how to pick up PROFINET data and store them to OPC UA server on Node-RED/netPI.

[tad]

Hello everyone,

I am now trying to access the netPI from a windows PC via OPC UA.
Because my OPC UA client on the windows PC wants to access PROFINET data via OPC UA.
That means the netPI is used as an edge computing.
But, I don't know what kinds of Node-RED nodes I should use and how to configure nodes at all.

Current hardware components:
Siemens S7-1500 PLC  <==PROFINET==>  netPI  <==OPC UA==> Windows PC (uaExpert)
(netPI: NIOT-E-NPI3-51-EN-RE)

Current situation:
- The following dockers have been already deployed.
  hilschernetpi / netpi-opcua-server 
  hilschernetpi / netpi-nodered
- opcua nodes such as 'opcua server', 'opcua event' etc. are also shown on the left side on Node-RED.
- PROFINET data is exchanged btw S7-1500 and netPI properly.
- An XML file (OPC UA nodeset) was compiled and loaded into netPI properly.

Actually, I would like to know how to pick up PROFINET data and store them to OPC UA server on Node-RED/netPI.

Thank you very much for your kind advice.
Best regards,

[Armin@netPI]

Hi there.

all you need is netPI-nodered only. There is no need to use extra OPC UA server.

In netPI-nodered there is also an OPC UA server node included. So you have everything you need in Node-RED only.

Thx
Armin

[Armin@netPI]

I have another question. Why do you not install Node-RED directly on your Windows PC? Node-RED is also available on Windows so you can do everything just with a single PC.
In this case you need not to go through PROFINET protocol but with TCP/IP programming protocol of S7 PLC called RFC1006 with Node-RED node like this video shows: https://youtu.be/haV0F-SPGH4

[tad]

Hello Armin,

Thank you very much for your quick and kind response.
I will try to set up OPC UA according to your comments.
And, I want to connect a legacy equipment to netPI via RS232/485 so that I need a netPI as an edge device.
(I don't want to remove netPI between PLC and PC.)

Best regards,

[tad]

Dear Armin,

I deleted all containers and re-deployed 'netPI-nodered' only.
It was successfully done.

Would you please let me know how to load a nodeset (xml) file?
In case of hilschernetpi/netpi-opcua-server, I was able to load my nodeset (xml) file from the port 8080.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Armin@netPI]

What exactly to your mean with "Would you please let me know how to load a nodeset (xml) file?"

You say you now have installed "netPI-nodered" container only ... but this Node-RED and included OPC UA nodes do not need any XML file as far as I know. I have not checked it myself. The included OPC UA nodes are maintained on this page https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-opcua and I think there you everything be explained how to use them. So why are you asking now for nodeset file again, I do not understand?

Thx
Armin

[tad]

Dear Armin,
Thank you very much for your response.
I think I now understand current specification of node-red-contrib-opcua.

VDMA has been creating companion specifications (nodesets) over OPC UA protocol cccording to Industrie 4.0 concept (management shell),
One of the specifications is Euromap 77/83 for injection moulding machines (http://www.euromap.org/en/euromap77).
I just wanted to load the xml files shown on this web site to netPI.
But, I think I have to set up the same data structure via node-RED without any xml files.

Thank you very much for your comments.
Best regards,

[Armin@netPI]

Yes your understanding is correct. Node-RED wants to keep different application scenarios as easy as possible, this is why you have to do it without XML nodeset files and manage your dataset manually.

I totally agree that nodeset XML would be the ideal solution ... but this is not support by node-red-contrib-opcua. So I always say: "you have to die one death". I would in any case prefer using Node-RED cause of its endless connectivity to "everything".

Thx
Armin