Opc para Scada

FAST OPC DA SERVERS FOR SIEMENS MANUAL
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................... 2
OPC server for SAPI S7 ........................................................................................................................... 2
OPC server for MPI S7 ............................................................................................................................. 2
OPC server for S7 – Emulated TCP/IP..................................................................................................... 2
OPC server for MPI – Emulated ............................................................................................................... 2
Configuration ................................................................................................................................................... 3
Fast Spa server activation procedure ......................................................................................................... 12
Execution........................................................................................................................................................ 12
Diagnostic ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
System requirements .................................................................................................................................... 14
OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

FAST SpA via Talete 4 Rubiera (RE) - Italy
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www.fastautomation.it - www.plantview.it
1
Fast OPC DA servers for Siemens
Introduction
These OPC Servers have been developed and produced by Fast SpA and allow, from a PC with Microsoft
Windows operating system, the reading and writing operations in Data Blocks memory areas on Siemens
S7-300 and S7-400 families PLCs.
The data from/to the devices are made available to any OPC Client through a standard OPC DA Server
interface version 2.05.
Like all Fast OPC servers, the OPC DA servers for Siemens successfully passed the
“OPC Compliance Test”, resulting certified according to OPC DA specifications.
For further information about OPC standard, please refer to OPC Foundation official documentation,
available on the web site www.opcfoundation.org or www.opceurope.org .
Fast is an OPC Foundation member since 2000.
The Fast OPC DA servers for Siemens S7 package includes four different servers, each one dedicated to
the specific communication interface chosen for data exchange between the supervision PCs and the PLCs
network.
OPC server for SAPI S7

This server can be used for communication through Simatic Net S7 interfaces, i.e. Etheret, profibus DP or
MPI. It employs the Siemens Simatic Net IE SOFNET-S7 v. 3.3 or upper software package for the
configuration and the setup of the required DLL libraries.
The configuration of the access point to PLCs network should be setup using the tools included in the
mentioned Siemens software package (for instance “COML S7”). Please refers to Siemens documentation
for any other info on this subject.
OPC server for MPI S7

This server can be used for communication through Profibus DP or MPI networks. It employs the Siemens
PRODAVE v. 5.02 or upper software package for the setup of the required DLL libraries.
The configuration of the hardware to access the PLCs network should be setup using the tool “Set PG/PC
Interface”). Please refers to Siemens documentation for any other info on this subject.
OPC server for S7 – Emulated TCP/IP

This server can be used for communication through a standard Ethernet card. It employs a DDL library
developed by Fast that emulates the Siemens S7 Tcp/Ip communication protocol.
OPC server for MPI – Emulated

This server can be used for communication through the serial port. It employs a DDL library developed by
Fast that emulates the serial communication protocol with the MPI PC adapter.
For further info about Siemens PLCs and their configuration please refer to Siemens official documentation.

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Configuration
The four servers include a configuration tool, intuitive and easy to be used.
This tool allows, through a user friendly graphical interface, the creation of the configuration file, i.e. the list of
the tags (also called items) the server will read or write from/to the PLCs memory areas. This file is an XML
file.
To run the configuration tool, choose it from the Windows Start menu and Program Files group. The
configuration procedure made through this tool permits to save in the system Registry the name of the file
including the OPC configuration. This way, the last saved configuration will automatically be loaded when the
server is started and there is no need to specify it.
Running the configuration tool, you can create a new configuration file or modify an existing one. To create a
new tags list choose the File > New Configuration menu. Choosing this option you are asked to specify what
kind of configuration file you want to create:
To modify an existing tags list please select File > Open Configuration, and specify the name of the XML file
previously saved.
The configuration procedure will be the same for all the four servers, except for the parameters related to the
addressing the PLCs themselves, that are described herebelow.
Concerning the SAPI S7 and S7 Tcp/Ip Emulated, the first thing to do is to setup the name of the interface to
access the PLCs; in case of SAPI S7 OPC server, that lays on the Siemens Sofnet layer, the name must be
the same as the Access Point name in the Siemens configuration, visible through the “Set PG/PC Interface”
application. For these general settings, please use the Object/Global Settings menu o the corresponding
button on the toolbar.

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The serial MPI emulated OPC server instead requires the setup of the parameters of serial port connected to
the PC Adapter for MPI communication.
Master Id
It is the identifier of the supervision master unit, that is the PC where the OPC server is running. Please
avoid using the 0 code, since it is usually reserved for Siemens programming and maintenance.
Port name
Identifies the computer COM port.
Baud Rate
Parity
Number of Data bits
Number of Stop bits
Parameters related to serial communications.
The OPC server for Profibus DP-MPI lays on the Siemens Prodave software layer, that’s why the
configuration of the physical communication interface should not be included in the OPC server configuration
but it should be setup through the Siemens “Set PC-PC Interface” tool in Windows Control Panel.
At this point, selecting the main node on the tree view on the left side of the main window, you can access
the configuration of the PLCs’ network.
To add a new PLC to the list, use the Objects > Add PLC menu or the corresponding button on the toolbar;
to modify an existing one double click on the corresponding node on the tree view.

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According to the chosen server, the PLCs’configuration requires the data entry in some fields, while some
other fields will be grayed if not related to the specific communication method.
PLC name
Alphanumeric string that uniquely identifies the PLC. In case of SAPI S7 OPC server configuration, it is
mandatory for the PLC name to be the same as setup in the S7 Access Point in Simatic COML S7 tool.
Address
It is the PLC address: in an Ethernet network it is the IP Address while in a Profibus network for example it is
the MPI address, whose default value is 2.
Slot Number
Rack Number
These are typical of the hardware configuration of the PLC’s CPU. The default values are 2 and 0 inthe two
cases.
Please confirm the values pressing the Apply button.
Once a PLC has been set up and the corresponding node has been selected in the tree view, you can set up
the tags (or items) list where all the PLC data are included.
The Fast OPC servers allow to organize the tags list following an hierarchical structure that makes easier the
management of a big amount of items. They can be arranged in a tree-like structure where the items can be
placed at different levels like leaves.
The main node is of course the PLC node that can include in its hierarchy other lower level (intermediate)
nodes (the “branches” of the tree structure) down to the items (the “leaves”).
The first step is the creation of the intermediate nodes, called "branch". For this purpose, use the Objects >
Add Branch menu or the corresponding button on the toolbar being sure to be placed, in the tree view, on
the node that will be the parent node for the new one.
To modify an existing branch, double click on the node in the tree view and change the branch name in the
dialog box as shown herebelow.

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Under any branch, or in the PLC node itself if a one-level hierarchy is preferred, it is possible to insert the
items. To add a new item select the parent branch and choose the Objects > Add Item menu; to modify an
existing one double click on the node in the tree view and change the item properties in the dialog box as
shown herebelow.
The item properties are:

Item name
Is a unique identifier for the item inside a branch. It can only include alpha-numeric characters, upper case or
lower case, and the simbols “-“ and “_”.
Comment
Description concerning the item.
Data type
Specify the tag data type among the ones defined in OPC or COM specification:

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- Signed/unsigned 16 bits integers
- Signed/unsigned 32 bits integers
- 32 bits reals
- booleans
- strings
- Signed/unsigned 8 bits integers arrays
- 32 bits reals arrays
- booleans arrays
Strings are managed as arrays of chars, that is 8 bits integers.
Data Block and Data Byte

A S7 PLC memory is organized in blocks, each one including a certain number of 8 bits groups. The item
occupies a part or more memory groups according to its data type, starting from the one specified here.
Bit number
In case the tag is a boolean, it occupies only one bit and you have to specify here which one of the 8 bits of
the data byte.
Number of elements
If the data type is an array, specify here the number of elements it includes.
Access rights
Specify here the access rights of the OPC client on the item.
The configuration tool allows the easy and quick creation of a big amount of items.
Once you have filled the dialog box above with the required parameters, it is possible to use it as a template
for the creation of a group of items with similar properties.
While the “Add and Exit” button allows to insert the configurated element as a single item, the “Add and
Increment” button inserts the specified item in the configuration and fills out the fields of the dialog box with
the values of a similar item placed immediately after in the memory blocks. This way you just have to set the
“Item Name” and “Comment” fields to quickly create a group of similar items.
The “Add Group…” button instead permits the insertion of a group of items of the same kind, just specifying
the number of items to be added. Warning: no automatic controls are made on items placement in the
memory areas, so be careful to avoid datablocks overlapping or overflow.
Since the items created this way have the default names and the comment is the same for all of them, you
can customize the “Item Name” and “Comment” fields importing them from a data sheet like Excel.
If a list of the tags to be added in the OPC Server configuration file is available and if this list includes the
“Item Name” and “Comment” columns, just copy and paste them to replace the default values.

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To do that, please follows this procedure:
1. Open the Excel sheet, select the column where the tags names (or comments) are listed and copy
them to the clipboard through the Modify > Copy menu.
2. Go back to the configuration tool main window, select from the items list on the right the rows to be
updated: the number of selected rows and the number of cells copied from Excel must be the same.
3. Select from the Edit menu “Paste Item name from Clipboard” or “Paste Item comment from
Clipboard” or use the corresponding button on the toolbar.
A summary box, as shown below, will summarize the texts replacement and ask for confirmation:
Anyway, you can also modify each single item double clicking on it both in the tree view on the left or in the
list view on the right of the main window. The same dialog box used for item creation will be opened :

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Here you can change some parameters and save the changes through the “Confirm Modify” button.
Left clicking on any existing branch on the tree view on the left, you can get the list of the items belonging to
that branch in the list view on the right side of the window.
It is also possible to sort the tags list using one of the columns as order key just clicking on its header. To get
the tags sorted as they are placed in the PLC memory areas use the “Index” column.

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Once you finished adding or modifying the PLC network and the list of the tags that will be used for the
supervision, save the configuration file through the File > Save Configuration or File > Save Configuration As
menu in an XML file.
The configuration file is saved in a way such that, once the file is opened, the server it refers to can be
automatically recognized.
Saving the XML files you also set up the Windows registry so that last saved file will automatically be loaded
by the OPC server and used as tags database.
Warning!
When the OPC server starts, if the message “File configuration could not be loaded” appears, it means that
no XML configuration file has been found and the server can not exchange data.
The most common reasons for this error are:
1) the configuration for a specific interface (e.g. SAPI S7) has been saved but you are trying to run a different
(e.g. MPI) OPC server .
2) the configuration tool could not access the Windows Registry because the user logged in had not enough
privileges to do that and the OPC server has no info about the configuration file to use.
A simple workaround for this inconvenience takes advantage from the OPC server property to automatically
load an XML configuration file if its name is the same as the exe file name (OPCS7.xml, OPCMPI.xml
OPCMPIE.xml or OPCTCPIPS7.xml for the four servers) and it is present in the same folder as the OPC
server itself. So for example you can place the OPCS7.xml file in the same folder where the OPCS7.exe file
is present to force the server to load it, but you have to keep in mind that the presence of such a
configuration file prevents the loading of any other configuration file saved elsewhere in the machine, even if
properly setup in the Windows Registry by the configuration tool.

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Using Fast Plant View HMI SCADA for the supervision, you can see in the database editor the OPC server
configuration file and browse it in order to quickly create the supervision tags database with direct tags list
import. For further info please refer to Plant View manual.

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Fast Spa server activation procedure
After being installed, the Fast SpA OPC server runs in demo mode.
The application running in demo mode remains active for 30 minutes, then a reminder window appears on
the screen advising this software copy has not been licensed and will be terminated.
The Fast SpA OPC Server copy is NOT licensed and NOT free to be used until registration occurs.
A single copy is licensed to be installed in one workstation only. Changing computer or changing some
important components (the hard disk, for instance) will cause the license to be invalid and you will need to
ask Fast SpA for a new activation.
By registering your Fast SpA OPC Server copy you are entitled to receive technical assistance as well as
information about the product and about new releases.
To complete the activation process, after the software has been installed, you need to get your own system
key (following the procedure described below) and then send it to Fast SpA which will then send you back
the Enable Key code.
For further installations of Fast SpA OPC Server on other workstations or on the same workstation after
some components have changed, you will need to ask Fast SpA for a new Enable Key code.
From Fast SpA OPC Server main window select the Help > Enable Full Version menu. The Enable Full
version dialog box will appear as shown here above, where the System Key is shown.
Communicate the System Key number to Fast SpA which will send you the Enable key code, to be typed in
the Enable Key field. Then press ok and the program will be automatically activated.
Execution
You can run Fast OPC server directly from the shortcut in the Windows Start menu in Program files group. In
most cases this is not necessary since OPC servers are automatically run by any OPC Client asking data
through the MicroSoft COM/DCOM communication technologies.
Diagnostic
Fast OPC servers thanks to their ease of use do not require a complex user interface, anyway the File >
Comm. Status menu supplies a precise diagnostic tool to test communication with the PLCs network.
In case of errors on read/write operations from and to the PLC, the status of OPC items is set to BAD and an
error message appears in the server main window, specifying the error description.
For the OPC servers relying on Siemens communication libraries these messages are part of the diagnostic
tool of the libraries themselves, so please refer to Siemens documentation about Sofnet or Prodave
packages. In particular the S7 MPI OPC server lists the messages in the “error.eng” file included in one of
the Prodave package installation folders. This file should be copied in the OPC server execution folder
(where the .exe file resides) and renamed as “error.dat”.

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For the OPC servers relying on Fast libraries emulating Siemens protocol, please find below the error
messages list with the corresponding detailed explanation. In case you can not understand or solve the
problem, please contact Fast specifying the error message to get assistance.
Serial MPI emulated OPC server
Hardware error
The PC where the server is running has hardware problems on the serial port.
Incorrect ID
The PC Adapter can not transmit the received data to the PLC at the specified address.
Connection not estabilished
Connection error
It is not possible to communicate with the PC Adapter
Incorrect PDU size
The reply sent by the PC Adapter has not the correct format of the PC/MPI serial protocol.
Timeout error. Check interface
The PC Adapter did not reply in a 2000 ms interval. Please verify the serial parameters specified for
configuration are the same as set in the device, in particular check the baud rate.
Data field error
Block size overrun, check amount
Block does not exist
The specified databyte and /or datablock address are not correct
Unknown error
An exception not known by the PC Adapter occurred
Tcp/Ip S7 emulated OPC server

Generic error during trasmitting
Generic error during receiving
The computer where the server is running is experiencing problems related to network interface, even due to
the hardware.
Connection dropped
Tcp/Ip connection stopped between computer and PLC.
Communication timeout
The PLC did not reply to the command in a 2000 ms interval.
Wrong socket service provider version
The IP communication part of the Windows operating system is not updated.
Tcp/Ip not supported
The Windows operating system in use does not support the TCP protocol on its network interface.
Wrong socket definition
Invalid option for this socket
The Windows operating system in use does not support some configurations for the TCP protocol required
by the OPC server.
Error during connection to host
It is not possible to make the TCP/IP connection with the PLC
Socket actually close
The OPC server is trying to communicate on a closed TCP/IP connection
Host address not valid
The IP address specified in the OPC configuration of the PLC has a wrong format
Frame error during receiving
Protocol error
The reply sent by the PLC is not in the correct format: the Tcp/Ip datagram could be corrupted
Data area requested doesn't exist
Data block requested doesn't exist
Data block requested too large
A tag in the configuration file has an address (data byte and/or data block) not correct i.e. out of PLC
memory areas limits

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System requirements
Fast Spa OPC servers have been developed to be installed and used on machines with Intel Pentium or
similar processors, with operating systems like Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP.
The SAPI S7 OPC server requires the Siemens Simatic Net IE SOFNET-S7 version 3.3 or upper software
package and the hardware communication board according to the chosen SAPI S7 interface. For example,
for Profibus DP the required Siemens device is the CP5611 with product code 6GK15611AA00, while for
Ethernet the PC only needs a standard Ethernet card.
The MPI-S7 OPC server requires the Siemens PRODAVE version. 5.02 or upper and an hardware
communication board for Profibus DP or MPI, for example the already mentioned CP5611 or PC Adapter.
The Tcp/Ip S7-Emulated OPC server does not require software from other suppliers but only a standard
Ethernet card on the PC where it is running to communicate with Siemens PLCs.
The MPI-Emulated does not require software from other suppliers but as hardware parts it requires the
Siemens “PC Adapter” whose product code is 6ES7-972-0CA23-0XAO.

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FAST OPC DA SERVERS FOR SIEMENS MANUAL

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC server for SAPI S7

OPC server for MPI S7

OPC server for S7 – Emulated TCP/IP

OPC server for MPI – Emulated

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

Please confirm the values pressing the Apply button.

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

The item properties are:

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

Strings are managed as arrays of chars, that is 8 bits integers.

Data Block and Data Byte

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

Serial MPI emulated OPC server

Tcp/Ip S7 emulated OPC server

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

OPC DA servers for Siemens manual

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