SECS/GEM Equipment Connections

Connection Types

Equipment connections can be configured using either Ethernet or serial communication, depending on what the equipment supports. Ethernet connections use the HSMS protocol (SEMI E37) over TCP/IP and are the preferred option due to higher performance and reliability. Serial connections use the SECS-I protocol (SEMI E4) over an RS-232 connection and require the equipment to be directly connected to the Ignition Gateway server.

Equipment Connection Properties

When setting up an equipment connection through either ethernet or serial, there are various properties that can be configured. For more details on adding a connection, see the Creating an Equipment Connection example.

Common Properties

Property Name	Description
Equipment Name	The name of the equipment connection.
Equipment Description	A description of the equipment connection.
Enabled	Enables or disables communication between the Gateway and the equipment. Default is TRUE.
Device ID	A unique integer identifier defined by the equipment. Default is 0.
Database Connection	The database connection used for configuration data and message auditing.
Database Table Prefix	An optional prefix added to database table names to distinguish records for different equipment connections.
SECS Definition Language (SDL) File	The SDL file used to validate SECS messages. If not specified, the default messages.sdl file is used.
T3 Reply Timeout	The number of seconds to wait for an expected SECS reply message. Default is 45.

Ethernet/HSMS Connection Properties

These properties apply only to equipment connections that use the Ethernet/HSMS connection type.

Property Name	Description
Active IP Address	IP Address of the equipment to connect to when in Active mode. Default is localhost.
Active Port	The Port number of the equipment to connect to when in Active mode, which must match the port number used to create the Simulator. Default is 5000.
Passive IP Address	IP Address of the equipment to connect to when in Passive mode. Default is localhost.
Passive Port	The Port number that an Equipment will connect to if the SECS/GEM module is in passive mode. Default is 5000.
Connection Mode	The method used to connect to Equipment. ACTIVE: Will attempt to connect to the equipment at the given Active IP Address and Active Port. Default. PASSIVE: Will listen for a connection from the equipment at the given Passive IP Address and Passive Port. ALTERNATING: Will switch between Active mode and Passive mode until a connection is made.
T5 Connect Separation Timeout	The number of seconds which must elapse between successive attempts to connect to the equipment after disconnection. Default is 10.
T6 Control Transaction Timeout	The number of seconds which a control transaction (such as LinkTest or Select) may remain open before it is considered a communications failure. Default is 5.
T7 Not Selected Timeout	The number of seconds which a TCP/IP connection can remain in NOT SELECTED state (i.e. no HSMS activity) before it is considered a communications failure. This timeout is only used for Passive Connection Mode. Default is 10.
T8 Network Intercharacter Timeout	The maximum number of seconds between successive bytes of a single HSMS message before it is considered a communications failure. This applies to HSMS messages received from the equipment. Default is 5.
Keep Alive Timeout	The number of seconds interval for sending LinkTest control messages for testing a connection. Automatically reconnects if the test fails. A value of 0 will disable it. Default is 300.

Serial/SECS-I Connection Properties

These properties apply only to equipment connections that use the Serial/SECS-I connection type.

Property Name	Description
Serial Port Name	The name of the serial port. Default is COM1.
Data Bit Rate	The bit rate of data that is being sent and received. Default is BR_9600. Possible values are: BR_9600 BR_4800 BR_2400 BR_1200 BR_19200 BR_150
T1 Inter-Character Timeout	The maximum number of seconds allowed for interruptions between characters being sent. Default is 0.5.
T2 Protocol Timeout	The maximum number of seconds for a lack of protocol response. Default is 10.
T4 Inter-Block Timeout	The maximum number of seconds allowed for interruptions in multi-block messages. Default is 45.
Retry Limit	The maximum number of send retries allowed. Default is 3.

Database Tables

SECS/GEM creates several database tables to store equipment connection information, message history, and errors. These tables support auditing and diagnostics and are not required for normal module operation.

The tables created for an equipment connection depend on the selected database connection and optional table prefix.

caution

Ignition does not perform automatic maintenance on SECS/GEM database tables. Some tables can grow large over time, so it's recommended that users manage retention, pruning, or partitioning as needed.

SECSGEM_EquipmentInfo

The SECSGEM_EquipmentInfo table stores summary information for all equipment connections that use the same database connection. This table is created once per database connection and does not use a table prefix.

Each row represents a single equipment connection.

Column Name	Datatype	Description
Equipment	String	The name of the equipment connection.
Prefix	String	The table prefix used by the equipment connection.
Status	String	The current status of the equipment connection.
SDL File	String	The SDL file associated with the equipment connection. If none is uploaded, the default messages.sdl file is used.

Messages

The Messages table stores SECS messages that are sent or received by an equipment connection. If a table prefix is specified, it is included in the table name. Multiple equipment connections can share the same prefix and write to the same Messages table.

prefixMessages

Column Name	Datatype	Description
ID	Auto-incrementing integer	The unique row identifier.
Equipment	String	The name of the equipment connection.
StreamFunction	String	The SECS Stream and Function. For example, S1F1.
Direction	String	Indicates whether the message was sent or received.
RequestResponse	String	Indicates whether the message is a request or a response.
CommonID	String	An identifier used to associate related messages.
TxID	Integer	The transaction identifier for the message.
Reply	Integer	Indicates whether the message expects a reply.
Message	String	The SECS message represented as JSON.
TimeSentReceived	DateTime	The date and time the message was sent or received.

Errors

The Errors table records errors that occur during SECS/GEM communication. If a table prefix is specified, it is included in the table name. Multiple equipment connections can write to the same Errors table when they share a prefix.

prefixErrors

Column Name	Datatype	Description
ID	Auto-incrementing integer	The unique row identifier.
Equipment	String	The name of the equipment connection.
StreamFunction	String	The SECS Stream and Function associated with the error, if applicable.
ErrorType	String	The category of error, such as connection, timeout, or validation errors.
Error	String	The error message.
Time	DateTime	The date and time the error occurred.

SECS/GEM Equipment Page

The SECS/GEM Equipment page displays all configured equipment connections, their current status, and message activity.

Attribute	Description
Active Connections	The total number of active equipment connections.
Errored Connections	The total number of errored equipment connections.
Aggregate Throughput	The combined message throughput across all connections.
Name	The equipment connection name.
Type	The type of equipment connections, either Ethernet/HSMS Connection or Serial/SECS-I Connection.
Sent Messages	The total number of messages sent to the equipment.
Received Messages	The total number of messages received from the equipment.
Status	The current connection status. If a connection becomes faulted or disconnected, its status is shown as Not Connected.

SECS/GEM Equipment Details

Clicking the three dots menu to the right of an equipment connection and selecting View Details will show more detailed information for that particular piece of equipment.

Messages Sent

Attribute	Description
Throughput	The messages per second the system is currently sending.
Average	The average messages sent per second from when the equipment was first enabled.
Total	The total messages sent.

Messages Received

Attribute	Description
Throughput	The messages per second the system is currently receiving.
Average	The average messages received per second from when the equipment was first enabled.
Total	The total messages received.