xCoupler Applications

xCoupler Module. For One Food Processor, It’s the Berries A Canadian processor of frozen foods pays its growers based on the weight and size of foodstuff they receive, such as blueberries. The plant system that was in place to record sizes and weights by growers wasn’t tied to their business system. As a result, size and weight data of the grower’s deliveries had to be manually entered into the company’s Oracle database that holds accounts payable and other business data. The manual entering of data caused payment delays for the growers, as well as disputes about the actual sizes and weights of berries delivered.

After considering several options to connect the company’s sizing and weighing systems directly to the Oracle database, the company chose the xCoupler module from Online Development. The module installs in an Allen-Bradley ControlLogx PAC and exchanges data between the size and weight devices connected to the PAC’s backplane and the Oracle database via Ethernet.

Installing the xCoupler module in the PAC, connecting it to the database and then beginning to configure tag data only required an hour. The total configuration of the system using the module’s drag and drop WorkBench setup tool only required another three hours by plant personnel. No programming was required and no maintenance is required for system updates in the future.

The company is using the xCoupler’s transaction log to resolve any questions about size and weight quantities delivered by the growers. This log cannot be altered and shows actual results provided by the size and weight devices. The module also features data store and forward capability. Should the Oracle database go down or a connection to it be lost, the xCoupler stores the data in its flash drive. It automatically sends and email alert, and then forwards the data when the database is available.