Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AIM*AT Suite
AIM*OPC Server
Users Guide
B0400DG
Rev C
August 30, 2012
Invensys, Foxboro, AIM*API, AIM*AT, AIM*Historian, AIM-Supervisor, I/A Series. and the Invensys logo are
trademarks of Invensys plc, its subsidiaries, and affiliates.
All other brand names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Copyright 2001-2012 Invensys Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved
Contents
Figures.................................................................................................................................... ix
Tables..................................................................................................................................... xi
Preface................................................................................................................................. xiii
Purpose .................................................................................................................................. xiii
Audience ................................................................................................................................ xiii
Revision Information ............................................................................................................. xiii
Reference Documents ............................................................................................................ xiv
Request For Comments .......................................................................................................... xiv
1. Overview ........................................................................................................................... 1
AIM*AT OPC Server ................................................................................................................ 1
The OPC Standard ................................................................................................................... 2
OPC Data Access ................................................................................................................. 2
OPC Historical Data Access ................................................................................................. 3
2. System Requirements ........................................................................................................ 5
3. AIM*AT OPC Server Installation ..................................................................................... 7
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 7
Installing the AIM*AT OPC Server Software ............................................................................ 7
Configurators ............................................................................................................................ 7
AIM OPC Configurator ....................................................................................................... 7
Matrikon Configurator ......................................................................................................... 8
Software Components Description ............................................................................................
AIM*OPC Server .................................................................................................................
AIM OPC Configurator .......................................................................................................
Standard OPC Server Browser ..............................................................................................
OPC Automation Components ............................................................................................
OPC DA Automation DLL .............................................................................................
OPC HDA Automation DLL ..........................................................................................
Standard OPC Proxy Stubs (OPC Marshalling Libraries) ................................................
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Figures
1-1.
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6-1.
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C-8.
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C-10.
C-11.
Data Transfer Between OPC Clients and Data Servers via the OPC Server ................... 2
Services Dialog Box on a Windows XP Station ........................................................... 16
AIM*AT OPC Server Control Panel ........................................................................... 16
Reduced Control Panel ............................................................................................... 17
Initial OPC Configuration Display - Delta Configuration Page .................................. 20
Delta Configuration Page - Existing Configuration File .............................................. 24
Delta Configuration Page - Global and Historian Instances - Station Letterbugs ........ 26
Delta Configuration Page - Station Name and Compound:Block.Parameters ............. 27
Delta Configuration Page - Selected Tag Inserted in Change Delta Tags Window ...... 28
Delta Configuration Page - Delete Selected Tags ........................................................ 29
Delta Configuration Page - Set Delta Values Of Selected Tags Dialog ........................ 30
Delta Configuration Page - Imported Tags Inserted By OPC Server ........................... 33
Alias Configuration Page ............................................................................................. 34
Alias Configuration Page - Insert Alias Name .............................................................. 36
Configured Aliases List in Matrikon OPC Explorer Client .......................................... 38
Alias Configuration Page - Edit An Alias ..................................................................... 39
Alias Configuration Page - Edit Alias Dialog ............................................................... 40
Exiting Configurator Without Saving Changes Dialog ................................................ 42
Saving a New Configuration File ................................................................................ 43
Saving Changes to a Configuration File -- Confirmation Dialog ................................. 44
Saving Configuration File as a Default Configuration -- Confirmation Dialog ............ 45
General Server Parameters Page ................................................................................... 46
Advanced Server Parameters Page ................................................................................ 48
Options Dialog - General Page. ................................................................................... 50
Options Dialog - General Logging Page ...................................................................... 52
Options Dialog - Interface Logging Page ..................................................................... 53
Options Dialog - Advanced Page ................................................................................. 54
Navigating to DCOM Config from Component Services ........................................... 58
AIM*AT OPC Server Properties Dialog Box, General Page ........................................ 59
AIM*AT OPC Server Properties Dialog Box, Security Page ........................................ 60
DPC Server Security Settings - Launch, Access, and Configuration Permissions ......... 61
Configuring Permissions ............................................................................................. 62
AIM*AT OPC Server Properties Dialog Box, Identity Page ........................................ 63
OPC Server Shortcut Menu ........................................................................................ 67
Configuration Utility Window Features ...................................................................... 68
General Configuration Options .................................................................................. 71
Advanced Configuration Options ............................................................................... 73
Options Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 75
Insert New Alias Dialog Box ....................................................................................... 76
Edit Alias Dialog Box .................................................................................................. 78
Listing Aliases Configured for a Group ....................................................................... 79
Options Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 81
Options Dialog Box: General Logging Tab ................................................................. 83
Options Dialog Box: Interface Logging ....................................................................... 85
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Tables
Preface
Purpose
This document describes the operation, and configuration of the AIM*AT Suite AIM OPC
Server software.
Audience
This document is intended for use by process engineers, system administrators, and developers
who wish to run and configure AIM OPC Server application.
Revision Information
For this release of the document (B0400DG-C), the document has been restructured. Some
appendices were renamed. In addition, the following changes were made:
Global
Removed support for the Solaris operating system.
Updated OPC Data Access to Version 2.05a.
Chapter 1 Overview
Removed the AIM-Supervisor system from AIM*AT OPC Server on page 1.
Chapter 2 System Requirements
Added support for the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 operating systems.
Chapter 3 AIM*AT OPC Server Installation
Updated Installing the AIM*AT OPC Server Software on page 7 and Standard
OPC Server Browser on page 8.
Removed AIM*AT API Server, AIM*AT ApiAdmin Utility, Matrikon OPC
Explorer Client (General Purpose OPC Client), and Matrikon Configurator.
Chapter 4 AIM*AT API Server Component Installation
Removed Installing the AIM*AT API Server Software on an AW70 Station, Installing the AIM*AT API Server Software on an AW51 Station, and Ethernet Card
Setup for Solaris Stations.
Chapter 5 OPC Server Startup and Shutdown
Updated the menu selections for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 for all procedures in this chapter.
Appendix B DCOM Configuration
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Preface
Reference Documents
In addition to the information presented herein, you should be familiar with the following
I/A Series documents:
AIM*AT Suite AIM API Users Guide (B0193YN)
AIM*AT Suite AIM Installation Guide (B0193YM)
AIM*AT Suite NetAPI MFC Class Users Guide (B0400BJ).
These are available on the I/A Series Electronic Documentation CD-ROM or DVD (K0173TQ
or K0173WT) provided by the Foxboro business unit of Invensys. The latest revisions may also
be available through the Global Customer Support at http://support.ips.invensys.com.
You should also reference the following OPC Foundation specifications:
OPC Data Access Custom Interface Standard V 2.05a and V 1.0a
OPC Historical Data Access Custom Interface Standard V 1.0
OPC Data Access 2.05a Automation Interface Standard.
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1. Overview
This chapter introduces AIM*OPC Server software and describes how the server enables OPC
clients to communicate with data servers to access real-time and historical data.
Matrikon OPC Explorer, a general purpose OPC client for testing and configuring
the OPC server
Matrikon OPC Automation Component, a dynamically linked library enabling
you to access OPC data from OPC client applications developed using automation
tools such as Visual Basic, VBA, and VB Script.
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1. Overview
OPC Client
Network
AIM*AT
OPC Server
OPC Client
OPC Client
AIM*AT
AIM*API Library
Network
I/A Series
Workstation
AIM*AT Server
I/A Series
DCS
Real-Time Data
AIM*Historian
Real-Time and
Historical Data
Data Servers
Figure 1-1. Data Transfer Between OPC Clients and Data Servers via the OPC Server
1. Overview
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1. Overview
2. System Requirements
This chapter lists AIM*AT OPC Server installation prerequisites.
The workstation on which you install the AIM*AT OPC Server must meet the following
requirements:
Pentium class processor, recommend 500 MHz or higher
128 MB of RAM
25 MB of available disk space.
One of the following operating systems:
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows 7
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows XP (Service Pack 3)
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2. System Requirements
Overview
The OPC Server Software V3.4 is a complete installation of the OPC Server software:
The AIM*OPC Server components can be installed on a Windows based workstation
or an I/A Series (Windows based) workstation.
The AIM*AT API Server can be installed on any I/A Series workstation.
The software install program detects the OPC server currently installed on the target station
allowing you to abort the installation should you need to un-installed an earlier version of the
OPC Server software. The installation of the OPC server also allows you to install an AIM*AT
API Server component to an I/A Series workstation, if one is required.
Configurators
The AIM*OPC Server is configured using one of two available configurators:
AIM OPC Configurator
Matrikon Configurator.
Regardless of which configurator is installed, the delta values for all the client tags are defaulted to
a value of .001.
NOTE
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Matrikon Configurator
The Matrikon Configurator was distributed on earlier versions of the AIM OPC Server and is still
supported as the legacy configurator. The Matrikon configurator does not have the ability to
configure change delta values.
If an earlier version of the OPC server was installed with the Matrikon Configurator and the
OPC server parameters were saved to the Matrikon XML configuration file, this file can be reapplied to the new OPC Server installation.
NOTE
The saved Matrikon configuration file works with either the Matrikon or the AIM
OPC Configurator.
AIM*OPC Server
The aim\opc directory contains:
File
AIMOPCSVR.exe
AIMOPChelp.chm
PSTCFGAIM.ocx
Description
AIM*OPC Server executable
Help file
Configuration utility ActiveX component
The version independent Program ID for the AIM*AT OPC Server is: AIM.OPC.
The version specific Program ID for this version of the server is: AIM.OPC.1.
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If the station that hosts the OPC Server is an I/A Series station (AW70), then the
computer name is the station letterbug name.
The AIM*AT ApiAdmin utility allows you to configure the authorization code, user name, and
security read/write privileges to the AIM server(s). Refer to the AIM*AT Installation Guide
(B0193YM) for information on installing and using the ApiAdmin utility. The guide also provides instructions and the forms for obtaining the authorization codes from Invensys.
Instructions for obtaining the authorization code and configuring the AIM server using the ApiAdmin utility are described in the following section.
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Once you receive the authorization code(s), run the ApiAdmin utility to connect to
the appropriate AIM server station and configure the following information:
a. On the Authorization page, enter the authorization code for the appropriate
OPCDAO or OPCHDA Package Name.
b. On the User Names page, enter the name of the station hosting the OPC Server.
This is the station name as it appears on the network; it is not the user logon
name. If the station is an I/A Series AW station, then the user name is the station
letterbug.
c. On the Packages page, expand the appropriate user name and mark the check box
for the OPC package code that applies (OPCDAO or OPCHDA).
d. On the Security page, expand on the appropriate user name and check the security
options that are to be granted to the OPC clients via the AIM*AT OPC Server
application that resides on the (user name) station.
e. On the Read List page, optionally restrict the user name (the OPC clients) to a
specific list of database object names and shared variables that the OPC clients are
allowed to read.
f. On the Write List page, optionally restrict the user name (the OPC clients) to a
specific list of database object names and shared variables to which the OPC clients are allowed to write.
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Do not install the ApiAdmin utility to the local station if AIM server configuration
is done exclusively by a system administrator from another station. Only one ApiAdmin utility is needed to configure all the AIM servers on the same network.
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3. Select Action menu > Start to select the AIM AT OPC Server in the Services dialog box.
If the AIM Configurator is installed, the OPC Server control panel is NOT available.
When you install the OPC Server as an executable program, the OPC Server Control Panel is
accessible if the Matrikon Configurator is installed. The OPC server control panel (Figure 5-2)
presents: server status, current time, and number of clients using the server.
The three menu items displayed along the bottom of the panel are:
Configure which starts the server configuration utility.
Shutdown which closes the control panel and shuts down the OPC server.
About which opens a dialog box that shows the software version number and licensing
information.
The help button [?] in the title bar displays a description of the AIM*AT OPC Server software.
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3. Select Action menu > Stop to select the AIM AT OPC Server in the Services dialog
box.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
This chapter describes the features of the OPC Server Configurator as well as how to use the
configurator.
The AIM*OPC Configurator is an interactive utility that allows you to configure the OPC Server
to perform communication services; these services are required by its client applications and are
related to the selected and imported tags needed by its clients in the configuration file.
The configurator has the following features:
Configuration can be performed whether or not the OPC Server is running.
All configuration changes are automatically applied to the OPC Server upon save of
the configuration file. Therefore, there is no need to re-start the OPC Server to apply
configuration changes.
The browser, accessible from the Delta Configuration page, allows you to browse for
database tags among I/A Series stations and AIM*Historian instances.
Delta values of individual and selected groups of client tags are configurable.
All OPC Server parameters, such as server time-out values and API scan rates, are
configurable.
Alias names can be configured in place of the regular OPC database tag names.
Tool Bar
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
I/A Servers
If the AIM*ApiAdmin utility has the broadcast feature enabled (check box is not checked), then
the AIM*OPC Configurator attempts to connect to all AIM*API Servers that are available on the
network. If the AIM*ApiAdmin broadcast feature is disabled (check box is checked), then the
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AIM*OPC Configurator attempts to connect to only the API servers that have been configured
by AIM*ApiAdmin to the client initialization file (an_init.cfg). It is important to note that the
AIM*OPC Configurator can connect to an AIM*API Server and browse only if that server has
been authorized for the AIM*OPC Server. Refer to AIM*AT OPC Server Licensing on page 9.
Menu
File
Option
New
Open
Save
Save As
Print
Print Preview
Edit
View
Print Setup
Recent File
Exit
Undo
Cut
Copy
Paste
Toolbar
Status Bar
Options
Help
About AimOpcConfig...
Description
Opens a new OPC server configuration file.
Opens an existing OPC server configuration file.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk
using a new name and path.
Prints the current configuration information
Allows you to preview the current configuration information prior to printing.
Allows you to select the printer and set printer options.
(Not used)
Exits the OPC configuration utility.
(Not used)
(Not used)
(Not used)
(Not used)
Displays the toolbar icons under the main menu bar.
Displays server status information at the bottom of the
screen.
Customize server options related to how the server: saves
and loads its configuration, records error and debug information, and updates. See Options for Server Configuration on page 49 for additional information
Displays the version and licensing information.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Toolbar
The configuration toolbar provides easy access to configuration utility functions (Table 6-2).
Table 6-2. Configuration Utility Toolbar Options
Button
Function
Opens a new configuration file having the default server configuration settings.
Opens an existing server configuration file.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk.
Prints the active file.
Displays program information, version number and copyright.
Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the window, when visible, indicates Ready.
You do not have to use the OPC Configurator to configure the OPC Server prior to
using the OPC Server. If not configured, the OPC Server runs with its default
parameters.
To define the required OPC Server and configuration file settings,
1. Using the General and Advanced Server parameter pages on the initial window of the
OPC Configuration Utility, define the operational server parameters.
See Server Parameters (General) Settings on page 46.
See Server Parameters (Advanced) Settings on page 47.
2. Using the Options dialog, define the following settings:
a. Customize the way the server saves and loads its configuration files. See General
Option Settings on page 50.
a. Restrict client access to preconfigured alias items. See General Option Settings
on page 50.
b. Customize general activity logging. General Logging Settings on page 52
c. Customize error and debug logging. Interface Logging Settings on page 53
d. Set the timing attributes of the Server. Advanced Option Settings on page 54
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3. After setting the OPC server and configurator options, perform either of the following
tasks:
Save these settings to the file as described in Saving To the Configuration File on
page 41 and end the configuration session.
Configure the tags as discussed in Creating/Updating an OPC Server Configuration File with Tags and Item Aliases on page 23 and then save both the OPC
server settings and tag information to the configuration file.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
NOTE
Configuring a larger delta value reduces the volume of data that is transferred over
the network, therefore, enhancing the performance of the OPC Server. This action
reduces the load on Control Processor (CP) modules in an I/A Series system.
The Delta Configuration page contains the following components:
Browse Database Tags window to browse among connected I/A Series stations and
AIM*Historian instances to locate and select tag names.
Tags Selection window showing a list of all the parameters of the selected block in the
Browse Database Tags window.
Changed Delta Tags window showing the list of selected tags: transferred from the
Tags Selection window, automatically imported at startup, or loaded from the existing
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configuration file. The associated tag information consists of: Tag Name, Data Type,
Delta, High Scale and Low Scale.
When there is no configuration file, the AIM OPC Server Configurator display indicates Untitled* in the display title. No tags appear in the Change Delta Tags window. When a configuration
file exists, the OPC Server Configurator display indicates the name of the configuration file and
the Changed Delta Tags window is populated with tags from the configuration file; however, if no
tags have been saved to the existing configuration file, no tags appear.
NOTE
The Load configuration on startup check box must be marked in the Options
dialog (see Options for Server Configuration on page 49) for the existing configuration file to appear.
Check Boxes
On startup the OPC server imports client tags into the configuration window. Client tags displayed in the Changed Delta Tag window appear with
an asterisk (*) to distinguish them from non-client tags. Client tags are
those tags designated by an application, such as the Matrikon OPC
Explorer Client, to be collected by the OPC server. (Figure 6-8 shows
Imported tags listed in the Change Delta Tags window.)
All the tags in the Changed Delta Tags window are cleared from the
screen.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
1. In the Browse window, highlight the desired host station and click on the + button to
view:
a. Global folder to access all the station letterbugs associated with the selected
I/A server as shown in Figure 6-3.
b. AIM*Historian instance folder to access compound:block.parameters.
NOTE
Historian instances are used to search for tag names that are known to exist in an
historian instance; they are not used to establish an OPC Server connection to the
historian.
I/A Server
List of Stations
Station Letterbugs
Historian Instance
Figure 6-3. Delta Configuration Page - Global and Historian Instances - Station Letterbugs
2. Continue to highlight the desired item and click on the associated + button to access
the list of associated tags (compound:block.parameters). Select items as follows:
a. I/A Server > Global > Station Letterbug > Compound > Block > Individual Block
Parameters OR
b. Host Station > Historian Instance > Individual Tag(s)
NOTE
When an Historian instance is selected, you can select the Tag folder (representing
the entire list of tags) to populate the Tags Selection window with all of the tags.
Alternately, you can click the Tag folder and expand the tree (click +) to access the
list of tags and select individual tags.
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Station Letterbug
Compound
Block
Parameters
Selecting/Deleting Tags
The Tags Selection window must contain the desired tags (Compound:Block.Parameters) in order
for you to select and transfer the tags to the Changed Delta Tags window for inclusion in the configuration file.
To select tags in the Tag Selection window,
1. Mark the check box in front of each desired tag.
2. Click Insert to transfer the selected tags to the Changed Delta Tags window. The
tags no longer appear as checked in the Tag Selection window. Duplicate tags do not
appear in the Changed Delta Tags window. See Figure 6-5.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Figure 6-5. Delta Configuration Page - Selected Tag Inserted in Change Delta Tags Window
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
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Context Menu
Button
Right mouse button click within the Changed Delta Tags window to activate the
context menu and click Set Deltas of Selected Tags.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Figure 6-7. Delta Configuration Page - Set Delta Values Of Selected Tags Dialog
3. The Set Delta Values of Selected Tags dialog (see Figure 6-7) appears with the selected
tags in the dialog box. Notice that the dialog displays the Delta, High Scale and Low
Scale parameter values for the Tag name.
If the Get Tag Info. from I/A Server box is checked (default), the values
for the Delta, High Scale and Low Scale parameters are the actual values configured in the I/A Server for the block parameters. The purpose of getting the
tag information from the I/A Server is to provide the user with a guideline for
setting the delta value.
30
If the Get Tag Info. from I/A Server check box is not marked, the following default values appear: Delta 0.001, High Scale 100.00, and Low Scale
0.00.
6. AIM*OPC Configurator
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NOTE
If you select a large number of tags located on a remote server and the check box for
Get Tag Info. from I/A Server is checked, it may take considerable time for the
AIM Configurator to retrieve the Delta, High and Low Scale I/A database values for
each tag. The estimated time is about four seconds for each tag located on a remote
server. During this time, the AIM Configurator appears to be disabled; however, the
OPC server operation is not affected.
4. Use one of two methods to change the delta field for the tag entries:
To change the delta value for one tag,
a.Click the Delta field of the selected tag once.
b.Click the Delta field again and enter the desired delta value.
To change all the tag entries to the same delta value,
a.Enter a value in the field to the left of the Set Group Delta button.
b.Click Set Group Delta.
Range checking is done on any new value if access has been made to the I/A
Server.
5. Click OK to set the new delta values.
NOTE
When the configuration file is saved, the tags in the Changed Delta Tags window
are saved to the configuration file.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
6. Start the AIM OPC configurator. The client tag names that were not previously configured and saved to the configuration file now appear with an asterisk [*] in the
Change Delta Tags window.
To change the delta values of imported tags,
1. Select the desired tags in the Changed Delta Tags window.
2. Access the Set Delta Values of Selected Tags dialog using one of two methods.
Click Set Deltas of Imported Tags.
Right mouse button click within the Change Delta Tags window to activate the
context menu and click Set Deltas of Imported Tags.
3. The delta values for these new [*] client tags can now be changed as described in
Changing Delta Values of Selected Tags on page 29, Step 4.
NOTE
When the configuration file is saved, the imported tags in the Changed Delta Tags
window are saved to the configuration file. The next time the configurator is
started, these tags will not appear with an asterisk [*].
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
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Imported Tags
Figure 6-8. Delta Configuration Page - Imported Tags Inserted By OPC Server
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Tags Selection window showing a list of all the parameters of the selected block in the
Browse Database Tags window.
Changed Alias Settings window showing the definition of aliased tags. The associated
alias information consists of: Name (Alias), Item Path, Data Type, R/W, Update Rate,
Poll Always.
Buttons
34
Insert
Provides access to the Insert New Alias dialog for the selected tag in the
Tags Selection window. The following information related to the selected
tag appears in the dialog: item path field and data type field. The user supplies the other information.
Provides access to the Insert New Alias dialog to create a new alias without
having to select a tag.
6. AIM*OPC Configurator
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All the tags in the Changed Alias Settings window are cleared from the
screen.
Selecting/Deleting Tags
To select tags,
1. Mark the check box in front of each desired tag in the Tags Selection window.
2. Click Insert to transfer the selected tags to the Changed Alias Settings window.
Duplicate tags do not appear in the Changed Alias Settings window. See Figure 6-5.
To delete tags in the Changed Alias Settings window,
1. Select the tag(s) to be deleted. Use Ctrl or Shift key to select multiple tags.
2. Use one of two methods:
Click Delete Selected Alias.
Right mouse button click within the Change Delta Tags window to activate the
context menu and click Delete Selected Alias.
To erase all the tags in the Changed Alias Settings window,
Click Clear All.
Creating An Alias
To create an alias for an existing tag,
1. After browsing for the tag, mark the check box in front of the tag name listed in the
Tags Selection window.
2. Click Insert, located under the Tags Selection window.
3. When the Insert New Alias dialog appears, enter the desired alias settings:
a. Alias name - user-defined
b. Item Path is already pre-filled with the location of selected tag.
c. Data type is pre-filled (Default).
d. Update rate - Optionally, mark the check boxes:
-- Read Only
e. -- Poll when inactive
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
4. Click OK.
The alias name is checked for uniqueness and the other inputs are validated. If all
inputs are valid, the new alias is inserted into the Changed Alias Settings window.
NOTE
When the configuration file is saved, the tags in the Changed Alias Settings window
are saved to the configuration file.
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NOTE
Defined aliases appear under the Configured Aliases branch in an OPC client. See
Figure 6-11.
1. Access the Insert New Alias dialog using one of two methods.
Click Insert New Alias (without selecting a tag).
Right mouse button click within the Changed Alias Settings window to activate
the context menu and click Insert New Alias.
2. When the Insert New Alias dialog appears, enter the desired alias settings:
a. Alias name
b. Item path
c. Data type (if not Default)
d. Update rate
e. Optionally, mark the check boxes:
-- Read Only
-- Poll when inactive
3. Click OK.
4. The alias name is checked for uniqueness and the other inputs are validated. If all
inputs are valid, the new alias is inserted into the Changed Alias Settings window.
NOTE
When the configuration file is saved, the tags in the Changed Alias Settings window
are saved to the configuration file.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Configured Aliases
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4. When the Edit Alias dialog appears, enter the desired alias settings:
a. Alias name
b. Item path
c. Data type (if not Default)
d. Update rate
e. Optionally, mark the check boxes:
-- Read Only
-- Poll when inactive
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
5. Click OK.
6. The alias name is checked for uniqueness and the other inputs are validated. If all
inputs are valid, the new alias is inserted into the Changed Alias Settings window.
NOTE
When the configuration file is saved, the tags in the Changed Alias Settings window
are saved to the configuration file.
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If changes to the configuration file have not been saved and Exit under the File
menu is selected, an AimOpcConfig dialog (Figure 6-14) appears warning the user
that changes have been made that have not been saved.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
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3. Click Save.
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Changes to the General Server Parameter Settings take effect immediately. Changes
to Advanced Server Parameters require that a server be restarted before the changes
take effect.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Clicking the Apply button does not save the file to disk. If the user does not perform Save before exiting the OPC Configurator, all changed values are lost when
the OPC Server is restarted.
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Logging options related to COM interface function call activities and committing log
writes after each entry for debugging purposes.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
Server Options
To configure the optional settings:
1. Select View > Options to access the Options dialog box.
2. In the dialog, click the desired tab and configure the desired options:
a. General. See General Option Settings on page 50
b. General Logging. General Logging Settings on page 52
c. Interface Logging. Interface Logging Settings on page 53
d. Advanced. Advanced Option Settings on page 54
To return all values back to the default values,
Click Defaults.
To apply the inputs on the screen to the OPC Server during runtime,
Click Apply. If the OPC Server is running, the parameter values are immediately
transmitted to the Server.
If the value is non-zero, a backup copy of the configuration file is saved to another file before the
current configuration is saved. Up to 100 backup copies are allowed. For instance, if the
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configuration file is called deltaconfig.xml, and 3 backup copies are allowed, then the following
files could appear in the same directory of the configuration file:
Backup (1) of deltaconfig.xml
Backup (2) of deltaconfig.xml
Backup (3) of deltaconfig.xml
Backup (3) of deltaconfig.xml is the oldest file. In this scenario, if a Save is executed, the following
events occur:
1. Backup(2) is saved to Backup(3)
2. Backup(1) is saved to Backup(2)
3. Current configuration before change is saved to Backup(1)
4. New configuration is saved to deltaconfig.xml
As another example, if the user changes the value from 0 to 3 and does a Save, then only the file
Backup(1) is produced. Subsequent Saves produce more backup files.
Load Configuration On Startup
When the box is checked, the configuration file is loaded when the Configurator is invoked.
When the box is unmarked, the configuration file is not loaded when the Configurator is
invoked, even if the default configuration file is defined in the registry. The title bar indicates
Untitled and the edit box below the check box allows you to define the configuration file pathname.
Restrict Items To Preconfigured Aliases Only
When the box is checked, only items defined under preconfigured aliases can be used in data
query.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
When the box is checked, logging is enabled and the level of details is defined by the drop-down
list: low, medium, or high, with high indicating the most detail level.
Commit All Log File Writes
When the box is checked, the log file is closed after each write and reopened again when another
write is issued. This option should be used only for debugging purpose as it causes severe performance degradation.
Display activity on screen
When the box is checked, all log statements are shown on a separate command prompt screen.
Overwrite old log information
When the box is checked, the log file is overwritten from the beginning when it reaches a certain
size. The path name of the log file is defined in the edit box below the check box.
Filter string and Filter filename
All log statements that contain strings matching the filter string are written to another log file
defined in the filename edit box.
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When the box is checked, activities related to COM interface function calls are logged into files
with the extension.tmp in the same directory where AIMOPCSVR.exe resides. The logging level
is defined by the drop-down list to its right: low, medium, high.
Commit All Log File Writes
When the box is checked, the log file is closed after each write and reopened when another write
is issued. This option is only used for debugging purpose as it causes severe performance degradation.
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6. AIM*OPC Configurator
The OPC Group Update Rate is the minimum update rate for a group inside the server.
Time Granularity
Time Granularity is used to calculate the requested buffer time (in milliseconds), which tells the
server how often to send event notifications.
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mally, the Impersonation Level should be set to Identify.With this Impersonation Level, the server
identifies the client and determines if the client is allowed access to a certain resource, but does
not actually access any of these resources as the client.
3. Select the AIM*AT OPC Server name from the list of DCOM applications, and
right-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
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4. When the Properties dialog box appears (shown in Figure B-2), click the General tab
and set the Authentication Level to None, as shown below.
Figure B-2. AIM*AT OPC Server Properties Dialog Box, General Page
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5. Next, click the Security tab and set the three properties -- Access, Launch, and Configuration Permissions -- as required.
Figure B-3. AIM*AT OPC Server Properties Dialog Box, Security Page
You have a choice of using the default for all COM servers or creating a custom set of permissions.
When you select the custom option, the adjacent Edit button becomes active. The button opens a
dialog box for entering a list of users that have specific permissions. The three security properties
are described as follows:
Launch Permissions control list are users who are allowed to start up a server
process or service.
Include the names of users or user groups from trusted domains that you are
allowing to use the OPC server on this machine.
Include the Everyone group to allow access to all users on a particular domain.
Access Permissions are those principals that are allowed to interact with objects
supplied by a server.
Configuration Permissions include users permitted to modify the server configuration, that is, allowed to alter the Windows Registry entries for the server and access
the Registry to install new servers. It is usually simpler to install and configure servers
as a user with local administrative rights.
To confirm that all clients can communicate with the OPC Server, it is strongly recommended
that initially all AIM*AT OPC Server security permissions are set to allow access to everyone.
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Once communications are confirmed, then security permissions can be set as desired. See Customizing Permissions on page 61 to add everyone as a user for each of the three security properties.
Customizing Permissions
For each property, you must add everyone to the users and groups list to confirm communications to and from the Server and Clients.
To add everyone and set launch permissions, access permissions, and configuration permissions,
perform the following steps:
1. Select the Customize option and click the Edit button. A dialog box similar to
Figure B-4 appears. (Launch Permission dialog box shown below; Access and Configuration Permission dialog boxes are not shown.)
Figure B-4. DPC Server Security Settings - Launch, Access, and Configuration Permissions
2. Click the Add button. A dialog box similar to Figure B-5 appears.
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3. In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, type everyone in the large edit box. The
cursor should be in that edit box already. See Figure B-5. Click OK at each dialog to
return back to the Security properties dialog.
4. Repeat these steps for each of the three properties (access permissions, default launch
permissions, and default configuration permissions).
After everyone has been added, click the OK button and make sure the property settings are as
follows:
Settings:
1. Access Permissions Everyone Allow Access
2. Default Launch Permissions Everyone Allow Launch
3. Default Configuration Permissions Everyone Full Control
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Figure B-6. AIM*AT OPC Server Properties Dialog Box, Identity Page
The available settings for a server that runs as a local executable differ from those available for a
server that runs as a Windows Service.
It is strongly recommended that the AIM*AT OPC Server be installed to run as a Windows Service if it is going to be accessed by remote clients via DCOM. Install the server as a service to:
Ensure that the server can always be accessed even if no one is presently logged onto
the machine
Ensure that only one server process starts up
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NOTE
If the OPC server has been installed as a service, the Interactive User selection
is disabled. The This user and The system account selections are enabled, and
one of them will be selected already. If this is the case, leave the setting as is.
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The following method may not work for every OPC client. Please check the user
documentation supplied with the client application for more information.
The simplest way to ensure backward compatibility with older client applications is to install the
OPC Server software on the client machine even if it is not used. Alternatively, use the following
steps to copy a program ID to the client machine:
1. On the server machine, run REGEDIT as a user that has access rights to the local
Registry.
2. Expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key.
3. Select AIM.OPC, the program ID for the AIM*AT OPC Server.
4. Right click on AIM.OPC and select Export from the context menu. The Export Registry File dialog box opens.
5. Enter a file name and click Save.
The dialog box supplies the extension .REG.
6. Copy the exported file to the client machine.
7. Merge the .REG file into the Registry of the client machine by doing one of the
following:
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3. Choose Configure.
The configuration utility window appears as shown in Figure C-2.
To run the configuration utility when the server operates as a Windows Service:
1. Open a DOS Prompt window.
2. Enter the following command at the command line:
PSTCFG.EXE PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1 AIM.OPC
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Tree View of
Configured
Objects
Option
Setting
Fields
Server
Statistics
Panel
Status
Bar
Figure C-2. Configuration Utility Window Features
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Menu Bar
The configuration utility window menu bar provides easy access to configuration utility functions
(Table C-1).
Table C-1. Configuration Utility Menu Bar Options
Menu
File
Option
New
Open
Save
Save As
Export Aliases
Edit
View
Tools
Help
Import Aliases
Shutdown Server
Close
Delete
Statistics
Properties
Reset Statistics
Defaults
Refresh
Options
DCOM Configurator
Contents
Index
About
Description
Opens a new configuration file having the default server
configuration settings.
Opens an existing server configuration file.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk
using the specified file name and path.
Saves the OPC item aliases you have created to a
comma-separated variable (.CSV) file.
Loads an existing alias configuration .CSV file.
Shuts down the OPC server and the configuration utility.
Exits the configuration utility.
Deletes the currently loaded configuration file.
Shows/hides the server statistics.
(Not used.)
Resets the counters displayed in the server statistics.
(Not used.)
Refreshes the configuration utility window display.
Opens a dialog box to configure server options such as
logging, and so on.
Opens the DCOM configurator tool.
Displays the contents of the on-line Help file.
Displays the index of the on-line Help file.
Displays the version and licensing information.
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Toolbar
The configuration utility toolbar provides easy access to nine configuration utility functions
(Table C-2).
Table C-2. Configuration Utility Toolbar Options
Button
Function
Shuts down the OPC server.
Opens a new configuration file having the default server configuration settings.
Opens an existing server configuration file.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk.
Saves the currently loaded server configuration file to disk using the specified
file name and path.
Loads an existing alias configuration .CSV file.
Saves the OPC item aliases you have created to a .CSV file.
(Reserved for future use.)
Refreshes the configuration utility window display.
Statistics
A pane immediately below the tree view provides current statistics on operation of the server.
See Viewing Server Statistics on page 80.
Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the window presents the number of OPC clients currently
connected to the OPC server and the servers current time.
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4. Click the Advanced tab and complete the general configuration options.
The advanced configuration options are described starting on page 73.
5. Click Apply to apply the advanced configuration changes to the server configuration
files.
The server must be configured to load the configuration file at startup for any of these
changes to take effect (see Advanced Configuration Options on page 73).
6. Select Alias Configuration in the tree view, and create aliases that can be used in
place of regular OPC items.
Configuring aliases is described in Creating OPC Item Aliases on page 76.
7. Choose File > Save to save the OPC server configuration file to disk.
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points at the data server level are scanned at only two possible rates, a fast
scan rate and a slow scan rate.
Slow Scan Interval
Specifies the scan interval in seconds for the slow scan rate. Valid values
are from 1 to 10 in increments of 0.5 and must be greater than the fast
scan interval. The default setting is 10 seconds.
Scan Interval for Strings
This setting specifies the scan interval in seconds for string values. Valid
values are from 1 to 60 in increments of 0.5 and must be greater than the
slow scan interval. The default setting is 20 seconds.
Max Items per NetAPI Object
Sets the maximum number of points which can be added to a single data
server connection. Valid values are integers from 500 to 2000. The default
setting is 2000 points.
Max Items per Browse Folder
Sets the maximum number of points which can be returned in a single
folder while browsing the OPC server. Valid values are integers from
100 to 2000. The default setting is 100 points.
AIM*Servers
Specifies a list of data servers separated by commas, to which you can
connect. If left blank, the OPC server auto-detects data servers and then
opens connections to all detected servers. By default, this field is blank.
NOTE
Changes to properties in the General tab take effect immediately. Properties in the
Advanced tab requires that a server be restarted before it will take effect.
If you made changes to the configuration using options on the Advanced tab, you must stop and
restart the server for those changes to take effect. Changes made with the options on the General
tab are implemented when you click Apply.
To implement advanced configuration changes:
1. Choose File > Save to save the server configuration setting to a file.
2. Choose View > Options to open the Options dialog box (Figure C-5).
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3. On the General tabbed page, check Load configuration on startup and enter
the configuration file in the Filename field.
Click the browse button [...] to the right of the field to display available configuration files.
4. Make other server option changes as appropriate.
5. Shut down the server by clicking the Shutdown icon on the left end of the toolbar.
6. Restart the server using one of the procedures described in Chapter 5 OPC Server
Startup and Shutdown.
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5. Enter the alias in the Name field and specify the item ID in the Item Path field.
Click the browse button [...] to view available item IDs on the server.
6. Use any of the following options as required for the application:
a. Specify a canonical data type for the alias from the Data Type pull-down list.
The OPC item value is changed to this data type prior to being sent to the client.
b. Mark the Read only check box to prevent client applications from writing to the
OPC item.
c. Enter a value in seconds in the Update Rate field, and mark the Poll when
inactive check box to ensure that data for the OPC item is always received at a
particular rate even if it is not being read by a client.
d. Click Scaling to apply standard scaling formulas to the alias.
See Applying Scaling Formulas to an Alias on page 77 for a complete discussion.
7. Click Save to save the alias, or click Save & Create New to save the configuration
and create another alias.
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Mark the Default to new check box to make Save & Create New (rather than
Save) the default control when you press the Enter key.
You can apply standard scaling formulas to an alias. For each type of scaling, a different algorithm
is applied to the incoming value before it is passed to the client. A reverse algorithm is applied to
any values written to the alias before they are passed to the OPC item. The four available types are
described Table C-3.
Table C-3. Alias Scaling Options
Option
Linear
Square Root
Algorithm
Reverse Algorithm
Algorithm
Reverse Algorithm
Gain/Offset
Algorithm
Reverse Algorithm
Expression
Formula
Algorithm
Reverse Algorithm
x---------------------- OffsetGain
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2. Click the tab corresponding to the desired type of scaling and enter the parameter
values as required.
For Linear and Square Root scaling:
a. Enter the high and low range for the expected raw values and their corresponding
high and low scaled values.
b. Optionally, select the corresponding check boxes to clamp the value to its high or
low limit to prevent it from going out of range.
For Gain/Offset:
Enter the gain and, optionally, the offset.
Incoming values must be numeric for these scaling types to work.
For Expression scaling:
a. Click one of the browse buttons [...] to bring up an expression wizard to assist
with the creation of a formula.
b. Enter the equation to be applied to incoming values in the Input field and enter
the equation to be applied to outgoing values in the Output field.
See Appendix L Alias Configuration for further information about expression
syntax.
3. Click No Scaling to hide the scaling portion of the window.
When the scaling information is not visible, no scaling is applied to the alias.
4. Click Save to save the alias, or click Save & Create New to configure another alias.
Viewing Configured Aliases
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The alias database can be exported to and imported from comma-delimited text files (CSV). See
Appendix L Alias Configuration for a description of the alias CSV file format.
Choose File > Export Aliases to export the current alias configuration to the
specified CSV file.
Choose File > Import Aliases to import aliases into the current configuration.
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Received
Timed Out
The number of time-out periods that have elapsed waiting for a response.
Retried
Failed
Overrun
The number of times that the program failed to get a response from the
device before it needed to send out the next request.
Statistics can be useful for troubleshooting communication problems. If the OPC server stops
supplying data for items under a particular device, check the statistics for that device for problems
such as time-outs, overruns, and failures. Many device configurations support tuning parameters
for communication, such as time-out intervals and maximum number of retries. Changing some
of these tuning parameter settings may help to overcome communication problems.
To reset the counters in the Statistics panel:
Click Reset Statistics at the bottom of the panel or choose View > Reset
Statistics.
The statistics for the selected object are set to 0. The displayed statistics are updated
roughly once every second.
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2. Click the General tab and configure the general option settings as required.
The general options are described in the next section.
3. Click the General Logging tab and configure the logging option settings as
required.
The general logging options are described in General Logging Settings on page 83.
4. Click the Interface Logging tab and configure the logging option settings as
required.
The interface logging options are described in Interface Logging Settings on
page 85.
5. Click the Advanced tab and configure the advanced option settings as required.
The advanced options are described in Advanced Option Settings on page 86.
6. Click Defaults to restore the original settings for the server.
7. Click OK to save your configuration changes.
8. Restart the server to implement the new configuration.
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General activity logging records information about the internal workings of the OPC server. It is
useful for troubleshooting problems with configuration and device communication.
Enable activity logging
Mark this check box and choose the desired log level from the pull-down
menu to enable general activity logging. Available log levels include High,
Medium, Low, and None.
NOTE
The higher the log level, the more information is recorded. However, server performance may decrease at higher log levels. The recommended operating level is Low.
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Filename
Enter a general activity log filename in the edit box or click the browse
button [...] to browse for a file. The default log file is
PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1.LOG in the AIM\OPC\ directory.
Filter String
Enter a string on which to filter log data. Only data containing the specified string is written to the specified filtered log.
Filename
Enter a filtered general activity log filename in the edit box or click the
browse button [...] to browse for a file.
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Enable logging
Check this check box to enable interface activity logging and choose the
desired log level: High, Medium, Low, or None.
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The window consists of a pull-down menu to select a server, a tree view of groups for the selected
server on the left, and a detailed listing of items in the selected group on the right. You can also
display an Information panel in the lower portion of the screen.
Menu Bar
The window menu bar provides easy access to the functions listed in Table D-2.
Table D-1. Matrikon OPC Explorer Menu Bar Options
Menu
File
Option
New Session
Open
Save
Save As
[previous sessions]
Exit
Server
Connect/Disconnect
Perform!
Add Group
Properties
Group
Deactivate/Activate
Use Async I/O
Add Items
Delete
Properties
Item
Writes Values
Deactivate
Delete
Properties
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Description
Starts a new session.
Displays an Open Session dialog box to select and restart a
previously saved session.
Saves the current session. Opens a Save Session dialog box
if the session has not yet been saved to a file.
Opens a Save Session dialog box for saving the session to a
file.
Lists file names of the most recently saved session. Click on
the file name to re-open the session.
Exits the Matrikon OPC Explorer window. Prompts you
to save current sessions that have unsaved changes.
Connects or disconnects the selected OPC server. Disconnect opens a dialog box that prompts you to save the current session.
Opens the Matrikon OPC Explorer Perform window.
Opens the Add Group dialog box for setting up a new
group on the selected server.
Displays a dialog box containing information on current
server status, supported interfaces, and Registry settings.
Toggles the group status from active to inactive.
Switches the data retrieval method for the group between
synchronous and asynchronous.
Starts Tag Studio to add items to the selected group.
Deletes the select group after you confirm the action by
clicking Yes in a dialog box.
Opens the Properties dialog box for configuring group
options.
Opens a Write values dialog box for writing values to the
selected OPC server.
Deactivates the selected items.
Deletes the selected items.
Opens the Properties dialog box for the selected item.
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Menu
View
Option
Info Panel
Advise Panel
Error Log
Update Speed
Refresh
Help
Options
Matrikon on the Web
About
Description
When checked, opens a panel in the lower half of the window that displays information about the connected server
and the selected group.
When checked, opens a separate window that displays
callback transactions from the OPC server.
Opens the Error Log window that displays messages concerning the operation of Matrikon OPC Explorer.
Displays a submenu for selection of an update rate: High,
Normal, Low, and Paused.
Updates the Matrikon OPC Explorer window with the
current values on the OPC server.
Opens the Options dialog box.
Uses the default Web browser to access a Matrikon Web
page with help.
Provides the Matrikon OPC Explorer license and version
information.
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Toolbar
The toolbar provides easy access to the functions listed in Table D-2.
Table D-2. Matrikon OPC Explorer Toolbar Options
Button
Function
Disconnects Matrikon OPC Explorer from the current OPC server.
Connects Matrikon OPC Explorer to the selected OPC server.
Opens the Properties dialog box for the selected server.
Refreshes the server display.
Opens the Add Group dialog box for setting up a new group on the selected server.
Opens the Properties dialog box for configuring group options.
Deletes the select group after you confirm the action by clicking Yes in a dialog box.
Deactivates the selected group after you select Yes in a confirm action dialog box.
Stop using Asynchronous I/O with the selected group.
Makes the selected group public.
Refreshes the display of all items in the selected group.
Starts Tag Studio to add items to the selected group.
Opens the Properties dialog box for the selected item.
Deletes the selected items.
Toggles the selected items between active and inactive.
Opens a Writes values dialog box for writing values to the selected OPC server.
Refreshes the display of selected items.
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Pull-down list
to view available
OPC Servers
Every OPC Server has a unique program ID, a human-readable text string that is converted to a
globally unique identification number that COM uses to identify the server. Each server may have
a version-specific program ID (with a number appended to the end of the string), a
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version-independent program ID (no number), or both. AIM*AT OPC Server applications have
both types, but only version-independent program IDs are included in the list.
If an error occurs during the communication session between OPC Explorer and an OPC Server,
a message box appears explaining the error.
To troubleshoot the error:
1. Click Details in the message dialog box to get a more descriptive explanation of the
error.
2. Choose View > Error Log to display a log of past errors.
3. Right-click on the window.
4. Choose Clear Log to clear the log.
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2. Enter an Item ID in the edit box, and click the right arrow.
The item appears in the list box on the right side of the window.
3. Double-click on an item to edit its settings.
The appearance of the arrow changes.
4. Choose File > Update and Return to Explorer to add the created items to the
OPC group and return to the Matrikon OPC Explorer main window.
In addition to an item ID, you can also specify an access path, a requested data type, and an active
state for each OPC item you add, as described in the following sections.
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Item ID
All OPC items must be identified by an item ID, a server specific string of characters that
uniquely identifies a source of data to OPC server. You can add the same item ID to multiple
groups.
1. Enter the item ID in the Item ID edit box.
2. Click the button next to this edit box to bring up the Tag Generator, a utility for
creating large numbers of tags that follow a known pattern.
The item ID format for AIM*AT OPC items is ServerName\TagName\[Instance].
Some examples of valid item IDs are:
01AW01\BOILER_1:FIC101.RO01\hist01
02AW01\COLUMN_A:FT100.PNT\
03AW01\COMP:BLOCK.PARAM.
Refer to Appendix A OPC Item Syntax for additional information about the syntax for
item IDs.
Access Path
Some OPC Servers allow clients to specify an access path in addition to an item ID, which suggests to the server how it should access the data for a particular item. For example, it might specify
the method of communication to use for accessing the data (that is, radio, satellite, or modem).
Servers are under no obligation to use the access path, although they return errors if the access
path is invalid. The AIM*AT OPC Server software does not support access paths. Leave the access
path field blank.
B0400DG Rev C
Items can be filtered by data type and access rights. Choosing a type other than Empty/Default
causes the browser to display only those items with the same canonical data type as that selected.
Access rights are non exclusive. For example, selecting write access and deselecting read access displays only items that can be written to, regardless of their read accessibility. Selecting both should
filter nothing out.
1. Double-click on an item.
Tag Studio places the fully qualified item ID for that item in the edit box.
2. Right-click on the item.
3. Choose Add to Tag List to add the item using the previous items settings.
4. Choose Add All Items to Tag List to add every item under the branch.
Active State
Like groups, OPC items can be active or inactive. See Reading Real-Time Values on page 98 for
more information about this setting.
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B0400DG Rev C
Data Display
Although the OPC server supplies data changes to Matrikon OPC Explorer at the update rate of
the group, a global setting specifies the refresh rate for the display in OPC Explorer (Figure D-6).
To set the refresh rate:
1. Choose View > Update Speed.
2. Select one of the four available options:
High
Normal
Low
Paused.
If the update speed is Paused, you can refresh the display by pressing the F5 on the
keyboard.
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Access Path
Status
Value
Time stamp
Indicates the time that it was received from the data source to indicate
how fresh the data is.
Quality
Indicates whether or not this value is valid, and why (See Appendix F
Quality Flags for a list of valid quality values).
The information panel at the bottom of the window presents status information about the
selected server and group.
To toggle the window between showing and hiding the status information:
Choose View > Info Panel.
Advise Log
To display a log of ongoing I/O transactions:
1. Choose View > Advise Log.
Right-click on the window.
2. Choose Clear Log to clear the displayed log.
3. Use the Option settings to keep the window above all other windows in the desktop,
and to keep the most recent entry visible at all times.
100
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3.
4.
5.
6.
Control values can be written to items whether they or their group are active or
inactive. If the items and the group containing the items are both active, the written
control value should appear when the next update occurs. Also, the server may
contain read-only items. Values written to these items are discarded.
OPC Explorer also provides a Signal Generator to write ramping control values to OPC items.
To write ramping control values:
1. Click the Signal Generator tab in the Write Values dialog box.
2. Enter the high and low limits and the increment factor for the ramp wave.
3. Enter the time period in milliseconds, and press Start.
4. Press Stop or close the dialog box to finish writing the ramp wave.
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The dialog box opens to the General tabbed page, which contains two options used by
AIM*AT OPC Server applications:
Errors specifies that the error dialog box should be displayed when COM or
OPC errors occur, or when errors occur for individual items.
Sanity check ensures that the server keeps track of lists of groups and items
properly.
Session files are only stored as text files.
2. Click the check boxes of the OPC Explorer options you want to set.
3. Click Defaults to restore the options default settings.
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This option specifies the data source that OPC Explorer should use when requesting
values from the OPC server.
2. Select the Data Source as follows:
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2. Select Display value qualities as text to show a text description of the item
quality in the Quality field rather than a numeric value.
Deselect this option if the quality value contains vendor-specific information in the
upper byte.
3. Deselect Display time stamps using local time zone to display the time
stamps in UTC rather than local time.
COM Options
The COM tabbed page (Figure D-11) is used to specify the class context flags to be used when
OPC Explorer attempts to connect to an OPC server. Do not deselect any of these flags unless
absolutely necessary.
105
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106
Supported
Interface
Yes
Yes
IUnknown
IOPCCommon
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
IOPCServer
[IOPCServerPublicGroups]
[IOPCBrowseServerAddressSpace]
[IPersistFile]
IConnectionPointContainer
IConnectionPoint (IOPCShutdown)
IOPCItemProperties
Notes
Locales Supported: English
(United States).
Public groups not supported.
Hierarchical, no access paths.
(Not required.)
Multiple connections allowed.
All servers support the six OPC-specific
properties. Some may also support other
standard or custom properties.
107
B0400DG Rev C
Supported
Interface
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
IUnknown
IOPCItemMgt
IOPCGroupStateMgt
[IOPCPublicGroupStateMgt]
IOPCSyncIO
IOPCAsyncIO2
IConnectionPointContainer
IConnectionPoint (IOPCDataCallback)
[IOPCAsyncIO] (1.0a)
Yes
[IDataObject] (1.0a)
Notes
Supported DA Methods
Table E-3 lists the methods for each OPC DA interface and indicates whether the method is supported by AIM*AT OPC Server software. Some of the interfaces defined by the specification are
optional interfaces and are not required for OPC servers.
Table E-3. Supported Data Access Methods by Interface
OPC
Requirement
Interface
Supported
Server Interfaces
IOPCCommon
SetLocaleID
GetLocaleID
QueryAvailableLocaleIDs
GetErrorString
SetClientName
IOPCServer
AddGroups
GetErrorString
GetGroupByName
GetStatus
108
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
B0400DG Rev C
OPC
Requirement
Interface
RemoveGroups
CreateGroupEnumerator
IConnectionPointContainer
EnumConnectionPoints
FindConnectionPoint
IOPCItemProperties
QueryAvailableProperties
GetItemProperties
LookupItemIDs
IOPCBrowseServerAddressSpace
QueryOrganization
ChangeBrowsePosition
BrowseOPCItemIDs
GetItemID
BrowseAccessPaths
IOPCServerPublicGroups
GetPublicGroupByName
RemovePublicGroups
IPersistFile
IsDirty
Load
Save
SaveCompleted
GetCurFileByName
IUnknown (all methods)
Supported
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Required
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Obsolete
Obsolete
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Group Interfaces
IOPCGroupStateMgt
GetState
SetState
SetName
CloneGroup
IOPCSyncIO
Read
Write
IOPCAsyncIO
Read
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OPC
Requirement
Interface
Write
Cancel
Refresh
IOPCASyncIO2
Read
Write
Cancel2
Refresh2
SetEnable
GetEnable
IOPCItemMgt
AddItems
ValidateItems
RemoveItems
SetActiveState
SetClientHandles
SetDataTypes
CreateEnumerator
IConnectionPointContainer
EnumConnectionPoints
FindConnectionPoint
IDataObject
DAdvise
DUnadvise
IOPCPublicGroupStateMgt
GetState
MoveToPublic
Obsolete
Obsolete
Obsolete
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Obsolete
Obsolete
Obsolete
Optional
Optional
Optional
Supported
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
EnumOPCItemAttributes
IEnumOPCItemAttributes
Next
Skip
Reset
Clone
110
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
B0400DG Rev C
Supported
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Interface
IUnknown
IOPCCommon
IOPCHDA_Server
IOPCHDA_Browser
IOPCHDA_SyncRead
IOPCHDA_SyncUpdate
IOPCHDA_SyncAnnotations
IOPCHDA_AsyncRead
IOPCHDA_AsyncUpdate
IOPCHDA_AsyncAnnotations
IOPCHDA_Playback
IConnectionPointContainer
IOPCHDA_DataCallback
Notes
Interface Name
OPC
Requirement
Supported
Synchronous Interfaces
IOPCCommon
SetLocaleID
GetLocaleID
QueryAvailableLocaleIDs
GetErrorString
SetClientName
IOPCHDA_Server
GetItemAttributes
GetAggregates
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
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OPC
Requirement
Interface Name
GetHistorianStatus
GetItemHandles
ReleaseItemHandles
ValidateItemIDs
CreateBrowse
IOPCHDA_Browser
GetEnum
ChangeBrowsePosition
GetItemID
GetBranchPosition
IOPCHDA_SyncRead
ReadRaw
ReadProcessed
ReadAtTime
ReadModified
ReadAttribute
IOPCHDA_SyncUpdate
QueryCapabilities
Insert
Replace
InsertReplace
DeleteRaw
DeleteAtTime
IOPCHDA_SyncAnnotations
QueryCapabilities
Read
Insert
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Required
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Supported
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
Yes
Yes
Yes
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
No
No
No
No
Asynchronous Interfaces
IOPCHDA_AsyncRead
ReadRaw
AdviseRaw
ReadProcessed
AdviseProcessed
ReadAtTime
ReadModified
ReadAttribute
112
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
E_NOTIMPL
Yes
B0400DG Rev C
Interface Name
Cancel
IOPCHDA_AsyncUpdate
QueryCapabilities
Insert
Replace
InsertReplace
DeleteRaw
DeleteAtTime
Cancel
IOPCHDA_AsyncAnnotations
QueryCapabilities
Read
Insert
Cancel
IOPCHDA_Playback
ReadRawWithUpdate
ReadProcessedWithUpdate
Cancel
IConnectionPointContainer
EnumConnectionPoints
FindConnectionPoint
OPC
Requirement
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Required for
Asyc
Required for
Asyc
Required for
Asyc
Required
Supported
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
E_NOTIMPL
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
113
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Registry Key
AIM.OPC
AIM.OPC \CLSID
AIM.OPC \CurVer
AIM.OPC \OPC\Vendor
AIM.OPC.1
AIM.OPC \CLSID
CLSID\{CLSID1}
CLSID\{CLSID1}\APPID
CLSID\{CLSID1}\DefaultConfig
CLSID\{CLSID1}\ProgID
CLSID\{CLSID1}\VersionIndependentProgID
CLSID\Implemented Categories
CLSID\{CLSID1}\LocalServer32
PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1
PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1\CLSID
PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1\ShellPath
PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1\HelpFile
CLSID\{CLSID2}
CLSID\{CLSID2}\APPID
CLSID\{CLSID2}\ProgID
CLSID\{CLSID2}\LocalServer32
APPID\{APPID}
Value
AIM*AT OPC Server
{CLSID1} AD853BF1-1E22-11D5-90380050DA 19 DDDA
AIM.OPC.1
Invensys Process Systems
AIM*AT OPC Server
{CLSID1}
AIM*AT OPC Server
{APPID} = CLSID1
(initially empty)
AIM.OPC.1
AIM.OPC
1 options (configurator setting)
(path to server executable)
Foxboro AIM OPC Server
{CLSID2} AD853BF1-1E22-11D5-90380050DA 19 DDDA
(path to PSTCFG.EXE)
(path to .HLP file, if it exists)
AIM*AT OPC Server
{APPID}
PSTCFGAIM.OPC.1
(path to server executable)
AIM*AT OPC Server
The AIM*AT OPC Server also registers itself with the Microsoft Standard Component Category
Manager. After ensuring that the OPC 1.0 and 2.05a categories exist, the server registers in both
of these categories. The OPC Server browser searches for servers that implement these categories.
114
Binary
Decimal
Definition
00000000
00000100
0
4
00001000
00001100
00010000
00010001
00010010
00010011
00010100
12
16171819
20
00011000
24
00011100
28
01000000
64
Uncertain, Non-specific
01000100
68
01010000
01010001
01010010
808182
Description
Bad, Non-specific
The value is bad (no specific reason).
Bad, Configuration Error There is a server-specific problem with
the configuration.
Bad, Not Connected
The input should be logically
connected to something but is not.
Bad, Device Failure
A device failure has been detected.
Bad, Sensor Failure +
A sensor failure has been detected. The
Low Limit + High Limit value may be pegged as indicated by
+ Constant
the limit field.
Communications have failed. The item
value represents the last known value.
Communications have failed. There is
no last known value.
The block is off-scan or otherwise
locked, or the group or item is inactive.
The value is uncertain (no specific
reason).
Whatever was writing this value has
stopped doing so. The value is stale.
The value may be pegged at one of its
limits or it is detected as being out of
calibration.
115
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Binary
Decimal
Definition
Description
01010100
01010101
01010110
01010111
01011000
84858687
Uncertain, EU Exceeded
+ Low Limit + High
Limit + Constant
88
Uncertain, Subnormal
192
216
Good, Nonspecific
Good, Local Override
11000000
11011000
Binary
Decimal
Definition
00000001
OPCHDA_EXTRADATA
00000010
00000100
00001000
00010000
2
4
8
16
OPCHDA_INTERPOLATIVE
OPCHDA_RAW
OPCHDA_CALCULATED
OPCHDA_NOBOUND
00100000
32
OPCHDA_NODATA
01000000
10000000
64
128
OPCHDA_DATALOST
OPCHDA_CONVERSION
116
Description
More than one piece of data that
may be hidden resides at the same
time stamp.
Interpolated data value.
Raw data value.
Calculated data value.
No data found to provide upper or
lower bound value.
No data collected. Archiving not
active (for item or all items).
Collection started/stopped/lost.
Scaling/conversion error.
Value
0
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
11
17
18
19
20
+8192
Data Type
VT_EMPTY
VT_I2
VT_I4
VT_R4
VT_R8
VT_CY
VT_DATE
VT_BSTR
VT_ERROR
VT_BOOL
VT_I1
VT_UI1
VT_UI2
VT_UI4
VT_ARRAY
Description
Default/Empty (Nothing)
2 byte signed integer
4 byte signed integer
4 byte real
8 byte real
currency
date
text
error code
Boolean (TRUE = 1, FALSE = 0)
1 byte signed character
1 byte unsigned character
2 byte unsigned integer
4 byte unsigned integer
Array of values (that is, 8200 = array of text values)
Table G-2 shows how AIM*AT data types are mapped to VARIANT data types.
Table G-2. AIM*AT to VARIANT Data Type Mappings
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B0400DG Rev C
The mapped VARIANT types are the canonical types of the OPC server. For example, if an OPC
client adds an OPC item that refers to a field that is an FH_SHORT in data server, the canonical
data type for that item is VT_I4. If a data type other than VT_EMPTY is specified by the client
when adding the item, that data type is always converted to VT_I4 first.
118
3 to 0
(lsb)
Value Type
Change
7 to 5
OM Connect statusd
Bad/Dis/Ok
Sec/Unsec
10
Ack/uncond. Int
11
OOS
12
Shadow
13
Limited High
14
LImited Low
15
Error
Reserved
31 (msb)
to 16
AIM*AT qualities are converted to standard OPC qualities. The mapping of AIM*AT real-time
status codes to OPC status codes is shown below:
AIM*AT Real-time Status Word
Bit#8
Bit#11
Bit#15
The following flow diagram shows how the mapping is done for real-time data:
119
B0400DG Rev C
true
bQual or bOOS
false
true
wStatus = Q BAD
wStatus = Q UNCERTAIN
bOOS
bError
false
false
wStatus = Q_GOOD
return
wStatus
0x0000
0x0040
0x00C0
0x001C
0x0008
0x0014
Other cases:
If a tag cannot be added, the status is set to Q_BAD | S_BAD_NOTCONN.
If a tag stops being updated, the status is set to Q_BAD | S_BAD_LASTKNOWN.
Qualities returned from historical queries indicate both the DA quality tag and the Historical data
access quality. Bits 15-0 or the quality word indicate the DA quality information, and Bits 31-16
indicate the Historical Data access quality. The following flow diagram shows how the quality is
determined:
120
Appendix H. Bit Mapping I/A Series Status Codes to OPC Status Codes
B0400DG Rev C
true
bUnavail
false
wStatus = Q BAD
true
bOOR or bPartial
false
wStatus = Q UNCERTAIN
wStatus = Q_GOOD
return
wStatus
The historical data access qualities that are andd into the DA quality word are shown below.
Quality Values
Description
Value
Associated DA
Quality
OPCHDA_EXTRADATA
0x00010000
OPCHDA_INTERPOLATED
0x00020000
OPCHDA_RAW
0x00040000
OPCHDA_CALCULATED
0x00080000
OPCHDA_NOBOUND
0x00100000
Bad
OPCHDA_NODATA
0x00200000
Bad
OPCHDA_DATALOST
Collection started/stopped/lost
0x00400000
Bad
OPCHDA_CONVERSION
Scaling/conversion error
0x00800000
Bad, Quest.
When a historical value is returned to an OPC client, the quality is set with the corresponding bit
set for the particular operation. For instance, the quality for returning raw historical data is done
this way:
m_dwQuality = (PSTHDA_RAW << 16) | AIMQualityToPXPQuality(iStatus[0]);
121
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where:
m_dwQuality
PSTHDA_RAW
AIMQualityTOPXPQuality
IStatus[0]
122
32-bit integer
Bit position for raw historical data
Function depicted by the first flow diagram in Figure H-1
Status of the value returned via a call to GetFoxHistRtpValues
123
B0400DG Rev C
124
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If this Allow secured writes option is changed, the configuration must be saved
to a config file and then loaded at server startup (similar to the secured writes file
option) in order for the changes to take effect.
126
127
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Device reads may be performed at any time on specific items in a group. They ignore the update
rate and active state of the group or items involved. Due to the fact that they by-pass normal
optimization routines, however, device reads should be used sparingly as they can incur severe
performance penalties in the server.
A scenario where a synchronous read from a device might be useful is in the case of a utility for
altering a series of set points in the device. The client application might create an inactive group
with the desired items and perform a device read. When the call completes, the item values are as
current as possible. The utility can then display the values, allow the user to alter them, and synchronously write them out to the device. This can be followed by a second device read to ensure
that the values were written.
Had a device read not been used, it could take some time before the server receives the first values
for the group after it is activated. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the values would all
arrive in the same update. A device read ensures that the values all arrive at the same time.
Technically, write operations are always device writes. However, there is no point in writing to the
cache, so this terminology is redundant.
128
Scaling Expressions
Table L-1 lists and describes the syntax for scaling expressions used in AIM*AT OPC Server
aliases.
Table L-1. Alias Scaling Expressions
Expression
text
+ * /
Not And Or
TIME
DATE
INT(x)
FRAC(x)
SQRT(x)
DIV(x, y)
IF(expression, x, y)
TRUE FALSE
Description
Text value (enclosed in
single quotation marks).
Addition (or Append),
Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division.
Equal To, Less Than,
Greater Than, Unequal
To, Less or Equal To,
Greater or Equal To.
Logical Not, Logical And,
Logical Or may also be
used for binary math.
Current time as text.
Current date as text.
Returns the integer part
of x.
Returns the fractional part
of x.
Returns the square root
of x.
Divides x by y.
Returns x if expression
evaluates to TRUE,
otherwise returns y
Constant Boolean true
and false
Examples
hello Joes Alias
(3 * 7 + 1) / 8 2
hi + there
3<4
(5 > 6) = FALSE
129
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Expression
TYPEOF(x)
STR(x)
UPPER(x)LOWER
(x)PRETTY(x)
FORMATNUMERIC(mask, x)
INPUT
OUTPUT
Description
Returns the data type of x
as a text description
(STRING, INTEGER,
FLOAT, BOOLEAN,
ERROR).
Converts the numeric
value x to text.
Converts the text value x
to all uppercase or
lowercase letters, or the
first letter uppercase and
the rest lowercase.
Returns a substring of the
x, copying length characters starting at start.
Converts the numeric
value x to text using the
format mask.
The incoming value read
from OPC item.
The outgoing value
written to OPC item.
Examples
TYPEOF(hello) = STRING
STR(3.14) = 3.14
UPPER(hello) = HELLO
LOWER(HI THERE) =
hi there PRETTY(ALARM) =
Alarm
COPY(FIDDLE, 2, 4) = IDDL
FORMATNUMERIC('####.#',
123.4567) = 123.5
INPUT * 3.1415
OUTPUT / 3.1415
For example:
North.FIC101,CV,Com1.Plc1.4:0001F,5,1,0,0,0
130
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Field
Alias Group
Alias Nam
Item Path
<data type>
<read-only>
<scaling>
<gain>,<offset>
Input Expression, Output Expression
Description
The name of the alias group folder to which the alias
item is added. Periods in this name indicate subfolders
below the root (that is, North.FIC101 = folder North
under the root and subfolder FIC101 under that).
The alias item name. To access a particular item from
an OPC client, the full pathname is delimited with
periods (that is, North.FIC101.CV).
The fully qualified item ID for the OPC item to which
this alias refers.
A number indicating the data type to convert the value
to before it is returned to the OPC client. This also
appears as the canonical data type for the alias when
browsing. Use as zero in this field for the default data
type of the referenced OPC item.
The number one in this field indicates that the alias
cannot be written to. The number zero indicates that it
can.
These values are used in conjunction to ensure that an
OPC item is always being scanned whether the client is
presently using it or not. Set the poll always value to a
one for the item to be scanned continuously, and specify the update rate in milliseconds. Otherwise, set both
values to zero.
Indicates which type of scaling is applied to the alias
item. The parameters that follow this value depend on
the type used. Possible scaling types are; 0 (none),
1 (linear), 2 (square root), (gain/offset), and
4 (expression).
Linear or square-root scaling parameters include the
raw high and low values, scaled high and low values,
and a clamping option. Possible clamp types are:
0 (none), 1 (clamp low value), 2 (clamp high value),
and 3 (clamp both high and low values).
Gain/offset scaling parameters include a scaling factor
and an offset.
Expression scaling parameters include input and output expressions. The input expression is applied to the
value from the OPC item when reading. The output
expression is applied to values going to the OPC item
when writing. These equations should be reciprocals of
each other.
131
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132
Index
.CSV format files 130
A
About this document xiii
Access Path 97
Active State 98
Activity logging, enabling 83
Adding OPC groups 93
Adding OPC items 96
Advanced OPC server options 54
OPC group update rate 54
time granularity 54
Advanced performance option settings 86
Advanced server configuration options 73
Advanced server parameter
AIM*AT server list 49
fast scan interval 49
max items per browse folder 49
max items per netAPI object 49
scan interval for string 49
slow scan interval 49
Aggregate Validity Threshold 47, 72
AIM*AT API Server Component
installing 13
AIM*AT ApiAdmin 13
AIM*AT OPC Server
configuring 67, 70
configuring DCOM for 57
configuring the AIM server 10
illustration of 2
installing 7
item ID 55
licensing 9
obtaining authorization code 10
OPC compliance 107
overview of 1
system requirements 5
AIM*AT Server List 49, 74
AIM*OPC Configurator 7, 19
AIM*OPC configurator
alias configuration page 33
starting 19
Alias
133
B0400DG Rev C
browsing for 35
creating new alias in OPC client 36
deleting 35
selecting 35
Alias configuration 129
Alias configuration CSV file format 130
Alias Configuration Page 33
Alias, creating 35
Alias, editing 38
Aliases, creating 76
Aliases. viewing configured 78
API*AT Server Timeout 72
Audience, document xiii
Authorization code 10
B
Backup For Saved Configuration 50
Blue question mark 98
Browsing for tags 25
Browsing for Tags In Order To Assign Aliases 35
Browsing the Server Address Space 97
Buttons
alias configuration page 34
Delta configuration page 25
insert 34
Buttons, delete selected aliases 35
Buttons, edit selected alias 34
Buttons, insert new alias 34
C
Canonical data type 118
Check boxes
Delta configuration page 25
Clear All 25
Buttons
clear all 35
COM options 105
Commit all log file writes 84
Configuration file
creating tags, updating tags, creating alias 23
defining OPC server parameters 22
defining settings 22
Configuration file, saving to 41
Configuration utility, main window 68
Configuration utility, server 67
Configurator
OPC server 19
Control values, writing to OPC items 100
Create Items when they are browsed 47, 72
134
Index
Index
B0400DG Rev C
135
B0400DG Rev C
H
HDA interfaces 111
HDA quality flags 116
I
Import Aliases 79
Imported tags 31
Insert Alias Group 76
Insert New Alias 34, 76
Insert or Insert new alias 34
Installation
AIM*AT API server 13
Installing
AIM*AT OPC Server 7
Interface Logging Settings 53
Interface logging, enabling 85
Item ID 55, 97
L
Launch configuration program on startup 82
Licensing
AIM*AT OPC Server 9
Linear scaling 77
Load Configuration On Startup 51
Load configuration on startup 82
M
Matrikon automation component 1
Matrikon configurator 8
Matrikon OPC Explorer
connecting to an OPC server 92
data display 99
setting options 102
signal generator 101
starting 87
viewing available OPC servers 91
Matrikon OPC explorer 1
Max Items per AIM*AT Object 49, 74
Max Items per Browse Folder 49, 74
Microsoft standard component category manager 114
N
NetAPI Server Timeout 47
O
OLE for Process Control (OPC) 2
OPC
136
Index
Index
B0400DG Rev C
DA 2
group object interfaces 108
HDA interfaces 111
I/O methods 95, 127
server object interfaces 107
standards xiv, 2
OPC DA 2.0 versus 1.0a asynchronous I/O 128
OPC Explorer, starting and using 87
OPC Group Update Rate 54
OPC groups, adding 93
OPC HDA 3
OPC items, adding 96
OPC items, validating added 98
OPC Server
shutdown 15, 17
startup 15
OPC server
configurator 19
OPC server control panel 16
OPC server parameters 45
Options
advanced options settings 54
general 50
general logging settings 52
interface logging settings 53
Overrun 80
Overwrite old log information 84
P
Parameters
general settings 46, 50
OPC server 45
PSTCFG.EXE 67
Q
Quality flags 115
R
Real-time values, reading 98
Reference documents xiv
Registry entries, server 114
Request asynchronous refreshes 104
Request time stamps with notification 103
Requested Data Type 98
Reset Statistics 80
Respect access rights when writing values 104
Restrict Items To Preconfigured Aliases Only 51
Restrict items to pre-configured aliases only 82
137
B0400DG Rev C
138
Index
Index
B0400DG Rev C
U
Update rate, specifying 94
V
Validate Tags 98
Validating the OPC Items 98
VARIANT data types 117
W
Writing control values 100
139