To login using ViewX: 1. From the File menu, select the Log On option. 2. In the Username field, enter the username Eng. 3. Click the OK button.

Transcription

1 4 A First Configuration For the following chapters, you will need to be logged onto the system to perform configuration action. Ensure you are logged on by following these steps: To login using ViewX: 1. From the File menu, select the Log On option. 2. In the Username field, enter the username Eng. 3. Click the OK button. Note: If you were able to successfully logon to the system, you will see the username Eng displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. 4.1 Organising Your Database You should organise your database so that the tree-structure is logical and userfriendly. This allows you (and other users) to locate items quickly. Organising your database is achieved through the use of Groups. Each Group can contain other database items, including other Groups. This allows you to create a multi-level tree-structure in the Database Bar. The structure of the database can best be thought of as similar to the hierarchical folder structure found in Windows. All items are created in the database using the same mechanism. Follow the steps below to create a new Group, a Mimic and RTU Communications objects. In ClearSCADA, an RTU is referred to as an outstation; however these terms may be used interchangeably in this training manual. To create a new group: 1. Right-click on the System in the Database Bar. 2. On the Context Sensitive menu, select the New option. This displays a list of creatable objects in the database. Select the Group option followed by Group. This adds a new Group to the tree-structure. 3. Name the new Group Training Note: When new groups are created, they already contain a Mimic named Default. This mimic is set as the Default Mimic of the new Group. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-1

2 Following the same process used to create the group, create and name the following objects in the groups specified. Note: SCADAPack 350 supports both Modbus and DNP protocols. In the table below, select the appropriate protocol that you wish to work with during the training. If you are unsure which one to use, please ask your instructor. The Base Group is the name of the group where you should create the object. The Object Type is the type of object to create in the Base Group and the Object Name is the name that you should give to the objects you create. Base Group Object Type Object Name Training Group Reservoir Training Training Reservoir DNP3 Direct Channel or SCADAPack Modbus Direct Channel DNP3 Direct Outstation Set or SCADAPack Modbus Direct Outstation Set DNP3 Direct Outstation or SCADAPack Modbus Direct Outstation Channel Set Outstation Reservoir Group Pump 1 Reservoir Pump 1 Pump 1 DNP3 Analog Input Point or SCADAPack Modbus Analog Input Point DNP3 Binary Input Point or SCADAPack Modbus Digital Input Point DNP3 Binary Output Point or SCADAPack Modbus Digital Output Point Level Running Start Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-2

3 Note: Crosses on the object indicate a configuration error related to that object. The crosses are updated as objects are saved or when the F5 function key is pressed (assuming that the error has been cleared). Note that the F5 key will refresh the Database Bar and alphabetically organise the database. When you open the properties of an object with a configuration error, the error will be displayed at the bottom of the properties form. Double clicking on the error will move the cursor to the field which is causing the error. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-3

4 4.2 Configure Outstation and Points Each database object has a large number of properties that define how the object behaves. Most objects have some properties that are common to all types of objects and other properties that are specific to that type of object. For example, a channel has some properties that are common to outstations, points, and other objects as well as other properties that are only available to channels (or that particular type of channel). You can modify the properties of an object by using the settings on the object s configuration Form. To access the configuration Form for an object: 1. Right-click on the object in the Database Bar. 2. Select the Properties option to display the object s Form. Note: You can also display the properties form of an object by double clicking on the object in the Database Bar. Outstation Form Each Form consists of a number of tabs, each containing a variety of fields that correspond to the properties of the object. By changing the settings in these fields, you can alter the behavior of the object. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-4

5 For each object we created in the last section, we need to now set the properties to enable RTU communications. We will start with the Channel. Note: There are two sections below describing how to connect to the RTU using either serial or Ethernet communications for the appropriate Protocol. Please use the relevant section. If you are unsure which one to use, please ask your instructor Serial Channel If you are connecting to the RTU using a serial connection, then follow the steps in this section. If you are using an Ethernet connection to the RTU, proceed to section The channel object specifies the type of communications that will be used to connect to the device, along with some timing parameters. A single channel can be used to communicate with multiple RTU s, depending on the type of communications used. Section will cover the settings and configurations for the DNP3 protocol and section will cover Modbus protocol. Please continue with the relevant section DNP3 To configure the DNP3 Direct Channel: 1. Open the properties form of Training.Channel by right clicking on the channel object in the Database Bar and selecting the properties option. 2. On the Channel tab, put the channel In Service. By ticking or clearing the In Service field and then saving the change, you dynamically enable or disable this object in the database. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-5

6 Note: To determine the function of a specific property, hover the cursor over the property on the Form a ToolTip will be displayed. The ToolTip contains a short description of the property. When you select the property, the ClearSCADA status bar at the bottom of the display will show the actual property name and its data type. 3. Ensure that Time Zone is set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Advanced drivers in ClearSCADA allow the selection of either local time or UTC time. This is the time used at the outstation for time stamping events, and in some cases it is also used for time based control sequences. It is also the time used when ClearSCADA sets the outstation s clock. Using UTC time allows for a common time base across an entire system and simplifies the handling of daylight savings times. Note: In all places in this course, if specific properties are not mentioned, do not change them from their default values. 4. On the Connection tab, configure the following settings: Connection Type Serial Port Select an available port on your PC Note If using a full null modem cable set the Flow Control to RTS/CTS. Your instructor will tell you the Baud Rate required for connecting to your RTU. These settings define the connection between the channel in ClearSCADA and the DNP3 device that is connected to the system. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-6

7 Note: You need to ensure that the baud rate defined on the channel matches the baud rate configured in the RTU. SCADAPack RTUs default to 9600 baud. 5. On the Scan Parameters tab, configure the Line Speed to The line speed is used internally by ClearSCADA drivers to help calculate delays in responses to sent messages. On slower lines (such as serial connections), message timeouts are automatically extended to allow for increased transmissions times. 6. Save the Channel form by selecting the Save icon from the toolbar. You will note that the configuration error cross in the Database Bar disappears since there are no configuration errors on this object Modbus To configure the SCADAPack Modbus Direct Channel: 1. Open the properties form of Training.Channel by right clicking on the channel object in the Database Bar and selecting the properties option. 2. On the Channel tab, put the channel In Service. By ticking or clearing the In Service field and then saving the change, you dynamically enable or disable this object in the database. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-7

8 Note: To determine the function of a specific property, hover the cursor over the property on the Form a ToolTip will be displayed. The ToolTip contains a short description of the property. When you select the property, the ClearSCADA status bar at the bottom of the display will show the actual property name and its data type. 3. Ensure that Time Zone is set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Advanced drivers in ClearSCADA allow the selection of either local time or UTC time. This is the time used at the outstation for time stamping events, and in some cases it is also used for time based control sequences. It is also the time used when ClearSCADA sets the outstation s clock. Using UTC time allows for a common time base across an entire system and simplifies the handling of daylight savings times. Note: In all places in this course, if specific properties are not mentioned, do not change them from their default values. 4. On the Connection tab, configure the following settings: Connection Type Serial Port Select an available port on your PC Note If using a full null modem cable set the Flow Control to RTS/CTS. Your instructor will tell you the Baud Rate required for connecting to your RTU. These settings define the connection between the channel in ClearSCADA and the Modbus device that is connected to the system. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-8

9 Note: You need to ensure that the baud rate defined on the channel matches the baud rate configured in the RTU. SCADAPack RTUs default to 9600 baud. 5. On the Scan Parameters tab, configure the Line Speed to The line speed is used internally by ClearSCADA drivers to help calculate delays in responses to sent messages. On slower lines (such as serial connections), message timeouts are automatically extended to allow for increased transmissions times. 6. Save the Channel form by selecting the Save icon from the toolbar. You will note that the configuration error cross in the Database Bar disappears since there are no configuration errors on this object Ethernet Channel If you are connecting to the RTU using an Ethernet connection, then follow the steps in this section. If you are using a serial connection to the RTU, follow the steps outlined in the previous section (4.2.1). The channel object specifies the type of communications that will be used to connect to the device, along with some timing parameters. A single channel can be used to communicate with multiple RTU s, depending on the type of communications used. Section will cover the settings and configurations for the DNP3 protocol and section will cover Modbus protocol. Please continue with the relevant section DNP3 To configure the DNP3 Direct Channel: 1. Open the properties form of Training.Channel. 2. On the Channel tab, put the channel In Service. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue 1 4-9

10 By ticking or clearing the In Service field and then saving the change, you dynamically enable or disable this object in the database. Note: To determine the function of a specific property, hover the cursor over the property on the Form a ToolTip will be displayed. The ToolTip contains a short description of the property. When you select the property, the ClearSCADA status bar at the bottom of the display will show the actual property name and its data type. 3. Ensure that Time Zone is set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Advanced drivers in ClearSCADA allow the selection of either local time or UTC time. This is the time used at the outstation for time stamping events, and in some cases it is also used for time based control sequences. It is also the time used when ClearSCADA sets the outstation s clock. Using UTC time allows for a common time base across an entire system and simplifies the handling of daylight savings times. Note: In all places in this course, if specific properties are not mentioned, do not change them from their default values. 4. On the Connection tab, configure the following settings: Connection Type Network TCP/IP Type UDP Merge Connections - Yes Listen Port Enabled Yes Listen Port Number (this is the default UDP port on which ClearSCADA will listen for incoming messages) Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

11 These settings define the connection between the channel in ClearSCADA and the DNP3 device that is connected to the system. 5. On the Scan Parameters tab, configure the Line Speed to The line speed is used internally by ClearSCADA drivers to help calculate delays in responses to sent messages. On slower lines (such as serial connections), message timeouts are automatically extended to allow for increased transmissions times. 6. Save the Channel form by selecting the Save icon from the toolbar. You will note that the configuration error cross in the Database Bar disappears since there are no configuration errors on this object Modbus To configure the Modbus Direct Channel: 7. Open the properties form of Training.Channel. 8. On the Channel tab, put the channel In Service. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

12 By ticking or clearing the In Service field and then saving the change, you dynamically enable or disable this object in the database. Note: To determine the function of a specific property, hover the cursor over the property on the Form a ToolTip will be displayed. The ToolTip contains a short description of the property. When you select the property, the ClearSCADA status bar at the bottom of the display will show the actual property name and its data type. 9. Ensure that Time Zone is set to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Advanced drivers in ClearSCADA allow the selection of either local time or UTC time. This is the time used at the outstation for time stamping events, and in some cases it is also used for time based control sequences. It is also the time used when ClearSCADA sets the outstation s clock. Using UTC time allows for a common time base across an entire system and simplifies the handling of daylight savings times. Note: In all places in this course, if specific properties are not mentioned, do not change them from their default values. 10. On the Connection tab, configure the following settings: Connection Type Network TCP/IP Type TCP Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

13 These settings define the connection between the channel in ClearSCADA and the Modbus device that is connected to the system. 11. On the Scan Parameters tab, configure the Line Speed to The line speed is used internally by ClearSCADA drivers to help calculate delays in responses to sent messages. On slower lines (such as serial connections), message timeouts are automatically extended to allow for increased transmissions times. 12. On the Modbus tab, configure the Protocol Type to TCP. This defines the Modbus protocol being used with the device 13. Save the Channel form by selecting the Save icon from the toolbar. You will note that the configuration error cross in the Database Bar disappears since there are no configuration errors on this object. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

14 4.2.3 Establishing Communications To establish communications to the Outstation, both the Set and Outstation objects also need to be configured. Section will cover the settings and configurations for the DNP3 protocol and section will cover Modbus protocol. Please continue with the relevant section DNP3 To establish communications to the Outstation, both the Set and Outstation objects also need to be configured. For the Outstation Set object named Training.Set, configure the following: Tab Property Setting Outstation Set In Service Yes Channel Training.Channel DNP3 DNP3 Local Address If using SCADAPack E-Series, Other SCADAPack RTUs, 100 Note: Where the field on the form has a browse button next to it (small button with three dots), ClearSCADA will display a dialog listing all the instances of the required object type for selection rather than having to type the information in manually each time. For the Outstation object named Outstation, configure the following: Tab Section Property Setting Outstation n/a In Service Yes n/a Outstation Set Training.Set DNP3 n/a Address RTU DNP3 address as provided by instructor Integrity (Class 0) Polling Interval 10 Seconds (or 10S) Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

15 If you are using an Ethernet connection to the RTU, you will also need to configure the following: Tab Section Property Setting Network n/a Network Single Network n/a Host Address RTU IP Address as provided by instructor n/a Port Now we need to verify that the communications to the device are working correctly. The simplest way to verify this is through the use of the Outstation View dialog. To display the View dialog: 1. Right click on the Outstation object in the Database Bar. 2. On the Context Sensitive menu, select the View Status option. The View Status dialog for the DNP3 outstation object will display status information such as Protocol Alarms, Communications State, Message Statistics, etc. If the communications to the device is successful, the State field should be shown as Healthy, Multidrop. If communications are not Healthy, Multidrop then View the status for the other objects in the hierarchy of the communications settings (Set and Channel) to determine if these objects are in a healthy state. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

16 Check that you have configured the channel and set as described in the previous sections. If you have configured them correctly and the outstation is still not healthy, ask your course instructor for assistance Modbus To establish communications to the Outstation, both the Set and Outstation objects also need to be configured. For the Outstation Set object named Training.Set, configure the following: Tab Property Setting Outstation Set In Service Yes Channel Training.Channel Modbus Set Address 10 (Arbitrary value set for each group of SCADAPack or Generic Modbus controllers that communicate via a particular direct channel) Note: Where the field on the form has a browse button next to it (small button with three dots), ClearSCADA will display a dialog listing all the instances of the required object type for selection rather than having to type the information in manually each time. For the Outstation object named Outstation, configure the following: Tab Section Property Setting Outstation n/a In Service Yes n/a Outstation Set Training.Set SCADAPack n/a Address RTU MB address as provided by instructor Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

17 If you are using an Ethernet connection to the RTU, you will also need to configure the following: Tab Section Property Setting Network n/a Network Single Network n/a Host Address RTU IP Address as provided by instructor n/a Port 502 Now we need to verify that the communications to the device are working correctly. The simplest way to verify this is through the use of the Outstation View dialog. To display the View dialog: 3. Right click on the Outstation object in the Database Bar. 4. On the Context Sensitive menu, select the View Status option. The View Status dialog for the Modbus outstation object will display status information such as Protocol Alarms, Communications State, Message Statistics, etc. If the communications to the device is successful, the State field should be shown as Healthy, Multidrop. If communications are not Healthy, Multidrop then View the status for the other objects in the hierarchy of the communications settings (Set and Channel) to determine if these objects are in a healthy state. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

18 Check that you have configured the channel and set as described in the previous sections. If you have configured them correctly and the outstation is still not healthy, ask your course instructor for assistance. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

19 4.3 Configure and Test Outstation Points The next step is to configure the DNP3 points so that ClearSCADA can retrieve data from the RTU points and store it accordingly. The points will also allow you to send controls to the corresponding points in the outstation. The Running point is a binary input point reporting whether the pump is running or stopped. The Level point is an analog input point reporting the level of the water in the reservoir. The Start point allows a user to send Start and Stop commands to the RTU (turning on and off a binary output on the RTU). For the Binary Input point named Running, configure the following settings: Tab Section Property Setting Binary Point n/a In Service Yes n/a Outstation Training.Reservoir.Outstation n/a Point Number 1 States State 0 Description Stopped State 1 Description State 0 Severity State 1 Severity Running Event, Low Event, Low Trend Update Rate 1 second (or 1S) Logged Data Historic Data Filter Static and Event Data Historic n/a Enabled Yes Trend / List Use Raw Data Yes Whenever we create objects in the database, it is good practice to verify that they are operating as expected Verify that the point is updating as expected using the points View dialog. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

20 For the Binary Output point named Start, configure the following settings: Tab Section Property Setting Binary Point n/a In Service Yes n/a Outstation Training.Reservoir.Outstation n/a Point Number 1 Trend Update Rate 1 second (or 1S) Historic n/a Enabled Yes Trend / List Use Raw Data Yes Control Actions Action 1 Enabled Yes n/a Action 2 Enabled Action 1 Description Action 2 Description Update point on successful action Yes Stop Start Yes Verify that the controls work as expected by using the Control option available on the object menu (right click on the point). Verify that the point is updating as expected on the outstation and by using the points View dialog. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

21 For the Analog Input point named Level, configure the following settings: Tab Section Property Setting Analog Point n/a In Service Yes n/a Outstation Training.Reservoir.Outstation n/a Point Number 1 Alarm Limits High High Limits 80, Alarm, Critical High Limits Low Limits 60, Alarm, High 40, Alarm, Medium Scaling Low Low Limits Raw Full Scale 20, Alarm, Low Check with your instructor as your full scale may be different. Formatting Units % Format 0.00 Trend Update Rate 1 second (or 1S) Logged Data Historic Data Filter Static and Event Data Historic n/a Enabled Yes Trend / List Use Raw Data Yes Verify that the point is updating as expected using the points View dialog. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

22 4.4 Create a Mimic The first Mimic that we create will contain outstation communications status as well as the status for each of the points we configured. The image below shows the mimic we are going to create. Open the mimic Training.Reservoir.Default in design mode by double-clicking on it in the Database Bar. The design button on the toolbar will indicate that the mimic is in design mode. You may also see the grid dots on the mimic and a pink colored box in the status bar. The mimic grid is a tool designed to help alignment of drawn objects and is only available in design mode. Display Communication Status One of the properties of the Outstation object is named StateDesc. This property is used to indicate the current state of communications to the device. This is the field we verified in the View dialog to check that our communications to the outstation was working as expected. To display the outstation state description on the mimic: 1. Ensure the Mimic Training.Reservoir.Default is on display and in design mode. 2. Drag the Outstation object from the ClearSCADA Data Bar onto the mimic. 3. From the displayed menu, select the State option. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

23 The Healthy, Multidrop text will be displayed on the mimic in a text box. Note: The drag menu displayed above provides a shortcut method to displaying the most common object properties. These common properties provide the user with information about the status of the object. 4. Put the mimic into run mode by clicking on the Design button on the tool bar. 5. Hover the mouse over the text box and you will notice that the cursor changes to a hand. The hand indicates that there is a Pick Action available on this object. 6. Click on the object and from the Object Menu, select the Refresh option. When the refresh method is selected, ClearSCADA will initiate a poll of the outstation. As you call the Refresh method, examine the lights on the RTU to verify that ClearSCADA has communicated with the RTU. 7. Disconnect the serial or Ethernet (depending on your connection) from the RTU port and verify that the communications state changes to Failed. A communication Failed alarm should also be shown in the alarm banner and alarm list. This information is also logged in the event list. Note that the color of the communication status changes. This color indicates that the object is bad quality in this case, communications have failed. The color also indicates things such as alarm conditions, alarms disabled and local overrides. 8. Replace the cable and verify that communications return to Healthy, Multidrop. As the state returns to Healthy, Multidrop, the color should now indicate an unacknowledged, cleared alarm. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

24 9. Acknowledge the alarm from the object menu. The color should now indicate the normal state. To test the operation of the points: 1. Drag the Name of the three points onto the mimic. 2. Next to the name of the Binary points, display the State of the point. 3. Next to the Analog point Level, display the Value Formatted Value. Note: The Formatted Value is a property of Analog points (FormattedValue) that returns a string made up of the units appended to the current value (with a space in between). 4. Add headings to the mimic using the text tool in the Mimic Editing toolbar. The text tool icon is shown below. The mimic you have created should look similar to the one shown below. 5. Ensure the mimic is in run mode. 6. Turn On and Off Binary Input 1 on the RTU and verify that the mimic updates with correct values. 7. Open the Historic Trend from the Running object menu and verify that multiple changes of the switch within a single poll period are all logged in the ClearSCADA Historic database. 8. Verify that state changes are logged in the event list as expected. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

25 9. Using the Start object menu, verify that controls to this point result in output relay being operated. 10. Verify that the Analog Input point can be changed and ClearSCADA logs the changes in the Historic database for the Level point. 11. Verify in the Event List that alarms are generated as the analog value passes the configured alarm limits. 12. Disconnect the communications cable to the RTU. 13. Manipulate the inputs to the RTU. 14. Reconnect the RTU and verify that inputs made while the communications were disconnected are reflected in the ClearSCADA database. Note: Handling of historic time-stamped data is natively supported in the ClearSCADA software. Since DNP3 supports the transmission of time-stamped data, this allows the ClearSCADA historian to log all event type data received from the RTU. This includes alarming from historic time-stamped data. Chapter 4 A First Configuration Issue

26 5 Animating Mimics In this chapter, we will draw and animate a reservoir. In this mimic, the level of the reservoir will move up and down based on the value of the analog input to the RTU, and the pump will change color to indicate whether it is stopped or running. The final mimic will look similar to the image below. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-1

27 5.1 Draw the Reservoir Use the drawing tools to draw a reservoir on the Training.Reservoir.Default mimic. 1. Using the Polygon drawing tool, draw a tank similar to the picture shown below. 2. Draw a rectangle over the top of the tank that will be used to show the level in the tank as shown below. You will need to change the color to differentiate between the two shapes. 3. Select the front rectangle and send it to the back so that the tank outline is on top. Note: Arrangement tools can be found in both the Context Sensitive menu available when right-clicking on the object, and in the Arrange Menu. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-2

28 5.2 Animate the Reservoir Simply drawing a set of objects on a mimic does not provide much benefit unless the objects can indicate the status of what is really happening to the physical device. In this section we will update the reservoir to indicate the water level. Mimic elements can be animated to control their behavior. An animation is a property of a mimic element, which may be dynamically altered according to values of database object properties. In this section of the course, we will be animating the Reservoir to indicate the water level by a change in size. Not surprisingly, this is referred to as a size animation. Before you begin to animate the reservoir, we are going to discuss two important concepts that relate to animations: Each object in the ClearSCADA database is referenced by its location in the hierarchy, i.e. the Level point is known as Training.Reservoir.Level. Each folder level is separated by a. in the same way that folder levels in Microsoft Windows are separated by a \. This means that multiple objects in the database can be named the same thing, assuming that they are contained in different folders. Quotations Any string placed in an animation enclosed in double quotes will be evaluated. For example, entering the string.level.fullscale will return the value of the Full Scale property of the Level point. All animations related to database properties will be within double quotes. Any text placed within single quotes is considered a static string, i.e. it does not change. Relative and Absolute Addresses When using the objects in an animation, either a relative or an absolute address can be used. An absolute address contains the full path name for the object. A relative reference uses a notation where the point is named relative to the location of the calling animation. For example, if we were to call the FullScale property of the Level point from the mimic Training.Reservoir.Default, the following would be used.level.fullscale. Notice the. in the animation. The first dot means to start in the current group. Any subsequent dot means go up one further level in the group hierarchy. In our case, if we had a point named Test in the root of our system, a relative address from the mimic Training.Reservoir.Default would be...test.fullscale. The first dot means to start in the Reservoir group. The second dot means go up one level (to the Training group) and the third dot means go up one more level again (which is the root of the system). Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-3

29 Now that you are familiar with the concepts of quotations and relative and absolute addresses, you can begin to create your size animations Size Animations To implement the size animation, perform the following steps: 1. Select the rectangle that forms the water part of the reservoir. Note: To select elements, which are hidden behind each other, select the front item and use Alt Double Click. This will select the item behind the one, which is currently selected. 2. Right click on the selected rectangle and select Animations from the Context Sensitive menu displayed. The following window will be displayed. The animations window allows you to associate the properties of a mimic element with the values of database object properties. For example, you can associate the Value property of a text box with a point such that the text box will show the current value of a point in the database (and will update automatically each time the point value changes). 3. Select the SizeMax animation. This represents the maximum size of the rectangle (the size at which it was drawn). 4. Select the Edit button to display the expressions window (or double click the SizeMax animation). The Expressions dialog below will be displayed. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-4

30 5. Select the browse button next to the expression field to display a Context Sensitive menu. Select the OPC Tag option. Note: Browse buttons are indicated by buttons with three dots. All browse buttons provide access to a browse dialog that you can use to search the system for the property or value you require. The OPC Tag browser window is displayed. This window allows you to browse through every object and its associated properties in the ClearSCADA database for use in an expression. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-5

31 6. Use the browse window to locate and select the FullScale property of the Level point (the FullScale property tag is within the $Config branch of tags as it is a configuration setting). The FullScale property is the highest permitted value for the point (as configured on the point form). Note: Terminology Object any item within the database. Property one of the fields associated with an object. Tag (OPC Tag) the combination of the object and property separated by a.. Close the dialogs to return to the animations window. Note that the expression entered in the SizeMax field is.level.fullscale. 7. Repeat steps 3-6, only this time associate the SizeMin animation with the ZeroScale property. The SizeMin animation associates the point minimum value with the minimum size for the rectangle. 8. Repeat steps 3-6, only this time associate the SizeVal animation with the CurrentValue property. In step 4, tick the Fast Updates tick box. Note: You will not find this in the $Config branch. The SizeVal animation sets the rectangle size to relate to the current value of the point (between the min and max value). The Fast Updates tick box tells the server to update the client at a faster update rate for the Tags referenced in this animation. This will be covered in more detail in a later section. 9. Close the animations window and open the properties dialog for the rectangle. 10. On the displayed dialog, set the Dynamic Sizing Direction to Bottom to Top. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-6

32 This sets the rectangle to resize from the bottom upwards, so that the higher the value, the taller the rectangle will be. 11. Place the mimic in Run Mode and verify that the water level in the reservoir changes as the Level Analog input is adjusted. 5.3 Draw the Pump When you install ClearSCADA, a range of symbols are available in the symbol library. Over the next few exercises we will show examples of how these pre-built symbols can be used to generate objects in ClearSCADA. This exercise will look at using one of the predefined pump symbols to animate our mimic. To add a pump to the mimic, perform the following steps: 1. Display the Mimic Symbol Library.Symbol Library Index in Run mode. 2. On the Symbol Library Index Mimic, click on the Pumps group. This acts as a hyperlink to another Mimic that contains all of the pump symbols. 3. Click on the pump symbol named Pump A1. The group structure in the Database Bar is expanded and the Pump A1 Mimic is highlighted. 4. Open the Pump A1 Mimic in Design mode. 5. Right-click on the pump symbol in the Pump A1 Mimic and select the Copy option from the context-sensitive menu. 6. Return to the Reservoir Mimic, right-click in the design area and then select the Paste option from the context-sensitive menu. A copy of the Pump A1 symbol is added to the Reservoir Mimic. 7. Position the pump symbol as required. 8. Close the Pump A1 Mimic. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-7

33 5.4 Animate the Pump The next stage in drawing our mimic is to animate the pump to reflect whether it is running or stopped. In this section, we will be animating the pump to indicate the state by a change in color. To do this, we will use the Flow Chart Editor Flow Chart Editor for Animations The flow chart editor provides a graphical way of building complex animations. In its simplest form, the flow chart editor provides two alternate returned values depending on the value of a single input value. For example, the pump will be red when running and green when stopped. In other systems, the pump may be red when stopped and green when running. For more complex arrangements, one result may be returned based on the combination of a number of inputs which are related by a complex expression. For example, if the pump is running and the pump is in fault, then make the pump flashing red. All these things can be achieved using animations. The simplest way to configure the animations is to use the flow chart editor. To configure the pump color to indicate pump run status, follow the steps below: 1. Right click on the pump symbol on the mimic and select Animations. 2. For the PolyFill -> FillColor animation, select the Flowchart button The three sets of groupings in the animation list (Button, Poly and Text ) are used in place of the simple Fill, Font, Pen and Line groups. This is to provide individual control of the properties of these items when the group may contain multiple types of objects. In this case, the pump is made up of multiple objects, and so the PolyFill group is used. The following screen will be displayed. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-8

34 3. Right Click on the 0 box and from the context menu select Insert. 4. Double click on the decision block (the one containing the text TRUE) and in the window displayed, browse to find the Running point. This is the decision point that evaluates which result should be returned. If the expression in this block is evaluated as TRUE, then the result returned will be the box along the True path. Similarly, when the expression is evaluated as FALSE, the result returned will be the box along the False path. Note that in this case we have used the point itself rather than an individual property of the point. This is because when no property is specified for a point value, it returns the default property which is the value of the point. 5. Double click the box to the right of the decision box. The Expression window is displayed. 6. Select the Browse button to the right hand side of the window and choose Color. From the displayed color chart, choose Red. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue 1 5-9

35 Note that the expression RGB( 255, 0, 0 ) is automatically entered into the expression window for you. If you know the specific color reference it can be added manually if required. Note: More colors are available by clicking on the three dots on the bottom right hand corner of the color chart. The dialog then displayed allows the full range of RGB colors to be selected (over 16 million colors). 7. Click OK to close the Expression window. Note that the Flowchart changes to indicate the color returned on the True branch is Red as show in the image below. 8. Repeat Steps 5-7 to select the False state to display Green. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue

36 9. Click OK to close the flowchart editor. You can see that the animation has been filled in for us based on the flowchart. The decision tree we just developed relates to the expression: iif(.pump 1.Running, RGB(255,0,0), RGB(0,255,0)) The iif statement returns a value based on the evaluation of its expression field. The structure of this statement is as follows: iif(expression, TRUE value, FALSE value) In this example, if the current state of the Running point is TRUE, then the color will be red (RGB(255,0,0)). If the current state is FALSE, then the color will be green (RGB(0,255,0)) If you know the format of the statement and the results that you require, there is no reason that you cannot enter the statement directly. 10. Put the mimic in Run mode and verify that the pump changes color when you toggle the Running point. 11. Note that the pump has tinges of red at the extremities of the object. Repeat steps 1-10 so that the pump gradient fills are also animated based on the digital input. Note that the animation of interest is GradColour. 12. Verify that the entire pump symbol now animates as expected. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue

37 5.5 Completing the Mimic Using the skills learned so far complete the mimic so that it looks similar to the one shown below. Note: Holding down the Alt key while dragging objects will disable the snap to grid functionality. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue

38 5.6 Exercises 1. Display on the mimic, the time that each point was last updated. This is available as a standard option when dragging and dropping the points onto the mimic. 2. Create a tooltip on the pump that shows the current state of the pump i.e. Stopped or Running. 5.7 Exercises (Advanced) 1. Modify the tooltip on the pump such that the text shows the following: Pump State is Running OR Pump State is Stopped. 2. Analyse the animations used in the text fields on the mimic. Which animations are used by default when dragging an item onto a mimic? What does each of these animations do? 3. Change the color of the water in the reservoir such that it turns brown when below 15%. Chapter 5 Animating Mimics Issue