The TRACE MODE development system includes a complete set of facilities for designing HMI operator’s interface and for programming of РС-based controllers, a set of built-in drivers for the most common PLCs (more than 1500 devices), Real Time Monitor (profiler – SCADA/HMI server), ODBC, OPC and DDE clients and servers, specifications for writing drivers for I/O devices, electronic informational system in English, printed documentation in English. The product also includes demo-versions of Web- and GSM-activators (for 1 hour of continuous operation).

The TRACE MODE development system allows to create a project of distributed control system as a whole, with unified tool. The TRACE MODE development is empowered with the project autobuilding technology. Development facilities include:

Data Presentation Editor (DPE);
Channel Base Editor (CBE)
Report Template Editor (TE).

The Data Presentation Editor (DPE) is a tool for HMI screens development. The DPE offers advanced vector static and dynamic graphics and animation. Virtual controls, real time and historical trends, alarms reports are available. Embedding of ActiveX is supported.

The TRACE MODE Data Presentation Editor contains graphical libraries with more than 600 graphic objects (both static and animated) that speed up the control system development. Among them there are: control panels, instruments, heat-exchangers, reservoirs, separators, columns, pumps, valves, electrical elements, etc. All the projects developed in DPE, can be exported into XML format for web-based thin client HMI consoles, operating on the Internet.

The Channel Base Editor (CBE) is used for development of the project distributed real time database.

The Channel Base Editor offers the following:

setting up nodes of TRACE MODE project – operator’s stations and controllers;
setting up input/output boards and controllers (DLL, DDE, OPC);
a library of built-in free of charge drivers for PLC and the boards of I/O devices is available in the CBE, including more than 1500 devices;
assigning technological boundaries and alarms;
performing visual programming of the control algorithms, in the languages: Techno FBD, TechnoLD and Techno IL (IEC 1131-3);
programming SCADA servers’ hot redundancy;
setting up the network exchange, communications with databases and applications;
data logging.

It is surprisingly easy to create systems with hot redundancy in TRACE MODE 5 – it would be enough to simply specify that the PC or controller shall have a stand by node, and TRACE MODE will generate and set up two databases (channels base). In case of alteration of configuration of the main nodes, TRACE MODE 5 will automatically update the stand by nodes.

Template Editor (TE) is a tool for development of templates and scripts for report generation. In the TE, it is possible to create a static basis for a reporting document, establish references to channels and trends in the SCADA real time servers, write scenarios of automatic generation of reporting documentation.

License policy:

The TRACE MODE development system (professional tariff) is licensed for 1 PC with a restriction of the number of channels. Versions are available, for 128, 512, 1024, 32000 and 64000 channels. Up to 16 discrete signals or 1 analog signal can be packed in one channel. The number of internal tags is not limited.

One license allows to perform development of SCADA project on 1 PC, or otherwise, start Real Time Monitor on 1 PC (SCADA server) of similar capacity. Thus, having one license for TRACE MODE development system, it is possible to develop a control system project and use it in the real time.

Development system for 64000 channels can be obtained free of charge (basic tariff). In that case, the runtimes shall also be of basic tariff. The basic version features:

availability of free of charge development system;
higher price of runtime modules as compared against the Professional tariff;
unavailability of a printed "User Manual" and technical support via telephone and e-mail.

The project formats for basic and professional versions are incompatible. In case if a professional development system is purchased, conversion of one user project from basic format into professional format is made for free.