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DNP3 in Ignition SCADA — Configuring the DNP3 Driver

By NFM Consulting 1 min read

Key Takeaway

How to configure Ignition SCADA as a DNP3 master — driver setup, outstation connections, tag addressing, event polling, and control operations.

Quick Answer

Ignition includes a DNP3 driver module for master station operation. Add a DNP3 device connection in the gateway, configure outstation address and transport (serial or TCP), and create tags mapped to DNP3 data objects for binary inputs, analog inputs, counters, and outputs.

Driver Setup

  1. Install the DNP3 driver module (if not included in your Ignition edition)
  2. Gateway → Config → OPC-UA → Devices → New Device → DNP3
  3. Configure transport: TCP (outstation IP, port 20000) or Serial (COM port, baud rate)
  4. Set master address and outstation address
  5. Configure poll rates for Class 1, 2, 3, and integrity polls

Tag Addressing

  • Binary Input — bi0, bi1, ... (with timestamp: bi0.timestamp)
  • Analog Input — ai0, ai1, ...
  • Counter — ct0, ct1, ...
  • Binary Output — bo0, bo1, ...
  • Analog Output — ao0, ao1, ...

Event Polling

Configure separate poll rates for each event class. Enable unsolicited response acceptance for outstations that support it.

Control Commands

Write to binary output tags to issue CROB commands. Write to analog output tags to send setpoint values. Configure SBO or Direct Operate per tag.

Testing

Connect to a SCADAPack, Bristol FB300, or ABB Totalflow outstation. Verify integrity poll returns all static data, event polls capture changes, and control commands execute correctly.

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