I need to setup RS232 com port communications to nine SCADAPack 100s thru a SCADAWave interface module. Will I need a SCADAPack OPC-DA interface software and OPC-DA license module for Ignition to see the devices?
Or do you know of an easier way to set up coms to them?
If there’s an OPC server for the SCADAPack stuff (the OPC-DA interface you mention) then using our DA/COM module to access it is certainly going to be the easiest and most straight-forward way to get the data you need.
I haven’t messed with SCADAPacks in a while, but it from what I recall, they offer Modbus communications. If that is the case, you may be able to use a Modbus TCP to RTU converter, or I believe add the Serial module to Ignition and set up a Modbus RTU connection that way.
I can’t fine an OPC server for the SCADAPacks. Do you know where I can find it? I talked with SCADAPack tech support and he said, “I wish I know more about OPC but I don’t”. LOL
If I use the ethernet to serial converter, how do I point to each of the nine SCADAPack thru one ethernet IP address?
It will depend on the converter. Some I have used allow the TCP end to specify which RTU address it is attempting to talk to.
Do you know a model/part # for the converter that allows you to specify RTU addresses before I spend $200 to find out?
We have customers successfully using these to convert from Modbus RTU to TCP:
moxa.com/product/MGate_MB3170_3270.htm
moxa.com/product/MGate_MB3180_3280_3480.htm
This is working now but I have another problem that is related to the original question.
Now that i’m polling the data, I’m getting dropped data updates do to the latency of the SCADAPack response time for the 9 radios.
How do I slow the polling rate or hold the tag value to prevent the tag from going red until the HMI gets new data/value? Or show the tag value is good for some time period like 5 minutes?
This is working now but I have another problem that is related to the original question.
Now that i’m polling the data, I’m getting dropped data updates do to the latency of the SCADAPack response time for the 9 radios.
How do I slow the polling rate or hold the tag value to prevent the tag from going red until the HMI gets new data/value? Or show the tag value is good for some time period like 5 minutes?
The polling rate is going to be controlled by the scan class your tags from these devices are in. You might want to make a separate, slower, scan class and move these tags into it.
I would create a separate scan class for each of the remote sites and assign all the tags for that remote site to that site’s scan class. Although I’m not that versed in the Modbus protocol or in how Ignition is implementing the protocol, this should allow Ignition to grab all the data from a remote site in one block, which is more efficient than making multiple requests to the same site.