Transitioning from OPC to TCP/IP for Simotion Robotics: Seeking Guidance on LCOM and C# Integration

Question:

Subject: Seeking Guidance on Transitioning from OPC to TCP/IP Communication for Simotion Robotics Hello, Last year, I developed a robotic control program using Simotion. The Siemens power panel (operating on Windows) integrates a strategic software that generates coordinates for the tasks the robot needs to execute. This strategy is securely stored in a database. I created an interface using C# in conjunction with an OPC library, which operates as a service on the power panel. This interface facilitates the transfer of strategy data to Simotion via OPC by writing to specific variables and arrays. Simotion, in turn, sets certain flags in its variables to indicate operational status, which our interface can read through OPC. While the system functions correctly, my supervisor has expressed concerns about the speed of the workflow. He believes that the bottleneck lies within the OPC communication and has suggested transitioning to a standard TCP/IP protocol for enhanced performance. He referenced the LCOM (Communication Library for Simotion) as a potential solution: [LCOM Communication Library](https://cache.industry.siemens.com/.../LCom_Communication_Library_SIMOTION_V2_0.pdf). This library is designed to streamline communications between Simotion and PLCs. I have limited experience with LCOM or direct PLC communication, as my previous setup relied solely on OPC, and the PLC simply acted as a server without any communication management. I am reaching out to see if anyone in the community has experience working with LCOM. Specifically, I need guidance on replacing my existing OPC logic with a TCP/IP communication structure in my C# program. I anticipate that transferring batches via TCP/IP may present some challenges, and I am unsure how to establish communication with Simotion using TCP/IP. Any insights or assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!