Siemens OPC server - latest version

D

Thread Starter

Damian

Hello,

We have just bought the latest Siemens Step 7 software and OPC server. The instructions for setting this up are not very useful unfortunately.
:(

Does anyone know of an easy step-by-step english guide to setting this up? We do not run Step 7 on the computer which will be connected to the PLC. This connection is done via TCP/IP using the PC's built in Intel Ethernet 10/100 card. The instructions say something about setting up a PC station but we can't see the need for this.

It used to be fairly easy and could all be done on an independant PC to step 7.

All help appreciated.

Regards,

Damian
 
You need to use a tool called advanced PC configuration, normally you load it as a client on the PC and then use a siemens programmer to set up the PLC and the PC and "download" the OPC configuration to both, in your case I
would imagine you have to run advanced PC configuration on the machine you are going to configure and then download over the internal interface, which you select in the S7 online options. I have not done this this way before so
I am guessing but on the simatic net cd there are manuals and instructions for doing this which I have used to do this cold on two different occasions with relative ease.

Donald P
 
You'll need to set up a PC station and configure an OPC server on the station. I've recently set up an OPC server using a CP5613 profibus card.It's fairly easy. I could email you a copy of the document that I used.
 
M

Michael Sidrak

Hello,

My name is Michael Sidrak. I am an undergraduate student at the University of Melbourne. This year, my team mates and I are working on a research project. This research project involves the replacement of analog communication from a PC to a SIMODRIVE 611U control unit, with communication through PROFIBUS.

We have purchased a CP-5613 PCI from Siemens and have received the software that accompanies the card. We have installed the card and the software but at the moment we are at a loss for where to begin.

I *think* that we might need to configure the OPC server. If there is any help you can offer us, even if it is just a starting point, it would me much appreciated. If you could also provide us with the OPC server you set up, my team and I will be very gratefull

Regards,
Michael
 
I have never worked on the Simodrive 611U Profibus link, but I have done all forms of simovert and simoreg over Profibus and without exception they have all been Profibus DP which means you need to have a Profibus DP master
configured on your PC. OPC neither provides DP master functionality in any way which could be useful here, nor any other way you could control this drive that I am aware of.

In order to achieve DP master capability on your PC, there are a number of products that could make it simple, like WinAC a soft PLC from Siemens, or there is the difficult way which will entail studying the Siemens manuals which are downloadable from the Internet and will provide you with an insight into the protocol implementation in higher level programming. You will also need to download the drive manuals which provide the details on the implementation of the VSD Profibus link, this was available for Simoreg and Simovert, I don't know about Simodrive.

Regards
Donald P
 
M

marc sinclair

Eeek!

only in acedemia could you get this far in a project before doing the design work. In the real world, as a design engineer you would expect to at least have a working system on paper before going shopping. In my experience 80% of the work is up front (research), checking specs and reading manuals, the rest is putting it together and trying to make it work :) and of course then talking to the manufacturers to see why is doesn't.

Marc
 
Top