Plc Data Acquisition And Control Through Internet Employing Vb Application

Sir:

First and foremost , I would like to greet that your site is extremely great!This is my first time to have surf a site that actually give me a more detailed information on the subject that i have seek for relating to the assistance and guidance with my project proposal.I only discover this site when this has been suggested by my instructor in (Prof Danilo Adlaon [email protected])Industrial Electronics and Instruments.

By the way Sir, I am a college student of Mindanao State University-Iligan Institue of Technology ,Philippines,fifth year BSEE.I would like to ask you Sir if is it possible to access data and also controlPLC input/output status data through internet especially itsladder diagram in corresponds to the device it is controlling?If it is then,is it possible to incorporate Visual Basic programming to handle this data for final monitoring and control of PLC input/output status data?

I hope you could give me some tips to achieve this VB(visual basic) application if ever it can actually be implemented.In addition, I am using a GE 90-30 SERIES(IC693UDR001/002/005)7.

Thank you very much and MABUHAY!

your site new member,

james fuentes

The simple answer is yes you can, but you have to have certain things set up in order to do it.

First you need write or buy a driver to allow you to communicate between Visual Basic and your PLC via Ethernet. This place sells some http://www.vhmiautomation.com/PLCDIndv.html .

Second you would need to write the Visual Basic program to display/control whatever it is you would like.

Third you would need a way to connect to the PLC via the Internet. The best way I know of is VPN.

These are the three major things I would think you would need in order to accomplish what you want.

Hope that helped.

PLC ETHERNET COMM USING VB

GLAVERTY,

Thank you very much with your reply!!!!God Bless you!!!

By the way,I would like to ask again for another help and that is ; Is my project proposal needs an another hardware -ethernet communication hardware or another model of GE FANUC PLC-that is compatible with the PLC I've been currently using inorder to achieve the remote communication of computer and PLC itself Or ,the same model that i've been using now only that i just need some downloadable program from GE FANUC product to assist this communication (or/and an ethernet card possibly)?

Actually, I'm just a beginner in terms of visual basic programming but i really do know how those forms(toolbox application such as frame,command,combo,textbox,message and etc.,) to be made but in terms of activeX DLL field of application i just about to begin studying this topic and so with ethernet communication TCP/IP of PLC.I would just about to begin this summer.

In addition, do you think i could possibly make this things achieve successfully for about 5 months or another 5 months perhaps ?Can you give me some estimates when this project could possibly be finished?Or is this project really fits for an undergraduate student who is aftering to graduate this year?

YOUR OPINION IS REALLY A GREAT HELP ON MY PART.(Moreover,if you could give me some sort of another project proposal that is so easy to cope with,is also a great help .)

Again THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH AND MABUHAY!!!


james

It depends how much things you like put to VB-application, but 5 months sounds suitable. Whith my skills it toke 2-weeks get/put variables from/to PLC with OPC-ActiveX control and some visualiation and OLE-DB ActiveX control for SQL database. DB has related production-, customer- and product-tables, wrapping-orders. Weighing scale, bar-code scanner and 2 label-printers was connected to PC/RS232C. But I tryed it by InTouch 1s't with bad succes, I didn't liked it at all and that toke other 2-weeks.
I don't have Internet connections to PC, but modem-connection to PLC for programming and maintenance. As well it is possible connect to PC.
Glaverty wrote VPN, 3-letter thing that I don't recognize, but sounds to be good.
BR -Seppo

By the way,I would like to ask again for another help and that is ; Is my project proposal needs an another hardware -ethernet communication hardware or another model of GE FANUC PLC-that is compatible with the PLC I've been currently using inorder to achieve the remote communication of computer and PLC itself Or ,the same model that i've been using now only that i just need some downloadable program from GE FANUC product to assist this communication (or/and an ethernet card possibly)?

Click to expand...

Well from what you said earlier as far as connecting the PLC to Ethernet your going to have to use a serial to Ethernet adapter. GE makes one for the versamax line of PLC’s which you are using. The part number is IC200SET001 and it runs about $500(US).

Your other option is to get a GE 90-30 with a Ethernet card. I should think that since you already have the PLC buying the serial to Ethernet adapter would be the cheaper way to go.

Actually, I'm just a beginner in terms of visual basic programming but i really do know how those forms(toolbox application such as frame,command,combo,textbox,message and etc.,) to be made but in terms of activeX DLL field of application i just about to begin studying this topic and so with ethernet communication TCP/IP of PLC.I would just about to begin this summer.

In addition, do you think i could possibly make this things achieve successfully for about 5 months or another 5 months perhaps ?Can you give me some estimates when this project could possibly be finished?Or is this project really fits for an undergraduate student who is aftering to graduate this year?

Click to expand...

I really can’t say what you are or are not capable of doing in 5 months time. I would think that that is plenty of time but we all learn at different paces and depending on how much time and energy you are willing to put into this will really be the deciding factor. I think it can be done in that time but I am not the one doing it.

GOOD LUCK.

First, the part numbers that jebrietszkie cited are for the old Series 90 micro PLC, not the current VersaMax micro. The Ethernet/serial converter that glaverty mentioned should still work though.

jebrietszkie, you need to define what level of remote (internet) control of the PLC you're looking to achieve. If all you need to read is data from the PLC such as ON/OFF status of inputs and outputs, or analog data from sensors, and all you need to write is data such as timer presets, or ON/OFF commands for internal bits, then an OPC server embedded in your VB application will be sufficient. You'll probably find the task easier with Microsoft's latest offering VB.net rather than VB 6.0.

If you want to be able to monitor or modify the ladder logic remotely, I don't think you'll be able to do that from your VB application. Any available drivers that I'm aware of are limited to data transfers. They don't permit logic changes.

If you want to view or modify the ladder logic, you will need a computer running the programming software connected to the PLC and also connected to the internet. Then, with PCanywhere, or some similar product, you could view/modify the ladder logic remotely.

Your right Steve, I missed the 693 in the part number.

But like Steve said it should still work.

VPN

Sippo,
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is the practice of using protocols to set up a private point to point connection , but using the Internet as network. Many times these are set up using tunneling, were one protocol that is not IP based is wrapped inside of a IP packet. They are used for all kinds of remote access from Salesmen to people working from home. Hope that helps.

Matt

Thaks Matt !

PLC TCP/IP VB APPLICATION

TO: SEPPOALANEN,GLAVERTY,STEVE BAILEY,MATTHIAS VON ZORN,


THANKS TO ALL OF YOUR WORTHFUL IDEAS!!!!

BUT YOU KNOW I DON'T STILL EXACTLY GET THE INNER POINT OF VIEW.LOGICALLY, THE IDEAS CAN BE EASILY UNDERSTAND THAT IF I HAD ALL THE EXPERIENCE AND FAMILIAR WITH THE SORT OF INFORMATION YOU'VE GIVEN TO ME!BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT I AM JUST A BEGINNER! I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START IN CORRESPONDS TO A CERTAIN SEQUENTIAL EVENTS OF THE METHODS IN DOING THIS PROJECT.IN ADDITION, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KEYWORDS OR IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT I MUST HAVE TO BEGIN AND TO KNOW WITH FOR ME TO STUDY.

BY THE WAY, I DON'T MEAN ANYBODY TO FEEL VEXATION UNJUSTLY THE WAY I ASK AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH THE SAME QUESTIONS I HAD GIVEN BEFORE.I JUST WANT TO GET MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS TO ACHIEVE THIS PROJECT BECAUSE I'M JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE THIS PROJECT FOR THE REASON THAT THIS PROJECT COST MUCH MORE THAN WHAT I'VE EXPECTED!(OR IT IS WORTHFUL ENOUGH IF YOU COULD ADVISE ME OF ANOTHER EASIER PROJECT/RESEARCH PROPOSAL BUT STILL RELATES WITH PLC).

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!


JAMES

Although it doesn't involve using a PLC, Paul Oh has a good tutorial at his www.boondog.com website which describes how to control devices over the Internet. Go to his website and look under "Tutorials" - Controlling Devices over the Internet. He sells a port card for a reasonable cost and gives schematics so you can build your own if you don't want to buy his hardware. From your description of what you want to do, this might be within your budget. I teach at a community college in the US, so can appreciate the "low cost" aspects of what you want to do.

PLC TCP/IP ETHERNET COMM. -VB APPLICATION

THANKS JL TURNER!!!!

BUT I ALREADY HAD KNOWN THAT WEBSITE BEFORE SINCE MY INSTRUCTOR IN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS ADVICE ME WITH THAT WEBSITE AND IT IS JUST I FOUND OUT THAT SITE TO BE MORE FOCUS ON THE ELECTRONICS SIDE AND I WANT MY PROPOSAL TO TACKLE WITH ELECTRICAL PROJECTS(HENCE I USED TO DEAL WITH PLC SINCE IT HAS THE ABILITY TO CONTROL SEQUENTIALLY (AND SPEED CONTROL OF) INDUCTION MOTOR(S) OR WITH ANY OTHER WATER PUMPS PERHAPS ONLY THAT I MAKE USED OF INTERNET OR REMOTE APPLICATION IN CONTROLLING THOSE DEVICES.HOWEVER,I STILL HOPE YOU COULD ALSO ADVICE ME OF ANOTHER PROJECT PROPOSAL IN CORRESPONDS WITH MY FIELD OF INTEREST.

GOD BLESS YOU !!!MABUHAY!!!!


JAMES

PLC TCP/IP ETHERNET COMM. VB APPLICATION

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

I MIGHT RESPOND ALL OF YOUR REPLIES BY NEXT MONTH SINCE IN OUR 'PROVINCE' DON'T HAVE INTERNET CONNECTION/INTERNET CAFE AND I RESPONDED
ALL YOUR REPLIES THROUGH THIS INTERNET CAFE THAT I'VE BEEN ALWAYS SURFING WITH HERE IN THIS "CITY OF FALLS".




JAMES

Ethernet PLC connection

The answer would appear to be mitsubishi E series terminal and E-View software.
Most PLCs require an HMI of some sort and so far, the best on the market is the E-Series terminals from mitsubishi. These come with built in web servers, e-mail capabilities, remote RS232/422 controls for external equipment. Additionally for an extra 150 quid, you can plug in a ethernet card and connect to a network, providing the ability to collect, view and write information directly to the plc via a PC anywhere on the network. This requires E-View software which allows connection to unlimited controllers and numerous different database types. The other bonus with the E-Series terminals is that they contain the drivers for most PLCs on the market.

BTW- I do not work for mitsubishi OR indeed gain anything from advertising their products. This is my own opinion gained from using the products and I hastily ditched the overpriced and under functioning AB panelview terminals once I had seen the demo.

steve