On a Geo SCADA Expert system, you configure the Geo SCADA Expert database so that entries in the database correspond to the plant, measuring instruments, and control devices on your system. This section summarizes the database items that you need to configure to represent the Modbus devices on your system.
In order to represent Modbus devices, the Advanced Modbus Driver has to be installed and running on the Geo SCADA Expert servers on your system. The driver is represented by the Modbus - Advanced component in the Geo SCADA Expert Installation Wizard’s Setup window. The component is located within the Server branch of the tree that is displayed in the window (see Install a Driver in Geo SCADA Expert
When the driver is first installed, a system administrator needs to define the server settings for the driver (see Configuring Advanced Modbus Server Settings).
When you configure Advanced Modbus items in the Geo SCADA Expert database, many of the settings for those items need to correspond to the settings of the relevant Modbus devices on your system. Some settings are either fixed (incorporated into the design of the Modbus controller), or are configured by an engineer. You need to have access to, or an understanding of, the settings of the Modbus devices on your system before you can configure the Advanced Modbus database items successfully. For instance, on Generic Modbus controllers, you need to specify the Register Write Function that Geo SCADA Expert is to use when writing to the registers in those controllers.
You also need to be aware of which optional features are required for each Advanced Modbus item. These features include:
- Alarm views
- Alarm redirections
- Historic data storage
- User methods.
For each device with which Geo SCADA Expert is to communicate using Modbus protocol, you need to configure:
- Advanced Modbus Channels to represent the communication connections between a Modbus controller and the Geo SCADA Expert server (see Configuring an Advanced Modbus Channel).
- Advanced Modbus Sets to define groups of Modbus controllers (see Configuring an Advanced Modbus Set).
- Generic Modbus Controllers to define the units that monitor data and control plant (see Configuring a Generic Modbus Controller).
If Geo SCADA Expert is running an Advanced Modbus Extension Driver, alsosee the relevant section in the appropriate Advanced Modbus extension driver guide.
- If required, an Advanced Modbus Remote Connection. You only need to create and configure an Advanced Modbus Remote Connection if Geo SCADA Expert is to share a communications link with an application such as ISaGRAF® in order to communicate with remote Modbus devices. A Remote Connection defines the port on which Geo SCADA Expert is to receive commands from an application (see Configuring an Advanced Modbus Remote Connection).
Generic Modbus Controllers do not support writing of configuration from the Geo SCADA Expert server. However, you may be able to write configuration remotely, via applications such as ISaGRAF®. Refer to the documentation supplied with the application for information.
- Advanced Modbus Points of the appropriate type to represent the measuring instruments and control devices that are connected to each controller (see Points Used on Generic Modbus Controllers).
Further Information
Scanning Direct Controllers on the Advanced Modbus Driver.
Geo SCADA Expert provides additional support for some devices using an Advanced Modbus Extension Driver. For information on configuring such devices, see the relevant Advanced Modbus extension driver guide.