Wonderware: OPCLink v.s. FS Gateway. Preference? + Help

I'm just getting my feet wet with getting OPC data into Intouch 9.5. I've set up OPCLink with a few test tags coming from a couple of OPC servers (ION and Cutler Hammer). All seem to work ok. From what I understand, OPCLink is a legacy IO server while FS Gateway is from the newer DAServer family. Is that correct? Before going further with development of this system, I'm considering trying out FS Gateway. I want to do it right the first time.

I started playing with FS Gateway and got stuck pretty quick. Questions:

1 - Where does one identify the Intouch access name TOPIC in FSG?
2 - With OPCLink I was able to define the Intouch tagname's ITEM name using more than just the OPC item's name, that is, I could include the entire path or hierarchy (prefix?). This allows me to use only one access name that points to the OPC server, then the item name drills down through the hierarchy to the item. Can this be done with FSG?

That may be confusing. Here's some pics of what I'm talking about. How do I translate what I can make work with OPCLink into FSGateway????

FSG Config...





That's as far as I get with what I know. I can get OPC Server > OPCLink > Intouch set up working fine, but I can't figure out how to configure FS Gateway to get the same results. Here's how I've got it set up with OPCLink.

Intouch access name...



Tag in Intouch...



OPC brouser...



OPCLink topic definition...



Any suggestions or advice regarding the ease of use, reliability, etc of FS Gateway? Whatever assistance you can provide would be very much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Answer to your Questions:

1. Your Device group name which is in present case is "New_OPC_000_New_OPCGroup_000" will server the purpose of Topic in InTouch Access name
So in InTouch "Modify Access Name" Screen you will be filling the following:

Access: ANY_NAME_YOU_WANT
Node Name: Localhost (if FSG is on local machine , or else the machine name/IPAddress)
Application Name: FSGATEWAY
Topic Name: New_OPC_000_New_OPCGroup_000 (Copy this from New_OPC_000 Parameter face plate )

2. I'm not sure what what you are asking in this. But bottom line is to get data in InTouch through FSG from antoher server.
So for that Please see below

Your FSG config is fine , except you have to give the "OPC Item ID Prefix" on this configuration face plate there's another tab called device items.... add the server items by clicking "Browse OPC Items" button on the face plate... add the items you will get the items in "Device items" tab. Give some reference to these items ....say d001, d002....etc. this name will be used in InTouch "Tagname Dictonary"---->"Items"

thats all,
I guess thats all for getting the data in InTouch through FSG.

I would suggest right clicking on those (OPC and OPCGroup) and making the names something more meaningful. I just setup FSGateway to talk to an Octavis Bearing Vibration monitor and it worked pretty well. I found that it was easiest to get the Archestra dialog DEVICE ITEMS tab open and the Intouch Tag database editor side by side and cut/paste the OPC names from the Archestra OPC tag browser into Intouch to minimize typos.

Oh, and don't forget to enable the parent Archestra item Archestra.FSGateway.1 (which is currently disabled in your example above).

Deep_arvind said:

Your Device group name which is in present case is "New_OPC_000_New_OPCGroup_000" will server the purpose of Topic in InTouch Access name

Topic Name: New_OPC_000_New_OPCGroup_000 (Copy this from New_OPC_000 Parameter face plate )

Click to expand...

Thanks...that did it.

robertmee said:

I would suggest right clicking on those (OPC and OPCGroup) and making the names something more meaningful.

Click to expand...

Already done. My examples above were just preliminary tests.

Thanks for the help guys.

One more question/observation. I first set up Intouch and FS Gateway on the same computer as the OPC servers (ION and Cutlerhammer). Everything works fine.

I then set up the same Intouch app and FS Gateway on another machine to talk to the OPC servers on the original machine. On the new remote intouch node, when I run the local FS Gateway I only get data from the remote ION OPC server and not the CutlerHammer. If I switch to using FS Gateway on the OPC computer, everything works again. It's as if FS Gateway can't read from a remote CutlerHammer OPC server. I lowered the DCOM authentication level on the OPC computer for the CuttlerHammer OPC server as recommended in the FS Gateway user guide but that still didn't help.

Running FS Gateway on the same machine as the OPC servers won't be a problem, so it's not a big deal. I'm just curious what might be happeneing here.

Sorry that explanation might be a little comfusing.

I see data from both Cutler Hammer and ION OPC servers in Intouch when…
Computer #1: Intouch <> Computer #2: FS Gateway & OPC Server

I can’t see data from the Cutler Hammer OPC server in Intouch server when…
Computer #1: Intouch & FS Gateway <> Computer #2: OPC Server

Please double check your configuration Host name etc,

Secondly just try switching off the firewall on these machines to see if you get the data.

If you are able to browse the CH(machine#2) server from FSG(machine#1) then you should get the data , some thing wrong in the configuration.

Advise some item in InTouch and see the logger in the SMC whats going wrong.

Deep_arvind,

I got some feedback from WW tech support. They recommend that both OPCLink and FS Gateway reside on the node on which the OPC server is running. This avoids DCOM security issues. That's good enough for me. Thanks for all the help guys.