This driver is an extension driver. It provides additional application-specific functionality to the 'parent' driver with which it is associated. To interact successfully with devices using an extension driver, you need to:
- Install and run both the extension driver and its 'parent' driver (and, if applicable, its 'grandparent' driver)
- Ensure that the extension driver and its 'parent' driver (and, if applicable, its 'grandparent' driver) are licensed
(some extension drivers are licensed separately to their 'parent' driver) - Configure the required database items and settings on the 'parent 'driver (and, if applicable, the 'grandparent' driver)
- Configure the required database items and settings on this extension driver.
- Ensure that the database items (and any database items on which they depend) have valid, saved, configuration and are 'In Service'.
The ClearSCADA DNP3 SCADAPack E driver is a DNP3 extension driver. It provides additional functionality to enable ClearSCADA to communicate specifically with SCADAPack E and 386 eNET outstations, using the DNP3 protocol. In order to communicate with such outstations, both the DNP3 driver and the DNP3 SCADAPack E extension driver need to be running on the ClearSCADA system (see Confirm that the DNP3 and SCADAPack E Server Components are Installed).
SCADAPack E and 386 eNET outstations are DNP3 compliant devices, with enhanced feature sets that provide additional functionality beyond the basic DNP3 requirements. The DNP3 SCADAPack E driver enables ClearSCADA to support this enhanced feature set and provides the capability to configure those features in ClearSCADA.
The ClearSCADA DNP3 driver, which is also designed to the DNP3 standard, is capable of communicating with other devices that are compliant with the DNP3 standard (see Which Driver?).
The DNP3 SCADAPack E driver provides database items that allow ClearSCADA to generate and download configurations to SCADAPack E outstations for the following SCADAPack features:
- Ports—serial and ethernet
- TCP/IP—port settings and services
- DNP3—events, object types, data link layer, application layer, and so on
- Routing—DNP3 and TCP/IP
- Point properties
- Point data trend sampling
- Remote I/O.
For further information, see Features of a SCADAPack E Outstation.
NOTE: Throughout this guide, unless mentioning features that are specific to particular model(s) of outstation, the term ‘SCADAPack E outstation’ is used to refer to any SCADAPack E or eNET outstation with which ClearSCADA can communicate using the DNP3 protocol.
As ClearSCADA uses DNP3 as the communications protocol to write configuration information to SCADAPack E outstations, it is recommended that you read the ClearSCADA Guide to the DNP3 Driver before reading this driver guide. Much of the information covered in the ClearSCADA Guide to the DNP3 Driver is assumed knowledge and needs to be followed in conjunction with information in this driver guide. It is also advisable that you have access to the SCADAPack E product documentation when reading this guide.
This ClearSCADA Guide to the DNP3 SCADAPack E Driver explains how to configure SCADAPack E specific features and items within the ClearSCADA database. For further information, see:
- Configuring DNP3 SCADAPack E Devices in ClearSCADA
- Supported Communications Setups
- Scanning DNP3 SCADAPack E Outstations
- Using ClearSCADA to Import and Download SCADAPack Outstation Firmware Image Files
- Using ClearSCADA to Import and Download SCADAPack Security Configuration Files
- Configuring DNP3 SCADAPack Tables
- Working with DNP3 SCADAPack E Outstation Configuration Files.
- Configuring a DNP3 SCADAPack E Modbus Slave Device .
(If you are unfamiliar with configuring SCADAPack E devices in ClearSCADA, also consider following the Quick Start Tutorial.)
This guide also explains SCADAPack E specific features that are of interest to operators, such as:
and SCADAPack E specific aspects that are of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected behavior relating to the DNP3 SCADAPack E driver: