Points and Configuration Items Supported by the Driver
The SCADAPack x70 driver differs from other Geo SCADA Expert drivers in that you configure an 'object-pair' of database items to represent a single item of I/O with which Geo SCADA Expert is to interact on a SCADAPack x70 device. This includes I/O that is built into the device, plugged into the device, or that exists on another device or elsewhere on the system and for which a SCADAPack x70 device provides data concentrator functionality.
For each item of I/O for which Geo SCADA Expert is to interact, you need to configure:
- A SCADAPack x70 Configuration item of the appropriate type (analog, digital, or counter) to store the configuration that you can download to the SCADAPack x70 device. This configuration comprises the settings that relate specifically to the single item of I/O and that are supported by the SCADAPack x70 device itself. Rather than configuring those settings directly in the SCADAPack x70 device, you can configure them in Geo SCADA Expert, and then download them to the device.
- A SCADAPack x70 Point of the appropriate type to define which protocol Geo SCADA Expert is to use to communicate with the SCADAPack x70 device, and how Geo SCADA Expert is to process the data that it retrieves from the device for that particular item of I/O. Geo SCADA Expert currently supports communications with SCADAPack x70 devices using the DNP3 protocol.
From a day-to-day operational point of view, you interact only with the SCADAPack x70 protocol-specific ('Point') database items. These are the only driver items that:
- raise alarms and generate events
- store the points' values
- provide pick actions that enable you to interact with the points
- need appear on Mimics.
(You purely use the SCADAPack x70 Configuration items to store and download properties to the SCADAPack x70 devices; thereafter you use the SCADAPack x70 protocol-specific Point items to store and process the points' data and interact with the points on a day-to-day operational basis.)
The driver supports the following types of SCADAPack x70 Configuration items:
- SCADAPack x70 Analog Configuration—Use to represent data that can be in a range of values (see Set up Analog Configuration)
- SCADAPack x70 Counter Configuration—Use to represent data for which the value accumulates over time (see Set up Counter Configuration)
- SCADAPack x70 Digital Configuration—Use to represent data that can be in one of several states (such as 'On' or 'Off') (see Set up Digital Configuration).
If Geo SCADA Expert or another SCADA master is to communicate with the SCADAPack x70 devices using the DNP3 protocol, you also need to configure the relevant types of point for that protocol. For DNP3 communications, the driver supports these types of SCADAPack x70 Point:
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Analog Input Point—Use to monitor an item of data that can be in a range of values (see Configure Analog Points for DNP3 Communications)
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Analog Output Point—Use to control an item of data that can be in a range of values (see Configure Analog Points for DNP3 Communications)
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Binary Input Point—Use to monitor an item of data that can be in one of several states (see Configure Binary Points for DNP3 Communications)
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Binary Output Point—Use to control an item of data that can be in one of several states (see Configure Binary Points for DNP3 Communications)
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Counter Point—Use to monitor an item of data for which the value accumulates over time (see Configure Counter Points for DNP3 Communications)
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (NULL)—Use to send a pulsed, rather than a maintained, control action (see Configure Pulse Actions for DNP3 Communications)
- SCADAPack x70 DNP3 Pulse Action (Trip-Close)—Use to send either of two pulse control actions. Each action is performed on a different physical point (see Configure Pulse Actions for DNP3 Communications).
To create and configure any of the above database items, you have to be logged on with a User Account that has the Configure Database feature enabled and the relevant permissions set (see Overview of User Account Security in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Security).
You configure the database items by editing the properties on the item's Form (see Display a Form in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Core Configuration). When each item is created in the database, many of its configuration properties are assigned default values—you only need to edit such properties if different values are required. For information on which properties you need to configure as a minimum in order to produce a functional database item, see the 'Minimum Configuration' topics in this guide.