Terminology

A computer that connects to, and displays information retrieved from, a Server. Users typically operate ClearSCADA via ViewX Clients or WebX Clients (see ViewX Client, and see WebX Client).

An item (or ‘object’) in the ClearSCADA Database, which contains configuration information. You can use ViewX’s Database Bar to display a tree structure showing the database items that exist on your system.

A driver provides additional support to enable ClearSCADA to communicate with other devices (such as Outstations and PLCs) using a particular communications protocol. Your ClearSCADA system might have a number of drivers installed. For more information, see Types of Driver.

ClearSCADA uses Points in the database to represent the I/O on site and any I/O that exists internally in the software Point).

Local Area Network, this is a group of computers and associated devices connected to a server using a shared common communications line or wireless link.

ODBC is an application programming interface that allows data to be transferred between ODBC-compliant applications. Depending on the configuration and system setup, a third-party ODBC client might be used to access the ClearSCADA database or, if ClearSCADA's ODBC driver is installed, ClearSCADA might be used to interrogate the database of another ODBC-compliant application.

Open Process Control. A set of standard specifications aimed at allowing communication between different SCADA systems (for more information, see http://www.opcfoundation.org/).

Depending on the configuration and system setup, a third-party OPC client might be used to access the ClearSCADA database or, if ClearSCADA's OPC or OPC XML-DA driver is installed, ClearSCADA might be used to read or write to another application’s database, using OPC.

If your user account provides the necessary access, you can use ViewX’s OPC Data Bar or OPC Historic Data Bar to access the OPC properties of various items in the database (see Working with the OPC Data Bar, and see Working with the OPC Historic Data Bar).

An enclosed unit that contains I/O cards, communications equipment and a power supply. The I/O cards contain the inputs and outputs I/O) that correspond to the connections to Plant. ClearSCADA uses Points to represent the I/O in the database Point).

RTUs, PLCs and similar devices tend to be referred to as ‘outstations’ throughout much of the ClearSCADA documentation suite. For more information, see Outstations and Outstation Sets.

Your user account will allow you to perform various actions on items in the database. You typically perform such actions by selecting options (or ‘pick actions’) from a context sensitive Object Menu.

The Mimics on your system might be configured to allow you to display context sensitive menus in order to select the pick actions you require. Where an area of a Mimic is configured to allow users to trigger just one specific pick action, that pick action might be configured to trigger immediately on selection, without a context sensitive menu being displayed. (For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Mimics.)

Some pick actions on your system might be configured to trigger automatically on a scheduled basis, or in response to alarms being raised.

A generic term to describe equipment such as sensors, gauges, and so on. In ClearSCADA you use Database Items, such as Outstations and Points, to represent, monitor and/or control plant Database Item).

PLCs, RTUs and similar devices tend to be referred to as ‘outstations’ throughout much of the ClearSCADA documentation suite. For more information, see Outstations and Outstation Sets.

In the ClearSCADA database, points are used to represent the sensors, measuring instruments and control devices on your system. Points allow the corresponding Plant to be measured or controlled from the ClearSCADA Server. For further information, see Points and Pulse Actions.

For further information, see Systems with PSTN Communications.

An RTU is a microprocessor-controlled electronic device that transmits telemetry data to a master station on a SCADA system. In the ClearSCADA database, outstation database items are used to represent RTUs.

RTUs, PLCs and similar devices tend to be referred to as ‘outstations’ throughout much of the ClearSCADA documentation suite. For more information, see Outstations and Outstation Sets.

ClearSCADA is a SCADA application, providing the means to retrieve data and control the Plant on your system (see What is ClearSCADA?).

A computer that stores data and is capable of supplying the stored data to other computers (known as Clients— Client). For further information, see ClearSCADA Server.

The ClearSCADA server uses SQL to query the database for current and historic data values. ClearSCADA uses an SQL query, for example, to obtain the data values that are displayed in Lists other than Alarms Lists.

A collection of frequently used commands, grouped together on a vertical or horizontal bar, such as the Quick Access Toolbar on a ViewX client. Each command performs a specific action.

This refers to a network outside of the Local Area Network (LAN) but connected to it.