Real-Time Simulation without Actual PLC

ian · January 23, 2016, 5:37pm

Is there a way to simulate PLC realtime data without actual PLC? I remember in one of the tests as integrator, there was CSV file sent to simulate such behavior. How do we do that by ourselves?

Thank you very much.

pturmel · January 23, 2016, 7:32pm

Heh, sounds familiar
Take a look at this thread.

ian · January 25, 2016, 1:51am

Hi, pturmel

Thanks! Looks like this is what I look for! Will go and check.

ian · January 26, 2016, 3:37am

Hi pturmel,

I run your project “Simulation Aids Module Demo” in my PC and I got the following error, any idea?

[quote]ERROR [ProjectTag-Designer-Startup] Error creating tag binding for client tag ‘[Client]Target’
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unknown function: ‘objectScript’
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.FunctionExpression.(FunctionExpression.java:27)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.CUP$ELParser$actions.CUP$ELParser$do_action(ELParser.java:567)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.ELParser.do_action(ELParser.java:323)
at java_cup.runtime.lr_parser.parse(lr_parser.java:569)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.ELParserHarness.parse(ELParserHarness.java:22)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.createTagBinding(ProjectTag.java:84)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.startBindingImpl(ProjectTag.java:121)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.startBinding(ProjectTag.java:111)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.ClientTagFolder.startBinding(ClientTagFolder.java:152)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTagManager.startup(ProjectTagManager.java:445)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.sqltags.impl.ClientTagManagerImpl.startup(ClientTagManagerImpl.java:155)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.IgnitionDesigner.loadProject(IgnitionDesigner.java:853)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.IgnitionDesigner$StartupProjectDialogHandler$1.run(IgnitionDesigner.java:1819)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
ERROR [ProjectTag-Designer-Startup] Error creating tag binding for client tag ‘[Client]Ramp’
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unknown function: ‘ramp’
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.FunctionExpression.(FunctionExpression.java:27)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.CUP$ELParser$actions.CUP$ELParser$do_action(ELParser.java:567)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.ELParser.do_action(ELParser.java:323)
at java_cup.runtime.lr_parser.parse(lr_parser.java:569)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.ELParserHarness.parse(ELParserHarness.java:22)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.createTagBinding(ProjectTag.java:84)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.startBindingImpl(ProjectTag.java:121)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.startBinding(ProjectTag.java:111)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.ClientTagFolder.startBinding(ClientTagFolder.java:152)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTagManager.startup(ProjectTagManager.java:445)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.sqltags.impl.ClientTagManagerImpl.startup(ClientTagManagerImpl.java:155)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.IgnitionDesigner.loadProject(IgnitionDesigner.java:853)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.IgnitionDesigner$StartupProjectDialogHandler$1.run(IgnitionDesigner.java:1819)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
ERROR [ProjectTag-Designer-Startup] Error creating tag binding for client tag ‘[Client]RampHistory’
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unknown function: ‘recorder’
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.FunctionExpression.(FunctionExpression.java:27)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.CUP$ELParser$actions.CUP$ELParser$do_action(ELParser.java:567)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.ELParser.do_action(ELParser.java:323)
at java_cup.runtime.lr_parser.parse(lr_parser.java:569)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.expressions.parsing.ELParserHarness.parse(ELParserHarness.java:22)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.createTagBinding(ProjectTag.java:84)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.startBindingImpl(ProjectTag.java:121)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTag.startBinding(ProjectTag.java:111)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.ClientTagFolder.startBinding(ClientTagFolder.java:152)
at com.inductiveautomation.factorypmi.application.sqltags.project.ProjectTagManager.startup(ProjectTagManager.java:445)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.client.sqltags.impl.ClientTagManagerImpl.startup(ClientTagManagerImpl.java:155)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.IgnitionDesigner.loadProject(IgnitionDesigner.java:853)
at com.inductiveautomation.ignition.designer.IgnitionDesigner$StartupProjectDialogHandler$1.run(IgnitionDesigner.java:1819)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)
[/quote]

This makes the Components unable to display the values they are supposed to have (screenshot attached).

pturmel · January 26, 2016, 12:56pm

[quote=“ian”][quote]Unknown function: ‘objectScript’[/quote][/quote]You didn’t load the module into your gateway, or you loaded the wrong version.

ian · January 27, 2016, 2:03am

Pardon me,

What module do I need to load? objectScript?
How do I check the version of the module loaded to be fit with the project?

Thanks!

pturmel · January 27, 2016, 2:40pm

[quote=“ian”]1. What module do I need to load? objectScript?[/quote]Simulation Aids[quote=“ian”]2. How do I check the version of the module loaded to be fit with the project?[/quote]From your gateway’s configuration web page under “Configuration” => “Modules”. That’s also where you get to the module install page (at the bottom of the list).

ian · January 28, 2016, 1:53am

That works really well. Thanks! What I previously had was “Production-Simulator” module (as it was instructed during the test to use this module). It turns out to be different module from “Simulation Aids” (I didn’t know this).

Thanks for the clarification!