AdAstrA Technical support department announces a new release of the company's integrated SOFTLOGIC-SCADA-MES-EAM-HRM system, TRACE MODE 6.06, available both in Professional and Base editions. The exciting new 6.06 release provides a host of new features and technologies to dramatically increase SCADA TRACE MODE performance and functionality.

The new TRACE MODE 6.06 includes a real-time system that has been optimized to improve a variety of TRACE MODE runtime module dynamic parameters. This resulted in faster performance of TRACE MODE RTMs, enhanced thread management capabilities, reduced screen refresh time, and faster navigation between the screens. The SIAD/SQL TRACE MODE database now works faster and provides extended functionality for making data available to any external applications. The new release boasts of improved capabilities for modifying your control system in real time, providing more control over trend axes and curves, while providing a neat feature that allows to switch between any data sources to display them interactively. The Real-Time Monitors in TRACE MODE now include enhanced features for managing SIAD/SQL 6 archive volumes. The new release features a special mechanism that enables you to interactively select archive copies (volumes) for real-time visualization. The documentation system in TRACE MODE also incorporates new advanced features. The TRACE MODE RTMs now include enhanced capabilities for launching external applications.

The latest TRACE MODE release features new free drivers for controllers and electricity meters, and also a single mechanism for communication with controllers and meters via phone and GSM modems. The new software includes an updated BacNet IP protocol tailored to support Daikin air conditioner interface. TRACE MODE now provides features and technologies that make it possible to rapidly develop energy accounting systems. The functional block (FBD) library has been extended to include new blocks for integrated device (shutters, valves, etc.) control. TRACE MODE now supports GPRS protocol for communication between system nodes, servers, and controllers. By reducing the time, it takes to export (compile) an RTM project, TRACE MODE now increases your efficiency with large distributed systems.

The 6.06 release also features a variety of other updates and improvements listed below.

The 6.06 release includes a number of new TRACE MODE runtime modules:

• Micro TRACE MODE GSM+ for WinCon 8000 controllers with GPRS support. GSM RTM+ now also supports GPRS;
• OPC RTM+, Real-Time Monitor including an integrated OPC server;
• DocOPC RTM+, DocRTM+ including an integrated OPC server;

The 6.06 release includes updates for virtually all software available in the TRACE MODE system:

• Integrated development environment (development system);
• Real-time servers – RTM, RTM+, DocRTM+, Double Force RTM+;
• NetLink Light console;
• Micro TRACE MODE for Windows CE;
• Global documentation servers;
• Global loggers;
• TRACE MODE Data Center;

CAUTION! Micro TRACE MODE modules for DOS will be available later. Therefore, you will be able to convert your projects that include Micro TRACE MODE DOS nodes to 6.06 version only when the updates for such modules are available. We will provide an additional announcement when Micro TRACE MODE modules for DOS are available.

New Features in Integrated Development Environment (Development System)

The development system now features reduced time to export (compile) a custom RTM project. To this end, the system now supports 2 CPUs on multi-CPU platforms. We have also added a neat feature that enables you to compile just a part of your project if you have made only minor modifications, which dramatically reduces waiting time for large system developers.

CAUTION! Make sure that you check and change initial settings in your development system (Export Parameters on the Save for RTM tab). Otherwise, some modifications will not export after editing.

• To the HMI Editor the Center command is added that automatically centers any full screen size items.
• The HMI Editor also includes a new feature that makes it possible to select how your color attributes will blink.
• The improvements made to the Document Template Editor include: 
  • Improved table formatting;
  • New display styles for trend curves;
  • Restored capability to export integer data into an archive table;
• Faster connection between SQL Request Wizard and MS SQL Server.
• Modified models for the first level object, valve/shutter, and motor.
• Modified LALR, PRIOR, ZDV, KLP, IREG, MOTOR, and SBRK functional blocks.
• New PW, UPW, TSR, BSR, and VLV functional blocks.
• The argument editor now includes a new field, Encoding.

New Features in Real-Time Monitors

Real-time graphical interface

• You can now interactively save your graphical screen to a file in real time (via the 254 attribute of the channel that calls such screen), which allows you to make screenshots of screens and trends whenever you want.
• The Trend graphical item (GI) now enables you to bind the time axis limits to INPUT type arguments, increasing your flexibility in terms of managing trend parameters by enabling you to adjust them to the changing process parameters.
• The RTM EVENT WINDOW now allows you to view the Fault Logger.
• The RTM menu now features the commands below:
  • Re-bind active screen arguments to various node channels, enabling dynamic and interactive capability to switch between any data sources to display them;
  • Create and manage archive copies. Interactively select archive copies (volumes) and display parameters.
  • Hide all hidden layers;
• You can now control layer visibility, which provides context management capabilities for graphical object layer visibility;
• The EVENTS GI now provides enhanced capabilities:
  • You can now transmit any message acknowledgement event from the EVENTS table to the Alarm Report (file and GI);
  • You can now transfer events via HEX and FLOAT channels (without stacks) to the EVENTS table.
• The system now provides enhanced features for displaying on-screen values. In addition to existing option that displays your values by intervals, you can now assign colors and status to any TRACE MODE graphical indicators, if any parameters in the masked bits associated with such indicators have the specified values.
• The system now provides new capabilities for controlling multi-GI overlay point. You can now specify the control mode when RTM starts: all GIs or the upper GI only.
  

Real-Time System

• The RTM thread structure and channel recalculation have been modified.
• We have added new threads and split several existing threads. RTMs now include a special thread for monitoring other threads. These new capabilities empower you to streamline RTM dynamic resource distribution and use additional tools to monitor RTM usage.
• RTMs now includes new and improved channel recalculation period types:
  • OWN THREAD recalculation period – Enables you to run large applications in background;
  • New CALC EXE, FAST EXE, IDLE EXE recalculation periods – Reduce computational resources used to process the OUT channels that have high reactivity, but run rarely;
  • FAST recalculation period – Can be applied to any channel now;
• The system now provides more keys for you to choose from when configuring a *.cnf file. The additions include, in particular, capabilities to control computational thread intensity, how functions associated with the Alarm Report are buffered, resources, and current diagnostics.
• TRACE MODE now provides enhanced startup synchronization features for your client nodes in the client-server complexes. The Synchronization flag automatically synchronizes the Alarm Report buffers and EVENTS channel stacks across the NetLink Light nodes during startup.
• RTMs can now automatically read additional arguments from the remote nodes using the RemArg and EvReg channels.
• The User channel improvements include:
  • New “Disable viewing archive data” attribute;
  • New “Access to all GI and screens with access code 0” attribute;
  • New feature that allows you to remotely control the current user rights;
• The Event channel improvements include:
  • New feature that allows you to save channel messages (in addition to the Event channel generated messages) into the Alarm Report bound to this channel;
  • New feature that summarizes events associated with a group channel that includes the channels combined by common fragments of ENCODING attribute
• CALL channel improvements:
  • CALL.8:
    • New feature that allows you to generate a standard or advanced Modbus function set;
    • Extended list of capabilities for diagnosing internal threads, network interface, and node status;
    • New feature that allows you to control pop-up screens;
    • New additional capabilities for re-binding screen arguments;
    • New feature that allows you to export data from a SIAD/SQL archive to various format files. You can convert a SIAD/SQL archive to the following formats:
      • TXT (text);
      • AVB (binary) – For viewing with the Event logger;
      • HTML;
      • XML;
      • SIAD.9.2 archive format;
      • Without outputting into a file (sampling into the memory).
        CALL.10-11 – Now supports operations with the “bit pair”, “nibble”, and “byte” attributes.
  • CALL.12-14 – Now provides a feature that allows you to automatically control the bound channels for any invalid data;
  • CALL.15:
    • New feature that allows you to analyze invalid data while summing up any items;
    • New features that allow you to sum up vectors;
    • New logical processing features.
  • CALL.16 – Extended list of filters for channel batch processing;
  • CALL.33 – New feature that allows you to use vector operations with channel attributes;
  • CALL.47-48:
    • Enhanced features that allow you to automatically generate a time interval for requesting an individual archive;
    • New filter that you can use to assign archives deployed in a group;
    • New time-out mechanism that makes group archive deployment more reliable.
  • CALL.50 – New features that allow you to dynamically manage and control how the program sequence is executed.
  • CALL.57:
    • New export file formats:
      • HTML and XML. New feature that allows you to export data from an archive using a generated fault model.
  • CALL.58 – Enhanced capabilities for calling an external application from TRACE MODE RTMs. Includes new features that allow you to generate a command line and use any run keys specific to each external application.
  • CALL.59 – Includes a new mechanism for storing and displaying any vector archives on your archive trends.
    Enhanced features for diagnosing and managing threads in real time (@RTM_Parameter). 
• New features that allow you to manage how your sound files play – @Sound_File with or without clearing a queue.
• Enhanced features that allow you to use TRACE MODE RTMs in combination with any modem-based telemechanics systems. RTMs now include a capability to capture a node when connecting using multiple modems.
• New features that allow you to generate and manage SIAD/SQL 6 archive copies (volumes) (@q_SIAD_Q and @Copy_SIAD).
• New feature that allows you to manage how document templates reload in real time.
• You can now save any Alarm Report messages associated with a numeric channel into 254 attribute.
• You can now save a screenshot whenever you want and also generate an event file.
• Enhanced features for real time diagnostics:
  • The Show Profiler Components window now includes more information;
  • Statistical analysis of the Modbus TCP/IP traffic by devices is now available;
  • Multi-channel diagnostics when connecting using multiple modems is now available;
• You can now diagnose the real cycle of processing different channel threads.
• Enhanced feature that allows you to diagnose communication with your distributed control system nodes.

CAUTION! The re-mapping procedure has been removed from all RTMs, excluding RTM for DOS. If your RTM performed re-mapping in any node, you need to convert your SIAD using a relevant profiler procedure without graphics support.

To check whether you need conversion:

• Launch the node controlled by this RTM using the dllRTM32_e.dll debug library.
• If your node protocol includes a string that contains words “Use remap”, you need to convert your archives.

New Free Device Drivers

The 6.06 release includes new free drivers for I/O devices (controllers, meters, gauges, etc.) and enhanced features for the embedded drivers:

• Supports CE301, CE303, CE304 electricity meters from Energomera;
• Supports TC210 and TC215 gas volume temperature regulators;
• Supports PSC-3TM.05M and PSC-3TM.05D electric meters from Frunze Plant in Nizhniy Novgorod;
• Supports A1200 ALFA and A100C electric meters from Elster;
• Updated drivers for Hitachi H20, H200, H250, H252, H300, H700;
  You can now split the Modbus TCP/IP traffic into 3 threads to increase speed and reliability of communication over this protocol.
• Updated BacNet IP protocol tailored to support Daikin air conditioner interface.
  New single mechanism for dial-up communication using conventional and GSM modems over DCS and Modbus RTU protocols, and T11-type drivers.

New features in Data Center

We assume the set of measures to increase safety of Data Center operation in Internet:

• Adjusted time out  for proxy server disconnection in time of no data transmission was launched;
• Protection from unauthorized access was improved;
• Feature of data mapping on trends was added;

All system requirements were revised. New system requirements are available in e-shop.
 
TRACE MODE 6.06 release was fully tested by AdAstra QA department in compliance with ISO 9001:2000 standard. TRACE MODE 6.06 release was tested under OS Windows XP и Vista. In view of Microsoft company stopped sales of Windows 2000, beginning with release 6.06. TRACE MODE will not be tested under this OS. 

All trace mode Users can download view release from Technical Support section of the site.

Commercial versions 6.06
Free version 6.06

CAUTION! While upgrading TRACE MODE, do not forget to save a backup copy of the development system and your project in previous version format!

We welcome your questions at http://forum.tracemode.com/