A PC,PLC5,RSBatch,and Wonderware walk into a bar.

I wish is was a joke. I will think of a punch line when i get finished this project.

I am working on setting up a testbed for programming and testing projects before taking them out into the field..
I am working with RS batch, wonderware, and rslogix 5. I have a PLC 5 80 hooked into the PC via ethernet. I can download and test PLC programs using RSlogix 5 just fine.The communication is good and RSlinx sees everything fine. The thing is...

How do I get the wonderware HMI software and the RSBatch software to communicate with the PLC and each other in a simulation eviroment? I'm thinking I need to set up a server of somekind or a central database for all three units to talk thru set up on the PC.

Any thoughts, advise?

Thanks
Matthew Sayers

Equipment:
PC = Dell running Microsoft Windows NT (Old School)
PLC = Allen Bradley PLC 5/80E using Ethernet adapter for com's into the PC.

Software
RSLogix 5 Version 4.10
Wonderware In Touch Version 7
RSBatch 4.0

The easiest way to go would be using RSLinx Classic running as an OPC server on a "centrally" located PC.
I believe Wonderware is capable to "extract" data by itself using one of its available dedicated services/drivers, however, you can't go wrong with RSLinx OPC for both the RSBatch and Wonderware applications.
One thing to remember though, do not use an EtherNet/IP RSLinx driver when configuring the PLC5 Topic. The PLC5 Ethernet "side-card" is legacy Ethernet so it needs a "plain" Ethernet RSLinx driver.

P.S. I don't know about WinNT...You might want to use a machine running a still supported OS...XP (if you have a contract with MS) or Win7

OK I will start there right after lunch..lol.. Thanks you.. Im sure I will have many questions as I move forward..

OK. I am running the OPC Test Client while my rslinx is running..
everytime I try to add an item I get a "RPC server is unavailable" error.. What am I missing here?

If I understand correctly, you need a version of RSLinx other than the Lite version that is included with RSLogix.

Good luck!

You will need a licensed copy of RSLinx; RSLinx Lite does not have DDE/OPC server capabilities.
Depending of the number of topics/clients or the location of the data server (and of course of the size of your bank account!) you could choose any of the RSLinx Classic flavors:

http://www.rockwellautomation.com/rockwellsoftware/design/rslinx/orderinginfo.html

no i have the liscensed copy... I shut it all down and did it again and now I have a working server.. Sweeeeet.. I tested by forcing an input in a test rslogix program. And watched the "Sub Value" in the OPC client change from 0 to a 1. BINGO BABY... thanks for your help.. you've got me moving in the right direction.

OK as promised...
A PC,PLC5,RSBatch,and Wonderware walk into a bar. They all had a really bad day. The PC couldn't get it's CPU up, the PLC5 had a fight with it's ports, RSBatch did not know what was happening, and wonderware couldn't make up it's mind.. So they all got hammered...really hammered... So In comes OPC Server the bartender says what will it be..... OPC server says... just water look at these guys someone has to keep them all together here.....lol......lmao....

...

FSGateway

To communicate OPC with Wonderware Intouch you will need FSGateway. This is a DDESuitleink/OPC converter.

It is free you should be able to download it from the WDN (Wonderware Developers Network) website or ask your Wonderware Distributor. You can register from www.wonderware.com

Rheinhardt

One thing that worries me... You are using an ANCIENT version of InTouch (almost 10 or 11 years old..?). I believe that the latest OS that supports this version is Win2000.

I believe the joke may start there...

Everything is up and humming... All I used was rslinx ethernet and serial port drivers and the NT machine took care of the rest.. So in conclusion... if you are running wonder Version 7, Rslogix 5, on a 2000 NT machine. The set up can use an ethernet connection (using the ethernet adapter for the PLC5, and the serial port from channel 0 on the PLC5 to your NY machine..Set up a RS323 driver in RSlinx for HMI comms and an ethernet driver in RSlinx....then bingo... Forget OPC server it will not work...Thank you all for your help..