Connecting The Df65 To An Hmi; Opc (Ole For Process Control) - Foundation Logic View Configuration Manual

LogicView Configuration Manual

Connecting the DF65 to an HMI

3.100
8 - Return to the Network Page and continue the configuration update.
Connecting a host computer to one or more DF65s can be done using a serial port or an Ethernet
adapter. Variables/parameters acquisition can be done with standard Modbus/RTU or Modbus/TCP
drivers that work directly with the software application to act as an HMI.
Another technique is to select HMI ready to work as an OPC client based only on variable Tags and
then install the DF65 OPC server to directly communicate with the DF65 units. See more
information on both processes below.

OPC (OLE for Process Control)

What is OPC?
OPC is a widely accepted industry standard. It is a client-server technology for interchanging
parameter values between applications. It also makes device variables available in a standard way
where multiple clients can simultaneously access them. Regardless of whether the server is located
in the same workstation or remotely over a Microsoft network. OPC technology runs on Windows NT
or Windows 2000.
Benefits for the DF65
The OPC technology enables a single distributed Fieldbus database to be shared among
workstations, eliminating inconsistencies. After the configurations for all of the DF65s in the system
have been created and debugged, all of the variable tags, their corresponding CPU addresses and
Modbus reference addresses are exported as a "Tag List" to the DF65 OPC server.
The DF65 OPC server has all of the information needed to access any Tag on the corresponding
DF65 and therefore provide all of the parameters/variables based solely on their tag for requisitions
coming from the OPC client. Considering this fact, neither the user nor the HMI software needs to
deal with addresses anymore but only with Tags!
This means the system becomes completely transparent, and the user should no longer worry about
addresses at all.
Even if the Modbus register addresses change due to configuration modifications, it does not affect
the OPC clients. Therefore no reconfiguration is required because the OPC client should always
refer to a variable through its Tag and not its address.
In case the configuration changes, a new Tag List must be recompiled and registered to the DF65
OPC server again. This task is very fast and can be accomplished in a matter of minutes.
Fig 3.146- After the Send button