Opc; Installing The Opc Drivers - Procentec ComBricks User Manual

Profibus data hub for repeaters and fiber optics modules

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15 OPC

OPC functionality in ComBricks is available in the following way: By opening a stream from the ComBricks

Headstation to a PC in the local network, all PROFIBUS messages are sent to this computer. This PC has

ProfiTrace running, and in ProfiTrace the OPC server is active. So the actual OPC server is inside ProfiTrace, not

in the Headstation. OPC tags can be added in the ProfiTrace OPC server, which can be read by OPC clients.

The ProfiTrace OPC Server offers a standardized interface to get the valuable ProfiTrace information such as

device status, statistics and process variables into applications that carry an OPC client, such as SCADA, Excel,

etc.

Many process or factory plants nowadays use SCADA or Asset management software to get an overview of the

production status and application alarms. However, they have no insight on the PROFIBUS health and

behaviour which could indicate a potential shutdown. This information contributes heavily to the installation

uptime.

Using ProfiTrace OPC, it is possible to get the real live state of your PROFIBUS network directly in your SCADA

system, allowing maintenance engineers and operators to react quickly to any PROFIBUS related alarms or

irregular events coming up on the screen. The opportunities are vast and we are just discovering the

possibilities what it could contribute to your asset management.

You can display ProfiTrace tags in a SCADA/HMI package or link it to an SMS/email client and sent a message

when something happens with the PROFIBUS installation or even generate your own report in MS Word/Excel.

Every application that acts as OPC client can approach the ProfiTrace tags. It does NOT corrupt the PROFIBUS

cycle time because the information comes from busmonitoring (listening).

The PC that runs ProfiTrace has to be prepared for OPC by installing the drivers (see Fig. 104).

You can install the drivers

directly from the file folders.....

Fig. 104 - Location of the OPC drivers

..... or the ProfiTrace folder in

the Start menu (easier!)

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It takes a relatively

long time to install

the drivers!

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