Hi,
I'm really needing some advice on how to test a Wonderware InTouch HMI . The backstory is I've been given a job to upgrade an InTouch HMI to the current version - WonderWare InTouch 2017. It communicates with an Allen Bradley / RSLogix 5000 PLC through RSLinx. OPCLink is also involved. I did some Wonderware InTouch work a good few years ago in a Siemens & Software Toolbox environment but I have no experience with Allen Bradley / RSLinx / RSLogix technology, and have no documentation or working setup to consult. RSLinx seems really unintuitive by comparison to the TOP Server stuff I'm used to, but I suspect that's just me not knowing how to use it.
I need to find a way to run the HMI application on my dev PC and force or spoof the middleware tags in order test that the migrated HMI is still working. There are a couple of other issues:
Most of the Access Names use OPCLink. Seemingly OPCLink does not work with InTouch 2017 and the recommendation is to replace that with OI_Gateway. I have no experience of this either.
The version of RSLinx I've been told it uses is RSLinx Classic Lite but I can't find where to create topics in that and believe that the Lite version is a hugely cut-down version with minimal functionality. My concern is that it maybe uses a more featured version which has functionality currently missing from my set up which is using Lite. I think there is a .rsx file which I believe is an export of RSLinx topics. I have tried to import this but have I am not convinced that it has worked. There's alos a .opf file which I believe is a TOP Server topics export.
It's turning into a bit of a nightmare scenario. I really need someone to advise me please on what software setup I need to run up this HMI, together with an OPC server, some middleware and a means of forcing the tag values. I need to do this while leaving the HMI as it will be in its live environment and believing that it's communicating with an Allen Bradley PLC through its existing topics.
I suspect I need InTouch WindowViewer, OI-Gateway, RSLinx - or maybe TOP Server - and maybe something like Matrikon OPC Simulator or similar for setting the values. I'm not sure where OI-Gateway fits into it all I have to say.
I really need a 101 refresher on it all but am out of time on it. If somebody could tell me in really basic terms something like - you need this software. Connect X software to Y software and do this in this order then I would be massively grateful. I'm at a stage where I would happily pay someone to tell me but I can't find anything on line which directs me to such facilities.
Hope you can help!
Thanks,
Andy