SECS/GEM Protocol Usage with Standard PLC or HMI

  • Thread starter Nijssen, Ronald
  • Start date
N

Thread Starter

Nijssen, Ronald

Hello, Is there anybody that can explain me if he has implemented a SECS/GEM Interface into a Standard "off-the-shelf" PLC or HMI Product. In this scenario the PLC or HMI exposes its data as SECS/GEM Function or Constant. How and with which product did you do it and what did you like, dislike about doing it, where do you see improvements Ronald Nijssen Siemens Energy & Automation Inc.
 
L
There was some work with Modbus/TCP and Modicon PLC at IBM in Vermont. You can see more about it at: http://www.lancontrols.com/ http://www.modbus.org/SEMI.htm This biggest problem I *HEARD* about this (I didn't actually do it) is that SECS/GEM is a rather high-level MES type protocol used more to track & move jobs thru the Wafer Fab process. So it's not as easy or straight-forward as "mapping" register reads between Modbus to PPI or DF1. So it's a serious undertaking and you'll need very strong technical support from all parties involved to fully understand the details of the objects/functions required. I know lancontrols.com above does many things with SECS/GEM in small Linux platforms - you may be wise to team up with some SECS/GEM experts - you provide the PLC serial details and they create the mapping & support the SECS/GEM protocols on either serial (or HSMS on Ethernet). regards Lynn August Linse, Senior Product Application Engineer 15353 Barranca Parkway, Lantronix Inc, Irvine CA 92618 [email protected] www.lantronix.com Tel: (949)300-6337 Fax: (949)453-7132
 
R
We use GW Associates SECSIM software for developing SECS/GEM interfaces for QNX systems. The old Tel/Fax numbers are T:1-408-7451844 / F: 1-408-7456395 (Sunnyvale, CA). Nobody had web addresses back in the days of QNX2...
 
P

Patrik Gillsvik

Hello FIX from Intellution have a standard SECS driver which can be used for connecting PLC level systems. Regarding the PLC:s themselves we have not found any that support these, very high level, protocols. However we are currently looking into a system called VCP CyBro (www.robotina.com) which will be fitted with SECS-I/II protocol later this year and we plan to start using it at the beginning of next year.
 
You may be interested in what DomainLogix are doing with Secs Gem communications, they have an Object Based Equipment Model communications solution. Check it out at DomainLogix.com regards Dave Bell [email protected]
 
Ron, check out the following co.s
You could have either the HMI or the PLC proived that data using the products provided by these
solutions, Open Software, common structures etc. plus custom capabilities are avail.
In own experience, have provided GEMS & SECS capabilities by hard coding variable mapping in PCM or ASCII Basic plc modules that cross ref the variables req'd from the Registers etc to the associated SECS or GEMS. Sorry can't provide code source, proprietary, but can be done easy. look to these listed companies for expert solutions. Good Luck!

Cimetrix Incorporated
http://www.cimetrix.com/
Systematic Designs International, Inc.
http://www.sdiusa.com/
 
L

Lindsey Eastburn

Hi Ronald,

I have used a product that's now integrated into the Rockwell Software HMI, RSView. The product is called GEM4Tools. You can buy it stand-alone (from The PeerGroup), and integrate it with any OPC server. Rockwell packages it with RSView and makes the creation of SECS variables tightly integrated with their tag database.

Some companies have only a SECS interface, which handles the details of the serial protocol, but the GEM portion is a bigger deal, and GEM4Tools handles it in several services that have COM interfaces and are capable of being clients to your OPC server. It uses an MS Access database core for configuration. I have used it on a few jobs now and I'm very happy.

Regards,
Lindsey Eastburn
Sr. Software Engineer -- ATS California
 
Top