Can a PLC monitor a website?

[bdn2004]

It is desired that data from the National Weather Service be available on the PLC network....is this possible? Or can you get something that pulls it up on the HMI's that are only connected to the PLCs?

 

[jraef]

Some PLCs have "web server" capability, either on-board or in their comm modules. With the Siemens S7-200 I know you can write your own Java Applets for it. But without trying it, I'm not sure if you could have one go out to another website and extract data or not. Getting that data in a usable form would be the first hurdle I can think of: is it going to be just text? A CVS file? The description sounds way too vague for my liking. What is the intention of this requirement? Do they want to adjust something for a given temperature-day of rainfall amount or something like that?


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[PLCMentor]

I think that you would be better served to handle this a level above the PLC (HMI, SCADA). This information could then be pushed down to the PLC from such a system.

Russell White, P.E.
Automation Technologies, Inc.

http://www.AutomationNC.com

Automation Help

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[bdn2004]

We're in the process of planning a SCADA system, which have prompted most of my questions. As another poster informed me...the SCADA system can evolve into whatever and it is doing so.

I'm reading one of the requests a person at the plant has and it is for what I describe. There will be a separate LCD screen for the SCADA monitored points, voltages, currents, etc.. And I'm supposing he would like to see live data on current weather conditions in our area. Also I can imagine, that the weather at the time be known should we get an alarm - to perhaps prove that some of the alarms are occuring during adverse weather conditions.

Then again, this might be one of the things we scrap and tell the guy to get a good weather radio! I just thought if we can accomodate for little expense...why not.

 

[DrDrreeeaaa]

I've seen this implemented with Citect, it is not difficult

In this application an excel spreadsheet extracts the info from the internet, and Citect looks at the spreadsheet

I would not recommend using the PLC for this unless it's a soft PLC i.e. B&R or somethingsimilar