You configure DNP3 Channels in the ClearSCADA database to represent the physical communication mechanisms between ClearSCADA and the DNP3 outstations on your system. The ClearSCADA DNP3 Driver supports these types of DNP3 Channel:
- DNP3 Direct Channel—Used when ClearSCADA is the master DNP3 device and connects to the DNP3 outstations directly (for example by serial cable, IP network, or radio).
If your system setup allows, you can configure outstations that are connected via direct channels to use PSTN as a backup means of communication if the direct channel fails.
- DNP3 PSTN Channel—Used when ClearSCADA is the master DNP3 device and connects to the DNP3 outstations using dial-up modems.
- DNP3 Slave Direct Channel—Used when ClearSCADA is configured as a slave DNP3 device and other DNP3 devices connect to ClearSCADA directly (for example by serial cable, IP network, or radio).
- DNP3 Slave PSTN Channel—Used when ClearSCADA is configured as a slave DNP3 device and other DNP3 devices connect to ClearSCADA using dial-up modems.
You specify the properties of a DNP3 channel using the fields on the DNP3 Direct Channel, DNP3 PSTN Channel, DNP3 Slave Direct Channel, or DNP3 Slave PSTN Channel Form, as appropriate.
Each Form has several tabs.
This section covers configuration of DNP3-specific properties on the Scan Parameters tab.
For each type of DNP3 Channel, you use the Scan Parameters tab to:
- Configure the Scan Parameters
- Configure the Communications Statistics Update Rate (see Defining the Communication Statistics Update Rate in the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers)
- Configure the Communications Parameters
- Configure the Pre-Amble and Post-Amble Message Strings.
NOTE: Some Scan Parameters defined by the ClearSCADA advanced driver model are not used by the ClearSCADA DNP3 driver. You can use the configuration forms to disable unused properties.
For DNP3 Direct Channels, you also use the Scan Parameters tab to:
Properties on the other tabs are common to channels on many advanced drivers—for information, see Tabs on Channel Forms in the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers.
For information on the minimal amount of configuration that you can undertake to produce a functional DNP3 Channel in ClearSCADA, see Minimum Configuration.