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It is a product
that we can define of new generation. In fact to realize
this product, the designers haven't followed the classic
laying of traditional SCADA package, but we have wanted to
turn the concept upside-down, the aim that we have fixed was
that to have a flexible instrument, adaptable to every kind
of need, easy to utilize and, above all integrated in the
operative system ChartView™.
It was designed entirely
on purpose and realized in C++ and it needn't any
other added package to work, both in reading from various
devices and on different Data Base. The package works and it
has been tested on operative systems WINDOWS, in particular
way on the version 98 that we recommend as development
system, and on the version Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000. We
can understand that the package not only is innovative in
the contents, but it is lined up to the very last versions
of the most known operative systems.
ChartView™ is
subdivided into different modules that enable its flexibility. Of these modules,
two are the basic ones, those that are always required. The first is a module
for configuration and development of the applications that is called DEVELOPMENT,
while the second that acts as RUN-TIME, that we have called SERVER. It is
also foreseen a third module called CLIENT, that is useful to the
creation of remote control stations.
Working principle:
In brief the basic philosophy can be summed up in
the following way:
ChartView™
made its own philosophy exasperating the concept, the
data... are the key of all.
The data are managed as
physic entities and their varying decides the actions that
are accomplished. All, in practice work according to the
principle called of Event-Driven, that is the software works
only if something provoked by connected devices happens.
This kind of approach, enables a better exploitation of the
PC elaboration power. In fact, in the traditional SCADA
systems, all points subjected to control, are put in a list,
that is totally controlled at every programmed time. This
means that, even the devices controlled are totally
standstill, and the scheduled cycle time is extremely short,
the PC will always work at full rhythm. Besides using
traditional systems can happen that the points list is so
big that the system doesn't have enough resources to check
all points in the cycle time unit. Then this cause that
whether you are obliged to prolong the cycle time or
to reduce the points number to check.
With the system adopted by
ChartView instead, if the devices connected are totally
standstill, the software doesn't absolutely absorb CPU time,
and the use of CPU time is directly proportional to points
number that at the same time change in the scheduled time
unit.
Paradoxically we can say that
independently from the scheduled points number, respect to
traditional systems, only in the extreme condition, that is
all the points change at the same time (impossible condition
to happen), ChartView is quick as other SCADA. Usually
is on an average 50 times quicker than other systems.
Basic
characteristics
CHARTVIEW has been designed to fully exploit
the powerful characteristics of new MICROSOFT operative systems. The programmers
have tried to bring in WINDOWS environment performances that as regards speed
with the same CPU, you find it at the top of the range. The whole package has
been written in C++ utilizing the MFC 4.0 of MICROSOFT. The functional test both
of the development package and the execution CORE, that enables the application
to work, has been done using all MICROSOFT instruments, enabling an high grade
of integration of the package with operative system.
Particular care by the
designers for the application written with CHARTVIEW
looks like in every part a WINDOWS native program.
Basic functionality
CHARTVIEW has
been designed to completely exploit the resource of MICROSOFT operative systems.
Still keeping untouched the characteristics of maximum flexibility and
configuration, enables the utilization of all instruments that we find in
software package of common use. This enables the developer to create some
application with a look and feel in line with all the work environment. The word
which characterize the ChartView™ philosophy is
"Connectivity". In fact the program enables some (the most important),
basic functionalities, then around the system gravitate a myriad of modules, the
Plug-Ins, which perfectly integrated in the package and among them, enable the
course of all accessory functionalities. In the meantime let us see the main
characteristics inserted in CHARTVIEW.
DataBase
The ChartView™
program makes no distinction anymore, thanks to total
integration of program in the Windows system, for the
developer there aren't any difference among the development
with format MDB (Access), or formats of type SQL (Oracle,
Ingress, SQL, Server, etc.). In fact for the user during the
configuration of application, the treatment of a MDB or SQL
field, or any other type (having at his disposal the ODBC
driver) is perfectly identical. Then, it is ChartView's task
to worry how to do the saving and reading procedures.
ChartView is able to work with just a Data Base each time (
but some future expansions are foreseen to work with
multiple Data Base), but it is also possible to manage
multiple schedules inside the same Data Base.
Graphics
The program heavily uses
the graphics (how could it be different) both in development
phases and in the work procedures with server and with the
client for data presentation in graphical format (Paper X-r,
Paper X-s, Capability, Dispersion, etc.). But above all, in
development phase, we do big use of graphical resources and
WYSIWYG philosophy, that is at the base of WINDOWS operative
system. Never as with ChartView™
the mouse is the winning weapon.
Print
The need to have copy of
the documents on paper support to enable the displaying of
all the read quantities and graphics by them transferred, by
a great number of people wider than the usual managers, has
been kept in count by programmers. We surely need a
"paper memory" of the survey directly made on
measure instruments or, anyway on devices, above all in
those cases in which the installment on which are made the
surveys is of big dimensions and involve a great
number of values. To underline particular moments in which
the installation has got problems, it is useful to keep
trace on paper about course of certain values. This enables
to have an historical reconstruction of all significant
events to be able to rebuild with absolute precision the
conditions and the reasons of the machine behavior. ChartView™
enable to create prints very elaborated in a very simple and
flexible way through Print Formats.
Control
ChartView™
enables both through the Server module but, above all through the Client module,
the management of windows which are contained inside control devices.. These
windows are the real interface among data that the system files and
the controller, that is who must use at various title such values. Through the
configuration program, the development, it is possible to give to such interface
different aspects, we go from graphics of statistical type (Paper X-r, Paper
X-s, Capability, dispersion, Cakes, etc.) up to the real control windows in
SCADA style. Through expansion modules is also possible to manage even a minimum
of operator interface associated to data
acquisition. We don't reach the sophistication of a real SCADA package, for the
very hard supervisions ChartView™ is able
to connect and interact with LOGOVIEW NT, of which is the younger brother, or
anyway with any other SCADA package, among those available on market,
nevertheless where the needs are modest it is possible to avoid the expense of a
second software solving the problems through the control functionality. Through
the internal language is then possible to interact with different windows,
manipulating in complete way any kind of WINDOWS, Dialog Box controls,
etc.
Field
The main task for a data acquisition program
is that of data collection from field. Obviously ChartView™
from this point of view is very well equipped and it enables a great number of
configurations. The main operations that we can execute are synchronous writing
and reading, through Basic language, and asynchronous reading. The synchronous
writing is useful to communicate through the field writing values on the device
connected on front field. Also synchronous reading is useful to communicate
with devices connected to field, this time reading the values. But the best
alternative to read values from field is surely the asynchronous reading. In
this modality the system cyclically directly receives values from the device,
without any preventive action if not the configuration from the reading source
and the control cycle time. In this way when there are some new values to
communicate to ChartView™, the same device
will communicate them, directly depositing them in the destination values
containers. In this way pass only the values that somehow have undergone a
modification, highly increasing the transaction speed. It is
possible to connect a high number of field devices to ChartView™,
we have the most widespread types of PLC, from serial type
to those connected to nets of proprietary type.
Screwers of brushless type able to give screwing
couple and angle, Presses and riveters, bar codes readers,
infrared sensors, measurement gauges, thermocouples,
proximity sensors, encoders, etc.
V_Basic
For last, but not in importance, the many time mentioned
internal language of ChartView™ : the BASIC. Why the Basic, it is
promptly explained., surely it is the most widespread programming language in
absolute. But in this case the designers have wanted to do more than required,
in fact it is not BASIC Script of MicrosoftÔ, the language that is integrated
by the Redmond society in all its programs (Word. Excel, Access, etc.). It's not
even the fact to buy a license of Visual Basic Microsoft aside, to develop
some Routine apart.... It is a real BASIC language apposite written to be
inserted and used inside ChartView™. The language has been designed and
realized in co-operation with a specialized society in programming languages,
and it is perfectly compatible with the Visual Basic and the Basic Script, at
source level, mentioned before. Surely a question will rise, but why to reinvent
what already exist? Well, the answer is very easy, a program as ChartView™
needs a very high elaboration speed to enable immediate answers, then to
warranty a true Real-Time. These speeds are not surely warranted by Basic Script
that besides being slow like a snail, it doesn't even enables the parallel
process of the procedures, that is not even warranted by the very powerful
Visual Basic, besides this last has got the defect to be rather expensive...
Instead the V-Basic (we have called it that way) not only enables elaboration in
parallel (multithreading), but it is able to execute background procedures, then
elaborating data in quick and efficient way. For all details we send you to
manual instructions, while to learn to use it, it is possible to use one of the
numerous books that the world bibliography has produced on the subject.
1 For MDB format or anyway local formats, it is
the same ChartView™ that creates schedules and manages them. On the contrary
for database in SQL format (Ingress, Oracle, MSQL, etc.), it is evident that you
need the license of the server you decide to use and for work schedule creation,
you must follow the usual procedure, while for configuration and connection to
server, ChartView™, also in these cases is totally autonomous. Su
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