the Winlog drivers are for direct link to the ABPLCs, the question then is over which protocol? I should think that some examples of driver config should be provided in their manual or whatever documentation you have. We might be of greater help if you posted some of their documentation. Especially if you have familiarity with Winlog. If the questions are AB related, which it sounds like they are, we might be able to get you over the hump.
Mickey
Lifetime Supporting Member
It might also help if you tell the forum what AB PLC you have.
PLC = 5/03 cpu
I have attached some of the setup windows in the winlog package to show what I have options on. I put them all in one shot but you can get the idea. Seems that I have all I need to do this and the winlog stuff should work but??? Also the node in the working driver setup in RSlinx is 20 (Octal) so I can set this up to 16 dec? The PC node I think just needs to be something not used on the network?
I have attached some of the setup windows in the winlog package to show what I have options on. I put them all in one shot but you can get the idea. Seems that I have all I need to do this and the winlog stuff should work but??? Also the node in the working driver setup in RSlinx is 20 (Octal) so I can set this up to 16 dec? The PC node I think just needs to be something not used on the network?
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