Simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) is the email protocol for sending information. We can take advantage of this ability to email from our data logged from the PLC. Shift reports on productivity can be automatically emailed to recipients. Faults or errors detected by the PLC can be emailed directly to individuals for correction.

We will use visual basic 6 (VB6) to send an email message to the SMTP Google Gmail server. Using this method we can use HTML code to format our messages. Attachments can also be added to the email message. In this example, I have added the ACC icon file.

The first step is to add a reference to Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Library.  Project -> References

Make a simple form:

This will have one command button on it labeled “Send Mail”

The code for the command button will be as follows:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
Call SendEmail
End Sub

Add the following Sub SendEmail code to the project :
‘Sample code that is used to send emails from any SMPT server using CDO in Visual Basic 6.0.
‘Added a reference to the project by navigating to Project -> references and adding Microsoft CDO for windows 2000 Library.
Sub SendEmail()
On Error Resume Next ‘ Set up error checking
Set cdoMsg = CreateObject(“CDO.Message”)
Set cdoConf = CreateObject(“CDO.Configuration”)
Set cdoFields = cdoConf.Fields
‘ Send one copy with Google SMTP server (with autentication)
schema = “http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/”
cdoFields.Item(schema & “sendusing”) = 2
cdoFields.Item(schema & “smtpserver”) = “smtp.gmail.com”
cdoFields.Item(schema & “smtpserverport”) = 465
cdoFields.Item(schema & “smtpauthenticate”) = 1
cdoFields.Item(schema & “sendusername”) = “gclshortt@gmail.com”
cdoFields.Item(schema & “sendpassword”) = “password”
cdoFields.Item(schema & “smtpusessl”) = 1
cdoFields.Update
With cdoMsg
    .To = “gshortt@domtech.net”
    .From = “gclshortt@gmail.com”
    .Subject = “Send email to gmail”
    ‘ Body of message can be any HTML code
    .HTMLBody = “Test message using CDO in vb6 to Gmail smtp”
    ‘ Add any attachments to the message
    .AddAttachment “c:\AccDo.ico”
    Set .Configuration = cdoConf
    ‘ Send the message
    .Send
End With
‘Check for errors and display message
If Err.Number = 0 Then
      MsgBox “Email Send Successfully”, , “Email”
Else
      MsgBox “Email Error” & Err.Number, , “Email”
End If
Set cdoMsg = Nothing
Set cdoConf = Nothing
Set cdoFields = Nothing
End Sub

When you run the program you will get one of the following messages depending on if the email was correctly sent or not.

Here is the message that arrives at the recipient:

Simple mail transfer protocol is an easy way to share information from the PLC data collected.
You can download the following VB6 sample code here.

Watch on YouTube: How to Send Email to SMTP Server
If you have any questions or need further information please contact me.
Thank you,
Garry



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