Wonderware vs. Fix32

[OkiePC 14]

I have been asked to update all 3 of our refrigeration systems HMI computers along with the software they are running. They are old Compaq PCs. Two are running Fix32 on NT 4.0 and one is running Wonderware InTouch on Win98. I haven't gotten too deep into the details of the existing applications yet. They appear to be just ordinary HMI control and alarming functions for their respective PLCs. One Fix32 system is connected to a PLC5/40 via DH+ (KT card). Another (Fix32) is apprently only monitoring a series of SLC 5/02 controllers via DH485. The third Wonderware system is connected to a SLC5/05 via ethernet. All of the systems are reliable, but we know that we need to move forward to a still supported OS. Also, in the past, an outside company was used for all programming and maintenance. This is a practice we would like to avoid. There is no desire to change the PLCs or the programs they are using that actually control the refrigeration systems, only upgrade the HMI side of things. I haven't found out the exact rev. levels of the software installed, but I will do that soon. If it is possible to simply port the old applications to new WinXP machines, that would be jsut fine, but I would like to know what the pros and cons might be. I have never worked with either package in the past, but I have had lots of dealings with RSView32. (It is not going to be cosidered for this project.) Thanks in advance! Paul Edited 11 Oct 2006 by OkiePC

[rajsiyer 7]

Hi Paul, I don't know about I-Fix upgrade.... but regarding Wonderware I know for sure that versions older than 7.11 are not supported on XP. The most recent case I handled was upgrading to Win2K for an InTouch Ver7.1 using an upgrade patch downloadable from WONDERware.com. Please visit this site and you get a compatibility matrix and proper OS upgrade patches. Without these patches I've noticed that trends and alarms do not show up properly. Also NetDDE functionality is lost. Hope that my experience is of some use to you Best wishes.. Raj s. Iyer

[Nathan 7]

Paul, If you can simply move the existing programs to new XP machines, that would obviouly be the least labor intensive. You would also want to verify that you understand and can modify the programs if you have any need for changes in scope (you mentioned that an outside company created the project). I would encourage you to check out FactorySQL and FactoryPMI. They are very powerful and easy to use. You can download a fully functional, resettable 2 hour trial version and create your real application. If you choose to use it commercially, you simply activate the software. You'll find that the software is reasonably priced and you will recieve free support on the forum. I'm curious to hear what you go with and how it works out for you. Don't hesitate to contact me if you want help getting started with FactorySQL or FactoryPMI. Edited 27 Oct 2006 by Nathan