Import Configuration

Associated with: Sofrel Outstations.

Security permission required to access this pick action: Configure.

You can use the Import Configuration action to import a Sofrel configuration file into ClearSCADA. You can use the Import Configuration action as part of your chosen configuration strategy(see WITS Configuration Strategies)

Creating an Import configuration file

There are two ways in which you can create an import configuration file:

• Sofrel configuration application

  You can use SOFTOOLS to export the configuration of an outstation in the required file format.

  SOFTOOLS Export Dialogs

  

  Choose the To a SCADA central station LACBUS RTU format or To a SCADA central station SOFBUS PL (PCWin, ...) format, whichever is appropriate. Refer to the SOFTOOLS User Documentation for detailed information on how to use the export tools.

• Create / edit files using other tools, for example an Text editor or spreadsheet application.

Import file formats

ClearSCADA can import files in the tab-delimited text format defined by Sofrel. Each file contains the configuration of the points for an outstation.

The file consists of a header on the first line, followed by a body. The header contains numerical codes that identify the data in the corresponding column of the body. Different numerical codes are used for the column headings within each protocol. The body contains one line for each point.

Files exported from SOFTOOLS include all of the columns for the protocol. If you are creating your own files (for example in a text editor or spreadsheet) then ClearSCADA requires the following columns to always be present:

Example text files

This is an example of a typical import file for an S550 type outstation using the LACBUS-RTU protocol.

This is an example of a typical import file for an S550 type outstation using SOFBUS-PL protocol.

This is an example of a typical import file for a TelBox type outstation.

Importing a configuration file

The Import Configuration action is available for all Sofrel outstations. The outstations should be pre-configured before being connected and setup within ClearSCADA. You can use the Import Configuration action to import the configuration of points from the outstation when you have configured the following Sofrel items:

• Sofrel Channel (see Configuring a Sofrel Channel)
• Sofrel Outstation Set (see Configuring a Sofrel Outstation Set)
• Sofrel Outstation (see Configuring a Sofrel Outstation)

When you select the Import Configuration action, the Import Configuration window is displayed:

This allows you to enter the filename directly or browse to the location containing the file. When you select the OK button, ClearSCADA begins the import process.

When you initiate the import process the configuration for each point that exists within the import file is created within ClearSCADA, within the same group as the outstation. If the points already exist in the database they are just updated.

Some or all of the following settings may be included for each point:

• Point Number
• Point type
• Point Units — This applies to analog and counter points only.
• Point State descriptions — This applies to digital points only. If the corresponding point in ClearSCADA is a multi-bit digital point (either 2-bit or 3-bit), then the all state descriptions are discarded during the import as Sofrel outstations only support 1 bit digital points.
• RTU Label is included, see Sofrel Specific Status Display Attributes.

If the outstation is using the LACBUS-RTU protocol the following differences occur when the configuration is imported:

• Point label — If the point does not exist the label is used to name the point. Existing points are not renamed. If a point has no label, then a default name is generated based on the point number: "Point <n>", <n> is point number. The label is stored in the ClearSCADA database and is shown in the view dialog as the RTU Label, (see Sofrel Point Status Attributes).
• Serial number — The serial number of the point may be displayed.

  If the import file was created using SOFTOOLS the Serial number may not be included in the file.

• Analog output point control range — The control range is always set, if the import creates the point this is used to set the range (full scale / zero scale), override range and trend range of the point.
• Digital Point Alarms — If a digital input point is an alarm, then the import sets the default state severities of the point if it is created.
• Archiving — This is used to enable the historic setting and to set the historic filter (it does not disable the historic setting of existing points).

If the outstation is using the SOFBUS-PL protocol the following differences occur when the configuration is imported:

• Point label — If the point does not exist the label is used to name the point. Existing points are not renamed. If a point has no label, then a default name is generated using a combination of the point type and the point number:
  • Analog Input <n>
  • Analog Output <n>
  • Counter Input <n>
  • Digital Input <n>
  • Digital Output <n>

  The label is stored in the ClearSCADA database and is shown in the view dialog as the RTU Label, (see Sofrel Point Status Attributes).

• Range and Scaling — For analog points the import sets the raw and engineering range of the point (full scale / zero scale). If the import creates the point then the override range and trend range of the point are set to the engineering range.

If the outstation in ClearSCADA has a different protocol to the file being imported then the import will fail unless the outstation in ClearSCADA has no points. This is because the two protocols uses different addressing for the points and therefore the existing points can't be matched to the points being imported if the protocol is different.

Importing the configuration into a Group Instance

If you are going to import the configuration, and the Outstation or any of its points are in a Group Instance, you need to be aware of:

• Property Overrides

  If the necessary Property Overrides are not defined, ClearSCADA will be unable to write the changes to the database and the import process will be unsuccessful. For more details, see Property Overrides.

• The Point Conversion Process

  As part of the import process, ClearSCADA may attempt to change the type of existing points in the ClearSCADA database. For example, it may attempt to convert an Analog Input into a Digital point so that it matches the configuration being imported. This conversion cannot take place if the point is in a Group Instance, as its type is determined by the matching point in the Group Template.

  This only applies to outstations using the LACBUS-RTU protocol.

If you import a configuration into items in a Group Instance (the Outstation or any of its points), ClearSCADA has to determine which configuration to use. It compares the imported configuration settings to those that are already in place in the ClearSCADA database, on a field-by-field basis. If the import configuration settings are different to those in ClearSCADA , ClearSCADA checks if the required Property Overrides are defined. If they are, the imported configuration overwrites the existing configuration. Any settings that are the same as those in ClearSCADA are discarded. If the file contains points that do not exist in ClearSCADA, new items are created to store the configuration. These new items are created automatically.

If an import fails as a result of missing Property Overrides or point conversions being required, ClearSCADA lists the configuration errors in a configuration report. There are no changes made to the ClearSCADA database.