Re: Perl, ASP or What

["Tim Altom" <taltom -at- simplywritten -dot- com>]

There are many ways to accomplish what you're talking about.

One scenario would put a dedicated computer out on the floor that would
interrogate each machine via Ethernet. Each machine would run its own little
script to respond to the interrogation, and the master would then put the
data into a buffer or database, accessible to an httpd on the master, which
would then also be accessible to the querying computers, making the various
data buffers or database entries into HTML pages on demand. You could
program that capability with any number of scripting languages: Python,
Perl, PHP, etc.

The tricky thing isn't the TCP/IP connectivity, but the gathering of data
across a network and storing it reliably. Would you want this data stored
for a long period, for analysis? Or just long enough to view it?

There are commercial packages designed to do this sort of thing, too, but
few of them are flexible enough to fit onto Linux machines and work in the
environment you describe. And from my own personal experience, I can tell
you that unless your controller software is network-ready, you're in for a
wonderfully fulfilling and educational experience that may last, oh, some
years. My background is heavily in manufacturing and automation, and I'm not
sure I could cost-justify doing such work myself.

In your shoes I think I'd consider outsourcing this work. A company called
Flexware Automation does this kind of thing routinely. In the end, they can
probably save you money by getting it all done right the first time. They're
at 317.773.1500 or http://www.flexint.com.


Tim Altom
Simply Written, Inc.
Featuring FrameMaker and the Clustar(TM) System
"Better communication is a service to mankind."
317.562.9298
Check our Web site for the upcoming Clustar class info
http://www.simplywritten.com

----- Original Message -----
From: David Harrison <david -at- pmssystems -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 6:41 AM
Subject: Perl, ASP or What


> Hi Guys
>
> I've got to expand my horizons soon and find a solution - but I'm hoping
> that someone out there could point me in the right direction.
> The problem is that we need to create an interactive web page that will
> monitor numerous control machines on a factory floor by using an intranet
> link.
>
> At the top level, the user must be able to use a standard browser and
choose
> which production machine he/she wants to monitor. Having selected a
> particular machine the browser then needs to display a up to 96
temperature
> control zones (probably a large table of sub-tables).  Each zone ( or
> sub-table) will contain five data elements, the first is text, the next
> three are numerical and the last will be one of ten images (each is a view
> of a meter with needle in a different place). The data for each zone is
not
> static since the actual temperature may vary slightly, and, if it does,
then
> the display must automatically update.  I suppose this means that either
the
> master display must continually query the sub-machines, or the sub-machine
> must prompt the master display. If I'm starting to sound vague it's
because
> I have absolutely no programming or protocol knowledge at this time - it
> stops at basic HTML.
> Another factor, should it be relevant, is that the factory machines are
> using Linux as an operating system while the supervisory browser must be
any
> commercially available PC or Mac etc using IE Explorer Netscape etc.
>
> So... does anyone out there have any suggestions as to which would be the
> best methodology to adapt for this solution. What should I start to learn
> about, Perl , ASP or what? I have no idea of the capability or limitations
> of these applications or even whether something I have not yet heard of
> would be a better solution. What's more . although time is not critical at
> the moment, I don't want to struggle too much with the wrong application
and
> then have to go back to square one and start with another.
>
> Any ideas would be most welcome.
>
>
>
> David Harrison
> david -at- pmssystems -dot- com
>



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Learn how to develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver!
Dec. 7-8, 2000, Orlando, FL -- $100 discount for STC members.
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Sponsored by SOLUTIONS, Conferences and Seminars for Communicators 
Publications Management Clinic, TECH*COMM 2001 Conference, and more 
http://www.SolutionsEvents.com or 800-448-4230

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.