dataPARC Tags Summary and Overview

This information is specific to the latest release of PARCview:

7.2.x

All data that can be visualized in PARCview is Tag Data. A Tag definition must include a Source, Data Type and a unique Tag Name. A Tag is an array of serialized data over time which includes a Value, Quality Code, and Timestamp.

Tag data can come from any number of Sources including; manually entered, sensor readings, calculated values, SQL databases and other historians to name a few.

To enable the full set of features available for processing and visualizing Tag data you will want to make sure that the Tags are added to Process units in the PARCview System Configuration. Not only does this allow you to associate Grades, Downtime Filters, Rollup data and Production units to your Tags. Assigning a tag to a Process Unit is also required in order to define Limits or Alarms for a given Tag.

Once a Tag has been added to PARCview it can be accessed and added to Displays using the Tag Browser.

Tag Find and Replace feature allows you to find which displays a tag is used in with the option to replace tag references.

PARCSecurity Permissions

PARCsecurity Console will need to have the following permissions enabled for basic access to Tags in PARCview.

Application Permission Tags:

• Access to Tags can be limited in using Locations, Sources, or individual Tags.

Application Permission PARCview:

• The ability to define Tags, grades, and limits spans several features. The following rights can all affect your ability to define a tag:
  • Alarm Configuration
  • Allow Alarm Event Process Edits
  • Calc Builder
  • dataPARC Admin
  • MDE Configuration
  • System Config Process Tags
  • Grade Maintenance
  • Grade Specifications
  • Limit Calculation
  • Limit Configuration
  • MDE Header Template Configuration
  • Tag Replace

Configuration

Sources are defined in the System Configuration’s Sources tab

How a Tag is added depends on the type of Source:

CTC: Tags can be imported using the dataPARC Excel addin’s Tag Editor feature.

Calc: Tags can be defined in the “Script Editor” under the “Tools” menu.

MDE: Tags are defined in the configuration of the Manual Data Entry Display.

SQL: Tags can be imported using the PARCtagSync service or the dataPARC Excel addin’s Tag Editor feature.

3rd Party Historians: Tags can be imported using the PARCtagSync service or the dataPARC Excel addin’s Tag Editor feature.

PARCtagSync: The PARCTagSync.exe contains its own Configuration option.

Excel Addin Tag Editor: The Excel dataPARC addin’s Admin Tools dropdown Tag Editor option.

Process Units: Process Units are defined in the System Configuration’s Process Units tab

Limits: Limits are defined in the Tag Limits section under the Tools menu.

Alarms: Alarms are defined in the Alarms Config section under the Tools menu.

Script Editor: Client Side Calcs are defined in the Script Editor section under the Tools menu.

Manual Data Entry Display: The MDE Display contains its own Configuration option.

Log Files

The Script Editor has its own build in Error List where it will display errors encountered when you test “Run” your script.

PARCmessage is a build in error monitoring software. It creates an ongoing log of errors generated from PARCview on the specific computer where PARCmessage is running.

PARCTagSync Server specific errors will be stored on the server in the PARCTagSync install path ...\Capstone\PARCTagSync\LogFiles

Errors can also be stored in the PARCview install directory both on the server and clients ...\Capstone\PARCView\LogFiles

Required Server Applications

PARCTagSync: The server application queries the sources for updated or new tags as configured.

UA Server: All PARCview vr 7 functionality requires a Universal Access (UA) server.

GDS: All PARCview vr 7 functionality requires a Global Discovery Server (GDS).