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WindSRV
User Manual
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IDEC WindSRV User Manual

KEPServerEX5 Help
© 2009 Kepware Technologies
KEPServerEX5 Help1
Table of Contents
................................................................................................................................... 61 Getting Started
.......................................................................................................................................................... 6KEPServerEX
.......................................................................................................................................................... 6Introduction
.......................................................................................................................................................... 6System Requirements
................................................................................................................................... 82 Standard Features
.......................................................................................................................................................... 8Connectivity
.......................................................................................................................................................... 9Components
.......................................................................................................................................................... 9Process Modes
................................................................................................................................... 103 Server Administration
.......................................................................................................................................................... 10User Manager
.......................................................................................................................................................... 11User Properties
.......................................................................................................................................................... 11Runtime Settings
......................................................................................................................................................... 11Runtime Settings - Administration
......................................................................................................................................................... 12Runtime Settings - Configuration
......................................................................................................................................................... 13Runtime Settings - Runtime Process
......................................................................................................................................................... 14Runtime Settings - Runtime Options
......................................................................................................................................................... 15Runtime Settings - Event Log
......................................................................................................................................................... 16Runtime Settings - Host Resolution
................................................................................................................................... 174 Tag Management
.......................................................................................................................................................... 17Tag Management
.......................................................................................................................................................... 18Automatic OPC Tag Database Generation
.......................................................................................................................................................... 21System Tags
.......................................................................................................................................................... 28Property Tags
.......................................................................................................................................................... 29Statistics Tags
.......................................................................................................................................................... 31Modem Tags
................................................................................................................................... 345 Communications Management
.......................................................................................................................................................... 34Communications Management
.......................................................................................................................................................... 35Modem Support
......................................................................................................................................................... 35Using a Modem in the Server Project
......................................................................................................................................................... 37Phonebook Tag
......................................................................................................................................................... 38Phone Number
................................................................................................................................... 396 Built-In Diagnostics
.......................................................................................................................................................... 39Built-In Diagnostics
.......................................................................................................................................................... 39OPC Diagnostics
......................................................................................................................................................... 39OPC Diagnostics Window
......................................................................................................................................................... 42OPC Diagnostic Events
.......................................................................................................................................................... 47Channel Diagnostics
......................................................................................................................................................... 47Channel Diagnostics
................................................................................................................................... 507 Basic Server Components
.......................................................................................................................................................... 50Basic Server Components
.......................................................................................................................................................... 50What is a Channel?
......................................................................................................................................................... 50What is a Channel?
......................................................................................................................................................... 51Channel Properties - General
......................................................................................................................................................... 52Channel Properties - Communication Parameters
......................................................................................................................................................... 53Channel Properties - Network Interface
......................................................................................................................................................... 54Channel Properties - Manual RTS Flow Control
......................................................................................................................................................... 55Channel Properties - Modem
......................................................................................................................................................... 56Channel Properties - Write Optimizations
......................................................................................................................................................... 58Channel Properties - Ethernet Encapsulation
.......................................................................................................................................................... 59What is a Device?
......................................................................................................................................................... 59What is a Device?
......................................................................................................................................................... 60Device Properties - General
......................................................................................................................................................... 62Device Properties - Ethernet Encapsulation
......................................................................................................................................................... 63Device Properties - Timing
......................................................................................................................................................... 65Device Properties - Auto-Demotion
.......................................................................................................................................................... 66What is a Tag?
......................................................................................................................................................... 66What is a Tag?
......................................................................................................................................................... 66Tag Properties
......................................................................................................................................................... 67Dynamic Tags
......................................................................................................................................................... 68Static Tags (User-Defined)
......................................................................................................................................................... 69Tag Scaling
......................................................................................................................................................... 70Tag Selection
.......................................................................................................................................................... 70What is a Tag Group?
......................................................................................................................................................... 70What is a Tag Group?
......................................................................................................................................................... 70Tag Group Properties
.......................................................................................................................................................... 72What is the Alias Map?
......................................................................................................................................................... 72What is the Alias Map?
......................................................................................................................................................... 73Alias Properties
................................................................................................................................... 748 Designing a Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 74Designing a Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 74Running the Server
.......................................................................................................................................................... 75Starting a New Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 75Adding and Configuring a Channel
.......................................................................................................................................................... 77Adding and Configuring a Device
.......................................................................................................................................................... 79Adding User Defined Tags
.......................................................................................................................................................... 82Adding Tag Scaling
.......................................................................................................................................................... 83Saving the Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 84Testing the Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 90Channel Wizard
......................................................................................................................................................... 90New Channel - Name
......................................................................................................................................................... 90New Channel - Driver Page
......................................................................................................................................................... 91New Channel - Communications
......................................................................................................................................................... 92New Channel - Summary
.......................................................................................................................................................... 93Device Wizard
......................................................................................................................................................... 93New Device - Name
......................................................................................................................................................... 94New Device - Model
......................................................................................................................................................... 95New Device - ID
......................................................................................................................................................... 97New Device - Timing
......................................................................................................................................................... 97New Device - Summary
................................................................................................................................... 989 Server Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 98Server Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 100Runtime Connection
.......................................................................................................................................................... 101Event Log Display
.......................................................................................................................................................... 101Event Log Page Setup
................................................................................................................................... 10210 Configuring from FIX Applications
.......................................................................................................................................................... 102Project Startup for iFIX Applications
................................................................................................................................... 10311 Project Preferences
.......................................................................................................................................................... 103Project Properties
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.......................................................................................................................................................... 103OPC Settings Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 104OPC Compliance Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 106DDE Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 107FastDDE & Suitelink Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 108iFIX PDB Options
.......................................................................................................................................................... 110iFIX Signal Conditioning Options
................................................................................................................................... 11612 How Do I...
.......................................................................................................................................................... 116How Do I...
.......................................................................................................................................................... 116Use DDE with the Server
.......................................................................................................................................................... 117Use NetDDE Across a Network
.......................................................................................................................................................... 117Use Dynamic Tag Addressing
.......................................................................................................................................................... 117Process Array Data
.......................................................................................................................................................... 118Create and Use an Alias
.......................................................................................................................................................... 120Use an Alias to Optimize a Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 121Optimize the Server Project
.......................................................................................................................................................... 122Select the Correct Network Cable
.......................................................................................................................................................... 123Use Ethernet Encapsulation
.......................................................................................................................................................... 125Resolve Comm Issues When the DNS/DHCP Device Connected to the Server is Power Cycled
................................................................................................................................... 12513 Error Messages
.......................................................................................................................................................... 125Error Descriptions
.......................................................................................................................................................... 127Server Runtime Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 127Server Runtime Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 128'<driver name>' device driver was not found or could not be loaded
......................................................................................................................................................... 129'<server name>' Server Started
......................................................................................................................................................... 129'<server runtime>' successfully configured to run as a system service
......................................................................................................................................................... 129'<server runtime>' successfully removed from the service control manager database
......................................................................................................................................................... 129Attempt to add DDE item '<item name>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 130Attempt to add FastDDE/SuiteLink item '<tag name>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 130Attempt to add OPC Client item '<item name>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 130Attempting to automatically generate tags for device '<device name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 130Auto generation for tag '<tag name>' already exists and will not be overwritten
......................................................................................................................................................... 131Auto generation produced too many overwrites, stopped posting error messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 131Completed automatic tag generation for device '<device name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 131Configuration session assigned to '<user name>' as Default User has ended
......................................................................................................................................................... 131Configuration session assigned to '<user name>' demoted to Read Only
......................................................................................................................................................... 132Configuration session assigned to '<user name>' promoted to Write Access
......................................................................................................................................................... 132Configuration session started by '<user name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 132Configuration TCP/IP port number changed to '<port number>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 132Data collection is '<enabled/disabled>' on device '<device name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 133DDE client attempt to add topic '<topic>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 133Delete object '<item name>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 133Demo timer started. '<days>' '<hours>' '<minutes>' '<seconds>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 134Demo timer updated. '<time remaining>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 134Demonstration time period has expired
......................................................................................................................................................... 134Demonstration time period has expired
......................................................................................................................................................... 135Device '<device name>' has been auto-demoted
......................................................................................................................................................... 135Device '<device name>' has been auto-promoted to determine if communications can be re-established
......................................................................................................................................................... 135Failed to upload project XML
......................................................................................................................................................... 135FLEXnet Licensing Service must be enabled to process your license
Module '<module>' is unsigned or has a corrupt signature. Runtime references are limited to demo operation
......................................................................................................................................................... 136
......................................................................................................................................................... 136Move object '<group>' to '<group>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 136No device driver DLLs were loaded
......................................................................................................................................................... 137Rejecting attempt to delete referenced object '<item name>'
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......................................................................................................................................................... 137Rejecting attempt to move referenced object '<item name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 137Runtime project replaced from '<project location>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 137Simulation mode is '<enabled/disabled>' on device '<device name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 138Starting '<driver name>' device driver
......................................................................................................................................................... 138Starting '<plug-in name>' plug-in
......................................................................................................................................................... 138Stopping '<driver name>' device driver
......................................................................................................................................................... 138Stopping '<plug-in name>' plug-in
......................................................................................................................................................... 138The tier information for feature '<feature>' is invalid
......................................................................................................................................................... 139Unable to generate a tag database for device '<device name>'. Reason: '<reason>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 139Unable to generate a tag database for device '<device name>'. The device is not responding
......................................................................................................................................................... 139Unable to load project '<project name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 139Unable to write to item '<item name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 140Update of object '<object>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 140Write request rejected on item reference '<item name>' since the device it belongs to is disabled
......................................................................................................................................................... 140Write request rejected on Read Only item reference '<item name>'
.......................................................................................................................................................... 141Server Configuration Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 141Server Configuration Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 141'<device name>' device driver loaded successfully
......................................................................................................................................................... 142'<driver name>' device driver unloaded from memory
......................................................................................................................................................... 142'<driver name>' device driver was not found or could not be loaded
......................................................................................................................................................... 142 '<driver name>' driver does not currently support XML persistence
......................................................................................................................................................... 142'<plug-in>' plug-in was not found or could not be loaded
......................................................................................................................................................... 143A client application has '<enabled/disabled>' auto-demotion on device '<device name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 143Closing project '<project name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 143Created backup of project '<project name>' to '<file location>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 143Duplicate Channel Wizard page ID '<ID number>' detected
......................................................................................................................................................... 144Error importing CSV tag record '<record number>': '<tag name>' is not a valid tag group name
......................................................................................................................................................... 144Error importing CSV tag record '<record number>': '<tag name>' is not a valid tag name
......................................................................................................................................................... 144Error importing CSV tag record '<record number>': Missing address
......................................................................................................................................................... 145Error importing CSV tag record '<record number>': Tag or group name exceeds 256 characters
......................................................................................................................................................... 145Failed to reset channel diagnostics
......................................................................................................................................................... 145Failed to retrieve runtime project
......................................................................................................................................................... 145Invalid Ethernet encapsulation IP '<IP address>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 146Invalid or missing modem configuration on channel '<channel name', substituting '<modem>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 146Invalid XML document '<XML name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 146Maximum channel count exceeded for the lite version '<driver name>' driver license
......................................................................................................................................................... 147Maximum device count exceeded for the lite version '<driver name>' driver license
......................................................................................................................................................... 147Maximum runtime tag count exceeded for the lite version '<driver name>' driver license
......................................................................................................................................................... 147Modem initialization failed on channel '<channel name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 147Opening project '<project name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 148Required schema file '<schema name>' not found
......................................................................................................................................................... 148Runtime project update failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 148Starting OPC diagnostics
......................................................................................................................................................... 148Stopping OPC diagnostics
......................................................................................................................................................... 149Unable to add channel due to driver-level failure
......................................................................................................................................................... 149Unable to add device due to driver level failure
......................................................................................................................................................... 149Unable to backup project file to '<file name/location>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 149Unable to backup project file to '<file path>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 150Unable to launch OPC Quick Client [Path: '<path>' OS Error: '<error>']
......................................................................................................................................................... 150Unable to load driver DLL '<driver name>'
Unable to load the '<driver name>' driver because more than one copy exists ('<driver name>' and '<driver name>')
......................................................................................................................................................... 150
......................................................................................................................................................... 151Unable to use network adapter '<adapter>' on channel '<channel name>'. Using default network adapter
......................................................................................................................................................... 151Validation error on '<tag name>': Invalid scaling parameters
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.......................................................................................................................................................... 151General Operation System Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 151General Operation System Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 152, Error control
......................................................................................................................................................... 152, Forced error control
......................................................................................................................................................... 152, Hardware flow control
......................................................................................................................................................... 153, Software flow control
......................................................................................................................................................... 153Dialing '<phone number>' on line '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 153Dialing aborted on '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 153Dialing on line '<modem name>' cancelled by user
......................................................................................................................................................... 154Failed to open modem line '<modem name>' [TAPI error]
......................................................................................................................................................... 154Hardware error on line '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 154Incoming call detected on line '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 154Line '<modem name>' connected
......................................................................................................................................................... 155Line '<modem name>' connected at '<baud rate>' baud
......................................................................................................................................................... 155Line '<modem name>' disconnected
......................................................................................................................................................... 155Line '<modem name>' is already in use
......................................................................................................................................................... 155Line dropped at remote site on '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 156Modem line closed: '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 156Modem line opened: '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 156Modem to Modem DCE: '<connection parameters>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 156MODEMSETTINGS unavailable
......................................................................................................................................................... 157No comm handle provided on connect for line '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 157No dial tone on '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 157Remote line is busy on '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 157Remote line is not answering on '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 158TAPI configuration has changed, reinitializing...
......................................................................................................................................................... 158TAPI line initialization failed: '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 158The phone number is invalid '<phone number>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 158Unable to apply modem configuration on line '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 159Unable to dial on line '<modem name>'
......................................................................................................................................................... 159Unable to start NETDDE
.......................................................................................................................................................... 159iFIX Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 159iFIX Error Messages
......................................................................................................................................................... 159Attempt to add iFIX PDB item '< item name>' failed
......................................................................................................................................................... 160Failed to enable iFIX PDB support for this server [OS Error = n]
......................................................................................................................................................... 160Unable to enable iFIX PDB support for this server
......................................................................................................................................................... 160Unable to read '<tag name>' on device '<channel name/device name>'
Index 161
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CONTENTS
Introduction Connectivity Server Administration Tag Management Communications Management Built-In Diagnostics Basic Server Components Designing a Project Server Options Project Preferences Error Descriptions How do I. . . ?
Note: For information regarding product licensing, refer to the License Utility help file. To access through the server
Configuration menu, click Help | Contents | License Utility. To access through the server Administration menu (located in the system tray), click Help | License Utility.
Help version 1.070

Introduction

This software based server is designed for accurate communications, quick setup and unmatched interoperability between client applications, industrial devices and systems. The server provides a wide range of plug-in device drivers and components that suit most communication needs. The plug-in design and single user interface provides consistent access from standards-based applications (such as OPC) and non-standards based applications with native interfaces.

System Requirements

The OPC server has minimum system requirements for both software and hardware. These requirements must be met
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in order for the application to operate as designed.
This application supports the following Microsoft Windows operating systems.
*When installed on a 64 bit operating system, the application will run in a subsystem of Windows called WOW64 (Windows-on-Windows 64 bit). WOW64 is included on all 64 bit versions of Windows and is designed to make differences between the operating systems transparent to the user.
The OPC server requires the following hardware at a minimum.
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Windows Server 2008*
Windows Vista Business/Ultimate*
Windows Server 2003 SP2*
Windows XP SP2*
Windows 2000 SP4
2.0 GHz Processor
1 GB installed RAM
180 MB available disk space
Ethernet Card

Server Summary Information

The server provides basic summary information about itself and the drivers that are currently installed for its use.
About the Server
The server version is readily available for review and provides a means of finding driver-specific information. To access, click Help | Support Information in the server main menu. For a display of the versions of all installed plug-in components, click Version.
Component Version Information
The Version window displays the installed drivers and components along with their version numbers. For driver-specific summary information, select a driver and then click Summary.
Driver Information
The Driver Information window provides a summary of the driver's default settings. Every driver will display the
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maximum number of supported channels.
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The information available is as follows.
Summary provides the driver name and type, the maximum number of supported channels and the number of models in the driver.
COMM Defaults displays the default settings for the driver. The default settings may or may not match the settings of the device or devices being configured.
Driver flag definitions displays the driver library functions and indicates whether or not they have been enabled in the driver.
Model Information displays driver-specific addressing and driver features. It lists the name for each supported model as well as its specific addressing values and other features.

Connectivity

This OPC server simultaneously supports the all of the client server technologies listed below. Client applications can use any of these technologies to access data from the server at the same time.
OPC Data Access Version 1.0a
OPC Data Access Version 2.05a
OPC Data Access Version 3.0
DDE Format CF_Text
DDE Format XLtable
DDE Format Advanced DDE
Remote DDE format Net DDE
FastDDE
Suitelink
iFIX Native Interface
OPC Data Access
OPC Data Access 1.0a was the original specification that the OPC Foundation developed in 1996. Although many of the
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OPC client applications in use today still support this original specification, OPC Data Access 2.0 enhanced OPC to better utilize the underlying Microsoft COM technology. Most OPC client applications support version 2.0 of the OPC specification. OPC Data Access 3.0 is the latest version of the OPC DA interface.
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
The DDE format CF_Text is the standard DDE format as defined by Microsoft. All DDE aware applications support the CF_Text format. The DDE Format XL table is the standard DDE format as defined by Microsoft that is used by Excel. For more information on using DDE, refer to How To Use DDE with the Server.
Network DDE (Net DDE)
Net DDE is the standard for remote DDE connection as defined by Microsoft. It uses the CF_Text format. For more information on using Net DDE, refer to How to Use Net DDE Across a Network.
Advanced DDE
Advanced DDE is the DDE Format defined by Rockwell Automation. All Rockwell Client applications are still Advanced DDE aware today. Advanced DDE is a variation on the normal CF_Text format. Advanced DDE allows larger amounts of data to transfer between applications at higher rates of speed and with better error handling than a normal CF_Text DDE link.
FastDDE/Suite Link
FastDDE is the DDE format defined by Wonderware. FastDDE allows larger amounts of data to transfer between applications at higher speed and with better error handling than normal DDE. SuiteLink is the next generation of client server communication. It is TCP/IP based, has improved bandwidth and speed and it configures similarly to FastDDE. All Wonderware Client Applications support FastDDE and SuiteLink.
iFIX Native Interface
The iFIX Native Interface allows a direct connection with GE FANUC's iFIX application without the use of the iFIX OPC Power Tool, thus simplifying the overall connection task. Support for this interface includes the ability to refine the connection between the server and iFIX Process Database (PDB).
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Components

The server implements client/server architecture. The components include Configuration, Runtime, Administration and Event Log.
Configuration
The Configuration is the client-user interface that is used to modify the Runtime's project. The Configuration can be launched by multiple users and will eventually support remote Runtime configuration.
Runtime
The Runtime is the server component that starts as a service by default. Clients can connect to the runtime remotely or locally.
Administration
The Administration is used to view and/or modify settings and launch applications that pertain to user management and the server. By default, the Administration is started and sent to the system tray when a user account logs onto the operating system.
Event Log
The Event Log service collects information, warnings and error events. These events are then sent to the Configuration's Event Log window for viewing.

Process Modes

The Runtime's process mode can be changed while the server is running; however, doing so while a client is connected will interrupt the connection for a short period of time. The modes of operation are System Service and Interactive.
System Service
By default, the server is installed and runs as a service. When System Service is selected, the Runtime does not require user intervention and will start when the operating system opens. This provides user independent access to the server by the clients.
Interactive
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When Interactive is selected, the Runtime will remain stopped until a client attempts to connect to it. Once started, it will run until all clients have disconnected and then shutdown. The Runtime will also shutdown if the user account logs off the operation system.
Note: The Runtime's process mode may be changed to meet client applications' needs through the Administration settings dialogs.
System Service is required for the following conditions:
When iFIX is required to run on Vista while UAC is enabled.
Interactive is required for the following conditions:
When DDE connections are enabled.
When FastDDE/SuiteLink is enabled.
See Also: Runtime Settings - Runtime Process
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User Manager

This server includes a built-in User Manager that allows complete control over which users can access the Runtime and what privileges they have once connected. This is critical since the server can be managed remotely and more than one account can be connected at a time. The Administrator account is used to add multiple users, each with their own set of rights for server access. Any user action that can influence or disrupt server operation is logged to server's event logging system. By default, all server operations are available at all times. The User Manager functions are available only when needed.
User Accounts
There are always two user accounts available by default: the Administrator account and the Default User account. Only the Administrator account can be used to add additional users to the system or to change the settings of existing accounts. By default, the password for the Administrator account is blank, as this disables the security settings for connecting the Configuration. Setting the password will enable the User Management System. Although the Administrator account cannot be deleted, its name and password can be changed.
The Default User account is used when no other account is active. This is the normal condition of the server. Like the Administrator account, the Default User account cannot be deleted; however, its name and password are fixed. The account can only be disabled when the Administrator denies the Default User all privileges.
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Adding and Editing User Accounts
The Administrator can create additional user accounts by clicking on the New User icon in the User Properties dialog. Similarly, existing user accounts can be edited by selecting the account and either double-clicking on it or by pressing the Edit User icon. To delete a user account, select it and then press the Delete User icon.
Note: When the User Management system is used, the server will log the current account name to the event log for all server actions taken by the user. Thus, the Reset Event Log parameter should be disabled on all accounts to prevent the log from being lost.

User Properties

The User Management system of the server is used to control what actions a user can take within a server project. The User Properties dialog is used to configure the name, password and privileges available for the account.
Descriptions of the parameters are as follows.
Name: This parameter is used to specify a name for the user. The name can be up to 31 characters in length.
Description: This parameter is used to briefly describe each user account. This can be particularly helpful for ensuring that operators log in to the proper account.
Password: This parameter is used to specify the password that the user must enter in order to log in to the system. The password can be up to 15 characters in length. Users must enter it correctly in both the Password and Confirm fields for the change to be accepted. Each time a user account is edited, the password must be re­entered. If the field is left blank, the password will be removed from the account.
Privileges: This parameter is used to control what actions a given user account can access. There are three selections. The Make changes to project files selection allows the user to modify the server project freely. If disabled, the user will not be able to make any changes to the project. The Make changes to application
settings selection allows an operator to make changes to the Server Options or Runtime Settings. The Perform functions that will cause active clients to be disconnected selection allows the user to perform actions that
may cause clients to be disconnected from the server. When it is disabled, the user cannot disrupt currently active clients.

Runtime Settings - Administration

The Runtime Settings are used to configure how the server will run when started as a service or interactively on the
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desktop. When User Management is enabled, this console requires a valid user login in order to be accessed.
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Administration
The Administration tab is used to configure the Runtime Administration's actions. When Auto Launch is checked, the Administration will start automatically and an icon will appear in the System Tray.
Note: The Administration is a system tray application that allows quick links to various server tools including the Runtime Settings Console, Configuration, Licensing Utility, User Manager Console and controls for stopping and starting the Runtime service.

Runtime Settings - Configuration

The Configuration tab is used to configure how the Configuration both connects to and interacts with the Runtime.
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Connection
For security reasons, users cannot just connect to the Runtime. Thus, the Communicate using port parameter allows users to specify a TCP/IP port which the Runtime will open and then listen to for console connections.
Session Management
Users can manage the connection sessions so that resources aren't being used where they aren't needed. Descriptions of the selections are as follows.
Maximum number of simultaneous connects: This setting is used to specify the number of Configuration connections that can be made to the Runtime at one time. The range is 1 to 64. The default is 10.
Maximum idle seconds for writer before privilege demotion: This setting is used to the length of time of stopped activity before the connected Configuration can no longer make changes. The range is 60 to 3600 seconds. The default is 900 seconds.
Maximum idle seconds before session timeout: This setting is used to set the length of time that the console connection can sit idle before it times out. The range is 10 to 3600 seconds. The default is 60 seconds.

Runtime Settings - Runtime Process

The Runtime Process tab is used to specify the server Runtime's process mode, as well as how it utilizes the PC's resources.
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Descriptions of the parameters are as follows.
Process Mode: This parameter is used to specify whether the server will be running as System Service or Interactive. By default, the server installs and runs as System Service. Changing this setting causes all clients,
both Configuration and process, to be disconnected and the server to be stopped and restarted.
High Priority: This parameter is used set the server process priority to high. The default setting is normal. When checked, this setting allows the server to have priority access to resources.
Note: Microsoft recommends against setting applications to a high priority as it can adversely affect other applications running on the same PC.
Process Affinity: This parameter is used to specify which CPUs the server can be executed on when it is run on PCs containing more than one.

Runtime Settings - Runtime Options

The Runtime Options tab is used to change settings in the project that's being executed in the Runtime.
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Descriptions of the parameters are as follows:
OPC Connection Security: This parameter allows users to select authentication and also launch and access security requirements through the DCOM Configuration Utility. In addition, users can both specify the level of security to implement and restrict access for certain users and/or applications.
When this setting is disabled, the server will override the DCOM settings set for the application and will not perform any authentication on the calls received from client applications. It will impersonate the security of the client when performing any actions on behalf of the client application. Disabling this setting provides the lowest level of security and is not recommended. If this setting is chosen, users should ensure that the client and server applications are running in a secure environment so that the application is not compromised.
Backup the runtime project prior to replacement: This parameter enables the Runtime project to be backed up before it is overwritten. The backup's location will be displayed in the Event Log. This option is enabled by default.
Note: The Runtime project will be overwritten if either New or Open is selected while connected to the Runtime. In addition, connecting to the Runtime while working offline with a project may result in Runtime project replacement.
Keep the most recent: This parameter limits the number of backup files that will be saved to disk. The range is 1 to 1000. The default is 10.
Clean up now: This parameter invokes a confirmation dialog that allows users to delete all the Runtime project backups. Doing so will not affect the current running project.
Allow clients to write to system level tags controls Write access to System Tags on a given device. In some cases, users may not want a client application to have the ability to turn a device on or off in the project. This setting applies to all system level tags. This option is disabled by default.

Runtime Settings - Event Log

The Event Log tab is used to define whether or not a Runtime log file is kept; and, if so, where and how many events
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are logged into it.
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Descriptions of the parameters are as follows.
Preserve log on disk: This parameter enables the use of a disk-based log file. When enabled, all events in the server will be maintained on disk from one run to the next. If disabled, the server's event logging system will be recorded in memory and no disk log will be generated. When disabled, the event log contents will be emptied each time the server is run.
Log file path: This parameter specifies where the log file will be stored its preservation is enabled.
Maximum number of events: This parameter determines the number of records the log system will hold before the Log Full action comes into effect. The valid range is 100 to 30000 records. The default value is 1000 records. If users attempt to change this parameter to a value that is less than the current number of records in the log, they will receive a warning that log file truncation will occur.
Note: The Event Log System would be useless if there was no mechanism to protect its contents. If operators could change these parameters or reset the log, the purpose would be lost. Utilize the User Manager to limit what functions an operator can access.

Runtime Settings - Host Resolution

The Host Resolution tab is used to specify how the server manages Host Name Resolution with Ethernet drivers that support the use of host names for connectivity.
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Descriptions of the parameters are as follows.
Cache Lifetime: This parameter is used to determine how long the server will keep the resolved addresses from host names. The server caches network addresses that it has resolved from host name requests for a period of time to improve performance when the same address is requested repeatedly. The period is 30 to 7200 seconds. The default is 30 seconds.
Request Pool: This parameter is used to specify how many simultaneous requests for Host Name Resolution can be processed at one time. It allows multiple Ethernet drivers to process at the same time and also manages the resources that are used to resolve host names. The range is 1 to 8 requests. The default is 4.

Tag Management

The server's new user-defined tag management features can be used to create a tag database structure that fits an application's specific nature. Multiple tag groups can be defined to segregate the tag data on a device-by-device basis. Drag and drop editing makes adding large numbers of tags easy. Additionally, CSV import and export allows tag editing to be done in any application needed. Like all other server features, new tags can be added to the application at any time.
Automatic Tag Database Generation
The OPC server supports the automatic generation of tags for select communication drivers. The Automatic Tag Database Generation feature brings OPC technology one step closer to Plug and Play operation. Drivers that support this feature can either Read tag information directly from a device or generate tags from stored tag data. In either case, the user no longer needs to manually enter OPC tags into the server.
System Tags
System Tags are used to provide general error feedback to client applications, allow operation control over when a device is actively collecting data and allow the standard parameters of a either a channel or device to be changed from an OPC client application. The number of System Tags available at either the channel or device-level varies depending on the nature of the driver being used. The System Tag can also be grouped according to their purpose as both status and control or parameter manipulation.
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Property Tags
Tag Properties are available as additional tags that can be accessed by any Data Access client by appending the property name to any fully qualified tag address. When using an OPC client that supports item browsing, users can browse tag properties by turning on Include tag properties when a client browses the server under OPC Settings. See Also: OPC Settings Options.
Statistics Tags
Statistics Tags are used to provide feedback to client applications regarding the operation of the channel communications in the server. When diagnostics are enabled, there are seven built-in statistics tags available. See
Also: OPC Diagnostics Window.

Automatic OPC Tag Database Generation

This server's Automatic OPC Tag Database Generation features have been designed to make setting up the OPC application a plug and play operation. Communications drivers that support this feature can be configured to automatically build a list of OPC tags within the server that correspond to device-specific data. The automatically generated OPC tags can then be browsed from the OPC client. The OPC tags that are generated depend on the nature of the supporting driver.
If the target device supports its own local tag database, the driver will read the device's tag information and then use the data to generate OPC tags within the server. If the device does not natively support its own named tags, the driver will create a list of tags based on driver-specific information. An example of these two conditions is as follows:
1. If a data acquisition system supports its own local tag database, the communications driver will use the tag names found in the device to build the server's OPC tags.
2. If an Ethernet I/O system supports detection of its own available I/O module types, the communications driver will automatically generate OPC tags in the server that are based on the types of I/O modules plugged into the Ethernet I/O rack.
Automatic tag database generation's mode of operation is completely configurable. Parameters set in the following dialog allows users to configure how the server and its associated communications driver will handle automatic OPC tag database generation.
The Automatic tag database generation on device startup setting is used to configure when OPC tags will be
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automatically generated. Descriptions of the selections are as follows.
Note: The Auto-Create button will be disabled when the Configuration edits a project offline.
When the option to automatically generate OPC tags is selected, any tags that are added to the server's tag space must be saved with the project. Users can configure the project to auto save from the Tools | Options menu.
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Do not generate on startup, the default condition, prevents the driver from adding any OPC tags to the tag space of the server.
Always generate on startup causes the driver to evaluate the device for tag information and to add OPC tags to the tag space of the server every time the server is launched.
Generate on first startup causes the driver to evaluate the target device for tag information the first time the project is run and add any OPC tags to the server tag space as needed.
Perform the Following Action
When automatic OPC tag database generation is enabled, the server needs to know what to do with OPC tags that it may have added from a previous run or with OPC tags that have been added or modified after the communications driver added them originally. The Perform the following action setting is used to control how the server handles OPC tags that were automatically generated and currently exist in the project. This feature also prevents automatically generated tags from accumulating in the server.
For example, review the Ethernet I/O example mentioned above. If users continued to change the I/O modules in the rack with the server configured to Always generate new OPC tags on startup, new tags would be added to the server every time the communications driver detected a new I/O module. If the old tags were not removed, many unused tags could accumulate in the server's tag space. The Perform the following action setting allows users to tailor the server's operation to best fit the application's needs. Descriptions of the selections are as follows.
1. Delete on create, the default condition, deletes any tags that had previously been added to the tag space before the communications driver adds any new tags.
2. Overwrite as necessary instructs the server to remove only those tags that the communications driver is replacing with new tags. Any tags that are not being overwritten will remain in the server's tag space.
3. Do not overwrite prevents the server from removing any tags that had been previously generated or may have already existed in the server. With this selection, the communications driver can only add tags that are completely new.
4. Do not overwrite, log error has the same effect as the third; however, in addition, an error message will be posted to the server's event log when a tag overwrite would have occurred.
Note: Removing OPC tags affects tags that have been automatically generated by the communications driver as well as any tags that have been added using names that match generated tags. It is recommended that users avoid adding tags to the server using names that match tags that may be automatically generated by the driver.
The parameter Add generated tags to the following group can be used to keep automatically generated tags from mixing with tags that have been entered manually. This parameter is used to specify a subgroup that will be used when adding all automatically generated tags for this device. The name of the subgroup can be up to 256 characters in length. The following screens demonstrate how this parameter works, i.e., where automatically generated tags are placed in the server's tag space. As shown below, this parameter provides a root branch to which all automatically generated tags will be added.
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The Add generated tags to the following group was left blank.
Checked (default)
The server will automatically generate the device's tags and organize them into subgroups. In the server project, the resulting tags will retain their tag names.
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"MyGroup" was entered in the Add generated tags to the following group field.
Allow Automatically Generated Subgroups
The Allow automatically generated subgroups setting controls whether or not the server automatically creates subgroups for the automatically generated tags.
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Unchecked
The server will automatically generate the device's tags in a simple list without any subgrouping. In the server project, the resulting tags will be named with the address value. For example, the tag names will not be retained during the generation process. The image below shows how the tag names were created using the tag's address.
Note: If, as the server is generating tags, a tag is assigned the same name as an existing tag, the system will automatically increment to the next highest number so that the tag name is not duplicated. For example, if the generation process were to create a tag named AI22 but there already existed a tag with that name, it would create the tag as AI23 instead.
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Auto Create
Auto Create is used to manually initiate the creation of automatically generated OPC tags. If the device's configuration has been modified, clicking Auto Create will force the communications driver to reevaluate the device for possible tag changes. Auto Create can be accessed from the System Tags for this device, which allows OPC client application to initiate tag database creation.
Note: With the server's online full-time operation, these parameters can be changed at any time. Utilize the User Manager to restrict access rights to server features in order to prevent operators from changing the parameters.

System Tags

System Tags are used to provide general error feedback to client applications, to allow operational control when a device is actively collecting data and to allow the standard parameters of a either a channel or device to be changed by an OPC client application when needed.
System Tags
The number of system tags available at both the channel-level or device-level varies depending on the nature of the driver being used. In addition, application-level system tags allow client applications to monitor the server's status. System tags can also be grouped according to their purpose as both status and control or parameter manipulation.
Parameter Control Tags
While the standard system tags provide needed feedback on server operation, the parameter control tags provide the most powerful feature. Parameter control tags can be used to modify the operational characteristic of the server application. This provides a great deal of flexibility in the OPC applications. By using the parameter control tags, users can implement redundancy by switching communications links or changing the Device ID of a target device. Users can also provide access to the tags through special supervisory screens that allow a plant engineer to make changes to the communication parameters of the server if needed.
The tables below include descriptions of the following:
Application-Level System Tags
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Tag
Description
_ActiveTagCount
Class: Status Tag
The _ActiveTagCount is a tag that indicates the number of tags that are currently active in the server.
This is a Read Only tag.
_ClientCount
Class: Status Tag
The _ClientCount is a tag that indicates the number of clients that are currently connected to the server.
This is a Read Only tag.
_Date
Class: Status Tag
The _Date is a tag that indicates the current date of the system that the server is running on. The format of this string is defined by the operating system date/time settings.
This is a Read Only tag.
_DateTime
Class: Status Tag
The _DateTime is a tag that indicates the GMT date and time of the system that the server is running on. The format of the string is '2004­05-21T20:39:07.000'.
This is a Read Only tag.
_DateTimeLocal
Class: Status Tag
The _DateTimeLocal is a tag that indicates the localized date and time of the system that the server is running on. The format of the string is '2004-05-21T16:39:07.000'.
This is a Read Only tag.
_FullProjectName
Class: Status Tag
The _FullProjectName is a tag that indicates the fully qualified path and file name to the currently loaded project.
This is a Read Only tag.
_ProjectName
Class: Status Tag
The _ProjectName is a tag that indicates the currently loaded project file name and does not include path information.
This is a Read Only tag.
_Time
Class: Status Tag
The _Time is a tag that indicates the current time of the system that the server is running on. The format of this string is defined by the operating system date/time settings.
This is a Read Only tag.
_TotalTagCount
Class: Status Tag
The _TotalTagCount is a tag that indicates the total number of tags that are currently being accessed. These tags can be active or inactive.
Note: This count does not represent the number of tags configured in the project.
This is a Read Only tag.
Tag
Description
_AvailableNetworkAdapters
Class: Parameter Tag
The _AvailableNetworkAdapters is a tag that lists the available NICs and will include both unique NIC cards and NICs that have multiple IPs assigned to them. Additionally this tag will also display any WAN connections that are active, such as a dialup connection. This tag is provided as a string tag and can be used to determine the network
Channel-Level System Tags / Serial Channel-Level System Tags / Ethernet Device-level System Tags / Serial and Ethernet
Application-Level System Tags Syntax Example: <Channel Name>.<Device Name>._System._ActiveTagCount
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Channel-level System Tags for Serial Port Driver Syntax Example: <channel name>._System._BaudRate
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adapters available for use on this PC. The string returned will contain all of the NIC names and their IP assignments. A semicolon will separate each unique NIC in order to allow the names to be parsed within an OPC application. For a serial driver this tag will only be used if Ethernet Encapsulation is selected.
This is a Read Only tag.
_NetworkAdapter
Class: Parameter Tag
The _NetworkAdapter tag is a tag that allows the current NIC adapter in use by the driver to be changed on the fly. As a string tag, the name of the newly desired NIC adapter must be written to this tag in string format. The string written must match the exact description of the desired NIC in order for the change to take effect. NIC names can be obtained from the _AvailableNetworkAdapters tag listed above. For a serial driver, this tag will only be used if Ethernet Encapsulation is selected.
Note: When changing the NIC selection the driver will be forced to break all current device connections and reconnect.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_ComId
Class: Parameter Tag
The _ComId tag is a tag that allows the comm port selection for the driver to be changed on the fly. As a string tag, the desired comm port must be written to the tag as a string value using the following possible selections: COM 1, COM 2 COM 3, COM 4, - - -, COM 16, and Ethernet Encapsulation. When selecting Device Properties - Ethernet
Encapsulation mode, users will also need to set the IP number of the
remote terminal server. This is done at the device-level and will be shown below.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_BaudRate
Class: Parameter Tag
The _BaudRate tag is a tag that allows the baud rate of the driver to be changed on the fly. The _BaudRate tag is defined as a long value and therefore new baud rates should be written in this format. Valid baud rates are as follows: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 56000, 56700, 115200, 128000 and 256000.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_Parity
Class: Parameter Tag
The _Parity tag is a tag that allows the parity of the driver to be changed on the fly. As a string tag, the desired parity setting must be written to the tag as a string value using the following possible selections: None, Odd and Even.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_DataBits
Class: Parameter Tag
The _DataBits tag is a tag that allows the data bits of the driver to be changed on the fly. The _DataBits tag is defined as a signed 8 bit value. Valid data bits selections are 5, 6, 7 and 8.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_StopBits
Class: Parameter Tag
The _StopBits tag is a tag that allows the stop bits of the driver to be changed on the fly. The _StopBits tag is defined as a signed 8 bit value. Valid data bit selections are 1 and 2.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_FlowControl
Class: Parameter Tag
The _FlowControl tag is a tag that allows the flow control setting of the driver to be changed on the fly. As a string tag, the desired flow control setting must be written to the tag in this format. Possible selections for flow control include: None, DTR, RTS, "DTR,RTS", RTS Always and RTS Manual. Not all drivers support the RTS Manual mode of operation.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_RtsLineRaise
Class: Parameter Tag
The _RtsLineRaise tag is a tag that allows the RTS Line to be raised for a user-selected period of time before the driver attempts to transmit a message. This tag will only be effective for drivers that support Manual
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RTS mode. The _RtsLineRaise is defined as a long value. The valid range is 10 - 2550 milliseconds. The Manual RTS mode has been designed for use with radio modems.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_RtsLineDrop
Class: Parameter Tag
The _RtsLineDrop tag is a tag that allows the RTS Line to be lowered for a user-selected period of time after the driver attempts to transmit a message. This tag will only be effective for drivers that support Manual RTS mode. The _RtsLineDrop is defined as a long value. The valid range is 0 - 2550 milliseconds. The Manual RTS mode has been designed for use with radio modems.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_RtsLinePollDelay
Class: Parameter Tag
The _RtsLinePollDelay tag is a tag that allows a user-configurable pause to be placed after each message sent from the driver. This tag will only be effective for drivers that support Manual RTS mode. The _RtsLinePollDelay is defined as a long value. The valid range is 0 ­2550 milliseconds. The Manual RTS mode has been designed for use with radio modems.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_ReportComErrors
Class: Parameter Tag
The _ReportComErrors tag is a tag that allows the reporting of low level communications errors such as parity and framing errors to be enabled or disabled. This tag is defined as a Boolean tag and can be set either true or false. When true, the driver will report any low-level communications error to the server event system. When set false the driver will ignore the low-level communications errors and not report them. The driver will still reject a communications transaction if it contains errors. If the environment contains a lot of electrical noise, this feature can be disabled to prevent the event log from filling with error messages.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_EnableDiagnostics
Class: Parameter Tag
The _EnableDiagnostics tag is a tag that allows the diagnostic system of the driver to be enabled and disabled. The diagnostic system places a little additional burden on the driver while enabled. As such the server allows diagnostics to be enabled or disabled to improve the driver's performance. When disabled, the Diagnostics Tags will not be available.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_WriteOptimizationDutyCycle
Class: Parameter Tag
The _WriteOptimizationDutyCycle tag is a tag that allows the duty cycle of the Write to Read ratio to be changed on the fly. The duty cycle controls how many Writes the driver will do for each Read it performs. The _WriteOptimizationDutyCycle is defined as an unsigned long value. The valid range is 1 to 10 Write per Read. See Also: Channel Properties: Write Optimizations.
This is a Read/Write tag.
Tag
Description
_AvailableNetworkAdapters
Class: Parameter Tag
The _AvailableNetworkAdapters is a tag that lists the available NICs and will include both unique NIC cards and NICs that have multiple IPs assigned to them. Additionally this tag will also display any WAN connections that are active, such as a dialup connection. This tag is provided as a string tag and can be used to determine the network adapters available for use on this PC. The string returned will contain all of the NIC names and their IP assignments. A semicolon will separate each unique NIC in order to allow the names to be parsed within an OPC application. For a serial driver, this tag will only be used if Ethernet
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Channel-level System Tags for Ethernet Drivers Syntax Example: <channel name>._System._NetworkAdapter
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Encapsulation is selected.
This is a Read Only tag.
_NetworkAdapter
Class: Parameter Tag
The _NetworkAdapter tag is a tag that allows the current NIC adapter in use by the driver to be changed on the fly. As a string tag, the name of the newly desired NIC adapter must be written to this tag in string format. The string written must match the exact description of the desired NIC in order for the change to take effect. NIC names can be obtained from the _AvailableNetworkAdapters tag listed above. For a serial driver, this tag will only be used if Ethernet Encapsulation is selected.
Note: When changing the NIC selection, the driver will be forced to break all current device connections and reconnect.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_EnableDiagnostics
Class: Parameter Tag
The _EnableDiagnostics tag is a tag that allows the diagnostic system of the driver to be enabled and disabled. The diagnostic system places a little additional burden on the driver while enabled. As such the server allows diagnostics to be enabled or disabled to improve the driver's performance. When disabled the Diagnostics Tags will not be available.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_WriteOptimizationDutyCycle
Class: Parameter Tag
The _WriteOptimizationDutyCycle tag is a tag that allows the duty cycle of the Write to Read ratio to be changed on the fly. The duty cycle controls how many Writes the driver will do for each Read it performs. The _WriteOptimizationDutyCycle is defined as an unsigned long value. The valid range is 1 to 10 Write per Read. See Also: Channel Properties: Write Optimizations.
This is a Read/Write tag.
Tag
Description
_DeviceId
Class: Parameter Tag
The _DeviceId tag is a tag that allows the ID of the device to be changed on the fly. The data format of the _DeviceId depends on the type of device. For most serial devices this tag will be a Long data type. For Ethernet drivers the _DeviceId will be formatted as a string tag, allowing the entry of an IP address. In either case, writing a new Device ID to this tag will cause the driver to change the target field device. This will only occur if the Device ID written to this tag is correctly formatted and within the valid range for the given driver.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_ConnectTimeout
Class: Parameter Tag
The _ConnectTimeout is a tag that allows the timeout associated with making an IP connection to a device to be changed on the fly. This tag is available when either a native Ethernet driver is in use or a Serial driver is in Ethernet Encapsulation mode. The _ConnectTimeout is defined as a Long data type. The valid range is 1 to 30 seconds.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_RequestTimeout
Class: Parameter Tag
The _RequestTimeout is a tag that allows the timeout associated with a data request to be changed on the fly. The _RequestTimeout tag is defined as a Long value. The valid range is 100 to 30000 milliseconds. This parameter tag applies to all drivers equally.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_RequestAttempts
Class: Parameter Tag
The _RequestAttempts is a tag that allows the number of retry attempts to be changed on the fly. The _RequestAttempts is defined as a Long value. The valid range is 1 to 10 retries. This parameter tag
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Device-level System Tags for both Serial and Ethernet Drivers Syntax Example: <Channel Name>.<Device Name>._System._Error
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applies to all drivers equally.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_InterRequestDelay
The _InterRequestDelay is a tag that allows the time interval between device transactions to be changed on the fly. The _InterRequestDelay is defined as a Long data type. The valid range is 0 to 30000 milliseconds. This parameter tag only applies to drivers that support this feature.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_EncapsulationIp
Class: Parameter Tag
The _EncapsulationIp tag allows the IP of a remote terminal server to be specified and changed on the fly. This parameter tag is only available on serial drivers that support Device Properties - Ethernet
Encapsulation mode. The _EncapsulationIp is defined as a string data
type, allowing the entry of an IP address number. The server will reject entry of invalid IP addresses. This tag is only valid for a Serial driver in Ethernet Encapsulation mode.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_EncapsulationPort
Class: Parameter Tag
The _EncapsulationPort tag allows the port number of the remote terminal server to be specified and changed on the fly. The _EncapsulationPort is defined as a long data type. The valid range is 0 to 65535. The port number entered in this tag must match that of the desired remote terminal server for proper Ethernet Encapsulation to occur. This tag is only valid for a Serial driver in Ethernet Encapsulation mode.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_EncapsulationProtocol
Class: Parameter Tag
The _EncapsulationProtocol tag allows the IP protocol used for Ethernet Encapsulation to be specified and changed on the fly. The _EncapsulationProtocol is defined as a string data type. Writing either "TCP/IP" or "UDP" to the tag specifies the IP protocol. The protocol used must match that of the remote terminal server for proper Ethernet Encapsulation to occur. This tag is only valid for a Serial driver in Ethernet Encapsulation mode.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_AutoCreateTagDatabase
Class: Parameter Tag
The _AutoCreateTagDatabase tag is a Boolean tag that is used to initiate the automatic OPC tag database functions of this driver for the device to which this tag is attached. When this tag is set TRUE, the communications driver will attempt to automatically generate an OPC tag database for this device. This tag will not appear for drivers that do not support Automatic OPC Tag Database Generation.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_Enabled
Class: Parameter Tag
The _Enabled tag is a Boolean tag that allows the active state of the device to be turned On or Off. When this tag is set FALSE, all other user-defined tags and data from this device will be marked as invalid and Writes will not be accepted for the device. When this tag is set TRUE, normal communications will occur with the device.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_Error
Class: Status Tag
The _Error tag is a Boolean tag that returns the current error state of the device. When FALSE, the device is operating properly. When set TRUE, the driver has detected an error when communicating with this device. A device enters an error state if it has completed the cycle of request timeouts and retries without a response. See Also: Device Properties - Timing.
This is a Read Only tag.
_NoError
Class: Status Tag
The _NoError tag is a Boolean tag that returns the current error state of the device. When TRUE, the device is operating properly. When FALSE, the driver has detected an error when communicating with this device. A device enters an error state if it has completed the cycle of
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request timeouts and retries without a response. See Also: Device Properties - Timing.
This is a Read Only tag.
_Simulated
Class: Status Tag
The _Simulated tag is a Boolean tag that provides feedback about the simulation state of the current device. When Read as TRUE, this device is in a simulation mode. While in simulation mode, the server will return good data for this device but will not attempt to communicate with the actual physical device. When tag is Read as FALSE, communication with the physical device will be active.
This is a Read Only tag.
_AutoDemoted
The _AutoDemoted tag is a Boolean tag that returns the current auto­demoted state of the device. When FALSE, the device is not demoted and is being scanned by the driver. When set TRUE, the device is in demoted and not being scanned by the driver.
This is a Read Only tag.
_AutoDemotionEnabled
The _AutoDemotionEnabled tag is a Boolean tag that allows the device to be automatically demoted for a specific time period when the device is nonresponsive. When this tag is set FALSE, the device will never be demoted. When this tag is set TRUE, the device will be demoted when the _AutoDemotedFailureCount has been reached.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_AutoDemotedFailureCount
The _AutoDemotedFailureCount tag specifies how many successive failures it takes to demote a device. The _AutoDemotedFailureCount is defined as a long data type. The valid range is 1 to 30. This tag can only be written to if _AutoDemotionEnabled is set to TRUE.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_AutoDemotionIntervalMS
The _AutoDemotionIntervalMS tag specifics how long, in milliseconds, a device will be demoted before re-attempting to communicate with the device. The _AutoDemotionIntervalMS is defined as a long data type. The valid range is 100 to 3600000 milliseconds. This tag can only be written to if _AutoDemotionEnabled is set to TRUE.
This is a Read/Write tag.
_AutoDemotionDiscardWrites
The _AutoDemotionDiscardWrites tag is a boolean tag that specifies whether or not Write requests should be discarded during the demotion period. When this tag is set to FALSE, all Writes requests will be performed regardless of the _AutoDemoted state. When this tag is set to TRUE, all Writes will be discarded during the demotion period.
This is a Read/Write tag.
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When using an OPC client, the system tags will be found under the _System branch of the server browse space for a given device. The following image taken from the supplied OPC Quick Client shows how the system tags appear to an OPC client.
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Tag Name
Description
_Name
The _Name property tag indicates the current name for the tag it is referencing.
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The _System branch found under the DeviceName branch is always available. If referencing a system tag from a DDE application given the above example and the DDE defaults, the link would appear as follows:
= <DDE service name>|_ddedata!Channel1.Device1._System._Error
The _Enabled tag provides a very flexible means of controlling the OPC applications. In some cases, specifically in modem applications, it can be convenient to disable all devices except the device currently connected to the modem. Additionally, using the _Enable tag to allow the application to turn a particular device off while the physical device is being serviced can eliminate harmless but unwanted communications errors in the server's event log.
See Also: Statistics Tags and Property Tags.
Note: Modem Tags are described in the topics under Modem Support.

Property Tags

The Property Tags are used to provide Read Only access to Tag Properties for client applications. To access a tag property, append the property name to the fully qualified tag address that has been defined in the server's tag database. For more information, refer to Tag Properties.
If the fully qualified tag address is Channel1.Device1.Tag1, its description can be accessed by appending the description property as Channel1.Device1.Tag1._Description.
Supported Property Tag Names
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_Address
The _Address property tag indicates the current address for the tag it is referencing.
_Description
The _Description property tag indicates the current description for the tag it is referencing.
_RawDataType
The _RawDataType property tag indicates the raw data type for the tag it is referencing.
_ScalingType
The _ScalingType property tag indicates the scaling type (None, Linear or Square Root) for the tag it is referencing.
_ScalingRawLow
The _ScalingRawLow property tag indicates the raw low range for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingRawHigh
The _ScalingRawHigh property tag indicates the raw high range for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingScaledDataType
The _ScalingScaledDataType property tag indicates the scaled to data type for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingScaledLow
The _ScalingScaledLow property tag indicates the scaled low range for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingScaledHigh
The _ScalingScaledHigh property tag indicates the scaled high range for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingClampLow
The _ScalingClampLow property tag indicates whether the scaled low value should be clamped for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingClampHigh
The _ScalingClampHigh property tag indicates wether the scaled high value should be clamped for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
_ScalingUnits
The _ScalingUnits property tag indicates the scaling units for the tag it is referencing. If scaling is set to none this value contains the default value if scaling was applied.
Tag Name
Description
_SuccessfulReads
The _SuccessfulReads tag contains a count of the number of Reads this channel has completed successfully since the start of the application or since the last time the _Reset tag was invoked. This tag is formatted as unsigned 32 bit integer and will eventually rollover. This tag is Read Only.
_SuccessfulWrites
The _SuccessfulWrites tag contains a count of the number of Writes this channel has completed successfully since the start of the application or since the last time the _Reset tag was invoked. This tag is formatted as an unsigned 32 bit integer and will eventually rollover. This tag is Read Only.
_FailedReads
The _FailedReads tag contains a count of the number of Reads this channel has failed to complete since the start of the application or since the last time the _Reset tag was invoked. This count is only incremented after the channel has failed the request based on the
KEPServerEX5 Help
See Also: Statistics Tags, System Tags, Modem Tags and Property Tags.

Statistics Tags

Statistics Tags are used to provide feedback to client applications regarding the operation of the channel
communications in the server. Currently there are seven built-in statistics tags available when diagnostics are enabled. See Also: OPC Diagnostic Window.
Syntax Example: <Channel Name>._Statistics._FailedReads
Supported Statistics Tag Names
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