ION Framework Analysis Tool

[sesa130444_brid]

I've written a program to take an ION framework file (*.fwn) and display all the information about all the modules in it. This is handy to try and track down what registers are going where. Be honest - ION Designer is pretty brutal. Limited searching and cross-referencing. Also handy for making custom ION Setup configs.

It's in:

https://schneider-electric.box.com/s/bbqppwx747kzq0kc12oe

It's pretty hard core, really only for power users, but I find it still very helpful. It WILL be buggy. Please let me know any found.

[VictorMarincus]

Hi Jeff,

This is a promising tool.

I tied to play with "ION X-Ref-1.1.111113" and i was seeing a error about the missing "msflxgrd.ocx" when I tried to use the test.fwn included.

Then I installed this extension using the one attached to this post:

http://myobnz.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/32867

Then I was able to open your framework.

Unfortunately none of my frameworks could be opened - I was ending with this error when File->opening it:

1. "test2.fwn" attached is something which I blindly grabbed from my 7650.

2. "test3_2modules.fwn" contains just 2 modules - a arithmetic and a data recorder

Really, it's a nice work - I can see it from your framework - even if we refer strictly to displaying handles and real names.

P.S. I have Access 2007.

Maybe this can be of some help:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287114

Thanks,

Victor

[sesa130444_brid]

Thanks for the info Victor. I won't have time to look at this for at least several days. I know partial frameworks will cause a problem. The test2 you posted is a partial. Try it again with a full framework. Here is the control, it can either go in the app folder (I think) or /system32.

Thanks.

[sesa130444_brid]

Victor,

I have made the corrections and also some additions.

There is now full searching capability! The main purpose of writing this has been fulfilled. I started thinking about this while doing custom ION Setup configurations and being hindered by the difficulty in finding registers and handles easily.

See the changelog for a description of what's new.

I don't know if there is a better place to host this program other than attached to this message. Is there some sort of central repository for things?

[Tom_Stevenson]

Nice Jeff !  I'll give it a shot.  Would like to cross-post this one on PME too !

[VictorMarincus]

Thank you Jeff,

I will give it another shot.

You can get in contact with and/or

I think this tool can go under Productivity Toolkit area for PME:.https://powersolutionscommunity.schneider-electric.com/community/pme/productivity-toolkit/design-and...

[sesa130444_brid]

Version 1.3 is available at https://schneider-electric.box.com/s/bbqppwx747kzq0kc12oe.

Added was a decimal/hex toggle for the handles.

Coming: Dependency Walker. Click a module, bring up a simple graphic showing the I/O (as modules), click one of those and show the IO of that one...

Should be able to walk from end to end using this.

Crossposting to PME also.

[sesa130444_brid]

v1.4 has been uploaded to Box. This version fixes the context info function, now all a modules attributes can be viewed in one window. The link is in the OP. Does everyone have access to this link in Box or not? I am presuming all SE does.

Coming: Search text coloring, dependancy walker, end-to-end logic. End-to-end logic will be an attempt to take two registers and find the logic connection between them. The idea is to see how you get something knowing only an input. That is the MAJOR issue with designer, especially when you don't have the meter/VIP .cfg files to help sort the modules in a logical way.

Site issue: I've gotten emails about replies in this thread but the messages aren't here.

[sesa130444_brid]

v1.5 uploaded to box. See the OP for link.

Changelog:

1.1.111013

'official' release.

1.1.111113

1st update, added right click info. This gives you all the registers of an input (or output or setup). For example, righlt click input 1 handle value and choose 'info', a pop up shows all the values associater with input #1 (handle, ION name, reg type). This was done to see everything about that register without having to scroll across the grid box.

1.2.013114

Info is broken, ignore. Search added, either as a context to a cell or off the menu. The menu search looks at substrings, the equivalent of %like% in SQL. Not case sensitive. Don't try to sort a column in the search results, it's broken. Choose reload from the menu to clear the search results. Search is huge. In fact, the searching was the genesis to this entire program, I finally got it in there. Search from the menu can take a long time if a lot of results, such as 'demand'. A search progress status was put in. The filtering after a menu search is really really nasty. It takes forever and has a potential flaw: If the highest # of records found in the search is not in the last module then the filter will not show all the records. It is slow as sin. I know, I suck, deal with it. Now that I look at it again the context search sucks too. Oh well.

As compiling a doc showing the structure of the XML I've realized that I've left something out - the values of the setup registers. I'll get this in the next version.

Also just fixed - I think the partial framework bug has been resolved.

Coming: Hex/decimal handle toggle. Column compressing (hiding columns when all records have no vaule for that column).

1.3.020614

Added the hex toggle. It's working pretty good, sorts too. Forced to 5 digits.

Tried to automate the registration of the common dialog control but it failed. Used the same method as other controls in other programs but this one puked. You'll have to register it manually. Don't worry, it's not difficult. See the doc file.

Coming: Two things - I've had a great idea. The first is that right clicking a module will bring up a graphical info showing all the handles/names of inputs, setups and outputs. An extension of this, and this will be way cool, is to make a dependancy walker. What this will do is you bring up a module and it will show you what other modules are connected via input and outputs. You will then be able to click on that module and it will redraw showing you the new module's dependancies. By clicking you should be able to follow logic flow from end to end. This is basically what designer does but it makes a lot of stuff very difficult to follow. The dependancy walker will eliminate all that obfuscation.

1.4.021314:

Completed the info module. Rigtht click anywhere, choose info, a display pops up showing all the module info. the registers can be scrolled.

Coming:Search text color, dependancy walker. New idea, and it's a good one: Thinking of a way to enter a source and destination register and then finding a logic path between the two. A daunting task, a brute force approach would take forever to run, but I'll try and see if I reach some sort of programming epiphany.

1.5.021514:

Search text color.
Progress bars.
Significant speed increase in flexgrid population and searching.
Bug fixes.

[sesa77328]

Hi Jeff,

I have yet to get your tool to work

Thought I would would share tool that I made for viewing FWN in browser.

http://loki/ionedesignerforweb/default.aspx

Let me know if you cannot see it.

[sesa130444_brid]

Hi Stuart,

Can your describe what is happening? Did you register the .ocx as described in the pdf?

--

Jeff Givens

Sr. Field Service Representative

Square D - Schneider Electric

jeff.givens@schneider-electric.com

("Jeff", not "Jeffrey", please be careful when addressing)

267-218-6766

[sesa77328]

Yes I did. I now have another missing OCX. CMCTL32.OCX

Can you view the tool I made?

[sesa130444_brid]

Hi Stuart,

I've added the missing controls to the archive on Box.

I've loaded yours and I like the graphics. Mine is just basically text. I've centered on the handles (this all started when doing some custom ION Setup work), everything flows from there.

I have my dependancy walker about 1/3 completed, that will be really cool. I saw you had tagged the inputs but it didn't go to the module when clicked.

My ultimate goal is to enter an input handle and an output handle and have it find the logical connection between the two. That may be impossible!

See if you can get mine running. I just did it on a virgin win7 box and I didn't have to register any controls.