I am at present looking at a job for quotation purposes where I would need to communicate with 4 Omron CJ1 PLCs controlling a generator system and a multitude of power monitors on Modbus RTU. The thinking is to use Omron CJ1 PLCs with just serial ports on board to collect the data from the power monitors and connect all the PLCs to a SCADA system via Ethernet. There is no peer to peer involved that is critical so Ethernet will be OK.
I prefer to use Citect which has all the Omron native drivers (FINS Gateway) free of charge. I have used it before and it works at a million miles an hour and is extremly reliable. Citect have, IMHO, the best trend screens and trending system of any SCADA system on the market. This will be of prime importance for the job.
However, $$$$ will probably win the day. I am looking at Adroit SCADA from South Africa. The connection to the PLCs would have to be by OPC and Ethernet. I am having a good look at the Kepware OPC driver for Omron.
Has anyone used this combination (probably not) and how were the results?
If not, has anyone used a Kepware OPC driver with Omron (or another brand) PLCs and another SCADA system and how were the results?
I normally use Omron Controller Link for my peer to peer and also usually into the SCADA system. Citect generally reports about 15000 digital reads per second and about 300 word reads per second on Controller Link running at only 2 megs. It is quite outstanding. Generally about 8 or 9 PLCs.
I have only ever used OPC once before and that was BACnet over Ethernet and I fear my view of OPC is certainly a bit "coloured" due the the extremly poor response times and many problems with drivers and hardware compatabilities, drivers dropping out etc etc. I would be extremly interested in any comments, good or bad, that anyone can offer re OPC.
I prefer to use Citect which has all the Omron native drivers (FINS Gateway) free of charge. I have used it before and it works at a million miles an hour and is extremly reliable. Citect have, IMHO, the best trend screens and trending system of any SCADA system on the market. This will be of prime importance for the job.
However, $$$$ will probably win the day. I am looking at Adroit SCADA from South Africa. The connection to the PLCs would have to be by OPC and Ethernet. I am having a good look at the Kepware OPC driver for Omron.
Has anyone used this combination (probably not) and how were the results?
If not, has anyone used a Kepware OPC driver with Omron (or another brand) PLCs and another SCADA system and how were the results?
I normally use Omron Controller Link for my peer to peer and also usually into the SCADA system. Citect generally reports about 15000 digital reads per second and about 300 word reads per second on Controller Link running at only 2 megs. It is quite outstanding. Generally about 8 or 9 PLCs.
I have only ever used OPC once before and that was BACnet over Ethernet and I fear my view of OPC is certainly a bit "coloured" due the the extremly poor response times and many problems with drivers and hardware compatabilities, drivers dropping out etc etc. I would be extremly interested in any comments, good or bad, that anyone can offer re OPC.