This driver is an extension driver. It provides additional application-specific functionality to the 'parent' driver with which it is associated. To interact successfully with devices using an extension driver, you need to:
- Install and run both the extension driver and its 'parent' driver (and, if applicable, its 'grandparent' driver)
- Ensure that the extension driver and its 'parent' driver (and, if applicable, its 'grandparent' driver) are licensed
(some extension drivers are licensed separately to their 'parent' driver) - Configure the required database items and settings on the 'parent 'driver (and, if applicable, the 'grandparent' driver)
- Configure the required database items and settings on this extension 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 SCADAPack E items and features in the Geo SCADA Expert database.
The guide also contains information for:
- Operators and engineers who use the DNP3 SCADAPack E 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 SCADAPack E driver. The driver is a DNP3 extension driver. The driver provides additional functionality to enable Geo SCADA Expert to communicate with SCADAPack E and 386 eNET outstations, using the DNP3 protocol. In order to communicate with such outstations, both the DNP3 driver and the DNP3 SCADAPack E extension driver need to be running on the Geo SCADA Expert system (see Confirm that the DNP3 and SCADAPack E Server Components are Installed).
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.
- The database items and configuration that are specific to this extension driver's 'parent' driver, along with any pick actions, status attributes, and logging options that are specific to that 'parent' driver. (Unless stated otherwise, this extension driver supports the features and options that are supported by its 'parent' driver, in addition to the features and options that are described in this extension driver guide.)
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.
For a list of the types of outstation with which Geo SCADA Expert can communicate using the DNP3 SCADAPack E driver, see Specify the Outstation Type.
SCADAPack E and 386 eNET outstations are DNP3 compliant devices, with enhanced feature sets that provide additional functionality beyond the basic DNP3 requirements. The DNP3 SCADAPack E driver enables Geo SCADA Expert to support this enhanced feature set and provides the capability to configure those features in Geo SCADA Expert.
The Geo SCADA Expert DNP3 driver, which is also designed to the DNP3 standard, is capable of communicating with other devices that are compliant with the DNP3 standard (see Which Driver?).
The DNP3 SCADAPack E driver provides database items that allow Geo SCADA Expert to generate and download configurations to SCADAPack E outstations for the following SCADAPack features:
- Ports—serial and ethernet
- TCP/IP—port settings and services
- DNP3—events, object types, data link layer, application layer, and so on
- Routing—DNP3 and TCP/IP
- Point properties
- Point data trend sampling
- Remote I/O.
For further information, see Features of a SCADAPack E Outstation.
Throughout this guide, unless mentioning features that are specific to particular model(s) of outstation, the term ‘SCADAPack E outstation’ is used to refer to any SCADAPack E or eNET outstation with which Geo SCADA Expert can communicate using the DNP3 protocol.
As Geo SCADA Expert uses DNP3 as the communications protocol to write configuration information to SCADAPack E outstations, it is recommended that you read the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the DNP3 Driver before reading this driver guide. Much of the information covered in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the DNP3 Driver is assumed knowledge and needs to be followed in conjunction with information in this driver guide. It is also advisable that you have access to the SCADAPack E product documentation when reading this guide.
This Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the DNP3 SCADAPack E Driver explains how to configure SCADAPack E specific features and items within the Geo SCADA Expert database. For further information, see:
- Configuring DNP3 SCADAPack E Devices in Geo SCADA Expert
- Supported Communications Setups
- Scanning DNP3 SCADAPack E Outstations
- Using Geo SCADA Expert to Import and Download SCADAPack Outstation Firmware Image Files
- Using Geo SCADA Expert to Import and Download SCADAPack Security Configuration Files
- Configuring DNP3 SCADAPack Tables
- Working with DNP3 SCADAPack E Outstation Configuration Files.
- Configuring a DNP3 SCADAPack E Modbus Slave Device .
(If you are unfamiliar with configuring SCADAPack E devices in Geo SCADA Expert, also consider following the Quick Start Tutorial.)
This guide also explains SCADAPack E specific features that are of interest to operators, such as:
and SCADAPack E specific aspects that are of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected behavior relating to the DNP3 SCADAPack E driver: