Display output (RS232) viewable with OPC/SCADA?

[gregjwilson]

I'm implementing an industrial Ethernet OPC/SCADA type network on my floor to view PLC production numbers/data remotely. I've also got a number of Red Lion count/displays that have a RS232 ASCII output counting finished product. Any help on how I get that onto my OPC display? I'm using a Moxa 5210 to convert serial to ethernet but the OPC software wants to see tags: how to I tell it the ASCII data is a tag?

Thanks!

 

[mls1]

You can't read the Red Lion display directly with OPC. You'll need to either convert the ASCII protocol to OPC or add a new driver or I/O server to you display to access the data.

Some I/O servers have developer kits or user configurable drivers that allow you to build ASCII drivers and serve the data as OPC. You'll have to know the ASCII protocol rules and be ready to parse the data but there's not much to the Red Lion displays.