USING THE SUPERVISORY ELIPSE E3 IN DISTANCE
EDUCATION
Marcelo Macedo, Rinaldo Pismel Franco
Tupy Superior Institute, Educational Society of Santa Catarina, Albano Schmidt Street, 3333, Joinville, Brazil
Fernando Ostuni Gauthier
Department of Knowledge Engeneering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
Keywords: Ellipse E3, Didactic Bench, Distance Learning.
Abstract: The aim of this article is to present a method to control a didactic bench containing a frequency converter, a
programmable logic controller PLC and an electric motor. To achieve the proposed objective, a computer
equipped with surveillance software and a digital camera control these devices, making it possible to view
and track all actions that occur on the bench. The bench controller computer is connected by internet to
other computers, physically far from each other, and has a communication software that allows remote users
to monitor and interact with processes running on the bench. This method opens the opportunity for distance
learning, where students can interact with remote experiences and no longer as a passive user.
1 INTRODUCTION
The realization of practical engineering classes on
the use of frequency inverters, PLC (Programmable
Logic Controller) and induction motor require
complex, expensive and scarce laboratories.
This article shows that through broadband
technology offered by telephone operators, via
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) to
access the internet, it’s possible to control and to
visualize processes generated by inverters, PLC and
induction motors that are physically distant from the
controller.
To achieve this, supervisors commercial
softwares widely used such as Elipse Scada E3
(Elipse, 2010) or Labview must be applied. These
softwares control a didactic bench containing an
inverter PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and
an induction three-phase motor. To watch the bench
a digital video camera is necessary. The whole
process is controlled using the internet with the
utilization of internet Elipse E3 Scada modules.
2 WORKING PROPOSAL
Due to the difficulty of having adequate laboratories
in locations outside of educational institutions, a
system in which the teacher, even outside his lab can
control and display devices is being developed.
This approach is also adequate to distance
education systems in which the students can have
access to the costly equipments such as controllers,
motors and drives, among others.
There are several alternatives to implement
distance learning such as video conferencing
systems via ISDN (Integrated Services Digital
Network) or IP (Internet Protocol), and more
recently the social networks and sites such as Orkut
or Twiter or even several applications such as
Microsoft's softwares.
The teacher, therefore, may use the system as a
classroom anywhere needing only to have a
computer with Internet access. Students will be the
main beneficiaries; they may interact with the
mentioned features, performing practice and seeing
situations in their homes or in the classroom,
provided you have Internet access. In figure 1 is
shown the simplified scheme of work. (Prado Junior,
2008).
128
Macedo M., Pismel Franco R. and Ostuni Gauthier F..
USING THE SUPERVISORY ELIPSE E3 IN DISTANCE EDUCATION.
DOI: 10.5220/0003399701280132
In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2011), pages 128-132
ISBN: 978-989-8425-50-8
Copyright
c
2011 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
Figure 1: Simplified scheme of work.
3 METHOD USED
The didactic bench shown in figure 1 consists of a
controller Siemens S7-300 model, a WEG CFW-08
inverter and a motor WEG tree-phases as well as an
ADSL to 1.5 Mbps, Fixed IP and a microcomputer,
where the software Elipse Scada is installed. A
digital camera with USB for visualization is attached
to the computer. Tests are performed, so that
through the Ellipse, it is possible to control the PLC
(Programmable Logic Controller) and, consequently,
the devices (motors and drives among others) via the
Internet using the Symantec´s software Pcanywhere
(Symantec, 2008) or VNC (Virtual Network
Control).
In order to better detail the operation of the
didactic bench, the article discusses first, how the
software ellipse E3works, its components and the
E3WebViwer. In the following section describes the
operation of the digital camera, and soon after, the
frequency inverter. Later, is approached the
Controller SIEMENS S7-300 and the description of
the experiment. Finally shows the expected results
and the conclusions.
4 DIDACTIC BENCH
4.1 Elipse E3
The software currently used is devoted to network
operation of distributed applications, enabling the
applications development and connectivity with
devices and other applications.
This software makes possible communication
with devices for data acquisition and control
manipulating this information in various ways. It
also includes the creation of a graphical user
interfaces as well as alarms verification, databases
actualization, information exchange between
different software and other components. The tasks
can be done on a single computer, local network or
the Internet.
The E3 is the newest product of the Brazilian
company Elipse Software, in field supervision and
control systems. It is a complete system for data
acquisition and control, based on modern concepts
of connectivity, scalability, reliability and flexibility
demanded by the market.
It is the result of years of R&D activities that
construct a system whose architecture is distributed
and the networked operation completely transparent,
among other features.
The system is adopted by many companies inside
and outside Brazil, and ensures the solution to the
different fields like electrical systems and energy,
pharmaceutical and food industry, petrochemical
industry, manufacturing and sanitation and also in
intelligent buildings.
Its application uses object-orientation, which
reduces programming time and maintenance of
applications. The E3 allows communication with
various protocols and equipment from different
manufacturers, indispensable feature for today's
automation systems, and can be applied to both the
local systems, and geographically distributed
systems. E3 still uses proprietary client-server
transparent network architecture which makes it
unnecessary to copy the application between
hardware stations. Besides these features, the ellipse
has several other features related to its efficiency:
Has robust servers that collect, process and
distribute data in real time;
Has independent operation interfaces, thin
clients, that allow applications viewing through
the E3 Viewer, Terminal Services, Internet
Explorer or any browser that supports files of
type ActiveX;
Is fully prepared to work on the Internet;
The license includes over 3000 symbols and
vector graphics;
Allows on-line configuration;
The database is open, ie: not work with
proprietary formats;
Has complete alarm management and powerful
reporting tools;
Accepts applications OPC (Ole for Process
Control) client-server;
Support for ActiveX components;
Redundant servers’ easy configuration;
USING THE SUPERVISORY ELIPSE E3 IN DISTANCE EDUCATION
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Allows integration with other enterprise
systems such as ERP and similar systems such
as MONTH and Elipse SCADA;
Elipse ensures system upgrades and even then,
an application created in a version can run on
other older versions or higher without the need
for conversions and
• It is based on open industry standards such as
COM / DCOM, ActiveX, Visual Basic
Scripting, Windows NT/200X/XP, OPC and
SQL, among others.
4.2 Components of Elipse E3
The Elipse E3 is composed by three softwares:
•E3 Server is the server application system,
where all data is managed, communications are
processed, and information requirements are sent to
any network client. It was designed to run on
operating systems Windows Vista, XP and 2003 (32
and 64 bit);
•Studio E3: it is the only application tool. It have
on a modern setting environment, with icons for
easy identification, making shorter the programming
time. The Studio E3 allows a single application to be
edited by multiple users simultaneously using
multiple E3 Studios or even several E3 Studios
connected to the same server, each using different
configurations. This component is designed to run
on Windows Vista operating system, XP and 2003.
•E3 Viwer: this is the applications generated by
E3 Studio viewing and operation environment. It
allows to view an application on any client computer
connected to the network or via the Internet using a
browser and an application called E3WebViwer. In
any case, is not necessary to install the application
on the client machine due that all components are
downloaded from the server E3Server and recorded
automatically.
4.3 E3 Webviewer
The E3WebViwer is an ActiveX component whose
functionality is to have a browser that supports
ActiveX controls behaving as E3 Viewer, allowing
viewing and controlling applications via the Internet.
The only assumption is that the client has permission
to access the server E3.
Once installed, the WebViewer works as the
viewer, by downloading all the elements of the
application for the client in operation. Importantly,
all the features of E3Viewer are supported, such as
alarm management, access to data bank, historical
trends, etc.
5 CAMERA CONTROL
To control the camera DC servo motors are used,
which are a special type of motors, characterized by
their capacity to fix itself, immediately, at any
position within its operating angle.
The servo has three electrical connections: Vcc,
GND and input signal. The wiring diagram of the
motor is shown in figure 2.
Figure 2: Servomotor Futaba S148 3003 (Sabereletronica,
2010).
The servo Futaba 3003 S148 has a torque of 479
grams / cm. This means that with a pulley, gear or
arm of 2.5 cm radius, attached to the shaft of the
servomotor, he will be able to lift up to 1200 grams.
The control of a servo merely indicate what
position it should be located. These "orders" consist
of a series of pulses. The duration of the pulses
indicates the angle of rotation of the engine. Each
servo has its operating margins, which correspond to
the lengths of the pulse maximum and minimum.
The controller programming was developed with the
help of software Siemens Simatic, as shown in
figure 3. (Prado Junior, 2008)
Figure 3: CLP Siemens programming.
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Programming is easy to implement, because the
majority of controls are already being performed by
the monitoring software, like the return of the
camera to the point of origin and the functions on /
off this. Thus, the programming was based on the
value set of sliders (scroll bars), which are in
supervisory screen, on the analog outputs of the
PLC. This was achieved through the use of block
scheduling "MOVE", placed at the entrance of the
memory corresponding to X and Y movements of
the camera and the output of the block, the analog
output of their every move so that the servomotor
moves, with a necessary circuit pulse generator,
which was developed in a circuit PWM (Pulse
Width Modulation), shown in figure 4. (Prado
Junior, 2008)
Figure 4: PWM Circuit.
This circuit provides at its output a wave of type-
toothed saw.
6 FREQUENCY INVERTER
The frequency inverter CFW-08 has in the same
product a V / F (scalar) and sensorless vector control
(VVC: Voltage Vector Control) programmable.
The user can choose either method of control,
according to the application. In vector mode
operation is optimized for use in the engine resulting
in better performance in terms of torque and speed
regulation. The function of "Auto-Tuning", available
for vector control, allows the automatic adjustment
of the parameters of the inverter from the
identification (also automatic) of the parameters of
the motor connected to the inverter. The V / F
(scalar) is recommended for simpler applications
such as the firing of most pumps and fans. In these
cases it is possible to reduce losses in the motor and
inverter using "Quadratic V / F", resulting in energy
savings. The V / F is also used when more than one
motor is driven by an inverter simultaneously (multi
applications).
There are two versions of the CFW-08: a
standard version that has the control board with
connections to the signal and control functions
equivalent to old line μline, and CFW-08 Plus
version that has an additional analog input (two
analog inputs in total) an additional relay output and
an analog output. The general scheme of the system
is shown in figure 5. (WEG, 2008)
Figure 5: General scheme of the system motor-inverter.
To interface the frequency inverter with
controller S7-300 was developed a relay board that
drives the control points on the inversor, allowed
control and the departure of three-phase motor.
(Prado Junior, 2008)
7 S7-300SIEMENS CONTROLLER
With a modular architecture the S7-300 provides
space-saving, configuration flexibility and rapid
expansion. The PLC S7 300 requires no pre-defined
numbers of slots (slot position) to be mounted. The
assembly is inserted and screwed on a standard rail.
The modules are interconnected to one another via a
bus that becomes embedded in the track.
A wide range of CPU's are available for simple
applications or high performance. The CPUs enable
short cycle times, up to 1 μs per binary instruction.
There are also compact CPU with I / O's (inputs and
outputs), technology functions and communication
interfaces already integrated. The variety of
expansion modules allows adaptation of the setting
for different types of application.
Are available:
a) Modules I / O's - digital, analog;
b) Communication Modules: AS-Interface
USING THE SUPERVISORY ELIPSE E3 IN DISTANCE EDUCATION
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(master), Profibus DP/FMS, Ethernet, serial
ponto-a-ponto, Modbus;
c) Function modules (FM) - fast counters, fast
pulse outputs, position control, motor stepper
control, closed loop control. In a centralized
configuration can use up to 32 expansion modules.
Expansion modules for S7-300 are also used at the
station I / O distributed ET200M.
d) Communication - In addition to several
communication modules that can be added to the
configuration, the S7 CPU 300 has an MPI port,
through which it is programmed and parameterized.
(Siemens, 2003)
8 THE EXPERIMENT
The student or teacher in possession of a computer
can access the software Elipse E3 from anywhere in
the world.
On the student or teacher computer the remote
control configuration must be set and on lab
computer the host configuration one.
The access to the computer where is installed the
Elipse E3, which has control of the PLC through an
application developed is done by using login and
password.
With the application of the Ellipse Watcher is
possible visualize by one or more camera, all
devices controlled by PLC (Programmable Logic
Controller).
The software currently used in the work is
devoted to operating a network of distributed
applications, offering a graphical interface and a
new and flexible architecture that enables rapid
application development and good connectivity with
devices and other applications.
It is also possible to communicate with many
devices, data acquisition and control, and manipulate
this information in various ways, including creating
user graphical interfaces, both within a single
computer, local network or the Internet, in addition
to alarms verification, recording in databases,
exchange of information between different software
and other components, besides reporting.
It is expected that the student can control various
applications and devices designed to operate the
inverter, change parameters of engine operation, and
on the same screen of the Ellipse, control the camera
position.
The use of didactic bench also prepares the
student for the use of these technologies in every day
activities like the control of remote stations via the
internet.
The proposed didactic bench will be constructed
and the application using Elipse E3 developed.
Three practical engineering classes on the use of
frequency inverters, PLC (Programmable Logic
Controller) and induction motor will be designed.
A group of students will be required to
accomplish these experiences. The success of the
students in reaching each experiment goal will be
evaluated and use as indicator of the didactic bench
utility.
9 CONCLUSIONS
The ultimate goal of this work is to assist in training
of skilled professionals in more remote geographical
locations.
To implement the proposal of this article,
supervisor commercial software - Elipse Scada E3-
is used needing only a room with computers,
resources to support teaching and basic internet
access to broadband.
The implementation feasibility of a didactic
bench comprising inverter, motor and PLC, will be
shown and it acceptance by students evaluated in a
future paper.
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