KEPServerEX Features

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KEPServerEX Features

Introduction

It is very common to hear the term "client/server application" in use across many software disciplines and

business segments. In the industrial market, it has often come to mean the sharing of manufacturing or

production data between a variety of client applications ranging from human machine interface software

and data historians, to large MES and E! applications. In order for client applications to get data, they

must connect to a server that will retrieve it for them in a standard form. he problem is that there are

many devices and systems in the industrial market that you might want to get data from, but each may

speak a different "language" or protocol. It is here that #epware$s #E!ServerE% comes into play. he

#E!ServerE%&s 'ob is to get device and system data and translate it into a standard communication protocol

()!* or ++E that all clients can receive and understand.

What is KEPServerEX

#E!ServerE% is the latest generation of #epware&s )!* server technology. It was designed to allow you to

-uickly setup communications to your control systems via a wide range of available "!lugin" device drivers

and components. ith over 01 downloadable drivers that support hundreds of model types, getting data to

you client is a snap. he #E!ServerE% also provides a common and selfevident user interface across all

drivers so that you feel at ease every time you use the product no matter what driver you use. 2ou can add

many devices utili3ing multiple drivers all within the #E!ServerE% interface without worrying about learning

new communication protocols or spending time understanding new applications.

KEPServerEX Plug-in OPC Drivers and Components

4 "!lugin" is a software program that e5tends the capabilities of #E!ServerE% to fit the communication

re-uirements of a specific device.

KEPServerEX Features

#E!ServerE% is the latest generation of our )!* server technology. 6uilding upon the original #E!server,

#E!ServerE% has incorporated many of the features re-uested by our customers. In addition to customer

driven enhancements, many technological changes have occurred. hese features and enhancements have

all been made with the goal of providing an )!* server that demonstrates unparalleled compatibility and

performance.

4 few of the enhancements are transparent to the user, but there are a number of new features that are

readily apparent and directly available to the user. he following sections will describe the primary features

of #E!ServerE%.

Application Connectivity


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#E!ServerE% has been enhanced to provide the widest range of connectivity of any server product

available. #E!ServerE% supports the following client server technologies7

)!* +ata 4ccess 8ersion 9.1a

)!* +ata 4ccess 8ersion :.1

)!* +ata 4ccess 8ersion :.1;a


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server component (#E!ServerE% houses all of the user interface and )!* technology. +evice

specific drivers plug into this server component. If only one communications driver could be

plugged into the server at a time then we would have gained nothing. #E!ServerE% allows you to

use a number of communications drivers concurrently.

Aotice in the figure below that we have configured #E!ServerE% to communicate with 4llen

6radley, Beneral Electric, Mitsubishi and Siemens +evices using the one server interface. 4lso

notice that you can configure multiple devices (Mitsubishi under one channel.

*lick here to find out what plugin communications drivers are available for #E!ServerE%.

If you are having trouble connecting the server to your device, read the +evice *onnectivity

rouble Shooting Buide for some tips on what could be the cause of your connectivity issues.

CSV File Import and Export

he server supports the import and e5port of tag data in a *S8 (comma separated variable file. he

*S8 functions are only available when a +evice or ag Broup is selected. Csing *S8 import and

e5port, tags can be created -uickly in the application of your choice.

Important Aote7 he easiest way to create an import *S8 file is to create a template using


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by a record for each tag defined under the selected device or tag group. he heading record contains

the following fields.

ag #ame Aame of the tag as it will be referenced in an )!* client.

$ddress he device location referenced by the tag.

Data %pe he data type used for the tag as shown in the server ag +ata ype drop down list

bo5.

&espect Data %pe his forces the tag to follow its defined data type not the )!* client re-uest.

(9, 1

Client $ccess ead/ rite access (), , )

Scan &ate he rate in milliseconds that the tag address will be scanned when used with most non

)!* clients.

Scaling Scaling mode (=inear, S-uare oot

&a' !o' =ow raw value

&a' (igh igh raw value

Scaled !o' Scaled low value

Scaled (igh Scaled high value

Scaled Data %pe he data type used for the tag after scaling is applied.

Clamp !o'


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Importing a CS+ tag list into the Server

)nce you have finished editing your tag list it can be imported back into the server using the import

*S8 function


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+*)M.


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6y default the server is configured for automatic startup and interaction with the desktop.

Interaction with the desktop means that you will still see the server on your task bar and that you

will be able to make changes to your server pro'ect even though it is running as a service. owever,

you will not be able to shut the server down from any of the normal menu e5its or close functions.

4llowing the server to interact with the desktop has no effect on its ability to supply )!* data across

user logins. )nce you have your server pro'ect completely configured you may want to consider

disabling the server&s interaction with the desktop. his will prevent users from seeing the server on


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their task bar and further reduce unauthori3ed access to the server. o prevent the server from

interacting with the desktop simply uncheck the "4llow Service to Interact with +esktop" check bo5.

)nce you disable desktop interaction you will need to restart the server to remove it from your

system taskbar.

Aote7 e strongly recommend that while you are running the server in a demo or evaluation mode

that you continue to allow the server to "Interact with +esktop". his will allow you to see any error

messages that the server may generate such as "+emo period has e5pired". If this occurs simply

stop the service using the Service manager as shown below.

)nce the server is configured to run as a service you can use the A Service manager to manually

start and stop the server. he Service Manager menu allows you to select your server by name and

either start or stop the service as shown here7

&eturning the Server to #ormal Program ,ode

o return the server to normal stand alone program operation you must first be able to interact with

your server pro'ect. his re-uires that the server be able to interact with the desktop. If you do not

have the server configured to interact with the desktop, use the A Services Manager to enable

desktop interaction then stop the server service. )nce the server has stopped, restart it using the

Start button as shown above. 2ou should now be able see the server on your system taskbar. )nce

the server can be seen on the desktop you can make changes to your server pro'ect. o return to

normal program mode uncheck the "4utomatically start as a indows A service" checkbo5 on the

Service option dialog of the server. Ae5t, stop the server using the Stop button of the Service

manager. Aow you should be able to run the server from your normal desktop icon or start menu

selection.

If the server is configured to run as a service and you attempt to run it from your desktop icon or


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the start menu you will be presented with the following message bo57

If you receive this message and truly re-uire the server to run as a normal program review the steps

in "&eturning the Server to #ormal Program ,ode" above.

Possile issues 'hen running as a service

Cnder most circumstances you should be able to seamlessly switch between Service mode and

Stand 4lone mode. here is the possibility of a +*)M (+istributed *omponent )b'ect Model security

issue that may prevent your )!* client from being able to connect to the server when it is running

as a service.

If you e5perience an issue connecting your )!* client to the server when it is running as service, we

suggest that you first take the server out of service mode and confirm your )!* connection in Stand

4lone mode. )nce you have confirmed your )!* client connection under normal circumstances it&s

time to look at your +*)M settings.

Data Scaling

#E!ServerE% now supports direct scaling of device data. Scaling allows raw device data to be

converted to engineering units for )!* client applications. #E!ServerE% provides a number of

uni-ue scaling features that make it easy to implement scaling in your application. #E!ServerE%

now supports direct scaling of device data. Scaling allows raw device data to be converted to

engineering units for )!* client applications. #E!ServerE% provides a number of uni-ue scaling

features that make it easy to implement scaling in your application.


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he Scaling in #E!ServerE% supports =inear and S-uare oot formulas. 2ou can specify the range of

the raw data from your device and the engineering range of the scaled value. In some cases the raw

data received from a device may e5ceed the range set for the raw data. If this occurs the

engineering value can be forced outside of the range you desire. o prevent this, #E!ServerE%

allows you to specify that the scaled value be clamped to the engineering ranges. In most cases it is

always assumed that a scaled value results in a floating point number. #E!ServerE% doesn&t make

this assumption and allows you to select the scaled engineering value to be any valid )!* data type.

his means you can scale a 9@ bit integer value to a F: bit integer value. "+ouble" is the default

data type for all scaled values. o make scaling complete, #E!ServerE% allows you to specify the

units for the scaled tag. 4 string of up to F: characters can be entered and attached to the tag. If

the )!* client application in use supports access to )!* tag properties, the data ranges and the

units can be used in the )!* client to automatically configure ob'ects like user input or data

displays.

"ore KEPServerEX Features

On-!ine Full ime

)nline #E!ServerE% is online all the time. o ac-uire data from a !=* or device, a channel and

device must be configured in the server, and a client application must be re-uesting data. he full

time online mode of operation allows a #E!ServerE% pro'ect to be modified while the server

continues to supply data to client applications. 4lmost every parameter can be changed while the

server is operating. !arameters like communication port or baud rate can be changed while a client

application is active, if needed. More importantly, user defined tags can be added to the server


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without shutting down client applications. hen new tags are added to the server, they are

immediately added to the )!* browse space, and will be available to )!* clients.

*ser ,anagement

ith a powerful feature like online full time operation, managing what your users can do in your

)!* application becomes a necessity. #E!ServerE% includes a builtin Cser Manager that allows

complete control over what types of functionality each individual user can access. he default

administrator account allows you to add multiple users, each with their own set of rights for server

access. 4ny user action that can influence or disrupt server operation is logged to #E!ServerE%&s

event logging system. 6y default, all server operations are available at all times. he Cser Manager

functions of #E!ServerE% are available only if you need them.

ag ,anagement

#E!ServerE%&s new user defined tag management features allow you to create a tag database

structure that fits the nature of your application. Multiple tag groups can be defined to segregate

your tag data on a devicebydevice basis. +rag and drop editing makes adding large numbers of

tags easy. 4dditionally, *S8 import and e5port allows tag editing to be done in any application you

desire. =ike all other features in #E!ServerE%, new tags can be added to your application at any

time.

#et'or. Inter/ace Selection

#E!ServerE% allows you to specifically select a AI* card for use with any Ethernet driver or serial

driver running in Ethernet Encapsulation mode. he Aetwork Interface feature allows you to select a

specific AI* card based on either the AI* name or its currently assigned I! address. his list of

available AI*s will include both uni-ue AI* cards or AI*s that have multiple I!s assigned to them.


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4dditionally the selection will also display any 4A connections you may have active such as a

dialup connection.

,odem Support

#E!ServerE% supports the use of modems on all serial communication drivers. Modem control is

provided by a set of new modem tags. )nce modem operation is enabled for a #E!ServerE% pro'ect,

a predefined set of modem tags becomes available to client applications. he modem tags provide

control of dial, dial number, hang up, and auto answer mode. 4dditional modem tags provide status

of the modem connection. Csing these modem tags, client applications can be designed to control all

aspects of a modem connection. #E!ServerE%&s modem support allows you to e5tend your system

management and data gathering needs beyond the control room.


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Automatic !ag Data$ase %eneration

he promise of )!* is to make the customer&s life easier. ith that goal in mind #epware has added

a new feature that helps bring )!* technology closer to true !lug and !lay operation. he 4utomatic

ag +atabase Beneration feature of #E!ServerE%, available on select )!* servers, allows you to

configure all of the necessary tags for your device automatically at startup, or with the simple press

of a button. )!* ag browsing is one of the key features of )!* technology. o use this feature in

most cases re-uires the user to manually enter all of the tags re-uired for their application. hile

tedious, once complete the user had the benefit of being able to point and click from their )!* client

applications to link with these tags. he 4utomatic ag +atabase Beneration feature of #E!ServerE%

eliminates that last tedious step for )!* users.


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oneywell *?11

I+E*

Modbus C Serial

Modbus !lus

Modbus Ethernet

)ptimation )pti=ogic Ethernet I/)

Scanivalve

SI%AE C+

hermo estronics S8911/S8901

hermo estronics Serial *ommunications

4B) H;1 Ethernet I/)

onderware Inouch *lient +river

2okogawa *% Ethernet

2okogawa +arwin

2okogawa +arwin Serial

2okogawa +% Ethernet

2okogawa +% Serial

2okogawa +%! Ethernet

2okogawa :11

2okogawa M%

ere is an e5cerpt from the #E!ServerE% help describing the 4utomatic ag +atabase Beneration

function7

he automatic )!* tag database generation features of #E!ServerE% have been designed to make

the setup of your )!* application a !lug and !lay operation.


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he "4utomatic tag database generation on device startup" selection allows you to configure when

)!* tags will be automatically generated. here are three possible selections. he default condition,

"+o not generate on startup", will prevent the driver from adding any )!* tags to the tag space of

#E!ServerE%. he selection "4lways generate on startup", will cause the driver to always evaluate

the device for tag information and to add )!* tags to the tag space of the server each time the

server is launched. he final selection "Benerate on first startup" will cause the driver to evaluate

the target device for tag information the first time this #E!ServerE% pro'ect is run and to add any

)!* tags to the server tag space as needed. hen the automatic generation of )!* tags is

selected, any tags that are added to the server&s tag space must be saved with the pro'ect. 2ou can

configure your #E!ServerE% pro'ect to auto save from the oolsD)ptions menu.

hen automatic tag generation is enabled, the server needs to know what to do with )!* tags that

it may have added from a previous run or with )!* tags that you may have added or modified after

the communications driver added them. he selection "!erform the following action" allows you to

control how the server will handle )!* tags that were automatically generated and currently e5ist in

your #E!ServerE% pro'ect. his feature prevents automatically generated tags from piling up in the

server. his would occur if, using the Ethernet I/) e5ample above, you continued to change the I/)

modules in the rack with #E!ServerE% configured to always generate new )!* tags on startup.

Cnder this condition every time the communications driver detected a new I/) module, the tags

would be added to the server. If the old tags were not allowed to be removed, a number of unused

tags could accumulate in the server&s tag space. he selection "!erform the following action" allows

you to tailor the server&s operation to best fit your application&s needs. he default condition,"+elete

on create" allows the server to remove any tags that had previously been added to the tag space

before the communications driver can add any new tags. he second selection, ")verwrite as

necessary", will allow the server to remove only tags the communications driver is replacing with

new tags. 4ny tags that are not being overwritten will remain in the server&s tag space. he third

selection ,"+o not overwrite", will prevent the server from removing any tags that had been


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previous generated or may have already e5isted in the server. ith this selection, the

communications driver can only add tags that are completely new. he final selection "+o not

overwrite, log error", has the same effect as the third with the addition, an error message will be

posted to #E!ServerE%&s event log when a tag overwrite would have occurred.

Aote7 he removal of )!* tags affects tags that have been automatically generated by the

communications driver and any tags you have added using names that match generated tags. It is

recommended that you try to avoid adding your own tags to the server using names that are

identical to tags that are automatically generated by the driver.

o aid in keeping automatically generated tags from mi5ing with tags you may have entered

manually, the parameter, "4dd generated tags to the following group" can be used. his parameter

allows you to specify a sub group that will be used when adding all automatically generated tags for

this device. he name of the sub group can be up to F9 characters in length. he following displays

demonstrate how this parameter affects where automatically generated tags are placed in the

server&s tag space. 4s shown here, this parameter provides a root branch to which all automatically

generated tags will be added7

Ao sub group specified.

Sub group named"MyBroup" specified.


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he "4uto *reate" button allows you to manually initiate the creation of automatically generated

)!* tags. If you modify the configuration of your device and want the communications driver to

reevaluate the device for possible tag changes, pressing the "4uto *reate" button will force this to

occur. he "4uto *reate" feature can also be accessed from the System ags for this device allowing

your )!* client application to initiate tag database creation.

Et&ernet EncapsulationWhat is Ethernet Encapsulation0

=ike any great piece of new technology it&s important to understand what it is before one can

determine how to use it, but before we dig into what Ethernet Encapsulation is let&s start with a

possible real world scenario.

2ou arrive at the plant one day, check the work order and find that the I department wants to

gather data from each machine on the plant floor, and they want it -uick. he I guys think this will

be easy since they dictated that Ethernet cabling be strung through out the plant. Cnfortunately all

of your e5isting !=*s only have serial connections.

In the not too distant past, you would have had to contemplate running new wiring to each !=*,

assuming the distances weren&t too far. 4nother option would have been to use costly radio

modems. Still, you knew there had to be a better way using the plants e5isting Ethernet wiring.

hat&s where terminal servers from companies like +igi and =antroni5 come to your rescue. 4

terminal server is essentially a virtual serial port. More importantly, a virtual serial port that can sit

on your e5isting Ethernet network.


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4fter learning of terminal server devices, you begin to breath a little easier. he task of connecting

all of your controllers 'ust took a big step back into the realm of reality. 2ou will be able to place a

terminal server ne5t to each machine gathering operational data directly from the serial ports of the

controller, and bring that data back to the I guys via their Ethernet cabling. !roblem solved and

you&re a hero (until tomorrow.

Aow that you have an idea of what type of problems can be solved by using a terminal server

device, we can e5plain what Ethernet Encapsulation is and how #epware has added this technology

to make your 'ob easier. If you are already familiar with terminal servers, you may also know that

many of them supply accompanying software that allows the terminal server to appear like a serial

port to your operating system. his software can make using a terminal server very easy and

wouldn&t have re-uired #epware to make any changes to our software, e5cept for one thing timing.

Many of the devices in the industrial market have very complicated protocols. 4 protocol is a

specification that determines how we talk to the device. In many cases there are also some very

tight timing re-uirements that must be met in order to successfully communicate with the device.

aking these things into consideration, the software that often accompanies terminal server devices

has not been optimi3ed to work with the re-uirements of the plant floor environment. his is usually

seen as fre-uent communications errors, continuous breaks in the communications, and long delays

while the supplied software reconnects to the terminal server. 4ll of these problems can make your

use of a terminal server less than ideal.


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Ethernet Encapsulation

Ethernet Encapsulation is the enhanced ability of #E!ServerE% serial drivers to communicate directly

with terminal servers. 4s described in the previous section, we could have used the software

supplied with the terminal server, but this would not have yielded the most optimal result in terms

of performance or reliability. ith this in mind, #epware has incorporated the functions needed to

directly connect to a serial device connected to an Ethernet based terminal server.

If you are familiar with our serial drivers, you already know we let you select a serial port number

from 9 to 911 when configuring a channel.


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his dialog appears on the properties of each device you add to a channel in Ethernet Encapsulated

mode. Since this dialog appears for each device, you can have hundreds of serial devices connected

to your Ethernet network.

Important Aote7 hen you select Ethernet Encapsulation mode you will notice that the serial port

settings such as baud rate, data bits, and parity become greyed out. his occurs because these

settings will not be used in Ethernet Encapsulation mode. he terminal server you are using must

,however, have its serial port properly configured to match the re-uirements of the serial device you

plan to attach to the terminal server.

8isit our )!* Server =ist page to determine if the driver you need supports this feature. If you have

further -uestions regarding how Ethernet Encapsulation works or how you can use it to solve your

ne5t tough communications task, please contact us. If it sounds like Ethernet Encapsulation is your

ticket to beating your ne5t connectivity challenge, download our free demo version of #E!ServerE%

and give it a try.

Aote7 Ethernet Encapsulation mode has been designed and tested using the +igi I4 Series, and the

=antroni5 +9 *o6o5. he features developed will also work with other terminal server devices that

support operational characteristics similar to the products listed above. If your terminal server

supports a raw *! mode it should work with this feature.

Bo to the #E!ServerE%


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communication driver. 4ll read and write operations can be viewed in the diagnostic display window

of #E!ServerE% or can be tracked directly in your )!* client application by using its builtin

diagnostic tags. hese diagnostics make it easy to debug tough communication issues. he

diagnostics display window also provides a realtime protocol view. Biven that #E!ServerE% is on

line full time, you can view the realtime protocol window while you make changes to key

communications parameters like baud rate, parity, or device I+s. 4s you make changes to your

communications parameters you&ll see the effect on communications in realtime, and once you set

the correct communication and device settings, you&ll immediately see the e5change of data with

your device.

8iew the *hannel +iagnostics 8iewlet +emonstration for more information on *hannel +iagnostics.

2ou can also can get more indepth information about the *hannel +iagnostics here or you can

download #E!ServerE%&s help file and refer to the +iagnostics section.

'sing (PC Diagnostics

What is OPC Diagnostics0

he )!* +iagnostics window provides a realtime and historical view of )!* events that occur

between any )!* client and the server. )!* diagnostics logs an event which is a method call that a

client makes into the server, or a callback the server makes into a client. he importance of )!*

+iagnostics is that it allows !rogrammers and Support echnicians at #epware to see how the

customers client application is gathering data from the server. his is important when #epware is

not able to reproduce the issue that is seen on site. he rest of this document is a brief e5planation

of how to capture )!* +iagnostics in the server.


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Setting *p OPC Diagnostics

o start you will need to open the )!* +iagnostics view by clicking on 8iewD+iagnosticsD)!* in the

#E!ServerE% Main Menu

6y default the )!* diagnostics window will open in standby mode. o start capturing diagnostics

you would select the start button in the button menu bar. 2ou can also select oolsD)ptions from

the Main menu and change the default behavior.

In the )ptions dialog you can set the )!* +iagnostics to start capturing on startup. 2ou also choose

to change whether or not you wish to change the default settings to !reserve the current


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diagnostics capture on your hard disk upon shutdown. =astly, you can set the ma5imum number of

)!* transactions to capture. he range is 9111 K F1111 transactions and the default is ;111. he

number of transactions does not include the details of each transaction as they could be e5tensive.

In some cases you may want to limit the )!* +iagnostics capture to specific events. his can be

done by selecting +iagnosticsD


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Ae5t, manually start the )!* Guick *lient from the LStart Menu D #epware !roducts$ and selecting

)!* Guick *lient. *onnect to the server by creating a new server connection. In the diagnostic

window you can see the )!* events that are triggered.

Ae5t in the )!* Guick *lient add an )!* Broup. 4gain go back to the )!* +iagnostics window and

you can see the specific events that are triggered.

)nce the group has been added you can then add an item to the group. 2ou can add the item

manually or browse the server for the item. 4s you can see by looking at the )!* +iagnostics

window below, and by looking at the first event, that we had browsed the server for our tags. 2ou

will see that you get a +ata *hange event triggered as soon as the item is added.


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=astly, some of the details of a data change event.

hen enabled, the )!* +iagnostics will capture every )!* event that has not been filtered out until

it captures the specified ma5imum number of events.

he Complete +ie'

If an issue arises you can capture your )!* diagnostics and send them to #epware for

troubleshooting purposes. his is done by selecting


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file which is much smaller and can be printed if needed.

Aote7 If you save the diagnostic capture as a binary file, then you can open it in the +iagnostics

view and at any time, and then you can save and copy as a te5t file for printing. owever, if you

save it as a te5t file you cannot open it back up in the +iagnostics view.

Sample OPC Diagnostics ext File

F/9?/:11 9H717@ I*onnection!oint*ontainer77


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KEPServerEX Features

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