Übersicht und erste Schritte
This document contains a short overview of the ENI functionality and instructions for the installation and first configuration of the ENI Server regarding the connection of a TwinCAT PLC Control project to a database. The programs required for managing the ENI Server, i.e. ENI Admin, ENI Control and ENI Explorer, are installed with the server.
ENI overview
ENI is the ENgineering Interface of TwinCAT PLC Control. It consists of a server and a client part.
The ENI Server runs as a separate service. Typical clients are one or several programming systems and other tools requiring access to the same resources, which are managed within a shared data storage system (DB). When working with the PLC Control, this enables version management for projects, multi-user operation, and access to the project objects for external programs.
Supported database systems
The server concept enables a shared database to be installed on a remote computer. As standard, the ENI Server currently supports a local file system and the database systems 'Visual SourceSafe 5.0', 'Visual SourceSafe 6.0' and 'Tortoise SVN'.
However, the ENI Server can also be adapted to other database systems. The associated description can be found in the ENI Driver Development Kit — Programmer's Guide (not included with this documentation).
Communication with the ENI Server
TCP/IP is used as client/server protocol. Detailed information about communication can be found in the following documents:
- ENI Client Development Kit – Programmers Guide (not included with this documentation)
- ENI Driver Development Kit, XML format for ENI objects (not included with this documentation).
ENI in TwinCAT PLC Control:
The use of ENI in TwinCAT PLC Control is optional. Further information about this project option can be found in the user manual for TwinCAT PLC Control, version 2.9.
Installation and start-up:
The ENI Server is installed with the setup. After the installation and after each computer restart, the ENI Server service is started automatically, and its availability is indicated by an icon in the system tray. The icon is displayed as long the ENI Server is running.
Administration
The ENI Server is managed via the programs ENI Control and ENI Admin: ENI Control is used to specify basic server settings that cannot be changed during operation, e.g. database connection, communication settings etc. It can also be used to start and stop the ENI Server. ENI Admin can be used to configure users, groups and access rights during operation, and to execute licence management functions.
The ENI programs can be opened via the start menu or via a menu coupled with the ENI icon. The latter is called up by right-clicking on the icon in the system tray (bottom right). Here you will also find the 'event log', which may also be started from ENI Control.
Quick start
Preparation
- Install the database that is to be served via the ENI service, following the installation guide provided with the database. Ideally, the database should be installed on the same computer as the ENI Server.
- Start the database.
- Create a database
- Database 'Local file system': create a new empty directory.
 | Please note the following before installation. |
Operation mode and license:
- 'Server' mode: a license is required. Standard database drivers are available, depending on the license. The server can be addressed via any computer within the network. Apart from tool cooperation, this is used for distributed development.
The connection between client and ENI Server requires TCP/IP.
Administrator rights on the computer are required.
During installation, you will be asked for an ENI administrator password. During the initial installation, this request may be acknowledged with OK (without inputting a password).
The installation also includes installation of the programs ENI Admin and ENI Control, which are used for managing and handling the ENI. The program ENI Explorer is also installed.
Installation
- Insert the installation CD.
- Already during the installation the program ENI Control is called to set the database connection: the first dialog to appear is 'Enter Administrator Password'. If the software has not been installed before, close the dialog with OK, without inputting a password. If ENI Control had already been installed, a valid administrator password has to be entered. This will open the 'Database' dialog, in which the user can set the driver for the required data management system and the "root" path for object storage in the selected database as described below.
Name | Description |
|---|---|
Select Database Driver | A list of all installed drivers appears in the selection box next to 'Select Database Driver'. If the required driver is not listed, click on the first button next to the list and select the associated driver file on the computer. Which drivers are available depends on which ENI license is installed. The license-free version of the ENI Server Suite includes only the driver for a local file system. The following driver files are currently available, depending on the license:
|
Location of 'srcsafe.ini' | only for 'Visual SourceSafe 5.0' or '..6.0': Set the path of the ini file of the SourceSafe. This is located in the installation directory of the SourceSafe. A browse dialog can be used for setting the path. Open the dialog by double-clicking on the input field. |
Root project | Enter the project path, which was created here for the database, - for 'File System Driver': e.g. "D:\project1\...." - for 'Visual SourceSafe 5.0' or '..6.0': e.g. "$/project1". Under this directory, one or more directories for storing the objects to be managed can later be created via an associated definition in the TwinCAT PLC Control project options. Alternatively, the directories can be created in advance directly in the database. In this case, they can already be selected during configuration. |
ENI user | Special user account used by the ENI Server for internal tasks. This account must be created in the user management of the database. |
ENI password | The password for the above-mentioned user account. |
Close the dialog with OK.
- The installation routine for the ENI Server will now start. In case of success you get the possibility to create a user configuration via ENI Admin: Per default an account is already predefined: you find in the column 'User Name' for this the entry "DefaultUser".
Please note the following regarding the user definition:
- If a user account is created via ENI Admin, an associated account (with identical name and password) must exist in the database. Otherwise the user account cannot be used. For Visual SourceSafe, for example, Visual SourceSafe Admin is used for user management.
- Each user account should be assigned to a group. Select the required group, click on 'Edit' and add the associated user accounts to the group.
- Closing ENI Admin completes the installation routine; ENI Server should have started automatically on your system and be ready to use. In this case, 'Running' will be displayed under 'Current status' in ENI Control, and the ENI icon in the system bar will be active.
Start
- After successful installation, and subsequently after each computer restart, the ENI Server service is started automatically, and the ENI icon in the system tray will be active.
- ENI Control or ENI Admin have to be started explicitly, but they cannot run at the same time. After the installation, these programs appear in the ENI Server start menu, although they can also be accessed via the menu that opens when right-clicking on the ENI icon in the system tray.
Connecting a TwinCAT PLC Control project
Connecting a project with the ENI Server:
1. Start TwinCAT PLC Control and open any project.
2. - Select the command 'Project' 'Options' 'Project database'.
- Activate the option 'Use project database (ENI)'.
- Click on 'Configure ENI...'.
- In the 'Project objects' category, configure the ENI connection as follows:
Name | Description |
|---|---|
TCP/IP address | Address of the computer on which the ENI Server is installed; e.g. "localhost" |
Port | Number of the port to which the ENI Server is tuned. Default: 80 |
Project name | Name or path of the project as it should appear in the database under the path entered under root in ENI Control for database connection (e.g. "project1\project objects" -> will appear, for example, in Visual SourceSafe under $/project1/project objects, if "$/" was defined as root.) |
Leave the remaining settings unchanged.
3. Click on 'Continue' and enter the same information for this introductory example in the categories 'Shared objects and compilation files' as under 'Project objects'.
4. Close the option dialogs with OK. You will be asked to log on to the ENI Server: Enter the name and password for a valid user account.
5. While the project is now connected with the database, the blocks themselves are still "local". For transferring them to the database, select the command 'Project' 'Database link' 'Multiple specification' and select the 'Project' database option in the object properties dialog. In the tree that appears select all blocks you would like to place in the database and confirm with OK:
6. The selected blocks are now connected with the database via the connection configured in the 'Project objects' option dialog. For these blocks, all typical database functions are now available in the context menu.