Hi everyone

I just received an evaluation copy of automationX http://www.automationx.com

It seems to be exactly what we are trying to achieve. It runs on Linux as well as some other operating system.

I haven't been able to install it yet but when I do I'll let you know if it is any good.

Its good to see a commercial scada package using Linux. that way our thing might get more recognition via the interest generated by systems like automationX that use Linux for its stability.

<change subject>

I have not had much time to look at modbus.rtu and I know there is a strange bug causing a seg fault. I'm about to head off on sunday for a few
weeks overseas.

So please..... can someone look at the code and find what I have done wrong. Or better still fix it. I don't mind if it gets completly mucked up so long as it starts to work again.

Don't alter modbus.tcp, it works. (unless you find good reason

Thanks.

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--

Regards

Philip Costigan


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Hi Phil

Yes. AutomationX appears to be a good product. I have an old eval copy. We had considered becoming a distributor but the IO coverage at that time was very limited and we would have had to pay to get what we needed coded. Not an option for a small company. Their emphasis is on process control and SCADA. I would like LPLC to be more towards machine control and communications. I didn't get much beyond the demo as the cards to actually control anything would have been several thousand dollars and single sourced. If you are
interested in commercial Linux products, you should also take a look at VisPro, a SCADA package that appears to be pretty good but
the documentation I got was transliterated (not translated) from German and bizarre a little was.

There seems to be a hotbed for Linux Automation developement in Austria. They seem quite content to serve the European market and that's a shame. A real solid push here could really help our cause. AutomationX has an office in Canada which should help. I guess we are competitors but, only in the sense that they are proprietary and very much for profit.

Regards

cww
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Coming in late on the discussion......

I am working on a tanker filling project here in Australia using AutomationX and have found the product to still be a little bit immature.

There are a few short comings that make the product a little bit uncomfortable at the moment.

Such as ....
Conventional PC com ports not available under Linux (they work under NT). This rules out any laptop based demos. I presume that this rules
out ethernet based com ports too.
Serial port card (actually called an MIO card) is fussy about memory and does not work in some motherboards due to irreconcilable
differences.
ODBC is only just working.
Documentation does not contain enough specific detail.
Requires a PC with a fair bit of grunt to run well.
Display really only runs properly at 1280X1024

The client/ server aspect of running the program under 'X' is great. You can have multiple clients running from the one server. We have two
people working on the project at the same time and have not had any problems with simultaneous access/editing/testing. Our client machines are relatively slow, with the server doing all the work.

I agree that it could be a good product. My opinion that the product is immature is because it appears that those components that work do so quite nicely. This is perhaps fine when it is being used in a controlled environment where you use the correct modbus card and the right motherboard, etc. Unfortunately, we are encountering lots of little holes and 'not fixed yet' problems as we try to get the project going in the big bad world.

If you were interested in using this product, I would suggest allowing plenty of time to hammer at the rough edges - this is not yet something that you can take off the shelf and get it going quickly.

I would be interested if anybody else is using/evaluating AutomationX since Phil's original posting.

Steve Cody


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Hi Steve.

I'm still interested in AX it just seems that they can't or don't want to adapt it for our market and that puzzles me. Their rep watches either this or the Automation list and perhaps we can help them.

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In response to Steve's and other comments about automationX: automationX release 4.4 is now being installed at Domtar, Pacifica Papers, Petro Canada, Esso/Exxon, Chevron, Alcan and other sites in North America. It is a very mature & feature rich product that betters the best of DCS, and blows away PLC/HMI. A comphrensive system manual was released in November 2000 The device net communication class software and SST cards are in our office now, with scheduled release for next month. automationX uses the MIO hardware subsystem for communications interface because it's reliable, fast and expandable. A computer's serial port wouldn't be suitable for the industrial grade applications that have been done. automationX is totally adapted for North America. The operations and systems people at the sites listed above (i.e. Petro Canada, Esso/Exxon, Pacifica Papers, etc.) love it! If you are implementing automationX, some training is required, just as with any high-end software system. A read through the system manual version 4.4 is highly recommended. We are entering negotiations with firms in the US with significant resources to promote and support automationX in the marketplace, and we'll keep you posted on how that goes. Paul Jager, P.Eng. [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> automationX an industrial revolution _______________________________________________ LinuxPLC mailing list [email protected] http://linuxplc.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxplc

 

Hi Paul: That's great! I'll check if there's still interest in distributing or reselling your product. Regards cww Paul Jager wrote: <clip> > The device net communication class software and SST cards are in our office > now, with scheduled release for next month. SST would be more supportable here (north america). _______________________________________________ LinuxPLC mailing list [email protected] http://linuxplc.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxplc