This driver is an extension driver. It provides additional application-specific functionality to the 'parent' driver with which it is associated. To interact successfully with devices using an extension driver, you need to:
- Install and run both the extension driver and its 'parent' driver (and, if applicable, its 'grandparent' driver)
- Ensure that the extension driver and its 'parent' driver (and, if applicable, its 'grandparent' driver) are licensed
(some extension drivers are licensed separately to their 'parent' driver) - Configure the required database items and settings on the 'parent 'driver (and, if applicable, the 'grandparent' driver)
- Configure the required database items and settings on this extension 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 primarily intended for engineers who are responsible for configuring Geo SCADA Expert to interface with Realflo.
The guide also contains information for:
- Operators and engineers who use the SCADAPack Modbus Realflo driver to control plant and monitor and process gas, liquid or water flow data
- Maintenance engineers.
Document Scope
This guide explains the configuration, features and database items that are specific to Geo SCADA Expert's SCADAPack Modbus Realflo driver. The SCADAPack Modbus Realflo driver is a SCADAPack Modbus extension driver. It provides additional functionality to enable Geo SCADA Expert to interface with SCADAPack controllers that are running Realflo™. The Realflo feature converts a SCADAPack controller into an electronic Flow Computer. Geo SCADA Expert can interface with Realflo, in order to monitor and process the gas, liquid or water flow data that is being retrieved by the Flow Computer. Geo SCADA Expert can access the Flow Computer’s data, configuration and calculation factors by interrogating the Realflo components on the SCADAPack controllers. When Geo SCADA Expert interacts with a controller’s Realflo components, the SCADAPack controller is referred to as a Realflo controller throughout the Geo SCADA Expert documentation, to indicate that additional interaction.
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with Geo SCADA Expert configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- Geo SCADA Expert configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration, and the Geo SCADA Expert 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 Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Drivers.
- Advanced driver configuration order, outstation types, and configuration properties and logging options that are common to many advanced drivers. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Advanced Drivers.
- The database items and configuration that are specific to this extension driver's 'parent' driver, along with any pick actions, status attributes, and logging options that are specific to that 'parent' driver. (Unless stated otherwise, this extension driver supports the features and options that are supported by its 'parent' driver, in addition to the features and options that are described in this extension driver guide.)
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 Geo SCADA Expert. Before reading the operational sections in this guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- The Geo SCADA Expert user interfaces (ViewX and Virtual ViewX), the various types of display, their navigation and operation. For more information, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to ViewX and Virtual ViewX Clients.
In order to communicate with Realflo controllers, your Geo SCADA Expert system needs to be running the following drivers:
- Advanced Modbus driver
- Advanced Modbus SCADAPack Modbus extension driver
- SCADAPack Modbus Realflo extension driver, (see Confirm that the Realflo Server Component is Installed).
If required, Geo SCADA Expert can export retrieved flow measurement data in Common File Exchange (CFX) format. The CFX file format is proprietary and confidential to Flow-Cal, Inc. The exported data can then be imported into any of Flow-Cal’s measurement data management applications. To export data in this format, Geo SCADA Expert also needs to be running the CFX driver. For information on that driver, see the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the CFX Export Driver.
Use this Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the SCADAPack Modbus Realflo Driver alongside the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the SCADAPack Modbus Driver and the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the Advanced Modbus Driver. As much of the information in the latter guides is assumed knowledge, we recommend that you read the guides mentioned above before reading this driver guide.
The SCADAPack Modbus Realflo driver documentation:
- Summarizes the Terminology of which you need to be aware
- Explains how to:
- Confirm that the Realflo Server Component is Installed
- Configure SCADAPack Modbus Realflo specific features and items within the Geo SCADA Expert database (see Configure Geo SCADA Expert to Monitor Realflo Calculation Data, and see Scanning Realflo Points on SCADAPack Modbus Controllers).
Be aware that some of the configuration properties, features and functionality mentioned in this guide are only supported by particular versions of Realflo firmware onwards. As such, not all of the properties and features described in this guide might be available on, or supported by, the Realflo devices on your system.
In addition it explains features that are of interest to operators, such as:
Driver-specific aspects that are of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected behavior relating to the SCADAPack Modbus Realflo driver. For information, see:
Further Information
For further information on Realflo, or on gas, liquid or water flow data that is not covered by this guide, please refer to the documentation provided with the Realflo application.
Realflo Flow Computer functionality is licensed by Schneider Electric TRSS. For more information, see the Schneider Electric TRSS website.