LabVIEW and SCADA

[Ayman_Metwally]

Dear all,
I really wanted to know, Can we consider LabVIEW 7 application a SCADA application (with out any add-on module "e.g.DSC module").

I'm talking about definetions now, Is LabVIEW for SCADA or only Data acquistion ?
Iam seeing that LabVIEW provides most of the SCADA packages features:
Visualization, Alarming (can be developed), Trending .. etc
The only problems 9in my point of view) are:
1- Communication: I mean handling communication with the different controllers (mainly PLCs), I know it can be done (MAX and OPC) but no easy as the other packages.
2- handling data bases for storing/retreving alarms and so.

Please remeber that I'm talking about the Basic package of LabVIEW (No add*-ons).

I want to share this with you.

Thanks

[Ayman_Metwally]

Also there is another major problem (in the base package), which is:
There is no real good option for desinging many "Screens" with LabVIEW. I use the "Tab control" but you all know it's not that flexible, and the controls/indicators are loaded in memory at the same time (beacuse the Tab control is a one "container" object)

Pleae note that I developed many large data acquistion systems using LabVIEW 7 (but I didn't use andy add-ons except Application builder and MS office report generation modules) and I also developed SCADA systems using VB6 and current project with intouch.

Thanks.

[Ayman_Metwally]

Again, I'm here (Sorry of that)
Another thing that I don't like is that: If it's a good thing to use Labview base package to design SCADA software, if we have many I/Os (tags), the "graphical" code will be very defficult to handle (copy and paste will cause problems, debugging is getting harder and harder ..etc)

Thanks

[Cyril]

Hello,

LabVIEW itself cannot really be considered per se as a SCADA package.
-Of course you can use LabVIEW as an OPC client for PLCs using Datasocket, but that will go for about 50 connections and is pretty cumbersome to retrieve alarms etc the way a scada package usually do
- You could use an access database to store alarms, trending etc... but you will have to reinvent the wheel as nothing is really preformatted for that.

What you're trying to accomplish with LabVIEW is the main purpose of the DSC module, which manage hundreds of connections, has the Database capabilities with Citadel and has alarms, trending... already developped...like a SCADA Package.

[Ayman_Metwally]

Thanks Cyril for your reply, I know that I shoul try the DSC module, but the problem is that there is no demo version offered for this module, Am I right?

[tbob]

NI used to have a package called Lookout, that was designed for SCADA use. I don't think it is available anymore, as the functions have been absorbed into Labview. In my opinion (I did SCADA for 3 years), the best HMI software packages are Wonderware(Intouch) and GE Simplicity. Since you mentioned Intouch, I assume that you are already familiar with Wonderware. You should check out GE's HMI package. It is really impressive, along with their PLCs.

[LV_Pro]

Actually Lookout is still alive and well, it probably was "BridgeVIEW" you remember which was basically LabVIEW with SCADA enhancements. If you are planning on trying to do real SCADA, the DSC has a lot of SCADA enhancements to LabVIEW, but it won't be as easy as building a SCADA system using a SCADA package, like Lookout or inTouch. One thing that I miss from Wonderware and Intellution's iFix are how easy it was to build cool, automated graphics. I've been using LabVIEW for 12 1/2 years, work mostly in it, love it, but boy I would like to be able to _easily_ make a valve control that changed depending on its state and looked cool, not to mention pipes that showed stuff flowing through them. Actually to be able to make scalable graphics, where after I put a graphic on a button I could scale it easily, like a native control, would be nice!

Good Luck

Putnam Monroe

[Ayman_Metwally]

Thank you all for the inputs, but I still ahve a question:

Is there any aviable demov version for the DSC module?

[Arun_V]

Hello Ayman,

Unfortunately there is no Evaluation Version for LabVIEW DSC yet. But you can definitely go online and view Product Demonstration which will lead you to about a 5 minute video. I have attached the link too

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nioc.vp?pc=res&cid=10418〈=US&p_0=demo

On the same page there are other useful link to example code and application notes.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Arun V
National Instruments

[Ayman_Metwally]

Thank you sunrays.