October 23, 2014 — CimQuest INGEAR introduced NET.ABLINK v5.0, a plug-in library that provides direct communication access to Allen-Bradley MicroLogix, SLC and PLC-5 families of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). This library allows Visual Studio .NET developers to create custom applications that connect the factory floor to PCs, servers and business systems.
The NET.ABLINK software encapsulates PLC communication and data access commands into a set of streamlined classes which are simple and easy to use, requiring the programmer to have only minimal PLC knowledge. NET.ABLINK is different than OPC Servers for Visual Studio.NET programmers because it provides a direct communication pipeline to PLCs without overhead or complexity of application development when using OPC.
However, NET.ABLINK is not short on features. Developers will find OPC-like features built into NET.ABLINK such as group operations, data change events, time stamps, quality codes and more.
And unlike OPC server’s solutions, NET.ABLINK includes runtime free licensing for application distribution potentially saving the user hundreds of thousands of dollars in software fees. NET.ABLINK v5.0 allows programmers to upload the tag list stored in PLC memory then browse for data items of interest.
Using tags to reference PLC data makes developing complex PLC programs much easier, and this new browsing capability lets programmers easily find and integrate data items into their HMI visual control applications along with SCADA data acquisition programs. Another new feature of CimQuest INGEAR’s NET.ABLINK v5.0 is the ability to query the operational and error states of the PLC. This data can then be added to the performance or maintenance logs.
By analyzing this information, customers can more easily troubleshoot problems and improve their PLC program performance. Also included are a set of updated examples, which demonstrate the new features and makes it easier for programmers to incorporate them in their programs. CimQuest INGEAR offers similar PLC.NET communication libraries for Allen-Bradley Ethernet/IP, Siemens S7 Ethernet, GE-Fanuc SRTP Ethernet as well as MODBUS.
NET.ABLINK v5.0 is available for immediate download and is a free upgrade for qualified NET.ABLINK v4.0 users.
About CimQuest INGEAR
Since 1993, CimQuest INGEAR has been the leading developer of runtime free communication tools and library components for Visual Basic and other programming languages.
