OPC Data Manager Manual

OPC Data Manager Manual
s
Siemens Building Technologies
Helping your building work for you.™

Copyright Notice for Documentation
February 4, 2005
Notice
Document information is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Siemens Building
Technologies, Inc. Companies, names, and various data used in examples are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this
document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without
the express written permission of Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
All software described in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the
terms of such license. For more information, contact your nearest Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. representative.
Copyright  2005 by Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
Country of Origin: U.S.A.
Credits
Insight is a registered trademark of Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
APOGEE is a registered trademark of Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.
Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Visual Basic, Visual C++ and Visio are registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation.
Other product or company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About This Manual.................................................................................................................................vi
Chapter 1 – About OPC and the OPC Data Manager ...........................................................................9

What is OPC?.......................................................................................................................................................9
What is the OPC Data Manager? .........................................................................................................................9
Key Features................................................................................................................................................10
Main Window Description ..........................................................................................................................10
Licensing Information........................................................................................................................................11
Minimum System Requirements........................................................................................................................11
Chapter 2 – System Architecture ........................................................................................................13

System Components...........................................................................................................................................13
Shared Points...............................................................................................................................................13
Virtual Points...............................................................................................................................................14
System Recommendations .................................................................................................................................14
Chapter 3 – Setting Up the OPC Data Manager..................................................................................15

Before You Install the OPC Data Manager .......................................................................................................15
Installing the OPC Data Manager ......................................................................................................................15
Setting and Removing the OPC Data Manager as a Windows Service .............................................................16
Setting as a Windows Service .....................................................................................................................16
Removing from Windows Services.............................................................................................................16
Distributed COM (DCOM)................................................................................................................................17
Starting the OPC Data Manager Manually ........................................................................................................17
Starting the Program....................................................................................................................................17
Starting the Service .....................................................................................................................................17
Opening and Closing the Main Window............................................................................................................18
Opening the Main Window .........................................................................................................................18
Closing the Main Window...........................................................................................................................18
Entering OPC Data Manager Settings ...............................................................................................................18
Entering Startup Settings.............................................................................................................................18
Entering Advanced Settings ........................................................................................................................19
Entering Quality Settings ............................................................................................................................20
About Redundancy Operation .....................................................................................................................20
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Table of Contents
Entering Redundancy Settings ....................................................................................................................22

Entering Other Settings ...............................................................................................................................23
Setting Advanced System Configuration...........................................................................................................24
Configuring the Log File .............................................................................................................................24
Accessing OPC Server Configuration Panels..............................................................................................25
Stopping the OPC Data Manager.......................................................................................................................25
Chapter 4 – Configuring Groups, Shared Points, and Statistics......................................................27

Overview............................................................................................................................................................27
Variant Data Types ............................................................................................................................................27
Using OPC Data Manager Data Files ................................................................................................................28
Opening OPC Data Manager Files ..............................................................................................................28
Importing OPC Data Manager Files............................................................................................................28
Creating and Managing Groups .........................................................................................................................29
Creating and Modifying Groups..................................................................................................................29
Saving and Exporting Groups .....................................................................................................................30
Importing Groups ........................................................................................................................................30
Refreshing Group Information ....................................................................................................................31
Removing Groups........................................................................................................................................31
Adding and Modifying Shared Points................................................................................................................31
Master/Slave................................................................................................................................................31
Uni-directional Points..................................................................................................................................31
Bi-directional Points....................................................................................................................................32
Before You Begin........................................................................................................................................32
Adding Shared Points..................................................................................................................................32
Modifying Shared Points.............................................................................................................................34
Removing Shared Points .............................................................................................................................35
Adding and Removing Statistics........................................................................................................................35
Adding Statistics..........................................................................................................................................35
Removing Statistics .....................................................................................................................................36
Chapter 5 – Troubleshooting ...............................................................................................................37

Error Messages...................................................................................................................................................37
Browsing Issues .................................................................................................................................................37
OPC Item Issues.................................................................................................................................................38
Redundancy Issues.............................................................................................................................................38
Appendix A – OPC Quality Flags.........................................................................................................39
Appendix B – Device Versus Cache Reads........................................................................................41
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Table of Contents
Appendix C – Data File Specifications................................................................................................42

Group Information .............................................................................................................................................42
Point Information ...............................................................................................................................................43
Statistics Information .........................................................................................................................................44
Glossary ................................................................................................................................................45
Index ......................................................................................................................................................48
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About This Manual
About This Manual

The OPC Data Manager Manual provides information for installing, configuring, and using the OPC
Data Manager—the OPC Client Solution for Insight software.
Document Organization
The OPC Data Manager Manual consists of the following:
Chapter 1 – About OPC and the OPC Data Manager
Provides descriptions of OPC, the OPC Data Manager, licensing, and system requirements.
Chapter 2 – System Architecture
Provides information about system components and system recommendations.
Chapter 3 – Setting Up the OPC Data Manager
Provides information and procedures for installing and configuring the OPC Data Manager.
Chapter 4 – Configuring Groups, Shared Points, and Statistics
Provides information and procedures for managing information for groups, points, and statistics.
Chapter 5 – Troubleshooting
Provides information about error messages and troubleshooting browser, OPC item, and redundancy
issues.
Appendix A – OPC Quality Flags
Contains information about OPC quality values.
Appendix B – Device Versus Cache Reads
Explains the difference between a data cache and device reads.
Appendix C – Data File Specifications
Provides field descriptions for group, point, and statistic information contained in OPC Data Manager
data files.
Glossary
Provides definitions for terms and acronyms used in this manual.
Index
Presents alphabetized entries to help you locate key information.
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About This Manual
Document Conventions
The following table lists conventions designed to help you use the OPC Data Manager Manual.
Convention Example
Numbered lists indicate a 1. From the Trend menu, click Copy Definition.
procedure with sequential steps.
2. Select the Trend Definition window where you
want to place the copied information.
Actions that you should perform 1. Type F for field panels.

are specified in boldface type.
2. Click OK to save changes and close the dialog
box.
Error and system messages are The message Report Definition

displayed in Courier New successfully renamed is displayed in the
font. status bar.
Brackets [placeholder] indicate If you select Hours, Days, Weeks or Months from the
text that can vary based on your Time Period list, specify a parameter in the # of
selection. [units] box.
Names of menus, menu View menu

commands, dialog boxes, buttons, Critical Alarm Selection dialog box
tabs, and fields are in initial letter Alarm History button
capitalization format.
Where to Send Comments

Your feedback is important to us. If you have comments about this manual, submit them to
[email protected].
Related Documents
In addition to reading this manual, you should also be familiar with the following Siemens Building
Technologies, Inc. technical documents.
• Setting Up OPCServer (OPCServer.chm)—describes settings and configuration for the Insight

OPCServer option.
• Setting Up Soft Controller (GSSC.chm)—describes installation and configuration for Soft Controller
software.
These manuals, along with information about other Siemens Building Technologies products, services,
and technical training classes, can be obtained from your local Siemens Building Technologies
representative.
Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. vii

About This Manual
viii Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.


Chapter 1 contains the following topics:
• What is OPC?
• What is the OPC Data Manager?
• Licensing Information
• Minimum System Requirements
What is OPC?
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for Process Control is an open standard designed to enable
communication between Windows-based applications and process control hardware. Previously, custom
interfaces had to be written for every device. Those custom interfaces made it difficult to write programs
that worked with each interface.
An OPC server uses an OPC compliant interface to access data from process control systems, such as
DDC. Many business, SCADA, MMI, and custom software packages can use an OPC server because of
its standard interface.
OPC servers use Microsoft’s OLE technology, also known as the Common Object Model (COM), to
communicate with OPC clients. An OPC client is any application that can connect to and use data from
an OPC server. Using COM, an OPC server and an OPC client can exchange information in real-time.
Figure 1. Communication Flow Between OPC Clients, OPC Servers, and Devices
Although OPC is sufficient for transmitting data between a server and a client, standard OPC cannot
enable data transfer from one OPC server to another, or from one OPC client to another. The OPC Data
Manager (OPC Client Solution for Insight software) is designed to overcome the data transfer limitations
of standard OPC.
What is the OPC Data Manager?

The OPC Data Manager is an OPC client that can link OPC compliant servers and clients, and enable data
transmission between any of those servers and clients. Using the OPC Data Manager, the Insight
workstation can serve as the central graphical user interface for any number of third-party systems that
support OPC servers.
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Key Features
Key features of the OPC Data Manager are the following:
• Is fully OPC 1.0a and OPC 2.0 compliant
• Supports both COM and DCOM
• Runs as a Windows 2000, XP, or NT service, and as a normal application
• Enables easy and efficient retransmission of data among OPC servers
• Allows data to be viewed as it is updated
• Provides DDE and OPC server functionality
• Performs extensive error tracking and management
• Supports redundancy operation
Main Window Description

From the main window of the OPC Data Manager, you can enter configuration settings and view, add,
change, and remove information that the OPC Data Manager uses. Figure 2 shows an example of the
main window.
Figure 2. Main Window.
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OPC Server Directories

The OPC Server Directories show the OPC servers and items that the OPC Data Manager can access. The
left OPC Server Directory includes information for event servers. Icons next to the server names indicate
whether the server is an OPC data server or an OPC event server .
Data Manager Groups

The Data Manager Groups section shows the groups that are currently defined. A group can have either a
uni-directional or bi-directional default setting. Although this default setting is initially applied to
any point added to the group, you can change the setting for a specific point.
In a uni-directional point, information is transmitted in one direction only—from the Master OPC item
to the Slave OPC item. In a bi-directional point, information can be transmitted in both directions—
between the Master and Slave OPC items.
A&E Subscriptions
The A&E Subscriptions section is reserved for future use.
Details
The Details section can show information for all the points in a selected group.
Licensing Information
To request a license for the OPC Data Manager, send an email to [email protected].
Minimum System Requirements

The system must use OPC compliant clients and servers, and include a computer with the following
minimum requirements:
• Pentium Pro computer with 200 MHz processor
• 64 MB RAM
• 30 MB free hard drive space
• Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 1, Windows XP with Service Pack 1, or Windows NT
4.0 with Service Pack 4



• System Components
• System Recommendations
System Components
To establish communication between OPC servers, you need OPC compliant servers, the OPC Data
Manager, Insight software with the OPCServer Option, and either an MEC, MBC, or a Soft Controller.
Figure 3 shows the connections between each system component.
Figure 3. System Component Connections.
Data transfer between system components is accomplished through shared points and virtual points.
Shared Points
In the OPC Data Manager, shared points link two OPC items: a virtual point in an MEC, MBC, or a Soft
Controller and an OPC item in a third-party server. After shared points are created, you can use the
Insight workstation to view and command information in OPC items on third-party servers. For
information about creating shared points, see the Creating and Modifying Shared Points section.

Virtual Points
In an MEC, MBC, or a Soft Controller, virtual points hold the information received from OPC items on
third-party servers. You must create a virtual point for each third-party OPC item that you want to
monitor with Insight software.
Follow these guidelines while creating virtual points via Insight software:
• Plan point pairings. For each third-party OPC item (AO, AI, DO, DI) that you want to monitor or
command, create a virtual point of the same type.
• Create a naming convention that makes it easy to determine which third-party OPC item is associated
with each virtual point.
System Recommendations
For optimal performance, the following are recommended:
• Use a Soft Controller. Since the Soft Controller resides on the Insight workstation, communication is
faster than when an MEC or MBC is used.
A Soft Controller is a virtual field panel with many capabilities normally associated with physical
field panels. Through a Soft Controller, you can create and command points, run PPCL, send and
receive COVs, run equipment scheduler, and trend points without a physical panel or physical wiring.
For more information, see Setting Up Soft Controller (GSSC.chm).
• An MEC or MBC can be used instead of a Soft Controller to hold the virtual points associated with
the OPC Data Manager’s shared points. If used, be sure to add the MEC or MBC to a dedicated BLN.
This will separate the network traffic generated by the OPC Data Manager from network traffic
generated by other parts of the system. Especially in systems using over 100 shared points, this
configuration can help maximize system performance.
• Install the OPC Data Manager and Insight OPCServer on the same computer. Since they use the same
DCOM settings, you can save time during system configuration by configuring a computer for both.
Be sure, however, that the computer has adequate resources to run both applications.


• Before You Install the OPC Data Manager
• Installing the OPC Data Manager
• Setting and Removing the OPC Data Manager as a Windows Service
• Distributed COM (DCOM)
• Starting the OPC Data Manager Manually
• Opening and Closing the Main Window
• Entering OPC Data Manager Settings
• Setting Advanced System Configuration
• Stopping the OPC Data Manager
Before You Install the OPC Data Manager

Before you install the OPC Data Manager, be sure that Insight software with the OPCServer Option is
installed and configured. See the Insight OPCServer documentation for more information.
Installing the OPC Data Manager

To install the OPC Data Manager, do the following steps:
1. Log on to the computer using a user account with Administrator privileges.
2. From the OPC Data Manager CD, run MatrikonDataManager.exe.
The setup program installs the OPC Data Manager. Table 1 describes the installed files.
Table 1. OPC Data Manager Files.

Filename Description
DataManager.exe Data Manager executable.
DMConfig.exe Data Manager configuration tool.
DMInterfacesproxy.dll Proxy library for OPC Data Manager COM interfaces.
EventLog.dll Message library for NT Event logging system.
OPCSim.exe Matrikon simulation OPC server executable, installation option.
PSTCFGDataManagerLib.ocx Data Manager OPC server configuration Active X control library.
OPCDataManager.exe Data Manager OPC server executable.
OPCExplorer.exe Matrikon OPC Explorer executable, diagnostic tool.

Filename Description
PSTCFG.exe Matrikon OPC server configuration shell.
OPCAuto.dll OPC automation library.
PSTcfgps.dll Proxy library for the OPC Data Manager server configuration.
opc_aeps.dll Proxy library for OPC Alarm and Events interface.
opccomn_ps.dll Proxy library for OPC common interface
opcproxy.dll Proxy library for OPC custom interface.
Opcenum.exe OPC server enumerator.
hinstall.exe Hardware key setup utility.
ExprEval.dll Scaling dll.
Setting and Removing the OPC Data Manager as a Windows

Service
It is recommended that the OPC Data Manager runs as a Windows service, especially if it is going to be
accessed by remote clients via DCOM. As a Windows service, the OPC Data Manager can always be
accessed, even if no user is logged on to the computer. Also, the Windows service feature ensures that
only one process ever starts up and adds a greater degree of security in terms of who can to shut down the
server process.
Setting as a Windows Service

To set the OPC Data Manager as a Windows service, do the following steps:
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then Run.
The Run dialog box opens.
2. In the Open field, type “c:\folder\datamanager.exe” –install, where folder is the path to the
datamanager.exe file, or click Browse to find and select the file. Typically, you can find the
datamanager.exe file at C:\Program Files\Matrikon\OPC\DataManager.
3. Click OK.
The OPC Data Manager is registered as a Windows service. You can manually start, configure, and
stop the OPC Data Manager service via the Windows services utilities.
Removing from Windows Services

To remove the OPC Data Manager from Windows services, do the following steps:
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, and then Run.
The Run dialog box opens.
2. In the Open field, type “c:\ folder\datamanager.exe” –uninstall, where folder is the path to the
datamanager.exe file, or click Browse to find and select the file. Typically, you can find the
datamanager.exe file at C:\Program Files\Matrikon\OPC\DataManager.

3. Click OK.
OPC Data Manager configuration is unaffected when you remove it from Windows services. You can still
run the OPC Data Manager as a normal program.
Distributed COM (DCOM)

DCOM is an object protocol that enables COM components, including the OPC Data Manager, to
communicate directly with each other across a network. The OPC Data Manager uses the same general
DCOM settings as the Insight OPCServer. For more information, see the Insight OPCServer
documentation.
Starting the OPC Data Manager Manually

You can manually start the OPC Data Manager as a program or Windows service.
Starting the Program

To start the OPC Data Manager as a program, do the following step:
Click Start, point to (All) Programs, Matrikon OPC, Data Manager, and then click
.
The OPC Data Manager starts, and is displayed in the Windows taskbar at the bottom right corner
of the screen.
Starting the Service
For Windows 2000 and XP

To manually start the OPC Data Manager as a Windows 2000 or XP service, do the following steps:
1. Open the Services window:
• For Windows 2000―Click Start, and then select Settings, Control Panel, Administrative
Tools, and Services.
• For Windows XP―Click Start, and then select Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and
Services.
The Services window opens.
2. Right-click Matrikon Data Manager, and then click Start.
3. Close the Services window.
For Windows NT
To manually start the OPC Data Manager as a Windows NT service, do the following steps:
1. Click Start, and then select Settings, Control Panel, and Services.
The Services window opens.
2. Click Matrikon Data Manager, and then click Start.
3. Close the Services window.

Opening and Closing the Main Window

You use the main window of the OPC Data Manager to do the following:
• Enter OPC Data Manager settings.
• Create groups to organize shared points in the OPC Data Manager.
• Create shared points that establish communication between OPC items.
• Define statistics to gather information about group and point activity.
Opening the Main Window

To open the main window, do the following step:
In the Windows taskbar, double-click .
The main window opens.
Closing the Main Window

To close the main window, do the following step:
On the File menu, click Exit Config Tool.
As long as the OPC Data Manager is left running, the main window will reopen with the same
configuration that it had when it was closed.
Entering OPC Data Manager Settings

From the main window, you can enter Startup, Advanced, Quality, Redundancy, and Other settings.
Entering Startup Settings

Through Startup settings, you can select the default configuration file and user profile that the OPC Data
Manager uses when it starts.
It is recommended that the User startup setting is used to make the OPC Data Manager run
under an account other than System. If the OPC Data Manager runs under the System account,
NetDDE and DCOM may not function, severely hampering the OPC Data Manager
effectiveness.
To enter Startup settings, do the following steps:
1. To open the Main Window, double-click .
2. On the Manager menu, click Settings.
The Startup tab of the Data Manager Settings dialog box is displayed by default.

3. In the Configuration File section, do any of the following:

• Auto-load config file on startup—If you want the Data Manager to load a certain configuration
file automatically, select this checkbox, and then type, or click to browse for, the file path and
name.
• Retry failed points—If you want the Data Manager to attempt to create points that cannot be
created on the first try, select this checkbox, type the frequency in minutes for how often the Data
Manager should try, and then type the maximum number of retries that should be attempted.
4. If you want the OPC Data Manager to run under a specific user accountsuch as the Insight
OPCServer accountdo all of the following in the User section:
a. Select the Impersonate user checkbox.
b. In the User field, type the user account ID.
c. In the Domain field, type the domain name.
d. In the Password and Confirm fields, type the user account password.
5. Do one of the following:
• To enter more settings, click another tab in the Data Manager Settings dialog box.
• To save the information and close the Data Manager Settings dialog box, click OK.
Entering Advanced Settings

Through Advanced settings, you can specify how much information should be logged and how frequently
OPC servers should be checked.
To enter Advanced settings, do the following steps:
3. In the Data Manager Settings dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
4. In the Log File Configuration section, do any of the following:
• Log Level—Select the level of detail that you want the log to contain.
A log level of Low is recommended when not debugging OPC Data Manager functionality. A log
level of High can result in very large log files and slow down the OPC Data Manager
considerably.
• Commit all log file writes—Select this checkbox to force all log file writes to take place
immediately, rather than be buffered by the system.
• Output to File—Type the location where the log file should be stored, or click to browse for
the location.
• Report up to—Type the maximum number of configuration errors that you want to view on the
screen.

5. In the Check OPC Servers section, do any of the following:

• Check OPC servers every—Type the number of minutes that should pass between the times
when the OPC Data Manager checks OPC servers.
• Attempt to restart dead OPC servers—Select this checkbox to make the OPC Data Manager
try to restart an OPC server that seems to have failed.
Entering Quality Settings

Through Quality settings, you can specify how incoming OPC quality values are translated into outgoing
values.
To enter Quality settings, do the following steps:
3. In the Data Manager Settings dialog box, click the Quality tab.
4. In the OPC Quality column, type a quality value that the OPC Data Manager receives from OPC
items.
5. In the Translation column, type the corresponding value that you want the OPC Data Manager to
send to other OPC items.
6. To specify a default suffix that will be applied to the IDs of OPC items that receive translated quality
values, type the characters in the Suffix field.
About Redundancy Operation

You can set up two OPC Data Managers as a primary/backup pair so if the primary fails, the backup takes
over. Each OPC Data Manager considers the other OPC Data Manager as its sibling—an identical copy
that can support all functionality.
Redundancy Signaling
Redundancy is implemented by having each OPC Data Manager send a signal, or heartbeat, to its
sibling. Its sibling monitors this heartbeat every second. If a user-defined period of time passes with no
heartbeat detected, an OPC Data Manager determines that its sibling has failed and takes appropriate
action. A primary OPC Data Manager keeps acting as a primary, while a backup OPC Data Manager will
ramp up to act as a full primary OPC Data Manager. When the heartbeat is again detected, a backup OPC
Data Manager returns to backup duty.

Backup Operation
An OPC Data Manager can be configured in one of three redundancy settings: Primary, Hot, or Warm
backup. Figure 4 shows the connections (lines) and data transmissions (arrows) for each redundancy
setting.
Primary Hot Backup Primary Warm Backup
ODM ODM ODM ODM
OPC OPC OPC OPC
Figure 4. Backup Operation.
• A Primary OPC Data Manager operates normally. This setting is used for an OPC Data Manager that
is either a sole OPC Data Manager or the Primary OPC Data Manager of a primary/backup pair.
• A Hot Backup OPC Data Manager operates normally except it does not write to the OPC servers
until the Primary fails. A Hot Backup OPC Data Manager does, however, read from the servers and
thus has up-to-date information on all of the points. Since a Hot Backup OPC Data Manager is active,
the time between failure detection and full operation is minimal, less than a second.
A Hot Backup will stop writing as soon as the Primary’s heartbeat is detected again. This setting is
used to achieve the maximum amount of reliability possible, at the expense of more network traffic
and a higher amount of memory and CPU usage in each OPC server.
• A Warm Backup OPC Data Manager creates groups in each OPC server, but does not activate any
of its groups until the Primary fails. This means that it does not normally read from or write to any of
the OPC servers. Even though a Warm Backup is subscribed, it will likely have bad or outdated
information when it starts up. Because a Warm Backup must activate all of its groups when the
Primary fails, the time needed to respond to the failure may be significant, depending on how many
groups the OPC Data Manager is handling.
A Warm Backup will stop writing to the OPC servers as soon as the Primary’s heartbeat is detected
again, and will need additional time to deactivate all of the groups it has activated. This setting is used
when the amount of additional data traffic generated by a Hot Backup is undesirable, and the
additional time required to enable the groups is acceptable.
Redundancy Display
The current redundancy status is displayed in the status bar of the main window. The left portion of the
status bar changes color and displays a message depending on the redundancy setting and the current
sibling status. Table 2 describes the colors and messages that can be shown.

Table 2. Icon Colors for Redundancy Status.

Color Message Meaning
Grey No redundancy Redundancy has not been enabled.
Yellow Waiting The Data Manager is in the initial “Wait time before detecting”
phase.
Green Alive time ago The sibling last sent a heartbeat time ago. This is less than the
preset failure time.
Red Down for time The sibling last sent a heartbeat time ago. This is greater than or
equal to the preset failure time.
Important Considerations
The redundancy feature for the OPC Data Manager requires that each OPC Data Manager is configured
properly. To ensure correct configuration, follow these guidelines:
• Each OPC Data Manager must run on its own machine. If two instances of OPC Data Manager are
created on the same computer, the second will fail and shut down.
• Configuring both OPC Data Managers as primary or backup will result in an error and both units will
shut down.
• Each OPC Data Manager should be configured so that the heartbeat transmission rate, plus an
adequate network transmission time, is noticeably less than the heartbeat detection time on the other
unit. For example, if the Primary OPC Data Manager sends its heartbeats every five seconds, the
Backup OPC Data Manager may be set to detect the heartbeats every seven seconds.
• Redundancy does not work with workgroups. All OPC Data Managers must be on a fully
implemented network.
• Files to be executed when an OPC Data Manager or sibling error occurs must be an executable batch
file or other program that can be launched within a system shell. If either a relative directory path or
no directory path is specified, the Data Manager directory is used as the default directory.
Both OPC Data Managers must run from the same security context (logon user ID) unless
Windows DCOM permissions are set to enable communications between the two user IDs on
those two hosts.
Entering Redundancy Settings

Through Redundancy settings, you can set up two OPC Data Managers: one as a primary, and the other as
a backup.
To enter Redundancy settings, do the following steps:
3. In the Data Manager Settings dialog box, click the Redundancy tab.

4. In the Communication with Sibling ODM section, do all of the following:

a. In the first field, type the name of the computer that has the other OPC Data Manager.
b. In the second field, type the number of seconds that should pass between “heartbeats.”
c. In the third field, type the maximum number of seconds that can pass without receiving a
heartbeat before the OPC Data Manager determines that its sibling has failed.
d. In the fourth field, type the number of seconds after starting up that the OPC Data Manager waits
before checking for a heartbeat.
e. In the fifth field, type the name of a program that should run when the sibling fails.
f. In the sixth field, type the name of a program that should run when the OPC Data Manager has a
critical error and cannot continue.
5. In the This ODM is to execute as a section, select the function of this OPC Data Manager.
• Primary—Full, normal operation.
• Hot Backup—Normal operation except it will not write to any of the OPC servers until the
primary fails.
• Warm Backup—Creates groups in each OPC server, but does not read from or write to any of
the OPC servers until the primary fails.
Entering Other Settings

Through Other settings, you can select whether or not to receive point configuration errors, specify path
delimiters, and list the OPC servers to be accessed in synchronous mode.
Although Asynchronous mode is the default setting, Synchronous mode is recommended for
most installations (Step 6). Synchronous mode ensures that each COV is fully communicated
and recorded before subsequent point value requests are sent. This avoids any possible backups
of COV data, which can occur with the Asynchronous mode.
To enter Other settings, do the following steps:

3. In the Data Manager Settings dialog box, click the Other tab.
4. If you want to be notified of acceptable but unusual point configurations, select the Enable Strict
Mode checkbox.
For example, warnings are logged for points where the input data type does not match the output data
type.
5. If you want to use access path delimiters other than the default [ ], such as { }, type the characters that
you want to use in the Access Path Delimiters section.

6. To set Synchronous mode, add the following in the Synchronous OPC section:
• Insight.OPCServerDA
• Insight.OPCServerDA.1
• LocalHost
Setting Advanced System Configuration
Configuring the Log File

By default, the OPC Data Manager creates a log file in the install directory. Standard activity logging can
be set via the Data Manager Settings dialog box, as described in the Entering Advanced Settings section.
More advanced settings can be specified using a log configuration file with the -l=logfile.cfg
command line parameter. A fully qualified path must be specified. Table 3 describes the fields in the log
file.
Table 3. Log File Fields.

Field Description Default Value
-Lfilename Log file name, which must appear in the configuration file. G2Cimio.log
Otherwise, default settings are assumed.
-Dlevel Log level. The greater the quantity of information logged to 2 (Medium)
the file, the greater the impact on program performance.
For standard operation, a log level of 0 is recommended.
0 = Critical. Only critical errors are logged.
1 = Low. All errors are logged.
2 = Medium. All errors and warnings are logged.
3 = High. Extended program information is logged.
8 = None. Only compulsory messages are logged.
9 = All. All information is logged.
-Msize Maximum log file size, in bytes. After this maximum has 500,000 bytes
been reached, new information replaces the oldest
information.
-Noverwrite TRUE = Any pre-existing log file is overwritten at start-up. TRUE
FALSE = Old log file is copied to a file with an underscore
prefixed to the original name before being overwritten.
-Fforcedwrites TRUE = Ensures that all statements are written to file, even FALSE
in the event of hardware failure. Greatly decreases program
performance.
FALSE = Writes are buffered.

In the log configuration file, all log settings have the following requirements:
• They must be preceded by a hyphen (-).
• They cannot be preceded by white space.
• They must be followed by a carriage-return.

Each setting is identified by a single letter and followed immediately by its new value.
Accessing OPC Server Configuration Panels

From the main window, you can access OPC server configuration panels, by doing the following steps:
1. On the Servers menu, click Configure.
The OPC Server Configuration dialog box opens.
2. Click the server that you want to configure, and then click Configure.
3. Refer to the appropriate OPC server user’s manual for details on configuring that OPC server.
Stopping the OPC Data Manager

CAUTION:
Before you stop the OPC Data Manager, be sure to save any information that you added or
changed.
To stop the OPC Data Manager, do the following step:
In the Windows taskbar, right-click , and then click Shut Down.


Chapter 4 – Configuring Groups, Shared Points, and

Statistics
• Overview
• Variant Data Types
• Using OPC Data Manager Data Files
• Creating and Managing Groups
• Adding and Modifying Shared Points
• Adding and Removing Statistics
Overview
A valid OPC Data Manager configuration consists of groups and shared points. Groups organize shared
points into logical categories. Shared points are the central data structures that establish connections
between OPC items. Each shared point stores a value that can be written to from various sources and can
be read or written to various destinations.
Using the OPC Data Manager, you can collect statistics, such as the number of point reads and errors,
and write those values to shared points. After a statistic has been written to a shared point, its value can be
used like any other point value.
Variant Data Types

When you define groups, points, and statistics, you must select a variant data type. Table 4 describes the
available data types. The Value column shows the corresponding number that is written to the OPC Data
Manager data file.
Table 4. Data Types.

Data Type Description Value
VT_EMPTY Default/Empty (Nothing) 0

VT_I2 2 byte signed integer 2
VT_I4 4 byte signed integer 3
VT_R4 4 byte real 4
VT_R8 8 byte real 5
VT_CY currency 6
VT_DATE date 7
VT_BSTR text 8
VT_ERROR error code 10

Data Type Description Value
VT_BOOL Boolean (TRUE = -1, FALSE = 0) 11

VT_I1 1 byte signed character 17
VT_UI1 1 byte unsigned character 18
VT_UI2 2 byte unsigned integer 19
VT_UI4 4 byte unsigned integer 20
VT_ARRAY Array of values. Not supported. +8192
Using OPC Data Manager Data Files

The OPC Data Manager uses data files to hold information about groups, points, and statistics. As you
create groups, shared points, and statistics, you save the information in data files. These data files have a
.csv file extension. You can create as many data files as you need.
To activate the OPC Data Manager, group and point information must be added via the main window. If
you already have information saved in a data file, you can open or import the data file to bring its
information into the OPC Data Manager.
Opening OPC Data Manager Files

When you open an OPC Data Manager data file, any currently displayed information is replaced with the
information in the opened file.
To open a file, do the following steps:
1. Click .
2. In the Open dialog box, find the file, and then click Open.
The information is displayed in the main window.
Importing OPC Data Manager Files

When you import an OPC Data Manager file, its information is added to the currently displayed
information. Importing a file can be useful when you want to merge information from multiple files.
To import a file, do the following steps:
1. On the File menu, click Import.
2. In the Open dialog box, find the file, and then click Open.
The information is added to the main window.
3. Click to save the imported information to the current file.

Creating and Managing Groups

You must create a group before you can create shared points.
Creating and Modifying Groups

To create or modify a group, do the following steps:
• To add a group, click . The Add Data Manager Group dialog box opens.
• To modify a group, right-click the group in the Data Manager Groups section, and then click
Properties. The Data Manager Group Properties dialog box opens.
2. In the General tab, do the following:
• Group Name—Type a name to describe the points that the group will hold.
• Lifetime—Enter 0.
A Lifetime value can be used to request a point value at a set time interval. By entering 0, the
point value will be updated only when the value changes. This prevents unnecessary
communication in the system. All items in a group share the same lifetime value.
• Refresh from DEVICE—Leave unchecked.
• Master (Input) Update Interval—Generally, leave the value at 1000. However, if large amounts
of simultaneous COVs could occur on the network, type 10000.
The Update Interval is the maximum rate at which OPC servers will send data updates to the OPC
Data Manager. For example, if a value changes 10 times per second and the update rate is 1000
ms (1 second), then the OPC Data Manager is updated only once per second.
• Slave (Output) Update Interval—Generally, leave the value at 1000. However, if large amounts
of simultaneous COVs could occur on the network, type 10000.
3. Click the Options tab, and then do the following:
• Active—If you want the group to be functional, ensure that this checkbox is selected. If you want
to deactivate the group, clear this checkbox.
• Default Direction—Select the default point type for the group:
− Unidirectional points transmit information in one direction, from the master OPC item to
the slave OPC item.
− Bidirectional points can transmit information in both directions, between master and slave
OPC items. Generally, whenever either OPC item changes value, the new value is sent to the
other OPC item.
When you add points to a group, you can override this default setting on a point-by-point basis.
• Default Dead Value Option—Leave Do nothing selected.
• Default DDE—If you want this group to be seen by DDE clients by default, select the Serve to
DDE checkbox. You can override this default setting on a point-by-point basis.
4. Click OK.

The group appears as a folder in the Data Manager Groups section of the main window. indicates
a uni-directional group. indicates a bi-directional group.
Saving and Exporting Groups

You can save and export group information. When you save group information, you add it to the current
data file. If you want to save the information for a particular group only, you can export that information
to a separate .csv file. Exporting group information can be useful when you want to add the same group
information to multiple OPC Data Manager data files (see also the Importing Groups section).
Saving Groups to the Current Data File

To save group information to the current data file, do the following step:
Click .
Exporting Groups
To export a group, do the following steps:
1. In the Data Manager Groups section, right-click the group you want to export, and then click
Export Group.
The Export Selected Group to File dialog box opens.
2. Enter the following information:
• From the Save in list, select where you want to store the file.
• In the File name field, type a name for the file.
3. Click Save.
Importing Groups
You can import group information to add it to the current OPC Data Manager data file. This can be useful
when you want to create multiple, similar OPC Data Manager configurations.
To import a group, do the following steps:
1. Open the configuration file that you want to add the group to.
2. On the File menu, click Import.
The Import Groups from File dialog box opens.
3. Find and select the group data file that you want to import, and then click Open.
The imported group information is added to the currently displayed information.
4. Click to save all of the information in the main window to the current OPC Data Manager data
file.

Refreshing Group Information

You can manually refresh, or request an update for, group information. This may be necessary if another
client is connected to the OPC Data Manager or to update group information after importing a group.
To refresh group information, do the following steps:
1. In the Data Manager Groups section, right-click the group, and then point to Refresh Group.
• To retrieve current point values from the OPC servers, click From OPC.
• To retrieve the point values that are currently stored in the Data Manager, click From ODM.
Removing Groups
To remove a group, do the following step:
In the Data Manager Groups section, right-click the group, click Delete Group, click OK, and
then click .
Adding and Modifying Shared Points

After you have created one or more groups, you can add shared points. For each shared point, consider
how the value of the OPC item will be used.
Master/Slave
The OPC Data Manager uses the Master/Slave designation to decide how to transfer values from one
OPC item to another. For each shared point, you select an OPC item to be the Master and another OPC
item to be the Slave.
Uni-directional Points
In a uni-directional point, the value of the Master is always transferred to the Slave. Even if the Slave
value changes, it cannot be transferred to the Master.
Figure 5 shows the communication flow for a uni-directional point in which the point value is transferred
from the APOGEE Automation System to a third-party system. You should create this type of uni-
directional point for a third-party OPC item that you want to set and command with Insight software.
Figure 5. APOGEE Output to Third-party Input.

Figure 6 shows the communication flow for a uni-directional point in which the point value is transferred
from a third-party system to the APOGEE Automation System. You should create this type of uni-
directional point for a third-party OPC item that you want to monitor, but not command, with Insight
software.
Figure 6. Third-party Output to APOGEE Input.
Bi-directional Points
In a bi-directional point, the value of the Master can always be transferred to the Slave. Also, the Slave
value can be transferred to the Master if all of the following apply:
• The new OPC item value does not match the OPC Data Manager point’s current value.
• The master item has updated the point at least once with a good value.
• The update is not the result of a refresh request.

The rules prevent data from bouncing back and forth between the Master and Slave, and also prevent the
Slave from contaminating the Master value before the Master has a chance to write to the Slave.
You should create a bi-directional point for a third-party OPC item that you want to monitor and
command with Insight software.
Before You Begin

Before you begin adding shared points, be sure that virtual points have been created via Insight software
to hold shared point values. For information about creating virtual points, see the Insight Point Editor
online help.
Adding Shared Points

After a group has been created, you can add shared points. Table 5 summarizes the options that you have
for configuring shared points.
Table 5. Options for Shared Point Configuration.

If you want to: Then create a:
Set and command the value of an OPC Uni-directional point that has a physical or virtual point as
item on a third-party server. its Master (input) and a third-party OPC item as its Slave
(output).
Only view the value of an OPC item on Uni-directional point that has a third-party OPC item as its
a third-party server. Master (input) and a virtual point as its Slave (output).

If you want to: Then create a:

Enable values and commands to be Bi-directional point that has a virtual point as its Master
transferred in both directions between a (input) and a third-party OPC item as its Slave (output).
virtual point and an OPC item on a
third-party server.
A maximum of 200 points per group is recommended.
To add a shared point to a group, do the following steps:

1. In the Data Manager Groups section, click the group that will hold the point, and then do one of the
following:
• To add a point with pre-selected OPC items for its input and output, find the Master OPC item in
the top-right OPC Server Directory, and then click, drag, and drop that OPC item onto the Slave
OPC item.
The Add Shared Point dialog box opens. The fields for Group, (input) Server Name and OPC
Item, and (output) Server Name and OPC item are automatically filled.
• To add a point to the selected group, click .

The Add Shared Point dialog box opens. The Group field is automatically filled.
2. On the General tab, do the following:
• Group—Confirm, or type, the name of the group to which you want to add the point.
• Tag Name—Type a name for the point. Tag names must be unique within a group.
• Reference String—If you want to add a point description, type a brief description. The reference
string has no effect on program operation; it is for user informational purposes only.
• Input OPC Server—Enter or verify all of the following:
− Server Name—Select the server containing the OPC item that will act as the Master.
− Type—Select the requested data type. If you want to accept any data type chosen by the
server, select VT_EMPTY.
− OPC Item—Type the OPC item ID, or click to browse for the item and enter its ID.
Access paths can be specified in square brackets following the item ID. For example:
This.Is.an:ItemID[this is the access path]
• Output OPC Server—Enter or verify all of the following:
− Server Name—Select the server containing the OPC item that will act as the Slave.
− Type—Select the sent data type. If you want to send any data type, select VT_EMPTY.
− OPC Item—Type the OPC item ID, or click to browse for the item and enter its ID.
3. Click the Options tab, and then do the following:
• Direction—If data transfer should be from Master (input) to Slave (output) only, select
Unidirectional. If data transfer should be allowed in both directions, select Bidirectional.
• Scaling—Select this option to perform input/output scaling.

• Dead Value—Leave Do nothing selected.

• DDE—If you want the point to be visible to DDE clients, select the Server to DDE checkbox.
The point can be accessed from a DDE client by using the following syntax:
DataManager|hub!groupitem. The DDE topic name is “hub” unless specified otherwise
by the “-t” startup parameter to the Data Manager. The DDE item name is the concatenation of
the group and shared point tags.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and then do the following:
• Quality Pass-Through—If you want the OPC quality (GOOD, BAD, UNCERTAIN) of the
input OPC Item to be written to an output item, select the Write OPC Qualities to this item
checkbox, and then select the server and type the name of the OPC item that will hold the quality.
• Action—If you want to assign an action to the shared point, select the type from the Action Type
list. Actions are triggered when a value is written to the shared point.
All values written by an action to a shared point must be 32-bit words (VT_UI4).
5. Click OK.
The shared point information opens in the main window.
6. To add the point information to the OPC Data Manager data file, click .
Modifying Shared Points

To modify the properties of a shared point, do the following steps:
1. In the Data Manager Groups section, click the group that has the point you want to modify.
The Display section shows information for the group points.
2. Right-click the point, and then click Properties.
The Shared Point Properties dialog box opens.
3. On the General tab, do any of the following:
• Reference—To add or change the point description, type the information that you want.
• Input Item—To change the Master (input) for this point, type the OPC item ID, or click to
browse for the item and enter its ID. You can also change the data type by selecting a different
type from the list to the right of the Input Item field.
• Output Item—To change the Slave (output) for this point, type the OPC item ID, or click to
browse for the item and enter its ID. You can also change the data type by selecting a different
type from the list to the right of the Output Item field.
• Scaling—To specify or change input/output scaling, select the checkbox, and then type the Input
Min, Input Max, Output Min, and Output Max.
• Dead Value—Leave Do nothing selected.
4. On the Options tab, do any of the following:
• Direction—If data transfer is should be from Master (input) to Slave (output) only, select
Unidirectional. If data transfer should be allowed in both directions, select Bidirectional.
• DDE—If you want the point to be visible to DDE clients, select the Server to DDE checkbox.

• Quality Pass-Through—If you want the OPC quality (GOOD, BAD, UNCERTAIN) of the
input OPC Item to be written to an output item, select the Write OPC Qualities to this item
checkbox, and then type the location and name of the OPC item that will hold the quality.
• Action—If you want to assign an action to the shared point, select the type from the Action Type
list. Actions are triggered when a value is written to the shared point.
5. Click OK to close the Shared Point Properties dialog box.
6. Click to save the changed information.
Removing Shared Points

To remove a shared point from a group, do the following steps:
1. In the Data Manager Groups section, click the group that has the point you want to remove.
Information for all the points in that group appear in the area to the right.
2. Click the point that you want to remove, and then click .
A message box prompts you to confirm the removal.
3. Click OK.
4. To save the change, click .
Adding and Removing Statistics
Adding Statistics
To add a statistic, do the following steps:
1. Click .
The Configure Statistics dialog box opens.
2. Enter information for the following fields:
• Type of Statistic—Select the statistic type that you want from the list. Table 6 describes the
available types.
Table 6. Statistic Types.

Type Description
GROUPREADS Total number of reads, such as updates, to a group.
GROUPREADERRS Total number of read errors (BAD quality updates) by [to?] a group.
GROUPWRITES Total number of writes from a group.
GROUPWRITEERRS Total number of write errors (BAD quality writes) by a group.
POINTREADS Total number of reads, such as updates, to a point.
POINTREADERRS Total number of read errors (BAD quality updates) to a point.
POINTWRITES Total number of writes from an OPC Data Manager point.

Table 6. Statistic Types.

Type Description
POINTWRITEERRS Total number of write errors (BAD quality writes) by a point.
• Source Group or Point—Type, or click to browse for, the group or point name for which the
statistic is requested.
If you type the name of the source point, be sure to precede the point name with its group name
and a back slash, for example Group1\point1.
• Destination Point—Type, or click to browse for, the name of the point to which the statistic
will be written.
3. Click Add. The statistic configuration is shown on the Configure Statistics dialog box.
4. To add another statistic, repeat Steps 2 and 3.
5. Click Done to close the Configure Statistics dialog box.
6. Click to save the information to the OPC Data Manager data file.
Removing Statistics
To remove a statistic, do the following steps:
1. Click . The Configure Statistics dialog box opens.

2. Select the statistic that you want to remove, and then click Delete.
3. Click Done to close the Configure Statistics dialog box.
4. To save the change, click .

• Error Messages
• Browsing Issues
• OPC Item Issues
• Redundancy Issues
Error Messages
Table 7 lists common error messages and solutions for those errors.
Table 7. Error Messages.

Error Message Explanation and Solution
Unable to open the Appears while creating a point that includes an OPC item on a remote server.
access token of
the current thread The likely cause of this problem is a DCOM misconfiguration of the local host, such
as the computer running the OPC Data Manager.
The easiest solution is to use the dcomconfig tool to give everyone DCOM access
to the local host:
1. Run dcomconfig.
2. On the Default Security tab, give everyone Access and Launch permissions.
Access denied Appears while creating a point that includes an OPC item on a remote server.
The likely cause of this problem is a DCOM misconfiguration of the remote host,
such as the computer running the remote OPC server.
Use the dcomconfig tool to give DCOM Access and Launch permissions to the
user running the OPC Data Manager. If the OPC Data Manager is running as a
service under the System account, you must give everyone Access and Launch
permissions.
Browsing Issues
Unable to browse any network hosts for OPC servers.
The likely cause of this problem is related to registry permissions. The OPC Data Manager attempts to
browse the registry on the remote host to obtain a list of OPC servers installed on that host. Use the Data
Manager Settings dialog box to change the user context to an account with registry access privileges on
the remote host.
OPC server does not appear in the browse panel.
Make sure that the OPC server is installed and configured properly. Consult the vendor-supplied OPC
server manual for details.

OPC server is listed in the browse panel, but cannot be browsed.

The OPC browse interface on OPC servers is an optional feature. Not all OPC servers support it. You can,
however, still create shared points with OPC items from a non-browseable server by manually entering
the item ID in the Add Shared Point dialog box. Consult the vendor supplied OPC server manual for the
item ID syntax of your OPC server.
OPC Item Issues

Can see the points on a third-party server, but point commands are not accepted.
In the OPC Data Manager settings, list the third-party server as one that should be accessed in
synchronous mode.
Redundancy Issues
OPC Data Manager says that its sibling has failed, but it is merely busy configuring its points.
Increase the wait time before the OPC Data Manager starts checking for heartbeats.
OPC Data Manager says that its sibling has failed, but it is up.
Check how often the OPC Data Managers send and check for heartbeats. The check rate of one OPC Data
Manager must be greater than the send rate of its sibling OPC Data Manager, plus communication time
between the two units.
OPC Data Manager takes a long time to locate its sibling.
This problem may be unavoidable. Setting up DCOM communications between two OPC Data Managers
can take a long time if used in a Workgroups setting.
OPC Data Manager says that its sibling has failed, has started, and then immediately shuts down.
If the OPC Data Manager start time is significant or its sibling OPC Data Manager is experiencing
“brown-outs,” situations where the server fails and then immediately recovers, the OPC Data Manager
may not have time to become fully active before its sibling comes back up.
If feasible, increase the amount of time each OPC Data Manager waits before it considers that its sibling
has failed.
OPC Data Manager cannot see its sibling.
The following solutions are possible:
• Check DCOM settings to make sure that the user IDs on the two computers have permission to talk to
each other.
• Check Windows Entire Network to make sure that Windows can see the computer.
• Make sure that the sibling computer name setting is correct.

OPC Data Manager shuts down with an error when starting.
Check your OPC Data Manager settings. Make sure that one OPC Data Manager is configured as the
Primary and the other OPC Data Manager is configured as a Hot or Warm backup.


The OPC quality flags represent the quality of an item’s data value. The lower byte is a bit-field used to
convey standard quality values. The high byte is available for vendor-specific use complementary to the
standard values. The following table lists the range of valid quality values (ignoring the vendor-specific
bits). See the OPC DA 2.0 specification for more information.
Table 8. Valid Values for OPC Quality.

Binary Decimal Definition Description
00000000 0 Bad, Non-specific The value is bad (no specific reason).
Bad, Configuration A server-specific problem exists in the
00000100 4
Error configuration.
The input should be logically connected to
00001000 8 Bad, Not Connected
something, but is not.
00001100 12 Bad, Device Failure A device failure has been detected.
00010000 16 Bad, Sensor Failure A sensor failure has been detected. The value
00010001 17 + Low Limit may be “pegged” as indicated by the limit field.
00010010 18 + High Limit
00010011 19 + Constant
Communications have failed. The item value
00010100 20 Bad, Last Known Value
represents the last known.
Communications have failed. There is no last
00011000 24 Bad, Comm Failure
known value.
The block is off-scan or otherwise locked, or
00011100 28 Bad, Out of Service
the group or item is inactive.
01000000 64 Uncertain, Non-specific The value is uncertain (no specific reason).
Uncertain, Last Usable Whatever was writing this value has stopped
01000100 68
Value doing so. The value is “stale.”
Uncertain, Sensor Not The value may be “pegged” at one of its limits
01010000 80
Accurate or it is detected as being out of calibration.
01010001 81
+ Low Limit
01010010 82
+ High Limit
Uncertain, EU The returned value is outside of the engineering
01010100 84
Exceeded unit limits defined for this parameter.
01010101 85
+ Low Limit
01010110 86
+ High Limit
01010111 87
+ Constant
The value is derived from multiple sources, an
01011000 88 Uncertain, Sub-normal
insufficient number of them are GOOD.
11000000 192 Good, Non-specific The value is good (no specific reason).

Binary Decimal Definition Description

The value has been overridden and forced to a
11011000 216 Good, Local Override
manually entered setting.


When an OPC client creates a group and adds items to it, the OPC server attempts to retrieve values for
active items from its data source. Internally, the OPC client maintains a data "cache," which it attempts to
update at least as fast as indicated by the update rate of the group. The server optimizes regular
communication with its data source for best performance while keeping the cache "fresh."
However, the need may arise to retrieve real-time values directly from the data source, bypassing the
regular optimization routines of the CACHE and the time delays they might impose. OPC provides the
means to do this using DEVICE reads through either synchronous or asynchronous I/O.
DEVICE reads may be performed at any time on specific items in a group. They ignore the update rate
and active state of the group or items involved. Due to the fact that they by-pass normal optimization
routines, reads from DEVICE should be used sparingly as they can incur a severe performance penalty in
the server.
A scenario where a synchronous read from DEVICE might be useful is in the case of a utility for altering
a series of set points in a device. The client application can create an inactive group with the desired items
and perform a DEVICE read. When the call completes, the item values are as current as possible. The
utility can then display the values, allow the user to alter them, and synchronously write them out to the
device. This can be followed by a second DEVICE read to ensure that the values were properly written.
If a DEVICE read is not used, it can take some time before the server receives the first values for the
group after it is activated. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the values would all arrive in the same
update. A DEVICE read ensures that the values all arrive at the same time.
Technically, write operations are always DEVICE writes. However, there is no point in writing to the
CACHE, so this terminology is redundant.


The OPC Data Manager uses a standard comma−separated (*.CSV) file format. Each file can have lines
for groups, points, statistics, event subscriptions, and event mappings.
Group Information
The following table describes the contents of lines that describe groups.
For example, the line
GROUP,"bi fast additional 5000",30000,1001,1000,,,1,1,,,,,, VT_EMPTY,,,,,,,,,,
describes a bi-directional active group with a point lifetime of 30 seconds, master update rate of 1.001
seconds, slave update of 1 second, and no dead value.
Table 9. Group Information Fields.

Position Field Description
1 “GROUP”
2 Group name
3 Lifetime (in ms)
4 Master OPC update (in ms)
5 Slave OPC update rate (in ms)
6 Default dead option flag:
0 = no dead value by default, 1 = use dead value
7 Default DDE option flag
8 Default direction flag:
0 = unidirectional, 1 = bidirectional
9 Active flag
0 = not active, 1 = active
10 Refresh data from:
0 = OPC Data Manager CACHE, 1 = PHYSICAL DEVICE (see Appendix B)
11 – 13 Reserved, must be blank
14 Default dead value
15 Default dead value type, must be one of the following: VT_I2, VT_I4, VT_R4, VT_R8, VT_CY,
VT_DATE, VT_BSTR, VT_BOOL, VT_I1, VT_UI1, VT_UI2, VT_UI4. See the Variant Data Types
section.

Point Information
The following table describes the contents of lines that describe points.
POINT,group1\itemtag2,"Any Reference String",\\TREVOR-KIZIAK
\Matrikon.OPC.Simulation\Random.Int1,,VT_I1,,,,,,,,,,,VT_EMPTY,0,0,0,0,,NONE,,,,,,,,
defines an OPC Data Manager point named itemtag2, in unit group1. It will have its input side tied to
item Random.Int1 on the Matrikon.OPC.Simulation server on the computer TREVOR-KIZIAK, and
will accept values of type VT_I1. It has no output side and no dead value.
Table 10. Point Information Fields.

1 “POINT”
2 Point name
3 Reference String information (user defined point description)
4 InputTag in the format of Host_Name\ProgID_of_OPC_Server\OPC_Item
5 OutputTag in the format of Host_Name\ProgID_of_OPC_Server\OPC_Item
6 Input data type. Must be one of the following: VT_I2, VT_I4, VT_R4, VT_R8, VT_CY,
section.
7 Output data type. Must be one of the following: VT_I2, VT_I4, VT_R4, VT_R8, VT_CY,
section.
8 Dead value flag:
0 = no dead value, 1 = use dead value
Fields 16 and 17 set the dead value.
9 Scaling flag:
0 = no scaling, 1 = scaling
Fields 18 to 21 set the scaling factor.
10 DDE flag:
0 or no value = invisible to DDE, 1 = tag visible by DDE
11 Quality flag
0 or no value = indicates that the quality is not written elsewhere,
1 = write quality to separate OPC Data Manager item
Use field 22 to specify the point.
12 Action flag – 1: perform action on write. Use fields 23 to 25 to specify the action. A value
of 0 or no value indicates that no action is to be performed on write.
13 Bidirectional flag – 0: unidirectional point, 1: bidirectional point
16 Dead value


17 Dead value type. Must be one of VT_I2, VT_I4, VT_R4, VT_R8, VT_CY, VT_DATE, VT_BSTR,
VT_BOOL, VT_I1, VT_UI1, VT_UI2, VT_UI4. See the Variant Data Types section.
18 Scaling parameter: Input minimum

19 Scaling parameter: Input maximum
20 Scaling parameter: Output minimum
21 Scaling parameter: Output maximum
22 Quality Tag, format: Host_Name\ProgId_of_OPC_Server\OPC_Item
23 Action type.
24 Action parameter 1
25 Action parameter 2
26 Input tag access path
27 Output tag access path
Statistics Information
The following table describes the contents of lines that describe statistics.
STATISTIC, group1, group5\itemtag10,GROUPREADS,,
defines a read statistic.
Table 11. Statistic Information Fields.

1 “STATISTIC”
2 Source of statistic: point name for point statistics, or group name for group statistics
3 Destination of statistic (point to write value to)
4 Type of statistic. See Table 6. Statistic Types for more information.
5–6 Reserved, must be blank

Glossary
Glossary
A
Asynchronous mode
In this mode, the OPC Data Manager can submit multiple write requests to the Insight OPCServer without
having to wait for the “Write was Successful” signal from the OPCServer. During times of extended,
numberous COVs, this can cause a problem, in which the COV data backs up and the processing time
increases for each new COV.
B
bi-directional
Information can be transmitted in two directions—from the Master OPC item to the Slave OPC item, and
vice versa.
BLN
Building Level Network. A peer-to-peer communication trunk connecting Insight workstations and field
panels in the building control system.
C
COM
Component Object Model. Microsoft Corporation's binary specification that describes what an object is,
how it manages its lifetime, and how it tells the outside world what it can do.
COV
Change-Of-Value. Point trending method where each change in a point’s value, based on a pre-defined
limit, is recorded.
D
DCOM
Distributed Component Object Model. An extension of the Component Object Model (COM) to support
objects distributed across a network. DCOM was developed by Microsoft Corporation.
DLL
Dynamic Link Library. A library of executable functions or data that can be used by a Windows
application. DLL files usually end with the extension .dll, .exe, .drv, or .fon. A DLL can be used by
several applications at the same time. Some DLLs are provided with the Windows operating system and
available for any Windows application. Other DLLs are written for a particular application and are loaded
with the application.

Glossary
heartbeat
Signal that one OPC Data Manager sends to another to indicate that it is functioning.
Hot Backup
Used for redundancy. Backup OPC Data Manager that operates normally except it does not write to the
OPC servers until the primary OPC Data Manager fails.
L
LAN
Local Area Network. Data communications network linking computers and nodes, usually within one
building or campus. It is typically an Ethernet or Token Ring protocol. An example of a LAN is the
Management Level Network used by Insight software.
M
MLN
Management Level Network. The communications connection between individual Insight workstations in
an APOGEE Automation System. It is highest network level in the building.
O
OPC
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) for Process Control. Standard interface used in the process control
industry to connect field devices with process control or business applications.
P
PPCL
Powers Process Control Language. Programming language used to write APOGEE Automation System
control programs for building control and energy management functions. PPCL consists of various types
of statements, each performing a different task. These statements become ordered instructions called
control programs that are executed at the field panel. These control programs instruct the field panel on
how to perform calculations, evaluate control strategies, performed time based actions, and command
points.
R
RAS
Remote Access Service. A feature built into Windows NT and 2000 that allows a computer to dial in into
a network and access all the resources as if it were on the LAN.
redundancy
Feature that enables a system to use two OPC Data Managers: one to act as the primary OPC Data
Manager, and another to act as a backup if the primary fails.

Glossary
S
SCADA
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. Typically, the software application that resides in a computer,
supervising a variety of controllers and handling data acquisition.
Synchronous mode
In this mode, the OPC Data Manager must wait for the “Write was Successful” signal from the
OPCServer after each COV write request. This prevents a backup of COV data and maintains optimal
performance.
shared point
Central data structure in the OPC Data Manager that establishes a connection between two OPC items.
sibling
One OPC Data Manager in a pair that has been set up for redundancy. An identical copy that can support
all functionality.
U
uni-directional
Information can be transmitted in only one direction—from the Master OPC item to the Slave OPC item.
W
Warm Backup
Used in redundancy. Backup OPC Data Manager that creates groups in each OPC server, but does not
activate any of its groups until the primary OPC Data Manager fails.

Index
Index
A
groups
A&E Subscriptions section.....................................11 removing .............................................................31
Access Path Delimiters...........................................23 saving ..................................................................30
Active, field ............................................................29
H
application files ......................................................15
Asynchronous mode .........................................23, 45 heartbeat..................................................................20
Attempt to restart dead OPC servers, field .............20 Hot Backup .............................................................21
Auto-load config file on startup, checkbox ............19
I
B
Impersonate user, field ...........................................19
backup OPC Data Manager ....................................20 importing
bi-directional ..........................................................11 data files ..............................................................28
group default property ........................................29 group information ...............................................30
points...................................................................32 Input OPC Server, section ......................................33
browsing OPC server issues ...................................37 Insight points ....................................................31, 32
Insight with the OPCServer Option........................13
C
installed files...........................................................15
cache.......................................................................41
L
Check OPC servers every, field..............................20
COM.........................................................................9 licensing..................................................................11
Commit all log file writes, field .............................19 Lifetime, field .........................................................29
Communication with Sibling ODM, section ..........23 log file
advanced configuration .......................................24
D
settings ................................................................19
data file specifications ............................................42 Log Level, field ......................................................19
Data Manager Groups section ................................11
M
data types................................................................27
DCOM ....................................................................17 main window ..........................................................18
Dead Value, field....................................................34 closing .................................................................18
Default DDE, checkbox..........................................29 description...........................................................10
Default Dead Value option.....................................29 opening................................................................18
deleting .................................................See removing Master (Input) Update Interval, field......................29
Details section ........................................................11 Master/Slave ...........................................................31
device reads ............................................................41
N
E
naming convention .................................................14
Enable Strict Mode, checkbox................................23
O
error messages ........................................................37
exporting group information...................................30 OLE for Process Control ..........................................9
OPC client.................................................................9
G
OPC items, troubleshooting....................................38
groups .....................................................................27 OPC quality values .................................................39
creating and modifying .......................................29 OPC Quality, column .............................................20
exporting .............................................................30 OPC server................................................................9
fields in the data file............................................42 OPC Server Directories ..........................................11
importing.............................................................30 OPC servers
refreshing ............................................................31 accessing configuration panels............................25
troubleshooting ...................................................37

Index
OPC standard............................................................9 sibling .....................................................................20

opening data files....................................................28 Slave (Output) Update Interval, field .....................29
Output OPC Server, section ...................................33 Soft Controller ........................................................14
Output to File, field ................................................19 starting the program or service ...............................17
statistics ..................................................................27
P
adding..................................................................35
points .............................................. See shared points fields in the data file............................................44
primary OPC Data Manager...................................20 removing .............................................................36
R stopping the OPC Data Manager ............................25
Suffix, field.............................................................20
recommendations....................................................14 Synchronous mode ...........................................23, 47
redundancy Synchronous OPC...................................................24
operation .............................................................20 system
status ...................................................................21 components .........................................................13
troubleshooting ...................................................38 recommendations ................................................14
Reference String, field............................................33 requirements........................................................11
Refresh from DEVICE, field ..................................29
refreshing group information..................................31 T
removing Tag Name, field ......................................................33
groups .................................................................31 This ODM is to execute as a, section .....................23
shared points .......................................................35 Translation, column ................................................20
statistics...............................................................36
U
Report up to, field...................................................19
requirements ...........................................................11 uni-directional.........................................................11
Retry failed points, field .........................................19 group default property.........................................29
points...................................................................31
S
V
Scaling, field...........................................................33
Server to DDE, checkbox .......................................34 variant data types ....................................................27
settings....................................................................18 virtual points .....................................................14, 32
Advanced ............................................................19
W
Other ...................................................................23
Quality ................................................................20 Warm Backup .........................................................21
Redundancy ........................................................22 Windows service
Startup.................................................................18 removing .............................................................16
shared points.....................................................13, 27 setting..................................................................16
adding and modifying .........................................31 Write OPC Qualities to this item, checkbox...........34
fields in the data file............................................43
removing .............................................................35

Siemens Building Technologies Inc.
1000 Deerfield Parkway
Buffalo Grove, IL. 60089-4513
U.S.A.
1-847-215-1000
www.sbt.siemens.com
© 2005 Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Country of Origin: U.S.A.

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OPC Data Manager Manual

Helping your building work for you.™

About This Manual.................................................................................................................................vi

Chapter 1 – About OPC and the OPC Data Manager ...........................................................................9

Chapter 2 – System Architecture ........................................................................................................13

Chapter 3 – Setting Up the OPC Data Manager..................................................................................15

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. iii

Entering Redundancy Settings ....................................................................................................................22

Chapter 4 – Configuring Groups, Shared Points, and Statistics......................................................27

Chapter 5 – Troubleshooting ...............................................................................................................37

Appendix A – OPC Quality Flags.........................................................................................................39

Appendix B – Device Versus Cache Reads........................................................................................41

iv Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Appendix C – Data File Specifications................................................................................................42

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. v

About This Manual

vi Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Actions that you should perform 1. Type F for field panels.

Error and system messages are The message Report Definition

Names of menus, menu View menu

Where to Send Comments

• Setting Up OPCServer (OPCServer.chm)—describes settings and configuration for the Insight

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. vii

viii Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Chapter 1 – About OPC and the OPC Data Manager

• What is the OPC Data Manager?

• Minimum System Requirements

What is the OPC Data Manager?

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. 9

• Is fully OPC 1.0a and OPC 2.0 compliant

• Supports both COM and DCOM

• Runs as a Windows 2000, XP, or NT service, and as a normal application

• Enables easy and efficient retransmission of data among OPC servers

• Allows data to be viewed as it is updated

• Provides DDE and OPC server functionality

• Performs extensive error tracking and management

• Supports redundancy operation

Main Window Description

Figure 2. Main Window.

10 Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

OPC Server Directories

Data Manager Groups

Minimum System Requirements

• Pentium Pro computer with 200 MHz processor

• 30 MB free hard drive space

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. 11

12 Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Chapter 2 – System Architecture

Figure 3. System Component Connections.

Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. 13

14 Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

Chapter 3 – Setting Up the OPC Data Manager

• Before You Install the OPC Data Manager

• Installing the OPC Data Manager

• Setting and Removing the OPC Data Manager as a Windows Service

• Distributed COM (DCOM)

• Starting the OPC Data Manager Manually

• Opening and Closing the Main Window

• Entering OPC Data Manager Settings

• Setting Advanced System Configuration