exKa UMAS Driver for Ignition
Intended for supported Schneider Electric Modicon controllers.
The driver provides direct symbolic read and write access to Schneider Electric Modicon controllers from Ignition. Application variables are accessed by name, without mapping them to %MW registers or maintaining a separate address map.
The driver runs within the Ignition Gateway and communicates directly with Modicon controllers over UMAS. It uses the PLC’s own data dictionary to present the variable names, data structures and function block pins used in the PLC application. Optimised polling supports efficient data acquisition with low communication overhead and gateway resource usage.
What it does
Variables by name
DDTs and nested DDTs, function block / EFB / DFB pins (in/out pins included), arrays and each of their elements, EBOOL and DATE / TOD / DT.
Browse the PLC
The whole application appears as a tree in Ignition's OPC browser, structured exactly as in the PLC program. Drag variables and structures straight into the tag browser.
Online changes without interruption
After an online change or a full download the tree is rebuilt as a difference; existing subscriptions keep running.
Verified writes
Writes are enabled per device. Every write is read back and checked, and out-of-range values are refused rather than truncated.
Real refresh diagnostics
Connection, requests, the actual refresh interval of each tag group, the slowest tags and an overload ratio, visible from Ignition.
Performance design
Largest reads the PLC allows
Requests are sized to the frame length the PLC negotiates, not a fixed small block. On a real plant project a full poll took 113 requests instead of 309, and 2.85 s instead of 7.7 s.
Reads only what is used
Only variables that Ignition subscribes to are read. Neighbouring variables are merged into one request, reading through small gaps whenever that saves a round trip.
Polling by urgency
Each tag group polls at its own rate. The fastest group is served first and in full; slower groups use the time left, so a large slow group never delays the operator screens.
Technical specifications
- Data types
- BOOL, EBOOL, BYTE, INT, UINT, WORD, DINT, UDINT, DWORD, REAL, STRING, TIME, DATE, TOD, DT and arrays, plus DDT members and function block pins
Sized from measurements, not estimates
Interested in exKa UMAS Driver for Ignition?
Tell us about your site, controllers and Ignition version. Trial and early-access sites get direct engineering support during installation and commissioning.
This driver is independently developed and supplied by Exka Pty Ltd. It is not sponsored, approved or endorsed by Schneider Electric or Inductive Automation. References to Schneider Electric, Modicon and Ignition identify intended compatibility only. Third-party names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
exKa SRTP Driver for Ignition
Read and write published PACSystems variables by name from Ignition, without maintaining an address map.
- Emerson PACSystems RX3i
- Ignition 8.3 (8.1 coming soon)
- SRTP (GE Ethernet)
exKa HMI Standard Library for Ignition Perspective
Reusable equipment models, operator screens, alarms and diagnostics for Ignition Perspective.
- Ignition 8.3 Perspective
- Siemens S7-1500 reference project