g GEI-100504

GE Industrial Systems

Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service

These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment, nor
to provide for every possible contingency to be met during installation, operation,
and maintenance. If further information is desired or if particular problems arise
that are not covered sufficiently for the purchaser’s purpose, the matter should be
referred to GE Industrial Systems.
This document contains proprietary information of General Electric Company, USA
and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation,
testing, operation, and/or maintenance of the equipment described. This document
shall not be reproduced in whole or in part, nor shall its contents be disclosed to any
third party without the written approval of GE Industrial Systems.
Safety Symbol Legend

Indicates a procedure or condition that, if not strictly

observed, could result in damage to or destruction of
equipment or data.

Note Indicates an essential or important procedure or statement.

Section Page
Introduction ............................................................................................................2
Installation ..............................................................................................................2
Overview ................................................................................................................3
Requirements ...................................................................................................4
Features ...........................................................................................................4
Starting and Stopping ..............................................................................................5
Internal Architecture ...............................................................................................6
EGD Service Operation...........................................................................................7
Service Initialization.........................................................................................7
Exchange Definitions .......................................................................................9
Service Control ..............................................................................................10
Performance...................................................................................................10
Multiple Network Interface Support................................................................10
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................12

________
CIMPLICITYis a registered trademark of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc.
Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corporation.
Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Introduction
The EGD Service is only sup-
ported on Windows NT version
4.0 or later. TCP/IP network-
ing must also be installed.
Installation
For assistance, contact:
Industrial Systems
General Electric Company
Product Service Engineering
1501 Roanoke Blvd.
Salem, VA 24153-6492 USA
Phone + 1 540 387 7595
Fax + 1 540 387 8606
(replace + with the interna-
tional access code)
2 • Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service
The Ethernet™ Global Data (EGD) Service allows user applications on a Windows
NT® system to use EGD. The Service supports Ethernet Global Data (EGD) and the
Command message protocol (CMP) communications between other Windows and
Windows NT systems and controllers that support the EGD. Applications supported
on Windows include CIMPLICITY®/HMI, Data Historian, and Metals automation
(Level 2) and models.
Control System Solutions installs various products for control systems as selected in
the setup program. It is recommended that you exit all Windows programs before
beginning. A dialog box will prompt you for a license key, which can be found on
the actual CD. You must agree to the standard Software License Agreement for these
products.
Ø To install the product
• Place the Control System Solutions CD in the disk drive. The Setup program
executes automatically, or run the program setup.exe.
• Follow the instructions from each screen. For more help press F1.
Control System Solutions GEI-100504
Overview
The EGD Service is a process which runs without user intervention on a Windows
NT system to provide client processes on that system access to shared information
from other controllers on an Ethernet network. The service uses two main protocols
for access to other controllers
• Ethernet Global Data (EGD)
• Command Message Protocol (CMP)
The following figure displays the hardware and software components of the EGD
Service in a typical application.

Windows NT User User User

Application Application(s) Application(s) Application(s)
Server
EGD APIs EGD APIs EGD APIs

EGD Shared Memory

EGD Service

Windows Operating System

Network Adapter
Consumed
Exchanges
Produced
Exchanges Commands

Ethernet
Consumed Consumed
Exchanges Exchanges

Produced Produced
Exchanges Exchanges
& Commands & Commands
Genius
Genius

CPU
CPU

Controller or PLC Controller or PLC

EGD is based on standard internet protocols that share information between control-
lers by exchanging data samples of information. Each packet contains a data sample
or snap-shot of one controller’s memory. These samples are sent periodically to one
or more peer controllers who store the data for use by application tasks. Each data
sample is uniquely identified to relate it to a definition that describes the data it con-
tains. This definition is referred to as an Exchange. The controller generating the
sample is known as the Producer. The controller receiving the sample is known as
the Consumer. Each controller will only send or receive data samples for the Ex-
changes for which it was configured. In this way, a network can be configured so
that multiple controllers can share information to perform control or monitoring
functions.

GEI-100504 Control System Solutions Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service • 3


The EGD Service is not de-
pendent on other toolbox sys-
tem software (such as the SDB).
EGD Service runs in the back-
ground and does not require
user intervention.
4 • Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service
While EGD shares information on periodic basis, the CMP provides information on-
demand. CMP functions allow client processes to read or write specific locations in
an EGD data sample. These functions support access by Operator Displays on an oc-
casional basis as well as other control functions that are event driven.
Requirements
To operate properly, the EGD Service has the following minimum requirements:
Software
• Windows NT 4.0, Service Pack 3
• TCP/IP network support
Hardware
• Any network interface that supports the TCP/IP protocol under Windows
• A 133 MHz Pentium with 48 Mb (recommended)
Features
EGD Service supports communications to embedded processors, such as Innovation
Series controllers and PLCs, as well as to other Windows NT application servers.
Major feature include:
• Receive incoming EGD Exchanges configured for this node.
• Each received data sample is validated and its status is updated before it is con-
sumed and stored for use by the EGD APIs.
• EGD Exchanges configured for production are at the specified rate.
• Command messages for Read, Write and Write Masked operations are proc-
essed and access configured EGD Exchanges.
• Supports multiple network interface boards (EGD traffic can be restricted to a
single network).
• Utilizes a simplified text file format to initialize configuration information for
each EGD exchange supported.
• Multiple client processes are supported through multi-level initialization files.
• Provides facilities to notify client processes whenever changes are made to an
EGD Exchange.
• Supports synchronization of produced data samples with application require-
ments.
• Provides a full-featured API that supports both EGD and CMP support.
Control System Solutions GEI-100504
Starting and Stopping
The EGD Server can be started automatically by an application using EGD APIs,
such as the CIMPLICITY/HMI EGD Devcom. It can also be monitored and restarted
manually through the Control Panel by clicking the Windows Start button,
Settings and click Control Panel. Double-click on to display
the following status of all services running. Double-click EGD Service Control
System Solutions to change the startup mode.

The Services dialog box allows you to manually start EGD Service and lets you enter
specific startup parameters on a one-time basis. EGD Service supports a debugging
option based on levels. To enable this option, enter the command -d 3 in the text box
Startup Parameters. This level allows diagnostic messages to be written to the
Application Log in the Windows NT Event Viewer. More server messages have a
lower level, thus the higher the level specified in the startup parameters, the more di-
agnostic messages are sent to the log.

GEI-100504 Control System Solutions Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service • 5

Internal Architecture
Internally, the EGD Service uses a memory map (known as a section file), to store
received EGD data and data to be sent. The service controls the organization and
management of this file. User application programs, such as the CIMPLICITY HMI
Devcom, use a set of program interfaces (the EGD APIs) to access EGD data and
perform other functions.
The EGD service supports up to 511 different EGD Exchanges at a time and each
Exchange can be produced or consumed by the service. The specific characteristics
of each Exchange are defined at initialization through a set of text definition (ini)
files.
The service uses the user datagram protocol (UDP/IP) to receive and send data. All
Exchange data samples are received on the UDP port assigned to EGD, while com-
mand messages using CMP are processed on a separate port. The internal structure
of the service is as follows:

Section File
Global Map

Reserved

EGD Service Slot 1

- Scan Exchanges
- Mark Pages 'Unhealthy'
Slot 2
Application
- Gather Statistics Slot 3

Slot 4
Program
Produced Slot 5
Exchanges
Slot 6
UDPPort
18246 Slot 7 EGD
Slot 8 APIs
Consumed
Exchanges Slot 9

UPD Port
7937
Static
...
Exchanges
(511 * 1536
bytes each)
Slot 510

Slot 511

6 • Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service Control System Solutions GEI-100504

EGD Service Operation
Multiple initialization files al-
low different applications to
maintain a separate list of re-
quired Exchanges.
GEI-100504 Control System Solutions
Service Initialization
During initialization, EGD Service processes incoming and outgoing EGD messages,
including:
• reading global configuration parameters
• initializing the Windows Sockets (WinSock) interface
• creating internal network data structures
• creating data objects that fully describe the characteristics of each EGD Ex-
change sent or received
The most significant task is configuring the EGD Exchanges that are produced or
consumed. This is performed by a series of initialization files that define the char-
acteristics of each Exchange as well as global parameters for the EGD Service. Each
initialization file contains the key parameters for each Exchange to be configured.
Opening the file begins the process:
%SystemRoot%\EGD.INI which is typically: C:\winnt\EGD.INI
This is the master file, created once when the EGD Service is first installed. This file
contains a description of the keywords and format of the initialization files, as well
as specific global parameters required by the service. By default the EGD.ini file
contains the following:
INCLUDE=EGDsdb.ini
INCLUDE=egd.ini
These lines reference files of the Exchange definitions required for the SDB Utili-
ties, and for CIMPLICITY HMI EGD Devcom respectively. The EGD.ini file is
initially provided during product installation as a template for users to modify, so
that other client processes can include their own Exchange definitions in other files.
Exchanges referenced in these files do not need to be unique (the same Exchange can
be defined in multiple files). The service compares duplicate Exchanges and merges
their definitions to satisfy both definitions where possible. However, if the Producer
and Exchange IDs are identical for multiple entries, the producer node and consumer
node (for produced Exchanges) must be identical.
Note A leading # character in all initialization files indicates that the entire line is to
be treated as a comment.
Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service • 7
 Other keywords supported in the initialization files are as follows:

Keyword Example Description

INCLUDE INCLUDE=EGDsdb.ini Suspends processing of the current initialization file and begins
processing the specified file. All files reside in the directory
%SystemRoot%
MULTICAST MULTICAST=224.1.1.1 Enables reception of messages at the specified Multicast Address
INTERFACE INTERFACE=3.29.5.197 Receive EGD traffic only on the specified Interface. (see descrip-
tion in Multiple Network Interface Support)
BROADCAST BROADCAST=3.29.255.255 Define broadcast address for use in produced exchanges from
this node. (see description in Multiple Network Interface Support)
PRODUCERID PRODUCERID=1.2.3.4 Alternate ProducerID to be used for produced exchanges. Pro-
ducerID normally defaults to the IP address of the node.
FLAGS FLAGS=E,T A comma separated list of exchange options, which will be ap-
plied to all exchanges.

8 • Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service Control System Solutions GEI-100504

 Exchange Definitions
In addition to keywords, initialization files can contain multiple lines, each describ-
ing a specific Exchange to be consumed or produced. The service initialization proc-
ess scans these definitions and configures only those Exchanges that are appropriate
for the current node. The format of these entries and several examples are as follows:

Field Description
Exchange ID The ID assigned to the exchange. Each Exchange identifier must be unique on a given producer
node.
Exchange Length The length in bytes of the user data sample in the Exchange. (1400 bytes maximum)
Production Period Time in milliseconds between data samples. On consumer nodes this value is used to calculate
the maximum allowable time before an exchange is marked ‘UNHEALTHY’
*
Source Node The IP address or node name which will produce the specified exchange. May be followed by a
producer ID if the Producer ID is not equal to the IP address.
*
Destination Node Unicast, Multicast or Broadcast destination address. If the word BROADCAST is used in the des-
tination field, the Service will calculate the broadcast address (unless the BROADCAST keyword is
used).
Flags Production or Consumption flags, separated by commas, to be applied to the exchange. See be-
low.
*
If supplied as a node name, the name must be resolvable; that is the node address
must either be located in the host file (%SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc\
hosts) or be accessible via name resolution (DNS).

The flags field contain a comma separated list of options, which are applied to each
individual exchange.

Flags Description

S Disable automatic generation of timestamps in the data message. The

application is expected to generate the timestamp and place it in the
message header.
T Generate a Test pattern in the data portion of the exchange produced
M Allow the production of a data sample to be synchronized with an appli-
cation program by creating an application mutex.
E Generate an application Event whenever the associated Exchange is
modified or consumed.
C Use the attached hexadecimal Signature value to validate incoming or
tag outgoing exchanges
P Specify an alternate port to receive EGD data samples

#
# Example initialization file describing 3 exchanges:
#
# Exchg Size Period Source Dest Flags
# ---- --- ---- ------------------- ------- -------
1 256 1000 sleepy.salem.ge.com happy E,T
54 768 50 shosuwlk BROADCAST C=0x0102
253 64 100 spencer/01041d03 asylum M

This example, if used on the node ‘sleepy.salem.ge.com’ configures two different

exchanges:

GEI-100504 Control System Solutions Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service • 9

 1. A 256 byte exchange that is produced every second and sent (only) to node
happy. The flags used will enable Test mode, writing a rotating pattern in the
data sample, and signal an event whenever data is written into the sample by an
API call, or a command from a remote node.
2. A 768 byte exchange that is produced by node shosuwlk and consumed on this
node. Each incoming sample is checked to insure that the data signature on the
packet matches the value specified.
The third entry will be ignored by node sleepy.salem.ge.com because it is neither
consumed nor produced by this node.

Service Control
Once initialized, the EGD Service runs without user intervention, consuming and
producing EGD Exchanges, as well as serving CMP read and write requests. Appli-
cation programs can access EGD data, or send commands through the EGD APIs.

Performance
Performance of the EGD Service varies according to the following:
• PC hardware characteristics (speed, memory, adapters)
• Number and size of the Exchanges configured
• Non-configured EGD Exchanges broadcast on the network

Note The service has been measured to utilize less than 25% of a 166 MHz Pentium
PC when producing and consuming 6, 512 byte exchanges, each at a 10ms periodic
rate (a total of 12 exchanges).

Multiple Network Interface Support

The EGD Server can produce and consume Exchanges on a single network interface
controller or on multiple controllers simultaneously. Normally, the destination for
produced Exchanges and the address of consumed Exchanges are defined independ-
ently through the initialization process. In many cases, however, it is advantageous to
restrict EGD traffic to a single interface so that traffic can be isolated on a single
network.
When more than one network board is active in a Windows NT node which supports
TCP/IP networking, each interface is configured with a different IP address. All ad-
dresses on each network must be assigned non-conflicting addresses, which are lo-
cated on different subnets, as shown in the figure below.
The IP numbers shown in this figure are for example use only.

Note Always consult your local network administrator before connecting devices
on a TCP/IP network to avoid conflicts.

Proper configuration requires that the subnets be defined so that a packet sent from
any node can be clearly routed toward its destination.

10 • Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service Control System Solutions GEI-100504

 Supervisory

3.25.7.3

3.25.7.2
CIMPLICITY/HM
Viewer

CIMPLICITY/HM
Server
192.168.1.2

Control

ENTRYPL ENTRYAC
192.168.10.1 192.168.10.1
GE
Pow
Fan
er
uc
Sup
CPU
Ethe
rnet
Geni Geni Geni
us us us ACL
ply
AC

90-
70
PL
C
Innovation
<90-70 / PLC>
<IS Drive>

If the initialization file specifies
a specific interface to use, any
traffic received from other in-
terfaces are ignored.
To restrict EGD traffic to a single network, use the keyword INTERFACE in the
initialization file. INTERFACE instructs the service to:
• receive EGD traffic only on the network interface specified
• determine the subnet broadcast address required to send broadcast EGD traffic
• set the address for any Exchanges that are broadcast from the node
To broadcast exchanges, specify BROADCAST in the destination address field of the
exchange definition.

Note The broadcast can be overridden by specifying an alternate address with the
BROADCAST keyword. If neither the INTERFACE nor BROADCAST keywords
are specified, the default broadcast address is set to the local IP broadcast address
(255.255.255.255).

GEI-100504 Control System Solutions Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service • 11

 Troubleshooting
The EGD Service can be started manually (refer to the section, Starting and Stopping
the EGD Service) or interactively with the debugging option, -dn (n=number of mes-
sage). The larger the number specified (up to 10) produces additional diagnostic
messages. (A nominal value of 3 should be used.) Messages will be sent to the
Event Log (if started from control panel or services) or to the screen (interactive
mode from a command console).

g GE Industrial Systems
Issue date: 2001-01-15 General Electric Company
 2000 by General Electric Company, USA.
All rights reserved.
1501 Roanoke Blvd.
12 • Ethernet Global Data (EGD) Service Salem, VA 24153-6492 USA Control System Solutions GEI-100504