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dansomerville15

need help with SCADA database. moving 50k points

4 posts in this topic

Hello, Let me preface this. I have used this site many times when searching for issues and it has always been helpful. This is my first post here. I have been programming PLC's, HMI's, VFD's etc etc for 15 years, fairly complex stuff. I have also done lots of SCADA programming but more just for basic interface, monitoring, basic parameters changes, logging, etc etc. I am not facing a setup where I must do a large recipe/batch data transfer and I am confused as to what the best path is to achieve this. I have fairly basic knowledge of VB script as I have not needed to use it very often. Here is the problem I am facing. The SCADA package the customer has is Omron CX-Supervisor. The network is all Ethernet Based 1) I have 26 moulding machines on the plant floor2) There are 50 different moulds that are moved around from machine to machine3) Each mould can run 1 of 10 different colours4) There are 100 differing cycle parameters for each colour/mould combination =50x10x100 = 50 k points for total machine that = 50k x 26 = 1.3 million ! What the end result will be is this. From the SCADA operator terminal they would like to be able to keep a 'master set' of these settings, call up a mould/colour combo and see the individual parameters. Then they would like to edit individual parameters and download to each individual machine, or all at once. I do have a PLC at the Main terminal that was used for translation of the old serial network to ethernet. All of the serial connections have been removed so it is basically doing nothing. I could use this as a "master" for holding parameters if needed. What is the best way to go about this. Create a database, use the built in recipe manager, use PLC here as 'master storage". I feel once I get down a path it will make more sense...I just don't want to pick the wrong option and have to redo it all. Keep in mind my PLC coding is vastly superior to my knowledge of database manipulating and VB coding ThanksDan

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Hi WOW, that's quite some project! I think creating all 1.3 million elements is maybe not so efficient and is increasing complexity. Is there any way you reduce this down and re-populate based on type/colour is there common data between the moulds or to put it another way would a design of data for one mould be re-usable for the other 49? For storage I would recommend you use a database for the data and not the built in recipe functionality. For this quantity of data I think it would be much easier. Also designing the database with different tables may also help with the data design for the application so it might even be a good idea to start with the database design and make that nice and efficient. Once the database is designed you can map the database into arrays in CX-Supervisor. Have you considered mapping CX-Supervisor onto its own Sysmac Gateway node and using that as a collector for the data? CX-Supervisor installs Sysmac Gateway and you are able to connect to this as if it were a controller, this may again help reduce complexity and load on the network. I hope this helps get you started, and Good luck! Keda

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also, cx-supervisor plus edition (from version 2 and above, and also version 1.xx) can map 8000 tags, where tags could be arrays of max 1024 members (as I recall), so 8000 x 1024 = around 8 milions addresses can be mapped. It would be interesting to see the stability of cx-s in your circumstances. Edited by tashinz

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Is my math wrong, or did I miss something... You have 50 diff moulds. You have 100 diff cycle pattern for each moulds/colour combos. so that would mean 5k of data.. but if you mean that you had 100 CP per mould per colour then that is 50k. Then why would you x by 26 machines when it is a look up for a mould/colour combo.? woulndt the 50k suffice ? For comms to a machine A colour mould recipee will only consist of 100 data tags each time. (or a single array of 100 items). Once a mould recipee selected then simply transfer the 100 tags once only into the PLC. The PLC should run happily with set parameter until the recippe/mould is changed... CXSup can access database files, so might want to look at that. At the machine do they dial up the mould/colour id, or is it all set by the cx supervisor ? You can always test on a small scale first to test the water so to speak and check your code.

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