Configuration

Wizards greatly simplify the configuration of the OPC  Data Logger application. While wizards are very easy to use and  walk you through the configuration process, the following wizards currently exist:

Data Collector

The Data Collector will connect to your specified OPC Server to obtain  the data that you want to log. This wizard allows you to configure data  collection from an OPC Data Access (DA) server or an OPC Unified Architecture  (UA) server. This  section will help you configure an OPC Data Access (DA) Data Collector.  Please refer to the OPC UA Data Collector section if you need to configure a connection to a UA data  source.

Data  Storage

Data is stored within a Data Storage Component, either a text file or  a database. This wizard will help you to specify and configure the Data  Storage Components you wish to log data to.

Presentation Formatter

Before data can be logged, you must create a Data Presentation. You  may also wish to specify how the data should look. For example, you might  want your values to be formatted in hexadecimal format, or format your  dates in a specific way. The Presentation Formatter wizards will help  you to configure exactly how to present your data

Project

The project ties everything together. It specifies the Data  Collector which gathers data from the Data Source, along with the Data Storage components which will ultimately  log the data to the data storage location. The project wizard takes you  step by step through the process allowing you to associate all of these  pieces together quickly and easily.

General Properties

    • Project Name: A unique  name that identifies the project.

    • Description: Optional,  but useful to describe the project.

   • Data Collector:  The Data  Collector used for this project.

    • Enabled:  Enables  and Disables the project for logging.

Group Properties

    • Name:   A unique  name that identifies the group.

    • Description:  Optional,  but useful to describe the group.

    • Enabled: Enables  and Disables the group for logging.

    • Scan Rate:  How frequently the items within the group should be polled by the data-source  (such as an OPC Server).

    • Deadband:  A percent  where we do not want to record value changed events. For example if the  deadband is 10 we    would not record a change that was less than 10%.

    • Item Count: Displays  the total number of items within the group.

   • Add: Adds  an empty group to the project.

    • Remove: Remove  Selected or Remove All groups from the project.

    • Properties: Opens the  properties page for the highlighted group.

A Collector is the place you get data from. The OPC Data Logger has been designed to allow any number of Collectors. The current version of the Data Logger supports OPC DA 2.x and OPC UA that supports the OPC DA profile. The design gives it room for future expansion of data sources. The Data Collection Wizard makes connections easy. The OPC Data Logger supports OPC UA servers that implement the OPC DA Profile. Below is an example configuration for an OPC UA Data Source.

Please see the links below with screen shots of how to configure each type of collector.

    How to Configure an OPC UA Collector

    How to Configure an OPC DA Collector

OPC UA

1.Choose the Data Collector type

 2. Name your Data Collector

3. Specify the optional Discovery URL.  Then you can choose a Server URL from the dropdown.  Or type in the Server URL manually.

4. Choose the security method you will use to connect to the server.

 5. You have the option of specifying a user name and password.

NOTE: Like with all OPC UA Clients and Servers, they must trust establish a trust relationship by exchanging security certificates.  Please see the online help file for more information.

OPC DA

The Data Collection Wizard makes connections easy. Below is an example configuration for an OPC DA 2.x Data Source.

    Choose the Data Collector type (OPC DA for this example)

  2. Name your Data Collector

3. Select the PC your OPC Server is on

 4. Choose your OPC Server from the drop down list

What is a "Data Storage Component"?

"Data Storage" is a term used within the OPC DataLogger that represents WHERE you log your data to, such as a text files (Excel/CSV, Txt) and databases.

Data Storage Components Features:

Data Storage components vary in what they can do. However, they all have common capabilities such as:

Buffered output - enables the data logger to operate at maximum speed

Trigger capabilities allowing for start/stop operations based on external events.

Easy configuration and flexible logging options

Ability to log data collected from 1..n OPC Servers.

No artificial licensing limits on the amount data you can store

What Data Storage Components are available?

Currently we support Text Files (Excel/CSV, Txt) and Databases.

How are Data Storage Components licensed?

When you purchase an OPC DataLogger license, it will include the data storage components you need. For example, if you purchased a Text file license then you would have the ability to use it to log data to an unlimited number of text files. Likewise, if you purchased a database storage component then you could use it to connect to an unlimited number of databases.

Databases

The Data Logger currently supports a number of different databases.

    Microsoft Access 2000 and Later

    SQL-Server 2000, 2005 and 2008 as well as Desktop/MSDE Versions

    MySQL 4.1

    ORACLE 9i and later

    ODBC compliant databases

To configure your Database logging you follow a few easy steps:

    Source - what file or database name your logging to

    Login - enter the login information for that database

    TestConnection - verify that you can connect to the database

    Storage - Choose a presentation type or use a Stored Procedure

    Items to Field Mappings - Map the logged information to the fields in your database.

Text Logs

Powerful Text Logging Features:

Text logging supports:

    Overwriting or Appending data

    Choose your Column Separator - Comma, Tab, Semicolon, Vertical Line

    Add Headers or Footers

    File Spanning

    Stop Logging before using up Disk space

Spanning Details:

The Data Logger can be used with Triggers and File spanning to stop and start logging letting you create files for specific conditions, shifts or daily reporting.

File Naming:

    Overwrite file name - same file name is always used

    Incremental naming - file name gets +1 added each time

    Date and Time naming - Date and time used to name file

   Specified item Value - Use a value of a specific tag

How the data is formatted when you store it.

Table Mode:

Table mode provides a column for the Time Stamp and for each item that you log as shown above.

Table Mode Example: (shown as raw data)

Timestamp,Tag_1,Tag_2,Tag_3,Bool_15,Short_1,Word_1,Word_2

10:48:00,2829,2829,2829,False,5648,2824,5647

10:48:00,2836,2836,2836,False,5660,2830,5659

10:48:00,2839,2839,2839,False,5668,2834,5667

10:48:01,2843,2843,2843,False,5674,2837,5673

10:48:01,2849,2849,2849,False,5688,2844,5687

10:48:01,2852,2852,2852,False,5694,2847,5693

10:48:02,2856,2856,2856,False,5700,2850,569

Detail Mode:

Detail mode creates a column for each attribute you want logged and then places the information in the Storage as it is logged.

Detail Mode Example: (shown as raw data)

Timestamp(hh:mm:ss),ItemID,Value,Quality

09:23:03,Word_2,3,192

09:23:03,Word_1,2,192

09:23:03,Short_1,4,192

09:23:03,Bool_15,False,192

09:23:03,Tag_3,2,192

09:23:03,Tag_2,2,192

09:23:03,Tag_1,2,192

Overview: See Example Configurations in the on-line help

A trigger is a mechanism that allows you to configure when the OPC Data Logger should begin or end logging or start a file span event. Triggers can be used together to create multiple logging behaviors in one process.

    The Data Logger contains several types of triggers. Each trigger is an identifier that signals when or under what condition events occur:

    Begin logging,

    End logging, or

    Launch file spanning event.

Every trigger type is capable of signaling each event type.

The trigger types are Scheduled (at a given time), Recurring (repeating at a given interval), and Monitored Item (based on a value of a monitored tag). You can define one or multiple of any or all types of these in your project. Any or all types of triggers can be enabled for use simultaneously.