Skip to Content

Register Login

Industry Online Support

Technical Forum

Navigation

WinLC as OPC Client

Created by: Cuke at: 3/17/2006 12:24 PM (7 Replies)

Rating (0)

Thanks 0

8 Entries

3/17/2006 12:24 PM	Rate (0)
Cuke Posts: 8 Rating: (0)	Is it possible to make WinLC an OPC Client to an IO server, so instead of DP IO the IO are supplied via OPC. Regards Charles Glieman
Cuke Posts: 8 Rating: (0)
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/17/2006 3:53 PM	Rate (0)
Frankie Posts: 24 Rating: (4)	Hello Charles, that's not possible. [:(] Frank
Frankie Posts: 24 Rating: (4)
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/20/2006 8:29 AM	Rate (0)
Cuke Posts: 8 Rating: (0)	Hello Thanks for the info. This might be a silly question, but why is it not possible? Regards Charles
Cuke Posts: 8 Rating: (0)
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/20/2006 3:01 PM	Rate (0)
Frankie Posts: 24 Rating: (4)	Hello Charles, you can connect a WinLC to the Simatic Net OPC Server or any other OPC servers designed for WinLC. Could you explain me the IO Server you mentioned ? Best regards, Frank
Frankie Posts: 24 Rating: (4)
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/20/2006 6:15 PM	Rate (0)
Johan Zietsman Posts: 2 Rating: (0)	Hi Frankie Charles was writing on my behalf. He suggested that I post directly to make things clearer. Here goes. I want to use WinAC to host an advanced process control system. This system does not communicate directly with I/O in the field. It must exchange its I/O from a number of PLCs already present in the plant. These PLCs are Modicon Quantums ([:(] not Siemens). There is an OPC server that makes communication with the Modicon PLCs available. I therefore want WinAC to read from the Modicon via the OPC server, perform the necessary checks and calculations, and write optimised setpoints back to the Modicons via the OPC server. The only difference between this and a "normal" WinAC installation would be that I/O is exchanged via OPC and not Profibus. Thanks for your help. Regards Johan
Johan Zietsman Posts: 2 Rating: (0)
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/21/2006 9:01 AM	Rate (0)
Chris Silver Member Joined: 8/31/2005 Last visit: 10/24/2024 Posts: 217 Rating: (41)	Hi Johan! As far as I know, it is not possible to access OPC data in a S7 program (as an OPC client). But there are some ways to get the OPC data to the WinLC: You can write an OPC client (e.g. in C++), that is connected to your Modicon PLCs AND to the WinLC (via the SIMATIC NET OPC server). This way you can read data from the Modicon PLCs via OPC and write this data to the WinLC via OPC. You can use the WinAC ODK (Open Development Kit). With the WinAC ODK you can write an OPC client in C++ an pass the OPC data directly to the WinLC (e.g. in data blocks). Have a search in the Mall for "WinAC ODK" or here for more informations.
	Greetings, Chris
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/22/2006 11:36 AM	Rate (0)
Johan Zietsman Posts: 2 Rating: (0)	Dear Chris Many thanks for your reply. I am not happy with the message, but happy that I know what is going on now. I would prefer not writing OPC clients myself, and rather focus on the control work. Regards Johan
Johan Zietsman Posts: 2 Rating: (0)
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

3/22/2006 4:30 PM	Rate (0)
Chris Silver Member Joined: 8/31/2005 Last visit: 10/24/2024 Posts: 217 Rating: (41)	Here's another solution, that could be interesting for you: OPC DX. With OPC DX you are able to exchange data between two OPC servers. In your case, that would be a OPC server, that can read date from the Modicon PLCs and the SIMATIC NET OPC server, that can exchange data with the WinLC. Have a look at this example: Data Exchange between different Bus Systems with OPC Data eXchange (OPC DX) If you don't want to use OPC but you know how to access the data of your Modicon PLCs via C++, you can also use the WinAC ODK to pass the data directly to the WinLC. (You can also use the WinAC ODK with Visual Basic .NET -> see here: Plant Visualization on a SIMATIC Microbox PC with Visual Basic .NET via WinAC ODK).
	Greetings, Chris
Suggestion To thank Quote Answer

|

Share this page:

Share this page on...

Follow us on