This driver is an advanced 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 primarily intended for engineers who are responsible for configuring DNP3 items and features in the Geo SCADA Expert database.
The guide also contains information for:
- Operators and engineers who use the DNP3 driver to monitor and control plant
- Maintenance engineers.
Document Scope
This guide explains the configuration, features and database items that are specific to Geo SCADA Expert’s DNP3 driver. The DNP3 driver enables Geo SCADA Expert to communicate with devices using the DNP3 protocol. For more details on the information included in this guide, see Introduction to the DNP3 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.
- Advanced driver configuration order, outstation types, and configuration properties and logging options that are common to many advanced drivers. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Advanced Drivers.
Some sections of this guide are intended for operator-level users. These sections are intended for users that are familiar with the navigational and operational aspects of Geo SCADA Expert. Before reading the operational sections in this guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- The Geo SCADA Expert user interfaces (ViewX and Virtual ViewX), the various types of display, their navigation and operation. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to ViewX and Virtual ViewX Clients.
The DNP3 protocol is an open standard that allows interoperability between devices such as outstations, RTUs (Remote Terminal Units) and IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices) and SCADA masters. DNP3 network typically consists of a single master and multiple outstations. The master is usually a
The master processes the data received from the outstation and:
- Displays current values to operators
- Generates alarms
- Stores historic event data so that it may be trended and reported.
The data sent by an outstation may be:
- Values of physical inputs at the outstation
- Values obtained from another device by the outstation (these values may be obtained using DNP3 or any other protocol, such as Modbus)
- Values that are calculated by the outstation.
One of the fundamental concepts of DNP3 is that an outstation can buffer time stamped event data. The outstation sends its buffered data to the master when:
- The master sends a poll request to the outstation—these can be scheduled by the master to optimize use of the communications network
- The outstation sends an unsolicited message—these allow the outstation to send critical data (for example device faults) immediately.
The DNP3 protocol allows for a device to act as both a master and an outstation simultaneously. Outstations that provide this functionality are typically known as data concentrators. Geo SCADA Expert provides a set of DNP3 Slave items that allow Geo SCADA Expert to behave as an outstation on a DNP3 network.
The DNP3 driver in Geo SCADA Expert allows you to configure master/slave scenarios that communicate using the DNP3 protocol (see Typical DNP3 Scenarios).
This guide explains how to configure DNP3 specific features and items within the Geo SCADA Expert database. For further information, see these sections:
- Configuring DNP3 Devices in Geo SCADA Expert
- DNP3 Secure Authentication
- Scanning for Data on DNP3 Devices.
The guide also explains those DNP3 specific features that are of interest to operators, such as:
and DNP3 specific aspects that are of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected system behavior (relating to the DNP3 driver):
- DNP3 Specific Status Descriptions on Historic Lists
- DNP3 Specific Status Display Attributes
- DNP3 Specific Colors
- System Analysis.
Some DNP3 devices have additional features that are unavailable on other DNP3 devices. To support these additional features, Geo SCADA Expert uses a DNP3 Extension Driver. If your system uses a DNP3 Extension Driver, use the guide to that extension driver in conjunction with this guide.