Issue One of the biggest challenges in the industrial automation and control field is how to get machines to talk to each other. Exchanging data from machine to machine, or a machine to PC, machine integration between vendors of different types can be complex, laborious, and difficult, requiring expensive engineers and incurring significant expense. When you integrate systems of multiple vendors to provide total solutions to your customers, you want to use standardized, reliable, secure, scalable and platform independent technology. Resolution This is where we can leverage the OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) to solve these strategic issues faced by most manufacturers. It is a standardized protocol that allows for seamless and secure communication between different systems and devices, regardless of the vendor or platform. The document here describes one of the methods of exchanging data between different machines. By implementing OPC UA client function blocks in a controller, the controller can directly access data from any other OPC UA servers. As an example, a demo architecture is shown: A virtual machine or PC is used here as the OPC-UA server and the Modicon M580 ePAC as the OPC UA client, should be on the same network and should have the correct network settings configured. The virtual machine's network adapter should be set to bridged mode, and the virtual machine PC's firewall settings should allow communication with the M580 CPU (Firmware ≥ 4.10). See attached document on how to implement the Modicon M580 OPC-UA Client Read/Write function blocks. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.  

Issue A security database was created with the Security Editor tool on a PC where an old version of EcoStruxure Control Expert is installed (i.e. version 15.0). Then, a newer version of EcoStruxure Control Expert is installed (i. e. version 16.0) on the same PC. How to avoid creating the entire security database from scratch after installing a newer version of EcoStruxure Control Expert. Resolution Use the Security Database Migration Tool to migrate the previous security database to the one that is automatically created as part of the installation process of EcoStruxure Control Expert V16.0.

Issue With the EcoStruxure Process Expert, a Control Simulator can be used for testing the logic. This is usually done on the development workstation and there is often a requirement to run more than one simulator to test connections between controllers and/or the SCADA system. Resolution This document contains trick and tips for using the simulator with EcoStruxure Process Expert. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.

Issue Cyber security defence is increasingly difficult in any Ethernet network-based architecture. Putting more layers of protection is a good strategy but knowing what has happened to a system is essential to any investigation of an incident. Analysing system logs is often the key to discovering what has happened during a forensic  examination. EcoStruxure Control Expert, M580 and other communication modules support posting logs to a centralized system known as a Syslog Server. Resolution Using the Syslog servers in Ubuntu for event logging on M580 is detailed in the attached article. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.  

How can I upload my project from my HMI? Well you cant, but this article discuss a work around using FTP.

The document provides a detailed guide on configuring the FTPS client in EcoStruxure Operator Terminal Expert (EOTE) using certificate-based validation to enhance secure file transfers between HMI systems and FTPS servers

Objective The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the steps to setting the communication between EcoStruxure Automation Expert and TM3 Bus Coupler via EthernetIP protocol. Resolution The attached document provides a step-by-step guide to setting the communication between EcoStruxure Automation Expert and TM3 Bus Coupler via EthernetIP protocol.  

Objective The purpose of this article is to introduce the necessary steps to Attach and Detach a Standard Tool and a Custom Tool at a robot in EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin. Resolution This article has highlighted how to Attach and Detach a Robot Standard and Custom Tool in EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin from version 2.2. It shows which steps must be completed and guides the reader through the instructions.  

This article describes the configuration of the newly added (v4.0) FTP client functionality.  It also includes a simple project file for demonstration purposes.

Issue There are many ways of natively communicating between an EcoStruxure Control Expert based control system and a Modicon Edge I/O NTS Island, most involve stopping the CPU to download a new configuration. Resolution This document presents another method, explicit communications using the DATA_EXCHANGE function block. This function block can be used to code Modbus requests other than those provided in the READ_VAR and WRITE_VAR functions. Specifically, the simultaneous read/write Modbus function. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.  

Issue Why Transition from BME NOC 0301/0311 to BME NOC 0302? The BME NOC 0302 Ethernet module offers key advantages over BME NOC 0301/0311: Better Reliability: Lower latency and improved traffic handling Enhanced Security: Compliant with current cybersecurity standards Future-Ready: Compatible with upcoming system upgrades Lower Maintenance Risk: Avoids issues from outdated hardware and firmware Resolution Transitioning to the BME NOC 0302 module is a strategic upgrade that delivers improved performance, enhanced cybersecurity, and long-term system compatibility. It ensures your network infrastructure remains robust, scalable, and aligned with evolving industrial standards. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.  

Issue In EcoStruxure Automation Expert HMI, It is possible to create a faceplate with a fixed title. However, by default, it is not possible to display the name of the CAT instance. The issue occurs when multiple faceplates are open simultaneously, making it challenging to identify which asset each one is associated with. Resolution The purpose of this document is to explain how to add the CAT instance name to the faceplate title. More generally, the document explains how to access the faceplate title from C# code. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.  

Implemented feature in EcoStruxure Machine Expert to import trace as profile.

Issue Within EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin you require custom logic for your model combined with other logic blocks in Logic Configurator. Resolution Based on the Plugin template it is possible to develop a custom node to be used in Logic Configurator. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.

Objective The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the steps for install EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE) Archive and pgAdmin4 software to Linux OS (Ubuntu) Resolution The attached document provides a step-by-step guide to install EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE) Archive and pgAdmin4 software to Linux OS (Ubuntu)  

Objective The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the steps for install and configure the EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE) HMI to the Linux OS (Ubuntu). Resolution The attached document provides a step-by-step guide to install and configure EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE) HMI to the Linux OS (Ubuntu)

Objective The purpose of this article is to introduce the necessary steps to explain the basics of UserWarning and UserException based on the Lexium Multicarrier example project embedded in EcoStruxure Machine Expert. Resolution This article outlines how to implement a UserWarning and a UserException within a template project. It explains the necessary steps and guides the reader through the basic concepts and the provided project structure.  

Objective The purpose of this article is to highlight an OPCUA connection example between EcoStruxure Automation Expert Motion and EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin. Resolution This article highlighted how to set up an OPCUA Server Client connection in EcoStruxure Automation Expert Motion. It explained the required steps and guides the reader through the necessary setup in the related software.  

Issue Resetting a Modicon Redundant Switch may leave the web browser inaccessible, so it is not possible to configure the switch. Resolution This article describes how to do a full factory reset using the command line of the switch. It follows on from the knowledgebase article Modicon Redundant Switch - Factory Reset Without Password which is included here for convenience. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.  

Issue In a multi-core system such as Modicon M660, performance issues such as uneven CPU load distribution, jitter in cyclic tasks or unexpected task interference may occur when all tasks are executed on the same CPU core by default. Resolution To improve task scheduling, optimize performance and reduce interference, EcoStruxure Automation Expert Motion allows assigning task group to specific CPU core. Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Schneider Electric.