QUESTION:
Can I set up a connection simultaneously to the S7 CPU via SIMATIC NET OPC server and via ProTool/Pro RT using a communication processor in the PC (e.g. CP 5611)?

ANSWER:
This entry includes instructions on how to configure a connection between the SIMATIC NET OPC server / S7 CPU and between ProTool/Pro RT / S7 CPU via a communication processor in the PC (CP 5611).

Requirements:

• ProTool/Pro V6.0 SP2
• SIMATIC NET CD 11/2002 (V6.1 + SP1)
• STEP 7 project for the SIMATIC S7

Configuring the PC station

1. Open your STEP 7 project.
2. Insert a PC station via "Insert > Station > SIMATIC PC station".

Fig. 1: Inserting a PC station in STEP 7 project

3. Double-click "Configuration" to open the hardware configuration of the PC station.

Fig. 2: Opening the hardware configuration

4. Now add the required components from the hardware catalog ("SIMATIC PC station") to the empty slots of the PC station:
   OPC server e.g. to Index 1
   CP 5611 e.g. to Index 2
   SIMATIC ProTool/Pro RT e.g. to Index 3

Fig. 3: Inserting components in the PC station

5. Double-click the OPC server to open the Properties dialog. Select the "S7" tab. In this dialog you can define whether the OPC server is to work with STEP 7 symbols. Select the "All" option if you want to make all the STEP 7 symbols available in the OPC server.

Fig. 4: Activating STEP 7 symbols for OPC server

6. Then open the Properties of the CP 5611 with a double-click. Network these with the PROFIBUS of the S7 controller via the "Properties" button.

Fig. 5: Networking CP 5611 with PROFIBUS

Note:
Do not use DP as the bus profile for the PROFIBUS, but "Standard". You can make this setting in the Properties of PROFIBUS.

Fig. 6: Properties of PROFIBUS

7. Switch to the NetPro program via "Options > Configure Network". Mark the OPC server in the PC station and insert an S7 connection via "Insert > New Connection".

Fig. 7: Inserting a new connection

8. Select the S7 controller as Connection Partner and "S7 connection" as Connection Type.

Fig. 8: Assigning the connection parameters

9. Save and compile ("Network > Save and compile") the configuration.
10. Open Station Configuration Editor via the icon bar or via the icon on the desktop.

Fig. 9: Station Configuration Editor

11. Via "Add…" you add the "OPC server" to Index 1 and the "SIMATIC ProTool/Pro RT" application to Index 3.

Fig. 10: Adding components

12. In order to have the CP 5611 displayed in the Station Configuration Editor you must set the mode of the CP 5611 to "Configured Mode" (Index 2) via the "Set PC station" program ("Start > SIMATIC > SIMATIC NET > Customize > Set PC station").

Fig. 11: CP 5611 in Configured mode

Note:
The configuration of the rack in the hardware configuration of the PC station (see Fig. 3) must exactly match the table in the Station Configuration Editor.

Fig. 12: Station Configuration Editor

13. Now load the PC station from NetPro.
    
    Warning:
    If the loading process of the PC station could not be completed successfully (e.g. is interrupted with the error message "Cannot reach station manager"), then information on how to proceed in this case is available in Entry ID: 12033912.

14. Once you have loaded the PC station you then have to load the S7 controller.
    
    Warning:
    If the loading process could not be completed successfully, then copy the entire project onto your PG or PC. Then from there you load the configuration via MPI onto the S7.
    

15. Close NetPro and the hardware configuration of the PC station.

Configuring ProTool/Pro RT

In order to be able to call ProTool/Pro from the SIMATIC Manager, you have to activate the option "STEP 7 Integration" in the ProTool/Pro Setup ("Start > SIMATIC > ProTool/Pro CS > Setup").

1. Double-click the OP icon to open the ProTool/Pro project wizard.

Fig. 13: Double-click the OP icon

2. Select "PC" as the target device and click on "Next".

Fig. 14: ProTool/Pro project wizard - target device

3. Select "SIMATIC S7-300/400 V6.0" as the controller protocol and open "Parameters…".

Fig. 15: Assigning the controller parameters

4. Now connect the PC with the S7 program of the S7-300 via PROFIBUS.

Fig. 16: Connecting PC and controller

5. Press the "Finish" button to create the ProTool/Pro project with the settings made.

Checking the connections

ProTool/Pro

1. Configure a picture in the PC project with an input/output field to which a variable of the S7 controller is linked.

Fig. 17: Configuring a picture

2. Start the ProTool/Pro Runtime.
3. When the connection between the controller and the ProTool/Pro RT has been set up, the following message is displayed.

Fig. 18: Connection established

OPC scout

1. Start the OPC Scout via "Start > SIMATIC > SIMATIC NET > PROFIBUS > SOFTNET PROFIBUS > OPC Scout".
2. Link up with the OPC server by double-clicking "OPC.SimaticNet". In the dialog that opens you enter a group name of your choice and acknowledge this with "OK".

Fig. 19: Linking up with the OPC server

3. Double-click the group name to open the OPC Navigator. The integrated STEP 7 symbols are made available in the "\SYM" folder. Open the navigation by double-clicking on "\SYM".

Fig. 20: S7 connection in the OPC navigator

4. Navigate one level lower by double-clicking on the SIMATIC station. If you mark the CPU in the navigation, you see the symbols from the STEP 7 symbol table. Via the right arrow "-->" you select the variables as OPC items.

Fig. 21: Defining an item

5. If you want to define your own items for the OPC server, you have to use the conventional method, i.e. without using symbols. So, you open the \S7 path with a double-click. The S7 connection created in NetPro is displayed. Double-click on the S7 connection and "object" and the tree is displayed with the objects you can access. Via "New Definition" you can now define your own items accordingly. Via the right arrow "-->" you select the items for the item list in the OPC Scout.

Fig. 22: Creating your own items

6. Close the OPC navigator with "OK". The items selected are transferred to the OPC Scout.
   If the "Quality" is good, then your connection is set up and you can read/write the items.

Fig. 23: Item in the OPC Scout

Keywords:
Connection, Controller parameters, PC, Communication, Visualization, Process interfacing