Interfacing S7-1200 with C# help

hassanayoub85 · May 20, 2013

Dear expert,

I am running now an application on Siemens S7-1200 PLC with 4" HMI and everything is ok.
I want make an interface with a c# application.
Any newbie tutorial for this?
Tanks in advanced

BryanG · May 20, 2013

If it is the PLC you want to talk to then look here for a wrapper for libnodave written in C#

https://github.com/jogibear9988/DotNetSiemensPLCToolBoxLibrary

hassanayoub85 · May 20, 2013

Thanks for the link.
Does this needs any driver or opc server to be found on the pc, or just add the reference to c# program and directly connect to s7-1200 plc?

BryanG · May 20, 2013

libnodave provides the driver, no opc required. I can't give much help on using C# or the Toolbox, I know that they exist but I haven't used them. The guy who wrote the toolbox sometimes comes on here. I have used libnodave to talk to Visual Basic in an attempt at adding a Siemens driver to AdvancedHMI.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=42656&highlight=advancedHMI

You might prefer to work directly with libnodave.
http://libnodave.sourceforge.net/

hassanayoub85 · May 20, 2013

1- So, did u managed on how to connect to S7-1200 from AdvancedHMi? that's would be awsome.
2- And concerning the libnodave, so are you sure no need for any opc server, so just plc S7-1200 plc, network cable and libnodave?
Thanks for your efforts

BryanG · May 20, 2013

I did manage to get it sort of working in an earlier version of Advanced HMI. See this thread:
http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=65022&highlight=advancedhmi+siemens

I am using it to run a simulator, though it occasionally throws a fit so I would use it for anything serious. The problem is that I have little experience with Visual Basic, add that to the fact that as Archie gets more knowledge his programming gets more sophisticated and so for me, harder to follow. If you have Visual Basic knowledge maybe you could take up where I left off.

On the libnodave front, I am sure that you don't need any opc server, just the PLC, network cable, libnodave and preferably experience in using one of the programming languages.

hassanayoub85 · May 20, 2013

Thank you alot for your valuable information.
Yes, I o have expert experienes with c#, therefore, very good developer with VB.
I will check you files and get back to you with any improvements/questions.

BryanG · May 21, 2013

all4here also asked about libnodave and it forced me to think back how I found a way in to libnodave, rather then copy it here I will give the link to the thread:

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?p=540955#post540955

jogibear9988 · May 22, 2013

questions about toolbox

if someone has questions about the toolbox, i'm the author of it. feel free to contact me via email, but not pm, because i'm not very often at this forum! you find my email at my github page!

hassanayoub85 · May 24, 2013

BryanG:
Thanks for the link, you help me alot.
Just a quick question, what is the difference, advantages/disadvantages of using opc server or direct driver?
jogibear9988:
I tried to contact you many times via mail, but always no reply!!! Can you give us another working mail like gmail, hotmail or yahoo?

jogibear9988 · May 24, 2013

disadvantages of opc is that you need a opc server wich costs additional money!
sorry i only have my gmx mail wich i read regulary, but normaly i answer, maybe i did not see...
what are your questions?

hassanayoub85 · May 24, 2013

Each time I try to email you, I get this message:
Delivery Status Notification (Failure)‏
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

Delivery to the following recipients failed.

[email protected]

Any way,
Concerning OPC, if we can connect to PLC without the OPC server, so Why it is exist at all? just to pay money or it is easier or faster in connecting or anything else?
second, any video tutorial about your lib?

Mark- · May 24, 2013

Hello,

If you have an OPC DA client you can connect to "any" DA server, in theory.

If you access a PLC directly you need to support a protocol the PLC supports because the overwhelming majority of PLCs do not support OPC or have a “built-in” OPC server.

Some programs, like PeakHMI, support many protocols as well as providing an OPC client, to access those rare devices it cannot access with the included native drivers and provides a “built in” OPC server so those programs that need access to the end device(PLC) can use the programs without creating/purchasing a native protocol driver.

For example, via Excel/VB.net/C#/etc. it is very easy to access an OPC server using the OPC Automation interface. We have a couple of examples on our web site.

jogibear9988 · May 24, 2013

hassanayoub85 said:
Each time I try to email you, I get this message:
Delivery Status Notification (Failure)‏
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.

Delivery to the following recipients failed.

[email protected]

Any way,
Concerning OPC, if we can connect to PLC without the OPC server, so Why it is exist at all? just to pay money or it is easier or faster in connecting or anything else?
second, any video tutorial about your lib?

Ok, first, my EMail on GitHub was wrong, I fixed it ;-)
2nd, I have no Video Tutorials, but within the Lib are many Examples.
and 3rd:
OPC is a Standart, so there are OPC Servers for almost any PLC's out there, and so if you program a Visualization, if you create a OPC Client you can talk to most PLCs via a OPC Server (but most time you have to pay for it). And special functions like Stop/Start or SZLs are not part of the OPC specification.
But part of the OPC UA is much more like Alarms, wich is mostly not part of a PLC communication DLL, so it depends on your needs what you use!

hassanayoub85 · May 24, 2013

Thanks for the clarifications.
Any suggestions of free OPC Server for S7-1200

Interfacing S7-1200 with C# help

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