Data

General

The editors and configuration options for data management, data records and XY curves as well as the associated views and data sources can be found in the “Data” component.The following services are to be configured:

• Management of data, e.g., for recipes or orders

• Logging of process values in the sense of a data recorder

• Management of curve data (XY curves) recorded by a controller for display in a chart

Not all targets (servers) support all the functions described below. This range of functions is only possible in the SCADA variant (Windows) without restrictions.

Configuration

Exporting data from the vault or data recorderis basically done via a download of the export file by the client.In order to be able to process export files individually on the server, there are settings options for data management and for the data recorder. Here the location and the Configure parameters of a copy of the export.

Configuration of the data management

Key name	Value	Meaning
Path for the export of data management	Path	Absolute path or relative path to the project directory. Not existing paths are created automatically. If the export is done to the folder C:PROC PROCON-WEBProjects[Projektname]\DataManage mentExports.
Create Server-Side Copy for Export	Default value: no	Optional creation of a copy of the export file for individual Use on the server
Make the original available as a download	Default value: yes	Optional suppression of the download to the client
Copy filename pattern		Aufbau des Dateinamens der Kopie. Hierzu gibt es folgende Aliase: %n% = Ansicht, %g% = Name der Datenverwaltung, %c% = , %y% = Typ, %s% = Datei- suffix. Das Muster „Expor t-%y%-%g%.%s%“ würde die Datei „Export-Recipe- Printing.xml“ generieren.
Copy retention period	Default value: 0	Maintenance period of the data in the export path in days. 0 means that in is not deleted from this folder.

Configuration of the data recorder

Key name	Input	Meaning
Data Recorder Export Path	Path	Absolute path or relative path to the project directory. Not existing paths are created automatically. If the export is done to the folder C:PROC PROCON-WEBProjects[Projectname]\Export Data.
Create Server-Side Copy for Export	Default value: no	Optional creation of a copy of the export file for individual Use on the server
Make the original available as a download	Default value: yes	Optional suppression of the download to the client
Copy filename pattern		Structure of the file name of the copy. There are the following aliases for this: %n% = Recorder Name, %c% = Client, %t% = Timestamp, %y% = Type, %s% = FileSuffix. The pattern “Expor t-%n%-%t%.%s%” would return the file “Export
Copy retention period	Default value: 0	Maintenance period of the data in the export path in days. 0 means that in is not deleted from this folder.
Type of compression	Selection Min / Max / AVG	Compression type for numerical curves that are created at runtime. Logical and character strings are the most common expression
Compression strength	Selection Automatic / None / 1 second / 10 seconds / 30 seconds / 1Minute/5 minutes/15 minutes/30 minutes/1 hour/4 hours/8Hours / 1 week / 1 month / 6 months	With the automatic compression strength, the server calculates thWidth of the chart, taking into account the greatest possible resolution, that fixed intervals must be formed since the zero point. With Boolean trends and string trends will always be the Compression Strength “Automatic” used.

Data source (only SCADA)

Im Normalfall werden alle Daten der Datenverwaltung und der Datenrekorder im integrierten SQL-Server abgelegt. Hierfür müssen keine Datenquellen angelegt werden.

To store the data of the data management via ODBC in other databases or formats, a data source must be defined. This means that XML or CSV files can also be accessed using the ODBC driver.

Today data sources can only be created in the Windows (SCADA) variant since ODBC drivers are only available for Windows!

A new connection is created via the “Create data source” context menu.

The columns for defining data sources are explained in more detail below.

Name: Name of the data source.

Driver: The associated ODBC driver is selected in the “Driver” column. This must be installed on the PC for this. However, this only works if the data source is available on the same PC.

Server: Name of the server

Database: The name of the database into which the data is to be written via the ODBC connection is specified under the “Database” column. A path is not required for connections to an SQL server, and the path for the databases is not evaluated in the project configuration!

This is different for file-based connections (e.g., Microsoft Excel driver xls).There are three configuration options:

• No path for the database is entered in the project configuration and only the file name is entered in the Database field. The file must be in the project path

• A path for the database is entered in the project configuration and only the file name is entered in the Database field. The file must be in the specified directory!

• A path for the database is entered in the project configuration and a path including file name is also entered in the Database field. The file must be in the path entered in the Database field! The path entered in the project configuration is ignored!

Username and password: Username and password must be specified if this is expected from the ODBC connection. In the case of file-based ODBC connections, there is usually no need to specify a username and password.

Note

If no username and no password are entered for an SQL server connection, the database is accessed in Windows authentication mode. If the username and password are entered, the SQL Server authentication mode is used.

Rows, columns, and length In the ODBC restrictions, the number of rows, columns, and the maximum number of characters per cell are specified for the respective ODBC driver.

For each data type definition with ODBC storage format, a table is created in the database in the runtime system when a data record is saved for the first time. The table name and the structure are identical to the data type definition

If column names (max. 63 characters) are explicitly assigned in the data type editor, the corresponding table is generated in the database with these column names. If the table already exists, changing the column names can make it incompatible with the data structure in the project. The consequence is that the structure of the table must be adapted. The user is responsible for this

Right-click context menu: Additional options for editing a data source are available via the context menu of the right mouse button.

Testing the ODBC connection can only work if the data source is on the same PC on which the Designer is used.

Data management

The data management is used to save and play back data records while the application is running. For example, the following tasks can be implemented:

• Management of machine settings or recipes

• Manage orders

• Logging of order processing or batches

The data management is usually implemented via various application-specific tables in the SQL server of the runtime system (PROCON-WEB server), or via ODBC via other data sources. An extensive range of script functions and functions, e.g., for buttons, also allow complex database applications to be implemented. The convenient option of defining different views on tables, combined with dynamic filters, supports the simple creation of suitable interfaces.

In der ES-Variante kann die Datenablage nur SQLite erfolgen.

Concept of data management

Data (process values) can be used to a large extent to manage data. This enables functionalities such as recipe or format management to be implemented.

The structure of the data records and the appearance of the print logs are defined using the “Data Management” editor in the PROCON-WEB Designer.

PROCON-WEB supports any number of such structures. They are called data types and given names with a maximum of 31 charactersn.

Functions of data management

All process or data points that are entered in a data type (process variables, texts) can, for example, be saved and retrieved during runtime. The following functions are available for this in PROCON-WEB.Functions of the runtime system:

• Selection of a data type and transfer to the default setting

• Selection of a data record and transfer to the default setting

• Read out the default setting. Create a new data record

• View a record

• Saving a data record from the running process

• Loading a data set into the running process

• Printing a data record

• Change a data record

• Delete a record

• Find a record in a database

• Reading and writing of a single data record element

• Determination of the number of field elements in a data record

• Determine the type of a data record element

Definition of data types

A data type is the definition of a table or record structure and is determined by a sequence of tags.

Data type parameters

Parameter	Description
Name	Name of the data type (of the table)
Number	Number of elements (records) of the data type (is calculated automatically and indicates the number of entries without the system columns!)
Data storage	Specifies the format in which the data type is to be stored. DataServer and ODBC connection are available.
Header	You can choose from standard, order and recipe
Data source	Only to be selected for ODBC connections
Key column	ID from the custom database
Treat like data recorders	If the option is deactivated, the process variable list is set up again every time the table is accessed, and a complete refresh cycle is awaited.
	By setting the option, all tags used in the table are permanently kept in the refresh list and can thus be written to a table immediately. The option should be set for data administrations that are accessed very frequently in cycles (<1 minute).

Parameters of the data element

Parameter	Description
Index	Order of the data elements
Type	Variable type of the process variables (Boolean, numeric or text)
Data element	Process variables whose values are to be recorded
	Can also be from another data management
Column name	Optional specification of a column name for the data element. This is used in the SQL table and can be up to 128 characters long. Note: With ODBC connections, the length of the underlying database must not be exceeded. For example, it is 128 characters for a column in SQL Server, but only 32 characters in Oracle. The correct length must be ensured when entering data in the designer.
Comment	The comment on the day is displayed here (purely informative).
Display name	The display name for the day is displayed here (purely informative)
Display comment	The display comment for the day is displayed here (purely informative)
Column	Displays the column in the database table. Due to system-related meta info, the column number can differ from the number of tracks
Format	Information on the format (length) of the entry

Important

A data element is inserted at the point where the input focus is. If the focus is on the 2nd element and a new element is added here, the newly inserted element is given index 2, the old one is moved to index 3. To insert an element at the end, the data management must be selected.

Storage format of data structures

DataServer

A separate runtime database for the current project is created for each project. The data management tables are stored in this SQL database. The data types that can be configured in the data management are stored in the PWR database as separate SQL tables with the identifier “DM” in front of the name (“DMRecipe”), with each variable representing an extra column. There is a limit for the SQL server, according to which a table may have a maximum of 950 columns.

This means that a data management system can contain a maximum of 3800 columns. If the 950 columns are exceeded when creating a data management system, a second table is created; this division is always made according to 950 columns until the maximum size is reached. The identifier “_part” [number] is appended to the name so that the first part in the above Example is called “DmRecipe_part1”.

Important

Subsequent processing of data management is easily possible with SQL databases. When adding variables, the standard value of the variable is entered in the existing data records.

ODBC

As a storage format, PROCON-WEB can also use its own databases via the ODBC interface. The prerequisite for this is the installation of the corresponding ODBC driver for the database in the operating system (see documentation from the manufacturer of the ODBC driver).How to set up the connection is explained in more detail under ODBC connection.

Data management headers

A header is understood to be metadata such as the creation date and the modification date, which are saved in a data record to enable changes to be tracked.Which metadata is contained in the header is in the point Data management views described

Integration of data management in the application

Data management functions can be executed or triggered via the user interface. For this purpose, events such as selection or the like are required for the table display to configure. Functions such as loading or saving data records can be assigned to buttons (data record function category).

A much wider range of functions is available through scripting. This includes:

• Data management functions

• Functions for recipe management

• ODBC functionsThis provides very efficient functions for realizing complex database applications.

Data management views

In PROCON-WEB, views were introduced to display a direct mapping of a database table or part of a database table as a scrollable and filterable table (GridControl) in the surface. Views are used by the data grid control, which is used in images.

The views were implemented based on views from known data management systems. The prerequisite for creating a view is at least one existing type of definition (data structure) in the project to which the view should point.

The definition of views has the advantage that these can be defined globally. This means that different instances can be created from the images of a data grid class, which then reference the respective views. Another advantage of the view is that the view can be implemented independently of the database structure. This means that the display of the columns in a view can be changed at any time without having to change the structure of the database.A view consists of different view elements, which correspond to the respective columns of the data management. The PROCON-WEB system columns, which are only used as a display in the view and cannot be edited, are also considered. These system columns can vary depending on the data storage (DBASE, ODBC). The possible system columns are shown in the following tables.

The attributes in the header can be manipulated via functions in scripting, see e.g., x5.1 Functions for recipe management. Otherwise, various system functions (such as DBReceive) implicitly update the header entries.

Type Standard

Column	Meaning
ID	Identification number of the tables
NAME	The unique name (primary key) of the data set
CREATEON	Creation date of the data set
CREATEBY	User who created the data record.
	If no user is logged in, this column contains no value. (String “”)
CHANGEON	Last time the data set was modified
CHANGEBY	User who last edited the data record.
	If no user is logged in, this column contains no value. (String “”)

Typ Auftrag

Column	Meaning
ID	The additional primary key. Is generated by PROCON-WEB.
NAME	The unique name of the record
ORDERID	Order ID
PRODUCT	Product to be manufactured to order
CUSTOMER	customer
ORDERMODE	Order mode
SETAMOUNT	Quantity
SETUPTIME	Creation time
SPECIFIEDSTART	Defined start of order
EXPECTEDEND	Expected end of order
RECIPEID	Recipe ID
COMMENT	Comment on the order
ACTUALAMOUNTGOOD	Current number of faultless goods
ACTUALAMOUNTBAD	Current number of faulty goods
ORDERSTATE	Status of the order
ORDERSTART	Start date and time of the order
ORDEREND	End date and time of the order
ACTUALOUTPUT	Pieces currently produced per hour
NOMINALOUTPUT	Expected pieces per hour

Recipe

Column	Meaning
NAME	Name of the dataset
VERSION	Version number that can be freely assigned
	Possible version elements (structure of the version number is: Major.Minor.Build):
	Build = 0 / Minor = 1 / Major = 2
	Standard: 1.0.0
RECIPESTATUS	v
	Draft = 1 / Released = 2 / Deleted = 4 / Locked = 8 / InUse = 16
CREATEON	Date of creation of the data set
CREATEBY	Username who created the data record
RELEASEDON	Release date
RELEASEDBY	User who gave the approval
USEDON	Date of last use
USEDBY	User who last used the record
LOCKEDON	Date of locking
LOCKEDBY	User who locked the record
DELETEON	Date on which the record was deleted
DELETEBY	User who deleted the record
CREATEBY	Username who created the data record

No Header

Only the specified process variables are saved here. There are therefore no system functions available with which, for example, the last update can be displayed.

If necessary, a filter can be assigned to the views to be able to limit the data displayed in the Data-GridControl at runtime. Filters are described in the chapter Filter.

Create views

The Views area can be found in the project tree under Data-> Data management. Table displays can be configured here, which can be displayed with the GridControl. Several views can be defined for each table.

To create a new view, select the “Add” entry from the context menu and select the data management system to be used for the view. The underlying data management may contain a maximum of 255 columns, although 6 columns are already occupied by the system columns. I.e., there can be a maximum of 249 columns which have been defined by the user. After the data management has been selected, the view is automatically filled with the available data management columns, including system columns. The user only has to assign a unique name for the view.

To be able to configure a column, it must first be activated via the checkbox in the “Active” column. Activation also sets a reference to the data element of the data management (deactivation removes this again) and the order of the columns is determined.After activating the column, the following columns can be edited.

Column	Meaning
Index	The index corresponds to the order of the columns. Activation defines an automatic sequence. The order corresponds to the order in which the columns were activated. If the order is to be changed, “Move” must be selected via the context menu option.
Column overview	A column heading can be assigned in multiple languages here
Editable	Makes a column editable at runtime.
Editable column width	Automatic: Automatic adjustment of the column width to the overall picture
	Manual: The next column is activated, and you can enter the column width (in pixels) there
Display type	Default: equals the usual representation of the data type
	Percentage bar: only with numeric possible
	Combobox static: It can be configured a selection of values
	Combobox dynamic: A relation to table can be configured for the representation of a value
	Exponentielle Anzeige: Nur Exponential display: Only available if the column corresponds to a num. Process variable belongs. The values are shown in an exponential display (1000 -> 1e3).
Invisible	The column is hidden at runtime
Presort column	Creates a presorting in ascending or descending order
Type	Indicates the type of column
Selection value	Variable that is written with the cell value when the row is selected (e.g. to transfer the record parameters)
Cell alignment	Left justified, center or right justified
Column alignment	Representation within the column (e.g., top right)
Time range	Time ranges which should be selectable in the runtime can be defined here

Views have a simple reference to data management. If elements are deleted in the data management, the view is updated accordingly if no view element has been activated. When the view element is activated, there is a direct reference between the data management element and the view element and can therefore not be deleted. If a data management element is to be deleted, the view element must first be deactivated, or the view deleted.

Configure views

A view consists of several columns in which configurations such as name, filter, etc. can be made. The following section describes the configuration options in detail.

Naming

The name of the view must be unique. This name is used for selection in the table display in the image overlay and does not have to correspond to the name of the data management.

View type and data management

The view type indicates the type of data management that the viewpoints to. The data management, alert (for alarm list) and audit trail (logbook) types are available (depending on the component).

The name of the data management to which the viewpoints is specified in the Data Management column. View type and data management can only be assigned when the view is created. After that, configuration is no longer possible; the columns are then used for display to the user.

Comment

The Comment column is used to store further information about this view (eg “This view defines all active orders”) for the project manager. Comments of up to 255 characters can be entered.

Filter

A filter for this view is referenced in this column. The creation of filters is described in Chap. “Filter” explained.

A filter has the task of filtering an existing amount of data according to certain criteria. These filters can also be deactivated dynamically at runtime and the filter criteria adjusted. To select a filter, the dialog button must be clicked in this cell. This opens a list of all filters that have been created for the corresponding data management. The following is an example of a filter application. There is a data management for orders.

Example table order:

ID	Order name	Progress	RecipeID
1	Order1	10	1
2	Order2	15	2
4	Order4	50	4
8	Order8	120	1

All orders with an ID value greater than 3 should be displayed. The following table results.

Order table after filtering:

ID	Order name	Progress	RecipeID
4	Order4	50	4
8	Order8	120	1

Selection filter:

Filters can be used not only to filter certain entries, but also to explicitly select a data record according to certain criteria. The first record found is selected.

To specify a selection filter, the checkbox must first be activated in the “Selection filter active” column. This activates the two additional columns.

The corresponding filter can now be selected in the “Selection filter” column. The same rule applies here as with the normal filter: Only one filter can be selected that belongs to the corresponding data management.To be able to use the selection filter at runtime, the so-called “selection filter flag” is configured. This flag corresponds to a logical process variable. As soon as this variable is set to 1, the selection filter is activated, and the corresponding lines are displayed. The variable is automatically reset by the data grid control after the selection.

In the following section, an example is intended to illustrate how the selection filters work.As in the example with filters, the order management exists again.

Order Table

ID	Order name	Progress	RecipeID
1	Order1	10	1
2	Order2	15	2
4	Order4	50	4
8	Order8	120	1

A selection filter flag is set at runtime, which is to select the first entry of the data records with ID 4.

After setting, the first entry found is selected.

Order table with selection:

ID	Order name	Progress	RecipeID
1	Order1	10	1
2	Order2	15	2
4	Order4	50	4
8	Order8	120	1

Selection filter

To only display certain messages, a created view can be filtered according to criteria. To do this, a filter must be created and then assigned to the view. Criteria can be added to a filter via “right click / add criterion”. Sub-criteria can in turn be added to individual criteria:

By clicking on the filter, the filter can be displayed as an SQL statement to check what has been configured.

Colour definition

The data can be highlighted in colour in a view for better differentiation. The colouring is possible depending on variables. The colour definition can be applied to both the background colour and the font colour.Creating a colour definition is like creating a filter.

Configuration of the view elements

In addition to the general Configuration columns, every view has the so-called view elements, which are assigned to a column in the database. Configuration options for name, index, column heading, etc., are also available for these elements, which are explained in the following section.

Activate / deactivate view element

The view element is activated with the checkbox in the “Active” column. This activates all subsequent columns. This also creates a reference to the data management element, which means that it can no longer be deleted. If the checkbox in the “Active” column is removed, all data in this view element are reset to default and the reference to the data management element is deleted.

Column name

The column “Column name” is only an indication of the data management element. It is made up of the data management name and the column name. If the data management element (column name or variable) changes, this column name also changes.

Index

The index defines the order of the columns in which they are displayed. If the “Active” column has not been set, this value is “empty”. As soon2 as the “Active” column is set, an index starting with 0 is automatically assigned.If the order is to be changed, the user selects the “Move” option in the context menu of the right mouse button and moves the view element as required. This also changes the index number of the element.

Header

The heading of the view element (column) is defined in this column. This column is defined in several languages, i.e., a separate column heading can be defined for each language.

Note

Column headings can be exported with the text import / export. This means that multilingual column headings can be implemented efficiently, as the text export allows the translation to be carried out independently of the actual configuration.

Editable

“Editable” defines whether the respective column can be edited at runtime. System columns cannot be changed, so the Editable option is not available for these columns.

Important

It is not possible to assign an authorisation level for editing to every column. If it is to be ensured that a user with low authorisation cannot change any data, this should be restricted via the storage functions of the Data-GridControl.

Column width mode

In the “Column width mode” column, you can choose whether the column width should be aligned automatically according to the content (“Automatic” mode) or should align itself manually according to a respective pixel value (“Manual” mode). If the “Manual” mode is selected, the “Column width” column is activated, and a fixed pixel value can be specified.

Important

In the case of screen-independent resolution, the pixel value is not also scaled. Only the width of the DataGrid.

Display type

In the views there are various options for displaying the values of the database column in the data grid. The following section explains the individual configuration options.

Display type Standard

With “Standard” the value is displayed in the grid as it is in the database table. This means that the value is displayed unformatted.

Note

Logical values are shown as checkboxes in the DataGrid control.

Percentage bar display type

This display type only exists for the view Elements that refer to a numeric column. If this display type is selected, the “Parameter” column is activated. The percentage bar can now be defined in this cell.

Note

The Percentage Bar display type always displays the bar on the left. Right the value and the % sign are displayed.

The following parameters can be set:

Parameter name	Description
Values type	Constant: Min and Max values are constant values
	Process variable: Min and Max values are dynamic process variables
Minimum (Constant / variable)	Constant: The minimum value of the percentage bar
	Variable: The variable that contains the minimum value of the percentage bar
Maximum (Constant / variable)	Constant: The maximum value of the percentage bar
	Variable: The variable that contains the maximum value of the percentage bar

Combobox display type (dynamic)

The Combobox (dynamic) display type can be used if two tables are to be linked. In this case, the combo box is a list of elements, the so-called display values. Behind these display values is a column value via which the combo box is addressed. This means that the display value represents the column value at runtime in the Data-GridControl.

To define a Combobox (dynamic) display type, you first must select the corresponding data management that is to be accessed. Furthermore, the column value is selected from the data management and the corresponding display value is defined. Column and display values can also be identical.

A filter can also be defined for this data management to limit the entries in the combo box accordingly. (See also chapter filter).To clarify the function of the combo box (dynamic), an example is shown below.

Application example

There is a table with order data and a second table with recipe data. In the Order data table, the recipe name from the recipe data table should be displayed in the RecipeID column.

Order data table:

ID	Order name	Progress	RecipeID
1	Order1	10	1
2	Order2	15	2
4	Order4	50	4
8	Order8	120	1

Table of recipe data

ID	Recipe name
1	Recipe name1
2	Recipe name2

Definition of the combobox:

• Data management: Recipe data

• Column value: Recipe data ID

• Display value: Recipe data.Recipe name

• Filter: No filter

Depending on the value of the recipe ID, a text is displayed in the combo box that shows the recipe name in relation to the ID column of the recipe data.

ID	Order name	Progress	RecipeID
1	Order1	10	Recipe name1
2	Order2	15	Recipe name2
4	Order4	50	4
8	Order8	120	Recipe name1

Important

If the combo box does not contain a value that is defined in the RecipeID column (4 in the example), the value is displayed without a display value. However, no 4 can be selected in the combo box.

In this way, linked tables can be created and exported or imported. To do this, the buttons must be activated in the control bar in the grid.For the view for this linked table must also be selected a view to be exported.

Combobox display type (static)

With the static combo box, fixed list entries are generated for the corresponding column elements of the data management. Images can also be used for display in the combo box.For example, if you have a numerical data element, the combo box could have assigned a, b, or c as display value. For a, the numeric value is 5, b is 6, and c is 10. The corresponding cell then has this value.If this display type is selected, the “Parameter” column in which the static combobox is defined is activated.

New list entries are created or deleted using the “Add” or “Delete” buttons.In the column “Value”, the value is entered which is assigned to the column when selected. The “display text” is the text that can be selected in the grid control. In addition, a graphic can be integrated into the list display with the display bitmap.

Display Type Process Variable Value Numeric

This type of display exists only for the Elements view that references a text. If this display type is selected, the “Parameters” column is activated. For this purpose, a dialog can be opened in which the parameters for min, max and decimal places are set.

Display Type Process variable value bool

This type of display exists only for the Elements view that references a text.

Display Type Process Variable Value string

This type of display exists only for the Elements view that references a text.

Column invisible

This cell describes whether the selected view element should be displayed invisibly. Invisible columns are still considered by selection filters.

Presort column

The sorting of this view element can be configured in this column (no action, ascending, descending).

Important

This setting is already called when the database is loaded and therefore cannot be edited during runtime, or the sorting is not graphically visible in the runtime.

In addition, several view elements can be sorted, the sorting then goes from the first view element (which was sorted) to the last.

Column type

The Type column shows the type of data element. The types of text, date, time, number and logical are possible. The column is purely for display purposes and cannot be edited

Selection value

In this column a variable can be assigned to which the value of the currently selected row (in the data grid) is assigned. I.e., If you select a line in the data grid (runtime), its cell value is written to the selected variable.

Selection filter data

Filters are used to limit certain amounts of data (filter) or to select a line. Generally, filters are divided into filters and sub-criteria. Filter describes the top element under which all other filters are arranged. The data management is referenced in this element and a general (uniform) name for the filter can be assigned here. It is also possible (optional) to enter a comment on this filter. Sub-criteria denote all elements below a filter. All further filter attributes are entered in this element.

Creation of filters

A new filter can be created via the context menu in the lower half of views via the entry “Create new filter”. To add sub-criteria, the filter is selected, and the corresponding sub-criteria is also inserted via the context menu.

Criteria can be nested in up to five levels, ie sub-criteria can be present for each criterion, which can be nested in sub-criteria etc.The filters or criteria can be deleted using the “DEL” key or the context menu entry “Delete”.

Attributes of the criteria

Attribute	Meaning
Index	The index is first assigned automatically by the system in ascending order (starting with 0). This index describes the order in which the sub-criteria are read. This index can be changed with the context menu via “Move”.
Shortcut	The link (AND, OR, XOR) is only available between 2 sub-criteria. Ie the first sub-criterion (index = 0) never has a link. If the first sub-element is deleted, the second automatically becomes the first and the link is removed.”
Column	The column is a combo box with all available data elements (columns of the data management) that are currently defined. The icon in the combo box describes the type of column (String, Num, Log, Date, Time, DateTime). Due to this type of column, the remaining columns are then automatically adjusted. If the columns behind contain configurations, these will be removed and set to default.
Operator	A total of 12 operators are available under Operator. The usable operators are available depending on the selected column type.
	String: “Equal to”, “Not equal to”, “Begins with”, “Contains”, “Ends with”, “Does not start with”, “Does not contain”, “Does not end with”, “in”, “not in”
	Numeric: date, time: “Equal”, “Not equal”, “Smaller”, “Less than or equal to”, “Greater than or equal to”, “Greater than”, “in”, “not in”
	ogical: “equal”, “unequal”
	With the filter “in” individual criteria must be separated with a comma
Value type	The value type determines column value. Constant or process variable can be selected.
Value	Depending on the value and column type, a constant value or a process variable can be selected here
Link to sub-criterion	If the child element has a sub-criterion, this column becomes active and a link to this sub-criterion (group) can be selected (AND, OR, XOR). If the sub-elements are deleted, this column is deactivated.

SQL-Server-Statements

To be able to test the configured filter, there is a preview of the SQL filter in the lower area of the window.

This shows the SQL statement when the filter is selected. Process variables are identified with <<Variable.VARIABLENNAME>>. The text can be selected and copied and then used in an external program to test the filter. This function is also covered by the view. All you must do is select the appropriate view and the SQL statement (+ filter if available) is displayed.

Data recorder

General information about data recorders

The data recorder in PROCON-WEB is used to log process values over a period of time, ie the data recorder fulfills the task of an xt recorder for the values of process variables. Process values are recorded automatically or event-driven and the data is saved in the project runtime database or in an ODBC data source.

The user specifies the time intervals at which the values should be recorded. Possible grids are milliseconds, seconds, minutes, and hours.

In addition, the data recorder can be used for batch reporting. The text variable containing the batch name must be available in the data recorder and declared as the batch name. The data recorder logs the string value of the text variable. All data with the same string value that are marked consecutively over time form a batch.

The data can be recorded in four different ways by the data recorder:

• As PROCON WEB DataServer data storage: the data from all data recorders are saved in the “TagLogs” table in the runtime database (PWR_<ProjektName>). One (changed) value of a process variable is saved at a time.

• As classical table: the data of one data recorder in a table (Dl<LoggerName>) are saved in the runtime database (PWR_<ProjektName>).The recorded data can be evaluated, for example, using external database-compatible programs and used in reports, for example.

• As an external table: the storage is the same here as with the storage as a data server or individual table, only these are stored in a separate SQL server table. More details on this can be found in Technical Note 004, as setting up the external connection requires its own instructions.

• As ODBC data storage: the data from a data recorder are saved in a file or table that can be addressed via ODBC.

A maximum of 1000 data recorders can be defined.

Functional principle of the data recorder

The data recorder works type-oriented and thus corresponds to the model of a classic line recorder. All channels are written on the same paper (= table) with the same feed rate (= sampling rate).When defining a type, the general characteristics of the type, such as recording grid, averaging, file type, etc. are specified and the relevant process variables (logical, numerical and text variables) are assigned. Each process variable can be contained in several types at the same time.To limit the number of file accesses, the size of an internal buffer can be specified for each recording type, which is only saved when the buffer is filled. Optionally, the mean value can also be calculated using this buffer, so that only the mean values are saved and thus the number of records can be kept smaller.

The process value recording can only be closed and time-normalised, i.e., a record can only be written at specified times (in a time grid). If the start of the recording is outside the time grid, the previous grid time is interpreted as the start time.A recording type can be edited either automatically or manually. In the case of the type to be recorded automatically, the logging is started with the start of the DataServer and, if no error occurs, continues until the DataServer is terminated.

A manual recording type can be started and ended again directly via the positive edge of a logical variable. The time entry of a “snapshot” can be set to seconds, minutes, or hours. done exactly. The accuracy is set via the entry “Sampling” in the configuration window.As an option, the data recorder can automatically delete all files of a recording type after n days.

Definition of the data recorder

Data recorders are defined under Data -> Data recorder. The recorder types can be created via the entry “Data” -> “New” or via the context menu. Process variables are also assigned via the right mouse menu.

The meaning of the columns is shown in the following tables.

General parameters

Parameter	Description
Name	Name of the data recorder
ID	Unique number of the data recorder
Number	Number of data items in the data recorder
Manual recording	Activates / deactivates the recording of process values via a logical process tag or a function in scripting
Variable for manual control	Logical variable for controlling manual recording
Data storage	Selection of which “DataServer”, “ODBC connection” or “ODBC (single table)” should be used as data storage.
Data source	Selection of an ODBC connection if the “ODBC connection” or “ODBC (single table)” option was selected during data storage
Sample	Interval for the value sampling
Scanning unit	Unit of the sampling interval. Milliseconds to hours are possible. When scanning in milliseconds, only 100 millisecond steps are possible.
Buffer size	Specifies how many records are buffered in the save before the file is saved.
Average value buffer	The mean values are formed via the recording buffer and only these are recorded
Delete after days	This option will automatically delete the recorder files.
	(only day-oriented files)
Delete after x days	Specifies the number of days after which the files should be automatically deleted if “Delete after days” is activated.
Checksum	Indicates whether the checksum should also be saved
Variable for batch name	Specifies the variable whose value specifies the batch name

Note

The deletion of the daily-oriented files in the ring protocol can only be carried out properly if the PC is running around the clock.

Note

The corresponding text variable must be defined in the data recorder to specify batch names. The corresponding text variable that specifies the batch name is selected via the “Set as batch name” option.

Important

Due to the internal, index-based data structure, it is not possible to delete process variables from the track definition. Deleting variables would lead to an index shift and thus make the data recorder unusable in connection with trends. Therefore, variables can only be deleted from the end if they are not in use.

**Parameters for the data elements:**	Description
Index	Order of the data elements
Type	Tag type of the process tag
Data element	Process variables whose values are to be recorded
Display name	A multilingual display name for the data track can be specified here
Tag comment	The comment of the tag is displayed here, cannot be changed here.
Tag display name	The display name of the tag is displayed here, it cannot be changed here.
Tag display comment	The display comment of the tag is displayed here, cannot be changed here
Track name	Optional specification of a name for the data track (table heading)
Display option	With the sub-elements of a data record, it is now possible to determine how the display should take place via a selection. The display name of the data recorder element is used by default. If this is not used, the display name of the process variable is displayed. If this is also not set, the process variable name can be seen in the display.
Determination of change in value	Defines whether an absolute or percentage change to the last value is defined as the threshold value for data recording
Threshold	If the value change of the variable is above this value, a new entry is generated in the data recorder, eg 0.0 means that every change is saved in the database. If the track is in several data recorders, the smallest threshold value that is greater than zero always counts. (this function is only available for numeric variables)

Important

If a track is in several recorders, the lowest threshold value, which is greater than zero, always applies.

Use of structural elements

Structure elements can also be used in a data recorderPlease note the following:

• Only elements of instantiated structures can be selected

• The export of the project automatically replaces each structure element with the variables assigned to the instance elements

Special features when scanning in the millisecond range

The sampling time can be set in milliseconds. The minimum sample value is 100 milliseconds and can be increased in steps of one hundred

Cycle time

The standard setting of the cycle time in PROCON-WEB is 50 ms. If loggers with millisecond scanning are used, the cycle time should be a quarter of the set recorder scanning time. For example, if you have defined a sampling time of 100 ms in the data recorder, the cycle time must be set to 25 ms.

The cycle time is under process coupling -> Configuration set.

Use buffer

When recording in the millisecond range, a lot of data is generated that must also be saved on the hard drive. To minimise hard disk access, a correspondingly large buffer should be selected. However, the buffer size should not be selected too high since the data in the buffer will be lost in the event of a system failure. In the case of a logger with classic table storage and a scan of 100 ms, for example, buffer sizes in the range 10 - 50 should be selected so that write access to the hard disk takes place every 1 - 5 seconds.

Important

The recorded values should not be stored in an ODBC data source with a sampling rate that is too low! For example, writing to an SQL database every second can lead to the system being busy after a while due to the amount of data involved.

Important

When using the ODBC data storage, it is not possible to access alternative recording directories!

Create data recorder views

Under the data recorder views, the profiles for a chart are defined based on data recorder tracks.

Create data recorder views

The Views area can be found in the project tree under Data-> Data Recorder.

To create a new view or a new profile, the entry “New Profile” is selected via the context menu. The tracks from any data recorder can then be added to the profile. In addition, the time range can be selected that is to be displayed when opening for the first time.

The Count column contains the number of tracks added to the profile.

Configure data recorder views

Here, the representation in the chart can be adjusted separately for each track.The axis is divided into several segments. These can be influenced in data recorder views.Both axes can be deactivated in the designer.

The Y-axis has a small free area at the upper and lower edge so that drawn values that lie on the limits of the axis do not lie on the edges of the drawing area.The unit is displayed under the Y-axis if the X-axis is activated. If this is not the case, the unit is added to each axis label.

If there is 0 in the value range of the Y-axis, an additional label is always inserted for this value. If this would overlap another label, only the 0 is displayed.

The following section describes the configuration options in detail.

Parameters for the data elements:

Parameter	Meaning
Index	Order of the data elements
Type	Variable type of the data track
Data element	Data track that is displayed
Colour	Colour of the trace in the chart
Presentation	Representation of the trace in the chart
	Logical:
	Bar: As long as the variable value is set, a bar is drawn over this period. If the value is not set (or not a valid value) nothing is displayed. The name of the variable is displayed on the left edge.
	Area of steps: As long as the variable value is set, a bar is drawn over this period. If the value is not set (or not a valid value) a thin line is drawn
	Track: for a better display that can be chosen and the wideness adjusted
	Numeric:
	Line: The values are connected to each other.
	Column: The single values are shown as columns. The width of these columns is always the same, ie if the same value has been logged several times in a row, several columns are drawn.
	Area: The values are connected to one another. Everything below this line is filled in colour and semi-transparent up to the X-axis
	Surface: Until the next change in value occurs, a vertically line will go upwards, so that the look of a staircase / steps is created. Everything below this line is filled in colour up to the X axis.
	Spline: Values will be connected to one another via curved lines
	Steps: Until the next change in value occurs, a vertically line will go upwards, so that the look of a staircase / steps is created
	Crosses: Each value is displayed with a cross.
	Points: Each value is displayed as a circle.
	Area: Display of the charge from the start point to the end point of the batch, a semi-transparent, coloured area is displayed over the full height of the chart
Line style	Representation of the line for numerical values
Line width	Line width in pixels for numeric values
Axis	Definition on which side the axis should be displayed
Axis colour	Colour of the axis for the track in the chart. Axes of the same colour are grouped together if possible
Logarithm. Presentation	Specifies whether a logarithmic representation should be selected for the values
Hide process variable track	Process variable (Bool) to hide the track
Highlight the track	Process variable (Bool) to highlight the track
Invert axes	Show axis inverted
Unit option	This defines which unit is to be displayed.
	The choices are:
	None
	of the variable
	Custom
Unit	If the unit option is Custom: Define a unit for the track
Y-axis autom. scale	Automatic scaling of the Y-axis. During runtime, the Y-axis adapts dynamically to the largest and smallest value. A division into segments can no longer be made
Min	Min value of the axis if the axis is not dynamic
Max	Max value of the axis if the axis is not dynamic
Segments dynamic	Only if the axis is NOT dynamic: Number of subdivisions of the axis
Segments fix	Only if segments are NOT dynamic: Fixed number of subdivisions of the axis, please note that the value 0 means one segment. Negative entries are not permitted. Numbers with decimal places are rounded down to the next lower value
Variable for segments	Only if segments are dynamic: Variable via which the number of axis subdivisions is controlled
Increment	Only if the axis is dynamic: Minimum increment at the subdivisions
Fix increment	Only if step size NOT dynamic: Fixed step size of Axis divisions. Only inputs greater than 0 are allowed.
Tag for increment	Only if the increment is NOT dynamic: Fixed increments of the axis subdivisions. Only entries greater than 0 are permitted
Variable upper limit	Variable for a upper limit value that is shown in the chart by a dashed line.
Variable lower limit	Variable for a lower limit value that is shown in the chart by a dashed line. If there are both limit values, the area between them is filled with the colour of the track. A relatively high level of transparency is used so that the rest is not covered.
Use decimal places	Activates / deactivates the attribute
Decimal places	Number of decimal places that are displayed.

XY curves

To be able to use a chart in the “XY diagram” mode (see chapter Curve diagram control), the XY curves must be defined here. XY curves are value arrays that are filled by the controller or via scripting. This means, for example, that the film thickness can be displayed over the width of the film or extremely fast processes (e.g., a press curve) can be recorded by the controller and transferred to the HMI as a data array. With the transfer of arrays with X and Y values, discontinuous curves (e.g., circles) can also be transferred to the chart.

Four different types of XY curves can be defined:

• A (standard case): Curves with constant X-distances: All transferred Y-values have the same distance to each other on the X-axis (static value) and start with a fixed X-value and end with a fixed X-value (e.g., film thickness)

• B: Curves with X values and a dynamic X distance (the same for all points)

• C: Curves with transfer of all coordinates as X and Y values. With this, discontinuous curves (e.g., circles) can be drawn

• D: Text overlays: Texts can be positioned within a diagram by means of n instances of a predefined data structure containing X and Y values, as well as a comment with alignment. This type is often used in conjunction with another representation for commenting on it.The configuration of all four curve types is basically similar. The following table describes the individual parameters.

Parameter	Meaning
Name	Name of the curve, must be unique
Display name	Display name of the curve, multilingual
Type	Type of curve (selection from the four variants)
Structure	D only: Selection of a structure instance as an array
X-values variable	B: Variable that describes the distance between the values on the X axis
	C: array with all X values
onstant Delta-X value	only A: X-distance with constant X-distances
X-axis unit option	Selection of which type of unit is used:
	Without: No unit is used
	Text: as before; language-dependent text on the axis
	Unit: Unit from the units defined under “Process communication”
Y-values variable	Variable array that contains the Y values of the curve (not D)
Dynamic X range *	X-range dynamic or constant
Y-axis unit option	Selection of which type of unit is used:
	Without: No unit is used
	Text: as before; language-dependent text on the axis
	Unit: Unit from the units defined under “Process communication”
X-Min. konstant*	Smallest X value with constant X range
X min. Variable*	Variable that contains the smallest X value in a dynamic X range
X max. constant*	Largest X value with constant X range
X max Variable*	Variable that contains the largest X value in a dynamic X range
Dynamic Y range *	Y range dynamic or constant
Y-Min. constant*	Smallest Y value with constant X range
Y-Min. Variable*	Variable that contains the smallest Y value in the case of a dynamic Y range
Y-max constant*	Largest Y value with constant X range
Y-max. Variable*	Variable that contains the largest Y value in the case of a dynamic Y range
Axis break (X-axis)	Activation of the axis break
Axis break point constant	A fixed break point can only be recorded if there is no dynamic X range, ie if the axis has fixed min-max limits
Axis break point variable	Es kann nur ein fester Umbruchspunkt ausgewählt werden, wenn ein dynamischer X-Bereich vorhanden ist d.h. wenn die Achse dynamische Min-Max-Grenzen hat
Refresh variable*	Tag that triggers a refresh of the diagram when changed (with a positive edge)
Logarithmic*	Logarithmic (or normal) display of values
Unit of measurement X-axis *	Specification of a unit of measurement for X-axis labelling
Unit of measurement Y-axis *	Specification of a unit of measurement for Y-axis labelling
Number of values	Variable for the maximum number of data points to be drawn

* The parameters marked in this way are valid for all curve types!

Unit switchover of the axes

When configuring a new chart profile during runtime, the current unit changeover must be considered when entering the min-max limits. This means that the entry is made in the current unit and is changed when changing.

• The value variables of the XY curve must be given the unit separately. Your values are not converted into the current unit.

• If a tag that also has a unit is used as the limit value of the axis, the value of the “base unit” is used and translated separately by the axis.If an axis with a break is used, it cannot be scrolled during runtime if it is in the unchanged state. As soon as the view has been zoomed in, it is possible to scroll up to the specified limits, but not beyond.

XY text overlay

To display multi-digit information in the chart, such as the values reached, the array in Defaut_XYChart must be adapted in the project tree under Process coupling> Structures.This structure is then integrated in the point XY curves under “Data” with the type text overlays. The string variable of the associated track is used for this. In addition, the orientation to the turning point can be determined. To do this, one of these values must be written to the corresponding variable:

Value	Alignment
0	Centered
1	Left
2	Left	up
3	Above
4	Right	up
5	Right
6	Right	Left down
7	Below
8	Left	Left down

If none of these values are used, the alignment “centered” is used.

XY curve views (only SCADA)

The profiles for a chart are defined based on XY curves under the XY curve views.

Create XY curve views

The Views area can be found in the project tree under Data-> XY Curves.To create a new view or a new profile, the entry “New Profile” is selected via the context menu. Any XY curves can then be added to the profile.

Configure XY curve views

Here, the representation in the XY chart can be adjusted separately for each track. The following section describes the configuration options in detail.

Parameter	Meaning
Index	Order of the data elements
Type	XY curve
Data element	XY curve of the track
Colour	Colour of the trace in the chart
Process variable upper limit value (X-axis)	Variable that defines the upper limit of the chart for the X-axis
Colour upper limit value (X-axis)	Colour of the upper limit line in the chart
Process variable löower limit value (X-axis)	Variable that defines the lower limit of the chart for the X-axis
Colour variable lower limit value (X-axis)	Colour of the lower limit line in the chart
Intermediate area filled (X-axis)	Selection of whether the area between the limit values should be filled. The colour for this depends on the set track colour
Presentation	Representation of the trace in the chart
	The choices are:
	Logical:
	Bar: as long as the variable value is set, a bar is drawn over this period. If the value is not set (or not a valid value) nothing is displayed. The name of the variable is displayed on the left edge.
	Area of steps: As long as the variable value is set, a bar is drawn over this period. If the value is not set (or not a valid value) a thin line is drawn
	Numeric:
	Line: The values are connected to each other.
	Column: The single values are shown as columns. The width of these columns is always the same, ie if the same value has been logged several times in a row, several columns are drawn.
	Area: The values are connected to one another. Everything below this line is filled in colour and semi-transparent up to the X-axis
	Surface: Until the next change in value occurs, a vertically line will go upwards, so that the look of a staircase / steps is created. Everything below this line is filled in colour up to the X axis.
	Spline: Values will be connected to one another via curved lines
	Steps: Until the next change in value occurs, the line goes vertically upwards, so that the look of a staircase / steps is created
	Crosses: Each value is displayed with a cross.
	Points: Each value is displayed as a circle.
	String:
	Area: Display of the charge from the start point to the end point of the batch, a semi-transparent, coloured area is displayed over the full height of the chart
Line style	Representation of the line for numerical values
Line width	Line width in pixels for numeric values
Axis	Definition on which side the axis should be displayed
Axis colour	Colour of the axis for the track in the chart. Axes of the same colour are grouped together if possible
Logarithm. Presentation	Specifies whether a logarithmic representation should be selected for the values
Hide process variable track	Process variable (Bool) to hide the track
Highlight the track	Process variable (Bool) to highlight the track
Invert axes	Show axis inverted
Number of overlays	Variable for the number of overlays to be drawn (standard curve not included). This is a kind of comparison view to determine deviations from the current values. They are drawn with semi-transparent paint.
Delete overlays	Trigger tag for deleting the overlays
Draw overlays	Variable for the number of drawn overlays (is written by the chart)

Note on X / Y array with all coordinates:

• The specified array index is used as the starting point for the data used. This means that if you have an array of size 10 and enter the index 5 in the curve configuration, only the last 5 values are displayed in the chart. This works for both the X and Y values.

• In combination with the “Number of values” column, an array can be used for several curves.

• Example: 10 values from an array of size 50 are to be used for a curve. For this purpose, 5 curves are created, each starting from array index 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and assigned a (constant -> Min == Max) variable with the value 10 in the number of values.