RsLinx Classic Gateway and Excel

I have a computer with RsLinx Gateway installed and on the network. I have a laptop connected to the network and can see my processors through the gateway. My question is how do I see a value in Excel on the laptop. I tried =Rslinx|cupper!'f8:0', this works on the computer with gateway installed but not on the laptop. It says that I need to have RsLinx Professional installed. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,
Kyle

Check your version of RSLinx. RSLinx Lite does not support DDE.

So you are saying that I will have to install Rslinx Prof on any computer that I want to gather data even though I have Rslinx Gateway?


Thanks,
Kyle

You should only need the gateway. But you may need to check your DCOM settings. I have been having problems setting this up myself. I have one machine working yet others are not...can't quite figure out what I did. check technote ID 32664 on the AB knowledge base as a start. I would think you also need to reference the Gateway IP address on the remote machine...don't know the exact syntax in Excel.

If your RSLinx gateway is on another computer, then you will have to modify your DDE request to include that computer name. Just specifying RSLinx in the equation will look locally, and if you only have RSLinx Lite locally, it won't work.

Oakley is right on: You need to define the RSLinx Gateway computer as the DDE server, with syntax like

\\ComputerAName\NDDE$|DDESHARENAME!N10:0,L10

I want to add some comments for completeness. Let's agree to call the computer running RSLinx Gateway "Computer A" and the laptop running RSLinx "Computer B".

RSLinx Gateway has two different ways to get data to remote computers.

The first is "RSLinx Gateway" mode.

In this mode, RSLinx on Computer B can use Computer A's RSLinx drivers (DF1, DH485, DH+, ControlNet, etc.) as though they were local. Comms takes place using native RSLinx TCP/IP protocol that's not a standard or Microsoft-based protocol.

The RSLinx installation on Computer B has only the features of it's license; if it's RSLinx Lite it just provides services to RSLogix and RSNetworx. RSLinx OEM/Pro/GW will provide OPC services to RSView or other OPC clients, and RSLinx Pro/GW will provide DDE services to Microsoft DDE clients.

The second mode is for RSLinx Gateway on Computer A to provide data services to client programs on Computer B using Remote OPC or NetDDE. RSLinx isn't involved on Computer B.

This is the mode you likely want to use, in which you set up "DDE Shares" and add the Computer A computer name to the DDE syntax in Excel on Computer B.

NetDDE is a pretty old technology, but it's what Excel uses. Search the RA Knowledgebase with the keywords "NetDDE Excel"
for a walk down operating system memory lane.

First off thanks for the replies. I am a little confused as to which computer I need to set up the ddesharename, and how to set it up.

Thank,
Kyle