This guide will demonstrate how to establish a connection between the KEPServerEX® and GE Proficy iFIX®.
Note: For this tutorial, a running Proficy iFIX version 6.1 system is used and the SCU database and driver are changed to KEPServerEx version 6.11.718.
Outline of Steps:
Download and Install KEPServerEX Video 1Copy the IGS Driver Configuration File to the new KEPServerEX Configuration Utility
Open the Industrial Gateway Server (IGS) Configurator
Open KepServer/ Config File>
Save as>
input password or select no encryption and click OK.
Save the .opf file from the IGS Config to desk top to Desktop with an IGS identifier i.e “IGS_CFG.opf”
Close the IGS Configurator
Open the KEPServerEX Configurator
Open the file you just saved File>Open navigate to the desktop folder
Click “Yes, Update”
Close KEPServerEX
Add the IDS Driver for the SCU (System Configuration Utility)
Open iFix then the Database Manager>
Export db_IGS.csv >
Navigate to the file in the File Elpolrer>Open with… Wordpad>
Modify>ctrl H find and replace ,”IGS”, with ,”IDS”,
save as IDS_db.csv >
close wordpad
Load Empty Database then
Import new IDS_db
verify tags are updating> Ctrl+R
Update the Database Path in SCU
Restart iFix
Verify the Tags are connected via the new KEPware /IDS Driver Quick Client
Delete the IGS driver from the SCU
The configuration that is in your IGS file
Before we get started you need:
In order for IDS components to be installed, iFIX software must be installed before KEPServerEX.
Open the KEPServerEX project. Then, click File | Project Properties.
Select the iFIX PDB Settings tab and then check Enable connectivity to iFIX PDB.
Leave the remaining fields at their default settings and click OK.
Overview and Requirements
Installing KEPServerEX
Users must install Proficy iFIX before installing KEPServerEX, because files are installed to it in
addition to the server.Double-click on the KEPServerEX icon and select Run or Open to start the install. If an
active content warning is displayed, click “Yes” to continue.In the installation welcome screen, click Next.
In End-User License Agreement, click I accept the terms in the License Agreement.
Click Next.Continue through the installation, changing the settings as desired.
In Select Complete Features, expand the driver tree in order to view and select the drivers desired
for install. Then, expand Native Client Interfaces.Open the GE iFIX Native Interface drop-down menu and select Will be installed on local hard drive. Click Next.
Click Install to start the installation.
Note: Users that installed iFIX after KEPServerEX will have to re-run the server installation and select Modify in order to select the GE iFIX Native Interface.
Preparing KEPServerEX for an iFIX PDB Connection
Users must complete the following before continuing with the tutorial:
open the IGS Config tool on the desktop
Configure the KEPServerEX application.
Start KEPServerEX and load the Simulation Driver Demo project. Once the server
project has been loaded, open the Runtime menu on the main menu bar and verify that
the server project has been connected.
Note: For more information on the tab's parameters, click Help
Connecting to the Server from iFIX
Open the Proficy iFIX Startup menu and click Run the System Configuration Utility.
Click the SCADA Configuration icon located in the bottom of the SCU - FIX window.
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Under Scada Support, select Enable to activate the Database Definition and the I/O Driver
Definition dialog sectionsUnder Database Definition, accept the default database name "DATABASE." Click the I/O Driver Name browse button. In the list of available drivers, select IDS – Industrial Data Server and then click OK.
Note: Newer versions of the IDS driver will also work with KEPServerEX.
5. To add the Industrial Data Server to Configured I/O Drivers, click Add, then click OK. Note: The SCU window should now display a SCADA Configuration icon.
6. Save the configuration by clicking File | Save. Keep the default name.
7. Click File | Exit to close the window.
Adding Tags to iFIX
In order to receive data from the server, tags must be added to iFIX. In Proficy iFIX Startup,
launch Proficy iFIX.In the Proficy iFIX workspace, expand the Database folder in the project tree and doubleclick Database Manager.
In Welcome to Proficy iFIX Database, click to select Open Local Node, then click OK
In the Proficy iFix Database Manager, all of your should be showing IGS in the I/O Dev column
(Ctrl+R) to Refresh the the data and you can see that the data is updating.
We are assuming that you are online with the PLCs if you are not the I/O address will show “????”
Click the Export within the group of Blocks icons. Export the Database as a .CSV (copy the location in the file explorer). Save as “Filename”IGS
Open the File Explorer paste the path where the Database was saved. Right click on the .csv file ans select Open with and select Wordpad.
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Use Ctrl+H to open a find and replace dialog box in the find field input ,”IGS”, in the replace input ,”IDS”,
Save as IDS“Filename”Make sure the startup database name has updated to the new Database file name SCU “IDS_filename”
Open KEPServerEX verify the connection
Restart iFix Verify the Tags are connected via the new IDS Driver Quick Client
Delete the IGS driver from the SCU
The exact character string ,”IGS”, will identify only the driver instances and reduce likelihood of errors.
Success!!