csmstr - Omega Engineering

ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS
USING ELECTRONIC MAIL
another port to perform communications with that device. For example, if you have a PLC
equipped with a dedicated HMI port, as well as a dedicated programming port, you could
communicate to it via the one, and download to it via the other. To do this, configure the port
to be used for programming in the usual way, selecting the Virtual Serial Port driver. Then,
share the port as described above. This Virtual Serial Port driver performs no communications
activity of its own, but still allows it to be shared for remote access.
LIMITATIONS
Note that some PLC programming packages may not work with virtually or physically shared
ports. Issues to watch out for are tight timeouts that do not allow the Master time to relay the
data to the PLC; a reliance on sending break signals or on the manipulation of hardware
handshaking lines; or DOS-style port access such that the package cannot “see” the virtual
serial ports. Luckily, these issues are rare, and most packages will happily communicate as if
they were directly connected to the PLC in question.
USING ELECTRONIC MAIL
Crimson can be configured to send email messages when alarm conditions are present, or
when notifications need to be provided of other events within the system. The methods used
to deliver email are configured via the Mail icon in the Communications window…
The properties on the General tab are used to enable or disable the mail manager, and to
provide a name for the Master. This name will be used within email messages to identify the
originator of the message. Applications will typically use the name of the machine to which
the Master is installed, or the name of the site that it is monitoring.
CONFIGURING SMTP
The SMTP tab is used to configure the Simple Mail Transport Protocol. This is the standard
protocol used to send email over the Internet or over other TCP/IP networks. SMTP addresses
follow the familiar name@domain standard.
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