RemoteConnect Poll Offset

[fcantrell]

Is there a way to leave quiet time between Master polls to remote devices in RemoteConnect? Looking for a setting similar to the "Poll Offset" setting in Telepace.

[BevanWeiss]

This is when using the SCADAPack x70 as a DNP3 Master / Data Concentrator right?

I can't see this exact setting in the Data Concentrator options for RemoteConnect, but you could 'emulate' the same thing using some logic.

If you go to the Data Concentrator Master section, and under the selected device you want to time the polls for, under the 'Status and Control Configuration' you can assign an Object Association to the 'Force Event Poll', and the 'Force Integrity Poll' (and others you care to do.. like Force Warm Restart etc).

Then from within your logic you could do the polling of the slave devices however you'd like.

Obviously not as 'set and forget' as the Poll Offset control you mention, but it's still possible.

If I were you, I'd probably get in touch with your local rep to raise a feature request ticket for an identical setting to the 'Poll Offset' if this is something that you will need to be doing often.

[fcantrell]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, this would indeed be used in DNP3 Master/ Data Concentrator mode. This is a very useful feature in the Telepace DNP3 Master configuration. It allows dead time between master polls so unsolicited messages can get through. Without this setting, the master will poll all the remote sites one after another until all polls are done. If you have a lot of remote sites to poll, that can be a pretty good chunk of time during which no other comms can really take place.

I will mention this to our distributor and see if this is something that can be added to RemoteConnect.

[BevanWeiss]

Such developments can take quite a while however, so I'd recommend that you also start to put together a test case for something similar to the work around that I've proposed.

That way if the feature doesn't make it into RemoteConnect you're not left entirely high and dry..

You're aware that the Data Concentrator feature is a licensed addition with the new RemoteConnect environment?

I can't remember where the break-point is in terms of slave count, my recollection was that a small number of slaves was allowed without a license, but over a certain number it did require a license for the RTU to perform the functionality.

I'm not sure if this was the case with the Telepace environment.

[fcantrell]

Thanks BevanWeiss. I will definitely do some bench testing to test a workaround like you suggested. Yes, I am aware that the Data Concentrator is a licensed feature but I don't have any specifics on that yet as far as cost, slave counts etc. I will check that out with our supplier,