Industrial Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Please see Resolution. Resolution This article includes a video demonstrating how to create EcoStruxure Automation Expert CATs using AVEVA Industrial graphics symbols, which will allow EcoStruxure Automation Expert to be synchronized. The Software versions used:       • AVEVA System Platform 2023 SP3       • EcoStruxure Automation Expert V23 The article also includes:       • EcoStruxure Automation Expert Basic and CAT Templates       • AVEVA System Platform Template Objects 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 Before using AVEVA Industrial Graphics within Automation Expert, the AVEVA Industrial Graphics symbols need to be exported from AVEVA System Platform and then imported into Automation Expert.   Resolution The following Knowledge Base article details the steps required to install the required DLLs to export the AVEVA Industrial Graphics symbols and import them into Automation Expert.   Before exporting the AVEVA Industrial Graphics symbols, reference the AVEVA.IndustrialGraphicsLibrary Library and check that the symbols do not already exist.      Step 1 – Install DLLs   On the PC that AVEVA System Platform IDE is installed, ensure that the IDE Application is closed. Open the Services and stop the AVEVA.Watchdog   Navigate to the Automation Expert installation folder ” ArchestrA Extensions” and copy the DLLs.    Paste the three DLLs from “ArchestrA Extensions” folder to  "C:\Program Files (x86)\ArchestrA\Framework\Bin\IDEExtensions" folder  Restart the ArchestrA.Watchdog service  Relaunch the AVEVA System Platform IDE   Step 2 – Using AVEVA System Platform to Export the Symbols          Find the symbol that you wish to export right-click > Export > As Portable Object(s)         Save the zip file to a folder.   Step 3 – Import the Symbol into EcoStruxure Automation Expert          In the Solution Explorer navigate to the bottom of the tree and on OMI>MyContent right-click> New Folder, give the folder a name, e.g., Symbols         Select the newly created folder right-click>Import, select the exported zip file.         Click OK to the Import dialog box.         Give the Symbol a name.   Step 4 – Using the new Symbol within a CAT          Create the CAT function block network and HMI Interfaces, see example below:         Add the AVEVA Industrial Graphics.         Drag the new Symbol onto the Canvas.        Right click on the Symbol and select Custom Properties.         Highlight the three minus characters “---”,  click the three dots “…” and assign the OPC UA variable.         Save and Close the Graphics.       Prepare to create the template within AVEVA System Platform by using ASP Asset Mapping and the AutoMap feature.         Repeat using the ASP Attribute Mapping and Build.       Create the new template in AVEVA System Platform by using Sync AutoMapped .     Once the Template has been created in AVEVA System Platform, use the CAT in your applications and synchronize to System Platform via the normal method using the Deploy and Diagnostic Tab.   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 When it comes to dealing with IIoT solutions with EAE, NETIO Basic Function Block is one of the most useful to handle interactions with cloud services. However, the help file does not elaborate in detail how to use it. Resolution Understand how NETIO is to be used for a HTTP Post with an example application. We will also get to see how the response should be handled.   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 I would like to upgrade my Modicon M580 Firmware to overcome published vulnerabilities identified in the previous firmware version or gain access to features delivered in a newer version. Resolution The aim of this article is to provide a step-by-step guide to properly upgrade Modicon M580 CPU Firmware from V3.20 and earlier to V4.10 of the Modicon M580 CPU firmware.

This Article describes step by step how to use Autotune tool for axis in a PacDrive System

Objective The purpose of this article is to introduce the basics and necessary steps to change the firmware of the Lexium™ MC12 Multi Carrier in EcoStruxure Machine Expert. Resolution The attached document provides an overview of how to change the firmware of a Lexium™ MC12 Multi Carrier.  

Issue How do I utilise the new WWW Library released with EcoStruxure Automation Expert? Objective There is a new WWW Library released with the standard EAE installer. This library is rather user-friendly and allows us to engineer some specific processes in the water industry. The objective of this article is to, in the shortest time possible, teach you how to engineer an Aeration Process using objects from the Library. You will then run the Solution to see how it works.   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.  

Article describes how to do Diagnostics with M262 Motion Controller.

Want to communication with a Modicon M262 with EcoStruxure Machine SCADA Expert?  Review this article and find out how!

The purpose of this Knowledge Base Article is to demonstrate how to connect EcoStruxure Machine SCADA Expert to a Modicon M262 built-in OPC UA server.  

Issue Although EcoStruxure Automation Expert comes with some standard data entry tools, I want to create different ways of entering information, similar to Microsoft Forms. Resolution This document aims to show how to use C# to create different methods of data entry. It assumes no previous knowledge of C#. 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 How to leverage Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services to secure and manage access to EcoStruxure Control Expert. Resolution The aim of this article is to provide a step-by-step guide to connect Security Editor Tool to Microsoft Active Directory through LDAP in order to secure and manage access to EcoStruxure Control 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.  

This article shows, how you can safely connect to SLC Controller.  Attached file guides you step by step.

Issue EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin Builder provides a wide range of functionality with its user interface. Customized objects are developed in catalogs and handled via catalog DLLs. In order to extend the features of the GUI it is possible to develop Plugins with C#.  Typically a plugin will add buttons to the menu ribbon to trigger functionality e.g. batch import of assemblies from a file, including PLC signals. But Plugins might even extend the general features, e.g. adding OPC UA communication. Resolution Create a Plugin with Twin Developer in C# to add the custom feature to the Twin Builder GUI. See the attached article for more information. 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 introduce the basics and necessary steps to use the Safe Force Off function with a Lexium Multicarrier in EcoStruxure Machine Expert. Resolution The attached document provides an overview and use of the Safe Force Off with a Lexium Multicarrier.  

Original Equipment Manufactures, System Integrators and End users may want to configure a project to allow the HMI consumer to add project tags during runtime.  This article takes a newly create tag during runtime and adds tag to the Main driver worksheet. 

Objective How do I harden M580 Architectures within EcoStruxure Control Expert? Resolution The aim of this article is to provide a step-by-step guide to configure Security Editor tool for RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) to EcoStruxure Control Expert in a Client/Server architecture.    

Create User Error with different reaction in EquipmentModules of PD3 Template

Issue The EmailHandling library implements function blocks to send and receive emails with the controller application support secure and unsecure communication with an email server. Since it is not recommended to use unsecure communication over public networks and above all over the internet. Furthermore, the most popular public email servers do not support unsecure communication. Therefore, a direct communication between the M241/M251 controller and the public email server is not possible. Resolution To address this issue, the recommended third-party tool to use is stunnel. Stunnel is a proxy designed to add TLS encryption functionality to existing clients (controllers) and servers (public email) without any changes in the program’s code. Stunnel uses the OpenSSL library for cryptography, so it supports whatever cryptographic algorithms are compiled into the library. 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 OPC-UA polling, the client actively requests data from the server at regular intervals. This actually will increase server load. The server must respond to each polling request, which can become a performance concern if there are numerous clients or high-frequency polling. Data updates may not be immediate, as they depend on the polling interval. Resolution This article here will describe the method of using subscription instead of the polling method. In the polling method, the OPC-UA client periodically sends requests to the OPC-UA server to fetch the data values. While in the subscription method, the OPC-UA client establishes a long-lasting subscription with the OPC-UA server. The client does not need to send periodic requests; it simply waits for the server to push the data updates. This method is event-driven, as the client receives data only when there are actual changes in the values. It reduces network traffic and processing overhead since data is only transmitted when necessary. To use M580 OPC-UA client programming by subscription method, the attached document following here describes the steps to connect, create subscriptions and to add monitored items to the subscription. 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.