Remote Support for Industrial Automation

Novel Coronavirus (a.k.a. COVID-19) is presenting challenges across the economy, and the factory floor is no exception. With travel bans, team members working remotely, and limited access to outside support personnel, individuals that rely on Industrial Automation are struggling to continue solving ongoing or new operations challenges.

While you cannot ship your multi-ton press or integrated assembly line, there are options for remote screen sharing, remote diagnostics, and remote support. Below are just a few tools to help:

Connecting to an Allen-Bradley PLC through an eWON Module
Getting the network settings correct for remote PLC connections can be tricky. Here is an easy to follow guide outlining a method for connecting to remote PLCs while using RSLogix in a VM.

Siemens WinCC Sm@rtServer Set-Up
As of TIA Portal V14, the built-in remote access utility called WinCC Sm@rtServer is now available to Basic Panels and no longer requires a separate license for Comfort Panels. If you have a Comfort Panel-running device (version 14.0.0 or later), you can remotely access your panel from a PC, tablet, or smartphone without the need for an additional license. Here is a step-by-step guide to help set up the Sm@rtServer on the panel and use Internet Explorer or the Sm@rtClient app to control it.

5 Tips For Getting Started In PLCSIM Advanced
Siemens' S7-PLCSIM Advanced allows simulation of functions while configuring and engineering without a physical connection. Overall, PLCSIM Advanced implements many improvements over PLCSIM including simulation for the web server, OPC UA, distributed IO, and many more. This blog offers a couple of tips and tricks to get started with PLCSIM Advanced.

VNC on Siemens WinCC Flex HMI with WinCE
Explore open source VNC software to view a Siemens MP277 and Siemens WinCC Flex projects remotely.

DMC has many options for providing remote assistance to clients Please Contact DMC if you would like to learn more.