Data Logging program

Good Afternoon guru's

I'm currently working on a project where I need to log a minimum of 500 bytes of data. Ideally I'd like the setup to log 700 bytes of data, we are using a DL-06 PLC with a E com card installed, a c-more ea-7 hmi, and there will be a computer being added to the system as well. Originally I was hoping to use DataWorx PLC, but after talking to the tech support for it it's not a feasible option. So can any of you recommend a good data logging software that will be able to handle this much data?

Thanks

Andrew

How long do you need to retain the data?
How often do you need to capture the data?
How do you intend to use the data?
How do you want the retrieved data to be presented?

OZEE said:

How long do you need to retain the data?
How often do you need to capture the data?
How do you intend to use the data?
How do you want the retrieved data to be presented?

Click to expand...

At this point I would like the data to be captured once a day, but I can eventually see the customer wanting it to be after every fill, I'd like to data to be presented in a CSV or TXT file if possible, and the data will be used for reporting purposes. As for data retention I would ideally like the system to start a new file at the beginning of each day and save the old into a folder for later use.

A little more background info on the project, this is for a commercially run truck fill, there is 100 accounts setup, each account has the following registers; account number (1 byte of data), account PIN number (1 byte of data), previous fill amount (1 byte of data), and the total amount remaining on the account (2 bytes of data).

I did it with a DL06 and RSView32 and used the webpage on RSView so they could login from any where to see what was going on at the plant.... it came out nice

Not sure of your budget (at the time I did not have one... the good old days), but this just had a simple PC that was running the applications

There are other HMI's that can do it also the one I sell is Peak http://www.plctrainer.net/Human Machine Interface (PeakHMI).htm

If you use RSView let me know and I can send you the applaction I think I still have the DL06 programs... I had several on the Ethernet talking to the main reporting PLC, if I can find them again, I also used Dataworx for a single PC app (not sure if you will need it)

Putting in a HMI program on the computer is looking more and more like an option at this point, I have used Rsview before and it may be an option, although an expensive one I would assume. At this point I only need a Data logging software as we have the C-more hmi installed. Everything I have read on Dataworx and the communication I have had with its manufacture lead me to beleive that it is only capable of doing 128 bytes of data, with the first 16 or so being "setup" data only leaving me with 96 bytes available for data collection when I need 500, is that correct or have I missed something?

The C-more HMI you have should be able to handle those logging requirements. It will require some programming in the PLC and a little outside the box thinking, but it can be done.

Quick version: Setup a chart on the C-more with pens for account number, pin, previous fill amount, and total amount remaining. Set the chart to log the data to the internal memory, or CF card. Now, change the chart sample rate setup to a trigger tag instead of a certain number of samples per minute.
In the PLC, setup a few registers that will hold the data for the chart to log (these are the registers that the pens on the chart are tied to.) When you need to generate a report, you have the PLC copy the data for the first account into these registers that the chart is recording. When the data is moved and a few seconds pass (lets the HMI update the values on the chart, turn on the bit that the HMI is monitoring as the trigger bit for the chart. Leave the bit on for a few seconds while the HMI records the data. Next, turn the bit off, have the PLC copy the next account's data into the charting registers, rinse and repeat.

I did something very similar to this to generate a display that compares a performance curve of a current on a machine against curves that were recorded from previous runs. I didn't have the chart log the data to storage as I was only interested in local display, but my understanding of the charting in the C-mores leads me to believe this should work as expected. The data will end up in a tab separated text file with the chart name and date in the filename. A new filename is generated each day. The files would be available via FTP over the HMI's ethernet connection.

If you need, I can get you a more detailed description of my setup and how it works tomorrow. It won't match your needs exactly, but I think it could be changed and made to work.

Brian

Andrew_W said:

...Everything I have read on Dataworx and the communication I have had with its manufacture lead me to beleive that it is only capable of doing 128 bytes of data, with the first 16 or so being "setup" data only leaving me with 96 bytes available for data collection when I need 500, is that correct or have I missed something?

Click to expand...

Not sure, I have never had an issue... Lookls like Brian has a good idea

On another note... how about a Red Lion G3, TWControls (Tim) and I used a G3 to do some data logging to a flash card and Ethernet, the strings were not long but it may be worth a look

HMI
http://www.redlion.net/g3features/

Data station http://www.redlion.net/Products/HumanMachineInterface/DataStationPlus.html

I am not familiar with DL06 or ECOM card, but if it can talk modbusTCP why can't use a small embedded server to do the logging, like these:

http://www.intellicom.se/webscada_ws100.cfm
http://www.catnetsystems.com/
http://www.novusautomation.com/catalogos/?ID=506080
http://www.barix.com/Barionet_50/1351/

etc.