This driver is a simple driver. It provides additional functionality to enable ClearSCADA to interface with specific supported devices using a particular protocol. To interact successfully with such devices, you need to:
- Install and run the driver
- Ensure that the driver is licensed
- Configure the required database items and settings on the driver
- Ensure that the database items (and any database items on which they depend) have valid, saved, configuration and are 'In Service'.
Intended Audience
This guide is intended for all levels of user:
- Engineers who are responsible for configuring ODBC-specific features and items
- Operators who use ODBC-specific actions while performing their duties
- System administrators who use ODBC-specific status information when fault-finding unexpected behavior relating to the ODBC driver.
Document Scope
This guide explains features that are specific to the ClearSCADA ODBC Driver. This driver has been produced by Schneider Electric to run on the servers on a ClearSCADA system, and should not be confused with the WindowsTM ODBC driver that is often supplied with WindowsTM software. In this guide, the ClearSCADA ODBC driver is generally referred to as the ODBC driver.
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with ClearSCADA configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- ClearSCADA configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration, and the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Point Configuration.
- Driver structure, components, and configuration properties, pick actions, and status attributes that are common to many drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Drivers.
- Simple driver composition, configuration order, and configuration properties and logging options that are common to many simple drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Simple Drivers.
Some sections of this guide are intended for operator-level users. These sections are intended for users that are familiar with the navigational and operational aspects of ClearSCADA. Before reading the operational sections in this guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- The ClearSCADA user interfaces (ViewX and WebX), the various types of display, their navigation and operation. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to ViewX and WebX Clients.
The ClearSCADA ODBC Driver allows point data to be transferred from another database into the ClearSCADA database, using Open DataBase Connectivity (ODBC) data transfer standards (see Using ODBC to Access the ClearSCADA Database). The driver performs the necessary conversions to enable the data to be transferred between the source and destination databases. This is dependent on:
- ClearSCADA running the ClearSCADA ODBC Driver
- The other application and its database management system being ODBC-compliant
- The other application and its database management system running their own WindowsTM ODBC driver.
ODBC can be used to transfer data between a ClearSCADA database and, for example, Oracle, Access, Excel, dBase or an SQL server.
In ClearSCADA, you can write an ODBC Query using SQL that allows a block of data to be located and retrieved from the other application’s database. As with other ODBC drivers, ClearSCADA’s ODBC driver converts that query into a request that can be recognized by the other application’s database management system. The other application can then perform the requested data transfer.
You use OBDC points in ClearSCADA to extract data from the data table that is produced as a result of the ODBC query request.
Given the required Write access privileges, you can also replace or insert an individual value within another application’s database, by sending a point control to that application. Within ClearSCADA, you enter the SQL Query code that defines the location of the data in the other application’s database and the specifies the data that is to be replaced or inserted. The actual value that is to be sent to the other application’s database, is specified when the control is requested.
The ODBC documentation explains how to configure ODBC-specific features and items in the ClearSCADA database (see Configuration Order). It also explains the driver-specific features that are of interest to operators, such as:
and driver-specific aspects that may be of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected system behavior:
Use the documentation along with the ClearSCADA Guide to Simple Drivers and the core documentation when configuring ODBC features on your system.
For other applications to access the ClearSCADA database using ODBC, the appropriate Data Access components have to be installed as part of the ClearSCADA installation process. For more information, see Third Party ODBC Client - System Connections in the ClearSCADA Guide to Client Administration.
For information on exporting Crystal Reports in ODBC format, see the ClearSCADA Crystal Reports documentation.