Industrial Automation Knowledge Base

Issue Describe how to comply with CFR 21 Part 11 using EcoStruxure Plant architectures Resolution Technical deployment guide is available for Alliance SIs in the appendix 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 EcoStruxure™ Process Expert is based on the collaboration of different software (called "participants") and a single database for the control system application, with the capability to accept new participants and third-party components Each EcoStruxure™ Process Expert configuration embeds at least one virtual machine, which runs the software participants required to design and operate the control system If user find extremely slow and sluggish performance whenever working with the software participants, user might need to adjust the virtual machine parameters Resolution Each virtual machine is allocated the following default resources: 4 GB of memory 2 logical processors If the virtual machine hosts memory-intensive software applications (like Control, Supervision and third-party applications), user might need to allocate more RAM or logical processors to ensure virtual machine doesn’t need to swap back and forth to disk. System Server Configuration Wizard 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 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 A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is an industrial computer that is adapted for the control of manufacturing processes. Given the central role that it plays, it has been a preferred target of industrial control system attackers. ICS (or Industrial Control System) security is growing in importance as cyber-attacks increasingly focus on physical processes for either ransom or to cause harm to critical production systems. The main objective of cybersecurity is to protect information and physical assets from cyberattacks, data breaches, and identity theft, as well as to manage risks. This document aims to guide you on how to set up and configure a secure connection between EcoStruxure Control Expert and the Modicon M580 controller. Resolution The Modicon M580 controller uses HTTPS as its secure connection. HTTPS today uses Transport Layer Security or TLS. TLS is a network protocol that establishes an encrypted connection to an authenticated peer over an untrusted network. TLS is a direct replacement for SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), and both protocols serve the same purpose. With this technology, HTTPS or HTTPS via USB communication on the M580 CPU can be implemented to create a secure and encrypted connection via the engineering/programming link. 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 The best way to experience and learn the General Purpose Library is to run the Demonstration Project and explore its features and configuration. Resolution The attached document is to provide a step by step guide for the installation and setup of the General Purpose Library (GPL) with AVEVA System Platform 2023 using the supplied Demonstration Project. 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.  

Background With the advent of IIoT integration into many industry solutions, one of the most common requests nowadays is with regards to the messaging. Objective In this knowledge base article, we will show how Citect can be made to send a message to Microsoft Teams. This is useful in situations where Citect needs to urgently alert a recipient on some critical matters occurring in the plant. Although this knowledge base is made around Microsoft Teams, the concept can be similarly applied to other messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Line and even Facebook Messenger.   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 configure and implement redundant I/O network using PRP technology within a Modicon M580 standalone architecture?     Resolution This article provides a step-by-step guide to configure and implement a Modicon M580 standalone architecture with a redundant I/O network based on PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol) technology. Such an architecture includes at least: -one Modicon M580 controller supporting Remote I/O drops -one Remote I/O drop managed by a redundant communication adapter BMECRA31310(H) -two Modicon Managed Ethernet Switches -one Modicon Redundancy Switch supporting PRP.   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 designing a Safety Instrumented Function (SIF), it is mandatory to define the Process Safety Time and ensure that the function will be executed within this time. According to IEC 61508, part 2, 7.4.3.2.5: The Process Safety Time (PST) is defined as the period between a failure occurring in the EUC (Equipment Under Control) or the EUC control system (with the potential to give rise to a hazardous event) and the occurrence of the hazardous event if the safety function is not performed. Resolution Engineers must carefully balance the scan cycle time and CPU bandwidth to ensure that all safety and non-safety tasks are executed efficiently. This often involves optimizing the program code and possibly upgrading hardware to meet the demands of stringent Process Safety Time (PST) requirements. 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 need to establish communication between an M580 controller and a Modicon Edge I/O NTS distributed system. Resolution This article provides a step-by-step guide to configure and establish communication between the Modicon M580 programmable automation controller and the Modicon Edge I/O NTS. 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.  

Do you want to bridge operational technology with information technology?  Explore or expand the use IIoT to generate dashboards for important information?   This article will discuss the steps used to incorporate Schneider Electric Node-RED nodes to publish data to AVEVA Insight, a cloud based data historian,  

Issue Most people are unaware of certain elements that would help them browse and program more easily within EcoStruxure Automation Expert. Resolution The aim of the document is to give some tips and tricks on how to use EcoStruxure Automation Expert more efficiently. Tips and Trics: Function Block Colors Collapse Offline Parameters List Quickly Switch from Application to Resource Browse in the Function Blocks Network Editor Tab Browsing Cross Reference Links Create Several Links Between FB’s Hide Unused Ports Update 1:  Improving the readability of constants in buildtime. (version > V24.0) 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.  

Issue Teams with several engineers want to be able to gain access to the EcoStruxure Control Expert Classic software through authentication. In addition, the tool facilitates user access control configuration for EcoStruxure Control Expert Classic software and allows a secure centralized network design. Centralized Security Database Resolution The Security Editor tool simplifies the configuration of EcoStruxure Control Expert Classic user access control and supports a secure, centralized architecture with the following features: Client-server architecture supporting a secure proprietary protocol for users without IT authentication infrastructure. Client-server architecture using the Microsoft Active Directory as the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server. Manage the certificate whitelist. Generate a certificate. Centralized security database. 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 document is the guideline to configure AVEVA Plant SCADA OPC UA Server for the communication by OPC UA,it includes the procedure of AVEVA plant SCADA installation, configure OPC UA server and the testing of connectivity between OPC UA client and OPC UA server.  

Issue How to configure and implement redundant I/O network using PRP technology within a Modicon M580 High-Availability Architecture?     Resolution This article provides a step-by-step guide to configure and implement a Modicon M580 High-availability architecture with a redundant I/O network relying on PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol) network technology. Such an architecture includes at least: -two Modicon M580 Redundant CPUs (primary and standby) -one Ethernet Remote I/O drop managed by one or two redundant communication adapter BMECRA31310(H) -two Modicon Managed Switches -two Modicon Redundancy Switches supporting PRP. 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.  

I have been using my Trend Logger worksheet in EcoStruxure Machine SCADA Expert to insert data into a database, but how can I Retrieve that data and use in a report?

Issue Teams with multiple engineers involved in authentication wants to use the Security Editor to administer access to EcoStruxure Control Expert (Classic & Topology Manager) software. The software tool simplifies the configuration of EcoStruxure Control Expert user access control and supports a secure centralized architecture. Resolution A centralized user management system reduces operational complexities in controlling user accounts and server requests. It enhances security by efficiently managing user requests for applications and online servers. Centralized user management improves security, simplifies administration, ensures compliance, and supports efficient operations in industrial settings. EcoStruxure Control expert Client-Server Architecture This document aims to provide you with recommendations for configuring an EcoStruxure Control Expert (Classic & Topology Manager) in a secure client-server architecture. 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 This document defines how to design Energy Management Systems for Cement Manufacturing, include Energy management system introduction, Energy management system Functions and the example Bill of Materials, KPIs, and predefined dashboard list. Resolution See the attachment for more details. 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.