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Version: 8.3 Beta 🚧

Legacy DNP3 Driver

The Legacy DNP3 driver, uses the DNP3 protocol for explicit reads and unsolicited messaging to acquire data. The Legacy DNP3 driver will no longer be receiving continued support, updates, or fixes. For the newest driver, see DNP3 Driver.

note

The Legacy DNP3 driver does not support DNP3 Secure Authentication.

Data Acquisition Methods​

The Legacy DNP3 driver offers two methods for acquiring data: explicit reads and unsolicited messaging.

Explicit Reads​

This method serves as the primary approach to data acquisition for the Legacy DNP3 driver.

The DNP3 Read function code is employed to directly access data points. During each polling operation, only the static or current value of each data point is obtainable, and event data is neither retrieved nor processed. This data acquisition method is specifically intended for scenarios where data points are designated using the group/variation/index (gvi) syntax.

Unsolicited Messaging​

Unsolicited messaging shares similarities with event-based polling in its event-driven approach to data processing. However, instead of explicitly polling each class at configured intervals, the outstation reports events only when changes occur within the outstation. The client's sampling interval does not influence the outstation, but does affect OPC UA MonitoredItem and Subscription behavior. OPC UA clients with MonitoredItems set to a sampling interval of 0 will receive the entire reported sequence of events for each point. It's important to note that not all outstations support unsolicited messaging.

Connecting to a Device​

Inductive University

Connection to DNP3 Devices

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caution

This module requires the OPC UA module to be installed and enabled. If the OPC UA module is not installed or is disabled, this module will fault with a warning in the logs and display the state as "Faulted" on the Platform > System > Modules page.

The Legacy DNP3 driver connects to devices that support Ethernet communication through a master station. Create a separate device connection for each outstation (remote device) by setting the source and destination addresses in the device connection settings.

  1. Go to Connections > Devices > Connections.

  2. Click Create Device Connection.

  3. On the Select Driver section, select DNP3 Driver (Legacy).

  4. On the Configure Device page, leave all default values and enter the following:

    • Name: DNP3
    • Hostname: Enter the IP address or hostname of the device.
  5. (Optional) Click Show Advanced to view additional settings.

  6. Click Create Device Connection. The new device will appear in the list with a status of Disconnected, then Connected or Idle once the connection is established.

Connection Settings​

Main​

PropertyDescription
NameThe name of this DNP3 device connection. This value is set during creation and cannot be changed directly from the Edit panel. To rename the device, click the three dots menu â‹® icon next to the device in the list and select Rename.
DescriptionAn optional description for the connection. You can use this field to add any helpful comments about the connection.
EnabledIf checked (True), the connection is enabled. If unchecked (False), the connection is disabled.

Connectivity​

PropertyDescription
HostnameThe IP address or hostname of the remote outstation device.
PortThe TCP port used when connecting to the outstation. Default is 20000.
Local AddressThe local network interface to connect from when establishing a TCP connection. Leave blank to auto-select.
Source AddressThe DNP3 data link address of the local (master) device. Default is 3.
Note: Source and Destination addresses must be reversed between Ignition and the device. For example:
  • Ignition: Source = 3, Destination = 4
  • Device: Source = 4, Destination = 3
Destination AddressThe DNP3 data link address of the remote (outstation) device.

Advanced​

PropertyDescription
Message Fragment SizeThe maximum size, in bytes, of an application layer message fragment. Default is 249.
Message TimeoutThe time, in milliseconds, to wait for a message response from the outstation. Default is 5,000.
RetriesThe number of retry attempts to make if a response is not received within the message timeout period. Default is 0.
Time Synchronization EnabledIf enabled, automatically synchronizes the Gateway's time with the outstation when the outstation requests it. Default is true.
Default Outstation Conformance LevelSpecifies the subset of the DNP3 Application Layer to use when communicating with the outstation.
Direct Operate EnabledIf enabled, the driver will use the Direct Operate function for control operations. If disabled, the Select Before Operate (SBO) function is used. Default is true.
Unsolicited Messages EnabledIf enabled, the outstation may send event updates without a poll request. Not all devices support this feature. Default is false.
Integrity Poll IntervalHow often, in milliseconds, the driver requests a full integrity poll from the device. Default is 3,600,000.

Default Value Types​

PropertyDescription
Analog Input PointsThe default type to use when reading analog input points. Default is INTEGER.
Analog Input Frozen PointsThe default type to use when reading frozen analog input points. Default is INTEGER.
Analog Output PointsThe default type to use when reading or writing analog output points. Default is INTEGER.
Counter PointsThe default type to use when reading counter points. Default is INTEGER.
Counter Frozen PointsThe default type to use when reading frozen counter points. Default is INTEGER.
Binary Input PointsThe default type to use when reading binary input points. Default is WITH_FLAGS.
Double-Bit Binary Input PointsThe default type to use when reading double-bit binary input points. Default is WITH_FLAGS.
Binary Output PointsThe default type to use when reading binary output points. Default is WITH_FLAGS.