Re: [foxboro] FCS Data Access and iccprt
- From: Neil Martin <neil_martin@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 10:54:42 -0600
FCS/IEE has cut and paste, a nice CALC block editor (with insert
capability), the ability to selectively download single strategy (and
possibly single block in the new version) changes as opposed the whole CP,
the ability to compare between what is in the CP and the control database
(FCS Configurator/IEE), and multiple users can be making changes within
the same CP; but that is about all the good I can say about FCS
Configurator/IEE at the moment. Overall, FCS/IEE takes me a whole lot
longer to make my control block edits and builds than it does with ICC.
Invensys forgot to combine the good parts of ICC with the new FCS/IEE
configurator. It should be noted that until we can upgrade our DCS I/A
version, we are stuck on IEE version 1.2.2 and we have essentially been
there for about 4- 5 years. We have entered a lot of PERs and have had a
lot of discussions with Invensys, so we are hopeful that they will
implement a lot of the productivity enhancements we have been waiting for
soon after FCS Configurator 4.0 is released. It should be noted that we
do not utilize control block bulk building and we rarely (if ever) use
block templates, however we do regularly copy older blocks when build new
blocks. It should also be noted that though it may not be required for
your I/A software upgrades, your best option is to probably go ahead
convert over to the new configurator because the life of the other control
blocks configurators is limited and they probably will not support the new
software features (Foundation Fieldbus, new modules, etc.). Also be aware
that there is more work and cost involved to convert over because the
control blocks will have to be separated into strategies, and you will
most likely need an additional server. It is currently not advisable to
run the FCS Configurator on an IA AW due to lower processing performance
and limitations on capabilities for future phased I/A software upgrades.
The list is long, but some of IEE/FCS Configurator productivity
enhancements we have requested are:
1. We hate being required to create strategies in the IEE, they are a
constraint that means nothing to us and they do not exist within the DCS.
Note, unless there are only a few blocks, don't try to make the strategy
the same as the compound. The window that is provided within the FCS
Configurator to find the block is small, which means to find the block you
probably have to zoom the size to be able to read it and then pan around
to find it.
2. Don't require that a strategy has to be unique within the whole IEE
database - normally this also means unique within the whole DCS.
3. Provide the option to list the control blocks in a tree underneath the
strategy, which is underneath the Compound, which is underneath the CP;
and enable the block to be selected for editing. The block processing
order within the strategy, would be based on the order that the block is
listed.
4. Within the strategy view, provide the option to just list the block
names for edit selection, instead of showing the blocks in a graphical
format that takes up a lot of space and often does not provide useful
info. or layout. The block processing order within the strategy, would be
based on the order that the block is listed.
5. Within the block editor, provide the option for a view that looks just
like the block in ICC except that is has cut, paste, insert (for CALC
blocks) and other conveniences. We currently have to use a view that
groups different things in different tabs, the field descriptor is not the
actual block parameter, and fields can sometimes be collapsed which can
make it even harder to find what we are looking for.
6. When building blocks, provide the capability to browse blocks (and
parameters) that are in other strategies.
7. Don't make us have to enter both a NAME and a CONTAINED NAME for every
block that we build. If CONTAINED NAME is required, then default it to
the BLOCK NAME, but allow it to be edited if needed.
8. Provide block printing capabilities similar to that of ICC and print
the parameters in the same order. Printing options would include such
things as a single block, all blocks in a compound, all blocks in a
strategy, names of all blocks in a compound or strategy (and they should
print in processing order), the names of all compounds in a CP, etc. And
yes, the parameter names need to be the actual C:B.P or :B.P, and not
include the "Container" and other things that exist only within the FCS
configurator.
9. Since the FCS configurator is currently a single control database for
the entire DCS and nothing is stored on the CP host AW, provide a better
solution for being able to do partial I/A system software version upgrades
like we used to be able to do.
10. Provide enhancements for being able to incorporate a single sequence
include (hlbl that contains aliases and preprocessor commands) and header
files (contains alias to C:B associations) that is compiled separate for
various process equipment like we used to be able to do, and provide the
capability to search across multiple include or header files to look for
where used info. like we used to be able to do (using something like
grep). Note, the FCS Configurator does have the capability to utilize the
include (with preprocessor commands) and header file, but there are
constraints.
Conroe & Dayton , TX.
Conroe ph) 936-760-6205
Dayton ph) 936-257-4212
pager) 936-522-0052
Corey <clingeaux@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: foxboro-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
01/01/2013 09:27 PM
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Re: [foxboro] FCS Data Access and iccprt
Maybe then I should be glad I don't use FCS :)
Corey
On 01/01/13 15:19, Sieling, Marcel wrote:
> Corey
> simple sed/awk processing won't do the trick as control data is stored
in FCS configurator database differently than according to C:B.P. You need
to bring data from different tables meaningful together and do some clever
stuff with the raw data. This is what the solution to the PER does.
>
> best regards / mit freundlichen Grüßen -
> Marcel Sieling
> Technical Sales Consultant
> Invensys Systems GmbH
>
>
>
>
> Am 01.01.2013 um 21:18 schrieb "Corey" <clingeaux@xxxxxxxxx>:
>
>> I'm probably fishing here, as I don't use FCS, but is this something
>> that can be taken care of by post-processing with your scripting
>> language of choice, or even sed? Definitely pursue the PER, as the
least
>> Invensys could do is maintain some backward compatibility with older
>> export file formats that many homegrown tools know how to grok, but
with
>> some minor hacking you could at least get by in the interim.
>>
>> Corey
>>
>>
>> On 01/01/13 10:41, andreas.weiss@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
>>>> Has anyone managed to get the data access tool in FCS to generate
output like iccprt.
>>>> I have used the Block Detail Report but for links it is giving
$MyContainer.Block.Parameter not C:B.Ps, and the block types are the
infusion block types.
>>> Hi Sean,
>>>
>>> now we are two.
>>> I have created a PER to get such an export function that produces data
like the legacy iccprt. Invensys has shown me a working demo of such an
export function. It was based on FCS 4.0 beta but it is not yet included
in FCS 4.0.
>>>
>>> It is not yet included because too less customers showed their
interest in getting this kind of functionality.
>>>
>>> Feel free to show your interest by creating a PER. I don't have my PER
number in mind but feel free to contact me off-list.
>>>
>>> I have to mention that we customized/enhanced the standard iccprt
output by a custom script:
>>>
>>> standard iccprt output: NAME = <COMPOUND>:<BLOCK>
>>>
>>> INEOS custom iccprt output: NAME = <CP-Letterbug>:<COMPOUND>:<BLOCK>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Andreas
>>
>>
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