Common Properties on Points used for DNP3 Communications

The following properties appear at the top of the <Point Type> tab on the Forms of SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Points:

• In Service—Use to specify whether the point is active or inactive (see Placing an Item In Service in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration).
• Confirm Disable/Enable—Users with the required permissions can disable a point that is In Service, or enable a point that is not In Service. Such actions are carried out using the Disable Point and Enable Point pick actions.

  Use the Confirm Disable/Enable combo box to specify whether a confirmation dialog box is displayed whenever an operator requests that this point is disabled or enabled (see Requesting Confirmation of Action Requests in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration).

• Outstation—Use to specify the SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Outstation database item with which the point is associated.

  Use the browse button to display a Reference browse window and then select the required entry from the window.

• SCADAPack x70 Object—Use to specify the SCADAPack x70 Analog, Digital, or Counter Configuration item with which the point is associated.

  Use the browse button to display a Reference browse window and then select the required entry from the window.

• DNP3 Point Number—This field displays the DNP3 point number that uniquely identifies this point in the device. The point inherits its DNP3 Point Number from the SCADAPack x70 Analog, Digital, or Counter Configuration item with which it is associated (see Specify the DNP3 Point Number). (If you have not re-opened this configuration Form since using the Form's SCADAPack x70 Object field to associate this Point with the relevant Configuration item, you may need to refresh the Form in order for this field to display its inherited value. Likewise, if the inherited value is changed on that Configuration item's Form while this Point Form remains open, you might also need to refresh this Form to display the updated inherited value. To do this, save the configuration changes.)

  SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (Trip-Close) items inherit two DNP3 Point Numbers. The numbers are displayed in the Actions section of the Trip/Close tab (see Configure the Properties on Trip-Close Tab).

• Severity—Use this combo box to define the severity of point status alarms. For more information on severities, see Defining Severities in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration.
• Area of Interest—This field is only displayed if the Area of Interest feature is enabled on your system. Use the field to specify the Area of Interest with which any non-state related point alarms or events are to be associated (see Assign a Different Area of Interest to an Item's Alarms and Events).
• Scan Group (Confidence Poll)—A Scan Group defines a group of points for which the current values are updated at a particular rate, or are read during a DNP3 Level 3 Scan. You can assign each point to one of eight Scan Groups.

  When you use the Perform Level 3 Scan pick action to read point data from a SCADAPack x70 device, you will be prompted to select which Scan Groups to include. The points from the selected Scan Groups that have the Level 3 Scan property enabled (see below) will be read from the SCADAPack x70 device using a DNP3 Level 3 Scan. (If the Perform Level 3 Scan action is triggered by Schedule, you specify which Scan Groups are to be included, when you set up the Schedule.)

  For SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Direct Outstations, you also define the rate at which the current values of points in each Scan Group are updated, by using the corresponding Scan n field on the DNP3 Direct Channel Form (see Defining Further Scan Parameter Settings for a Direct Channel in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Advanced Drivers).

  When the Scan Group timer expires, the driver does not schedule a poll of the SCADAPack x70 device. Instead, it updates the point’s value with the response to the next scheduled poll, unless Level 3 Scanning is enabled (see below).

  Scan Groups do not apply to SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (NULL) or SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (Trip-Close) items.

• Level 3 Scan—Use this check box to specify whether the point’s value is read from the SCADAPack x70 device using a DNP3 Level 3 Scan. Select the check box for the driver to issue a DNP3 Level 3 Scan when the point’s Scan Group timer expires (SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Direct Outstations), or the Perform Level 3 Scan pick action is executed.

  Clear the check box if point data is to be retrieved through other means, such as an Integrity poll.

  For more information, see Level 3 Scan in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to the DNP3 Driver.

  This field is not applicable to SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (NULL) or SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (Trip-Close) items.