Siemens S7-300 & Citect SCADA COMMS

I have been using S7-300 & 400 PLC's communicating with Citect SCADA via Profibus using Siemens CP5613 cards installed in each PC.
For very small systems I want to elliminate the expensive Siemens CP5613 card and use serial comms via the slower cheaper Siemens PC adaptor.

Can this be done? Has anybody done it?
What Citect driver (protocol) is required?

John Gaunt. (Tasmania, Australia)

John,

I have tested it about 2 years agoo with the (old) PC/MPI converter and a DDE driver, I think it was KEPWare, and it worked fine. I have seen that some manufacturers of DDE and OPC servers claim it can also be done with the newer USB/MPI converter, but I haven't been able to test it yet.

Good luck and let us know your experiences.

Kind regards,

If you want to estimate the cost before buying:

Price of CP5611 + Simatic Softnet S7 (OPC server) is approximately the same as PC adapter (serial or USB) + KepWare.

The price difference between the KepWare and Simatic NET almost equals the difference between CP5611 and PC adapter.
As CP5611 is so much faster than a PC adapter I recommend the first combination.

The downer with Simatic NET is how to set it up.
Use the "How to setup OPC with Simatic NET" that I have posted on the download section.

S7-300 to Citect Comms

Thanks JesperMP and jvdcande,
I was hoping to not use OPC. I would prefer to continue to use the Citect S7NT (or WinS7 same thing) driver that I use for Profibus comms.
Yes the Siemens PC adaptor is expensive for what it is. I think almost any RS232 / RS485 converter will do, however, I don't know how to wire it up. I havn't been able to find the Siemens MPI pinout.

I think almost any RS232 / RS485 converter will do

Click to expand...

Sadly, it is not enough with a regular RS232/RS485 converter.
The Siemens PC adapter has an intelligent block in the middle between the MPI network and the serial cable.
So all the drivers for MPI that you can find will asume that you use the PC adapter. Have never seen a driver that speaks MPI directly off the serial port.

edit: A Citect runtime license isnt exactly cheap. So why use so much time trying to save a penny ?

S7 300 PLC/ APPLICON CARD for SCADA configuration

Hi!

Firts, thank you JesperMP for your help.

I have to comunicate via PROFIBUS with S7 protocol or DP, the applicom card PC1500PFB and PLC siemens S7 CPU313C-2DP.

The cable that i have is a PROFIBUS with siemens connector at both ends.

I am not sure if this is the correct way to connect them.

I don't know if i have to plug the siemens connector in the applicom card or needs only a DB9 simple connector.

The two stations are well configurated because, in the software of the applicom card the PCINIT is launched well (the bar goes all trought) when the two stations are connected with the cable.

However, when i make the readwait text, it doesn't work, the estatus menssage number is 65 that means; bad wire and bad configurations of the remote stations, but i think all configurations are ok because i've followed the steps of an applicom's manual.

So, which is the suitable way to connect the card and the PLC?

The program that i am going to use for the SCADA system is LabView. I also have some doubts about it.

Can i use S7 protocol or DP with LabView 6.i? or i have to use OPC server?

I'd be greatly grateful for some tips.

Thank you in advance.

Andoni.

Siemens S7-300 & SCADA

I have to add another two details for my problem.

first, i am using the S7 messaging for this communication.

second, There is another status error message number 55 when i try to read one bit from the PLC, the error means; - Time out elapsed. Message lost-

I am not sure but i think this time is the Slot time, and it's configured by default 1000. I changed to 2000 and happened the same error.

My CPU is in run mode when i try to read the bit from the PLC with the readwait tool in the applicomm communication server software ( 2.9 version).

The situation is the same:

*I think that the stations are well configurated because PCINIT does not give me any error

*the stations are connected by means profibus cable with siemens connector at both sides and these have the switch in ON.

Thank you again.

Andoni.

Solved!

I have already solved my communication problem.

I am communicating applicom PC1500PFB with a siemens S7 CPU313C 2DP by means profibus and S7 messaging.

I want now to make a SCADA system with labView 6.i but i still have the same doubt:

Can i use LabView to access profibus network by means s7 protocol? or, Have i to use OPC server?.

Is there any SCADA program with it is possible to use the s7 protocol? ( I must use Win98).

Thank you again.

Andoni.

hy, I want to make the same connection with the pc ussing a siemens card and comunnicate with citect.But i'm just a begginer and i can't make the parametrisation in citect.Can you help me?pls

citect has come out with a third party driver for s7 communications called proscada driver. it works with Siemens USB - MPI converter, third party USB-MPI converters. You may want to look at this option...

Inat in Germany do a 'clone' of the Siemens MPI cable. If you are using the serial comms versions then in a lot of applications you can increase the baud rate from 38.4k which is the top speed of the Siemens offering to 115k.

We have used it from programming (baud rate max is 38.4k) and with the Kepware driver (Where we were able to push the baud rate to 115k.)

It's also a bit cheaper than the equivilent Siemens cable.

Not sure of distributors in Aus, but MAC solutions distribute in the UK, you could try contacting them.

Citect Scada

John Gaunt said:

I have been using S7-300 & 400 PLC's communicating with Citect SCADA via Profibus using Siemens CP5613 cards installed in each PC.
For very small systems I want to elliminate the expensive Siemens CP5613 card and use serial comms via the slower cheaper Siemens PC adaptor.

Can this be done? Has anybody done it?
What Citect driver (protocol) is required?

John Gaunt. (Tasmania, Australia)

Click to expand...

hi
I m very confused that how to communicate s7300 + cp5611 + sematic net 6.0 using mpi port

dev008rhk
You should have no problem communicating from Step7 via CP5611 to your S7300. Can you do that OK?
If so do you want to communicate with a SCADA package. If so which one?

Incidently, I have several S7-400 systems with Citect SCADA installed in Hindusthan National Glass Bahadurah Plant near Delhi. Contact there is Denesh Gupta.

John Gaunt said:

dev008rhk
You should have no problem communicating from Step7 via CP5611 to your S7300. Can you do that OK?
If so do you want to communicate with a SCADA package. If so which one?

Incidently, I have several S7-400 systems with Citect SCADA installed in Hindusthan National Glass Bahadurah Plant near Delhi. Contact there is Denesh Gupta.

Click to expand...

HI
I m using citect scada 7.0.Can u tel me the procedure

I have several proceedures (writeups) that are relevant. I use Citect V5.5 but the communications with V7 are much the same. I also use Siemens CP5613 Profibus but again CP5611 should be much the same.
I think the files will be too large to post here so it is best if you PM me including your email address.