AMiT ATOUCH32 DB-Net communication protocol

Supported device types and versions
Communication line configuration
Communication station configuration
DB-Net initialization
I/O tag configuration
Errors and problems
Literature
Changes and modifications
Document revisions

Supported device types and versions

The protocol supports data acquisition using devices from the AMiT company (ADiS modular control system and ART267, ART4000, AMiRiS, and AMAP compatible control systems and others) via a DB-Net communication network. Communication requires the installation of the ATOUCH32 driver to communicate in a DB-Net ATOUCH32 network (you can download it at http://www.amit.cz). Communication was tested and tuned for the ATOUCH32 driver of V2.10, V2.30, V2.40, V2.60, V2.90, and V3.30 versions.

Limitations: The protocol does not support database variables of "self station", i.e. on the computer with ATOUCH32 driver running but allows to read/write variables on process stations. The DB-Net driver can be used by just one application (in our case the D2000 KOM process) at the same time.

When using the older versions of ATOUCH32 V2.x, just one communication line for DB-Net communication must be configured. ATOUCH32 V3.x versions enable so-called multithreading. It means, you may connect more lines, which will communicate in parallel, to ATOUCH32 and speed up the communication. The driver must be initialized only by one line (see "Init File" parameter, note 2). However, the rule that all lines must be configured within one KOM process on one computer still applies. This feature may be used in D2000 V9.00.021 rel.021 and higher.

Communication line configuration

communication line category: API.

Communication line parameters

Communication line - configuration dialog box - the Protocol parameter tab.
Parameters defined in the field have an effect on some optional protocol parameters. The following line protocol parameters can be defined:

Table 1

Full name

Description

Units / size

Default value

HW Init File

Full path to the file containing the DB-Net configuration.

Note 1: If the line protocol parameter INIFILE is not specified (an empty string), then the station protocol parameters described below must be configured correctly for all stations. The parameters of DB-Net IP can be configured only by "Init File".

Note 2: If you do not want so that the line initialized ATOUCH32 in the multithread mode, use "---", i.e. 3x "minus" character. One line within the D2000 KOM process must contain the path to the existing init file. It, then, executes the initialization for all other lines.

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Communication station configuration

Communication protocol: AMiT ATOUCH32 DB-Net.
The station address is the device address in the DB-Net network (value of the “Station” item in the initialization string/file). Neither the configuration nor the network can contain two stations with the same address including the address of "self station".

Communication station parameters

Communication station - configuration dialog box - tab Protocol parameter.
Parameters defined in the field influence some optional protocol parameters. The following station protocol parameters can be defined:

Table 2

Full name	Meaning	Unit/ size	Default value
My Station	Address of "self station" (PC with ATOUCH32 driver running)	-	31
COM Port	COM port used for the communication	-	1
COM Speed	Communication baud rate.	-	19200
Max. Transactions Error	The maximum number of consecutive read commands which have to fail for the communication with the station to be marked as failed and the status of the station to be set to StCOMERR. If the number of failed readings of I/O tags exceeds the double of this value, the reading of the next I/O tags will be stopped. The purpose is to avoid communication delays due to non-working stations (the station is considered to be completely inaccessible).	-	10
Full Debug	High level of line debug messages - trace messages contain details about received values of I/O tags.	-	False
Enable Matrix Read	The reading of matrix variables will be optimized for slow networks (e.g. GPRS). Reading of variables with matrix types (INT MATRIX, LONG MATRIX, FLOAT MATRIX a DBNETTIME MATRIX) will be optimized. If multiple I/O tags share the same WID and type, only a single read request is generated and it incorporates a range of rows and columns of all these I/O tags.	-	False

DB-Net initialization

When starting, the DB-Net driver requires to get the configuration file or string containing the DB-Net network configuration for a particular application. If you use the communication via standard COM port, it is possible to avoid creating the configuration file on disk using the My Station, COM Port, and COM Speed station protocol parameters which must be configured for one of the stations.

If the Init File line protocol parameter is specified for a line (at least one), then the My Station, COM Port, and COM Speed the protocol parameters will be ignored on all the stations. There will be used the configuration file on the disk which path is defined by the Init File line protocol parameter.
For further information on the file contents, see the ATOUCH32 online help.

Example: configuration file contents:

[General] MyStation=0 UDP.MyPort=222 UDP.MyPassword=111222333 [COM] Com=2 Speed=38400 Station=1 Station=2 Station=4 Station=13 [COM] Com=3 Speed=9600 OfsNet=32 Station=33 Station=34 Station=36 Station=45 [UDP] Address=192.168.168.1 Password=444555666 Offset=10 Station=10 Station=20 Station=30 [UDP] Address="segment100.firmaXY.cz" Password=777888999 Port=333 Offset=100 Timeout=5000 Station=105 Station=106 Station=107

I/O tag configuration

Possible I/O tag types: Ai, Ao, Ci, Co, Di, Do, TxtI, TxtO, TiA, ToA, TiR, ToR.