For ClearSCADA to be able to communicate with a WITS Field Device, it requires certain WITS and DNP3 database items to be created:
Create DNP3 Channels and DNP3 Outstation Sets to represent the communications infrastructure used to communicate with your WITS Field Devices. Each channel represents a communications link such as a radio or modem, and an Outstation Set represents a group of Field Devices that share the same channel(s). For more details, see:
- Configuring a DNP3 Channel in the ClearSCADA Guide to the DNP3 Driver.
- Configuring a Channel in the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers
- Configuring a DNP3 Outstation Set in the ClearSCADA Guide to the DNP3 Driver
- Configuring an Outstation Set in the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers.
Before you configure the first WITS Field Device of a particular type, you need to create a WITS Device Profile (for that type of Field Device). You then need to import the XML file provided by the vendor of the Field Device (see Importing a WITS Device Profile XML File). The Device Profile informs ClearSCADA about the capabilities of the Field Device (see WITS Device Profiles).
For each WITS Field Device, you need to create a WITS Outstation item. You also need to associate the WITS Outstation item with the appropriate Outstation Set and Device Profile. You should create a WITS Outstation of the type that matches the communications being used (direct, PSTN, or shared). The Outstation type matches the type of the Outstation Set.
For more details, see:
- Configuring an Outstation in the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers
- Configuring a WITS Outstation
If your Field Device has application programs, you may also need to create items for these in ClearSCADA (and import the files). This varies depending on whether you create the Field Device's configuration in ClearSCADA or import or upload the configuration into ClearSCADA (see WITS Configuration Strategies).
If you are using Group Templates or are pre-configuring ClearSCADA, you will also need to create WITS database points and profiles.
For more details, seeConfiguring WITS Database Points