Does anybody know of a PLC (or soft PLC) that can communicate to an OPC Server for its data? I need the PLC to read and write its data to a proprietary OPC server for Subsea communications.
As long as the OPC Server has a slave driver for the PLC protocol then the PLc can act as a master and connect to the server as if it were a slave device (RTU).
Kepware Technologies currently has slave drivers for Modbus, Siemens Ethernet and Allen Bradly Ethernet. You can also use the USer Configurable Driver in Unsolicited mode for simple protocols. E-mail [email protected] for mor information.
It is easier to get an OPC Server with the driver for the PLC than to get a PLC for the OPC Server. There might be only a few PLCs suitable for subsea applications.
Consider using an OPC Server (from Matrikon, Kepware, Iconics, to name a few) with a driver for the PLC.
Dear friend, Almost PLC manufacturers develop their OPC servers, so you need only a Client to Read/Write to the PLC. I have been using SoftWare Toolbox Controls to access the PLC datas. If you need more help here is my email: [email protected]
I use KepServer for PLC communication. After reading data from PLC, I would like to write it to data base via ODBC interface. However I have problems with connecting KepServer to MS database. I use MS SQL Server 2005 Express.
KePServer's help shows only how to make connection while using Enterprise version. Could you help me with Express version?
I used OPC Client for ODBC for the same type of connection ... well, except I was using MatrikonOPC Server not Kepware's
All you need to do to connect is the following:
- Create a DSN name (System and User) in your Operating System's Data Sources and link it to your MS SQL database.
- Connect the OPC Client for ODBC to that Data Source.
- Connect the OPC Client for ODBC to your OPC Server and start writing your data in your database.
Why do you do the extra way over OPC? Why not communicating direct to the database from your controller by TCP/IP? Does your controller have an ethernet interface? If yes, check out this: www.sql4automation.com