Using Bridgeview as HMI for AB SLC504

[Kari Olson]

I'm a student studying systems and control engineering at CWRU. For my
senior project I developed some SLC 504 code. For my presentation one of
the requirements is a demo of the product. Since I was familiar with and
had access to Bridgeview, I chose it for an HMI. Everything is going well
except that I have been unable to get the SLC and Bridgeview to communicate.
I had an engineer at the comapny that sponsored my project helping me with
the communications (they've done it twice before), but we couldn't get it
working.

Specifics:

Bridgeview 2.0 (with some added server stuff) running on win95 (the OS may
change for the final presentation so let me know if this should be changed).
I am using RSLinx (full not lite)
2.1 and the SLC is connected via serial.
I was using the Allen-Bradley (RSLinx) server in Bridgeview.

Are there any step-by-step instructions or pointers anyone can give?

Thanks-in-advance,
-Kari Olson

[R. Huettmann]

Dear Kari !
Dear other Experts in BV !

I got nearly the same problem:
Using BV since Vers.1.0, I am a real fan of this system.
Infortunately connecting BV with A/B-SLC via RSLINX (Full Vers. 2.1) ,I had
different experience:
Testing two systems:

PC WIN95:
Prozessor AMD K6; 32 MB RAM
AWARD BIOS (2A59IV3B)
WIN95 4.00.950.B

Laptop WIN98:
SONY VAIO PCG-505FX/LT
266 MHz Pentium; 32 MB RAM
WIN98

Results:

RSLINX - Direct access to SLC 5/03 (DH485): Works fine on both systems
RSLINX as DDE-Server mit BV2.0 as client:
PC WIN95: Works, but the system clock loses about 1 hour per day (!?)
Laptop WIN98: "Server Error Status -6605123; cant establish connection
with DDE-Server RSLINX, the server may not be running"

RSLINX as OPC-Server + NI Server Explorer
(Ver 1.1): Woorks fine on both
systems.
RSLINX as OPC-Server + BV2.0 client: No work on both systems !
Server Browser: Unable to connect to OPC Server RSLINX; System error
returned - unrecognized error code (0x80040112)

This is a real urgent problem for my costumer and (more for) me.
I really hope (and I am sure, because they are doing their work very well)
my local NI-partner and/or NI(USA) will fix this problem.

Thank's in advance for all tips and greetings from Austria
Reinhold Huettmann

[Kari Olson]

I also posted to comp.lang.labview and someone who has done this before
replied to say that he will send me some screen shots. My problems sounded
quite similar to your last situation:

R. Huettmann <73064.3250@compuserve.com> wrote in message
<38367ae5@newsgroups.ni.com>...
[..]
>RSLINX as OPC-Server + NI Server Explorer (Ver 1.1): Woorks fine on both
>systems.
>RSLINX as OPC-Server + BV2.0 client: No work on both systems !
> Server Browser: Unable to connect to OPC Server RSLINX; System error
>returned - unrecognized error code (0x80040112)


I don't think I tried any of the other ways you described. Can you tell me
anything special I need to do in RSLINX to use it as a DDE server? I have a
very small amount of data to pass for a simple demo running a si
mulated (in
the SLC) process.
The system clock changes you described are not a problem for the duration of
a five minute demo. Due to time constraints I can't wait for a fix, but
will accept any workaround that will get my data on the screen of a windows
(95/98/NT) computer from the SLC using the Bridgeview vi's I coded.
-Kari

[R. Huettmann]

Kari !

After this weekend, mostly with BV(Vers 2.0 and 2.1), I think I have some
tips for You:

1.) Change Number-Format in WIN-System-Country to .(Point) for dezimal
delimiter.
2.) Start RSLINX and check with the SuperWho the connection to Your SLC
3.) Look at the topic-configuration (OPC/DDE) and define a topic for the
communication
4.) Start BV and open the TCE (TagConfigurationEditor)
5.) Configure a Tag for
5a. DDE: with the device-address in the Server Group setup:
RSLINX|your_topic_of3.) and
the item in SPC-Adress-manner (eg.: S:4 (analog) for system
forward counter)
5b. OPC: Sóme group definition with RSLINX OPC Server and
the item like 5a AND access-path of your_topic_of3.)
6.) Save Tag
7.) Launch Engine
8.
) Test with TagMonitor
and so on ..........

Hope it helps
Reinhold Hüttmann
new email: gu_huettmann@styria.com

[R. Huettmann]

Dear NI-Experts:

Doing some tests with BV2.1, I got a problem with the TagConfigurationEditor
(TCE):
After 2 to 3 saves of *.scf files with some DDE- or OPC- (RSLINX)
connections, the TCE hangs during save.

Thanks in advance for some fixes

Yours sincerely
Reinhold Hüttmann
new email: gu_huettmann@styria.com

[Aaron Gelfand]

Reinhold,

There are a number of Tag Configuration Editor fixes at:
ftp://ftp.ni.com/support/bridgeview/BV21%20fixes/

Aaron Gelfand
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

"R. Huettmann" <73064.3250@compuserve.com> wrote:
>Dear NI-Experts:>>Doing some tests with BV2.1, I got a problem with the
TagConfigurationEditor>(TCE):>After 2 to 3 saves of *.scf files with some
DDE- or OPC- (RSLINX)>connections, the TCE hangs during save.>>Thanks in
advance for some fixes>>Yours sincerely>Reinhold Hüttmann>new email: gu_huettmann@styria.com>>>

[Preston Todd Johnson]

You might try the newer version of BridgeVIEW 2.1 which sports all the
drivers and servers from the Lookout software package. Many of the major
universities have a site license for LabVIEW which includes BridgeVIEW.
This would mean you might be able to upgrade at no charge. I would suggest
you contact one of their Inside Sales Reps - 800 433 3488 to discuss.

Todd Johnson
Kari Olson wrote in message
news:38319d46@newsgroups.ni.com...
> I'm a student studying systems and control engineering at CWRU. For my
> senior project I developed some SLC 504 code. For my presentation one of
> the requirements is a demo of the product. Since I was familiar with and
> had access to Bridgeview, I chose it for an HMI. Everything is going well
> except
that I have been unable to get the SLC and Bridgeview to
communicate.
> I had an engineer at the comapny that sponsored my project helping me with
> the communications (they've done it twice before), but we couldn't get it
> working.
>
> Specifics:
>
> Bridgeview 2.0 (with some added server stuff) running on win95 (the OS may
> change for the final presentation so let me know if this should be
changed).
> I am using RSLinx (full not lite) 2.1 and the SLC is connected via serial.
> I was using the Allen-Bradley (RSLinx) server in Bridgeview.
>
> Are there any step-by-step instructions or pointers anyone can give?
>
> Thanks-in-advance,
> -Kari Olson
>
>
>