Proficy ME View with Quickpanel HMI

[Patriot 0]

I am working on several Quickpanel Intermediate 12" color TFT touchscreens, and I am using Proficy ME View 7.0 to do this. Someone has already created the PLC programs, and these are running systems where the PLC will not be changed any further. I need to import the PLC tags, but noticed that using shared variables, or trying to include the PLC target in the same project file as the HMI target causes a warning that I only have a 30 day trial license for the Ladder Dev. portion of Proficy. I do have a full license for the View software for the HMI. I only have a 30 day trial for the Ladder software. I will be communicating to the GE PLCs (existing 90-30s) via GE TCP/IP. I am replacing custom VB6 code with these Quickpanels, so I am really just doing an HMI replacement. I am new with this software, and I do not want to spend $6,000 for the Ladder software if I am not doing any PLC programming. I just need the variables so I can tag the HMI objects to these PLC variables. I think that I can just go to the Native PLC driver for GE Ethernet, assign an import file, and import an SNF tag file that I was able to export from the PLC project using my trial version of the Proficy PLC Ladder Dev. I tried this, and the variables seemed to be imported without any trouble. I was given advice from GE tech support that I needed to use an OPC driver, and import the tags through a wizard in the OPC driver setup. I never saw this wizard, and I don't think I see the point of the OPC driver. Can I not still use a Native PLC driver option for communications? Should I be ok doing the import of the PLC tags in the manner I did it? Anyone with some experience with this have any suggestions?

[RussB 22]

You can do what you suggest, the OPC driver is not mandatory, just more robust and is where all of the 'New' and 'Updates' will take place. But do NOT use the GE-TCP/IP driver unless your PLC's are 90-70s, instead use the native driver called 'GE SRTP' as it is the latest native driver and still works fine with all of the newer PLC styles. Note that 'SRTP' is the protocol that Proficy ME uses to communicate to the CPUs via Ethernet. As to needing the Logic Developer PLC, you will not so long as you do not need to make any changes to the PLC. Keeping the targets in separate projects will prevent the annoying warnings. Someone is trying to 'rip-you-off' as adding PLC/PAC software to your current license 'should' not cost more than about $2400 for the PAC, $1000 for 90-30/VersaMax or $200 for VM Micro. BTW they are cumulative in that purchasing the PAC software license includes all lower types. Edited 21 Feb 2012 by RussB