This driver is a simple driver. It provides additional functionality to enable Geo SCADA Expert 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 designed to be used by engineers who are responsible for configuring Geo SCADA Expert to communicate with Allen-BradleyTM PLCs. It can also be used by system administrators when diagnosing any unexpected conditions relating to the DF1 driver (see DF1 Specific Status Display Attributes).
Document Scope
This guide explains how to configure your Geo SCADA Expert system to communicate with Allen-BradleyTM PLCs using the DF1 protocol. It also explains how to use the diagnostic features of the DF1 driver.
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with Geo SCADA Expert configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- Geo SCADA Expert configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration, and the Geo SCADA Expert 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 Geo SCADA Expert 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 Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Simple Drivers.
The DF1 Driver provides extra functionality to allow a Geo SCADA Expert system to be populated with data from, and control points on, Allen-BradleyTM PLCs. The driver allows Geo SCADA Expert to communicate with such PLCs using the DF1 protocol.
Geo SCADA Expert is able to communicate with Allen-Bradley PLCs using one of several Geo SCADA Expert drivers. Which driver you use depends on your system set-up and the type(s) of Allen-Bradley PLC with which Geo SCADA Expert is to communicate. Use the DF1 Driver to communicate with Allen-Bradley PLCs, where those PLCs are restricted to using serial communications and where RSLinxTM is not available.
For information on the other Geo SCADA Expert drivers that can be used to communicate with Allen-Bradley PLCs, please contact your Schneider Electric agent.
The DF1 documentation explains how to configure the DF1-specific features and items within the Geo SCADA Expert database (see Configuring DF1 Devices in Geo SCADA Expert).
For DF1 information not covered by this guide, see the Allen-Bradley DF1 documentation.
For PLC information not covered by this guide, see the Allen-Bradley documentation supplied with Allen-Bradley PLCs.
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 Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration). See a system administrator for the documentation associated with such custom actions (also known as ‘methods’).