Getting Data Into MicroSoft Excel Spreadsheet

Once the OPC plug-in has been installed getting data into an Excel spreadsheet is a simple operation:

4) Select the OPCex3 Menu item from within Excel and the menu items shown in Fig 9 will appear.

Select Menu Item “Add or Edit OPC Item”.

The “Add Item” Window will appear but will have no current options selected and will require configuration. See Fig 10

Select “NetpodOPC” from the Server Name pull-down menu list within the Add Item Window.

Once the NetPodOPC server is selected and after about 10 seconds the NetPodOPC server name will appear at the top of the
Data Display, See Fig 11.

Once the NetPodOPC server appears then it is now possible to select and use data within a spreadsheet.

Fig 10 - Add Item Window

Fig 11- Add Item Window Showing NetPod OPC Selection

Manually Starting the OPC Server

To manually start the NetPod OPC Server:

3) Start the opcex31bb.exe software and the Window shown in Fig 8 will appear.

As long as the PodMng software is running and the task bar icon is green then data will appear into the OPC Server.

The OPC server also shows the quality of the data and if timing information is lost then it will be indicated as Bad in this window.

Use the Slider bar, see Fig 8, to observe data from any instrument on the network. Information is only shown in the active part of the Window
and the display is only used to show that the Server is operational.

Fig 10 shows the Add Item Menu as it appears when the Window first appears.

Selecting the NetPod OPC Server

Figure 11 shows the “Add Item” Window with the NetPod OPC server selected and an update rate of 1 Hz. The update rate is selected in milli-seconds so 1000 mS = 1 Sec.

After a few seconds of being selected the “NetPodOPC” server appears in the information area of the “Add Item” Window.

Any instrument identified by the PodMng driver can be displayed and the channels selected for processing.