OPC Demonstration Software

In order to demonstrate the NetPod OPC server is functioning correctly several example applications from 3rd party suppliers have been included in this documentation and are typical applications that are be undertaken by the OPC server.

The 1st example shows the OPC server presenting data to the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet which is operating as the OPC client i.e the software accepting data from the OPC server.

Fig 6 shows the OPC plug-in options before any data items are selected or data reading options activated.

Windows Driver Software Operations

2) Activate the Podmng software.

Scan Network for instruments
Configure ® Scan Network

The main PodMng Window will appear similar to that shown in Fig 7. If this is not the case then please check network settings are correct and that the instruments can be seen from the PC

The OPC Server can now be configured to accept data from any of the identified instruments.

Start Data Acquisition Operations

To get data into the OPC Server the driver must be set to Run Mode.

File ® Run Mode (task bar icon goes from red to green)

Operational Instructions

Installing OPC Menu Items into Microsoft Excel

1) Download the Excel plug-in installation software:

The file opcex31bb.exe will be obtained and this should be stored in a suitably named directory for OPC software.

Activate the opcex31bb.exe like any other software and the installation of the Excel plug-in is automatically undertaken. The Excel plug-in enables the spreadsheet to operate as an OPC client i.e receive data.

Once the opcex31bb.exe software has been installed Excel with show new menu items listed under the heading “OPCEx3”. These new menu items list the operations OPC interface.

In order for Microsoft Excel to accept information from the OPC server a plug-in is required. The plug-in is a piece of software that loads into the Excel application and offers the User additional software operations not available within the standard package.

For the purpose of this demonstration regarding the use of the NetPod OPC server Keynes Control chose to use the Excel plug-in supplied by Resolvica, see Web link

http://www.resolvica.com

The OPC plug-in from Resolvica that can be freely downloaded is limited in its operation to a single Excel work sheet but it does allow multiple page applications within this work sheet to be created. It was chosen as a typical example for OPC operations and plug-in’s from other suppliers should work in a very similar manner.

IMPORTANT NOTE

For this example application only a single instrument is deployed on a LAN.