Wonderware Inview Can't Read MSG Off RSLogix 5

Compass

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Join Date
Feb 2015
Location
Goderich
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Hello

My boss set up a read only message in Inview WindowMaker. I'm a newbie to this software. It's supposed to read a word from RSlogix 5 PLC5 ( of which I'm more familiar ) and display it in a numeric display.

We are not getting any error messages or indications that it is failing to communicate. However the numeric display shows zero at all times. Any advice? Even suggesting a reference might help, as I can't find MSG or block transfer in my wonderware manual.
 
What exactly is the address of the data register you're trying to read ?

MSG and BTR and BTW instructions are used by the controller to initiate communication to other controllers and module in their I/O system. They are almost never involved in communications to HMI devices.
 
The register is N192:31. I'm using WindowMaker on a GE PLC to try to read N192:31 off a Allen Bradley PLC.

Small error. I'm using Intouch, not inview. Hopefully people caught that since I did mention wonderware.

The message is done from Windowmaker, which is odd to me. In AB softaware messages are done from the PLC, not the HMI, but the message function exists in the program and my boss knows this software better then I do.

When I said BTR I was just using the shorthand I know. What's in the GE Windowmaker is simply called a message.
 
Wait, what ? Where did the GE controller enter the picture ?

There are some instances in which an HMI sets up a connection to listen for "unsolicited" messages from the logic controller. In such an instance there would be an MSG instruction in the logic controller, with the HMI device as its target.

This is very rare; I found some documentation about how to do it in InTouch. If there's already a MSG in the PLC program but you're adding a new connection, I don't understand what's going on.

Is this an HMI feature that happens infrequently, so that it would be a benefit for the PLC to control notification to the HMI ?
 
Last edited:
I think the OP is very confused indeed.

So let's clarify - are you running Wonderware Intouch on a PC?

If so, then Intouch will have an IOServer set up for reading from your PLC5 (hopefully). Intouch only natively supports DDE or Suitelink protocol, so Wonderware provides IOServers to interface between this and the PLC. This is this first thing to check for operation. You can figure out what IOServer is configured by opening Windowmaker and looking at the access name definition for the tag you've just set up.

I'm not sure what server they use for PLC5 but it will sound something like ABTCP or DASABTCP or something similar. Report back what you find.
 
I don't have an answer, as this software is new to me.

We have a GE hoist. The operators control console has it's own built in GE PLC. Personally I think it would be better to just attach the console to the existing RSLogix PLC, but it's not designed that way.

The HMI communicates with the GE PLC, but it would be nice if the operator had a tonnage readout. He doesn't because the tph sensors are on the RSlogix PLC.
 
It's starting to sink in.

Follow the advice on figuring out which IOServers are installed. You'll need one that "speaks" a protocol that's supported by the PLC-5 controller.
 
IOserver info, I think.

Access Name: ABPLC
Node Name: Left Blank
Application Name: ABTCP
Topic Name: ABPLC
Protocol: DDE
When To Advise Server: Advise only active items
Enable Secondary Source: Not checked
 
Compass said:
IOserver info, I think.

Access Name: ABPLC
Node Name: Left Blank
Application Name: ABTCP
Topic Name: ABPLC
Protocol: DDE
When To Advise Server: Advise only active items
Enable Secondary Source: Not checked
Click to expand...


That's an old DDE IO Server. You must be running a fairly old version of Wonderware InTouch. If you want to use your Wonderware InTouch HMI as a virtual router to exchange data between your GE and AB PLCs, then you'll also need a Wonderware IO Server for your GE PLC. Then you could use a simple script in InTouch to exchange data between the PLCs.

BTW: The Node Name being left blank indicates that the IO Server runs on the local node. If you do specify a Node Name, then InTouch will look for the IO Server on the network. Leaving "Node Name" blank means the IO Server runs on the same machine as does the InTouch HMI software.
 
Last edited:
Compass said:
The register is N192:31. I'm using WindowMaker on a GE PLC to try to read N192:31 off a Allen Bradley PLC.

Small error. I'm using Intouch, not inview. Hopefully people caught that since I did mention wonderware.

The message is done from Windowmaker, which is odd to me. In AB softaware messages are done from the PLC, not the HMI, but the message function exists in the program and my boss knows this software better then I do.

When I said BTR I was just using the shorthand I know. What's in the GE Windowmaker is simply called a message.
Click to expand...


If you're attempting to read an Integer value into InTouch from a PLC5 with an IO Message Tag, then that won't work. You'll need to read the data with an IO Integer Tag instead.
 
Ken Roach said:
What is the difference between an "IO Message" tag and an "IO Integer" tag in Wonderware ?
Click to expand...

A message tag is basically an ASCII string tag.

Integer tag is as the name suggests.

As the OP is using one of the older stand alone IO servers, you should have an application on the windows task bar with the name ABTCP. If not then no data will be being pulled from your PC. Is ABTCP running? If it is, maximise it. In the white window your should see a list of tags being read
 
Saffa said:
A message tag is basically an ASCII string tag.
Is ABTCP running? If it is, maximise it. In the white window your should see a list of tags being read
Click to expand...

ABTCP is running.

It shows the following:

Active Messages [For All Topics]
Topic 'ABPLC'
Msg #: Type: Message Content:
00001 Read N192:31

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It looks like it is a message as opposed to an integer.
 
Compass said:
ABTCP is running.

It shows the following:

Active Messages [For All Topics]
Topic 'ABPLC'
Msg #: Type: Message Content:
00001 Read N192:31

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It looks like it is a message as opposed to an integer.
Click to expand...


You guys should hire an applications engineer. Someone who knows what they are doing could have this data display up and running in under 10 minutes.
 
Compass said:
ABTCP is running.

It shows the following:

Active Messages [For All Topics]
Topic 'ABPLC'
Msg #: Type: Message Content:
00001 Read N192:31

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It looks like it is a message as opposed to an integer.
Click to expand...

Good. Everything is working as it is, you've just defined the tag as the wrong type. Delete the one you have, make a new one defined as an IO Integer type and keep everything else the same and you'll be away.
 

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