call: 1-780-784-4444
|
email:
call: 1-780-784-4444 |
| You are here: Home > Downloads & Resources > Reviews > OPC Data Logger by Software Toolbox | |
OPC Data Logger by Software ToolboxProduct Review
Overall Rating:
By Chris Robinson
OverviewEver looked for a good application that can be used to capture snap shots of process data and store them somewhere that enables in depth data analysis? Then OPC Data Logger may be the solution you are looking for. OPC Data Logger is an OPC data access logging application that connects to any OPC DA 2.0, 2.05, or 3.0 servers that collects process data from virtually anywhere in the plant. Once the data has been captured it is formatted and stored into a number of locations ranging from simple text files to full blown commercial database applications like MS SQL server or Oracle. Built using the latest .Net toolkits, this application is ready for action on all the latest Microsoft platforms, meshing nicely with other OPC applications available in the market today. OPC Data Logger doesn’t stop there. This application provides a wide range of triggering options enabling users to configure the data logging to begin during specific events. Easy to use configuration wizards take the magic out of the setup, making it possible to have the whole thing up and running in under 10 minutes. OPC Data Logger has an expansive test feature which can do simple connectivity tests with OPC servers, or can be configured to execute intricate test sequences. Finally, the whole application runs behind the scenes as a windows service ensuring OPC Data Logger is on call 24-7 and manages its own connection health with OPC servers without the need of any user intervention. OPC Data Logger offers a simple concept that organizes the application into 4 main areas:
This makes a lot of sense for this type of application. Collection is all about getting the data from the field into the application. Presentation provides a way to customize what the format of the data will look like once it has been stored. Storage deals with getting the data from the application so it can be analyzed at anytime. Finally, triggers dictate when the application will collect the data and move it into the storage locations. These are common sense activities for applications of this type, but Software Toolbox makes sure OPC Data Logger follows these concepts throughout the application, making the application as easy as possible to work with.
Once the application has been installed and setup, you can see how this has been done in the left hand navigation pane of the main window.
Software DemonstrationSoftware Toolbox provides interested users with an opportunity to try out OPC Data Logger. I was delighted to see the limitations on this are minimal, as it can sometimes be misrepresenting of the application's full potential when vendors lock out everything but the basic functionality. Instead Software Toolbox opted to keep the trial version fully open in functionality, but has limited the time it can be evaluated to 2 hour intervals, for a total evaluation period of 30 days. Since it’s only a 10 mbs download it does not take long to get onto your local machine, however you will need to make sure you have Microsoft’s .Net 2.0 framework. Software Toolbox conveniently provides this link on their website keeping it easy for you to get and install. Finally, to really evaluate OPC Data Logger, you will need to install an OPC Server to connect to. Again Software Toolbox comes to the rescue with links on the website. Downloading took minutes and I was off and running with the installation.
Setup and InstallationAs I had anticipated, the actual installation of OPC Data Logger is a wizard based installer built on the latest Install Shield package. This makes the system setup and configuration for the application as simple as clicking through a few buttons. The wizard questions were very standard to most windows applications these days. The only one that I had to think about was which port it wanted to configure OPC Data Logger to use with other applications. I tried to look that up but did not see how this was needed so in the end I just ignored it. Once everything was installed I launched the Data Logger configuration from the start menu link noting at the time there were many links there for all kinds of handy things like help files, web sites, and support. I was immediately prompted to begin the configuration of OPC Data Logger as it knew this was the first time I was performing this activity.
I followed the default wizard settings for all three aspects and successfully launched the main configuration window. (Note that I did have an OPC server installed so I was able to connect one up during the wizard installation). In the end the installation and configuration of OPC Data Logger took me less than 5 minutes and had me logging OPC data to a simple text file. With the number of features this application is packed with, I think this was a notable achievement for Software Toolbox as other applications in the market are not as easy to get to this point in such a small amount of time. And although I never had to open it because the wizards guided me through all the setup, I took a look and it looks like OPC DataLogger has a well integrated context sensitive help system for those details that maybe do need some added guidance beyond what a wizard can provide.
Data Collection and TestingOPC Data Logger is designed to collect data from compliant OPC Data Access servers supporting version 2.0, 2.05, and the newest 3.0. Nathan Pocock of Software Toolbox advised me that support for OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is on its way. The application can support as many collection servers as required, and each one is independently configured. This provides flexibility of where data can be collected without having to reconfigure the application in many places. For large projects, OCP DataLogger can import tag configurations from a CSV file OR it can import ALL tags from an OPC server in one step if you want. This time saving feature will be welcomed by users with large projects. The real jewel here however is the test feature for data collection. Users can configure a step by step test of the OPC interface! It is almost as flexible as other products that provide scripted testing, but this application has removed the need to know any scripting languages by offering a series of functional steps that can be added to the “Script”. Once the user is happy with the test sequences, they can simply run the test once or in a loop. I thought this feature was incredible as I was certainly not expecting it. I was even more pleased when I saw how easy it was to setup. Literally in minutes I had written a looped test routine which opened an OPC connection, added some data points, read them, wrote some values, and disconnected. Results could be reviewed in a diagnostic view so I could be sure the OPC server was setup and running properly. I can see this saving users a lot of time should they have a communication problem. You can determine quickly if the problem is with the OPC server or the setup of OPC Data Logger.
PresentationOne of the big problems with logging tools, or with any tools that need to store data, is the format for which they are stored. Databases may have different table structures or the data itself may need to be formatted a certain way to be compatible with another application. Vendors can offer a way around this by storing the data in a proprietary format, and then provide a conversion solution to users who have this specific need. OPC Data Logger does no such thing. Instead it provides a fully configurable interface for how the data needs to be “Presented” or, in other words, formatted when written to its storage. OPC Data Logger provides two types, Table Mode and Detail Mode. Table Mode provides common columns for each tag/data point logged and each row has a time stamped value for all the columns/tags. This is useful for looking at a series of tag values over time. Detail Mode is used when you want to look at the specific attributes of a single tag or group of tags over time. The columns are the attributes of the selected tag. Using these two modes, users can customize almost anything of interest in OPC data. OPC Data Logger also enables users to create as many presentations as they need and the project can be setup to use them at any time. This means users do not have to change their application setups every time they have a changing need. Instead they can just change the presentation. I felt this was a real time saver as different presentations would be needed for different data logging needs and it would be painful to set these up each time the need changed.
Data StorageI love the flexibility of choosing from a list of storage options. Out of the box, OPC Data Logger will log OPC data to a text file. This is really handy for the average user who may just want to use the application for diagnostic purposes, or perhaps to do a quick capture of some data for analysis. However for the more practical use, being able to store this information into a real database is a must. This can be done through ODBC (which gets you into almost every database) or through native interfaces such as SQL, MySQL, or Oracle. These native interfaces are a plus for users because they are generally faster than ODBC.
Serious database users will appreciate that OPC DataLogger can also log to their database using stored procedures. Stored procedures are much quicker than straight SQL inserts. If you don’t know stored procedures, no worries because OPC DataLogger will handle the SQL insert for you. But if you need the performance that a stored procedure offers, OPC DataLogger has you covered. Later I decided I would extend this and create two presentation outputs that provided a list of OPC tag values (Table Mode) and another that provided attributes of a single tag (Detail Mode). Together these two files can tell me more than one, and since I can run them at the same time I do not have to run the same test two times in a row. Finally this could be used for storing the same data in two locations within a plant. One can be a short term unmanaged database while the other can be the long term database which is secured and not available for various analysis procedures. The flexibility is welcomed! For users worried about filling up hard drives, especially when logging to text files, OPC DataLogger lets the user specify a minimum amount of free disk space for text logging to continue. When the drive reaches that lower limit of free space, logging stops and a message is logged to the Event log in the OPC DataLogger.
TriggersMany data loggers only log data on a continuous basis. This presents issues with performance if the numbers of tags are too high. As well the size of the storage requirements grow to such a size that space saving solutions are required but can present a risk of losing key information if left too long. OPC Data Logger overcomes these problems by introducing a number of triggering options for determining when the data should be logged. Triggers in OPC Data Logger can setup to monitor and fire on value, to fire at a specific interval, or fire at a scheduled time. All triggers can be configured for duration so no matter how the trigger is fired, you can decide how long the logging activity is run. In the end OPC Data Logger can be configured to ensure you never miss the key pieces of information you are trying to capture. Triggers serve another important purpose for users logging to text files. You can setup triggers to start a new file at a specific time, specific interval, or when a tag goes high. For example start a new text log file when a new batch tag in the OPC server goes high. This flexibility lets users create universally accessible text logs when they want and how they want.
SummaryWhen I was all finished working with OPC Data Logger I truly saw the value this application can bring users working within the OPC domain. I have been in the field all too often looking for ways to get a reliable view of the communications from OPC servers and come up short, opting to run real time OPC data clients and watching endless hours of data point values changing, waiting for that specific moment when something interesting happened. To top it off, it seemed just when you have given up and gone home, that moment would happen and you would come into the office in the morning only to realize you have missed that key moment again. You can find plenty of applications out there that can capture and store OPC data, but most are too expensive, too cumbersome to setup and configure, or output the data in such a way that you need other tools just to see the data. This is where OPC Data Logger really excels. Inexpensive, easy to setup, easy to work with, and best of all easy to get the information you are really looking for. And once you have it, why not leave it so you have a 24/7 watch dog constantly monitoring your data, and if anything interesting should ever occur, you have a guaranteed auditing tool to fall back on. To top it off I really loved the testing abilities this application possessed. It was unexpected, but a wonderful surprise. As for many applications, that feature alone could be used enough to bring value for the money spent.
For the purposes of this review, the following product version was used:
Vendor Recommended Specifications for OPC Data Logger:
Required Processor (CPU) Class: Sufficient to run operating system Required Processor Speed: Sufficient to run operating system Required Disk Space: 3MB (28MB with dot Net frame work) Required Memory (RAM): 28 MB
Software Specifications: The following computer hardware was used for the review of OPC Data Logger:
OS: Windows XP 2003 with Service Pack 2 Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5200 (2MB Cache/1.6GHz/533MHz FSB) RAM: 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz This review is published by the OPC Training Institute. Copyright ©2008 OPC Training Institute (OPCTI). All rights reserved. The information contained in this review is proprietary to OPCTI. No part of this review may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from OPCTI. |
| You are here: Home > Downloads & Resources > Reviews > OPC Data Logger by Software Toolbox |
