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TN DAS177 Replacing DI Objects with DDESuiteLinkClient Objects

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Description

This article from InSource shows how to replace DI Objects with a DDESuiteLinkClient Object in Wonderware System Platform.  The DDESuiteLinkClient Objects are used to take advantage of the latest generation communication drivers.

  • Author:  Rich Brooks
  • Published:  2/21/2019
  • Applies to: System Platform 2014R2 SP1 & higher

Details

The communication drivers make use of an Operations Integration Server (OI Server).  These support the latest PLC firmware versions.  The Device Integration Objects (DI Objects) are no longer being updated.  This tech note steps through an example for the ABCIP driver.

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The Ethernet, ENetCard, BackPlane, and Logix5000 DI objects shown above will be replaced by a single DDESuiteLinkClient object.

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This example does have sets of alias lists found under the Scan Group tab.  These need to be exported individually for import into the DDESuiteLinkClient object.  Highlight each scan group item and click on the export button. 

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Scripting is used to populate the InputSource for each attribute.  We will use the same object name for the DDESuiteLinkClient object that was used for the Logix5000_XX object to avoid any changes to the numerous scripts.

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Undeploy and rename the Logix5000_68 object by adding the extension _OLD.  This object will be deleted later.  Create the new DDESuiteLinkClient instance and rename it to Logix5000_68 as shown in the example above.

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This technote assumes that the ABCIP communication driver has already been installed to the OI Server.  Create additional server instances by right-clicking on Allen-Bradley ABCIP and selecting Create Server Instance.

Note:  The Professional license for the OI Server is required to create additional instances.  This feature is not included with the Standard OI Server license.

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Enter the Starting Instance, Ending Instance, and Custom Name as required.  Click on the OK button to continue.

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The default names were used here to add ABCIP_1 through ABCIP_5.  A unique instance is assigned to each DDESuitelinkClient object.

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One of the ABCIP instances is assigned by entering the Server name (ABCIP_1 in this case) into the DDESuiteLinkClient General tab.

Be sure to add the topics to the Topic tab to match the Scan Group tab from the old Logix5000 object.  Import the alias lists that were exported previously.

Select and right-click to delete the Ethernet, ENetCard, BackPlane, and Logix5000 DI objects.  You are now ready to deploy the DDESuiteLinkClient object.