Improved control and monitor two different PLC using LabVIEW and NI-OPC server

Abstract

This paper proposes an improved control and monitors between two different PLCs, the Mitsubishi, and Omron. The main advantage is interoperability and communication between both PLC. The use of NI OPC server as the software interface reached interoperability and communication. There were developed two field applications to test interoperability. Laboratory virtual instrument engineering workbench (LabVIEW) uses as the software application for creating the user interface to control and monitor. This improvement show OPC server technology solves data compatibility issue between different driver controller's and reducing development cost. Regardless of whether there are more than two different PLCs, it's enough to use the NI OPC server. So the benefit of the NI OPC server is not limited to two types of PLC used right now but can also use the other manufacturers. Besides, the improvement of the previous study is the use of the LabVIEW makes data from the OPC server displayed more realistic. The use of LabVIEW allows additional monitoring functions, one of which is LabVIEW vision. Data utilization becomes more flexible, and so it can use for more complex purposes. It is envisaged that this is very useful for Integrator engineer to implement this method in industrial automation.