Hey gang,

I have a customer who is a big Wonderware fan, and everything in the plant is run from an InTouch interface except one CNC lathe that has a GE Fanuc 16-TB processor with an HSSB interface to a Cimplicity HMI for CNC 5.5.

They've ask me to look at changing it to Wonderware for them, as the OEM has declined to do so. They would also like to change from the HSSB communication to Ethernet.

I'm not a big CNC guy, but this is a customer I want to keep happy, and they understand I'll have a learning curve on this project, which is OK.

Kepware's OPC server is their standard, and Kepware says they can talk to the controller.

I've looked around on the the GE Fanuc site some, and I don't seem to be able to convince myself that the xxTB controllers can use Ethernet, but I'm not really sure about that.

Can someone point me in the best direction to start digging up information about this controller and what they're asking for. As I mentioned, I'm not a big CNC guy, but they don't really want the CNC code changed, just the computer that interfaces with it.

Are these controllers so different from a PLC that this is going to be like learning to read hieroglyphics? Or is it more like moving from a PLC to a motion controller - different, but still a controller of sorts?

Thanks for any pointers, Michael
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Michael Batchelor
www.IndustrialInformatics.com
Thanks for any pointers, Michael

 

Fanuc's Ethernet based protocol is called Focas. As far as I know, there is no OPC server available. Cimplicity HMI and Machine Edition View are the only packages with direct access to the PMC via HSSB or Focas Ethernet.

A way could be to use Machine Edition to collect the data only and use the build in OPC server. Depends on the number of points.

Joern