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How to I get data from my PLC? |
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Getting data from your PLC into Ignition is a two step process: add a device, add some tags. It requires you to touch both the Ignition Gateway and the Ignition Designer. There are also some limitations as to what kind of devices you can connect to Ignition and these are explained throughout the user manual, however included below is an overview of what you can expect when it comes to compatibility.
Brief summary of device connection in Ignition
Related Links OPC-UA - Overview of OPC-UA in Ignition OPC-UA Architecture - Overview of the the OPC-UA architecture in Ignition OPC-UA Server Settings - Description of the OPC-UA server settings that are configured in the Ignition Gateway ControlLogix 5500 - Ignition ControlLogix driver settings overview MicroLogix 1100/1400 - Ignition MicroLogix driver settings overview SLC 505 - Ignition SLC driver settings overview PLC-5 - Ignition PLC5 driver settings overview
Adding a device to Ignition Ignition Supported OPC-UA Device Most commonly you will be adding a device that is supported by one of the built-in device drivers. The first step is connecting your device to Ignition. This is done through the Ignition Gateway Configuration section under the OPC-UA -> Devices page.
As long as all the device information you entered was correct you should see your device in a "Connected" state. The only exception to this is if you chose to add a Siemens or Modbus device. Since these devices don't support the browsing of tags you will have to create and address some tags in the Ignition designer before the device will stop cycling from a connected to disconnected state.
If you need to address your tags for your Siemens or Modbus device you'll want to read about adding SQLTags in the Ignition Designer as well as how addressing works for the different protocols. You will have to first add a tag in the Ignition designer and then edit the OPC Item Path of the tag using the appropriate addressing scheme.
Adding Connection to 3rd Party OPC Server via OPC-UA In the case that your device does not have an Ignition driver you may use a 3rd party OPC server to connect to your device and then have Ignition connect to the server as a client. If the OPC server talks OPC-UA then you can add a new OPC-UA server connection in the Ignition Gateway. Configuration will be different depending on what OPC server you are using but the following is an example of a popular solution, connecting to KEPServer viw OPC-UA. Kepware OPC-UA Connection Guide
Adding Connection to 3rd Party OPC-Server via OPC-COM The following section provides a detailed walk through on how to connect to an OPC server using the OPC-COM module. If Ignition doesn't have a driver for your device and you don't have an OPC server that talks OPC-UA then you will have to connection using the OPC-COM module. Connecting to OPC Classic (COM)
Adding tags for Allen Bradley devices SQLTags are how Ignition represents your PLC tags. You create SQLTags in the Ignition designer and then you can use these tags to store history or display PLC data in your projects. For the most part Allen Bradley devices support browsing of tags in the PLC. There are a few exceptions like the MicroLogix 1200/1500 for which you will have to manually address your tags. For now we will focus on creating tags from devices that support browsing.
You should now see some tags in the SQLTags browser that show the current values of the respective tags in your PLC. Don't stop here. You should read through the related links below so you can learn more about SQLTags and how they work.
Related Links SQLTags Configuration Overview - This is just the overview of SQLTags and their gateway side configuration. To get a full understanding of the SQLTags system you should read the rest of the entries in the SQLTags section. What is a SQLTag? - Links to the start of the SQLTags section that deals with how SQLTags function in the Ignition Designer and how they are used in your projects.
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