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Providing online support options to SiteOnline users.

SiteOnline

  • HOWTO: Create SUM Fields for OPC2SQL Data

    With the O2S_FieldCalcSums view installed, using the FieldType for analog values multiple fields can be summarized into a single field.

     Example single meter Pump Volume A and Pump Volume B can be summed into a Pump Volume C.

    To do this first add the link to the O2S_FieldCalcSums in the MeterType by doing the following:

    1. Select MeterTypes using administrator [T] button on top of page
    2. Locate MeterType and click Edit
    3. Click the Fields button
    4. There are 10 summary fields supported in the O2S_FieldCalcSums view
      1. Alt0Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 0
      2. Alt1Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 1
      3. Alt2Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 2
      4. Alt3Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 3
      5. Alt4Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 4
      6. Alt5Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 5
      7. Alt6Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 6
      8. Alt7Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 7
      9. Alt8Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 8
      10. Alt9Sum - Summarizing items with Field Type Alt 9
    5. Add each field to the profile, or the number of fields you wish to summarize
    6. When adding the fields set the following fields:
      1. Database: Customer
      2. Table Name: O2S_FieldCalcSums
      3. Field Name: One of the above field names
      4. Layout: Vertical

    Next open the meter, select the settings tab, then select Analog
     
    Add the the Alt0Sum or any others you wish to have.
     
    Then change the Field Type for each item you want summed to match the Alt0sum. 
     
    Example Above: Set Pump Volume A and Pump Volume B to Alt 0 Field Type
    Then Alt0Sum field will contain the summary of values from Pump Volume A and Pump Volume B
  • SiteOnline User Access Levels

    Read Only Access

     

    Read Only access provides users with the ability to view the

    meter readings for each meter, and run reports

    but can not view or change any meter settings.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Demand Poll Access

     

    Provides user the ability to initiate a demand poll on meters,

    view the communication, fields, meter settings

    and alarm details but not make any changes.

     

    User Level Access

     

    User level access provides the ability to perform demand poll,

    view the polling schedule, communication, fields,

    meter settings and alarm details but not make any changes.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    User Admin Access

     

    Admin Access level provides users the ability to perform demand polls,

    edit the polling schedule, change communication settings,

    Add / Remove /Edit meter Tags / Fields, edit additional meter settings and confirm alarms.

  • SiteOnline OPC2SQL Communication Errors

    SiteOnline is a web based software package to display information, OPC2SQL is one of many options SiteOnline has for communicating to remote devices. Errors returned by OPC2SQL are depend on where in the polling process the error occurred. The following is a list of steps to communicate with a remote device and successfully poll the values requested.

    1. The server assembles the points and registers and sets the requested format for each, which must match the remote meter
    2. Establish communications to the remote communications device, example: modem, satellite terminal, remote IP terminal server
    3. Request and establish a connection to the remote meter. This means the Device ID for a TotalFlow, or Modbus address for a modbus meter, is broadcast over the communications link and that meter has to respond within a specified amount of time.
    4. Groups of registers are sent to the remote meter, the system then waits a limited amount of time for the meter to return the values
    5. Values returned are then converted to the registers using the formats originally defined
    6. Data is stored in the database for the website

     

    The following is a list of errors that can show on the website, they error shown is dependent on the meter type and the communications:

    • Error Reading Item...Quality Bad/Quality Uncertain
      • Communication was most likely established, but Step 5 above most likely failed.
    • Comm Error: Attempt to Connect to Communications Channel Failed.
      • Step 2 above failed, no basic communications connection was able to be established
    • Comm Error: Attempt to Connect to Device Failed.
      • Step 3 above failed, basic communications was established, but not communication to device was made
    • Comm Error: Circuit Connection Disconnected.
      • The main communications link was broken, generally after being established.
    • Comm Error: Requested Object or Function has NOT been initialized properly.
      • This would be a communications issue within the polling engine.
    • Comm Error: The operation completed successfully.
      • This is a very misleading error, the communication link was not able to be established.
    • Comm Error: The Read Request Has Timed Out.
      • Communications to the device was successful, however step 4 above failed because the device did not return within the specified amount of time.
    • Comm Error: The value of the handle is invalid
      • This is caused when the meter returns unexpected information.
    • Error talking to meter
      • Communications was established but step 2 above when trying to talk to the device failed. Generally either the device never answered or the answer was not
    • Item Error...Quality_Bad+Not_Connected
      • Communication channel was opened, but communication to end device failed. Step 3 above.
    • Item Error...Quality_Bad+Comm_Failure
      • Communication channel in step 2 above failed, either started and then lost communication or was never able to establish communications.
    • Item Error...Quality_Bad+Bad
      • Step 5 above had values from the meter that did not fit into the correct format for the registers or the quality of the data could not be trusted.
    • Polling Engine was unable to respond to the request within 30 minutes
      • A demand poll was requested but was not able to be responded to by the polling engine within 30 minutes.
    • Read did not complete in (n) seconds
      • The polling engine gives the meter a certain amount of time to respond, in addition OPC2SQL gives the polling engine so long to respond. This error occurs when the polling engine did not respond to OPC2SQL within a given amount of time, check the time out and retry settings within the polling engine.
    • Read never completed
      • The polling engine gives the meter a certain amount of time to respond, in addition OPC2SQL gives the polling engine so long to respond. This error occurs when the polling engine did not respond to OPC2SQL within a given amount of time, check the time out and retry settings within the polling engine.
    • The remote procedure call failed.
      • This is an error within the polling engine.
    • The RPC connection is disconnected.
      • This is an error within the polling engine.
    • Timed out waiting for OPC2SQL
      • The OPC2SQL server did not respond to the request within a specified amount of time.
    • Unable to talk to meter
      • Step 2 or step 3 above, a generic error usually refers to a communications failure or communications never being able to be established.
    • Unspecified error
      • Unknown error returned from polling engine.
    • Poll Error
      • TMS communication was established, but data did not follow the correct format
    • Poll No Answer
      • TMS modem did not answer
    • Poll: Incorrect Function
      • Protocol error with remote device, generally requesting a modbus address with an incorrect function code. The error is generated from the remote device.
  • Report: Alarms – Summary Report

    The Alarms – Summary Report shows recent high and low alarms for meters, how long they were open, and values. The report can be selected for date ranges from the last 24 hours to 30 days past.

    To run, select a company in SiteOnline and select Request Report icon at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions:

    1. On the Select Report box on the top select "Alarms – Summary Report"
    2. The report will load the last 24 hours for the current company by default.
    3. To change the amount of days on the report open the box next to Days to Show and click on desired days or hours
    4. To change or add companies to display in report open the box next to Companies and check all companies to be included in report
    5. Then click View Report button on the right

       

  • HOWTO: Using Codes in Alarm Messages

    SiteOnline has the capability to insert values from fields within the meter into the alarm messages. What this means is you can insert the meter notes or satellite ID inside the alarm message to be mailed out.

    The usable codes are as follows:

    @Val

    The unscaled / unformatted value of the point when the alarm was triggered

    @SID

    Satellite ID

    @RID

    Radio ID

    @CS

    Connect String

    @ML

    Meter Location, Adds a carriage return prior to the notes

    @MN

    Meter Notes, Adds a carriage return prior to the notes

    @MT

    Meter Type

    @NM

    Meter Name

     

    For example to insert the Satellite ID in a Low Battery alarm, do as follow.

    1. Select the meter, go to the settings tab and select COMMUNICATION
    2. Enter the Satellite ID
    3. Click Save Changes
    4. Open the Point in either Analogs, Digitals, or Controls.
    5. Enter the message containing @SID for the Satellite ID.
    6. Enter the email address, and click Save Changes
    7. Once the alarm is triggered the alarm list in both the company and meter will show the value as follows:
    8. Opening the Alarm screen will show the message as follows:
    9. Once email is received it will also include the Satellite ID:

     

    Note: Codes can be combined within a message.

    Note: Codes will only work within High and Low messages for Analog, Digital, and Controls.

  • PROBLEM: RTU’s output 0/1 but require TRUE/FALSE for write

    Some digital read writes in RTU's output 0/1 as a value, but require TRUE or FALSE be sent to trigger the write. We have found this to be true in the ScadaPack.

    To handle this situation we suggest you use the picklist function to pass the values, and view the raw values as analog not with digital substitution.

    This can be done by following the HOWTO document for picklist and using the last example passing a True and False value.

    http://support.detailanalysis.com/blogs/siteonline/archive/2008/02/14/using-picklist-for-analog-controls.aspx

  • HOWTO: Using PickList for Analog Controls

    The picklist control allows the control to be set up with predefined values to be sent to the remote device. This restricts to sending only values defined in the picklist. Furthermore labels can be given to picklist values making the selection user friendly.

    This is first done by selecting Picklist from your control type:

    Then enter the values to pick from separated by comma's:

    Then when sending a control you will have those values to select from:

    To enter labels for the values separate the label from the value with a pipe character | then use a comma to separate the values as shown:

    This will display as shown:

    When selecting the actual value will be displayed in the Send Value and will be Read Only:

    The PickList also supports sending direct Boolean values:

  • New Cryout Alarm Feature Added

    The new cryout alarm feature, allows a user with the proper security level to set email addresses and a message to be run whenever a cryout occurs.  At the end of the message “Cryout Received!” the cryout data is appended to the email.

     

    To get to this information select the meter you wish to receive cryouts from, click settings, click communication, Enter the email addresses under “Cryout Email” and the message to be sent in “Cryout Message”

     

    We have also added to the screen a maximum cryout per hour. This will trigger an email to the main email just as poll alarm does, when there are more than the specified number of cryouts per hour.  This will alert you when rogue devices cryout continuously.

     

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