Pushing Data to non Rockwell Stores - ES&E Automation Expo 2025

Summary

This video delves into Rockwell Automation's software tools, focusing on data management, integration, and communication technologies. Key highlights include the importance of Client Access Licenses (COWs), leveraging Rockwell's tools like PI Vision and DataLink without additional costs, and using Ethernet/IP for high-speed data collection from ControlLogix systems. The video also introduces DataMosaic, which helps correlate data points for insights, and covers the flexibility of FactoryTalk Optics for custom applications. It emphasizes efficient deployment, real-time notifications, and seamless integration for better operational control and analysis.

Takeaways

• 😀 Tools like VSSE, Viewpoint, PI Vision, and Data Link XL Add-in don’t require user Cows to access historian data, but third-party tools like PowerBI and Grafana do.
• 😀 Datamiz X analyzes data relationships and correlations, making it easier for tools like PowerBI to utilize this data without manual analysis.
• 😀 The Ethernet IP connector supports high-speed data collection from Logix controllers via class 1 IO messaging, but has limitations on the number of tags and scan rates.
• 😀 The Ethernet IP connector cannot be used with redundant Logix controllers and lacks support for redundant nodes.
• 😀 Data collection performance is much faster with Ethernet IP compared to traditional historian ME modules, which are slower but support more tags.
• 😀 The historian ME module runs on a dedicated industrial PC and requires a server OS, while the Ethernet IP connector does not.
• 😀 The Ethernet IP connector is configured using Logix’s designer application for real-time high-speed data collection, but it does not allow for data viewing within the connector itself.
• 😀 FactoryTalk Services Alarms and Events (version 6.5) now supports email notifications based on scoped alarms, improving alerting functionality.
• 😀 Optics allows for custom applications via C# programming, which can be deployed easily compared to SE-based systems that use VBA.
• 😀 The deployment ease of Optics compared to SE applications is a key advantage for OEMs looking for customizable control systems.
• 😀 Understanding the relationships between data points is crucial for meaningful insights, as just collecting data without context can be ineffective.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of using open standards in Rockwell systems integration?

The primary goal is to push data from Rockwell controllers and software to non-Rockwell systems and platforms, enabling interoperability with other infrastructures and technologies already in use at customer sites.

Which open standards and protocols are commonly used to connect Rockwell systems with third-party solutions?

Common open standards include OPC UA, OPC DA, ODBC, MQTT, REST APIs, SMTP for email notifications, and SQL connections. These allow data exchange with platforms like MySQL, InfluxDB, Power BI, and Grafana.

What are the OPC UA connection limits for 5580 and 5380 controllers?

The OPC UA server can support up to 10 external clients or 10 external servers but not both simultaneously. For example, the 1756-L82E can handle 600 OPC UA nodes, while the L85E can handle up to 15,000 nodes.

What are the subscription and monitoring limits of the embedded OPC UA server in Rockwell controllers?

Each session can have up to 20 subscriptions, with a total maximum of 20 subscriptions per controller. There can be up to 5,000 monitored items in total, split among subscriptions as needed.

How does FactoryTalk Linx Gateway enable third-party system connectivity?

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway acts as an OPC UA server, allowing third-party OPC UA clients to access FactoryTalk Live Data and SE tags. The professional version also supports access to extended tag properties and alarms.

What deployment options does FactoryTalk Optix provide compared to SE?

Optix can be deployed on panels, embedded edge compute devices, or within Docker containers, making deployment and maintenance more flexible and lightweight. SE cannot be containerized.

What role does InfluxDB play in Rockwell system integration?

InfluxDB is a temporal database embedded in FactoryTalk starting with version 14. It allows fast, lightweight data collection and storage, suitable for IoT and real-time analytics. It can also connect to cloud-hosted InfluxDB instances with store-and-forward capability.

How does InfluxDB differ from traditional relational databases?

Relational databases are structured around tables and relationships between data points, while InfluxDB is time-series focused, optimized for fast queries over time-based data. Relational databases are better suited for event-based data like alarms.

What is the purpose of Datamize X in Rockwell data environments?

Datamize X identifies correlations and relationships within collected data, then presents this as structured datasets for analytics tools like Power BI. It simplifies finding meaningful insights from large data sets.

What is the Ethernet/IP connector and why is it significant?

The Ethernet/IP connector enables high-speed Class 1 I/O messaging directly from ControlLogix controllers to the historian. This allows for faster data collection rates (1–750 ms) compared to traditional Class 3 messaging.

Are additional licenses required to access Rockwell Historian data with third-party tools like Power BI?

Yes, user CALs (Client Access Licenses) must be purchased to connect third-party tools to Rockwell Historian. However, Rockwell-native tools such as ViewSE, ViewPoint, Historian Vision, and DataLink do not require CALs.

How can MQTT be integrated with Rockwell systems?

MQTT publishing can be configured through Linx Gateway or FactoryTalk SE (using VBA libraries). Data is published as small, low-latency JSON packets to MQTT brokers, suitable for IoT applications.

How are alarm notifications handled in the Rockwell environment?

Alarm and Events 6.5 supports standard email notifications when scoped alarms and events are triggered. Optix can also provide this functionality with additional NetLogic configuration.

What customization options are available with Optix?

Optix supports custom functionality through C# development using NetLogic, enabling OEMs to build specialized applications and deploy them efficiently at scale.