119/05/10 FV

HyTec crate – DCS integration issues

VF 2

HyTec (HyTec Electronics , UK) crate

19/05/10

Slots for:• TELL1• VME• NIM ?

Control : WIENER CML2 card(Control, Measurement andData Logging System)

VF 3

Standard crate (or any other equipment) control in PVSS

19/05/10

CRATE OPC server

PVSS OPC client

VF 4

HyTec crate control

From WIENER CML1 board manual:“12. OPC ServerA server according to OPC Data Access V2.05 is optional available. OPC (OLE for Process Control) allows fast and secure access to data and information under Windows operating systems. As an industry-spanning, multi-vendor software interface, OPC minimizes connection and maintenance overheads. This server, running on a Computer with the Microsoft Windows XP operating system, enables access to all controllers which are connected to the network (TCP/IP). It is possible to• access from any OPC Client application to the data of one or more servers• encapsulating the properties specific to the server and type of

communication• commissioning support due to automatic scanning of the network and

registration of communication stations• restricting access rights by the underlying Microsoft DCOM.

The details of the OPC server can be found in the manual delivered with the OPC server software. “

19/05/10

5

From HYTEC to NA62 - 110/05/2010, Peter Marshall (HYTEC) :“I have spoken at length to Wiener and their position is that they do not want to support OPC on this CML02 card as fitted to the TELL1 crate.  There are two main reasons for this:• First, their existing OPC server is for their Maraton low

voltage power supplies and works over Ethernet or for their crates which work over Canbus. This implementation (for Ethernet) therefore has more stuff to monitor than on the Maraton units, hence the lack of compatibility.

• Second, they are producing a new card for this function (although the CML01/2 will still be available) and do not want to spend time on the CML01/2.

We are intending to make you an offer to produce an OPC server for these TELL1 crates; can we assume that your client is PVSS2? ” 

• VF19/05/10

6

From HYTEC to NA62 - 2

13/05/2010, Peter Marshall (HYTEC) :

Our proposal is based on a package from ICONICS called DataworX. This provides an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) driver on one side discovering suitable devices and obtaining data from the based on the MIB (Management Information Dase), and an OPC server on the other. Data from the SNMP targets is placed in the server fields based on user-provided names using tags.• We will configure this package to talk to at least one crate and provide

documentation to enable others to be added. • We would require from you a specification showing the required OPC layout

and also confirming that we can use fixed IP addresses, otherwise the task becomes much more complicated! 

• We estimate a total cost for this approach to be in the region of 5000 UK pounds

• VF19/05/10

VF 7

From EN/ICE to NA62 Mathias Philippe Dutour (EN/ICE):

“I checked with Wiener's engineer the OPC control solution for the CML01 interface…Wiener explained me that the basic CML1/CML2 is a relatively inexpensive product (intended to be used in the low end crate segment). And that if Wiener decides to add OPC accessibility to the basic CML01 (which they will do only if a reasonable number of devices are requested), this "OPC-Option for CML01" will have to be ordered separately.”

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From EN/ICE to NA62

11/05/2010, Piotr Golonka (EN/ICE) :

Gentlemen,should you decide to ask HyTec to develop the OPC server from scratch, please bear in mind the following: 

• First of all, the development of a OPC Server software may be a lengthy process, in particular to reach the desired level of performance and stability, then to validate it for production systems. 

• Our experience with other hardware-specialized companies tend to show that the quality of software they provide is often mediocre, in terms of stability, performance and also scalability. It may take many iterations to have the software brought to acceptable level, and this takes long months and years of time. 

• VF19/05/10

9

From EN/ICE to NA62 11/05/2010, Piotr Golonka (EN/ICE) (continuation) :

• There is also a question of long-term maintenance of such custom OPC software: o In particular to have versions compliant with future versions/updates

of the operating systems delivered in acceptable timescales (eg. make a version compatible with Windows XP, then for Windows 7 once it is adopted at CERN, then for any future service-packs and versions of Windows). We would not like to end up in a deadlock situation where we cannot upgrade the operating system (or apply a security patch), because we will not get the appropriate upgrade of the OPC server software. 

o Similarly, an upgrade of the OPC technology to OPC-UA (already present in the latest version of PVSS, not yet used at CERN), would require additional effort on HyTec side (or rather a complete re-write of server software in OPC-UA architecture). 

• Note also that currently the EN/ICE resources for validating non-standard OPC software are very limited. 

• Last but not least, the integration of the new OPC server within PVSS and final controls application is an additional effort and requires resources to be allocated on our side.

• VF19/05/10

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From EN/ICE to NA62 11/05/2010, Piotr Golonka (EN/ICE) (continuation) :

• As discussed at DCS meetings, EN/ICE strongly suggests choosing a standard solution that is already validated and centrally supported at CERN (hardware- and software- wise), i.e. Wiener.

• VF19/05/10