Control.com - Nerds in Control

We wish to collect data from the Advant control system and have investigated the following possibilities:

1) IMS gateway
2) GCOM interface
3) Modbus interface

All the above methods have their disadvantages with timing, speed and CPU loading.

We wish to collect about 5000 process data which are distributed among several AC450 stations. The AC450 stations are all sitting on the Control Network on one side and the Plant network on the other side.

I am searching for any vendor or software supplier who may have an interface driver to communicate between the MB300 and a SCADA package.

Hi,

As far as I know only tools available for ABB systems are made by matricon or matrikon, I dont know if you can buy there, normally ABB is the only one where you can buy tools.

Greatings Bruno

The best vendor neutral communications protocol is OPC at present. We had to connect our AC450 controllers to different vendors IMS and tried Matrikon, but found that they required the purchase of a GCOM card for every controller and the data had to be packed into datasets to pass to the Matrikon OPC server.

ABB are now offering a suite of products under the OperateIT banner. Their HMI interface clients receive the data in OPC format, so we purchased and commissioned successfully their OPC server to generate the OPC data. The OPC server sits on the MB300 network and receives data from all nodes and translates it to OPC for our IMS system.

Regards

Bryce

This solution is very interesting. Is ABB the only vendor or or are there many others? This can help to revamp many of the older systems.
If we go for Operate IT, we have to buy the whole suite or only the OPC server?

Why don't you simply upgrade your aging workstations to our newer models. We offer faster machines both in tower and desktop configurations. We are a full service advant shop. If you have a B132, B180L 715 or other old HP 9000 series machines, we can extend your existing HMI by another 10 years of service.

Keep your operator training, configurations, maintenance training all in place. No re-engineering. Use your existing configurations, keyboards, mice, trackballs.

Operator IT requires all graphics to be converted by ABB. Average fee is about $ 80,000 and up just for conversions. Microsoft will leave visual basic in about 3 years and this will have to be done again. Upgrade your machines is the best solution for long term continuation. bob

If you are looking to revamp your older Advant Systems, it is worth a look at
http://workstationsexpress.com. They are upgrading advants around the world with excellent success.
They are a fraction of the cost to change out the control system.

We are the only Advant upgrade shop in existence.

We offer clean fast machines. Load software in 20 minutes, reboot machine in 7 minutes, restore graphics from DAT and see the directory in 17 seconds. 1/4 second graphic call up speeds.

Write to sales@workstationsexpress.com if interested and receive a free quotation.

You should look at this site and write them an email for details.
http://workstationsexpress.com

It looks like they are upgrading around the world.

Hi Bryce,

The GCOM card DSTC150 is quite expensive, around US $40K. I am currently designing a system using Matrikon's OPC server for GCOM and it is good to read the feedback.

Could you elaborate the additional benefits that comes with OperateIT as compared to OPC for GCOM? If we don't use ABB IMS station, is it possible to archive the data in databse (Oracle/SQL)

arif

I am encountering the same thing. I found Matrikon and NOVOTEK have the GCOM OPC server, Wonderware has GCOM DDE (SUITELINK) server. The GCOM protocol is support by SC530+CS513 or SC510(SC520)+CI543 for AC450.

I am interested in the OperateIT OPC solution, Does any body know more about it, the RTA board must be used?

by Frank

Hi,

If we use ABB advant system and MB300 network. we have to use RTA board from ABB to collect real time data from that network.

We have installed operateIT last time. no we want collect data from OPC server without installing OperateIT HMI. how we can do this? Can we coolect data from ABB OPC server using visual basic and store the data into database (Acces, Oracle/SQL or others)?

by idham

I use GCOM OPC server from Matrikon and try to connect to AC450, I can read all the tags AX,DX, but the values are zero (0), anyone ever had the same problem? Is it true that I have to configure something on the controller, so OPC Server can read/write to that controller? or do I have to create a dataset on the controller, can't read directly from AX, DX?

Thanks before...

I try to use GCOM OPC Server (matrikon) to connect to AC450 Controllers, I can read the tags (AX, DX), but all the values are zero (0), anyone ever had the same problem?

Is it true that I have to configure something on the controller, that controller only can communicate with that specific Net,Node?

If GCOM Card only connect to a controller, can I read/write to the other controllers (the controller link to each other).

Do I have to use Dataset, instead of read/write directly to AX or DX?

Regards,
Bambang

Hi
We recommend you use our MB 300 instead of GCOM. Then you do not have to reconfigure in ABB and you can use a standard Etthernet Card.
Please look at our web page http://www.novotek.com under products

Best regards
Goran Andersson, Novotek

Hi,

We need more details. We are facing problem with Matricon OPC server.
Please give your site address.

Thanks,
Venki

Hi Venki,

If you're still having issues with the MatrikonOPC Server for GCOM, give me a shout. You can reach me at adriel DOT michaud AT matrikon.com

Adriel Michaud
MatrikonOPC

I am using six ABB AC450 and two MP200/1. Right now i have to add a new controller that it may not be ABB. if it is not, how could i interface the new controller with the older ones via MB300/300E protocol?

If you are looking to a solution for your aging op station workstations, you might be interested in looking at this...

http://members.aol.com/advantexpress

> you might be interested in looking at http://members.aol.com/advantexpress <

This company has moved their address over to www.workstationsexpress.com