Real time connection of programmable logic controllers to Excel spreadsheets

Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are a key component of modern industrial automation installations. Nowadays there is an increasing trend to integrate them in enterprise networks, for accessing real time production data from statistical programs, accounting software, etc. The use of standard Office programs, as Excel, offers a quick way for getting and processing this data in a comfortable and very usual software environment without requiring huge inversions in hardware, software or training time. Improvements in the newest versions of the Office suite open new and powerful possibilities for integrating real time data directly from the PLC into an Excel spreadsheet, hosted in a local computer, a network one, or even in an internet server.