Option C : Real time data for Silo management (SAP ODA)

The third option would be using existing components available in SAP PP module. ODA stands for OPC Data Access. SAP ODA tool has two parts server and client. ODA server component need to be installed on TIS system and ODA client will reside in SAP ECC system. But this approach needs ABAP development for building business logic and simple UI developments.
Merits:
-Simple interface
But setting up of OPC remote connection involved DCOM hurdles.

Option B : Real time data for Silo management (SAP XI)

The second option would be using a SAP PI / XI module. As XI is a repository for all the enterprise services and capable of handling B2B (Business to Business) integration. Also XI can handle large volume of messages it can be option to integrate Tankfarm Information System. But before that the TIS system must have an add-on component known as OPC Xi interface (source :http://www.opcfoundation.org/). Xi stands for eXpress Interface (not related to SAP XI). This interface can provide the OPC real time data in the form of webservices. Once webservices are available the same can be registered in SAP XI repository and accessed by other SAP modules like IS OIL, PP, PM etc.
Merits :
1. SOA enabled
2. Less TCO
3. As SAP XI can be a central instance maintaining the system landscape is easier
4. OPC remote access is free from DCOM configuration problems, can work across fire-wall

Option A : Real time data for Silo management

The physical inventory update for the SAP IS OIL silo management is done manually (using transaction O4_TIGER). This can be automated using SAP MII (Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence). The data flow starts with tank farm inventory system(TIS). TIS has the real time data of storage tank levels and can be accessed in their underlying OPC sever. The OPC client adapter in MII collects data from TIS OPC server and tranfers to IS Oil system. The MII instance can either located at corporate or remote (near to storage location). If its corporate instance, then the MII Universal Data Source (UDS) need to installed in the TIS system. UDS will create a TCP/IP tunnel to access the tank data in a patented binary format.
Merits:
a. Building additional business logics (business process specific to customer)
b. Scalability
c. Custom user interface
In latest version of MII UDS can be replaced with a .NET based tool PCo (Plant Connectivity).

Real time data for Silo management (SAP IS-Oil)

In the oil and gas industry accounting and data reconciliation plays a critical role. The more frequent and realtime data will be a good starting point for the inventory management and oil accounting. Almost all of the oil companies and storage locations are already provided with tankfarm information system (TIS) from major vendors like Invensys, Honeywell(Enraf) and Emerson (SAAB).
There are three ways we can retrieve the real time inventory data from TIS systems :
1. OPC server of the TIS itself and by having suitable OPC client
2. Enable OPC - by using Kepware UCON tool (all the TIS vendors support protocol TRL/2)
3. SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) - Install OPC Xi Client server tool above the OPC server of TIS and access the OPC tag values as a webservice

The option - 3 would be the best one as the setting up and maintainability and lower TCO.
In the next post we will look at the various architecture for getting real time data.

Handling of Device data

The data from the devices/controller need to be validated first in order to make it work. The validation can be part of the device driver itself (best choice) else can be performed by the layer above it. The validation will involve health check diagnostic to check whether the device is alive and communicating, feed back is readable (not any junk characters), etc.,

The validated device data has to be processed by any Logic building application. e.g. :
1. PI-Processbook from OSI soft http://www.osisoft.com/software-support/products/PI_ProcessBook.aspx
2. InTouch from Wonderware/ Invensys http://global.wonderware.com/EN/Pages/WonderwareInTouchHMI.aspx
3. Business Logic Editor in xMII module of SAP http://help.sap.com/saphelp_xmii115/helpdata/en/Introduction/IllumSystemOverview.htm

The above tools are provided user friendly logic building features. These tools are provided with industry standard data connectors or adapters. The following are the industry standard connectors
1. OPC (OLE for Process control) - Connecting to time series data from shop floor control system - http://www.opcfoundation.org/
2. OLEDB (Connect to different type of Relational Database Management System( RDBMS), ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) for accessing flat files

Device drivers for communication between Controllers and PC

Once protocol for the controllers are available, the communication between controller and PC can be enabled using device drivers. Device drivers are the set of instructions developed to communicate with the controllers using assembly level language. Long standing programming tools are C, C++, VC++ and Embedded java. The key parameters required

1. Baudrate of the device ( e.g. 9600)
2. Databits
3. Parity
4. Stopbit
5. Flowcontrol

Once above parameters are available using the programming tool, we can Open the port. Here the port points to COM port (serial port 9-pin) of a PC openning up communication channel with controller. After openning up the port the command or instruction has to be sent based on the protocol document.

More information reference
Sample protocol document for batch controllers : http://info.smithmeter.com/literature/docs/mn06069l.pdf

Controllers in detail

Controllers are the heart of the sensor to boardroom integration scenario. Controllers are basically a microprocessors. The processing capability of these microprocessors vary based on the application. For example, if you take the case of Flow controllers or Batch controllers the microprocessor is capable of process two letter commands and maximum of less than 100 commands. The configuration parameters will be stored in PROM type memory (no hard disk). There will be an Input / Output (I/O) circuit board. Using the I/O board users can connect digital or analog input and output devices. The input devices in this case are solenoid valve, flow measurement devices like Positive Displacement (PD) meter, valve position sensor. The output devices are display units, printers.

The controllers can be communicated through a personal computer connected to it. The communication takes place using serial mode (RS - 232/ 422/ 485). The communication protocol plays a major role in establishing connection. Most of the controllers developed earlier days had a proprietory protocols (e.g. smith protocol in AccuLoad controllers). Recent developments in the industry forced the controller vendors to standardise with MODBUS protocol. This will be the standard for controller communication, in the near future.

Also, recent influence of Information Technology (IT) developments added TCP/IP mode of data transmission in the Industrial Automation network as well. The controllers research and development initiative progressed in the following mode of communication :
1. Modbus protocol support
2. TCP/IP
Today's advaced controllers are provided with Modbus communication port and TCP/IP port apart from traditional RS-232/422/ 485 ports.

Hence, if you are interested in connecting a set of similar devices to Manufacturing Execution System (MES) or directly to ERP and other systems, best bet would be to have Serial to TCP/IP converters. Integrate the sensors to the controllers using serial mode and controllers to the external system using TCP/IP mode. These serial to TCPIP converters are provided with optional output USB Port and Fibre Optic cable port. Fibre Optic cable port can be used if the controller need to be located in a remote place and far from the communicating computer.

Also, the remote controllers can be connected to the TCP/IP converter which in turn can be connected to a wireless LAN device and an in-built GPRS enabled device. This helps in trouble shooting of controllers situated in remote locations e.g. Remote Terminal Units (RTU) in the cross country pipelines of Oil & Gas industries.

More information below,
Controller : Batch controllers http://www.ryanhercoflowsolutions.com/Markets/VendorArticles/Signet/BatchControls.pdf
Modbus protocol : http://www.modbus.org/docs/PI_MBUS_300.pdf
Serial-to-TCPIP converters : http://www.moxa.com/product/NPort_S8000.htm