How to simulate communication between Robots and SCADA ?

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Patrick Cloutier asked Oct 19, '16 Isaiás SNM commented Sep 12, '18

How to simulate communication between Robots and SCADA ?

Here what I'm being asked by a potential Flexsim buyer:

We need to simulate a manufacturing line where they are 8 Fanuc robots. These robots needs to trigger their tags and receive programs by an external system. Most of the time in automated manufacturing lines the programs are in the PLC of the robots, for this particular line, there are sent and trigger by the SCADA system.

Then we need to test three scenarios:

1. Using a single thread communication: send 3 different parameters that correspond to three different parts. For example, for part x in the line, the grip of the robot has to rotate 60 degrees and move 5mm to the left, etc, but for part y the rotation will be 45 degrees, and the rest of the parameters different.

2. The same than 1, but using multi thread communication, this is possible with SQL Database. So we would like to try it with the SQL Database or a SCADA system.

3. Using multi-thread communication, send the parameter for only one part.

Software Version:

FlexSim 16.2.1

robot scada fanuc pcl

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Answer 1 · 2016-10-19T17:06:14Z

Matt Long answered Oct 19, '16 Isaiás SNM commented Sep 12, '18

There is no automatic, plug & play system to linking to a SCADA system. However, FlexSim has the ability to link to external DLLs that you can create yourself. This would allow you to create your own communication link between FlexSim and the SCADA system using TCP (or whatever communications protocol your SCADA system uses).

In terms of controlling the robot so precisely, you can individually control each axis of a robot, though from what you're describing, it may be a fairly manual set up to get everything working.

FlexSim is able to talk to SQL databases through a set of database commands.

We are currently in development of an Emulation module that should be released sometime before the end of the year that will communicate with PLCs. As of today's posting we are able read and write data from a PLC using Modbus. We are also working on OPC and Siemens S7.

As for multi-threading, FlexSim runs on a single thread, but you could create a dll that could handle multiple threads that would send data to FlexSim.

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Isaiás SNM commented · Sep 12, 2018 at 06:38 PM

Hello @Matt Long

I'm about to buy a full FlexSim license in Mexico with Jorge Toucet. But I need technical support regarding the topic of Emulation, PLC, PCT/IPv6, OPC and DLL. How can I get a training on the subject? You can give me your phone number or email.

Atte: Isaías Simón

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Hidalgo, México.

[email protected]

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