Remote OPC connection problem (for TxA panels)

[smolenak]

Hi,

I have struggled couple of days with the remote OPC connection for TxA panels. (I know that TxA panels need an anonymous connection, without user authentication). I found a OPC DA - DCOM setting guides from net, and I finally got the remote PC (Win 7) security settings correct (DCOM security, OPCEnum, OPC Server with Anonymous and Everyone "users"), OPCEnum etc. and managed to get connection with Prosys OPC Client.

Now my problem is that I cannot browse OPC server from iX Developer (2.0 SP1). Prosys OPC client and iX Developer are installed on the same computer. Prosys OPC client works just nicely. So it should be connect ok, but iX cannot browse the server??

Remote Server: \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
then I press OPC Server "Refresh" button.. browsing but OPC server not found!

"Localhost" OPC connection works nice and remote only with the Prosys OPC Client without any problem (reads OPC server list from OPCEnum correctly), but not from iX. I need this to work because we are using TxA series panel (WinCE).

Anyone got this to work?
I would need help with this asap! Thanks!

[mark.monroe]

Take a look at the attached project. It has both an OPC client and server turned on. The unit uses an opc controller to talk with itself. If you download it to your unit and it works, you should be able to connect to it with your client. iX's opc server doesn't support auto discovery, which means that you will need to manual point your external OPC client to the HMI's ip address.

[smolenak]

Hello and thanks for the support.
OK, you are using OPC UA.

But in my case we have our own OPC DA (Classic OPC server for our specific device that we have used many years). And we would need to make connection with iX to that. On local PC (with iX) it works, but remote PC with TxA panel, it won't. With iX Developer it won't even find it.

And if you download some free OPC client software to test connection, it can browses it (with success) and connect to external PC and our OPC DA server without any problem, but iX Developer cannot find it at all (by pressing Browse on Controllers window and Classic server with correct IP address, it just can't find the any server) - that is my problem now. So I would need to get the iX Developer to get connection to our OPC DA server (by browising it with success I guess), after that i can download the project to T10A panel and use OPC server tags with connection that really works.

Like I said, we have used our OPC DA server with iX locally (localhost) with PC, and it works nicely. But now the problem comes with the WinCE panels when you need to use your OPC DA server with external PC with external connection to your specific OPC Classic server that you have used (maybe many years and you don't have any other possibility to do that).

So, if somehow I just would get the iX Developer to find and connect our external PC's OPC server.. just like other OPC client does.

[mark.monroe]

If your iX project works on the PC, but not when you download it to the HMI, it means that your PC is blocking the connection from the HMI to your PC OPC server. I have attached a document that tells you all the settings you need to change on a PC to allow an iX panel to connect to the OPC server on a PC.

You also may want to check your PC's firewall settings to see if it is blocking any external connects.

[smolenak]

Thank you for the support!

I finally managed to get connection from iX Developer (my laptop) to external PC that has our OPC server running. And iX reads the tags nicely from the server, so I can add OPC tags into the panel project and so on.

But now when I download the project to T10A panel, and right after it starts the project application panel just shows the following text on the screen "Comm Error on node: \\xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (IP address). So it won't recognize the OPC server another PC..?
Same thing happens if I try to Run app directly from iX developer with my laptop PC. So iX developer side connects to OPC just nicely, but Runtime side is not going to connect.

I already took firewall totally off (external OPC server PC) and started the OPC server manually and then powered on the panel trying to establish a connection, but without success. I double checked the settings in your pdf guide, only thing that differs that our OPC cannot be set in service mode, it just runs like a normal application (that is why I have checked "interactive user" instead of System account which is for "services only" mode)- OPC server has always user logged on.).

On my laptop, when I start the iX developer and the project, it also automatically starts OPC server on the external PC - so I have configured the connection OK and that's great! So only problem is that the the T10A panel (or PC Runtime side) won't recognize, cannot connect to OPC server/PC.
I have also T15C panel, and I made a project with same OPC server and tags etc. I downloaded it to panel, but same thing, it won't connect.

So if you would have some more tips to solve the problem..

Thanks!

[mark.monroe]

You should make sure that you can ping both the HMI panel and the external OPC server from a common PC. You also need to make sure that you use a hub or crossover cable when you connect the TxA and the External OPC server together. Your PC may work with a straight through Ethernet cable between it and the External OPC server, but it is doubtful that the TxA will work.

[smolenak]

Thanks for your help!

I think I'm quite close the solution.. because iX connects from the developer side, and it reads the tag DB from server, but not in Runtime (nor with iX panel) when I run it directly from iX developer. Yes devices pings ok between each others, and I have used a hub between the devices and now everything seems to be just ok.. but no luck with the Runtime/Panel connection to a server. I have no more idea why it won't connect when running the application.. how runtime side differs from developer side on this case..?

[robkwan]

I have exactly the same problem, the A12 cannot connect to the OPC classic server on Windows computer across LAN.

What is the solution? Is there a solution?

[mark.monroe]

Your server could be rejecting the OPC connection. Getting the tag database and transferring data are two different things and could have different security settings on your server.

I would check you OPC server to make sure that it allows anonymous access. If you are using OPC classic, then you need to setup your DCOM settings on the PC. The below document tells you how to set them up if you were running the Beijer OPC server on the PC.

OPC_DCOM Settings.pdf

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