The I/A Series Information Suite includes:
- Information network connectivity to the I/A Series system and other vendor's automation systems and databases
- A plant-wide historian, the data "store" for plant-wide process information
- Visualization products that include real-time and historical data access for enterprise reporting and analysis, trending and charting, statistical process control, and process graphics on networked PC's
OPC Server
The OPC (OLE for Process Control) server software package allows OPC-compliant field devices and business applications to exchange both real-time and historical data seamlessly. The result is enterprise-wide strategic application platform that improves production and business efficiencies.
The OPC server software package gives you real-time data access from the I/A Series system and AIM*Historian software, as well as historical data access from AIM*Historian and AIM-Supervisor software.
Since the package automatically detects the complete tag set of a data source server, you don’t need to configure a separate tag database. Plus, the server’s aliasing feature lets you use familiar, meaningful names for OPC items instead of complex OPC terminology.
You can also dynamically configure groups of points you want to access, so you can make required changes to groups quickly and easily.
Other servers require you to manually delete group of points and then enter the new points.
For added convenience and security, the package automatically re-connects to the data source server after a network disruption or reboot.
The OPC server software package is fully supported by Invensys as a standard product.
Internet Integration
SuiteVoyager software is a scalable, extensible and multi-lingual manufacturing information portal enabling companies to harness data from all of their plant real-time and historical data sources in a secure and consistent manner.
It allows uses to visualize plant floor information from I/A Series control systems and AIM*Historian databases over the intranet/internet.
- An integrated Web portal for easy dissemination of information.
- A portal that is easy to install and requires no prior Web knowledge or knowledge of specific Website building tools
- Using the new "made-for-the-web" technologies like XML (eXtensible Mark-up Language), Web servers can be immediately scaled for large numbers of "casual" users.
- Companies can manage this new level of causal user by controlling the type of access and their method of accessing information.
- New Internet technologies like XML improves the display performance for users who no longer need to wait for long periods of time while components download to the client.
- Security considerations in SuiteVoyager software to control access can be fully controlled and managed over the Internet as well as an intranet. Firewalls do not need to be opened.
- Extensibility of the portal has been designed for multiple data handlers like DDE, SuiteLink, OPC, XML and ADO, but also Portals themselves can be linked.
Enterprise Application Integration
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) provides the integration infrastructure you need to pass information from process production systems to enterprise business systems.
Using a flexible integration architecture and messaging technology, this architecture allows disparate, heterogeneous applications to send transactions to a central location. From there, based upon a variety of possible events, applications can retrieve just the information that is of interest to them. This use of the publish and subscribe philosophy prevents the problems encountered with point to point solutions.
A wide variety of pre-structured connectors exist to translate information to and from the production and business systems. These connectors work for Invensys and non-Invensys production applications, as well as industry leading ERP systems, databases, and emerging standards such as OPC.
Reports
With the easy-to-use I/A Series Report package, you can quickly and efficiently create reports and distribute them throughout the enterprise. Based on data from AIM*Historian software, reports can include process data from any control system, DCS, PLC, or even manually entered data. The result is better and more informed decision making with improved operations and higher quality products.
You can schedule and distribute reports via e-mail or as HTML-formatted documents viewable from a standard web browser from PC desktops, UNIX or NT operator workstations, and thin clients.
The Report Package has four components:
- Report Builder — an easy-to-use interface that lets you create reports with Microsoft Excel.
- Report Scheduler — a scheduling tool that lets you run reports based on a calendar or triggered by events.
- Report Templates — pre-formatted report types you can use to quickly create reports.
- Report Archiving and Purging — automatic archiving of reports for later retrieval and review, plus automatic purging at specified times.
The Report Package has these features:
- Easy-to-learn graphical interface that allows reports to be created within Microsoft Excel.
- Pre-formatted report types can be used to quickly create reports. Easy modification to existing templates makes custom report creation a snap.
- Comprehensive scheduling tool providing a method of scheduling reports to be run based on calendar or events.
- Automatic archiving of reports allowing the storage of all reports in a designated repository for later retrieval and review. Automatic purging at a specific time can be set up using the report scheduler.
Plant-wide Graphics
Intouch software, the easy-to-use process graphics package provides access to AIM* Historian software, for support of real-time plant graphics. Intouch software can provide "personal views" of real-time process graphics, with alarming. Included is a unique tag browser that provides easy configuration of tags to the Historian.
- A Tag Browser resides within the InTouch Window Maker (display builder/configurator) that allows a user to easily assign AIM*Historian names to Wonderware tag conventions.
- Provides alarm indication for process data whereby local alarms within the InTouch process graphic display can be created.
Network Application Interface
The historian includes an ODBC driver to make all stored information accessible via the ODBC Application Program Interface (API). Because the driver presents historian data as a relational database to clients using the ODBC API, the historian information can be quickly accepted and integrated into your organization.
When very high performance is necessary for access to historical information, a formal API provides an extensive, published, supported, proprietary application programming interface. All API functions can be used locally as well as remotely through the networked product, thus readily integrating process history information into almost any popular computing platform or system.
Applications Database Integration
The ability to transfer and share data throughout the enterprise is of prime importance. The I/A Series Information Suite provides a number of standard interfaces for the integration of history data with RDBMS such as Oracle and SQL Server, as well as with software applications by Invensys and other vendors. Features & Benefits
- The OLE DB Provider makes all stored information accessible via SQL queries. Many applications (such as Microsoft's Excel, Access and all major RDBMS products) support the OLE DB interface, simplifying integration with other applications.
- SQL query capability for AIM*Historian (Sample, Reduction, Message data) via Microsoft Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) by applications within the Windows environment.
- OPC-compliant third party or user-developed applications can use AIM*OPC Server to collect and store data from the AIM*Historian . Both real-time and historical data can be accessed via the AIM*OPC DA/HDA Server.
- Functions to export data on a scheduled basis from AIM*Historian to relational databases is supported via optional interfaces that allow data to be populated into Oracle and SQL Server database systems.
- Connects to multiple servers and multiple Windows based PC clients
- Configurable access privileges by user and data elements.
SPC/SQC
The AIM* SPC module provides real-time, on-line displays of charts and other Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools for process variables. It has access to the Historian sample, reduction, and user-entered data. It lets you configure a variety of charts against Statistical Control Rules to determine the statistical control state of a variable. Features include:
- Cause & Effect Diagrams (CEDs), and 11 SPC chart types for comprehensive data presentation
- Clients can be PC clients over TCT/IP or browser-based (JAVA) clients for use on an Intranet.
- Easy-to-use graphical configuration of charts and data
- Navigation tools to view SPC chart history, operator notations, etc.
Microsoft Office Integration
AIM* Datalink software lets you access real-time and historical data with easy-to-use browser features. This information access makes reporting and analyzing process-generated information easy and intuitive using, familiar desktop PC tools for engineers, supervisors, and managers alike. Functions include:
- Real-time access to process and production data in network servers within the Microsoft Windows environment.
- SQL query capability by applications within the Windows environment via Microsoft Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC). The queries can access the Historian's Sample, Reduction, and Message data .
- Access to uniquely-named data sets and data object values via distributed Historian(s).
- Provides an Excel addin as a "Report Wizard" for easy creation of reports.
- Implemented as an OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) application.
- Connects to multiple servers and multiple Windows-based PC clients.
Process Analysis
AIM*Inform software allows users to easily create and display alarm summaries, operator action reports and system equipment status displays from a number of backgrounds, fonts, and table styles. Configuration options such as data field filters, sorting schemes and scan rates give the user total control of how information is presented to plant/mill personnel. Options include the ability to display directly on an operator workstation, web browser, or export to another application such as MS Excel.
- Flexible method to create and display attractive Data Views is supported. The user can select from a number of backgrounds, fonts, and table styles and set filters, sorting schemes and scan rates to provide just the right Data View displays.
- Choice of Data View output sources are available to the user. A Data View may be displayed on a client PC, an operator workstation, output to a printer, or sent to a file in a Comma Separated Value (CSV) format or in HTML format. In the latter format, it can be located on a web server for easy access and viewing by a web browser.
- Consistent set of wizard dialogs that step the user through the setup routine to rapidly create or modify Data Views. There are three specific wizard types: the History Wizard, the Real-Time Wizard, and the Messages Wizard.
- Common administration environment window that is used to quickly access, categorize and otherwise manage existing Data Views or to create new ones.
Real-Time Database
AIM* Historian information is specified by sets of real-time points (RTPs) and is collected by real-time collectors, or generated by applications such as manual data entry programs. RTPs are sent to the historian server to be stored. The RTP can be any data type, including I/A Series data types, generic data types, BLOBs, and files. An RTP value is collected by a real-time collector and stored in the historian database. An RTP has both a fast and a slow sampling frequency, both of which are configured by the user.
Process Trending
AIM* Explorer software allows you to visualize real-time and historical process data employing Microsoft standards such as Active 'X' Controls and ODBC. It provides a variety of user-definable trends, charts, calculations, and tabular formats to present key process information and events from the Historian for both batch and continuous applications. The software allows you to:
- Monitor up to 16 sources of data simultaneously
- Define a data transform as a mathematical function of one or more data sources
- Create SQL queries to obtain the batch ID's
- View multiple batch ID's, their corresponding batch events, and their corresponding tag names
- Time shift historical data to facilitate comparisons between data during different time spans
- Create charts and annotations for batch events
- "Line up" batches by one common batch event
- View statistical data on a point basis, with freeze, zoom, and digital readouts
- Create various charts (area, stacking bars, etc.) to analyze data
History, Alarms, Events
The Historian supports the collection, storage, and retrieval of all types of data. It works in concert with a powerful set of client-server and web-enabled desktop tools that can distribute key process management information throughout the enterprise. The Historian may be distributed within a control system, or reside on an information network system with unified configuration and management.
In addition to serving as a plant-wide data repository, the Historian has connectivity options to a wide selection of automation systems (DCS, PLC) and databases via a family of data collectors called I/O Gates. I/O Gates provide a consistent way to collect real-time data from virtually any process system and/or device.
- Runs on network server systems running either the Solaris or Windows-NT/2000/XP operating systems
- A Graphical User Interface (GUI) provides users with on line configuration "sessions" where they can save, abort, or commit database changes and additions.
- Serves in a wide range of applications collecting as few as 200 real-time points, or tens of thousands of points. Multiple instances of AIM*Historian sotware can exist on a single or multiple server(s).
- Recognizes and collects all types of data and messages. These data types are integer, float, long, Boolean, character, packed integer and packed long. It also collects alarm and event messages including process alarms, operator actions, batch events, and system status messages.
- Capable of collecting data from many different types of DCS, PLC, and other control products. Collectors can have both continuous and event interfaces. They also buffer data during periods when the server component is not available.
- Supports a number of data compression techniques including delta change compression, file compression, and flexible file sizing structure.
