Boost Your PLC System: Web and Industrial Connectivity Print E-mail

This article is part of the 7 Ways to Boost Your PLC System white paper series.


 To enhance your programmable logic control (PLC) system, any added tools need to work well with the existing equipment and infrastructure. Having open connectivity with the field and enterprise networks allows these tools to talk easily with both local devices and remote office PCs.

New Technology for Web and Industrial Connectivity

NI LabVIEW graphical programming and CompactRIO programmable automation controllers (PACs) can optimize PLC automation and add specialty functionality, such as high-speed analog measurements, advanced analysis, and machine vision. To integrate NI PACs with existing PLCs, you can wire basic digital and analog I/O between the two systems. This method is often used because it is simple, effective, and readily available on every platform. The PAC acts as an intelligent device, carrying out complex tasks and then passing the results back to the PLC’s control loop using I/O values.

Another connection method involves OPC (OLE for Process Control) technology, a standard used to access industrial devices with Windows-based software. In this manner, a PC can communicate with several different types of PLCs and PACs using the OPC client/server architecture. This method uses industrial communications that allow controllers, sensors, and actuators to communicate on the same bus without being directly wired to one another. NI offers hardware and software solutions for Modbus, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, FOUNDATION Fieldbus, CANopen, DeviceNet, and more, enabling LabVIEW and NI PACs to easily communicate with these networks. You can integrate other specialized protocols by applying gateways as needed.

Figure 1. Connect LabVIEW to any PLC using analog and digital I/O, OPC, Modbus, and other industrial protocols.

Enterprise connectivity is also playing a bigger and bigger role in deployed systems so that off-site users can view the real-time data and change system parameters on the fly. LabVIEW graphical tools provide functionality for Web-published software interfaces, Web services, CGI (common gateway interface) programming, and e-mail messaging. In combination with the built-in Web (HTTP) and file (FTP) servers on CompactRIO, these functions can be used for remote monitoring and control, phone or e-mail alerts, and file transfers of logged data.

Case Study: Online Monitoring System for Prototyping Energy-Efficient Fluid Fittings

Grohe AG is Europe’s largest and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sanitary products and automated systems for kitchens and bathrooms. One of the company's latest applications involved prototyping energy-efficient, automatic fittings as part of its PowerFLUID research project. NI Alliance Partner S.E.A. Datentechnik GmbH chose CompactRIO to develop a smart data-logging system to study the operational data of the fittings and remotely control the system over the Web.

The logging system autonomously acquires the internal signals of the fitting, such as the filling or operating state, as well as additional environmental signals such as brightness, water temperature, and inflow pressure. The CompactRIO system is mounted in a mobile rack connected to a power supply, water, and the fitting under operation.

Figure 2. The CompactRIO logging system features Web browser interfaces for the remote monitoring and automatic file transfer of stored data.

With the CompactRIO LabVIEW Web server, users can remotely monitor the systems and operate the software with a local laptop over TCP/IP using a standard Web browser. Additionally, the S.E.A. CompactRIO GSM module is used to automatically and securely transfer the acquired data to a Web server at headquarters using public GSM/GPRS networks. CompactRIO provided key connectivity features for secure data transmission, remote access to the PowerFLUID system, and central administration of the acquired information.

Read the full case study

Additional Case Studies

How to Boost Your PLC System

Whether you use basic I/O, OPC, or industrial protocols, open connectivity among industrial devices helps you choose from the best products among different vendors to complete or complement your PLC system. Plus, you can take advantage of enterprise connectivity to retrieve the latest updates and adjust the configurations over the intranet or Web. For more information, view the following resources:

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