Product category:
Smaller-Sized PLCs
News Release from: Copa-Data UK | Subject: Straton
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 12 October 2006
Soft PLC adds power to Scada
In a Scada application it is often necessary to execute logical operations in order to calculate interdependences between PLCs.
In a Scada application it is often necessary to execute logical operations in order to calculate interdependences between PLCs For this, independent HMI/Scada package zenOn provides a mathematics driver and support for VBA script integration
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 30 Jan 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Soft PLC supports Profinet standard
Copa-Data has released a Soft PLC that supports the Profinet standard for real time communications over Ethernet hardware.
HMI offers customised alarms for OEMs
Fully configurable alarm manager allows alarm pages to comply with given colour usage by an end user or a manufacturer.
SCADA system unveiled in Hannover
Seamless integration with the new zenOn 6.21 SCADA/HMI software enables Eplan users to automatically engineer the control and visualisation parts of the system without specialist knowledge.
If the limits of the mathematics driver are reached, or if the user is reluctant to program in VBA, Copa-Data now offers an easy and powerful solution.
The Straton IEC61131-3 soft control platform can be used as the head controller in an application.
When running as a background process, Straton takes over the complex calculations required for control tasks.
Straton has no negative effect on the zenOn runtime, ensuring the safety of the application.
The integration of Straton in zenOn results in a Scada system with integrated PLC logic, called Scada Logic.
Users of Scada Logic do not need to learn the VBA syntax, because Straton is programmed using familiar IEC61131-3 programming languages including FDB, LD, IL, ST and SFC.
A cyclic execution guarantees a valid process image for the Scada system at all times.
If required, several instances of Straton can run simultaneously to share tasks in a structured way.
Scada Logic offers other new possibilities too.
Capable of performing more than just calculations and control, Straton also offers a variety of function blocks for communication, eg TCP/IP or direct serial connections.
Thus, previously unsupported communication modes can be made available to zenOn based Scada systems.
There are also extensive possibilities for file-based data storage (eg XML) from Straton.
An exciting application of Scada Logic is the simulation of processes using PLCs in the field, allowing comparisons between the real situation and the desired situation to be made.
Deviations are recognised and can be displayed, eg as alarms in the zenOn Scada system.
Scada Logic takes advantage of the proven zenOn availability model.
The networking and operational redundancy of zenOn acts in concert with the Straton redundancy, resulting in a highly available package.
• Copa-Data UK: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
