PLC IP Address/OPC

My eventual intended application is software which I'll write to visualize miscellaneous data from variable frequency drives attached to a network of PLCs.

I'm not sure what data I can obtain from the VFDs (will cross the bridge when I get to it), but voltage is one example.

My custom software will talk to the OPC server (KepserverEX) which in turn will be connected to the PLCs.

The model of the PLCs is Allen Bradley CompactLogix 1769-L35e. The VFDs are PowerFlex 753.

My initial step is to first play around with a single Allen Bradley PLC (MicroLogix 1400), see if I can connect to it via Kepserver. This part seems straightforward -- the PLC can be directly connected to the PC running Kepserver using an Ethernet cable.

I'm just curious how I'd connect to a network of many PLCs. What will my PC be physically connected to?
 
I'm just curious how I'd connect to a network of many PLCs. What will my PC be physically connected to?

I think you are overthinking it...

Connect your PC to a router and set the IP address to static via the Ethernet port, do the same with the PLC, in your OPC/HMI software you would address the PLC/Tag address and pull the data
 
This is not on topic but...

be very weary of "roll your own". The exception being on a hobby project or for a OEM machine that will be duplicated 100x times. A one off super duper custom software can be very difficult to support in the future.
 
This is not on topic but...

be very weary of "roll your own". The exception being on a hobby project or for a OEM machine that will be duplicated 100x times. A one off super duper custom software can be very difficult to support in the future.

Noted. For the moment, this is a hobby project, but it can potentially be turned into a product. It'll just be a visualization layer on top of existing OPC software (Kepware).
 

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