Vijeo Citect VS Factory Talk SE

OPO

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Jan 2014
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Alberta
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What do you guys think witch is better?

I have one question about citect. Can you directlly accses tags like you can in Factory Talk?
 
Citect doesn't have direct access to the PLC tag database like factory talk. If you use the schneider OPC software "OFS" then it can be semi-automatic, you point he OFS software at the unity software project and then you can just reference the tags in citect without adding them to the citect tag TB, but there are still dozens of properties for each tag in citect which you may need to populate. I spent some time trying to figure out how it was going to be a better workflow for us and came to the conclusion that our current setup - using the custom field in unity to enter tag metadata and then a program that parses the PLC program and writes directly to the citect DBFs, creating alarm and trend tags with the correct formatting, ranges, etc, is still much more efficient for us.
 
If I receive a project from an OEM with direct access tags, I send it back. It is in our spec to never use them because they are more trouble down the line than they are worth.

And anything is better than FactoryTalk View.
 
OPO if you are using compact logix or control logix PLCs I would go with factory talk for the nice integration of the tag database and alarm and events.

If you are not using logix then don't use factory talk, there is something nicer out there.
 
Always use direct tags. Haven't found a reason to use the 'ol tag DB anymore. More of a pain than its worth. FTView SE 9.0 can use the extended properties of the CLX tags as well. Also the trending has been markedly improved too.
 
rdrast said:
If I receive a project from an OEM with direct access tags, I send it back. It is in our spec to never use them because they are more trouble down the line than they are worth.
Click to expand...

Why are direct access tags more trouble down the line?
 
One answer is that the same direct tag can be used on multiple HMI screens. A change to the tag name would require editing each screen. If the Tag DB was used instead the PLC tag would only need to be changed in the DB.
 
So basically nothing beats logix and factory talk?
...
If you mean: browsing tags directly from a controller, then yes I'd say logix+FactoryTalk is the best.
Click to expand...

the other side of that equation is cost. an M340 + citect or ignition solution could well be 50% cheaper and just as capable for your application with only the loss of convenience of not managing a tag and alarm database.

Schneider needs some tighter integration between one of the many HMI software packages they have purchased and the unity PLCs.
 
Are application are like mini DCS with lots of information on valves and transmitters with say 25 tags per device. Aswell with full information on discrrte devices. For us to do the same thing with having to create tags would take days and days of more development time.
 
I just love unity i think it is better then studio 5000. Thats why i was wondering if citect was the same as factory talk.

With unity and citect can citect read the diagnostic buffer directlly like alarms and events?
 
Unity and Citect are Schneider - talk to their sales people - they know what the product can do. Citect has been optimised for Schneider - Vijeo Citect is gone - back to just Citect thankfully.
 
jkerekes said:
One answer is that the same direct tag can be used on multiple HMI screens. A change to the tag name would require editing each screen. If the Tag DB was used instead the PLC tag would only need to be changed in the DB.
Click to expand...

I do hate tracking down tags in the HMI screens; changing an HMI tag is a lot easier than finding all the instances in the screens, coding, parameters, etc.


I have used memory HMI tags to code the HMI screens before the PLC code was complete. Then just link the HMI tags to their PLC addresses later.

That was definitely more work for me (HMI) than just using direct references.
If the PLC was ready, I would never have use the HMI tags.
 

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