Openness - SIMATIC HMI - Siemens  |   12/05/2008 8:57 AM  
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Openness with SIMATIC WinCC-
Using standards for easy integration

Right from the start, SIMATIC WinCC has stood for the highest levels of openness and integration, since it has consistently backed standard technologies and software tools.

On this page:

Operating systems and databases
Integration platform
Scripting
Communication

 
Operating systems and databases

MS Windows
Beginning with the first version WinCC has always used operating systems of the market leader.
Whether you use Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista, in the final analysis, this means a very safe investment for you, since you can easily keep up with innovations in operating systems.
MS SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP2 is integrated in the basic WinCC system including its real-time response, performance and 512 archive tags. Powerpacks for up to 120,000 archive variables give you higher performance profiles and with this support you in enhancing the system to a central archive server, which can also archive other data from the production process for long periods of time and make available analysis tools. Using a variety of open interfaces, you can further-process archive data using any external tools you like at any time you choose.

Integration platform

On the one hand, integrating controls makes configuration easier due to the use of ready-made elements that you just need to integrate; on the other hand, it allows you to protect industry and technology expertise in encapsulated elements and to use them as often as you like with different parameters..		 Ready-to-use controls for WinCC Version7
  With Version7 WinCC not only supports the integration of ActiveX controls but also customer specific XAML and .NET controls, as its WinCC Media Control acts as a .NET container.
The WinCC/IndustrialX package is available as an option for WinCC.
It contains a large number of additional ActiveX elements and a development toolset including Visual Basic templates to allow you to easily create ActiveX controls.

  further information about WinCC/IndustrialX

  

Scripting

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
For individual customizing and extensions to the configuration tool  we integrated VBA in the WinCC Graphics Designer -which is the user-friendly standard environment for application-specific extensions.
This means that the Visual Basic knowledge that is available to many engineers and users is transportable to WinCC. And apart from this, standards for repeat engineering tasks save time and money! This means that you can define any menu entries or fast configuration dialogs you like for your own user-specific objects.

VBScript or ANSI-C
Normally pictures, logic operations and animation are configured via simple dialogs. Scripts can also be programmed using VBScript or in ANSI-C when necessary, for example to convert values, to initiate a report or to generate operator messages.
VBScript has its own user-friendly editor with debugging support. The scripts themselves have access to the properties and methods of all WinCC graphics objects, to controls and to the object model of WinCC as well as applications of other manufacturers.

Screenshot: VBS-Editor

Open programming interfaces - C-API
The WinCC function modules are open due to API interfaces that allow access to the data and functions of the configuration and runtime system. This means that you can use WinCC configuration and runtime functions in your scripts or even develop standalone applications with direct access to WinCC.  And using the WinCC/Open Development Kit (ODK) accessing the programming interfaces is really easy.

further information about WinCC/ODK

 

Communication

OPC - OLE for Process Control
OPC is a uniform procedure that allows Windows applications to access process data. This makes it easy to combine devices and applications produced by other manufacturers.
As an OPC DA client, WinCC can log on locally or across the network in the case of lower-level controllers for current process data and has this data sent to it from the associated OPC DA server on a cyclical basis. In the other direction, the WinCC OPC DA server can make available current process data to other OPC compatible applications like Microsoft Excel, for example, for further-processing.
With OPC XML DA, this is even possible across platforms for different operating systems via the web between WinCC and office applications, ERP/PPS systems (e.g. SAP/R3) or businessto- business portals.
You can implement access to WinCC archive data via OPC HDA (Historical Data Access) or by employing WinCC OLE DB-Provider via Microsoft DTSX-Packages.
When using WinCC options Connectivity Pack and Connectivity Station
you can also access historical alarms via OPC A&E .
In OPC A&E the system displays a WinCC message as an alarm and, together with all the ancillary process values, passes it on to any subscribers on the production or company management levels.
OPC A&E and OPC HDA are in the scope of delivery of the WinCC/Connectivity Pack option.

further information about WinCC/Connectivity Pack
Siemens AG 2008