Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server User`s Guide

Wonderware Reliance Automax
PC Link I/O Server
User’s Guide
Revision I
December 1997
Wonderware Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of this documentation shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Wonderware Corporation. No
copyright or patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained
herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this documentation,
the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
The information in this documentation is subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Wonderware Corporation. The software described in
this documentation is furnished under a license or nondisclosure agreement. This software
may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of these agreements.
Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
 1997 Wonderware Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
100 Technology Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
U.S.A.
(714) 727-3200
http://www.wonderware.com
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have
been appropriately capitalized. Wonderware Corporation cannot attest to the accuracy of
this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity
of any trademark or service mark.
Wonderware is a registered trademark of Wonderware Corporation.
Wonderware FactorySuite, InTouch, WindowMaker, WindowViewer, SQL Access
Manager, Recipe Manager, SPC Pro, DBDump, DBLoad, HDMerge, HistData,
Wonderware Logger, InControl, InTrack, InBatch, IndustrialSQL, FactoryOffice, Scout,
SuiteLink, and NetDDE are trademarks of Wonderware Corporation.
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Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................1
Communication Protocols .........................................................................................1
Accessing Remote Items via the I/O Server ..............................................................3
Installing the Reliance PC Link Interface Card ................................................................4
EMM Exclude ...........................................................................................................5
Configuring the I/O Server ...............................................................................................6
Configuring an Adapter Card............................................................................................7
Adapter Card Settings................................................................................................7
AUTOMAX Adapter Settings ...................................................................................8
Saving the I/O Server’s Configuration File.....................................................................10
Save Configuration ..................................................................................................10
Saving Multiple Configuration Files........................................................................10
Configuring a Topic Definition ......................................................................................11
Topic Definition ......................................................................................................11
AUTOMAX Topic Description...............................................................................12
Configuring the I/O Server Settings................................................................................14
Server Settings.........................................................................................................14
Accessing I/O Server Help .............................................................................................16
Contents...................................................................................................................16
How to Use Help .....................................................................................................16
About AUTOMAX..................................................................................................16
Item Names.....................................................................................................................17
Monitoring the Status of Communications with a PLC...................................................18
Using the Status Item in Excel.................................................................................18
Monitoring the Status of Communications with InTouch ...............................................18
Using DDEStatus and IOStatus in Excel .................................................................18
Reading Values from the I/O Server into Excel..............................................................19
Writing Values to the I/O Server from Excel..................................................................20
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems..................................................21
Debugging Communication Between InTouch and an I/O Server...........................21
Debugging Communication Between SuiteLink and an I/O Server.........................23
Debugging Communication Between an I/O Server and a PLC ..............................24
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Table of Contents
1
Wonderware Reliance
Automax PC Link I/O Server
Introduction
The Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server (referred to as the server
through the remainder of this user’s guide) is a Microsoft Windows application
program that acts as a communication protocol server. It allows other Windows
application programs access to data within the Reliance Automax PC Link PLCs (also
referred to as devices). The Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server requires the use of a
Reliance PC Link interface card (also referred to as S-S 5136-REL card or a S-S 5136RE2 card) to communicate with Reliance Automax DCS networks. While the server is
primarily intended for use with Wonderware InTouch (version 3.01 and later), it may
be used by any Microsoft Windows program capable of acting as a DDE, FastDDE, or
SuiteLink client.
Communication Protocols
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) is a communication protocol developed by Microsoft to
allow applications in the Windows environment to send/receive data and instructions
to/from each other. It implements a client-server relationship between two concurrently
running applications. The server application provides the data and accepts requests
from any other application interested in its data. Requesting applications are called
clients. Some applications such as InTouch and Microsoft Excel can simultaneously be
both a client and a server.
FastDDE provides a means of packing many proprietary Wonderware DDE messages
into a single Microsoft DDE message. This packing improves efficiency and
performance by reducing the total number of DDE transactions required between a
client and a server. Although Wonderware's FastDDE has extended the usefulness of
DDE for our industry, this extension is being pushed to its performance constraints in
distributed environments.
NetDDE extends the standard Windows DDE functionality to include communication
over local area networks and through serial ports. Network extensions are available to
allow DDE links between applications running on different computers connected via
networks or modems. For example, NetDDE supports DDE between applications
running on IBM compatible computers connected via LAN or modem and DDE-aware
applications running on non-PC based platforms under operating environments such as
VMS and UNIX .
SuiteLink uses a TCP/IP based protocol and is designed specifically to meet industrial
needs such as data integrity, high-throughput, and easier diagnostics. This protocol
standard is only supported on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or higher.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
SuiteLink is not a replacement for DDE, FastDDE, or NetDDE. The protocol used
between a client and a server depends on your network connections and configurations.
SuiteLink was designed to be the industrial data network distribution standard and
provides the following features:
• Value Time Quality (VTQ) places a time stamp and quality indicator on all data
values delivered to VTQ-aware clients.
• Extensive diagnostics of the data throughput, server loading, computer resource
consumption, and network transport are made accessible through the Microsoft
Windows NT operating system Performance Monitor. This feature is critical for the
scheme and maintenance of distributed industrial networks.
• Consistent high data volumes can be maintained between applications regardless if
the applications are on a single node or distributed over a large node count.
• The network transport protocol is TCP/IP using Microsoft’s standard WinSock
interface.
Introduction
3
Accessing Remote Items via the I/O Server
The communication protocol addresses an element of data in a conversation that uses a
three-part naming convention that includes the application name, topic name and item
name. The following briefly describes each portion of this naming convention:
application name
The name of the Windows program (server) that will be
accessing the data element. In the case of data coming from
or going to Reliance Automax Distributed Control System
network equipment via this server, the application portion of
the address is AUTOMAX.
topic name
Meaningful names are configured in the server to identify
specific devices. These names are then used as the topic
name in all conversations to that device. For example,
PCL1.
Note You can define multiple topic names for the same
device (PLC) to poll different points at different rates.
item name
A specific data element within the specified topic. For
example, when using this server, an item can be a relay,
timer, counter, register, etc., in the PLC.
Note The item/point names are predefined by the server.
The term "point" is used interchangeably with the term
"item" in this user's guide.
$ For more information on item/point names, see the "Item
Names" section later in this user's guide.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Installing the Reliance PC Link Interface Card
Install the Reliance PC Link interface card according to the instructions provided by
Reliance (Reliance Instruction Manual J2-3011-2). A 16K range of memory addresses
that are not used by other devices must be identified in the computer. Because of a
feature unique to the Reliance PC Link interface card, more than one Reliance PC Link
interface card can be installed in the same 16K memory range. The following address
ranges are typical; but PC compatibles vary. The best candidate is indicated by an
asterisk (*).
Memory Range
0000 - A000
A000 - B000
B000 - B800
B800 - C000
C000 - C400
C000 - C800
C800 - D000
*D000 - E000
E000 - F000
F000 - FFFF
Typical Use
System memory; do not use.
Graphic video display memory; do not use.
Monochrome display memory; may be used if the computer is a
color-only system.
Color display memory; may be used if the computer is a
monochrome-only system.
EGA BIOS; do not use if the display controller is an EGA.
VGA BIOS; do not use if the display controller is a VGA.
Sometimes used for video cards; use with caution.
Usually available. Be sure to avoid conflicts with other cards such as
network adapters.
Sometimes used by the System BIOS; use with caution.
System BIOS; do not use.
The Reliance PC Link interface card also requires an 8-byte range of I/O addresses that
are not used by other devics. The I/O address must be unique for each Reliance PC
Link interface card in the computer; it CANNOT be shared with another Reliance PC
Link interface card. The following I/O addresses are typically available.
Note The item/point names are predefined by the server. For more information on
item/point names, see "Item Names" later in this user’s guide. The term "point" is used
interchangeably with the term "item" in this user’s guide.
Note Refer to the user manual for the specific computer being used to select a range
that is available.
I/O Range
Availability
200 - 21F
220 - 26F
280 - 2DF
2E0 - 2EF
PS/2
AT, PS/2
AT, PS/2
PS/2
Note The server requires the Reliance PC Link interface card to be used without
interrupts. SW1 bits 1-3 must be set to the OFF position.
Installing the Reliance PC Link Interface Card
EMM Exclude
Not required for Windows NT operating system.
The PC Link card is memory mapped and uses I/O points making it necessary to defeat
the Windows memory scan that is utilized to find unused memory. To do this, using a
text editor program, modify the SYSTEM.INI file located in the Windows directory.
Open the SYSTEM.INI file and locate the [386Enh] section. Insert an EMMExclude
statement as shown below:
[386Enh]
EMMExclude=D000-D7FF
If using more than one Reliance PC Link interface card with memory addresses, use
multiple EMMExclude statements:
EMMExclude=D000-D7FF
EMMExclude=D800-DFFF
Note: The Reliance PC Link interface card has 32K bytes of memory making its range
X to X+7FF. For example, D000-D7FF.
5
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Configuring the I/O Server
Once the server has been installed, a small amount of configuration is required.
Configuring the server automatically creates a configuration file named,
AUTOMAX.CFG. This file stores the configuration information for the adapter cards
or communication ports and all of the topic definitions (described in detail later).
The configuration file is automatically saved to the directory in which the server is
installed unless a different directory is specified.
To perform the required configurations, start up the server by
double-clicking on its icon. If the server starts up as an icon,
double-click on the icon to open the server's window.
To access the options used for the various configurations, open the Configure menu:
To perform the required configurations, start up the server by double-clicking on its
icon. If the server starts up as an icon, double-click on the icon to open the server's
window.
Note If any of the options appear grayed, then these options are not available with this
software version.
Configuring an Adapter Card
7
Configuring an Adapter Card
Use the Adapter Card Settings option from the Configure menu to create new, modify,
or delete adapter card definitions. When this option is selected, the Adapter Card
Settings dialog box will appear:
Adapter Card Settings
Note After an adapter card has been configured, the name will be listed in the Adapter
Cards section of the dialog box.
Click on this button to close the dialog box and accept any new definitions,
modifications or deletions made.
To modify or view an existing adapter card’s definition, select its name in the list and
click on this button. The AUTOMAX Adapter Card Settings dialog box (described
below) will appear displaying the card’s settings.
To delete an existing adapter card definition, select its name in the list and click on this
button. (A message box will appear prompting you to confirm the deletion.)
To add a new adapter card, click on this button. The AUTOMAX Adapter Card
Settings dialog box will appear:
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
AUTOMAX Adapter Settings
Enter an unique name in the displayed format to identify the S-S 5136-REL card.
Enter the amount of time (in seconds) that all PLC's connected via this adapter card will
be given to reply to commands from the server.
Enter a drop number in this field that will be written to the S-S 5136-REL card when it
is initialized.
Note This drop number must not conflict with other drops in the network.
Enter the drop depth in this field that will be written in the S-S 5136-REL card when it
is initialized.
Enter the I/O address assigned to this card. (This entry must match the I/O address
defined for the card when it was initialized.)
Enter the memory address assigned to this card. This entry must not conflict with shared
memory resources already assigned to other devices.
Configuring an Adapter Card
Click Select File to open the Select Firmware File dialog box.
Select the firmware file to be used, then click OK.
Load File, which was initially grayed, becomes enabled when the Select File is
selected.
Enable this option to select the Firmware embedded in the server itself.
Click this button to close the dialog box and save the configuration settings.
Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving any changes. The Adapter Card
Settings dialog box will reappear:
Click Done to close the dialog box.
Note If this is the first configuration performed for the server, the Save Configuration
dialog box will appear prompting you to save the configuration file.
9
10
Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Saving the I/O Server’s Configuration File
If a configuration file does not currently exist in the configuration file directory, the
server will automatically display the Save Configuration dialog box:
Save Configuration
This field displays the drive\directory into which the server will save the current
configuration file. To save the configuration file to a different directory, enter the path
for that directory in this field.
This option is selected and disabled on initial entry to the Save Configuration dialog
box. This field becomes active if the Configuration File Directory is changed. Once
enabled, selecting this option will record a new Configuration File path in the WIN.INI
file. This option allows the server to find its configuration file automatically each time it
is started.
Note When the server initially starts up, it attempts to locate its default configuration
file by first checking the WIN.INI file for a previously specified path. If a path is not
present in the WIN.INI file, the server will assume that the current working directory is
to be used.
Click Defaults to reset the settings to their default values without saving changes.
Click OK to save the configuration file to the specified directory.
Saving Multiple Configuration Files
There is no limit to the number of configuration files that you can create as long as they
are saved in separate directories. This allows you to have multiple configuration files
that can be accessed by using a special switch (/d:). For example, to start the server
using a configuration file located in a different directory, click the Start button on the
taskbar, then choose Run and enter the following in the Open combo box:
AUTOMAX /d:c:\directoryname
Configuring a Topic Definition
11
Configuring a Topic Definition
Use the Topic Definition option from the Configure menu to create new, modify, or
delete topic definitions. One or more topic definitions must exist for each PLC that the
server will communicate with. Each topic definition must contain a unique name for the
PLC associated with it. When this option is selected, the Topic Definition dialog box
will appear:
Topic Definition
Note Once topics have been defined, their names will be listed in the Topics section of
this dialog box.
Click this button to close the dialog box and accept any new definitions, modifications
or deletions made.
To modify or view an existing topic definition, select its name in the list and click on
this button. The AUTOMAX Topic Definition dialog box (described below) will
appear displaying the selected topic definition.
To delete an existing topic definition, select its name in the list and click on this button.
(A message box will appear prompting you to confirm the deletion.)
To add a new topic definition, click on this button. The AUTOMAX Topic Definition
dialog box will appear:
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
AUTOMAX Topic Description
Enter a unique name for the PLC in this field.
Note When communicating with InTouch this exact name is used as the topic name in
the Access Name definition. Different items/points can be polled at different rates by
defining multiple topic names for the same PLC and setting different update rates for
each topic.
To select an Adapter Card Name, click on the down arrow to open the list of available
cards. Select the name of the Adapter Card to be associated with this topic.
Enter the drop number for the topic in this field.
The data in this field defines the drop depth of the topic. Currently, the drop depth of a
topic must be 1.
Enter the frequency (in milliseconds) that the server will read (poll) the items/points
associated with this topic.
Click OK to save the description settings.
Configuring a Topic Definition
Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving any changes.
The Topic Definition dialog box will appear:
Click Done to close the dialog box.
13
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Configuring the I/O Server Settings
Use the Server Settings option from the Configure menu to change the protocol timer,
network using Wonderware NetDDE, change the default configuration file path, or to
enable the server to start automatically as a Windows NT service.
Note When configuring the server on Windows NT, the user must be logged on with
system administrator privileges. This will ensure that updates to the system registry may
be performed.
When the Server Settings option is selected, the Server Settings dialog box will
appear:
Server Settings
Enter the frequency (in milliseconds) that the server is to check for data to process. This
should be approximately two to four times faster than the fastest rate desired to update
data from the equipment.
Note The default protocol timer tick value will vary between servers.
Select this option if you are networking using Wonderware NetDDE.
To create a new default configuration file, enter the complete path for the directory in
which the file is to be saved in this field. This new path will automatically be written to
the WIN.INI file and the server will use this path to load its configuration file the next
time it is started.
Note There is no limit to the number of configuration files created. However, each must
be saved in a different directory. When using the server with InTouch, we recommend
that you save the configuration file in your application directory. For more information
on the Configuration File, see "Saving the I/O Server’s Configuration File" in this user's
guide.
Enabling this option will cause the server to start as a Windows NT service.
Windows NT offers the capability of running applications even when a user is not
logged on to the system. This is valuable when systems must operate in an unattended
mode. Enabling this option and rebooting the system will cause the server to run as a
Accessing I/O Server Help
15
Windows NT service. However, to view configuration information or to reconfigure the
server, the user must log on to the system. Any server related problems that may arise
such as missing adapter cards, licensing failures or device drivers not loading will not be
visible to the user until a log on is performed. Disabling this option and rebooting the
system will cause the server to run as a Windows NT application program once again.
Note It is highly recommended that the server is configured and communicating
successfully prior to running it as a Windows NT service.
Click Cancel to close the dialog box without saving changes.
Click OK to accept the server settings. The following message box will appear:
Click OK to close the dialog box.
Note You must restart the server for the changes to take effect
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Accessing I/O Server Help
The Help menu contains three options that are used to access help for the server.
The following briefly describes the Help menu options.
Contents
This option is used to display the table of contents for the Help file.
How to Use Help
This option is used to access a list of basic instructions for using the Help file.
About AUTOMAX
This option is used to access miscellaneous information regarding the server, such as the
software version, the copyright information, license information, etc.
Your FactorySuite system license information can be viewed through the license
viewing utility that is launched from the About dialog box.
$ For more information on the license viewing utility, see your FactorySuite System
Administrator’s Guide.
Item Names
17
Item Names
The Reliance Automax PC Link supports item/point names that follow the conventions
for Reliance Automax DCS networks. The item/point names supported by the server are
as follows:
Rn
Returns the signed integer value in a specified Register. The range of the
returned values is -32768 to 32767.
Rn:b
Returns the discrete value of a specified Register. The returned values are
0 or 1.
RnU
Appending a U to the item name returns the unsigned integer value in a
specified Register. The range of the returned values is 0-65535.
RnBCD
Appending a BCD to the item name returns the binary coded decimal
value in a specified Register. The range of the returned values is 0-9999.
Note n=0-63 and b=0-15
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Monitoring the Status of Communications with a PLC
For each topic name (PLC), there is a built-in discrete item that can be used to monitor
the status of communications with the PLC. The discrete item, Status, is set to 0 when
communication with the PLC fails and is set to 1 when communication is successful.
Using the Status Item in Excel
The status of the PLC communications can be read into Excel by entering the following
DDE reference formula in a cell on a spreadsheet:
=AUTOMAX|DROP20!Status
Monitoring the Status of Communications with InTouch
InTouch supports built-in topic names called DDEStatus and IOStatus that are used to
monitor the status of communications between the server and InTouch. For more
information on the built-in topic names DDEStatus and IOStatus, see your online
“InTouch User’s Guide”.
Using DDEStatus and IOStatus in Excel
The status of communication between the server and InTouch can be read into Excel by
entering the following DDE reference formula in a cell on a spreadsheet:
=view|DDEStatus!DROP20
or
=view|IOStatus!DROP20
Reading Values from the I/O Server into Excel
19
Reading Values from the I/O Server into Excel
Values may be read directly into Excel spreadsheets from the server by entering a DDE
formula into a cell using the following format:
=applicationname|topicname!itemname
Example formula:
=AUTOMAX|'DROP20'!'R5'
where:
AUTOMAX
Is the name of the server application name.
DROP20
Is the exact topic name defined in the server for the PLC.
R5
Is the actual location in the PLC that contains the data value.
This is the item name.
In this example, each time the value of R5 changes in the PLC, the server will
automatically send the new value to the cell containing the formula in Excel.
Note Refer to the Microsoft Excel manual for complete details on entering Remote
Reference formulas for cells.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Writing Values to the I/O Server from Excel
Values may be written to the server from Microsoft Excel by creating an Excel macro
that uses the POKE command. The proper command is entered in Excel as follows:
channel=INITIATE("applicationname","topicname")
=POKE(channel,"itemname", Data_Reference)
=TERMINATE (channel)
=RETURN()
The following describes each of the above POKE macro statements:
channel=INITIATE("applicationname","topicname")
Opens a channel to a specific topic name (defined in the server) in a particular
application name (the executable name less the .EXE) and assigns the number of that
opened channel to channel.
Note By using the channel=INITIATE statement the word channel must be used in
the =POKE statement instead of the actual cell reference. The "applicationname"
and "topicname" portions of the formula must be enclosed in quotation marks.
=POKE(channel,"itemname", Data_Reference)
POKEs the value contained in the Data_Reference to the specified item name (actual
location in the PLC) via the channel number returned by the previously executed
INITIATE function. Data_Reference is the row/column ID of the cell containing the
data value.
=TERMINATE(channel)
Closes the channel at the end of the macro. Some applications have a limited number of
channels therefore, they should be closed when finished. Channel is the channel
number returned by the previously executed INITIATE function.
=RETURN()
Marks the end of the macro.
Note Refer to the .XLM sample Excel poke macro provided on the server program disk.
Also refer to the Microsoft Excel manual for complete details on entering Remote
Reference formulas for cells.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 21
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems
This section provides you with some simple steps that can be taken to ascertain and
correct communication problems. The problems described here represent the most
probable causes of communication failure.
Note This is a general troubleshooting guide and for the sake of brevity we cannot cover
every possible source of communication problems.
Debugging Communication Between InTouch and
an I/O Server
This section explains the most common error situations that can occur when attempting
to establish communication between InTouch and a server.
Servers are Window applications that communicate with I/O, PLCs, and/or other data
sources. If a server supports either the Microsoft Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) or the
Wonderware SuiteLink protocol, it is capable of communicating with the Wonderware
InTouch program.
Note All Wonderware Version 7.0 or later servers support both DDE and SuiteLink.
However, the SuiteLink protocol is only supported on the Windows NT (Version 4.0 or
later) operating system.
Servers respond to data requests made by other applications. Requesting applications
are called clients. When WindowViewer acts as a client and requires the value of an
item, it contacts the server and requests the item’s value. The server will report the
value and update WindowViewer only if a change occurs. All WindowViewer data
requests provide information relating an item to a register, coil number, or I/O data point
understood by the server. The server uses the information to automatically handle all
messages to and from I/O, hardware devices (PLC), and/or other data sources.
Note We highly recommend starting all the servers required by the InTouch application
before starting WindowViewer. InTouch (versions prior to 7.0) will display the
Initiating DDE Conversation message box for each uninitiated conversation.
For example:
If you start up WindowViewer and cannot successfully establish a conversation with
a server, the following Initiating DDE Conversation dialog box will appear:
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
The information in the second line indicates that you have at least one I/O type
tagname defined in your Tagname Dictionary that is associated with an Access
Name that defines OMRONFO as the Application Name, and HLPLC as the Topic
Name. Make note of exactly how the application and topic names are spelled.
8 This example only applies when using a version of InTouch prior to InTouch
7.0.
To troubleshoot communication problems between WindowViewer and the server,
perform the following steps as listed below.
Ø Verify the I/O Server is running.
1.
Start the server program.
2.
Verify the server is running by checking to see if it is in the Windows Task List.
On Windows NT, click the right mouse button on the Windows taskbar and select
Task Manager from the menu. Click the Applications tab to view all currently
running applications. Or press the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys.
On Windows 95, press the ALT+TAB keys while holding down the ALT key.
On Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, press the CTRL+ESC keys.
Ø If the I/O Server is running, verify the I/O Server's program name is correct in all
WindowMaker Access Name definitions.
1.
Switch to (or start) WindowMaker. Select Access Names from the Special Menu,
the Access Name Definitions dialog box appears listing all Access Names defined
in the WindowMaker.
2.
In the Access Names list, select the Access Name referencing the server and click
Modify. The Modify Access Name dialog box will appear.
3.
Verify the server's program name in the Application Name box is correct. If it is
wrong then correct it and click OK , else click Cancel.
8 The server's exact "executable name" must be typed in the Application Name
box in all Access Name definitions. The ".exe" extension is not used.
8 If you are debugging a remote tagname reference, also verify that the node
name for the remote computer in the Node Name box is correct.
4.
Repeat steps 2 & 3 and verify the server program name is correct in all Access
Names that use it.
Ø If you still cannot establish a conversation, verify the exact topic name used in the
WindowMaker Access Name definitions are defined in the I/O Server program.
1.
Close WindowViewer if it is running. (The server cannot be configured if
WindowViewer is running.)
2.
Start the server program.
3.
From the server’s Configure menu, select Topic Definition, the Topic Definition
dialog box appears listing all topic names defined in the server.
4.
Verify that the topic name exists and is spelled exactly the same (including spaces)
as the topic name referenced in the WindowMaker Access Name definition.
8 Blank spaces cannot follow the topic name in either the server's Topic
Definition or the Access Name definition.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 23
5.
If the topic name is different, either correct it in the server or switch to
WindowMaker and correct it in the Access Name definition.
6.
Once you performed the above procedure, restart WindowViewer and switch to the
server program. Data should now appear in the server’s program window to
indicate that WindowViewer and the server are communicating.
8 The data in the server’s program window indicates the read and write messages
that the server is sending to and receiving from the PLC. (These are not error
messages, only status messages are written to the server’s program window.)
7.
If no data appears in the server’s program window, switch to the Wonderware
Logger to check for error messages. For example, a common error message is:
"Error for DDE: OMRONFO|HLPLC!<null>("item") Advise failed"
This message appears when the item defined in one or more tagnames is invalid for
the server.
8 InTouch tagnames use specific naming conventions when accessing data from a
server. The valid item names for all Wonderware servers are documented in
their respective User's Guides. Typically, the item naming conventions used by
each server are consistent with the names used by the equipment manufacturer.
$ For more information on the Wonderware Logger, see your online
“FactorySuite System Administrator's Guide.”
Ø If you are still experiencing problems, continue with the following troubleshooting
section.
Debugging Communication Between SuiteLink
and an I/O Server
If you have successfully applied the debug techniques listed in the previous section and
are still experiencing communication problems to a server that is attempting to
communicate using the SuiteLink protocol, perform the following steps as listed below:
Ø Verify the I/O Server supports the Wonderware SuiteLink protocol, that is, the I/O
Server is version 7.0 or above.
Ø Try communicating to the I/O Server using the DDE protocol. If this is not
possible, then proceed to the next troubleshooting section otherwise continue with
the following steps:
1.
Verify Microsoft's TCP/IP stack is installed and configured properly.
8 SuiteLink uses the Microsoft TCP/IP stack for its communications even if the
client application and the server reside on the same node.
2.
If you do not have an Ethernet card to bind to the TCP/IP stack, install the
Microsoft Loop Back Adapter.
3.
Install the Microsoft TCP/IP stack.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Debugging Communication Between an I/O Server
and a PLC
This section provides you with simple steps to diagnose and correct server to PLC
communication problems. The debug techniques listed below address both serial and
board servers. Disregard any information that is not applicable to the server type that
you are using.
When attempting to establish communication between a server and a PLC, if no data
appears in the server's program window and the data items are not updating in
WindowViewer, switch to the Wonderware Logger and check for error messages.
$ For more information on the Wonderware Logger, see your online “FactorySuite
System Administrator's Guide.”
For example, some of the most common errors that may appear in the Wonderware
Logger for serial servers are:
Response Timeout
WCRET = -2
WakeUp = -2
Receive Overrun
Framing Errors
Note Unless specified otherwise, most serial communication based servers are full
duplex. If you require a server for half duplex (one that monitors the CTS and RTS
lines) or if you are not sure whether the PLC's protocol is full or half duplex, call your
PLC supplier.
Also, during in-house server testing, we have found that the communication cards that
use the National 16450 and 16550 UARTs seem to be less susceptible to level and
timing problems. Cards based on other chips may work, but we recommend using the
National cards. Some of the highly integrated UART chips (most notably, Winbond and
UMC) have a tendency for their transmitters to hang, requiring re-initialization of the
UART. If this occurs, you may have to restart the server or execute the Reinitialize I/O
command from the Special menu in WindowViewer.
Ø Check your cabling to the PLC.
Is it wired correctly? Check for shorts, loose wires, broken wires, crossed wires, and so
on.
8 A continuity tester can be helpful here.
Ø Verify the I/O Server’s serial configuration settings (Parity, Stop Bits, Baud Rate,
Handshaking and so on) against the settings in the hardware device.
Ø Verify the communication port is working properly in Windows.
1.
Close the server program.
8 If you are using a server that requires a TSR, you will not be able to verify that
the port is functioning properly while the TSR is running. Stop all TSRs then
continue with this procedure. If you confirm that the port functions properly
without the TSR running, change your software interrupt (IRQ) to another
number, for example, change 60 to 62.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 25
8 Also, if you are using an AT type computer, two devices cannot share
interrupts. Verify that the communication port you are using has a unique
interrupt setting.
2.
On Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups, start the Terminal program. On
Windows 95 or Windows NT, start the HyperTerminal program.
3.
Configure the Terminal (or HyperTerminal) program to use the same
communication port with the same settings (baud rate, parity, stop bits and so on) as
the hardware device.
4.
Connect a null modem cable to a second computer's port.
5.
On the second computer, start and configure the Terminal (or HyperTerminal)
program with the same settings as the first computer.
6.
Verify that you can send data between the two computers.
8 If you do not have two computers and the computer you are using has another
port, start two instances of the Terminal (or HyperTerminal) program with each
configured to their own port, then try communicating between them.
8 If you have an external modem, connect the modem to the communication port
that you are testing and see if you can dial out.
7.
If the communication port does not appear to be functioning properly, check your
environment files (AUTOEXE.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, SYSTEM.INI, and
WIN.INI). Look for suspicious programs or drivers that might be taking control of
the port or its interrupt before the server is loaded. Always try to keep your
environment files as clean as possible. If you are in doubt about an entry, comment
it out.
8.
If the previous step was unsuccessful, try another communications port or another
computer.
Note A common misconception is that if you can connect to a PLC with a DOS
program, that the same communication port will work in Windows - this is not the case!
Windows is an entirely different environment than DOS.
Ø What type of UART is on the COM port?
If it is not a 16550, then you must lower your baud rate to 9600 or slower. Only the
16550 UART can sustain continuous, error free communications at speeds higher than
9600 baud. Other UARTs may work at speeds faster than 9600 baud, but errors may be
written to the Wonderware Logger. For example, "Receive Overruns." To determine
which UART you have, enter MSD at a DOS prompt, then choose COM Ports from the
MSD menu.
Ø If you are running Windows for Workgroups, verify the following:
1.
Verify the following lines are added to the [386Enh] section of your system.ini file
that is located in your \Windows directory:
EMMEXCLUDE=A000-EFFF
COMxFIFO=0
Where x specifies the COM port number. You need to add a separate COMxFIFO
line for each serial port using a 16550 UART chip.
2.
If you are running Windows for Workgroups (Version 3.1 or later), you need to
download SERIAL.386 (this file fixes a Microsoft bug) from the Wonderware
Bulletin Board System (714-727-0726) or from the Wonderware WEB site at:
http://wondertech.wonderware.com.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
8 The file is 10620 bytes and has a date of 2/17/94. It is contained in a selfextracting zip file called wg1001.exe. The file is located in the "PatchFix
Library" on the Wonderware BBS in the File Transfers / Patchfix area.
8 The Wonderware Web site requires that you register before you will be given
access.
3.
If (1. and 2.) above do not work, verify the value of the ComBoostTime parameter
in your SYSTEM.INI file. This parameter represents the number of milliseconds that
a virtual machine can process a COM interrupt. (The default value is 2.) We do not
recommend that you normally change this setting however, if you are receiving
errors such as "Receive Overruns" or "WCRE=-2", try increasing the value to 20.
Ø Verify the parameters for WWCOMTSR.
Do not specify a receive and/or transmit buffer size of 8!
For example:
Correct:
COM1:0 COM2:1,2048,2048
COM1:0 COM2:1
Incorrect:
COM1:0 COM2:1,8,8
Ø Does your computer crash when you try to communicate through the COM port?
If so, verify that each TSR has a unique software interrupt.
8 There is a utility, ShowSoft, available on the Knowledge Base CD that can assist
you in determining the software interrupts that are available.
Ø Does your computer lock up?
Verify the COM port's IRQs do not conflict with each other or with any other
communication boards in the computer.
Ø If the PLC or field device has more than one COM port, verify that you are
connected to the correct port.
The COM port on your computer uses the RS-232 hardware communication standard.
Meaning, you must connect the cable from the COM port to an RS-232 compliant
device.
Note A common mistake is to connect to an RS-422 or RS-485 port on the PLC. To do
this, you need an RS-232 to RS-422/485 conversion device.
If possible, use an external converter instead of a board-based converter that plugs into a
slot in the computer. A board-based converter is typically more difficult to get working
for inexperienced users. If a board-based converter is not set up properly, it can conflict
with other communication boards in the computer such as, internal modems.
Ø If you are using the Windows 95 operating system, verify the following:
1.
Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Point to Settings, then click Control Panel in
the menu. The Control Panel dialog box will appear.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 27
2.
Double-click the System icon. The System Properties dialog box will appear.
Click the Device Manager tab and select the COM port that you are using for the
server. For example:
3.
Click Properties. The Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Port Settings
tab.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
4.
Click Advanced. The Advanced Port Settings dialog box appears:
5.
Lower the default Receive Buffer and Transmit Buffer settings to their minimum.
Lowering these settings may solve I/O communication problems for portable
computers (notebook, or laptops) and framing errors for standard computers.
6.
If you are using a 16550 UART chip, select the Use FIFO buffers (requires 16550
compatible UART) option. If you are not using a UART chip, make sure this
option is not selected.
Ø If you are using the Windows NT operating system, verify the following:
1.
Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Point to Settings, then click Control Panel in
the menu. The Control Panel dialog box will appear.
2.
Double-click the Ports icon, the Ports dialog box will appear.
3.
Select a port and click the Settings button. The Settings for COMx dialog box
appears:
4.
Click Advanced. The Advanced Settings for COMx dialog box appears:
5.
Set the Interrupt Request Line (IRQ) value to the minimum. Lowering this setting
may solve I/O communication problems for portable computers (notebook, or
laptops) and framing errors for standard computers.
6.
If you are using a 16550 UART chip, select the FIFO Enabled option. If you are
not using a UART chip, make sure this option is not selected.
Ø How long is your RS-232 cable?
Fifty feet is the maximum practical length for the RS-232 standard.
Troubleshooting I/O Server Communication Problems 29
Ø Try using a different COM port for the I/O Server.
Ø If you are installing an I/O Server or configuring a board based I/O Server on a
computer that is running the Windows NT operating system, verify that you are
logged on with Administrator privileges.
8 Without Administrator privileges, the server and Server Install program cannot
make the necessary edits to the Windows NT Registry during installation or board
configuration of the server.
1.
Click Start on the Windows taskbar. Point to Programs, then point to
Administrative Tools (Common), and click User Manager in the menu. The User
Manager dialog box will appear:
2.
Double-click the Username you typed in during log on.
3.
If the User Properties dialog box does not appear, you do not have Administrator
privileges.
4.
If the User Properties dialog box does appear, click on the Groups button and verify
“Administrators” is in the “Member of:” list.
Ø If you experience occasional or random communication errors in the Wonderware
Logger, for example, "Response Timeouts," check for noise.
Do the physical cables run past any known noise sources such as photocopiers,
fluorescent lamps, fans, pumps, motors or generators? Are your cables properly
shielded from its environment? With radio modems and satellite link ups, occasional
communications errors in the Wonderware Logger are normal and to be expected as
long as they do not adversely impact the flow of data.
Ø Increase the Reply Timeout setting in the I/O Server to a value between 5 and 10
seconds.
Some communications errors result from not allowing the PLC or field device enough
time to respond to the server's request for data.
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Wonderware Reliance Automax PC Link I/O Server
Ø Verify the PLC is properly configured and the cable is good by using the
programming software for the PLC.
When testing, run the programming software and communicate with the server at the
same time.
8 The ability to perform this test depends upon the type of PLC that you are using.
Ø Reinstall the I/O Server and verify that you are using the latest version.
We continually improve our servers and using the latest version will guarantee the best
results.
8 New versions of the Wonderware I/O Servers are released regularly on the
Knowledge Base CD and they are also available to Comprehensive Support
customers on the Wonderware Bulletin Board System (714-727-0726) or from the
Wonderware WEB site at: http://wondertech.wonderware.com.
Ø Move the I/O Server’s configuration file to another location on the computer’s
hard drive. This will clear all configuration for the I/O Server, then reconfigure
the I/O Server.
8 Wonderware server configuration files are typically named exactly the same as the
server’s executable name but with the .CFG extension, e.g., OMRONFO.CFG.
Refer to the Configuration File section of the server user’s guide for the exact name
of the configuration file.
Ø If possible, reinstall the Windows operating system.
Some of the files that are installed on your computer or the NT registry may have been
corrupted or accidentally modified.
Ø If these troubleshooting suggestions do not solve your problem, there may be a
problem with your computer. There are many subtle differences between the
various computer hardware brands. Try using a computer that is a different
brand and select one that meets the following criteria:
1.
A different PC manufacturer. If this is not possible, try a different PC model from
the same manufacturer.
2.
The computer does not use an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) version of
Microsoft Windows. When you start up Windows, only the Microsoft Windows
logo should display, not a logo from a hardware manufacturer. We highly
recommend you use only a Microsoft Windows product. Contact your vendor to
determine if installing an off-the-shelf copy of Microsoft Windows will cause any
problems.
Ø If you feel you have tested all possible situations that may be causing your failed
I/O communications, contact your local Wonderware distributor for technical
support.
$ For more information on obtaining technical support, see your online “FactorySuite
System Administrator’s Guide.”

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