Did anyone try to use activeX component (*.ocx) in Ignition.i have third party activex software .i need to know how can i import this OCX in ignition??
The ActiveX control should be relatively easy to use. You just need to provide the PROGID or CLSID and potentially the OLE verb for it. Your control should have that info (or in the case of the CLSID you can find it in the registry.)
Are you getting an error while trying to use it?
Dear Robert,
Thanks for your advise.
i look to the software and i found CLSID. but i can’t assign any tag or any Properties for this active-X.
i used this Activex industrialgadgets.com/html/digitals.html with different Scada and it’s working fine.
- after i defined CLSID in designer .the component appeared after i toggled to preview mode.
- Second thing each activex(CLSID) have a lot of Buttons but only one button appeared.
- i can’t go to Activex Properties to assign tag or change color…ect.
Activex CLSID support.softwaretoolbox.com/app/ … 04bA%3D%3D
Please advise
Tamer
That looks like a pretty interesting ActiveX pack, good find. Unfortunately you can’t pass tag values into your ActiveX control, there is no mechanism for it. All ActiveX controls you add to Ignition have to be self contained so this one won’t work how you think it will with Ignition.
Is this an Ignition development delay or a Java limitation?
I have used these tags a lot with Wonderware Intouch. They ARE sweet.
(I was using Symbol Factory components when Reichard Software (reichard.com) was the sole distributor, and he only did components for Wonderware Intouch…I believe Software Toolbox has some sort of deal with Reichard to sale his development work.)
I will be using The OPC-UA server from Software Toolbox for communicating between Ignition and GE 90-30 PLC using GE SRTP TCP/IP Ethernet. (It is a shame Inductive Automation has not yet added GE PLC I/O servers to their OPC server. 
)
Truthfully, the ActiveX Modules’ development is a pretty low priority for us. It’s pretty much supplied as-is; I wouldn’t expect any modifications to be made to it any time soon.
As for new drivers, we’re always open to suggestions for more protocols to support! Also, it looks like at least some of GE’s devices in the line you mentioned support modbus, which we do have a driver for (as long as it’s TCP or RTU over TCP). It may be worth it to investigate that route.
A bit more about ActiveX:
You’re right that Java and ActiveX don’t play well together. And that’s putting it lightly. I would not recommend anyone base a project on it: it’s just not stable enough.
We offer the ActiveX module for free because we can’t support it due to underlying technology issues. The OCX is a dying format anyway: ActiveX has no future.
[quote=“michael.stofan”]Truthfully, the ActiveX Modules’ development is a pretty low priority for us. It’s pretty much supplied as-is; I wouldn’t expect any modifications to be made to it any time soon.
As for new drivers, we’re always open to suggestions for more protocols to support! Also, it looks like at least some of GE’s devices in the line you mentioned support modbus, which we do have a driver for (as long as it’s TCP or RTU over TCP). It may be worth it to investigate that route.[/quote]
It is a royal pain to talk modbus to a GE PLC…been there done that.
It takes about 6 rungs to “open a conversation”, then 6 rungs to “read or write” (which makes 12 to do each way), then 6 more to “close a conversation” all this using plc “Comm Request” functions.
It has to be done in words so everything has to be sequential, analog is one thing but discrete is quite another. It does not support ASCII strings.
You have to designate a register storage area for what you want to read and write, then move from there to where you want to use it in the logic.
I really feel you should support GE SRTP TCP/IP Ethernet. GE SNP is about dead, Ethernet is the up and coming comm platform, as we all know. There are tons of GE “Aircraft/Aerospace” facilities and “Land Based Turbine” (for power generation) facilities using GE engines all over the world. GE requires GE components on all their supplied equipment.
That’s a great request, I’ll be sure it gets into the proper channels!
Thanks…