Why does my Fieldpoint OPC server time out?

[jsy4ncsu]

I'm using Fieldpoint Explorer 3.01 with 1600 ethernet modules. I'm using Wellspring Solutions' Object Automation as an OPC client to read and write to I/O. Everything works fine on one computer running Win NT 4.0. Another computer, however, is running NT Server 4.0, and the OPC reads/writes from Object Automation work for exactly 1759 seconds (or approx. 121 minutes), and then the Fieldpoint Server "times out", and the only way to get it to work again is by shutting down and restarting Object Automation, assumedly this somehow reinitializes communication with the server. This is a repeatable error that occurs at exactly the same time, every time. This only happens with the National Instruments Fieldpoint OPC server (I'm
using several) on one of the machines. I tried reinstalling the Fieldpoint OPC Server several times to no avail. I've used other OPC clients (from OPTO22, or Rockwell, Matrikon, Kepware) and can't communicate until Object Automation is shutdown and restarted. Any help or ideas on how to further troubleshoot would be appreciated, thanks.

[jsy4ncsu]

that should read 7259, not 1759, sorry.

[Aaron_G]

I have not heard of any circumstances in which the FieldPoint OPC Server dies after 121 minutes. I recommend you use the Matrikon OPC Delegator program to log the OPC Calls. The Matrikon OPC Delegator (www.matrikon.com if I recall correctly), inserts itself between your OPC Client and the OPC Server and logs all the communications. I would recommend you use it, and time the actions so that you can shut it down around 1800 seconds. By shutting it down shortly after the failure, we can more easily identify the point at which the failure occurred (the logs can get quite large fairly quickly) and help identify the cause. If you post the log files after you have done the test, I will take a look at them and see if I can help pinpoint the cause of the failure. A secon
d log, that shows the failure, the attempts to link from other clients, and the closing of the Object Automation Client would also be beneficial.

Regards,
Aaron

[jsy4ncsu]

Aaron, attached are 3 log files generated in a test that I ran. The test used Object Automation to turn on and off a relay channel (OPC item: Common FP Res\FP-RLY-420 @4\Channel 1) every 10 seconds. I used the Matrikon OPC delegator with the OPTO22 Test Client (written by Rockwell) to monitor the channel at the same time (the delegator would NOT work with Object Automation directly). The OPCDelegatorOPTO22TestClient.txt file is the log file for this client. Basically, the test started around 13:07 and lasted the usual 121 minutes. Then the OPC writes stopped around 15:08, at which time I tried to manually read and write to the channel using the OPTO22 client, generating the errors towards the end of the logfile. Incidentally, I don't k
now what the errors at the beginning of the file are, but there are no noticable problems until after 121 minutes. I then tried to use the Kepware OPC test client with delegator to read and write to the channel but this also did not work, and the logfile OPCDelegatorKepwareTestClient.txt is for that test. The other logfile (OAlogfile.txt) is the logfile generated by OA, see the end of file for the error. They should all be text files, not sure why one of them is listed as binary below. Let me know if this helps or if there is anything else I can provide.

[Aaron_G]

Since you can not use the Object Automation OPC Client with the Matrikon Delegator, can you run a test using one of the other OPC Clients for 122 minutes (so leave Object Automation OPC Client off) and let me know if the FieldPoint OPC Server fails in the same way.

In the meantime, I will examine the log files over the next two to three days.

Regards,
Aaron

[jsy4ncsu]

Aaron, here are two more log files, the first (OPCDelegatorOPTO22.txt) is a log using the OPTO22 test client, while another machine is writing to Channel 1 item to turn on for 250ms, every 30 seconds. The other computer has no problems writing via OPC to this channel, however, the test client can only monitor these writes for 121 minutes. The end of the log file where errors are generated represents this morning when I came to work and tried to read and write using the OPTO22 test client. The second log file (OPCDelegatorOPTO22_2.txt) is a logfile for the OPTO22 Test client only, with no external client performing any OPC reads or writes on the item (Common FP Res\FP-RLY-420 @4\Channel 1). The errors at the end represent att
empts to read/write to the item after the 121 minutes has elapsed. Again, I do not know what to attribute any errors towards the beginning of these files to. Thanks again.

[jsy4ncsu]

Aaron, have you had any luck with this one? Is there anything else I can send?

[Aaron_G]

We need to take this offline for more detailed troubleshooting than can easily be done through developer exchange posts. Can you please use the NI support request page to request support via email at www.ni.com/ask . In the Summary field, place "FieldPoint OPC on NT Server problems" and in the description field, ask that the email be forewarded to AaronG. Once we have a solution, I will post a summary back to Developer Exchange for other people's benefit.
Regards,
Aaron