RTU User Center
The RTU User center is a user add-on of the RTU Communicator and enables the complete and comfortable service of ELVAC RTUs and similar devices. It does not communicate with RTUs directly, but through the RTU Communicator. Both applications use the SQL database as a storage area of the whole data structure. All three programs are an integral part of the whole package with the name RTU Communication set and they communicate between each other through the Ethernet network.
RTU User Center is provided free of charge after the purchase of ELVAC RTU products. Its server version, which is mainly used by users who own a large number of RTU systems, is then paid.
System description
The User center is designed so that it can run in the system in several installations, it means in multi-user work. Each User center in the system can only display an image of the status of the system (measurements and signals) – the off-line mode, or can display live data as it changes in real time – the on-line mode. The number of User center running at the stated moment in the on-line mode is restricted by the provided license. The license provided free of charge to any purchased ELVAC RTU enables only one on-line User center. However, it is always valid that one RTU can be configured at the same time only by one user, the other users only have access for reading.
All data concerning RTUs is arranged into the tree structure. At the lower layer are the communication channels used by RTUs for communication (RS-232, UDP / HioCom, TCP client / IEC 60870-5- 104, etc.), then there are its own units or the slave units and then there are channels or sub-channels. Each node of this tree structure contains a set of parameters which describes its properties and also a set of the actual data which, after the connection to the unit, displays the status of the node. The display of this information can be configured according to the demands of the user. The optional display also includes the option of filtering and help for individual parameters.
The selected operations can be executed together for more terminal units or measuring, signaling or control channels. Some mass operations are directly integrated into the user interface, some must be implemented through simple user scripts.
The main goal of the application is the parameterization of units which represents setting the correct values of all parameters and then the transfer of these parameters through parametrizing files into the RTU. Everything is fully simplified. There is Help for parameter settings, displaying of data types, ranges of values and units, option for the mass change of parameters for more nodes and some functions for finding potential conflicts in the setting. The process for the parameters transfer into the unit is reduced only to the selection of this function and then there is a whole series of actions which remain hidden from the user although the results are logged into the information window.
Brief characteristics
- user interface for configuration of RTUs,
- data organization in tree structure,
- filtered displaying of tree structure,
- bulk operations,
- simple user scripts,
- multi-user mode, access control,
- possibility of connection of hundreds of units,,
- saving the tree structure in an XML file,
- data storage in SQL server.
