open source scada package

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Thread Starter

Parodi Fabio

Does anybody know of any initiative for building an open-source SCADA package?

The main problem with commercial SCADA packages around is that they can't be very flexible, because source code is keep secret by the producer.

An open source SCADA could be very useful!

Dr. Fabio Parodi
Software Research & Development
GEA - Generale Elettronica Automazione
Via Renata Bianchi, 38
16152 GENOVA GE
ITALY
tel: ++39 01065966510
fax: ++39 01065066311
http://www.gea-automotive.com
e-mail: [email protected]
at home: [email protected]
 
M
This has been mentioned as a tag on project for LinuxPLC.

There is also a project called e-factory, I've not tried it so I don't know how it compares with commercial products. I think that it is available from the Linux Lab Project site (LLP) - the address of which is available on the links page at the LinuxPLC site http://www.linuxplc.org.
 
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Rick L. Hudson EMCO Inc.

Dr. Parodi,

My firm has had good results with Visual BASIC. Coupled with OPC (or other mechanisms in the role of the traditional "driver") it is a very open and
inexpensive SCADA.

Thank you,

Rick Hudson
 
I somewhat disagree, SCADA developers spent lot of programming effort optimizing their product. this can not be achieved by single programmer
using open source.

I've used SCADA packages like Wizcon, P-CIM, FIX, Cimplicity. most of them have API that enable customization of the product.

This way you can take advantage of optimize product and still have "open" access.

Amir Or

Galil Engineering
Process Control & Instrumentation department
<<http://www.galil-eng.co.il>
Tel:972-4-9837428
Fax:972-4-9837154
 
K

Keith P. Bouvier

Dr. Fabio,

You may wish to investigate Agilent Technologies (Hewlett Packard) RTAP/Plus product. It is available on HP-UX, DEC Unix, Sun, AIX and Windows NT. We have been using this product since its inception over twelve years ago in many of our SCADA solutions. It has a robust C API that we have taken and embedded in Tcl for easier programming and creation of interfaces. Its data
calculation engine is extensible. You have the flexibility of creating your own data structures. There are also many scan acquisition packages associated with the product. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or go to their web site: www.agilent.com.


Keith P. Bouvier | Voice: (504) 889-2784
Computerized Processes Unlimited, Inc. | Fax: (504) 889-2799
4200 S. I-10 Service Rd., Suite 205 | E-mail: [email protected]
Metairie, LA 70001 | Web: http://www.cpu.com
 
Rick:

We have been doing VB with drivers for about 5 years. We are starting to revisit SCADA. From my initial review of SCADA it appears they have come a long way to open up their environments by embracing VB scripting and COM access (when I say
open I mean in a Microsoft way - please save the flames).

We are thinking about using a SCADA/OPC server platform for big applications and a VB/SCADA platform for one-offs.

I would be interested in hearing what other people are doing regarding SCADA.

Thanks,

Sam
 
R
> I somewhat disagree, SCADA developers spent lot of programming effort
> optimizing their product. this can not be achieved by single programmer
> using open source.

But a lot of people using the same source and feeding back can (and do) achieve miracles.

> I've used SCADA packages like Wizcon, P-CIM, FIX, Cimplicity. most
> of them have API that enable customization of the product.

I have spend a lot of time using very obscure techniques of configuration to get such products to do what the customer wanted, cursing the fact that I cannot simply make my own object.

Lets leave aside OSS for the moment. It would be a great improvement if these HMI and SCADA packages where built along the lines of development tools such as NI's Labview/Labwindows. Labview is drag and drop, whilst Labwindows lets you build your own objects.

> This way you can take advantage of optimize product and still have "open" access.

It is about time that people woke up to the fact that there is a lot of extremely optimal open software around, and its forms the cornerstone of a lot of commercial products.

Open source code and protocolls are extremely important for internetworking, the internet has proven that.

BTW, this email arrived to me courtesy of sendmail.
 
M
I am currently evaluating some components which will be useful in developing SCADA applications. They wont be open source because these components are commercial.

These components may be worth considering, even though the VIB for example costs about £1200. This is because this is a one off cost. Distribution is royalty free.

Both sets of components however are available for Java and so should be available for both Windows and Linux (and anything else with a current JVM
that fulfils the JavaBeans spec.).

The two products are The Glg Toolkit at http://www.genlogic.com. and VIB (Virtual Instrument Beans) from ErgoTech at http://www.ergotech.com.

I have no doubt that similar sets of Beans will be available from an Open Source source shortly.
 
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Jean-Pierre van der Zanden

I fully agree with You. I'm using "G" , the LabVIEW language for all kinds of programing. We developed our own SCADA application with G. Its fully open. As a former Pascal and Modula programmer a HATE C. If You are familiar with data structures (All programmers are), G and especially its help tools is great! Even low level programming gives effecient code. There is a free student version, without the communication drivers, available with the book LabVIEW for everyone (ISBN 0-13-268194-3. Combined with statemachine techniques its easy to build bigger projects. Everybody should try this !
 
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