x70 Modbus Slave integration in GeoSCADA

[DStobie]

In GeoSCADA, when using a SCADAPack 535 you would create Modbus mapping from a PLC by using the Mapping aggregate of a point. For each and every point you selected the reading/writing method (On change, at scan rate) as well as the data type of the Modbus variable being read written. You associated this point with a "Remote Modbus Device" along with all your other points. When GeoSCADA created the configuration to send the RTU, it automatically grouped points of datatypes and reading/writing methods together and sent the RTU several lines to process in Modbus (Scanners - up to 100 before you needed to create another Remote PLC Device). The point is that it used algorithms to create the scanners itself and determine what Modbus transactions to perform to allow the mapping feature to operate.

Now, with an x70, i see that i need to attach an x70 configuration object with Modbus mapping to a "Scanner object" where i need to define the Modbus address range, type of data (be it UINT, DINT, REAL ect) and the read write method (On change, at scan rate) ect. Ie, i need to group my points together in scanners myself - the process which was done automatically for SCADAPack E points is now something that i need to do manually - which means re-organising my PLC's data.

Whilst testing with the RTU using RemoteConnect, i noticed that when i created a Scanner with a length longer than i needed with a write method set to "At Scan Rate" the RTU wrote to the PLC for the entire length of the scanner, even if i ONLY had an object associated with the first data point. It replicated the first objects value into the remaining unused 'spots' within the scanner and wrote them into the PLC regardless. Having values turn up in the PLC where you don't need them is worthy of one Schneiders cringeworthy "This may cause injury, equipment damage or even death !" warnings.

With a SCADAPack E, i wouldn't of worried because GeoSCADA would of worked out the transactions it needed only read/write from the registers with mapping and set the length of the transaction in the scanner to not overrun into other sections.

What am I missing here ? Why has GeoSCADA lost the ability to automatically create the scanner lines for x70's that it did for SCADAPack E ? I expected to add one Modbus Slace Device and add all the points to it. This feels like a massively inconvenient step backward, especially if you're trying to plan a migration path for several hundred SCADAPack E's that were mapping from PLC's where the data is scattered in different data types - doing so with an x70 looks to me like it will require me to make dozens of individual scanners and organise the DNP/Modbus linearity myself?

This can't be right, i MUST be missing/doing something wrong?

[AndrewScott]

You are correct, Geo SCADA requires you to explicitly create the SPx70 Modbus Point Scanners, just the same as RemoteConnect does. Geo SCADA was designed to mirror RemoteConnect.

Geo SCADA doesn't currently have an option to specify the Modbus scanner settings on each individual point and then create the scanners automatically during the configuration download (or export). I can only suggest you request this as a new feature in the EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert Ideas forum for a future version of Geo SCADA.