I need a little help here, I am new to Ignition , but am using the trial model to see if it provides me with information required for my decision making.
I have 3 different weighing scales setup on my production floor
They provide two simple pieces of information
Time
Weight
I have connected these weighing scales via RS-232 to a Computer and I am getting the Data feed from them.
But it is configured on a vendor software that is not too good for me.
I want to replace it with Ignition Database and use it to get reporting on timely basis.
So for example I want to see a Process Control Chart ( Time and Weight ) for different Shifts in my production schedule.
There are three shifts
Shift A- 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
Shift B - 3:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Shift C - 11:00 pm - 7:00 am
Now I want to use Ignition to Add up all the weight`s measured and provide me an accurate output information.
How do I do that ? Starting from the basics ? Like How do I connect the DEVICES , I can use the DESIGNER
What are the weigh scales and what type of scales are they connected to?
Check weigher or batch scales?
Any PLC involved?
Your best option may be to replace the weigh scales with scales that have Ethernet capabilities.
Ignition can connect directly to any weigh scale with Modbus TCP/IP driver ,such as Hardy 4050 , or Toledo IND
with this optional purchased module:
Thank you for your reply, Please see below details of weighing scale indicator
AX-Series Pelican Smart Weighing Indicator
Pelican Digital Weighing Indicator adopting high intensity interference-free single chip MPU, along with high-precision A/D conversion technique and AC/DC dual use It can be used in Platform scale, Floor Scale, and Other Weighing applications.
High Precision AD conversion. Readability is up to 1/30000
Configuration of electromagnetic compatibility protection measures
Selective Rs232 communication interface
DC-5V, Connect 1~ 6pcs. Load cells with 350 Ohms each
6 bits LED display with 7 indication signs
Dedicated adaptor: AC-110-220V, 50Hz - 60Hz, 6v/4Ahm
I talked to the Vendor, he said it is being controlled by a Microcontroller via RS-232 port.
All data input we provide is the Baud rate and other details for it to connect to the hardware.
[quote=“kilas78”]Thank you for your reply, Please see below details of weighing scale indicator
AX-Series Pelican Smart Weighing Indicator
Pelican Digital Weighing Indicator adopting high intensity interference-free single chip MPU, along with high-precision A/D conversion technique and AC/DC dual use It can be used in Platform scale, Floor Scale, and Other Weighing applications.
High Precision AD conversion. Readability is up to 1/30000
Configuration of electromagnetic compatibility protection measures
Selective Rs232 communication interface
DC-5V, Connect 1~ 6pcs. Load cells with 350 Ohms each
6 bits LED display with 7 indication signs
Dedicated adaptor: AC-110-220V, 50Hz - 60Hz, 6v/4Ahm
I talked to the Vendor, he said it is being controlled by a Microcontroller via RS-232 port.
All data input we provide is the Baud rate and other details for it to connect to the hardware.[/quote]
Do you know what this micro controller is and what it is used for besides communicating with the weigh scale?
We use Ignition quite often to communicate with and control different types of scale indicators. With Ignition there are numerous approaches to take depending on the topology of the infrastructure. In most cases we use a MOXA RSxxx to ethernet converter with a MOXA virtual comm port on the gateway. The Ignition gateway serial module is used to communicate with the MOXA converter(s) and is driven by tag scripts. Using a combination of tag change scripts and gateway tag change scripts, you can create a fairly elegant solution to handle the scale control and data manipulation/storage with a minimal amount of code; usually just a few lines of code in three to five tags.
I had a look at the manual and the description of the serial comms. Other than working out the hardware (eg. the suggested MOXA converter, or hooking it up to your pc’s serial port directly), you’ll also need to study the protocol.
I find the info provided in the manual a bit brief… challenging the least. Maybe you can ask the manufacturer for a detailed description? Often they would have that lying around but only provide it on request. I had to work through a similar issue with an instrument that was sending data out in UDP packages. In the end we managed writing a script in the Ignition gateway that listened picked up the UDP packages on a particular port and then processed the data contained within as per the manufacturer’s specifications.
Attached is the document I’m talking about as an example.
Koen makes a valid about documentation. Page 8 of the manual that was attached to the original email contains documentation for comm. It is our standard practice as part of integrating a device into a project, regardless of what is in the manual, to place a serial monitor between the device and Ignition to verify vendor provided documentation and associated comm timing. One thing to be careful of when automating weighment processing is to have a mechanism for determining scale motion to filter erroneous values. Most indicators have a motion field in the output string, or a method within the indicator to prevent comm output of readings when in motion. I am not clear if the indicator you are using has either.
I think the OP is looking for a simple ‘plug and play’ solution, and getting down to HEX codes in a byte string is not what he wants to get into. Machine level programming seems to be a lost art, how many people under 30 can express the HEX code for the SPACE character as a bit pattern?
Knowing a bit about checkweighers, there is usually a weigh scale attached to a controller, and that controller senses when product is in place and either sends a command to the weigh scale to transmit weigh data on command, or if the weigh data stream is continuous, capture the weigh data at a particular instance.
His focus should be more on connecting to the controller and not the weigh scale.
Do you want to have a Ignition client running locally near the scale (controller)? If so you can use the instrumentation module to get the serial data locally on a PC or thin-client through the client-side and insert in a database or whatever you want to do with it. Then you don’t have to have a serial server to transfer data to a virtual com port on the gateway.
Downside would be, you have to have the client application up and running at all times to gather the data.
Thank you Curlyandshemp, markdobtech, Koen and BrandonSHill.
I am lost and confused here for a bit,
I found the solution suggested by BrandonSHill somewhat understandable.
As this is only a trial to test Ignition capabilities I just want to stick with the basics.
I have the Computer already connected with the weighing scale, and there is a VENDOR SOFTWARE which is reading the data and displaying output as shown in the attached ( JPG) file.
I want to DISPLAY and STORE this DATA (DATABASE) via IGNITION , How do I do it ? , Data is already being transmitted to my Computer.
Please see attached file (Trolleys.jpg)
What I want to use Ignition is for Using this data and GENERATING REPORTS to be EMAILED to me on TIMELY basis.
Yes the Computer is RUNNING Ignition as a Client currently.
[quote=“kilas78”]Thank you Curlyandshemp, markdobtech, Koen and BrandonSHill.
I am lost and confused here for a bit,
I found the solution suggested by BrandonSHill somewhat understandable.
As this is only a trial to test Ignition capabilities I just want to stick with the basics.
I have the Computer already connected with the weighing scale, and there is a VENDOR SOFTWARE which is reading the data and displaying output as shown in the attached ( JPG) file.
I want to DISPLAY and STORE this DATA (DATABASE) via IGNITION , How do I do it ? , Data is already being transmitted to my Computer.
Please see attached file (Trolleys.jpg)
What I want to use Ignition is for Using this data and GENERATING REPORTS to be EMAILED to me on TIMELY basis.
Yes the Computer is RUNNING Ignition as a Client currently.[/quote]
No picture attached.
Perhaps the Software Vendor will give you credentials to connect to the database. This is assuming it is an open database such as MsSql or MySql. If so, then you can browse all the tables and records in the database and query whatever data you need. This too assumes the Ignition gateway can find the database PC via ethernet.
Personally, I’d say skip their software and their database (Access is a failure waiting to happen). Collect data through serial port yourself, and store it in and actual database connected to Ignition. Just need to parse the strings coming in on the serial connection to the PC.
So, write an Ignition client using the Instrumentation Module, to pull in data serially on the client PC. I’d say there are Inductive University videos to show how to do that.
Utilizamos algo similar en el proyecto ,
herramientas
Hercules SETUP utility | HW-group.com para analizar cualquier tipo de balanza
sea por medio de RS232 O TCP
probamos la cadena que devolvia la balanza
y programamos un script en el gateway , para que realize la lectura constante del peso de 6 balanza(marca SARTORIUS) le pasamos parametros en tags, para que guarde los pesos en la DB , segun los requerimientos de sistema. por producto .
SCRIPTS DESARROLLADOS . se encuentrar para su uso en el … GITHUB
y el projecto…
Tip, eh tested this equipment to convert my RS 232 or 485 EBYTE signal to receive by tcp and I do great. And it is super economical I left at $ 12 to convert my toledo balance to tcp and I connect with ignition and I make my programming logic. Uploading: image.png...
