ABOUT SNAP PAC BRAINS
SNAP PAC Brains User’s Guide
2
installed in a multi-drop (daisy-chain) configuration, extending the control network without the
expense of additional Ethernet network hardware. SNAP PAC brains can also be installed in a star
configuration using standard, off-the-shelf Ethernet network components.
SNAP PAC brains support communication using multiple protocols running simultaneously over
Ethernet. Most customers use the PAC Project software suite for control, monitoring, and data
acquisition. At the same time, you can communicate using other methods.
PAC Project Software Suite
SNAP PAC brains are primarily designed for use with a SNAP PAC programmable automation
controller. The controller runs a control program, called a
strategy
, which you develop using PAC
Project™ software.
The PAC Project software suite comes in two forms, Basic and Professional:
•
PAC Project Basic
, which is included in the purchase of a SNAP PAC controller, consists of
control programming, human-machine interface (HMI) creation, and configuration software.
•
PAC Project Professional
is available for purchase and adds OptoOPCServer
™
for OPC
communications, OptoDataLink
™
for database connectivity, and additional features.
For more information about PAC Project, see form #1699, the
PAC Project Data Sheet
, available on our
website, www.opto22.com.
Other Communication Methods
In addition to using a SNAP PAC controller with PAC Project software, you can communicate with
SNAP PAC brains using Modbus
®
/TCP, SNMP for network management, FTP for the brain’s built-in file
system, SMTP (email client), and Opto 22’s own memory-mapped OptoMMP protocol.
Communication with OPC 2.0-compliant clients is available through OptoOPCServer.
•
For
Modbus/TCP,
see Opto 22 form #1678, the
Modbus/TCP Protocol Guide
.
•
For
SNMP
,
FTP
, and
SMTP
, see form #1704, the
PAC Manager User’s Guide
.
•
If you are not using PAC Project but want to develop custom software to communicate with the
brain, the
OptoMMP
developer toolkit is available for free on our website, www.opto22.com.
The OptoMMP Communication Toolkit includes ActiveX components and C++ classes, so you
can use programming tools such as Visual Basic or Visual C++ to communicate with the brain.
See form #1465, the
OptoMMP Protocol Guide
, for more information.
•
For
OPC
connectivity, use OptoOPCServer, available either as part of PAC Project Professional or
for separate purchase. See our website for more information.
