adccommunitymod (AutomationDirect) asked a question.
Created Date: September 10,2007
Created By: CHARLIE ARNET
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I have a dl06 with an ECOM100 module. I want it to email some of my customers. But I don't know the actual IP address of their SMTP servers. How can I get the ECOM to email any ol ' Joe Blow out their in email land? EDIT ON 1-18-08 Here's what I finally did: The dl06(with ECOM100 module) is actually in a panel out in the boonies in New Jersey. The ECOM module is connected to a router. The router is connected to cellular modem. All I simply wanted to do was send an email to my client from this site when ever there was an alarm. So.... The PLC program is programmed to send my client an email using the his companies SMTP server. In other words, the email with address joeblow@hiscompany.com is sent to him via his SMTP servers address (mail.hiscompany.com). Then I had to call his IT guy and have him modify his spam filters to allow those emails to go thru. I liked this approach because the ECOM module can email my client without the need for a PC at the site running SMTP server software-it stands alone! To get somebodies SMTP server address: ping mail.hiscompany.com and the responce will include the actual IP address.
Created Date: September 11,2007
Created by: marksji
You don't need the IP addresses of their SMTP servers, just the SMTP server that you will send the mail through (ie, yours).
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: chris.zeman
There is one caveat, however. The ECOM100 isn't able to authenticate itself with an SMTP server. In other words, you 're S.O.L. if your SMTP server requires senders to authenticate themselves.
I have the utmost respect for Host Engineering, but I truly believe that it was a bad decision not to allow for SMTP authentication. I hope a future firmware upgrade will make the email feature something I can use.
I am in the process of designing a building climate monitoring and control system for our facility. I wanted to put a DL-06 with an RTD module and ECOM100 module in each building. It would handle the local control of things, but e-mail alerts to the appropriate personnel. I ordered a couple of 06s and the necessary modules, forgetting that I couldn't do SMTP authentication. We decided to go with LabJack U3 DAQ modules connected to computers running Linux instead. Oh well, the bright side is that I don't have to build 75-100 panels over the next year now. lol
Chris
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: franji1
Remember, this is embedded module, not a PC - it's not Outlook on an ECOM100.
You can actually use ANY SMTP Server. You can build an SMTP server out of an old PC w/ Linux and some Apache stuff. You don't have to use "the corporate " SMTP server.
Host should probably stick an SMTP server box out on the 'Net so everyone can use it with their ECOM100 (it will do absolutely NO authentication).
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: chris.zeman
I'll have to block Host Engineering's IP addresses from my mail servers then. http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/wink.gif I get more than my fair share of SPAM as it is.
Anyways...
I understand that it's an embedded module, but that doesn't mean it couldn't authenticate itself with an SMTP server. Heck, there are versions of Linux and Windows made for embedded platforms. I'm not suggesting that the ECOM100 module should run Embedded Linux or Windoww. My point is that the module is able to communicate with an SMTP server. There's nothing stopping it from authenticating itself with the SMTP server. Well, other than the firmware anyways.
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: franji1
Originally posted by chris.zeman:
Well, other than the firmware anyways.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: chris.zeman
Exactly. So why couldn't a future firmware revision allow for this? This topic has come up several times since the ECOM100 was released, and there have also been several firmware revisions.
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: marksji
How difficult would it be to get some junk parts together and setup your own SMTP server just for the ECOM100s to send mail through? The server could sit inside the firewall so no risk of becoming a SPAM source would exist...
Though honestly it would be nice to see SMTP auth available on the ECOM100; I for one won't run my SMTP without auth required...
Created Date: September 12,2007
Created by: chris.zeman
It wouldn't be difficult at all. In fact, I currently have a couple web servers that I operate, but that's not the point. It just seems that something so simple as SMTP authentication should have been included in a module that can send email. There aren't many open SMTP servers out there, nor many system administrators that are dumb enough to run them. http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/smile.gif
The solution in this case was simple anyways...Run Linux boxes with USB DAQ modules, don't build 75-100 PLC panels, and save at least $100K on the entire project. We 're getting all the PCs from our IT department once they replace them this winter. We just need to buy about $250 worth of hardware per building now. http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/smile.gif
It's not a big deal. I just won't use a PLC when I have an application that needs email capabilities. I guess it just kind of falls under one of my pet peeves...lazy programming. http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/smile.gif I hate it when I see people decide not to incorporate something into their program because they don't want to program an extra 10 lines of code. I REALLY hate it when I see people write a program that performs a specific function without performing any sort of "checking " to be sure that everything is right.
I just saw this happen to a web hosting company as a matter of fact. They had a cron job run that would have failed if they had written an extra function in to perform a check, but instead the script started deleting a few hundred-thousand domain entries from their database. It took quite a bit of effort to recover from that one.
Created Date: September 13,2007
Created by: franji1
Remember, this is an ECOM100 module, not a PC w/Outlook.
How elaborate does a full email client need to be?
What features need to be there to hit 100% of the customers ' needs?
Some may want encryption
Some may want to attach files
Some may want notification within the PLC of when the email was opened by the recipient.
Some may want to flag the email priorities
Some may want BCC: support
This is just the stuff off the top of my head.
We have 105 characters. This is an ECOM100. We wanted a feature that people could use easily. Sending EMail from a PLC is a HUGE enabling technology! Remember, most PLC people don't even know what an SMTP server is - they think the ECOM100 just sends the email.
If it works, great. If it doesn't work due to authentication, set up an old PC as an SMTP server w/Linux and Apache.
I'm not saying we won't add authentication (it's on our "to do " list), but there are hundreds of features we must balance when/how/how much, and what possible work arounds are truly available.
BTW, we 've tabled the holographic user interface for Rel 13 http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/wink.gif
Created Date: September 13,2007
Created by: chris.zeman
Again, a device doesn't need to be a PC w/Outlook to do authentication. I have a co-worker that uses embedded controllers from Rabbit Semiconductor that authenticates with my server to send email. It works great. http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/smile.gif
I'm not saying that the ECOM100 should have the full capabilities of an email client. It should include the simple ability to authenticate with an SMTP server if it's designed to send email anyways.
I already have a fully operational web server here. I don't want to set up another one just to accomodate for control hardware that lacks a feature when I have the option of using other control hardware that will work with the infrastructure already in place.
BTW, we 've tabled the holographic user interface for Rel 13
What's that you say? http://forum1.automationdirect.com/board/smile.gif