#4 - SCADA Ignition creating Charts

To create Charts in Ignition with industrial process data, two actions are required:

1.  create a connection from the Ignition server to the PLC, to import the PLC Tags via OPC-UA.

2.  create a connection between the Ignition server and a database, to log data via TCP-IP.

In this example we will show you how to create simple Charts using Ignition's PLC simulator and a database (MySQL). All elements in this example are configured on the server at localhost:8088, however the same principle can be applied for much more complex industrial systems and networks with one or more Ignition servers communicating with PLCs and with databases and Historians.

1.  Configuring the PLC driver on the Ignition server:

On the Ignition (Gateway) server page go to Config> Opcua> Devices and follow the steps below

In this example we use the simulation device provided, but the principle is the same for creating OPC-UA connections with other devices, such as PLCs from Rockwell and Siemens. 




2. Configuring the MySQL database
• On the Ignition (Gateway) server page go to Config> Database> Database Connections and follow the steps below


Click on Create new DB Connection

Select the database

Name the database, specify the IP address and port for communication, write the name and password. 

Note that this connection has 3 parameters: host, port and database, which in our example are localhost:3306/test
jdbc: mysql://host:port/database 

3.  With the connection to a PLC and a database created, open the designer

4. Create a project and import the OPC-UA Tags

Click in Browsing OPC servers:

Select the device created previously and click and drag from the OPC Browser window to Tags

Right-click on the Tag that we will use in the Chart and click on Edit Tag  

Enable the History Enabled option and select the database we previously configured:

Then, the icon with the clock will appear next to the Tag's data type, indicating that this Tag has been enabled for historical data.

Repeat this step with the other interested Tags and then click and drag the Tags to the Easy Chart that has already been added to the page.

Finally, click on Easy Chart and Properties, change the Behavior Chart Mode behavior from Historical to Real Time.