Re: [foxboro] Foxboro OPC

Mark,
 

Could you share a little background with me please?

 

What company are you with?

Where is your plant?

What do you make?

What version of the I/A Series are you running?

What types of AWs do you have?

What historian are you running currently?

 

This will help me understand the situation.

 

Anyway, here are some thoughts.

 

AJ

 

 

Re: AW70 with OPC I/O Gate

 

This won't help you from what I can see. The I/O Gate brings data from OPC
Servers into the I/A Series. It does not furnish data to others.

 

However, you can run both AIM*OPC Server and the AW70 OPC I/A Gate software
on the same box if you wish.

 

 

Re: Install the OPC Server for AIM on top of the AIM Server

 

The AIM*OPC DA Server can be loaded on any PC running one of the support MS
OSs (I don't have a list at hand) that is connected to an I/A Series AW
(Solaris or Windows) over an Ethernet network.

 

You do not need to buy anything other than the AIM*OPC Server license.

 

If you want just real-time data access, you would buy the AIM*OPC DA Server.

If you want both real-time and historical data access, you would buy the
AIM*OPC DA/HDA Server.

 

If the AW hosting AIM*Historian is used as the source of data for the
AIM*OPC Server, the two packages will share lists. The package requesting
the smallest change delta will have its delta used.

 

 

Re: OPC and APC

 

This is a rather complicated topic. Briefly stated, you can use the OPC
server as you interface to the I/A Series for advanced control, but you have
a number of issues to handle. This include but are not limited to:

 

1)       Computer failure handling. OPC does not support our SSC model (or
any APC handshaking model). So, you will have to determine how you want to
deal with this issue.

2)       Throughput - The I/A Series does not like to have data "pushed"
into it. It prefers to pull the data in. Setpoint changes in a APC
application are not much of an issue usually, but some systems may be too
loaded for a large controller. There are many complicated issues to
understand before selecting write connections or one-shot connections.

 

The AIM*OPC DA Server does not use AIM*Historian. Both AIM*Historian and the
AIM*OPC DA Server use AIM*API. So, shutting of the Historian has no impact
on AIM*OPC DA Server. However, stopping AIM*API (a very unusual occurance)
would not be a good thing.

 

 

Re: Install the OPC Server of Matrikon

 

Personal opinion, you are better off having one company to yell at when
there is a problem - but I'm hardly unbiased.

 

 

Re: Install Native Fox I/A Bridge

 

I STRONGLY recommend using the native data collectors for historians if they
are available. Both OSI's PI and Aspen's IP.21 have native collectors. You
will have fewer issues with fewer layers of software. Plus you pick up the
advantage of data buffering in the event of network failures.

 

Regards,

 

Alex Johnson

Invensys Systems, Inc.

10707 Haddington

Houston, TX 77043

713.722.2859 (voice)

713.722.2700 (operator)

713.932.0222 (fax)

ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx

For the latest information on ArchestrA, go to
http://www.invensys.com/Archestra.html
<http://www.invensys.com/Archestra.html> .

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark David [mailto:mdavid0404@xxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 8:12 AM
To: Johnson, Alex (Foxboro)
Subject: RE: Foxboro OPC

 

 

Dear Mr. Alex,

 

We intend to install a real-time database historian such as IP21/PI  and
potentially, an MVC and an intelligent tuning application on a FOX I/A with
an already installed AIM license.

 

Here are the Options we are considering, and please tell us whether it is
feasible:

 

1.  Use an AW70  with the OPC I/O Gate.

Such box will read data from the FOX I/O blocks and transfers it to the
Historian( PI or IP21), which means the historian should have an OPC server
as well.

If this is doable (transferring data from the FOX I/A to the historian using
AW70),  we will then interface the future MVC (most likely DMC) to the OPC
sever of the historian where the AW70 OPC client will read the setpoints
from and transfers them to the FOX I/O blocks.

 

Considering an AIM license already exists, what are the consideration we
need to take concerning the CP loads by adding the AW70  which will serve as
the gateway for the future Historian?  

What do you think about this approach?  Is it feasible?

 

Based on your experience how long would it take to install the AW70, the
relate software and the required configuration?

 

2.  Install the OPC server for AIM on top of the AIM server.

 

We presume a simple PC is suitable.  Or is there a standard Foxboro hardware
we need to recommend? If yes why?

We presume the OPC server of AIM comes with an AIMnet  API that connects to
the AIM-API over TCP-IP.

 

In the future, if we decide to go for the MVC we will write points to the
OPC server of AIM.  

 

Such configuration will not create any overload on the DCS network CP load
as we will be using AIM as a shield or buffer zone.  Is it correct?

 

However, the issue comes from the fact, what if AIM fails?  Then we will
stop any communications to all applications. 

 

We have a single point of failure.

 

 

3.  Install the OPC server of Matrikon.

 

This could be attractive.  However we would need to understand of the DCS
load.

At the same time, our experience with Matrikon and many customers confirm
the same, their support is very poor and products are buggy.  In addition,
it takes them too long to fix anything and get back to customers.

 

The idea of buying a solution from Foxboro is more attractive to us.
Foxboro has a good reputation.

 

4.  Install the Native FOX I/A bridge of the Historian such as PI.

 

This could be an attractive solution as if the network fails, both Historian
we will buffer the data.  Do you have any comments on this?

 

Later on, what will happen if we add an MVC?

 

Also, if we had applications to fine loop controllers for example, we will
just add an OPC server to the historian.

 

What do you think?

 

Thanks for your help,

Best Regards,

Mark David



"Johnson, Alex (Foxboro)" <ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

C'est rien.

 

 

Regards,

 

Alex Johnson

Invensys Systems, Inc.

10707 Haddington

Houston, TX 77043

713.722.2859 (voice)

713.722.2700 (operator)

713.932.0222 (fax)

ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx

For the latest information on ArchestrA, go to
http://www.invensys.com/divisions/Archestra.html
<http://www.invensys.com/divisions/Archestra.html> .

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark David [mailto:mdavid0404@xxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 8:41 PM
To: Johnson, Alex (Foxboro)
Subject: Re: 

 

Hi Alex,

Many Thanks it's very  helpful.

 

Best Regards



"Johnson, Alex (Foxboro)" <ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

FYI.

 

Regards,

 

Alex Johnson

Invensys Systems, Inc.

10707 Haddington

Houston, TX 77043

713.722.2859 (voice)

713.722.2700 (operator)

713.932.0222 (fax)

ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx

For the latest information on ArchestrA, go to
http://www.invensys.com/divisions/Archestra.html
<http://www.invensys.com/divisions/Archestra.html> .

 



> ATTACHMENT part 2 application/msword name=OPC Q&A.doc


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