[?]: Trigger event from VB.NET in WinCC Flexible

[CIf1983]

Hi All,

We want to use an excel workbook for entering a recipe for our machine.
But when we edit (and save) the excel workbook, the values in WinCC Flexible should be updated.

Reading the values from excel and writing them to WinCC Flexible isn't the problem.
I just need a trigger when to read the excel workbook.

PS, I don't want a 1 minute trigger for updating the screen.

[zxcslo]

Where do you run WinCC Flex? On PC or on OP/MP panel?

How do you read from Excel?
Is WinCC pooling data from Excel or does Excel write to WinCC?

I think something of ..... using internal tag in WinCC, which is updated/set to 1 from Excel.
Then event from that tag (change value) will triger the reading from Excel...

Just thinking out loud....

[CIf1983]

Hi,

We want to use an excel sheet as a recipe.
The operator can edit this recipe on a local computer, which is not connected to the PLC and copy the excel file to the pc on which wincc flexible is running.

This file can be loaded in wincc flexible.
PLC wil ask a new row, and flexible reads the excel file for the desired row.

The problem occurs when the user edits the excel file when it is the active recipe. He will edit within excel, but wincc flexible can only be updated after the 1 minute trigger

So setting an internal tag in wincc flexible will be the best option. But can this be done without the OPC XML Gateway?
At the moment, the communication is in 1 direction. WinCC reads from excel and excel doesn't write back to WinCC.

For editing the file in WinCC, we will use a VB.NET program with an excel viewer in it. This way, there will be no scripts in Excel.

[zxcslo]

As far as I understand, you have WinCC Flex running on PC. You don't need OPC XML Gateway.
When you start the runtime of WinCC, the WinCC OPC server (it's also automatically installed, when you install WinCC Flex) is also started, if you define in your project in Device settings/Device settings 'Function as OPC server'.
If you are using VB.NET app, then I think should not be a problem to set an internal tag in WinCC Flex from VB.NET over OPC (OPC.SimaticHMI.HmiRTm.1 is the name of WinCC OPC server).
You can check that with any OPC client (I'm using Kepware QuickOPC client). Start the WinCC runtime, then in your OPC client browse for OPC servers on local machine. You will find OPC.SimaticHMI.HmiRTm.1.

[CIf1983]

As soon as I check the "Function as OPC server", I get a popup saying licence key missing when I start up Runtime

[zxcslo]

Use Simatic EKB install.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=218&p=38379#p35042

[CIf1983]

Will there be no other way?

Problem is that we need the have an official license from Siemens for support.

If it is the only way, I think we should buy the license, but I want to make sure that I can get everything out of the standard WinCC Flexible License.

[zxcslo]

The way I see it, you have two options:
- use (and buy license for) WinCC Flex OPC server
- use standalone OPC server on PC (Kepware, Siemens NET OPC server, Matricon) to communicate directly to PLC

In either case you need to buy some licences. Check the prices.

I'm using OPC to access data in PLC's/HMI's for many years now and IMHO it's the best/simplest way (you don't have to do nothing inside the PLC/HMI), if you don't need speed (e.g. read/write tags every few ms).

[CIf1983]

Decision is made:

Going to buy the OPC Server license for WinCC Flexible. It is the cheapest way to do it.

Thanks for your help

[zxcslo]

You're welcome.