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ABB Freelance

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pdupreez

Technical User
May 16, 2001
49
ZW
Does anyone have any ideas on how we can integrate data from a Freelance PLC (1996 vintage) to inSQL?
 
pdupreez,

While I have condiserable experience at cross platform communication/data integration in AB, Taylor, Bailey, GE, Siemens and others, I am not familiar with "Freelance" as a PLC supplier.
Am I reading your request incorrectly? Many PLC's were proprietary in their data type generation but most all could output or convert their information to ASCII./

Can you provide a bit more depth to your information?


rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all
 
Thanks for responding.

The Freelance systems we have were originally manufactured by Hartmann&Braun who was later taken over by ABB. The system operates at DCS level on 5Mb/s Ethernet on a protocol I believe called ControlNet.

I have limited information beyound that at present, but does know that it supports a G2/Gensym DDE server supplied by Matrikom to interface with a AI control system running Unix on an Alpha Station.

 
pdupreez,

That clears up the term "freelance".

I assume that SQL is running on the Alpha box, correct?

Can you pick off any output at some location?

Can you identify any file format type or do you believe that it is proprietary.

Being they became part of ABB, is there any type of support from them on these older PLC's? just thought I would ask.

The requirement is to convert any output info into some universal or another system language that you can and know how to handle.

Guess I should ask if handling the file output is where the problem is, or if it is in getting dis-similar communication topologies to co-communicate?


rvnguy
"I know everything..I just can't remember it all
 
Having worked for ABB for some years, albeit a while ago now, many of their staff have a very wide range of experience of all equipment both native to ABB and that of companies they have taken over. Therefore, they are most likely be your best bet. They may even have an intermediate software package to do this for you.

I know I worked in IT support for them, and had to support PC's running data collection/data interception packages from many years ago.

Hope this helps

He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy (Monty Python's The Life of Brian)
 
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