The following is a list of the steps to configure a Project with a SCADA node and communications to PLCs, Controllers, IO and other automation devices: 

1)     Gathering information. It is best to show up prepared:

a.      Communication Protocol of your Device

b.      Addresses of the Device and Tags

c.      Physical Communications Port on the PC that connect to the device

d.      IP address (or other address) of the SCADA node(s)

2)     Start your Web Browser and Connect to your Project Node using its IP Address, Network address or URL.

3)     Login to WebAccess Configuration

4)     Create a Project.  Simple as giving it a Name you can live with. It is very difficult to rename a project.

5)     Create a SCADA Node.  You need a Name, an IP Address (or URL or Network address) and other options. All can easily be changed later.

6)     Create a COM Port.

The physical communications port to be used to connect to the field devices. Examples include a serial port (COM1, COM2), a Network card (TCP/IP), an OPC Server (OPC) or a proprietary network card requiring special software (API). You can change the Port type or Port Number later. If using multiple communications ports, determine which tags are on which comport.  It is easy to change the port number but almost impossible to split tags from a comport and leave others behind.

7)     Create a Device (e.g. PLC, controller, IO, automation device)

This specifies the Communications Protocol and Device Driver required by the automation device. Examples include Modbus RTU, Modbus Ethernet, Allen Bradley Data Highway Plus, etc.    You cannot easily change the device type later. You would have to create a new device and recreate all the tags in that device.

The address of the device is easily changed later for most drivers.  

8)     Create IO Tags.

The addresses of the data in the device are needed. For example in Modbus RTU PLC, Analog Inputs have addresses between 30001 and 39999.  Most drivers come with "parameters" that act as templates for building tags.  Parameters include typical addresses for the device.

You can change addresses of tags and all the other fields associated with a tag later.  If using multiple communications ports, determine which tags are on which comport.  It is easy to change the port number, which will move all tags on that port to another port. But it is impossible to move only some of the tags from one port to another.

9)     Optionally configure Trends, Alarms, Recipes, Faceplate Groups, Alarm Groups and other features.

10) Download and Start your SCADA node

11) View data using Default Graphics and Dialog Boxes using a Web Browser or ViewDAQ.

12)  Build Graphics using DRAW.  It is recommended to build your IO Tag database before animating or building graphics.

It is easier to Build and Animate Graphics if the IO tags already exist.  The Widgets and Faceplates Wizard can make many connections to complicated animation object if you enter a single tag name. 

If you build Graphics before the Tag exist, it will be more effort later to animated complicated objects that are already drawn.  If you plan to build graphics before configuring IO Tags, a recommendation is to build a dummy project using the identical tagnames you plan to use.  These graphic displays can be copied to the new project easily.

13) Download your new Graphics to the SCADA node.

See the Quick Start Manual for a quick guide to building tags and graphics.

See the Configuration Manual for a complete Guide to using WebAccess.