OPC Router Tutorial SMS - joseamaita.com

Following the eighth part of the OPC Router tutorial, I’m presenting how to interact with industrial automation systems via the classic SMS and Twilio. Remember, we’re configuring and running a project for “Papín”, a fictional potato bread factory.

Why an OPC Router tutorial with SMS?

Because “learning by doing” with examples is fun. Also, this functionality can provide us with a modern use case: the versatility to receive alarms notifications to your phone directly via traditional SMS text messaging and Twilio, which is an excellent option when we want to add a classic messaging system from your production data environment to each of your client’s valid users. See below a list of posts that complete this tutorial:

Considerations

From this point on, we must download and install OPC Router v4.27.5016.75 or later to make this feature work appropriately. Also, OPC Router Config was renamed to OPC Router Management.

Prerequisites

Firstly, you’ll need:

Twilio platform 🏗️
Messaging application 📧
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway as OPC DA server 🛤️
ControlLogix 1756-L61 as Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) 🤖
An Internet connection 🌐
Schematic diagram 📝
OPC Router Management application 💻

Schematic Diagram

To illustrate this idea better, look at this:

What is SMS?

SMS, which stands for Short Message Service, is commonly referred to as “text messaging”. It was introduced in the 1990s and is still used on most smartphones, the Internet, and mobile device systems today. The protocol allows us to send short messages of up to 160 characters.

What is Twilio?

Twilio is a cloud communication platform which provides programmable tools for making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving text messages, and performing other communication functions using its web service APIs. You can build applications for customer support chat, alarms and events notifications, and tasks reminders, among others.

Working with Twilio

Creating a Twilio account

Firstly, let’s go here to start creating your free Twilio account and press the “Sign up and start building” button.

Then, enter the required information, accept the Twilio Terms of Service and press the “Start your free trial” button. Notice what you can build with this platform: SMS marketing, Omnichannel contact center, call tracking, web chat, push notifications, alerts and notifications, and phone verification.

Following this, begin the verification process with an on-screen puzzle.

Complete the verification process with an email.

Once the email is confirmed, verify your phone number now:

When the verification code is received in your phone, submit it to complete the process.

At this point, watch the “Welcome to Twilio” page.

Personalize your experience in any way you want and press the “Get Started with Twilio” button. For instance, you could make this selection:

If prompted, activate your test sandbox for WhatsApp.

Send an SMS test message with Twilio

Firstly, go to the Twilio Console:

Learn how to set up your test quickly by creating a “Messaging Service” and to provision a Twilio phone number.

Then, go to “Messaging ➡️ Services” and click the “Create Messaging Service” button:

At this instant, create a new “SMSNotifications1” messaging service:

Get a Twilio phone number:

At this point, start the process of sending an SMS notification:

Fill out the form and press the “Send test SMS” button:

Make sure to notice the message was sent:

Watch how the message is received on my Android phone:

Learn how to use some Python code from the Twilio server that creates and sends the message:

from twilio.rest import Client 
 
account_sid = 'ACa7db...7e6d' 
auth_token = '[AuthToken]' 
client = Client(account_sid, auth_token) 
 
message = client.messages.create(  
                              messaging_service_sid='MG24ae...b31c', 
                              body='This is an SMS notification with Twilio :-)',      
                              to='+584249999999' 
                          ) 
 
print(message.sid)

Also, watch the JSON response:

{
    "body": "This is an SMS notification with Twilio :-)",
    "num_segments": "0",
    "direction": "outbound-api",
    "from": null,
    "date_updated": "Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:11:56 +0000",
    "price": null,
    "error_message": null,
    "uri": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACa7db...7e6d/Messages/SM0d1e08748a1442aaa46b7d9bc2cabc56.json",
    "account_sid": "ACa7db...7e6d",
    "num_media": "0",
    "to": "+584249999999",
    "date_created": "Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:11:56 +0000",
    "status": "accepted",
    "sid": "SM0d1e...bc56",
    "date_sent": null,
    "messaging_service_sid": "MG24ae...b31c",
    "error_code": null,
    "price_unit": null,
    "api_version": "2010-04-01",
    "subresource_uris": {
        "media": "/2010-04-01/Accounts/ACa7db...7e6d/Messages/SM0d1e...bc56/Media.json"
    }
}

Check your main data channel

Make sure to check OPC topic “P_PBF19_PA01” for 1756-L61 controller through Factory Talk Linx Gateway OPC DA interface.

Monitor variable within “Controller Tags” tab:

Working with OPC Router, OPC Classic and REST

Knowing your Plugins

To begin with, the configuration of OPC Router starts with your licensed plugins. There are several categories such as “Cloud / IoT”, “Topfloor”, “Shopfloor”, “Storage”, “Advanced”, “Messaging” and “Printer”.

Make sure to notice OPC Classic and REST.

Knowing your Transfer Objects

At this point, we’re going to need seven (7) transfer objects to solve our use case:

Specifically, make sure to notice OPC Data Access, Threshold trigger, Variables, Constant Values, Text Replace and REST.

Configuring your Plugins

Following identification, OPC Router needs to configure every licensed plugin. Let’s start creating a new plug-in instance with REST (double click on the object) and the REST connections tab:

Make sure to copy both your Twilio “Account SID” and “Authentication Token”. Please save it to a secure location:

Store Twilio API URL by going to “Messaging”, and then, “Send an SMS”:

The API URL at the time of writing this post is:

https://api.twilio.com/2010-04-01/Accounts

At this time, define a new REST connection for our system:

Download the plugin and run the service:

Checking your Plugins

Following identification, OPC Router needs to configure every licensed plugin. Let’s check the plug-in instance with OPC Classic (double click on the object):

At this point, check a local OPC Classic connection using a Factory Talk Linx Gateway OPC DA server, with an update rate of 6 seconds.

Creating your Seventh Template

In similar fashion to the eighth part of the tutorial, a template is the correct approach once again. Let’s create a new SMS messaging template AirP within SMS folder (line air pressure):

Watch an empty design panel so you can start building your template:

Then, drag and drop these seven blocks as shown here:

Edit the OPC Data Access block and add a template variable:

Confirm the configured OPC Data Access block:

Edit the first Constant Values block to have a template variable for the recipient mobile phone number that will receive text messages:

Confirm the configured first Constant Values block:

Edit the second Constant Values block to have template variables for the symbol and unit of the variable, and the physical location:

Confirm the configured second Constant Values block:

Edit the Variables block and choose the global variable “SystemTime”:

Confirm the configured Variables block:

Edit the Text Replace block to start preparing the format of the message to send:

Start creating placeholders:

Also, verify placeholders:

Give the desired format to the text message you want to send:

Very low pressure of {ds_symbol} at PLN0{cd_location3}. Current value is {qt_value} {ds_unit} | Date/Time: {dt_timestamp}.

Confirm the configured Text Replace block:

Edit the Threshold trigger block to detect if a limit is exceeded, with a process value less or equal to 10 psi for AirP (very low line air pressure):

Confirm the configured Threshold trigger block:

Edit the REST block to set the Twilio SMS connection:

Make sure to choose this format for the request:

application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Also, add parameters “To”, “From” and “Body”:

Confirm the configured REST block:

Edit the first Constant Values block to include the Twilio phone number that route SMS messages:

Confirm again the configured first Constant Values block:

Finally, make sure to link blocks as shown here:

Additionally, create the connections folder “SMS” within “PLN01”:

Working with Instances from Templates

With your seventh template, a new instance is required now. Start creating it by using the contextual menu:

At this time, check the new instance:

In the design panel, double click to verify values in template variables according to actual OPC item, recipient phone number (check double quotes), physical location, symbol and unit: