KristjanHaukur (Customer) asked a question.
Best way to connect BRX to SCADA (OPC or other)
It seems like Kepware OPC server has very limited capabilities in communication with Do-More PLCs (current case BRX). Only a handful of memory types allowed, one example is that I would like to have UDT structures available directly through OPC instead of mapping all my structures to "old-style" memory locations. Is there a more elegant way to communicate between PLC and SCADA so that I have my PLC variables directly exposed on an open interface? I guess MQTT poses the same limitations and that I'd have to do a lot of PLC mapping as well?
Which Kepware driver are you using to access the BRX? AutomationDirect ECOM or Modbus Ethernet?
I was planning on using the AutomatioDirect ECOM. BRX is not an option so I guess I'll resort to using device model DL-260, this only gives me a choice between native variable types...
Picking up this thread again.
We are still stuck in legacy OPC communication between BRX and SCADA. I currently see two options:
(1) Use KepServer EX with DL-260 compatible variables (DLX, DLY, DLV etc). Main disadvantage is that I then need an extra layer of variable mapping in my PLC program.
(2) Use Modbus TCP with some Modbus OPC server. Then I also need to map all standard BRX memory to Modbus addresses (MC, MHR etc).
I would like to be able to directly integrate BRX memory addresses (X, Y, V, etc, even structures) in an OPC server.
What is the most common method of exchanging data between SCADA and BRX?
Is there not much demand for OPC communication to BRX? Who would initiate a feature request for KepWare EX? Does that come from end users, PLC manufacturers or others?
Yet another option would be to use C-More panels as OPC servers since they have all native BRX addresses available. Has this been discussed in product management?
What is the most common method of exchanging data between SCADA and BRX?
MQTT, Modbus or EIP
Is there not much demand for OPC communication to BRX? Who would initiate a feature request for KepWare EX? Does that come from end users, PLC manufacturers or others?
AD products do not have much market share and most companies are not investing to make the drivers. OPC is a bear on resources and requires high powered processors or co-processors. You could send a request to KepWare but I wouldn't expect it to go far.
Yet another option would be to use C-More panels as OPC servers since they have all native BRX addresses available. Has this been discussed in product management?
Good luck with this. C-More appears to be a stagnant product line and I wouldn't expect any significant productivity upgrades in the future. The C-More is pretty under-powered to start with and I doubt there are sufficient hardware resources to support OPC on the C-More.
As of now, if you want it to work with SCADA or HMI outside of C-More (with limited direct communication) you're stuck with mapping.
AutomationDirect - YES PLEASE! I have to use the Modbus drivers in Ignition to pull the data from BRX. Having OPC drivers to BRX would be great!
I have used Indusoft web studio now called "AVEVA Edge" on a BRX system using native protocol. I'm not 100 percent if I used UDT structures. But it's probable overkill for what you need. The software is quite nice.
Does the AVEVA Edge provide Modbus TCP to OPC connectivity? BRX should be able to convert this?