Some users have reported problems when registering the hmitalk.ocx file under Windows Vista. We have found that the solution to this is running the registration tool as Administrator.

For example, if you use VB5 or VB6 to register the ocx (by adding it to the toolbox using the rigth-click menu), make sure to launch the VB exe file with the "Run as Administrator" option.

With Visual Basic.Net 2008 Express, we have found that it is not necessary to run it as administrator.

We have found problems to register the ocx correctly with regsvr32.exe under Windows Vista, so we recommend that you use VB5, VB6, VB.Net 2008 or the development environment that you are using in order to register the ocx. Recently we have included an utility named RegHMITalk.exe that registers the ocx correctly in your Vista system.

To install TAS-HMITalk in your machine follow these steps:

- Download the TAS-HMITalk distribution .zip file from http://www.cpksoft.com.
- Extract the .zip file contents to a local folder.
- Locate the hmitalk.ocx file, right-click over it and select "Open with...".
- Browse to 'C:\Windows\System32' and select 'regsvr32.exe' and Accept.
- The ocx file should now be registered by Windows in your machine.
- Repeat the same steps with linechrt.ocx and grid32.ocx.
- Now you can add TAS-HMITalk to your Visual Basic toolbox and/or open the examples.

The xs7ppi.tlk driver was successfully tested in several applications with PLCs belonging to the S7-200 family using the following cable:

- Cable PC/PPI multimaster
- 6ES7 901-3CB30-0XA0
- E-STAND:03

This cable can be ordered to Siemens as follows:

Smart RS232/PPI cable with built-in RS232/RS485 level converter (6ES7 901-3CB30-0XA0)

Suggested Cable Dip Switches Configuration: Read More »

 A new driver for the Emerson Daniel DanLoad 6000 Electronic Preset is now available and is part of the drivers included with each unlimited license of TAS-HMITalk.

The driver supports the following commands:

Start Communications
Request Meter Values
Authorize Transaction
Configure Recipe
Authorize Batch
Start Batch
Stop Batch
End Batch
Batch Data By Component
End Transaction
Transaction Data by Component
Request Status
Clear Status
Change Operating Mode
Display Message
Clear Display
Read Input&l ... Read More »

TAS-HMITalk and any of its drivers can be used in any of the following configurations, with direct RS-232 connections, connections through RS-232/485 converters, connections through ethernet/serial converters, connections through virtual serial ports, etc.:

Introduction

SCADA or Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition is a large scale control system for automated industrial processes like municipal water supplies, power generation, steel manufacturing, gas and oil pipelines etc. SCADA also has applications in large scale experimental facilities like those used in nuclear fusion.

SCADA systems monitor and control these operations by gathering data from sensors at the facility or remote station and then sending it to a central computer system that manages the operations using this information.

The SCADA System

... Read More »

Last week we had the chance to test the Moxa NPort 6150 Secure Serial Port Server Module with TAS-HMITalk to communicate with the serial port of a DanLoad 6000 electronic preset through the ethernet LAN at a fertilizer plant from Petrobras in Campana, Argentina.

The Moxa device was provided by RCL Systems, a company specialized in integrating InTouch factory suite applications for oil&gas industries.

The loopback tests worked great, showing that TAS-HMITalk could talk to the MOXA module directly, without the need of installing any COM port redirector software. TAS-HMITalk could properly recover from our intentionally-caused communication errors, such as cable disconnections and module power-off and on.

The DanLoad 6000 didn ... Read More »