Control Expert - Improvements to Save and Restore Data

[GeoffChisholm]

The Save and Restore data (to .dtx) feature is limited to restoring data to the same project with the same CPU type. If the CPU is changed within the same family (M580 level 2 to level 4) or from quantum to M580, or memory expanded the restore data is not available.

I am suggesting the following - when the restore has an issue it should have the option to do a limited restore such that either (or both)

- all variables that exist in the save file and the new project would be restored, with a warning for those not restored

- all located memory that exist in the save file and the new project would be restored.

This would provide the following advantages

- PLC upgrades would be simplified

- Potential to create standard .dtx files to load standard setpoints to different PLCs

Additionally it would be a huge benefit to be able to Export and Import data to a spreadsheet. I suggest that while online an area of the variable table could be highlighted (or maybe an animation table) and the user given the option to export data. This would create a spreadsheet with the tagname and current value (additional useful fields would be type and initial value). And importantly control export would have a function to import data which would use the tagname and value from the spreadsheet to write to those tags with the values from the spreadsheet.

This offers the following advantages

- PLC upgrades would be simplified

- spreadsheets of setpoints could be saved, examined, and restored

[Trinxs1]

@GeoffChisholm there is a spreadsheet tool that is used to modify exported tag information from the PAC project and then re import this.  This does not include current values of the tag list.

If the spreadsheet was able to use UMAS (possibly via OPC) to read any tag value which had the "save" property enabled this would be an enhancement where the value could be selectively copied to the "initial value" property.

I agree though we need to be able to populate this information into another PAC.  Based on five considerations:

1. if the tag name exists we wish to update the tag,
2. we update only if the data structures are the same,
3. if it does not exist we can add the data tag to create a new tag.
4. we can save the file as .dtx, .dat file for each project.
5. we can import or combine files if needed from .dtx or CSV.

[ChongYewOng]

Hi !

This thread is very similar to what we've been previously discussing (between Rio Tinto and Schneider Australia).

Suggestions

1. Upon performing “Restore Data from File to PLC” and selecting the file, we would like:

1.1. A popup that looks similar to the popup for “Save data from PLC to file” (see screenshot below), where the system shows what options were checked when generating the .dtx/.dat file.

1.2. If possible, an option to de-select the checkboxes before performing the restore. For example, the .dtx/.dat file might have “Function block instances” checked (when it was saved), but we want to de-select this (when restoring)

2. Ability to export saved state Ram files (.dtx/.dat) to a format like .csv (or similar), so that it is viewable by e.g. Excel.

2.1 For example, the .csv could contain multiple rows, so that if the value 30,000 was saved in address %MW5000, it would be clear what this value is.

2.2 Ideally, there should also be a way for us to determine what options were selected in the “Save data from PLC to file” checkbox, from the export of the .dtx/.dat file (note that if 1.1 above was implemented, then 2.2 would be low priority).

3. Ability to load or change data of a .dtx/.dat. For example, we may have a .csv (originally generated by 2.1) that we would use as a basis, that we may modify and load data to the .dtx/.dat

Context and rationale

• After a full download (transfer PC to PLC), the state Ram of the PLC gets cleared to 0. Some scenarios include:
• Recovery after failure (e.g. after obtaining new CPU from ware house or cold start)
• Certain changes to the PLC (e.g. adding new DTM) may require a full download (transfer PC to PLC).
• Upgrading from one CPU to another (e.g. M340 to M580)

• Some examples of data that we might lose when state Ram is cleared (which is why we are interested in the topic of restoration of state ram).
• Totaliser values (e.g. tonnes produced in a shift, water totals)
• Current state/step in a sequence
• Selected mode of operation (e.g. swapping over of automatic control of a facility to manual radio control console).
• Intended temporary setpoints (e.g. operate a facility at 80% rate due to certain external conditions).
• Clearing of other setpoints that are not hard-coded (e.g. being tuned / adjusted as part of commissioning)

• In many scenarios, we may only have a backup of state ram that might be old. For example, the state ram backup might have been taken (e.g. by automatic schedule or by an engineer) at 5:00 pm whilst the plant was running (e.g. with totaliser of 77,000). However, the plant could then be subsequently shut down at 8:00 pm (with totaliser value of 98,000). An engineer might then try to recover the system at 9:00 pm.

• Furthermore, a site may have specific requirements on which combination of checkboxes should have been selected. This is why we would like to check this before performing the restore.

Thanks a lot

Chong

[dnordenberg1]

While enhancing this functionality I would like to propose another improvement to this... Please add a option to automatically download a .dtx in the background each time going online and place it in the same folder as project and with same name. Date could also be appended to filename to make unique .dtx files if one likes to save multiple files.

The data in a PLC is very live data containing everything from parameter values to running hour counters and so on and it is quite essential to always have a recent copy of this in case you loses it somehow. It has happened to me several times that I lost all values because of some malfunctioning or damage to PLCs or a project download which goes wrong and erases all %MW data and then discovering it was years since last .dtx data backup file was created 😞 Another PLC manufacturer has even made this mandatory, you can't even go online without this step happening which I think is a very smart move and it is so quick that it doesn't feel like anything annoying when it does it, they don't save the whole range of registers either but only those with variables declared and marked as "cold retain" and that is the reason it happens almost instantly in their software.