Introduction

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:

  • active and inactive processes

  • process IDs

  • % utilization of repetition interval

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

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

  • int

  • float

  • char

  • signed and unsigned modifiers

  • short and long modifiers

  • user defined structures

• Table driven

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)

5

Process Services

• Startup

• Initialize process configuration

  • Priority

  • Timer rates

  • Memory locking

  • Real-Time operation

• Map global commons

• Delay and resumption services

• Shutdown

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

  • Asynchronous, non-blocking operation

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.

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

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

  • Windows 2000 4.0

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5

  • No special client side environment or software

• 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

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

    • Standard / default associated with data type

    • Hex

    • Binary

• ProbeA

  • Same functionality as Probe on Vector/Array objects

• ProbeV

  • Same functionality as ProbeA with an additional graphic display of the Vector/Array object values

• 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

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