OPCcalc® and EDICTvb.Net (v.4.2.0)

OPCcalc® and EDICTvb.Net (v.4.2.0)

OPCcalc® is a vendor-neutral, process calculation framework for OPC data. OPCcalc allows you to easily create and manage process calculations that read and write current and historical OPC data.
Learn more about OPCcalc…
EDICTvb.Net™ is a process calculation framework for OSISoft PI. EDICTvb.Net allows you to easily create and manage process calculations that read and write current and historical PI data.
Learn more about EDICTvb.Net…

Version 4.2.0 Release

Version highlights:

  • Sub-second calculations and messaging
  • Equation Server API
  • Equation Server Command Line Tool (EqSvrCmdTool)
  • Editor: Dockable Windows
  • OPCcalc support for HDA-Only OPC Servers 
  • OPCcalc: read/write full OPC-DA tag quality ($QUALITY_DA, $SETQUAL_DA)
  • OPCcalc: Additional OPCHDA Aggregate support
  • Recalculation status screen: “runtime” and “time left” added

 

Sub-second calculations and messaging

In previous versions, the smallest execution interval for an equation library was one second. The minimum interval is now 50 msec. Sub-second execution intervals should be a multiple of 50 msec.

Both the execution interval and offset support sub-second values.

Equation Server API

First release of the Equation Server API, a .Net programmatic interface to the Equation Server.

The Equation Server API is a Microsoft .NET programmatic interface that allows developers to write local or remote custom applications that perform functions currently available in the Equation Scheduler.

Using the Equation Server API, users can programmatically

  • Configure equation libraries (interval, offset, …)
  • Start and stop equation libraries 
  • Monitor the status of equation libraries 
  • Request and return snapshot reports from running equation libraries

Equation Server Command Line tool (EqSvrCmdTool)

The Equation Server Command Line Tool allows the user to list, start, and stop equation libraries from a command prompt, batch file, or script. These commands are a subset of operations that can be performed from the Equation Scheduler

Editor: Dockable Windows

The Editor now contains dockable windows for information previously available in non-dockable windows.

The Equation Editor is comprised of multiple tool windows, each with its own specific purpose. The windows can be rearranged into a different layout that will persist across restarts of the application. Windows can be hidden or revealed, docked to different sides of the application, or reset to the original, default layout. The layout can also be locked down to prevent any unintended changes to the arrangement of the Windows.

Dockable windows include:

  • Libraries: a list of existing equation libraries
  • Equations: a list of all equations (output tags) in the current library
  • Tags: If connected to the Server, will display all input and output tags in the current library
  • Functions: a listing of all built-in editor functions, keywords and constants, along with any user functions
  • Build results: shows the result of building the library and presents either success or failure with a list of warnings and errors.

OPCcalc support for HDA-Only OPC Servers

Previous version of OPCcalc supported OPC-DA and optionally OPC-HDA. Current values were accessed through OPC-DA and historical values and aggregates through OPC-HDA. Values could be written through OPC-DA and OPC-HDA.

In order to work with previous versions of OPCcalc, a vendor that supplied OPC-HDA must also supply OPC-DA. This is true for many OPC-HDA vendors but not all, therefore preventing OPCcalc to work with some OPC-HDA vendors (e.g. GE Proficy, Canary Labs, Kepware Historian).

OPCcalc will now support OPC-HDA-only OPC Servers. Access to current data is done through HDA. Configuration of an HDA-only OPC Server Alias will allow the user to configure how current data is retrieved through OPC-HDA.

OPCcalc: read/write full OPC-DA tag quality ($QUALITY_DA, $SETQUAL_DA)

The OPC-DA tag quality is composed of a general quality (good, bad, uncertain) and sub-status (e.g. device failure).

In previous versions of OPCcalc the general quality could be read/written. OPCcalc now supports reading and writing the full DA quality (general and sub-status).

Reading and writing full DA quality is currently supported through two new functions:
$QUALITY_DA returns the full DA quality
$SETQUAL_DA sets the full DA quality

OPCcalc: Additional OPCHDA Aggregate support

The xlFunctions functions xlTagValsAgg and xlTagValsAggAll now support all OPCHDA aggregates.

Additional aggregates include Annotations, DurationBad, DurationGood, End, PercentBad, PercentGood, Regslope, Start, Total, Variance, WorstQuality

Recalculation status screen: “runtime” and “time left” added

During an active recalculation, the recalculation status screen in the Equation Scheduler displays the current state of each library’s recalculation process.

While a library recalculation is active, this screen now displays runtime (how long the recalculation has been running) and time left (an estimate of the time remaining until the recalculation is complete)