Integration of SCADA with MII , SAP and Licensing cost

[Former Member]

Hi Experts,

One of our client wants to use MII to connect their SCADA systems to MII and then later to SAP.

we would like to provide the best solution for production with low licensing cost. I have few assumptions and doubts as below.

I assume below is the flow.

MII <--> PCo <--> OPC Server <--> SCADA.

1. Is my assumption of flow is correct or I don not require OPC server?

2. what is best OPC server for large scale industry- Matricon, Kepware, OSI PI? why?

3. MII or NW cost?

4. PCo is free ?

Thanks in advance,

Eswar

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Eswar,

Please find the answer below for your questions.

1. Requirement of seperate OPC server is actually dependend on the SCADA software you are using. Sometime OPC server is installed with the SCADA software as a component. You can refer this post for better understanding.

2. It depends on the customer, on which opc they are familier. Kepware and OSI PI are used mostly, but matricon is also used.

3. MII cost is depend on the no of user your customer required. cost MII lisencing cost vary depending on the no of user. (no idea about NW)

4. PCo is freely distributed with SAP MII and no seperate lisencing is required for PCo. It comes with the same lisencing of SAP MII.

Hope it will help you,

Regards,

Suman

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Suman,

Thanks for quick reply.

1. yeah, I heard that OPC server is installed with the SCADA software as a component. I will check on this.

2. we have to suggest client on OPC server advantages one on another along with licensing costs. so please give more inputs.

Thanks, Eswar.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Some SCADA packages are SQL based (wonderware, iconics) even historians (inSQL, SimaticIT) so you can hit the DB directly with JDBC drivers. That will cut out all PCO and OPC Servers inbetween. Do you have an MII license? SAP licenses everything now like small, medium, large. That's usually the biggest cost. Everything else is peanuts. For actual value, speak wit a SAP rep. No one will give you quotes here since most of the time the cost is negotiated and depends on a lot of factors.

Kepware provides OPC 3.0 connectivity with about $1000 USD per package. your OPC server needs to be compliant with 1.2a version of the protocol, or better than that. RSLINX (from Rockwell) is usually NOT compliant and not certified - and you'll have issues in transferring WORD tags and FLOATS.

If you cheap out a good software link, what you get is an unstable solution, which will eat 10x the cost of a good software in maintenance.