There are many methods to write a program to connect to a controller from a PC. It is possible to program the communications and protocols directly. You will need knowledge of COM port functions (serial) or Winsock functions (Ethernet) plus details of the communications protocols e.g. FINS, CIP, Toolbus SPMA, Host Link etc. Writing a full communications driver however can be a large development task and the use of a ready made package is advised. CX-Server Lite and CX-Compolet are 2 Omron products designed especially for this task, or you can use an OPC server (available from both Omron and third parties).
| Features | CX-Server Lite | CX-Compolet* |
| Connect to CJ Series |  |
|
| Connect to NJ Series | |
|
| Serial connection | |
|
| Ethernet connection | |
|
| EthernetIP (EIP) connection | |
|
| Access EIP tags |  |
|
| Reuse CX-Programmer CDM file | |
|
| Graphical ActiveX controls | |
|
| Using Excel | |
|
| Using Visual Basic | |
|
| Using Visual C++ | |
|
| Using .NET | |
|
 |
Note: CX-Compolet includes SYSMAC Gateway to perform the communication functions and protocols. |
See also
