This driver is a simple driver. It provides additional functionality to enable ClearSCADA to interface with specific supported devices using a particular protocol. To interact successfully with such devices, you need to:
- Install and run the driver
- Ensure that the driver is licensed
- Configure the required database items and settings on the driver
- Ensure that the database items (and any database items on which they depend) have valid, saved, configuration and are 'In Service'.
Intended Audience
This guide is primarily intended for engineers who are responsible for configuring Mitsubishi Slave items and features in the ClearSCADA database.
The guide also contains information of use to maintenance engineers.
Document Scope
This guide explains the configuration, features and database items that are specific to ClearSCADA’s Mitsubishi Slave driver. The Mitsubishi Slave driver enables ClearSCADA to act as a Mitsubishi MELSEC A PLC and report any data changes back to another Master (using the Mitsubishi MELSEC A protocol). The Slave transmits any changes to its database, or sets values or states in its database, upon request from its Master.
For information on how to configure ClearSCADA to communicate with slave devices and PLCs using the Mitsubishi MELSEC A protocol, see the ClearSCADA Guide to the Mitsubishi Driver.
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with ClearSCADA configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- ClearSCADA configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration, and the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Point Configuration.
- Driver structure, components, and configuration properties, pick actions, and status attributes that are common to many drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Drivers.
- Simple driver composition, configuration order, and configuration properties and logging options that are common to many simple drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Simple Drivers.
The Slave can obtain its data directly from plant, from calculated values, or from any item in the ClearSCADA database. Its Master can be another ClearSCADA server, or a third party server that is using the Mitsubishi MELSEC A protocol.
The Mitsubishi Slave Driver provides extra functionality within a ClearSCADA server for transmitting data or controlling points. A Mitsubishi Slave uses Value Maps for mapping point properties into memory, so that they can be accessed by the Mitsubishi MELSEC A protocol.
The Mitsubishi Slave documentation explains how to configure Mitsubishi Slave-specific features and items within the ClearSCADA database (see The Transmission Protocol Supported by ClearSCADA and see Configuring Mitsubishi Slave Devices in ClearSCADA).
It also explains driver-specific aspects that may be of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected behavior (relating to the Mitsubishi Slave driver) (see Mitsubishi Slave-Specific Status Display Attributes).
NOTE: There are no driver-specific pick actions for database items on this particular driver. However, users with the required privileges can add custom pick actions to a database item by using the User Methods tab on the relevant configuration Form (see Using the User Methods Tab to Define Custom Actions in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration). See a system administrator for the documentation associated with such custom actions (also known as ‘methods’).