TOP Server Features New DNP Drivers; Data Manipulation and Driver Functionality ExpandedTOP Server Features New DNP Drivers; Data Manipulation and Driver Functionality Expanded

SOFTWARE/HARDWARE: Software Toolbox® announced the release of TOP Server Version 5.3, its OPC and native HMI device connectivity software application. Powered by Kepware, Top Server 5.3 delivers enhancements to more than 30 drivers and plug-ins.

The 5.3 release includes the addition of DNP 3.0 Ethernet and serial drivers that enable utilities professionals to connect, control and manage devices locally or from remote substations. The SNMP and Ping drivers have been enhanced to provide automatic discovery of devices, reducing product configuration time by allowing users to scan a network, detect devices and select which devices, along with their associated tags, to import into the product. The addition of link tags to the TOP Server Advanced Tag Plug-in enhances its value by expanding its ability to perform calculations on data by allowing users of different hardware to share data between different control systems or even perform calculations on data within the same system.

Top Server 5.3 adds DNP 3.0 serial and Ethernet protocols which provide a standards-based interoperability solution between substation computers, RTUs, intelligent electronic devices and master stations. This functionality is used in many industries including electric utility and power distribution as well as water/wastewater management.

DNP drivers in TOP Server 5.3 are uniquely designed to handle the varied nature of industrial applications that often involve remote telemetry which requires flexibility in network configuration, careful bandwidth utilization, noisy communication channel handling and serialization of communications across multiple channels.

The DNP drivers are available in the TOP Server DNP Suite and the TOP Server Power & Utilities Suite. The TOP Server Power & Utilities Suite offers users in these markets a single competitively priced solution containing drivers for Modbus, DNP and user-configurable custom protocols.

-Edited by Kelsey Anderson