Step 5: Configuring a Device

Next you will need to add a new device. Devices can be added using the New Device Wizard. We will continue using the DF1 driver that we setup in step 4 and add a MicroLogix PLC as a device.

1. Add a Device to a Channel - Click on the device on the left  of the TOP Server window where it says, "Click to add a device."
• The device name is a user defined logical name for the device.
• This will be the browser branch name used in OPC links to access tags assigned to this device.
• Choose a name that best fits for your device.
  
  
  
2. Click Next to choose your device type
• Use the device type which comes closest to your actual device.
• The device type sets the upper limits of memory and does not restrict the use of the PLC, which are not  specifically called out.
  
  
  
3. Click on next to set the device ID or IP address
• The device ID is a number or a string that uniquely identifies the device on the device's network. Networked devices, multi-dropped, must have a unique identifier so the server's requests for data can be routed correctly.
• The actual device ID as well as communications settings are critical for communication.
• Make sure you are aware of  what these settings are and if they values are in decimal or hexidecimal.
  
  
  
  
4. Click next to configure the device time-out properties.
• For Serial communication start with the defaults
• For Modem communication the time-outs will often need to be increased
• For Ethernet communications the time-outs can often be reduced.
  
  
  
  
5. Auto-Demotion Settings - Auto demotion is one of the flexible features of TOP Server drivers that enables you to have TOP Server automatically remove a device from it’s polling cycle when it has been offline for a period of time you specify.  This enables you to maintain polling performance but bring devices back online automatically when they come back online.   We suggest you leave auto demotion settings at default until you have had time to study how they work in the TOP Server help file.  These settings are available as System Tags also.
   
   
   
6. Driver Specific Settings Click next for any additional settings for your driver like error checking or other special features the driver supports.  Below are a couple of screens that are specific to the AB DF1 driver
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Summary Clicking next again will give you the device summary you can use to check your settings. Click Finish when you are done and we’ll go to adding tags.