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Welcome to
the world of Opto22. As an experienced C programmer you have found the ideal
product to extend your knowledge.
My
suggestion would be to checkout the Opto22’s Screencast video for an official introduction. The OptoScreencast: PAC Control Basic is a
good place to start.
http://www.opto22.com/site/le_developing_your_app.aspx
Then download
a full function free version of PACProject that you can install onto your
Windows 2000/XP operating system. This
includes all of the manuals including PACControl Users Guide and PACControl
Command Reference which as a C programmer you will enjoy studying. No ladder logic, poor instruction sets or
weird mnemonics here. You will find
however that using a multitasking operating system is slightly different to a
standard C environment.
http://www.opto22.com/site/downloads/drilldown.aspx?aid=3146
The
complier PACControl allows the development of any local and distributed
control, data acquisition and monitoring applications. Combining the simplicity of flow chart
programming, multitasking and with OptoScript, a command rich high level procedure
language similar to C or Pascal avoids the weight and problems associated with
Microsoft VisualC. The end result is
smaller, simpler, faster, easier to debug and more orientated towards
real time
control.
So how to
show the results and develop a user interface without using Visual? PACDisplay
allows you to develop a high quality graphical interface in record time. As this runs in the PC and not the
controller, the advantage is that any problem that could occur in the operator
interface application or the PC on which it is running cannot affect the real
time control application.
To see how this all fits together download demo files which show working
examples including a bottling plant and a catamaran yacht! You can find all the details in the
following document including the downloadable virtual controller.
http://www.opto22.com/documents/1725_PAC_Project_Demo_Quick_Start.pdf
If you
really want to dive off the high board into the deep end of the swimming pool,
checkout appendix E of the 1700_PAC_Control_Users_Guide.pdf where you will find notes for experienced
programmers and a comparison of the OptoScript language. Personally I would recommend paddling around
in the shallow end where the water is warmer!
Which
country are you from? You will find Opto 22 represented in every country in
Europe. While Opto is not number#1 in Europe it does have a widespread and loyal customer base, especially amongst experienced engineers who have moved on from traditional PLC control and their limitations. Contact your local
representative using the following link, who will be able to tell you about well known customers using Opto22 in your country, show you real applications
and organize some hands on experience or training. If they are really nice you can even borrow
some hardware!
http://www.opto22.com/site/co_distributors.aspx
Good luck
and have fun!
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