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WEBfactory 2010

WEBfactory Server SDK

Abstract

Check out these articles and learn how to setup and use the WEBfactory Server SDK, by following out these indications.

System Requirements

WEBfactory 2010 Server SDK is an optional module for WEBfactory 2010. It provides libraries, this documentation and some sample code to support the development of own WEBfactory 2010 connectors.

In order to develop own WEBfactory 2010 Connectors you need a Visual Studio development system with an actual WEBfactory 2010 installation.

Installing WEBfactory 2010

Please refer to the Installing WEBfactory 2010 section of the Knowledge Base to learn how to install WEBfactory 2010:

Installing Visual Studio Development Environment

All sample code was done with Visual Studio 2010 and C#. It is also possible to work with Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008. We do not support Visual Studio 2003 anymore.

Please refer to the Installing Visual Studio guide on the MSDN website:

Licensing

WEBfactory 2010 Server SDK has a testing period of 90 days and needs to be licensed with a dongle or software license for each run time installation.

Overview of the System Architecture

Not long ago WEBfactory 2010 server could only be connected through OPC sewers. All PLCs or other devices need to have an OPC server in order to communicate with WEBfactory 2010 Server:

Former Architecture

Often customers need to define their own data sources. Here are some applications:

  • Own hardware devices connected through proprietary protocol [Serial bus, USB, ...]

  • External information that is sent with TCP/IP sockets

  • Information from other software like ERP or recipe management that is stored inside database

Since it is not easy to implement an own OPC Server, WEBfactory 2010 decided to publish a native interface to WEBfactory 2010 Server as WEBfactory 2010 Server SDK.

New architecture with Custom Connectors

A module that uses WEBfactory 2010 Server SDK to communicate with WEBfactory 2010 Server is called Connector. It can feed any information to the WEBfactory 2010 system, The sample above shows one connector that provides information from a database and a second one that gets information from a custom device.

Advantages of Custom Connectors

All signals from custom connectors can be used like "normal" OPC items;

  • Display status its status or analog value inside Silverlight application with standard WEBfactory 2010 controls

  • Let the operator change its value with WEBfactory 2010 standard Silverlight controls with integrated WEBfactory 2010 security

  • Check its value with alarm conditions generate alarms inside alarm controls

  • Send service team messages with Messenger Pro

  • Acquire historical data and display it inside chart control or reports

With all these advantages it is possible to create highly integrated applications.

“Easy To Use" Interface

All Custom Connectors need to handle just a couple of methods and events to communicate with WEBfactory 2010 Server. These methods are located within a two classes called WFServerConnector and WFServerClient. The interfaces of these classes are described in the following chapters.

WFServerConnector provides methods and events to create own WEBfactory 2010 signals.

WFServerClient provides methods and events to access already existing WEBfactory 2010 signals from other connectors or OPC Servers.

In this section: