Configure Geo SCADA Expert to Communicate with Downstream Slave Devices
You can configure Geo SCADA Expert to communicate with SCADAPack x70 devices that themselves provide access to other slave devices that are further downstream in your operational network. If Geo SCADA Expert is to communicate with those downstream devices via the SCADAPack x70 devices, in addition to the usual SCADAPack x70 configuration, you need to:
- Configure a SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Slave Device per downstream DNP3 slave device
- Configure a SCADAPack x70 Modbus Slave Device per downstream Modbus slave device. For each of these, configure a SCADAPack x70 Modbus Point Scanner for each block of registers to read/write. For more information, see Configure a Modbus Slave Device and see Configure a Modbus Point Scanner.
- Configure the relevant settings on the Mapping tab of each SCADAPack x70 Analog, Digital, or Counter Configuration item that represents an input or output on each downstream device (see Configure the Properties on the Mapping Tab).
We recommend that you use status points to monitor the status of, and control points to control, the downstream slave devices. These points comprise internal points that are built into the SCADAPack x70 devices. To make use of these points, in the database you have to:
- Create and configure a SCADAPack x70 Configuration item of the relevant type (analog, or digital) for each status/control item that you want to use.
- Create and configure a protocol-specific SCADAPack x70 Point of the relevant type (analog, digital or binary) to associate with the above Configuration items, in order to monitor the status data in Geo SCADA Expert.
- Associate each SCADAPack x70 Configuration item with the relevant status/control item that you want to monitor or control. (depending on the protocol used, see Configure Modbus Slave Device Status and Control Object Associations, or for DNP3 see Configure Object Associations for a Slave Device.)
For example, to monitor the communications status of a downstream slave device, use the Communication Status field on the SCADAPack x70 Slave Device to associate that slave device with the relevant status point.
Likewise, to control whether a downstream slave device is in service, use the Put Device In Service field on the SCADAPack x70 Slave Device to associate that slave device with the relevant control point.
The protocol that you use for the status points and downstream slave devices must correspond to the communications protocol that the SCADAPack x70 devices use to communicate with the downstream slave devices. That protocol might well differ to the communications protocol that Geo SCADA Expert uses to communicate with the SCADAPack x70 devices themselves.