TSENTRY is a general-purpose, stand-alone process control computing platform. It comes complete with all facilities required to support deterministic real-time program repetition rates as fast as 1 millisecond. It provides a basic computing platform for hosting custom monitoring, control, and signal processing applications.
This platform utilizes industry standard hardware architecture, system software, program development facilities, human-machine interface facilities, and communications protocols. This reduces the cost and complexity of expanding and upgrading the system as necessary to keep abreast of rapidly changing computing technology.
The following sections provide an overview of the TSENTRY system and general information about its operation.
TSENTRY Documentation Overview
The TSENTRY documentation is available in two formats:
The TSENTRY documentation is divided into the following sections.
Introduction
Description of overall functionality and the main components of the system.
Technical Specifications
Technical and internal specifications.
Installation
Installation and configuration information for NT, communications, OPC, TSENTRY-specific instructions, and the disk directory organization.
Standard Tasks
Description of Startup and Shutdown tasks.
Libraries
Description of standard libraries included with the system.
VB Screen Building
A document with user information on building web screens using VB controls and our screen builder procedures.
Standard Screens
A description of standard screens: Probe, ProbeA, ProbeV, and TrendX.
Program Development
Program development environment and procedures.
Procedures
Procedures for day to day operation of the real-time control system.
Trend System
Describes the trend system, TrendSets, and standard trend screens.
I/O Drivers
Description of the optional process I/O drivers available for TSENTRY.
Data Dictionary
Descriptions of how to build a data dictionary, the application program interface, maintenance procedures, and file formats.
Data Transfer
Data transfer methods for sharing data with external systems.
Workstation Configuration
Procedures for configuring a workstation for use with the TSENTRY System.
Options
Optional Extensions to the TSENTRY System.
Resources
Reference documents for use with TSENTRY, Windows 2000, VenturCom RTX, TCP/IP, and additional resources
Thin Client
Major Components of the TSENTRY System
The Tsentry process control system is based on the following major constituent pieces:
Standard IBM PC System
Microsoft Windows 2000 Operating System
VenturCom Real-time Extensions
TelePro supplied libraries for system resource management
Standard System processes for startup, shutdown, and backup
Shell applications for system processes
Software Development procedures
Process I/O Drivers
Data Dictionary building and management functions
Web Browser based High Speed, Real-Time HMI system
Real-Time and Historical Trending system
Example Host Hardware System Environment
Standard IBM PC hardware
Equivalent to standard desktop system specification in mini-tower cabinet
PC based hardware with AGP, PCI, and ISA bus
450MHZ Pentium 3
320MB memory
13GB disk (removable tray)
Spare (backup) disk drive
Ethernet adapter for interface to area process Network (non 3Com controller)
Ethernet adapter for Process I/O interface (3Com 3C905)
Graphics Controller
Read/Write CD
Optional: One (1) spare system for backup, development, testing…
Process Control Operating System Environment
Standard Windows 2000 Operating System
Service Pack 1 (or latest)
Real-Time extensions (VenturCom RTX)
Windows 2000 Web services
TCP/IP Networking services
Multi-threaded operating system
All functionality available at workstation is available at console
Program development done at console and at any workstation
Real-Time Extensions
No impact on standard NT operation
Simple library of Real-Time extensions for NT system
Three process task types:
Standard Microsoft Windows 2000 processes
Standard Microsoft Windows 2000 Real-Time Processes
Hard VenturCom RTX Real-Time processes
Hard Real-Time Processes
Real-Time processes run ahead of all Windows processes
Additional Real-Time Features:
Application Process Environment
May use any or all of the three process types
System and Application Software built using Visual C/C++
All developed by Microsoft Visual Studio Tools
Develop (code, edit, debug…) as standard process
Run as standard, windows real time, or hard real time with re-compilation
All can use same library of functions
TelePro / SSE supplied C++ classes support many control functions
Application processes call Class Methods to execute control functions
Application tailored to match and replace current mill control operations
Convert Mill specific code to C/C++
Network Connectivity
One (1) Ethernet interface for Process Control I/O
One (1) Ethernet interface for Process Control LAN and Rest-Of-World
Connection to File server
Connections to workstations
LAN to LAN router connection to remainder of site network
NOT 3COM board
Microsoft Windows 2000 security
Workgroup configuration
Additional Real-Time Computing Facilities
The base system includes single-use licenses for the following real-time processes and facilities:
Item | Description |
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1 | Table-Driven System Startup Facility All process parameters are stored as a standard Windows compatible flat ASCII .ini file Allocate shared memory areas Initialize shared memory areas Set up process timers Assign process priorities Load and start all application processes Performs automatic process restart Displays dynamic list of:
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2 | Table-Driven System Shutdown Facility Uses same table as is used by the System Startup Facility Gracefully shuts down all process Unilaterally aborts process which do not shut down gracefully Deallocate shared memory areas
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3 | Data Dictionary Builder Process Process to build and maintain a data dictionary of process variables Uses as input the include (.h) files used to define variables and structures residing in Global Shared Regions. Header (include) files are in standard C and C++ language format Data dictionary built via an ASCII configuration file Produces a flat ASCII, human readable Data Dictionary file which contains: Global Shared Region Names Variable names Variable offsets within structures Supports default and user defined packing specifications (via pack pragma) Supports standard C & C++ variable definitions and the use of user-defined typdefs
Supports simple and complex data types Table driven
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4 | Data Dictionary Access To Process Variables Facility provides system wide access to Global Shared Region variables by their variable name (name presented as ASCII string) All system processes have access to service via C++ Class Returns pointer to Global Shared Memory value Read and write access is provided to all variables Returns variable type, variable size, and array dimensions Also available are user-defined maximum value, minimum value, initial value, and default format specification Screens use this module to access process variables by their dictionary name through OPC Server using this class (see following process description)
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5 | Process Services |
6 | Global Shared Region OPC Server OPC (OCX for Process Control) Server Process Provides network wide access to variables resident in global common Supports all simple data types Supports scalar and array variables Read and write access is provided to all variables Real-Time Web based screens may request and update variable values on a timed basis for screen display Access to variables available to any OPC client on TCP/IP network Visual Basic compatible objects provided for variable display and data entry Visual Basic-compatible objects provided for real-time graphics display Complex bar graph Active shapes
Automatic communications object provided for screen building
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7 | Trend Data Acquisition System Acquisition and storage of real-time process data High-speed, real-time data acquired from Process I/O Driver and placed in global shared memory Any Global Shared Memory variables may be trended Process I/O values Calculated values
Static list of variables to be trended may be defined in flat ASCII Windows compatible .ini file Support for dynamic addition of variables to be trended Dynamic trend variables automatically deleted when no longer required Trend Data is acquired for user defined period and at user defined rate Trend data is available for display on operator/engineering screens Trend data stored in system memory. Extended storage of data to disk files.
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8 | Real-time Trend Data Display System Provides display portion of the Real-Time Trend System. Display of process variables in Real-Time High-speed data trending display screens Data displayed in tabular and graphical format Real-time display of variables on web based screens Display 1 to 30 (or more) variables simultaneously Data rates as fast as 20ms Screen update rates at 1 second
User control over display formats Locally implemented (client side) Pan and Zoom features Data Export features implemented web screen available on any client terminal
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9 | Web Screen HMI system Provides real-time display and modification of process data Based on standard Web based browser technology Standard Windows 2000 client workstation configuration IBM PC compatible workstation Facilities are provided for designing, building, and maintaining screens Standard Windows 2000 IIS / Peer Web server utilized for publishing HMI screens as standard internet web pages Screens may be published to any network attached workstation using a standard web browser Real-Time screens built with Visual Basic Automated process to build web screen and associated CAB files from VB Screen OCX Custom controls for building animated displays using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, including: Data Entry / Data Display Text Box Trend plot objects Scalar and vector bar graph objects Color fill and Active Shape objects Link buttons to other pages Server data connection management objects Data dictionary-based access to variables in global shared memory
Access to screen functionality may be password protected
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10 | Standard Screens Probe Display and modify variables in global shared memory areas User-defined DataSets of commonly referenced variables Page forward/Page back through groups of variables support for multiple variable types floats integers character strings Boolean values
Multiple display formats
ProbeA ProbeV TrendX View multiple simultaneous trends in real-time Displayed as 1 to 5 independent strip-chart graphs Supports 1 to 5 independent Y axis User defined Trendsets of commonly referenced variables Page forward/Page back through groups of variables
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11 | System Procedures Procedures are provided to accomplish the following functions: Install and configure Tsentry system components Set up screen development system, including VB controls Screen development and control placement procedures Build user application libraries Build (make) individual application programs Build (batch make) all application programs Clone basic process source and build environment to create another application process Build / rebuild data dictionary System backup & restore procedures
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Remote Access to Control System