ISSN: 2319-2690

NARGALKAR* et al.
International Journal for Research in Science & Advanced Technologies

Issue-1, Volume-1 ,035-038

Real Time Automated Control of Industrial

Processes with PLC LABVIEW Communication
Naregalkar Akshay1, K. Uday Sravanth2 , Rahul Varanasi3 and J. Ankitha Reddy4
1,2,3,4

Department of EIE, CVR College of Engineering,

Ibrahimpatnam, Hyderabad, India
Akshay.naregalkar@gmail.com1 , udaysravanth56@gmail.com2, rahul9985@gmail.com3 ,ankithareddy@gmail.com4

Abstract: This paper

is to enable the Allen Bradly PLC

(Programmable Logic Control) SLC-500 to communicate with
the Lab VIEW. The communication between SLC-500 and Lab
VIEW is via OPC (OLE for Process Control). Development of
OPC using RS Linx OPC Server. OPC is industry standard
provides real plug-and-play software technology for process
control and factory automation. OPC integrate software and
hardware across spectrum of vendors easily. OPC servers

provide a method for many different software packages to

access data from a process control device, such as a PLC
(Programmable Logic Controller) or DCS (Distributed
Control System). Adding advanced analysis and control
functionality to any PLC using the new NI OPC servers
with NI LabVIEW software and its use in real time
control to solve the problem of Automation in industrial
applications across the manufacturing enterprise.
Keywords: automation, labview, opc, plc, real time

I. Introduction
A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or
Programmable Controller is a digital computer used for
automation of electrochemical processes, such as control of
machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or
lighting fixtures. The PLC is designed for multiple inputs and
output arrangements as shown in figure 1, extended
temperature ranges, immunity to electrical noise, and
resistance to vibration and impact. Programs to control
machine operation are typically stored in battery-backed or
non-volatile memory. A PLC is an example of a hard real time
system since output results must be produced in response to
input conditions within a bounded time, otherwise unintended
operation will result.
Programmers develop software applications every
day in order to increase efficiency and productivity in various
situations. LabVIEW, as a programming language, is a
powerful tool that can be used to help achieve these goals.
LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering
Workbench) is a graphically-based programming language
developed by National Instruments. Its graphical nature
makes it ideal for test and measurement (T&M), automation,
instrument control, data acquisition, and data analysis
applications. This results in signicant productivity
improvements over conventional programming languages.
National Instruments focuses on products for T&M, giving
them a good insight into developing LabVIEW. The
LabVIEW graphical programming paradigm simplifies the

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development of your distributed monitoring and control

systems. Creating your application is as simple as dragging
and dropping graphical functions and wiring the objects
together to form a dataflow program. Built-in libraries include
resources from general programming functions to powerful,
application-specific routines. Construct interactive user
interfaces from hundreds of included objects, such as charts
and graphs, numerical representations, and Boolean
operators. LabVIEW also features robust debugging tools,
including probes, breakpoints, execution highlighting, and the
ability to single step through your code.
LabVIEW software can communicate with any
programmable logic controller (PLC) in a variety of ways.
OLE for Process Control (OPC) defines the standard for
communicating real-time plant data between control devices
and human machine interfaces (HMIs). OPC Servers are
available for virtually all PLCs and programmable automation
controllers (PACs). OPC is a standard interface to
communicate between numerous data sources, including
devices on a factory floor, laboratory equipment, test system
fixtures, and databases. To alleviate duplication efforts in
developing
device-specific
protocols,
eliminate
inconsistencies between devices, provide support for
hardware feature changes, and avoid access conflicts in
industrial control systems, the OPC Foundation defined a set
of standard interfaces that allow any client to access any
OPC-compatible device.

Figure1: PLC in aProcess

II. Method Of Interfacing

We use RSLinx Classic Professional which is a complete
communication providing plant and floor device connectivity
for a wide variety of platforms. This software provides OPC
(Object Linking & Embedding for Process Control)
connectivity which is present in the RSWho main window as

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ISSN: 2319-2690

NARGALKAR* et al.
International Journal for Research in Science & Advanced Technologies

Issue-1, Volume-1, 035-038

shown in figure 2. RSWho window displays the networks and
devices connected to the current PLC. Now, this cross
connectivity between LabVIEW and PLC is done through
RSLinx OPC server which results in complete control of PLC
hardware under LabVIEW software as shown in figure 3.

Figure 4

Figure 2

Figure 5

Figure 3
At the other end we use LabVIEW to connect to this OPC
server through OPC Client. OPC Client is a software that
connects OPC servers provided one or more vendors as shown
in figure 4. There is module called DSC (Data Logging and
Supervisory Control) Module which provides OPC Client in
LabVIEW through which we can select the OPC Server as
shown in figure 5.

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Hence by selecting the proper OPC Server interfacing is

done. By using several protocols the Input and Output
variables can be accessed through LabVIEW. After accessing
these variables, complex logics in PLC programming can be
breakdown to simple icon-based programming in LabVIEW.

III. Implementation
The information development is complicated by the
mix of hardware and software that exists in plants and the
limitation of traditional systems. We can incorporate
LabVIEW into existing system to add measurements and
analysis to processes to gather complex data and convert it
into useful information. Additionally, through the openness of
LabVIEW we can connect and provide the information where
it is needed, whether that is in a database, available on a web
based dashboard, or provided into the existing plant control

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International Journal for Research in Science & Advanced Technologies

Issue-1, Volume-1, 035-038

hardware. We can even use LabVIEW to close feedback loops
and perform complex control operations using the provided
information.
RSLinx Classic for Rockwell Automation Networks
and Devices is a comprehensive factory communications
solution.
RSLinx
Classic
provides Allen-Bradley
programmable controller access to a wide variety of Rockwell
Software and Allen-Bradley applications. These range from
device programming and configuration applications such as
RSLogix and RSNetWorx, to HMI (Human-Machine
Interface) applications such as RSView32, FactoryTalk View
SE, and FactoryTalk View ME Station, to your own data
acquisition applications using Microsoft Office, web pages, or
Visual Basic. RS-Linx Classic also incorporates advanced
data optimization techniques and contains a set of diagnostics.
The Application Programming Interface (API) supports
custom applications developed with the RS-Linx Classic
SDK. RS-Linx Classic is an OPC Data Access Compliant
Server and a DDE server.
INTERFACING PLC & LabVIEW with OPC SERVER
Following steps are implemented to achieve desired objective

industries lead to many new features like acquiring data at

faster rate, controlling the process accurately, providing
Multi-Tasking operations, Remote controlling and several
other features. Used correctly, multithreading offers
numerous benefits including more efficient CPU use, better
system reliability, and improved performance on
multiprocessor computers. Using LabVIEW, you can start
today to maximize performance on multithreaded operating
systems and/or multiprocessor computers without increasing
either your development time or the complexity of your
application. Because the multithreading technology of
LabVIEW is implemented transparently, no extra
programming is required to take full advantage of
multithreading technologies.
Thus the PLC has been interfaced with LabVIEW
and several real time processes have been controlled.

1. CONFIGURING PLC DRIVER

Here we choose RS-232 DF1 devices and click on Add New.
Next we name the PLC and then start the configuration in
Configure RS-232 DF1 devices. To select the most
appropriate settings Auto-Configure can be used to let
RSLinx do the configuration.
2. CREATING NEW OPC TOPIC
Next we create a new OPC Topic and save it for further use.
All the inputs and outputs that are available in the PLC will be
available under topic which we have created.
3. CREATING NEW OPC SERVER
In the RSI-OPC Test Client we start a new OPC Server. Since
we are using RSLinx, the proprietary software for Allen
Bradley PLCs, we use RSLinx OPC Server to avoid any
compatibility problems or limitations. However other OPC
servers can be used wherever required
4. CREATING A NEW GROUP
After creating the new OPC server we create a new group.
After assigning a name we leave the other setting to default.
5. CREATING ITEM/TAG
Then we add new OPC tags which are essentially the
input/output variables under this group. For the access path
we need to specify the same name as the OPC Topic which
was specified in RSLinx. We give the addressing of the
input/output variables as per the syntax of the PLC and the
data type of the variable can be selected from the drop down
menu.
Figure 6

IV Result
Figures 6 shows block diagram and front panel for level
control application which are successfully created to make
communication between PLC and LabVIEW via OPC Server.

V. Conclusion
The main idea was to interface LabVIEW and PLC for more
effective and efficient process control. This project of
interfacing two most powerful technologies ruling the

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References
[1] Jian Wang , Development of 20 liter spherical
explosion test apparatus based on LabVIEW and OPC
technique , Proceedings of Control and Decision
Conference (CCDC), China, pp. 4262 - 4266 , 2010.
[2] Yang Ding, Hybrid MATLAB and LabVIEW to
implement an intelligent Foundation Fieldbus control
system, Proceedings of Intelligent Control and

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NARGALKAR* et al.
International Journal for Research in Science & Advanced Technologies

Issue-1, Volume-1, 035-038

Automation (WCICA), 8th World Congress on Jiliang
Univ., Hangzhou, China, pp. 4539 4543, 2010
[3]. Lakshmi, A., Experimental validation of PID based
cascade control system through SCADA-PLC-OPC
interface, India Computer Communication and
Informatics (ICCCI), 2012 International Conference on
pp. 1 4, Velammal Eng. Coll., Chennai, India
[4]. Iacob, M . Real-time hardware-in-the-loop test platform
for thermal power plant control systems, Intelligent
Systems and Informatics (SISY), 2011 IEEE 9th
International Symposium on , PP. 495 500 ,2011 .
[5]. Yang Jiang, Research on Key Problem of Intelligent
Test System for Solenoid Valve ,Intelligent Networks and
Intelligent Systems, 2008. ICINIS '08. First International
Conference on , pp. 39 42 ,2008.

Author Biographies
Naregalkar Akshay is Associate Professor in the Department
of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering in CVR
College of Engineering Hyderabad and has done his
Engineering in Instrumentation from North Maharashtra
University Jalgaon ,India in 2003 and Masters degree in 2007
from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad ,
India . He has published twelve International and three
National level papers. He is having about nine years teaching
experience and Robotics and Automation is his area of
research.

K. Uday Sravanth has done his Engineering in Electronics

and Instrumentation from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological
University Hyderabad, India in 2012. He is having good
hands on experience on different engineering tools in the area
of Automation.

Rahul Varanasi has done his Engineering in Electronics and

Instrumentation from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological
University Hyderabad, India in 2012. He is having good
hands on experience on different engineering tools in the area
of Robotics and Automation.

J. Ankitha Reddy has done her Engineering in Electronics

and Instrumentation from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological
University Hyderabad, India in 2012 . She is having good
hands on experience on different engineering tools in the area
of Automation.

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