Wonderware DDE server for Unico

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Thread Starter

Anthony Kerstens

We have Unico 68000 systems on four of our cut-to-length press lines, with Macintosh displays. I would like to investigate the possibilities in
replacing these aging Macs with more up-to-date HMI's.

In particular, I am interested in Wonderware, with which I have six years experience in a development environment. Since our budget is tight, the initial prototypes will have to be developed in-house, and unfortunately limited in functionality. However, I am hoping an initial prototype will whet appetites and open eyes as to the range of possibilities. Any nformation/advice on interfacing with Unico systems would be appreciated.

Anthony Kerstens P.Eng.
 
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Johnson Lukose

This is a first time I have heard of Macs as SCADA PCs in an industrial environment. Are there any other examples? Was it for some specific reason that a PC based system could not do?

thanks.
 
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Douglas Roth

My suspicion is you'll need to write message handling to conform with whatever protocol the Unico drive is using. The drive should have a RS232 or ethernet port with a defined protocol and message structure. You'll need this to write the parser on your new HMI end. I suspect you
don't want to invite Unico back in to write additional code for their 68000. So you can use Wonderware and build your own communication interface and message parser. Another approach, if the money is tight, is use VB or Delphi or some quick GUI builder with an integrated
Serial Comm or Winsocket object. No runtime.

~Douglas Roth
 
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Anthony Kerstens

The macs in this particular application are not what you would call SCADA systems. There merely display setpoints and operating parameters, with a small amount of recipe management. They are the BANE of my existence. I would love nothing better than to rip them out.

I'm not sure why they were originally used, but Unico has long since gone with Wonderware. They don't even support the older Mac system compilers, so I have no means of modifying what I have!!!

Anthony Kerstens P.Eng.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johnson Lukose [SMTP:[email protected]]
....
> This is a first time I have heard of Macs as SCADA PCs in an industrial
> environment. Are there any other examples? Was it for some specific
> reason that a PC based system could not do?
 
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Anthony Kerstens

Regarding my previous message on Unico 68000 systems and Wonderware, I am not interested in sales pitches. All I want is information. To those that have made pitches... Go away!:(

Anthony Kerstens P.Eng.
 
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Al Pawlowski, PE

At the risk of starting some kind of "which is better" fight, it sounds like Unico is the BANE of your existence and not the Mac's.

Could it be more a problem with availability of protocol, function mapping and interface information than with PC hardware? Will ripping
the Mac's solve your support problem? Why not just get what Unico now supports or some other system that provides the configurability you
desire.
 
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Anthony Kerstens

I'm not interested in a "which is better" fight. The other part of the problem is with the Unico equipment itself. Custom (read proprietary) equipment with eproms and a custom drive communications architecture. When tech support is called they enter passcodes into the system to, for example, modify drive parameters.

Both ends of the systems are the bane of my existence.

In the mean-time, I'll settle for a replacement for the macs. Preferably this would take the form of a Wonderware application to communicate with
the Unico system. That would be my initial wedge under the stone.

Anthony Kerstens P.Eng.
 
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