qscada-developers

[Qscada-developers] Exciting news

[wireless <wir...@ta...>]

Hello Everyone,



Jovan: have you guys  what tools/languages we should all install, to
work on Qscada?   I need this info to begin recruiting coders and
testers. I have been invited to speak at a
local group that refers to themselves as 'the 2600 club'. Mostly
kids and older (adult) kids that love linux. Hopefully there is
and interest in controlling hardware and  One of
my ideas is to get embedded developers on board that are familiar
or willing to learn about embedded micro-controllers to we can implement
plc type functions on micros including but not limited to full
PID controls.

If you guys are ready, I'm going to propose to these guys, who are
interested in accessing and controlling remote hardware, consider
QScada, as a project of interest. Since Paolo is quite busy at the
current time, we need a software oriented person (Jovan?) to
kinda spear head where we are going. I think iain is the admin
and consumerate gentoo guru (grin) and I'll be the hardware guy
building an online playground for folks to hang out and articulate
QScada with actual hardware

I hope to motivate the local (Tampabay) linux talent into this venture,
culling through the masses and finding a few that capable. If we get
QScada to a point and have a core team contributing, we can put
up QScada for google funding it as a 'Summer of Code' opportunity.
Once we have something to show, I'm going to start looking for
funding, so some of the 'software guys' can focus on QScada on
a serious basis.


I'm still bogged down on the document I'm trying to develop, but it's
more due to a lack of time not lack of ideas. Hopefully, It'll be
done next week as I have a few days of slack time to finish the
first draft.

On another note, I'll be getting a fiber drop from Verizon, in the next
30 days, so I have to get (2) dns servers up and get ready to install.
It'll be a multi megabit per second drop with about 5 usable(published/
routable IP address) dedicated to QScada.
I'm leaning towards  (3) hardened systems with SElinux(on Gentoo) and
iptables/netfilter  on the firewall and DJBDNS on the (2) dns servers.
Having actual hardware for folks to remotely access to develop code on
embedded linux controllers as well as PLCs, should be an attraction.

Here's a list of what I've accumulated so far:

19"rack, din rails large UPS

(2) ethernet flat hubs, one unmanaged switch.
(2) Lantronix serial(232/485) to modbusTCP (ethernet) converters
(2) Newport serial(232/485) to modbusTCP (ethernet) converters
(2) Cyclades TS100 serial(232/485) to modbusTCP (ethernet) converters
(1) Automation Direct PLC 05 with 4 ch of analog I/O
(4) 24VDC power supplies
(2) bench power supplies (current/voltage adjustable)
(6) video cameras (usb, ntsc, ethernet)
(1) H.264 encoder (could use help getting the backend linux
based software to compile under gentoo   (c/c++) sources
(1) TS-5500 (ethernet) running a 2.4 embedded linux kernel
has an AMD elan SC520 processor.
http://www.embeddedarm.com/epc/ts5500-spec-h.html
(1) microchip MPlab ICD2 and a pikdev 18F456 chip w/ ethernet
(1) 8 port digi serial port expansion board.
(1) atmel AT91 dev board
(4) old 586 pcs we can used as embedded x86 based controllers.
with serial and parallel ports , ethernet and hard drives.
(suggestions on which kernel/rtos/linux to put on these
machines is welcome)
(1) usb-serial converter
http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/EvaluationKits/USB-Serial.htm
(1) CF writer, smart media writer and various support hardware.

On thing I'm looking for is a pci or pc-card based oscilloscope card
that runs under gentoo, so we can capture waveforms and display them
over the net or convert them to an image so we can send them to
hardware oriented folks.

I also have access to a pretty nice logic analyzer, but cannot dedicated
it to the project, only gain sporadic access on off hours.

I have a few discretionary dollars for additional equipment purchases
as warranted. Any soft of PLC's we can cobble together out of old PC's
or purchase used PLCS would be keen. I need to start collecting sensors,
such as temperature, pressure, voltage, current, etc etc to have
to interface to the water cannon.

I'm also going to rework my well equipment (pumps, water softener,
chlorine pump, UV light) and 24VDC valve control so that it can be
monitored over the internet with something that is qscada but looks like
this demo:
http://server.scadabase.com/demo.html# (click the demo link) very cool!


I'm ready to setup a development net for QScada, any and all
ideas are welcome.

Re: [Qscada-developers] Exciting news

[Jovan K. <cho...@gm...>]

Hi,

HATS DOWN for you James.
So many great ideas.


> On 11/10/06, wireless <wir...@ta...> wrote:
> Jovan: have you guys  what tools/languages we should all install, to
> work on Qscada?   I need this info to begin recruiting coders and
> testers.

At first glance we need:

1. C/C++ I/O programming (serial port, parallel port, usb, IR ...)
2. C/C++ for industrial protocol programming (Modbus, CANBus, some PLC
protocols...)
3. C/C++ Linux Kernel programming - for drivers for external devices
(microcontrollers, PLCs...)
4. C/C++ QT GUI designers for design time and runtime GUI (examination
of some scada systems is must: WonderWare Intouch and alike)
5. C/C++ QT widget programmers for widget libraries. We must create a
template for the widget
6. C/C++ network and network security programmers
7. Web programmers (AJAX, XML, PHP, XHTML) for web based clients
8. Some pople with knowledge of linux embedded systems (RTAI, RTLinux...)
9. Database developers MySQL and PostgeSQL

That's all that I can think of for now. I'll have to do better
analysis. I hope I'll do
that by the and of the week, but first we have to disccuss about the structure
(building blocks) of QScada.


> we need a software oriented person (Jovan?)
Hey! I want to play with wires to :)
It's fine by me if I'll be the software guy, but I'll
play with hardware too ;)


> I'll be the hardware guy
> building an online playground for folks to hang out and articulate
> QScada with actual hardware

This is great idea. I see that you have good equpemnt.
You should setup a QScada server and the clients will access
remotely. It would be nice if there are cameras for every actuator so
that the real life effects can be seen. The camera can send
series of consequtive pictures or live stream video. The prblem
would be colision in controls (two or more clients are accessing
the same device)


> we can put up QScada for google funding it as a 'Summer of Code' opportunity.
Another one!

That's all for now.

Be well, Jovan

Re: [Qscada-developers] Exciting news

[wireless <wir...@ta...>]

Jovan Kostovski wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> HATS DOWN for you James.
> So many great ideas.
> 
> 
> 
>>On 11/10/06, wireless <wir...@ta...> wrote:
>>Jovan: have you guys  what tools/languages we should all install, to
>>work on Qscada?   I need this info to begin recruiting coders and
>>testers.
> 
> 
> At first glance we need:
> 
> 1. C/C++ I/O programming (serial port, parallel port, usb, IR ...)
> 2. C/C++ for industrial protocol programming (Modbus, CANBus, some PLC
> protocols...)
> 3. C/C++ Linux Kernel programming - for drivers for external devices
> (microcontrollers, PLCs...)
> 4. C/C++ QT GUI designers for design time and runtime GUI (examination
> of some scada systems is must: WonderWare Intouch and alike)
> 5. C/C++ QT widget programmers for widget libraries. We must create a
> template for the widget
> 6. C/C++ network and network security programmers
> 7. Web programmers (AJAX, XML, PHP, XHTML) for web based clients
> 8. Some pople with knowledge of linux embedded systems (RTAI, RTLinux...)
> 9. Database developers MySQL and PostgeSQL
> 
> That's all that I can think of for now. 

Good list Jovan. Maybe Iain can parse these email messsages
for such information and put in the web pages to attract folks?

> I'll have to do better
> analysis. I hope I'll do
> that by the and of the week, but first we have to disccuss about the structure
> (building blocks) of QScada.

Yes, I getting ready to take some time off from work. QScada is going to
receive the majoring of my time.... Once I finish the draft(very crude)
for hardware issues, I'll send it to the group. At that point, I'll be
ready to discuss organization and the building blocks. Look for an ugly
first draft soon. I'm not spending anytime on making it pretty, only
content. We can develop a template document  for all future documents
to use. That wany somebody can just fire up openoffice and a template,
stick content into it, and present it back to the group......?
Likewise, if you include revision numbers, others can check out the docs
add material for discussion and then the group(leader?) can make the
final edits? It's be iterative.

>>we need a software oriented person (Jovan?)
> 
> Hey! I want to play with wires to :)
> It's fine by me if I'll be the software guy, but I'll
> play with hardware too ;)

Once the architecure is finished, there will be lots
of hardware, and wires for all to play with. Once we
figure out the configuration and make it secure, I'm quite
certain other will build hardware playgrounds too....

> 
> 
> 
>>I'll be the hardware guy
>>building an online playground for folks to hang out and articulate
>>QScada with actual hardware

I'm not going to be the only hardware guy. It's just I have
a facilty and much equipment already. What I build will become
available for us to use, attract new members and eventually,
others will be encourage to put up 'online labs' too.
It's just expensive.....

> This is great idea. I see that you have good equpemnt.
> You should setup a QScada server and the clients will access
> remotely. It would be nice if there are cameras for every actuator so
> that the real life effects can be seen. The camera can send
> series of consequtive pictures or live stream video. The prblem
> would be colision in controls (two or more clients are accessing
> the same device)


Yes, Yes, we are very big on H.264 here. As soon as possible, when Iain
has an ebuild ready, I'll be the first to test install QScada(?)....
Portage overlay? I have some good links on creating ebuilds.....but,
they are easy to find with google.


>>we can put up QScada for google funding it as a 'Summer of Code' opportunity.
> 
> Another one!
> That's all for now.
> Be well, Jovan

James