MS SQL Server or Other

i am after some help on software selection, i am looking into creating a recipe data base in which our production planner can input the run plan for the days production and the mixers will then sequence through the recipes etc, we already have a SQL database on the server for the raw ingredients so maybe using a SQL database and VB for the data input, now i have not used either of these but have downloaded SQL 2008 Express with tools and VB 2010 Express and looking through the demo's, i just want to know if this is the best setup before i spend weeks reading up on it, or if there is some other software im missing.

it will be communicating with 3 Compactlogix L35E which are the mixers, so im guessing RSLinx would be needed for this?

does rockwell have any software that would make this easier then third party applications

Rob

If you already got a SQL server, stay with it. You can do your own app for interfacing with SQL but it's A LOT easier if you just use Rockwell's FT Transaction Manager (used to be call RSSQL)

Or, Inductive Automation's solution works very well too.

If you don't have a SQL server already, MySQL is opensource.

So the transaction manager would allow me to create the app instead of using VB 2010? We do already have SQL server 2005

I have our Rockwell distributor in tomorrow so I can discuss this but like some feed back/advice from people who have had real world experience.

You could definitely pursue a Rockwell-Software-centric approach with FactoryTalk Batch and FactoryTalk Transaction Manager and RSLinx Classic, or you could pursue a bespoke software approach using Visual Basic and RSLinx Classic. I suppose your choice should be based on your familiarity with Visual Basic programming or your budget for FactoryTalk software.

But when I hear 'SQL' and 'CompactLogix' in the same sentence, my instinct is to reach for Inductive Automation Ignition software.

I have learned and done more with SQL databases in a few months since starting with Ignition than I did in five years on the periphery of RSSQL. It works beautifully with MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server. The OPC-UA driver for ControlLogix-family controllers is at least as stable as RSLinx Classic or RSLinx Enterprise but it cross-platform, lightweight, and free of charge.

In the continuum between programmable and configurable systems, Ignition sits in the middle: you will learn some SQL query syntax and necessarily some Python scripting, but the learning curve for the graphics and SQLTags system is very gentle.

You could install Ignition tonight (free demo !) and watch a couple of the videos about SQLTags and SQL Transaction Groups, and be well enough versed to compare it to RSSQL tomorrow.

Rob

Ken has given you a solid option. And not transaction manger will have to be used with FT view / FT Batch to make it all work. I won't sugar coat it. Transaction manager and batch is a bear to setup but works well when finished.

If you had contrologix I prefer to use a OLDI transaction module http://www.oldi.com/ as there is no Software or server or pc involced between the controller and your DB.

OLDI modules work with with every major database type will hold a great deal of memory if connection is lost and they parse 500 tags per second so you can use 1 unit with multiple controllers if you want. They make a stand alone model also.

I do something similar where by our recipe data is held on an SQL Server and the technicians modify the recipes with an Excel workbook I set up for them. Didn't take too long to setup.

Hello,

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PeakHMI can perform the task defined and you would not need to learn any programming language.

The program even has one feature to transfer values from an Excel spreadsheet (XLS) to the PLC and Excel does not need to be installed on the computer.


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just a couple of things.....

i was talking about Microsoft SQL not RSSQL

ken,

as far as SQL, Batch/Transaction manager, VB ive not touched them before, i was hoping to go down a route of maybe not the easiest but a prefereed method/standard so im learning software with which i will interact with as i move to different companies in my life time.

as far as recipes go there all in the PLC and are chosen by the operator and the batch size selected, so i dont know what would be the way to go, either the planners just select the mix and batch size or give them control of the raw material which get loaded, thats something someone maybe able to point me in the right direction with.

as marshy said about an excel spread sheet that was something i was looking into in the first place but if i could use VB and create a Sleek looking interface that would be great

Rob

.NET (VB) is reasonably easy to pick up if you have at least some basic programming experience. However, I'm personally not a big fan of "Rolling Your Own" unless you do actually have a fair bit of experience in writing software. It's way too easy in small companies for one guy to use a bit of initiative and write some software to provide a low cost or custom solution. The problem comes when you leave the company. If the next guy isn't a VB programmer (and not all automation guys are), then there's no one to update / migrate the software you've written. There's also no technical support. I saw this happen in the last company I worked for - a clever chap wrote a software suite which got put in across 10 contracts and 2 countries. Unfortunately he then left, and only afterwards did anyone look at his code... No comments, terribly written (although it did normally work!), and no one else in the company to keep updating it.

Not saying you shouldn't do it, just be aware of the long term affect it may have to your company.

Rob

RS SQL is just a connector between rockwell products and any SQL DB as rockwell products do not support SQL db writing so RS SQL fills that gap.

I agree with saffa and I too am not a fan of "roll your own"

There are times where you do have to roll your own but if you can buy off the shelf solution and you have the budget it is the way to go.

As far as training under you belt IMO every company does this slightly different and more often than not vastly different.

Just to make you aware there are 1000 ways under the sun to do this.

ok so let me get this right, if i stick with rockwell then i would need batch, transaction manager and rslinx to talk with MS SQL Server, would i need any other software?

Or if i went for a third party approach i could use ignition with the free OPC driver and a SQL database?

when you say buy an off the shelf solution what is out there for this type of application?