Conference vaxaxp::alphanotes

120.0. "Siemens PLC and NT on Alpha" by NNTPD::"[email protected]" (Nico Pretorius) Thu May 29 1997 07:12

Hi,

I had the following query from a customer.  I'm not sure whether this
is the correct conference to ask the question, but anyway here it is?

I'll also post this in the Windows NT conference.
=====================================================================
Hi Nico...

I am writting to you as a 'consultant' for Anglo American Corp. (AAC) 
Control & Instrumentation (C&I) department, were I am assisting with 
some technical issues for the Orapa 2000 programme...

AAC have as an option, to use the NEW Siemens S7 PLCs for this new project, 
AND for most further work comming along in future.  This NEW PLC can talk 
the old H1, a new revised H1, and - TCP/IP too...

AAC would like to make use of Digital AlphaServers for ALL server 
functionality as a standard, of course running the latest Windows NT 
Version 4 for AlphaServers...   The issues to date are that :-

 - Siemens would like to propogate H1 usage, and an H1 card does 
NOT exist for Alpha, (or should I say that they doubt that their 'NT' 
software will drive their H1 card in an Alpha system),

 - the emerging technology of the late-90's would strongly suggest 
   that the TCP/IP route be used,
 - TCP/IP is routable, switchable, etc., and should be accessible 
   off almost any platform now, or platform that could be dreamt up 
   in the next decade or two...

So where's the problem...

---

Alas !

Siemens 'claim' that their TCP/IP cards in the PLC 'talk' an 'extended' 
version of TCP/IP, and that users on PC's must purchase a Siemens TCP/IP 
card to talk to the PLC --- ha ha...

As it transpires, the 'extensions' that Siemens refer to are simply a 
formalization in their implementation of the IP Stack of the RFC 1006 
standards within the IP Protocol Stack on the Client side...

A hhaaa....   We come to the crunch...

A simple question ?
---

Q = Does the IP (or TCP/IP) stack on the Alpha version of 
Windows NT Version 4 support the RFC 1006 standards in its usage ?

A = ?

We hope and pray !
---
===================================================================

Thanks for any replies.

Regards

Nico Pretorius
MCS, Digital South Africa
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]

:Q = Does the IP (or TCP/IP) stack on the Alpha version of 
:Windows NT Version 4 support the RFC 1006 standards in its usage ?

   Wrong conference, and wrong corporation -- you want to ask Microsoft
   this question.  (DECWET::NT-DEVELOPERS or DECWET::WINDOWS-NT would
   be better spots to ask inside DIGITAL, but your customer is asking
   questions about a Microsoft product.)

    get hold of Chris Ellam (Digital Frankfurt?). He knows about Siemens
    PLCs, and talking to them. Or if you can't find him (he can be
    difficult to track) have a look at the BASESTAR_OPEN conference.
    
    Digital probably has more experience of working with Siemens automation
    kit than does any other computer vendor. S7 is relatively new, and if
    Siemens do need anything special on the host, it may be achievable.
    
    A contact at MS might be Lorenzo Pengo, ex Digital BASEstar team, now
    MS Euromanager for NT in industrial automation.
    
    regards
    john

John,

Thanks for the info.

Regards
Nico
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]