Data Points and Connectors¶
The connectors are used for data acquisition and are the way data points are transferred to ResMa®. Connectors are installed either directly on the ResMa® Host or on gateways as intermediate data collectors
There are several variants of connectors:
Connectors that are configured completely from ResMa® with the desired data points (ResMa® Connect Modbus, formerly Direct Connect)
Connectors that are installed on the ResMa® Host or a gateway PC and are preconfigured with a data selection via a SCADA configurator (ResMa® Connect PROCON-WIN or PROCON-WEB)
Connectors that are installed on a gateway as Docker containers for embedded systems with their own web interface and configured locally via their web interface
In case 1), all required parameters of a data point are created directly within ResMa®, in case 2) all basic data of the new data point are created in ResMa® and then a reference to the symbolically displayed data point of the connector is established and the sampling rate is configured. In case 3), the data points appear directly in ResMa® on the connector and can then be.
Connectors installed on gateways typically cache all values at the intended interval. and transmit only at the intended interval. If the server is not reached (e.g. due to network problems or maintenance), no data is lost and will be transferred at a later time.
Each connector is uniquely identified within the ResMa® system via a ConnectorID.
ResMa Modbus Connector¶
The ResMa® Modbus Connector is a data collector that can communicate directly with measuring instruments or controllers via the ModBus-TCP and ModBus-RTU protocols. In addition to standard parameterization according to the Modbus register model, ResMa® has integrated templates for various measuring instruments from many manufacturers. This makes it easier for the user to pair these devices, as addressing settings do not have to be made. These are already stored in ResMa®.
List of energy meters supported with templates:
Janitza UMG 20 CM
Janitza UMG 20 CM (über TCP-Gateway)
Janitza UMG 96/508/509/511/512/604/605 (TCP)
Janitza ProData 2
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON E10
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON E10 (via TCP-Gateway)
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON E20
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON E20 (via TCP-Gateway)
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON H10
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON H10 (via TCP-Gateway)
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON H20
K’ELECTRIC KRYPTON H20 (via TCP-Gateway)
K’ELECTRIC KE-N80 (RTU)
K’ELECTRIC KE-S63 (via TCP-Gateway)
K’ELECTRIC KE-S63
NZR WBZ-5/WBZ-80
Saia-Burgess PCD7.H104D
Saia-Burgess PCD7.H104D (via TCP-Gateway)
Schneider NSX (TCP-Gateway)
Schneider PM3xxx
Schneider PM3xxx (TCP-Gateway)
Schneider PM55xx (TCP)
Siemens PAC2200 (TCP)
Siemens PAC3200 (TCP)
Siemens PAC4200 (TCP)
Siemens PAC3100 (TCP-Gateway)
Siemens PAC3100 (RTU)
Siemens PAC5200 (TCP)
Weidmüller EM220
Weidmüller EM 525/750/700-PN & EA D550/550/750 (TCP)
Weidmüller EM D370-CBM/D650/520/610/610PB/750/700-PN & EA Weidmüller D550/550/750 (RTU)
Weidmüller Energy Logger 550
Weidmüller PM51 (via TCP-Gateway)
The templates can be accessed via the ResMa® view Connector. Using the editor mode, a connection can be created under the active DirectConnector (context menu New Connection). Here you can select meter types or native ModBusTCP or ModBusRTU connections from a list.
When creating a new connection, a dialog opens that specifies it in more detail. The following information must include a connection:
Name
Selection Template
PortNumber
SlaveId
HostAddress
The drop-down menu next to Template contains a large selection of instrument templates. After the corresponding selection, connection-specific details must be entered in the following case. These vary depending on whether it is a ModBus TCP or ModBus RTU connection. In the case of ModBus TCP, a port number, the SlaveId of the device and its IP address must be entered. ModBus RTU must be configured via the following details: Parity, SlaveId, StopBits, ComPort and Baudrate. After the connection has been configured, a new measuring point (context menu New Measuring Point) can be created under it. These measuring points can also be selected from a selection list. The list contains all measured variables that the measuring instrument stored in the connection provides. Here, too, the user is offered a convenience function to facilitate the complex configuration of ModBus connections.
Particularities¶
Depending on the type of Modbus device, some options must be set to correctly store/transmit compound data words. There are two options available for this:
SwapBytes: The order of the data words remains unchanged. However, the two bytes within a data word are swapped.
SwapWords: The order of the data words is reversed. The last data word becomes the first, etc. The bytes within the data words remain unchanged.
After changing one of these settings, the “Send Configuration” function must be called via the connector so that it takes effect immediately.
To use Modbus RTU, an RS-485 interface in the host is typically required. In the case of PCs, USB converters can also be used for this purpose.
ResMa IPC-Logger¶
The ResMa® IPC logger is an industrial PC with a pre-installed ResMa® PLC connector. The device has an RS-485 interface and is therefore able to communicate directly with Modbus RTU devices. In addition, a wide range of communication drivers for control systems from various manufacturers is available.
The following chapter information applies to the configuration!
ResMa PLC Connector¶
The ResMa® PLC Connector is a multi-part Windows application consisting of the communication components of the PROCON-WEB SCADA system and the associated configuration tool (designer). In the case of the ResMa® IPC logger, these software are already installed on the Windows IPC and can be used immediately. The software package can also be installed directly to a ResMa® server or on other Windows PCs – which are to act as a gateway.
Note
The data is recorded on the ResMa® Connector and transmitted only cyclically to the ResMa® server. Thus, you can only access the recorded data after the set cycle has ended.
Creating Data Points in ResMa®¶
In ResMa®, data points are introduced via the object tree, in which you can activate the context menu ;new measuring point: in the object tree in the ‘Standard’ view in edit mode (click on the pen) via the context menu (mouse right button) or in the ‘Connector’ view on the desired connector.
In addition to physically existing data points, derived values (calculation values) can also be created, which can then be used in equivalent evaluations!
For the assignment of the parameters see Chapter Measuring points*, where all fields are explained in detail! To connect a data point/measured value created in this way, the fields are used from connector onwards. After selecting the connector, the sampling interval for the value can be selected. It should be noted that a high sampling rate (a small time interval) will lead to very high data volumes and thus to increased system loads during evaluations. If instead of the usual 15min sampling intervals for counter values e.g. 1 sec is selected, 15x60=900 times more data is created!
Logging of all value changes is the typical setting for logical quantities (if they do not ‘flutter’), but usually unsuitable for measured values, because even largely constant temperature values like to fluctuate by one value and can therefore also generate high amounts of data.
The tag selection displays all values already created in the connector and can be narrowed down to the symbolic names you are looking for via contain filter.
Attention
The selection of the data point type cannot be corrected and should therefore be set carefully!
Importing Data Points in ResMa®¶
If large amounts of data points are to be created, the following procedure is recommended:
Creation of a typical value per data point type (actual value, counter, …)
Export as Excel list
External editing in Excel
Import from Excel
These processes are described in more detail in chapter 6.6.2 as a function of the measuring point list!
Creating Data Points in the PROCON-WEB Connector¶
At this point, a brief overview of the creation of data points for the PROCON-WEB Connector will be given, whereby a detailed description can be found in the manual for the PROCON-WEB Designer.
The PROCON-WEB Connector consists of the communication components of a PROCON-WEB SCADA system with a cloud connector for connecting to ResMa®. The connector is configured via the designer of PROCON-WEB, which offers the special target system/target ‘ResMa® Connect’. In this mode, the configuration is reduced to the exchange of data points (process variable) and accordingly the other functional areas are hidden.
How to create a new project¶
Select “File” > “New project*”* in the menu item
Specify project name
Set the target system to “ResMa® Connect” if there are several targets to choose from. in the following edit the functionality of the designer and the corresponding representation in the object tree is limited to the functionality of the embedded system server.
Its PROCON-WEB functions are now available in the project tree.
How to define the communication to the process¶
For the PROCON-WEB Connect, all communication options for the PROCON-WEB process are available and can also be used in combination.
Selection of a communication to the process:
Open the “Process Coupling” branch in the designer’s project tree
Then call the “Process Variables” editor
The process variable list appears in the workspace
Here process variables can be created, the communication driver can be selected and configured.
Call up the driver selection dialog via “Process Variables” > “Driver Selection”
Note
The driver selection is called via the ribbon tab “Tag”
By selecting the driver through the checkbox, the driver can be used in the project after confirming with “OK”.
How to import process variables automatically¶
For the two available drivers it is possible to automatically import process variables into the designer. For this purpose, the part of variables required for the ResMa® application can be automatically transferred from a PLC project (PLC programming).
Call the import via “Process Variables” > “PLC Import”
How to manually define a process variable (Tag)¶
In the process variable editor, right-click in the workspace and select the entry “Num” in the context menu via “Create process variable”
Enter “NumVar1” as the process variable name in the “Name” field
Select a driver in the driver column via the combo box
Process variable still needs to be adjusted in the value range, access type, addressing and format.
In the example, a process variable with the name “NumVar1” has been created. As communication, a coupling to the UControlWeb was chosen. The communication type has been set to Bidir, i.e. write/read access possible. The GVL variable Var1 is accessed. A numeric value was selected as the data format.
IIoT Connector¶
Overview¶
The IIoT Connector is an MQTT client that can establish a connection to an MQTT broker. As soon as the connection is established, the IIoT Connector can publish or subscribe to messages.
The IIoT Connector supports MQTT versions v5 and v3.1.1.
Add ResMa Connector¶
Connector name: Can be freely assigned, but must be unique.
Activation code: The code is used to confirm the identity of the client and to secure access to the MQTT broker. The code must be generated in ResMa® and entered here. The creation of the code in ResMa® is described in detail below.
Server URL: For ResMa connections, replace the passage [RESMA_HOST]:[PORT] with the IP or DNS entry of your ResMa server and the corresponding port (default is 8080).
Cloud communication: If deactivated, no values can be received or sent outside of your own network.
Time interval Keep-Alive: The interval defines how often a ping signal is sent to maintain the connection to the broker (default: 180 seconds). A shorter interval increases the stability of the connection, while a longer interval reduces the network load.
Generate activation code in ResMa¶
To establish the connection between PROCON-Connect and ResMa®, an activation code must be created in ResMa® and then stored in PROCON-Connect.
To do this, carry out the following steps in ResMa®:
Log in to your ResMa® system.
Switch the object tree from the Standard view to the Connector view.
Switch the object tree to edit mode.
Right-click on the location to which you want to add the IIoT Connector. A context menu opens.
Select the ‘New device’ option in the context menu. This opens the configuration page for the IIoT Connector.
Give the connector a name. This is transferred to the object tree.
Select the activation code from this overview and copy it using the key combination Ctrl + c.
Click on Save to finalise the configuration of the connector.
You can then paste the copied activation code into the configuration of the IIoT Connector in PROCON-Connect using the key combination Ctrl + v.
Data definitions¶
Data definitions can be added for each of the added connectors. These data definitions can be used to summarise, transmit or read individual or multiple defined values.
Regardless of the selected connector, the creation of a data definition always works in the same way. Expanding the connector in the overview either displays an overview of the data definitions that have already been created, followed by the ‘Add data definition’ button or a message that none exist yet and the corresponding button to add them.
In the following dialogue, the general settings are made first.
Cloud data definition name: Mandatory, must be unique.
- Connection type: Available for selection:
Send tags on value change (publish)
Send tags periodically (publish) > The cycle and the time unit must then be defined here
Read tags (subscribe)
If data definitions have been created, the context menu can be called up via the three dots and the data definitions can be edited or deleted. The variables that are to be monitored can then be selected in the ‘Tags’ tab. Tags that have already been added can also be removed again.
Measuring point assignment of connector tags in ResMa¶
Open tag mapping dialog¶
As of version 3.7.4, ResMa® offers the option of creating or assigning the tags of the connectors via a dialog window. This configuration is available for all connector types except DirectConnect.
- The following steps are necessary to open the dialog window:
Switch tree view to connector.
Right-click on the desired connector for the context menu and select “Tag Mapping”
Import Tags¶
All tags provided by the connector are listed here and the data type is also displayed after the name of the tag. You can assign the measuring points manually or use button (1) to create all measuring points. If the measuring points already exist but do not have an assignment, you can also use button (2) to automatically assign the existing measuring points. If the list of measuring points becomes too long or too confusing, it is possible to use the toggle button (3) to hide the tags that have already been assigned.
- The following dropdown boxes are available (only for newly created measuring points):
Target: The measuring point to which the values of the incoming tag are written
Consumer: The consumer under which the measuring point is to be grouped
Unit: The unit of measurement of the measuring point
Resource (only for meters): The resource of a meter (e.g. electricity, gas, etc.)
Factor: The factor that is multiplied by the value
Once you have finished the configuration, click on the button (4) to complete the configuration.
Creating Data Points in Other Connectors¶
The PROCON-WIN Connector and the possibility to couple to ResMa® via container on embedded devices are described in the corresponding manuals and should not be listed here again.