BretB
Member
I'm working on a very interesting project where a couple of IT guys and myself are working on developing a computer system that will monitor the status of a couple hundred switches (just ON or OFF) over the span of three floors of a hotel that is being constructed.
Our computer system development is being completed in the next few weeks, aside from this part. We need a PLC system (or something) that will allow our system (programmed in Java) to simply look at a database with the statuses of all of the switches and see which ones are on and which ones are off.
Simple, right?
Good! What is the easiest way to go about this? Both hardware and software.
I got a quote from an Automation Direct technician, the hardware looks fine, but then when we got to the software, I found that the only software that reads their devices use OPC (OLE for Process Control). My software can't read a windows based system like that. I need more of an open-source, java compatible approach to the software.
So now I'm back to square zero. I got a suggestion from someone else of some other PLC company, Opto22, but they also use OPC to talk to their PLCs, and they seemed to be more expensive for simlar products.
If anyone has put together a PLC system that takes data from switches and reads them into software, using something other than OPC, or if you have any other ideas, I, and my co-workers, would appreciate it very much.
- Bret
Our computer system development is being completed in the next few weeks, aside from this part. We need a PLC system (or something) that will allow our system (programmed in Java) to simply look at a database with the statuses of all of the switches and see which ones are on and which ones are off.
Simple, right?
Good! What is the easiest way to go about this? Both hardware and software.
I got a quote from an Automation Direct technician, the hardware looks fine, but then when we got to the software, I found that the only software that reads their devices use OPC (OLE for Process Control). My software can't read a windows based system like that. I need more of an open-source, java compatible approach to the software.
So now I'm back to square zero. I got a suggestion from someone else of some other PLC company, Opto22, but they also use OPC to talk to their PLCs, and they seemed to be more expensive for simlar products.
If anyone has put together a PLC system that takes data from switches and reads them into software, using something other than OPC, or if you have any other ideas, I, and my co-workers, would appreciate it very much.
- Bret