PLC SCADA Training Using Siemens PLC

Let’s move on further from our previous topics and step in to detailed communication between SCADA and PLC, in this training we will be using Siemens PLC S7-1200 over Profinet protocol.

PLC Tag Configuration

Firstly, we will start from the PLC part. Basically, we only need to focus on the tags and addresses. Proceed to open a PLC program, in this case we are using Siemens PLC S7-1200, so we will open the program in TIA Portal software by Siemens. Open the tag table to show all the tags. Most of the time we will not require every single PLC tag to be involved in SCADA operation. Hence, the best practice is to create ONLY the required tags in SCADA. By doing so you can avoid adding unnecessary burden to your system.

For instance, the PLC tags listed as the below screenshot of TIA Portal will be the required tags for SCADA system. Now let’s add them accordingly into your SCADA project.

PLC SCADA training Siemens Profinet PLC configuration TIA Portal
Add Data Block tags in Siemens TIA Portal

PLC SCADA training Siemens Profinet PLC configuration TIA Portal
Add PLC tags in Siemens TIA Portal

SCADA Tag Configuration

Create a new project using Ecava IntegraXor. Click on ‘IO Driver’ on the left menu and add a new IO Port with the corresponding IP address (refer to previous training). After that, Create a new device under the port, and select ‘Profinet’ from the drop down list for Driver protocol. Save the project when done.

plc-scada-training-profinet-tag-igx-editor

Note: Column ‘Timer’ refers to the device polling rate. You are encouraged to set the same polling rate value for both PLC and SCADA configuration.

Next, click on the device created on the left menu, and you can now start to create tags accordingly to the PLC tags. The address formats will be as shown below. For example, PLC input Boolean tag with address “%I0.0”, will be created as Boolean tag with address “I.0.0” in Ecava IGX. While for Data Blocks, the address format in PLC config for Boolean tag in Data Block [DB1] is “0.0”. Then, you will require to create the tag with address “DB1.DBX.0.0” in Ecava IGX Project Editor.

Note: Noticed the difference for address format in Ecava IGX SCADA for different data types, by comparing the screenshots above.

Note: Remember to set Input Tag to ‘True‘ on the right column for the PLC INPUT tag (i.e. example for address “I.0.0”), as shown in the screenshot above.

Run Project

Now you’re done with the configuration for both PLC and SCADA, and they are now ready to handshake and communicate. Connect them via Ethernet cable (make sure the IP addresses are correct on both ends), and run the project on Ecava IGX Project Editor. Test around with the project by changing different tag values at one end and then witness the reflects on the other!


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