How do I use LabVIEW with Lookout to read from a Siemens TI 530 PLC via RS-232?

[timmo]

I'm trying to read hex code from a Siemens TI 530 PLC via a RS-232 cable with LabVIEW 6.1. I purchased the Lookout Drivers CD, which I told would help. But after reading through the Lookout Help, I still cannot figure out how to make LabVIEW work with Lookout to read data from the PLC. I didn't even get anything from just reading from the comm port using a VISA session or a serial comm VI. I have tested the PLC and it is sending data out through the serial port and receiving data, and I tested the serial ports on the PC running LabVIEW and both of them work. I need help!

[Khalid]

Hi,

'Lookout Drivers CD' is a suite of OPC Servers. You create Objects for the drivers you're using. The registers (datamembers) for this will then be exposed as OPC items.

Now, coming to LabVIEW, it needs to act as an OPC Client. For this, you can use the DataSocket VIs in LabVIEW. DataSocket VIs support the OPC "protocol" and hence can act as an OPC Client.

Search for OPC and Datasocket in LabVIEW's help. Also, check out the example from the comm\opc.llb.

If you however have the Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module for LabVIEW, it provides a built-in OPC Client functionality. You can just browse and create Tags from any OPC Server. For more info' on this, see the following:

US>LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control

And the following for OPC:
NI products and OPC

Hope this helps.

Khalid

[andreoliveira 47]

Hi Elaine,

I just wanted to add on more thing to the email I sent a few minutes ago, you also have the option of using the OPC client object driver in Lookout, but for that you will have to check if Siemens or somebody else provides a OPC Server for you PLC. The OPC server can be seen as a driver that converts the data coming from your PLC to a standard format.
Then you can follow the same steps I wrote to you in the email, however when the drivers window comes up yo should choose OPC Client driver instead of the Modbus.

I hope it helps

Best Regards

Andre Oliveira