Triconex DDE Server

Quick Guide

This guide explains how to use the Triconex DDE Server program for
communication between Triconex controllers (Tridents or Tricons) and DDE
clients in an Ethernet network.
Topics include:
“Overview” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
“Specifications for NT Workstation” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
“Installing Triconex DDE Server” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
“Uninstalling Triconex DDE Server” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
“Configuring the DDE Server Application” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
“Configuring Triconex Host Information” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
“Configuring Server Parameters for 802.2 Protocol (Tricon Only)” . . . . . . 7
“Testing a TCP/IP Connection” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
“Configuration Requirements for DDE Network Redundancy” . . . . . . . . . . 8
“Requesting Data with a DDE Client Application” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
“Requesting Network Status” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
“Monitoring Responses from the Controller” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
“Menu Commands” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Overview
Triconex DDE Server is a Windows NT application that enables DDE-compliant
clients to request data and, if allowed, to change data in a Triconex control
program. A client can request data about input and output variables, memory
variables, and system attributes. Triconex DDE Server is based on a client/server
model in which a client requests information from a server and a server sends
information to a client.
Client applications use DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) protocol to communicate
with a DDE Server. Any Windows application that supports DDE protocol—such
as Microsoft Excel—can use Triconex DDE Server.
Triconex DDE Server communicates with one or more Triconex controllers
through TSAA (Triconex System Access Application) protocol. To return data to
clients, the DDE Server uses DDE protocol.
The DDE Server workstation must be connected to an Ethernet port on a Triconex
controller. For Trident, the NET1 or NET2 port on the Communication Module

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(CM) must be used. For Tricon, the NET2 port on the Network Communication
Module (NCM) or Advanced Communication Module (ACM) must be used.
The following conceptual diagram depicts multiple clients communicating with
multiple Triconex controllers through a Triconex DDE Server.

DDE Client Triconex

Application Controller
TSAA
DDE Protocol
Protocol

Triconex TSAA Triconex

DDE Server Protocol Controller
DDE
Protocol TSAA
DDE Client Protocol
Application
Triconex
Controller

This guide explains how to install, configure, test and use Triconex DDE Server.

Specifications for NT Workstation

The NT workstation on which you install Triconex DDE Server should meet the
following specifications:
• Windows NT certified computer
• Pentium III (minimum)
• Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 (Service Pack 5), minimum
• 128 MB RAM, minimum
• CD-ROM drive
• 125 MB free space on the hard drive
• Network adapter card (also known as a network interface card)

Installing Triconex DDE Server

The setup program provided by Triconex installs all the necessary components of
the Triconex DDE Server on an NT workstation. Before installing DDE Server,
close open applications and uninstall any previous versions of DDE Server. For
more information see, “Uninstalling Triconex DDE Server” on page 3.
To install DDE Server, you must be logged on to NT as an Administrator or you
must have the privileges of an Administrator.

▼ To install Triconex DDE Server:

1 Exit any open applications.
2 Place the Triconex DDE Server disk in the CD ROM drive.
3 Open the TCXDDE folder and double-click the Setup.exe document.

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4 Follow the instructions provided by the Installation Wizard.

5 Select a folder on your hard drive to install DDE Server or accept the default.
Triconex recommends that you install DDE Server in the default destination
folder called C:\Program Files\Triconex\TCXDDE\.
6 You must install the Wonderware Factory Suite 2000 product, unless it is
already installed.
7 The Common Components Setup wizard (for Factory Suite 2000) issues a
warning about the Windows service pack installed on your PC. Click OK.
8 The Common Components Setup wizard asks if you want to install Adobe
Acrobat 3.0 (an older version of Acrobat Reader). Click Cancel if you do not
want to install this program, then click No.
9 Click Finish to complete the installation.

Uninstalling Triconex DDE Server

Use the following procedure to uninstall a previous version of Triconex DDE
Server from an NT workstation.

▼ To uninstall a previous version of Triconex DDE Server:

1 From the Start menu, select Settings, then click the Control Panel icon.
2 Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon to open the Add/Remove
Programs Properties dialog box.
3 Click the Install/Uninstall tab.
4 Scroll down the list of installed programs and select Triconex DDE Server.
5 Click the Add/Remove button to open the Confirm File Deletion dialog box.
6 Click Yes to complete the removal of the previous version.
The Remove Programs from Your Computer dialog box is displayed as the
previous version of DDE Server and all its associated program files, folders,
directories and registries are uninstalled.
7 When the Uninstall successfully completed message is displayed, click the OK
button.
8 Click OK to close the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box.
You can now install the new version of DDE Server.

Configuring the DDE Server Application

When you configure the DDE Server application, you specify communication
properties used by a Triconex controller (also called a host or node) to
communicate with DDE clients. These properties allow DDE clients to identify
which controller to communicate with and what communication protocol to use.
If you plan to use a redundant DDE network, you need to use DDE Server PCs and
install redundant communication modules in the controller. For more information,
see “Configuration Requirements for DDE Network Redundancy” on page 8.

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You can also modify or delete the configuration of a Triconex controller. Before
modifying a configuration, make sure it is not being used by a DDE client. If you
delete a configuration, the associated controller can no longer be accessed by a
DDE client.
To allow a DDE client to change the values of Triconex variables, you must enable
write access by setting controls in your TriStation application. For more
information, see the TriStation 1131 Developer’s Guide.

Configuring Triconex Host Information

You must specify host information for the Triconex controller before a DDE client
can access data from the controller.

▼ To configure Triconex host information:

1 Start DDE Server from the Start menu by selecting Programs, then Triconex
DDE Server. The DDE Server main window appears.
2 From the File menu, click Configure. The dialog box called Configuring Host
Information is displayed.
3 Either select an existing node and click Modify or click Add to add a host.
The Host Name Configuration dialog box is displayed.

! CAUTION
The default button clears all previous configuration settings for all of the hosts.

Host Name Configuration

The Host Name Configuration dialog box allows you to specify communication
properties for the Triconex controller. The properties are described in the following
sections.

Host Name
The Host Name property specifies the user-defined name for a controller which
must be unique for each controller. (This name is used by the DDE client
application to request data from the controller.)

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Default values for the Host Name are:

• For Trident, TRINODE01 (for node 1) through TRINODE32 (for node 32)
• For Tricon, TRINODE01 (for node 1) through TRINODE16 (for node 16)

Node Number
The Node Number property specifies the Triconex node number which must be
unique for each controller.
For Trident, the node number must match the address plug on the MP Baseplate
and the TriNode address specified in the TriStation project. Default values are from
1 to 32.
For Tricon, the node number must match the physical switch settings on the NCM
or ACM and the TriNode address specified in the TriStation project. Default values
are 1 to 16.

Redundant
The Redundant property identifies whether there are redundant paths to the
controller. You should select this property if the physical configuration is
redundant.
This means that two network adapter cards must be connected to network ports on
two communication modules:
• For Trident, the NET1 or NET2 port on two CMs
• For Tricon, the NET2 port on two ACMs or two NCMs
For more information, see “Configuration Requirements for DDE Network
Redundancy” on page 8.
The default is not redundant.

Time Sync
The Time Sync property identifies whether a Triconex node (host) is to be
synchronized with the clock on the DDE Server PC. If there is more than one
Triconex controller in a network, you should select the master node for
synchronization with the DDE Server PC clock. The master node can then
synchronize the time of the other Triconex controllers.
For time-critical applications, Triconex does not recommend selecting the Time
Sync property because PCs are not generally a reliable source for time
synchronization.
The default is not synchronized.

Poll Time
The Poll Time property identifies how often the Triconex controller refreshes the
data stored as aliases. The polling interval must be greater than the scan time of the
controller. For more information on aliases, see the TriStation 1131 Developer’s
Guide.

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The default is 1,000 milliseconds (one second).

Use 802.2 (Tricon Only)

For Tricon, the Use 802.2 property identifies whether 802.2 protocol or TCP/IP
protocol is used to communicate with the DDE client.
• For Tricon v9.x nodes, you can use either 802.2 or TCP/IP protocol.
• For Tricon v7.x and v8.x nodes, you must select use 802.2 protocol.
If you configure a node to use 802.2 protocol, you must also configure the server
parameters. To do so, see the instructions in the section “Configuring Server
Parameters for 802.2 Protocol (Tricon Only)” on page 7.
The default is not selected which means that TCP/IP protocol is used.
For Trident, the 802.2 protocol is not supported.

First Adapter (Tricon Only)

For Tricon, the First Adapter property identifies the number of the first network
adapter card in your primary PC. This property is enabled only if the Use 802.2
property is selected.
You can have multiple Ethernet adapters in your DDE PC. One is typical; two are
needed for redundancy.
The first adapter number is usually zero (0).
For Trident, this property is not available.

2nd Adapter (Tricon Only)

For Tricon, the 2nd Adapter property identifies the number of the second network
adapter card in your redundant PC. This property is enabled only if the Use 802.2
property and Redundant property are selected.
The second adapter number is usually one (1).
For Trident, this property is not available.

IP Address
The IP (Internet Protocol) address property identifies the unique 32-bit network
address of the primary communication module in the Triconex controller.
For a Tricon controller, you must specify this property if the Use 802.2 property is
not selected.

Redundant (IP Address)

The Redundant property identifies the IP address of the redundant communication
module in the Triconex controller.
The redundant module must have the same IP address that is specified here.

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For a Tricon controller, you cannot specify a redundant IP address if the Use 802.2
parameter is selected.

Device Type
The Device Type property identifies whether the host is a Tricon or a Trident
controller.

Configuring Server Parameters for 802.2 Protocol (Tricon Only)

If you specified the Use 802.2 option in the Host Name Configuration dialog box,
you must use the Server button to configure the DDE Server parameters.
In the Configuring Host Information dialog box, click the Server button to display
the Server Parameters dialog box. The following parameters can be specified.

Server Poll Rate (MS)

The Server Poll Rate parameter specifies the rate in milliseconds at which DDE
server updates clients such as Microsoft Excel or Wonderware InTouch
applications. The server poll rate must be greater than 20 milliseconds and less than
1,000 milliseconds.

LLC Buffer Size

The LLC (Logical Link Control) Buffer Size parameter specifies the size of the
buffer (in bytes) required by the DDE server for the LLC. The size depends on the
number of Triconex controllers supported by the DDE server. You need to specify
a minimum of 100,000 bytes for the buffer. This size supports up to two controllers.
For each additional controller, add 50,000 bytes to the buffer size.

LLC SAP
The LLC SAP (Service Access Point) parameter specifies the address for the DDE
Server on the PC. This number must be a unique address.
The default is 4.
For Trident, 802.2 protocol is not available.

Testing a TCP/IP Connection

After completing the configuration of Triconex hosts, you can test a TCP/IP
(Ethernet) network connection by using the Ping command from the Command
Prompt.
You might want to test the IP addresses of the following devices:
• Network adapter card in the client PC
• Triconex communication modules

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▼ To use the Ping command:

1 From the Start menu, select the MS-DOS Command Prompt.
2 Type the word ping followed by the IP address to be tested. For example, for an
IP address of 206.32.216.43, you would enter the following:
ping 206.32.216.43
3 If the network connection is valid, a reply is returned which includes the IP
address. In this example, the reply would display “Reply from 206.32.216.43”
followed by byte and time information. If there is a problem with the
connection, the response is a “Request Timed Out” message.

Configuration Requirements for DDE Network Redundancy

A redundant network of Trident controllers must be configured using TCP/IP
protocol.
A redundant network of Tricon controllers can be configured using either TCP/IP
protocol or 802.2 protocol.
Typically, hardware setup is done before software configuration. To configure a
redundant DDE network, you need the following hardware:
• For Trident, you need two CMs in one or more Trident controllers.
• For Tricon, you need two NCM or ACM modules in one or more Tricon
controllers.
• For the DDE client PC, you need two network adapter cards.
For more information about Triconex features, see the Trident Communication
Guide, NCM User’s Guide and TriStation 1131 Developer’s Guide.

Using TCP/IP Protocol

The following procedure explains how to configure DDE network redundancy with
TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP protocol can be used with all versions of Trident
controllers and with Tricon v9.x controllers.
The configuration procedure involves setting IP addresses. If your network
topology permits, use the Triconex default addresses. If not, get the IP addresses
from your Network Administrator. For a DDE Server PC not on the same subnet
as the Triconex controller, you must specify the destination address during
Ethernet port configuration. If necessary, get help from your Network
Administrator.

▼ To configure redundant networks with TCP/IP Protocol:

1 Install two network adapter cards and the TCP/IP protocol on the DDE Server
workstation.
2 On the DDE Server PC, use Windows NT procedures to set the IP addresses of
the network adapter cards. A sample IP address is:
206.32.216.x (where x = 1 to 254)
3 Connect the network adapter cards on the DDE Server PC to Ethernet ports on
the primary and redundant Triconex communication modules.

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4 In TriStation, set the IP addresses for the primary and redundant communication
modules.
A sample IP address is 206.32.64.y where y is the node number. The node
number is set as follows:
• For Trident, it is set with the address plug on the MP Baseplate.
• For Tricon, it is set with physical switches on the NCM or ACM.
5 From the DDE server application, configure each Triconex node with a host
name. You must use the same IP address for the node configuration in DDE
Server that is used in Step 5 above. For instructions, see “Configuring Triconex
Host Information” on page 4.

Using 802.2 Protocol (Tricon Only)

The following procedure explains how to configure redundant Tricon controllers
which are using 802.2 protocol. 802.2 protocol can be used with Tricon v7.x and
later controllers.

▼ To configure a redundant network with 802.2 Protocol:

1 Install two network adapter cards and the DLC protocol in your DDE PC.
2 Connect the first network adapter card in the DDE PC to the left NCM or ACM.
3 Connect the second network adapter card to the right NCM or ACM.
4 In the DDE Server application, select the Redundant and Use 802.2 parameters.
(When these parameters are selected, it is not necessary to configure IP
addresses.)
5 Set the First Adapter parameter to 0 (zero) and the 2nd Adapter to 1 (one).

For Trident, the 802.2 protocol is not supported.

Requesting Data with a DDE Client Application

When you use a DDE client application to request data, you identify the DDE
Server application to use, the Triconex controller to be accessed, and the data to be
accessed. This information is referred to as the DDE address. Each DDE client
application uses a three-part DDE address format, but might use slightly different
syntax.
The DDE address format includes the following parts:
Application + Topic + Item

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DDE Address Description

Application Identifies the Triconex DDE Server application name which is
TR1DDE.
Topic Identifies the node name for a Triconex controller as configured in
the DDE Server application.
For Trident, the default node names for controllers 1-32 are
TRINODE01 through TRINODE32.
For Tricon, the default nodes names for controllers 1-16 are
TRINODE01 through TRINODE16.
For more information on defining nodes, see “Configuring
Triconex Host Information” on page 4.
Item Identifies the alias number for the requested Triconex variable.
You can identify one or more items.
For more information on aliases, see the TriStation 1131
Developer’s Guide.

Save the address you have specified in the DDE client application and start the
DDE Server application. Both the client and server applications must be running
concurrently to request or exchange data. The DDE Server sends the request to the
Triconex controller, then returns the data to the DDE client application.
As an example, the following address could be entered in a blank cell of a
Microsoft Excel worksheet to request the value for alias 40001 in TRINODE02:
=TR1DDE|TRINODE02!‘40001’
Although you can run only one DDE Server application at a time, you can run as
many DDE client applications as allowed by the virtual memory available on your
PC.

Requesting Network Status

To find out whether the network ports on a Triconex controller are receiving data,
enter either of the following commands in any client application using the
following format.

=tr1dde|TRINODE01!STATUS Reads network status

=tr1dde|TRINODE01!RSTATUS Reads redundant network status

For details on syntax for the DDE address, see the user’s manual for the client
application you are using.

Monitoring Responses from the Controller

DDE Server allows you to monitor responses from the Triconex controller which
can include alert entries as well as log entries that indicate a successful response.
The entries are logged in the order in which they occur. To view the most current
entries, scroll to the bottom of the list. If you select the Stats command on the
Dump menu, older entries might appear at the bottom of the list, as shown in the
following screen.

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Changing View Options

To keep the DDE Server main window on top of all other windows, select the
Always on Top command on the View menu. A checkmark next to the command
means it is selected.

Menu Commands
The DDE Server includes the following menus and commands.
File Menu
Command Description
Configure... Opens the Configure Host Information dialog box and allows
you to configure up to 32 Trident or 16 Tricon controllers for
use with the DDE Server application.
Exit Closes the DDE Server application.

View Menu
Command Description
Always on Top Keeps the DDE Server main window on top of other
windows.

Dump Menu
Command Description
Stats Displays statistics for all Triconex controllers.

Help Menu
Command Description
Triconex DDE Server Opens the Help documentation.
Help
About Triconex DDE Displays the current version number of the DDE Server
Server application and registered owner information.

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