Siemens SIMATIC S7 - Architectural Overview

SIMATIC Automation Tool API for .NET framework
6.2 Architectural overview
SIMATIC Automation Tool V2.1 user guide
68 Manual, V2.1.1 07/2016, A5E33042676-AC
6.2
Architectural overview
Networks
The .NET class Network is used to perform functions using a network interface card (NIC)
installed on a PG/PC. The Network class is used to scan for available interface cards, and to
select the interface card to use. All SIMATIC Automation Tool communications to the
industrial network use the network interface selected in this manner.
● Network constructor (Page 73)
● QueryNetworkInterfaceCards method (Page 74)
● SetCurrentNetworkInterface method (Page 75)
● CurrentNetworkInterface property (Page 75)
● ScanNetworkDevices method (Page 76)
Devices
The individual devices on the network are represented by interfaces. Each interface class
provides properties and methods appropriate for the represented network device. Each
hardware device on the network is best represented by one of the following interfaces:
●
IProfinetDevice – Any device directly accessible on the industrial network can be
represented by this interface.
●
ICPU – This represents S7 CPUs that are directly connected to the network. Specific
functionality is supported for CPUs.
●
IBaseDevice – This interface is used to represent devices not directly connected to the
Ethernet network, but accessible through another device. For example, a PROFIBUS
slave station that is connected to a CPU on the network is represented as an
IBaseDevice.
●
IModule – This interface is used to represent individual I/O modules that are plugged into
a CPU, PROFINET device, or PROFIBUS station.
●
IHardware – This is the base class for all other interfaces. This interface provides access
to properties that are common for all hardware items recognized on the network.
The interfaces are grouped into collections that represent groups of devices. Collections are
provided to support iteration, filtering, and searching.
For example:
I
ProfinetDeviceCollection – A collection of all devices directly accessible on the network.
IModuleCollection – A collection that may represent all the IO modules plugged to a given
CPU or I/O station.
IHardwareCollection – This collection may represent a CPU and all its I/O modules.
● IProfinetDeviceCollection class (Page 77)
● IProfinetDevice interface (Page 84)