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In this tutorial, you will learn how to configure a PLC to communicate with the BluePlant SCADA via OPC UA, using the new Communication Manager object.
Tutorial Components
Software: MasterTool IEC XE 3.75 and BluePlant 9.1.40
Tutorial Sections
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONFIGURATIONS IN MASTERTOOL
2.1 Creating the project and adding variables
2.2 Adding the Configuration Manager
2.3 Finalization
3. CLIENT CONFIGURATIONS
4. DEMONSTRATION OF OPERATION
4.1 Client write demonstration
4.2 Server write demonstration
1. INTRODUCTION
Introduced in the latest versions of MasterTool IEC XE, there is a new way to configure OPC UA communication in MasterTool IEC XE: The Communication Manager.
2. CONFIGURATIONS IN MASTERTOOL
2.1 Creating the project and adding variables
In this tutorial, we will create a project with the XP300 PLC, and we will create a GVL called GVL_Tutorial, where the variables to be communicated will be stored.
In this GVL, we will create 3 variables to demonstrate the communication operation.
2.2 Adding the Configuration Manager
After declaring the communication variables, we can create the OPC communication driver: the Communication Manager.
Define the name and click "add". Then, we will add the Server.
After adding the Server, we can open the created Symbol Set, click Refresh to load the variables, find our created variables, and drag them to the right, adding them to the communication variable list. Your access rights can be changed in the Access Rights column.
To confirm if your variables were added, you can check the Symbol Set Result tab, where the number of exported symbols and their list should appear.
2.3 Finalization
After performing the configurations as indicated, your PLC is configured to communicate via OPC UA; just upload the project to your device!
3. CLIENT CONFIGURATIONS
To demonstrate the OPC UA operation, we will add a Client in BluePlant.
For this, you can follow another tutorial in our knowledge base that explains the process of creating a project with this configuration at the following link: OPC UA BluePlant Tutorial.
After creating the node, configuring it correctly, and obtaining success in the test, select the created node and click Import to get the variables.
In the newly opened screen, click Refresh to read the variables on the network.
With the refresh, it will load the variables available for communication. In the Symbol Set folder, we can find our declared variables.
After importing, you can find a point created in the points tab with the declared variables. The type is set to Read, and we will change it to ReadWrite for demonstration.
Also, in the TAGs tab, a TAG was created where the variables are mapped. You can see it has a type with a different name, which is encrypted.
This happens because a Template (variable type) was created, where you have a structure with several variables, being the ones we declared in the OPC UA Server.
After configuring as indicated, go to Run->Startup and click Run Startup
4. DEMONSTRATION OF OPERATION
To change and view the values in BluePlant, we will use the Watch tool.
Here, you can open the variable created by OPC, and monitor and change the values of the created variables. We will demonstrate an example of writing and an example of reading.
4.1 Client write demonstration
Changing the values in BluePlant:
As we can see, the PLC received the values:
4.2 Server write demonstration
Changing the values in the PLC:
As we can see, BluePlant received the values:
With this, you are able to perform a simple communication with the new OPC UA feature in MasterTool.
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