TOP Server UCON: Integrating Your Non-Standard Devices

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TOP Server UCON Integrating Your Non-Standard
Devices
Presenter Kevin Rutherford, Senior Applications
Engineer
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Agenda

• Overview of User Configurable Solutions
• TOP Server UCON Key Features/Benefits
• Protocol Creation with UCON
• Live UCON Demo
• UCON Commands/Settings
• Protocol Creation Barcode Walkthrough
• UCON Case Study Real World Success
• Summary / QA

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How Do You Get Plant Floor Data at Your
Fingertips?

• What Types of Devices Are On Your Plant Floor?
• PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Modbus, Siemens, Fanuc)
• DCS Systems
• Other Systems/Devices With a Standard Protocol
• Standard I/O Servers for Standard Protocols
• What If You Have Devices with a Non-Standard
  Protocol?
• No Standard I/O Servers for Non-Standard Protocols

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Real World DevicesA Zoo of Non-PLC Hardware
iFIX PDB
Custom/Other Applications
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Real World Excellence is Not Possible with
Traditional Solutions

• Traditional Solutions for Non-Standard Device
  Connectivity
• Custom Driver Development
• Interface Device to a PLC (Basic Module)
• Pick Device that Integrates with Your Existing
  Standards
• Manual Data Entry/Collection
• Abandon Integration Entirely

• Traditional Solutions Are
• Expensive
• Error prone
• Unreliable
• Inflexible
• Hard to Maintain
• High Risk

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Every Industry Faces Integration Challenges
So How Do You Address Such Integration Challenges?

• Food Beverage
• Barcoding, RFID, Printers, Weigh Scales
• Pharmaceutical
• Serialization, Barcode, RFID, Weigh Scales
• Packaging
• Barcode, Printers, RFID, Weigh Scales
• Power Generation
• Emissions Monitoring equipment
• The Lists/Examples Number in the Thousands

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Real World Excellence Demands New Device
Integration Solutions

• New Approaches Result In
• Lower Engineering Costs
• Lower Risks
• Flexibility
• Business Decisions using Real Data

• New Challenges
• Product Traceability
• Customer Demands/Expectations
• Regulatory Requirements
• New Approaches
• Dont Integrate Not an Option
• Leverage Existing Standards (i.e. OPC)
• Leverage Off-the-Shelf Tools
• Leverage the Experience of Others
• Custom Code/Applications are a Last Resort

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User Configurable DriversFlexible,
Off-the-Shelf Solutions
OPC
Suitelink
User Configurable OPC IO Server
DDE
RS-232/422/485 Or Ethernet
Any of the thousands of devices that you must
integrate with
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TOP Server UCONKey Features / Benefits

• Key Features
• Use in your TOP Server with other standard
  drivers SINGLE interface
• Serial and Ethernet
• Solicited and Unsolicited
• Key Benefits
• Flexible Data Parsing
• Fixed Length
• Delimited Data
• By Specified Length Byte
• Scripting Based Parsing
• Conditional Processing
• Powerful Diagnostics
• Protocol / Channel
• OPC
• Verbose Event Log
• Saves You Money in Design Startup

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Example Protocols
Barcode Scanner
Weigh Scale
Modbus RTU
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Interpretation of Protocol Commands

• Engineer Defines Once
• Command Format to Send to Device (if necessary)
• What Format of Device Response Looks Like (if
  applicable)
• Where Desired Data is in Response

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TOP Server

• Live Demonstration
• Common Commands / Settings
• Protocol Walkthrough Barcode Scanner

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Case Study BHP Billiton/Mozal

• System Platform 3 w/ InTouch 9.5
• Saveway Weigh Scales
• Metals Mining Industry
• Implemented in lt 1 day of effort

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Steps to Success w/ UCON

• Obtain Protocol Documentation for Your Device
• Look for Available Message Samples
• Determine Specific Commands Needed
• Know What Data You Need to Read/Write
• Start Simply to Prove Connectivity
• Contact Us!
• Complimentary Protocol Evaluations
• Tips Recommendations for Getting Started

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Contact Information Other Learning Opportunities

• Questions later?
• Kevin Rutherford
• krutherford_at_softwaretoolbox.com
• 888-665-3678 or 704-849-2773
• support_at_softwaretoolbox.com
• www.toolboxopc.com/html/ucon1.html
• www.softwaretoolbox.com
• Other learning opportunities
• Visit www.softwaretoolbox.com/webinars