Factory Connector

The Factory Connector integrates Wonderware Factelligence® with your plant level systems and equipment to reliably share production information.

Using industry standard communications such as OPC, the Factory Connector can write product recipes and machine setpoints to your control system. It reads important production, quality and bar code information from your plant systems.

Reliably share information with PLCs, HMI systems, weigh scales and bar code equipment from vendors such as Rockwell, Symbol, GE and Siemens.

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OPC Server
The Factory Connector is an OPC server. This allows HMI and other clients to subscribe to changes in the Factelligence database.

OPC Client
The Factory Connector can also act as an OPC Client to allow Factelligence to work with other OPC servers.

Configuration
Easy-to-use configuration tools permit the definition of factory "tags" to link into the extensive array of status and product information available within Wonderware Factelligence.

Tags
Support for Input and Output tags as well as Standard and Custom tags. Custom tags can run user defined functions that share results with the control system and other tags.

Visibility
View the current value of any variable and with additional authority you can manually edit values to be written back to the process or other parts of Wonderware Factelligence.

Diagnostics
View and log the health of communications passed between Wonderware Factelligence and your plant. Track and validate who configured the system and who edited data values.

Factelligence Factory Connector capabilities

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• Download setpoints, material quantities, process and quality limits to plant systems.
• Upload critical control points, downtime reasons and any information necessary to build a complete manufacturing history.
• Efficient subscription protocols with other clients ensure communication only when new data exists.

Configuration

• Create an OPC namespace to map Wonderware Factelligence tags to your process control system tags using the tree like administrative tool.
• Verify communications with helpful status screens.
• Display a communications activity log with a diagnostic message every time interaction is made with Wonderware Factelligence.
• Log configuration changes as well as communication errors.

Data Viewing and Editing

• View the current value of all tags with a simple spreadsheet style screen.
• Manipulate the value of tags under authorized and audited control.
• Write values to the plant controls or simulate changes for system testing.
• Build your own operator displays for Wonderware Factelligence using data read from the plant. This may show for example, an instrument reading that requires verification as part of a quality test plan.

Security and Validation

• Permit only those authorized to configure the Factory connector to set up communications.
• Log all user interaction with Factory Connector including system configuration and data changes.
• Set security on what operators can change data written to the control systems.

Tags

• A Tag is an input or output value such as Work Order ID or Scrap Counter.
• Tags are exposed to Wonderware Factelligence and others factory systems so that they can share information.
• Tag names are fully unique and distinguished by using their hierarchical node names. For example Line1.Jobs.LotNumber.
• Standard tags consist of hundreds of Wonderware Factelligence variables that may be accessed by other systems via the Factory Connector. These may be Job, Labor or many other internal variables.
• Input Tags are read from an external device into the Wonderware Factelligence system. Examples would be production counters, machine downtime reasons or bar code information.
• Output tags are variables that can be written to the factory from Wonderware Factelligence and are usually a specific Standard tag for a line or work order. Examples would be machine setup parameters triggered to write to your shop floor when a job is started.
• Custom tags are a powerful way to create user defined variables that perform any function using your own scripting, stored procedures and database triggers. Custom tags provide extensibility to create your own key indicators and variables within the Wonderware Factelligence architecture.

To request Wonderware Factelligence brochures or a demo CD, please see our downloads page.

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