Writing Data String Info to a text file

[Ehammer843 0]

 

Please Help!!!

 

I am very new to PLCs and need to have the capability to write the Data String(Part SN#) to a Computer connected via Ethernet.

Am I in need of only loading an OPC server on the connected computer? Or am I in need of a Historian program on connected computer as well.

Then writing a script on the connected computer to "poll" the data register that stores the serial number say every 5 mins that converts the data string to a .txt file. 

I have another piece of equipment that needs that .txt file data to append to report name.

Does any of this make sense? I am trying to explain to our PLC programmer what i am trying to do. 

This all done on an Allen Bradley PLC and using an Automation Direct EA9 HMI panel

 

[noeascencio 1]

You do not need an OPC. There are several drivers and projects to use from ranges of simple excel files to programming languages. I find very easy to use and develop in VB with Advanced HMI https://www.advancedhmi.com/ beacuse its very simple to code in Visual Basic, and the project is also designed to minimize the need of VB knowledge. It not only a driver but has several visual and non visual controls to choose from, communication its very reliable as I've used it in more than eigth projects where some of them are connected to six PLCs monitoring variables and interacting with an access database. There is even ways to make it run as a service, so you can make sure it will be always running in the background.

[OpenShell 0]

On 22/01/2020 at 9:40 PM, Ehammer843 said:

Hi, as noeascenico pointed out there are many ways to achieve what you are trying to do.

in my opinion the very latest way to achieve this and probably the best would be to set up node-red on a rasbpi PI or a box running a ubuntu server. install the Ethernet/IP nodes you can then create a flow that reads data directly from tags in time intervals you wish. you can then install the data base nodes to write that data directly to your database of choice which will act as a historain or write the data directly to a text file. the best part about this method is its very low cost and mostly open-source and should you want to iIOT later you easily have the ability to do so.

you sound like an IT guy so I am guessing this method may make more sense to you good luck.

 

 

[Ehammer843 0]

Unfortunately I'm more proficient in CNC and fairly strong excel. But that's the extent my in depth knowledge of how these systems work. 

I found that we can get away with saving as a .csv file. However I haven't had much luck configuring the advanced HMI suggested above.