PLC or OPC access in your embedded device
You are a supplier of solutions for usage in industrial plants ?
Your solution needs data from industrial controllers (plc) ?
The data possibly need to be accesible from others over OPC ?
Looking for embedded OPC, enbedded PLC or embedded database access ?
Typical applications are cloud connections, OEE data acquisition, modular MES systems and others.
All these systems can theoretically reassemble and calculate all required information with many sensors mounted on the machines.
That's a lot of work. The PLCs installed in all plants contain a great deal of prepared data.
Recalculating these with additional sensors requires at least a lot of duplication of work.
For each small adjustment to the system, several systems must be updated. Thus it is often required to use the finished data from the controllers.
Set-up times are significantly shorter and simpler. You can offer your system at a lower price.
Tani offers ready-made software handling the access to industrial controllers, devices, sensors and databases.
It offers open interfaces for all systems to which a Linux or a Windows provide.
The software is written in C/C++ and is so modular and small that it can be operated from 16 MB RAM and 32 MB Flash.
The modularity is realized via several shared objects / DLL. These libraries are loaded dynamically.
If a library is missing, the software works error-free, only the functionality provided by the library is not offered.
This allows easy adaptation even to very small devices without programming or configuration work.
All Linux versions are supported. You can also use all processor types if a Linux is offered.
The software itself is POSIX compatible.
The software almost always works as a daemon via systemd or the init scripts, it can also be started as an application.
Under Windows all Intel based versions are supported, Windows Embedded also. 32 and 64 bits.
The software works as a Windows service.
Of course, the Tani software works in parallel with your application.
Functionalitity
Extensive functions allow access to all data available in a production plant:
- Access to controllers from different manufacturers. Older components are supported also.
- Access to all OPC devices and OPC server.
- Access to controllers with different access to sensors such as scanners, printers, temperature measurement devices.
- Access to many databases.
- Integrated OPC server.
- ntegrated configurable data processing.
- Local variables. Important for data collection and statistical evaluations.
- Many assistants for easy setup at the plant.
- Many diagnoses support you during commissioning on site.
Interfaces to your application
The connection with your software can run over several interfaces:
- The open interface OpcPipe. Fast, simple, convenient, it offers all access to controllers, devices, calculated data and much more.
- Shared Memory. In principle, this memory is a data structure whose layout and functionality you define.
- Files. These can be .csv files, you can also use any text or binary data.
Text data can also be in JSON format.
Functions
You have access to controllers of the following companies
- Siemens S7 1200 / 1500. The optimized data blocks are supported, as are structures and online variable browse.
- Siemens S7 200 / 300 / 400. For symbolic addressing, the configuration software creates the symbols from the original Step7 project.
Alternatively, the well documented item syntax can be used.
- Siemens S5, the ancient classic. If drivers can be installed on your system then the old OSI/H1 is also possible.
- Rockwell Compact Logix / Control Logix. Online variable browse is supported.
- Mitsubishi MELSEC family.
- All industrial controllers that supports Modbus TCP.
- All systems that offer a OPC UA server. OPC UA offers many security functions. You can use them all.
- MQTT devices and applications. IoT often needs MQTT.
- Pure data connections. This happens with some PLC programs, but often these are sensors, scanners, printers and other devices.
PLC Engine Collect takes over the often necessary data preparation.
With the pure data connections you can exchange managed data with dynamic web sites.
All web servers are offering the necessary functions (sockets)
For databases, you can access
- MySql
- Microsoft SQL
- Cybase SQL
- Postgre SQL
- All databases which is offering an ODBC driver
This is done via the logic tables of the PLC Engine Collect.
The detailed technical data are here.
These functions are provided by the connection to your system
- Data supply if the PLC data value changes or a new error occurs.
- Read data synchronously. You rarely need this.
This is important if a value changes constantly and you rarely need the value.
- Browse the variables and their data type and access right from the PLC. Your customer needs this to set it up.
- Writing data to the controller. You can also prohibit writing in the configuration.
Configuration of OPC Server or PLC Engine Collect
The configuration is possible in several ways:
- With the graphical configuration software. This can be downloaded license-free at tanindustrie.de. You can distribute the software as you like.
As a rule, access from the PC is via the network.
In addition to configuration, extensive diagnoses are offered. This facilitates commissioning on site.
- About OPC, today the OPC UA. You can create connections to controllers via the standard OPC connections.
- By directly creating the configuration files as the configuration software does.
All files are available as plain text files. The character set is utf-8.
- Your software emulates the configuration software. This offers the same convenient options that the configuration also offers.
However, the cost of integration is higher. Technically, this works via a UNIX socket (Linux) or named pipes (Windows).
Licensing
Licensing offers several options:
- Single license. Technically, this is a software activation. For smaller quantities, this is the inexpensive way.
- Volume licenses. Good for quantities up to approx. 150 per year.
- Buyout. Pay once, use as often as you like. For large quantities.
Special connections
If none of the described above connections makes sense for you, please contact us.
Together we create a solution for you, then we implement this solution together with you.