MII 12 and PCo 2.2 connections

[Former Member]

This is my first whack at PCo so please be kind.

I am attempting to implement PCo 2.2 (Version 2.203.1195.1058 Patch level 32808) with a client's MII 12 (Version 12.0.12 Build(9)) application. For testing I have confitured a Matrikon OPC Simulator server and connected to it with PCo. Eventually we will be connecting to RSLinx which will be another problem given the lack of the ability to browse tags in RSLinx.

I have selected some tags from the Simulator and configured them as Subscription Items in PCo. It allowed me to browse the tag list on the Simulation server and select the tags without a problem. On the MII side I have successfully configured the Data Server as a UDC server and the status shows as good. In the Workbench I have attempted to create some tag queries with the following results:

When I create a tag query and select the Mode as ModeList and test the query I get a list of Modes as expected.

When I create a tag query and select the Mode as TagList I get no values returned.

When I create a tag query and select the Mode as Current and go to the Tag Query Details Template Category I can see the Available Groups from the simulator. When I select a group called "Simulation Items" I get a list of tag groups. When I select a group I get a list of tags in the Available Tags box. However, this is a complete listing from the simulator group, not the subscription items defined in PCo. Shouldn't I only see subscribed tags?

So, I select a couple of tags (type Integer and Real) that I had listed as Subscribed Items in PCo and test the query. I didn't make any other changes to the default values for the other Template Categories in the query. The returned data set shows "0" for the value of each tag though the tag values are actually randomly generated and non zero in the MatrikonOPC Explorer I am using to monitor the tags.

Why am I getting no values in my TagList query?

Why am I getting no values in my Current query of tags that are subscribed and show current values? Why do I see tags that are not Subscription Items? This becomes a particular issue when I have to connect to the RSLinx server since I will not be able to browse the tag list but only use Subscription Items.

I know I must have missed something obvious but I don't know what it might be.

[Former Member]

OK, got it working with the Matrikon Simulator. Now on to RSLinx.

Can't see the tags and they don't work if manually input.

When setting up aliases it will not accept a data type, it just keeps blanking it out.

Whatsup?

[former_member196557]

Sparks,

For now, enter the Alias items without the datatype and then see if you can browse the alias from MII.  I have seen that behaviour as well when creating alias tags from browsing OPC servers, as well as manually entering tags.

Regards, Steve

[Former Member]

It will not let me save the aliases without a data type.

I think the problem is that it is actually erroring when it tries to browse the tag name in the OPC server to verify it as a valid tag. I was doing some testing with the notification function to launch a transaction in MII when a tag value changed and found that Java functions called SAP.Manufacturing.Connectivity.Agents.Opc.Da2Browser.GetItemProperties, SAP.Manufacturing.Connectivity.Agents.Opc.Da2Browser.Query, and SAP.Manufacturing.Connectivity.Agents.Opc.Da.OpcDaAgent.RecursiveBrowse  were generating COM errors in the logs whenever the trigger was activated. I assume this occurred when PCo attempted to verify the trigger tag because the trigger never reached MII. It is encouraging that  a change in the value of the trigger tag was noted as configured by PCo before the functions failed.

It all seems to point back to the problem in browsing tag lists with RSLinx. I've tested PCo with a Matrikon OPC Simulator and everything in PCo works great. Oddly enough the Matrikon OPC Explorer has no problems browsing tags on the RSLinx OPC server. But PCo cannot seem to communicate with the RSLinx OPC server. I would have expected PCo to have at least the connectivity of the Matrikon OPC Explorer, a free "universal" OPC tag browser.

Surely there isn't a bug in PCo when connecting to the OPC product of one of the largest PLC manufacturers in the world. It isn't as if RSLinx is a niche product. I figure that I must be missing something.

Any ideas?

[former_member196557]

Sparks,

We are aware of the issue with PCo browsing OPC Tags in RSLinx, bur do not have a resolution yet.

For the short term,  the easiest way to get PCo/MII to work with RSLinx:

1.  For MII Tag Queries,
     a. Use UDS 4.0 to create an alias of all the tags of interest, making sure that either VarChar, Integer, or Double data type is assigned to each.
     b. Import the Alias file from UDS (<install path>\Aliases) into PCo.
     c. Set the Agent Instance Query mode to Alias
     d. You CANNOT edit the data types of the Alias tags after import, so they must be set as per 1.a above before importing.  Boolean values must be assigned an Integer data type, 'Other' will not import correctly.
2. For PCo Notifications
     a. Manually enter the RSLinx tag names in the Subscription Items for the Agent Instance prior to creating the Agent Instance Notifications.

Regards, Steve

[Former Member]

Thanks Steve. Does the same issue exist with any of the previous versions of PCo? Is there any advantage to moving to an older version?

[former_member196557]

Sparks,

Older versions of PCo have the same issue.

Regards, Steve

[Former Member]

Thanks for the excellent response. If I could find the links to mark this thread answered I would express my complete satisfaction with your answers.

I find it surprising that this issue would go unresolved for so long. Perhaps SAP could license some OPC code from Matrikon. They seem to have no problem with RSLinx.

[agentry_src]

Hi Sparks,

Try opening the Discussion in a separate tab.  i.e. Right click on the title of the Discussion and select "Open in new tab".  This should enable your ability to mark the Discussion as Answered and award points appropriately.

Regards, Mike

[former_member196557]

Sparks,

The next release of PCo, 2.3, is in Beta now and enters Ramp Up in November 2012.  It fully supports OPC Tag browsing for Rockwell OPC Server.  Please feel free to contact me directly for more information.

Regards, Steve