Interfacing Siemens Desigo PXC Building Automation controller with LabVIEW

[Naqqash]

Hello everyone,

I am currently trying to interface Siemens building Automation controller Desigo PXC100-E.D http://www.buildingtechnologies.siemens.com/bt/global/en/buildingautomation-hvac/building-automation...

with LabVIEW using OPC servers. I had once interfaced the S7-300 PLC of Siemens with simatic step-7 software with LabVIEW but in this case I don't which driver should I select and don't know is it possible or not. If any one of you have similar sort of expierence please I need advice..

Thanks

Naqqash.

[Elizabeth_K.]

We do have a Supported Device & Driver Plug-in List for NI-OPC Server. Unfortunately, it does not seems like the Desigo PXC100-E.D is supported. The S7-300 is, which is why you were able to use it before.

If you are using another OPC server to get data from your Desigo PXC100-E.D, you could use LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module to take that data into LabVIEW, but it looks like you can not use the NI OPC server.

We have a great tutorial on Connecting LabVIEW to Any PLC Using OPC, which you may also find useful.

Regards,

Elizabeth K.

National Instruments | Applications Engineer | www.ni.com/support 

[Naqqash]

Thanks for the reply. As you suggested I can use DSC for this controller can you tell me little bit about that or can send me some useful link. The tutorail you have mentioned was really helpful before when I connected S7-300 but now situation is different. But thanks anyway for sharing. I hope you can give me some idea. 

Regards,

Naqqash.

[Elizabeth_K.]

Basically, you will be doing the exact same process as you did for the S7-300, but with a different OPC server. All of the instructions in that tutorial from "Connect LabVIEW to OPC Tags by Creating an I/O Server" and onward would apply, except you would not be selecting "National Instrument.NIOPCServers" in the Configure OPC Client I/O Server step. Instead, you would select the OPC server that is hosting your tags. I do not have information about which OPC server would work with that particular PLC, but that information may be contained in the users manual.

Regards,

Elizabeth K. 

National Instruments | Applications Engineer | www.ni.com/support 

[Naqqash]

Thanks Elizabeth for the reply. I'll look into it I hope i'll figure out some say. Actually the problem is they start these controllers now particularly for Building automation don't even know one should consider them same as PLCs or not..but anyways the controllers apparently behaves same way as a PLC does. 

Regards,

Naqqash.

[Naqqash]

Hi,

As you have described I've done the whole configuration. I am using MatrikonOPC for BACnet and as I've checked my device and the software are working properly. Now what I am trying to is that I am connecting the BACnet OPC server with LabVIEW so that the MatrikonOPC act as a connection layer between my device and LabVIEW. So that I will be able to change values directly from my LV vi. Now when I connect that Bacnet OPC with LabVIEW using the same procedure for PLC it gets connected because it is showing all the tags from the device. But after doing the whole procedure which is the same according to the tutorial 'connecting LV to any PLC using OPC' when I deploy the variables I am getting some error. I am attaching the screenshot of the error. Please let me know if I am doing any thing wrong.

PS: I am using a virtual machine and I've tried the whole thing with the NI OPC servers as well according to the tutorial but still when i deploy variables I am getting this error.

[Peter_W]

Hi Naqqash,

Since you are seeing this issue across multiple OPC platforms it seems like the problem is something else present in your system. Do you have any other logging processes running? This KnowledgeBase mentions the error you are getting specifically, and it is due to an errant process which could be running alongside your current project but lost connection to the correct database.

Also, do you know if tagsrv.exe is running? What about the National Instruments Variable Engine service? You can check on that by going to Start » Run » Typing "services.msc" and pressing enter. Then browse through the services for the NI VE.

Regards,

Peter W.

[Naqqash]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the reply. According to the article you've mentioned I have done all the things but still when I restart or shutdown my system I am getting this error.

How will I know which logging processes are running in my system?

Yes variable engine was running also and it was on automatic state at startup. How will I know that tagsrv.exe is running , I thing it is running at backend somewhere because whenever I log off the same error message comes.

I've tried just for the check to use the NI simulation servers if deployment is now ok or not but it is not. Everytime I start variable engine or deploy the variables I am getting the same error as mentioned before.

Its really annoying I am stuck between crossroads, I hope I will get some help from you guys. Waiting eagerly for the reply.

Thanks.

[Peter_W]

Hi Naqqash,

You should be able to go to the Distributed Systems Manager and see the different libraries that are running under localhost as shown in the second screenshot. You may see a library named "System" even if you don't have any currently deployed, but any others there could be causing the problem. Also, the screenshot of MAX in the KnowledgeBase is somewhat lacking, but if you go under Historical Data » Citadel 5 Database and then expand My Computer in the right pane you should be able to see the databases and remove them as shown. Once you clean out the unused libraries and databases you should have removed the one with the error unless this error is being caused by your current program.

Regards,

Peter W.