DevNet Unplugged 2002 “Express Your Innovations” 1 Develop Efficiently and Consistently with PI ACE Advanced Computing Engine Martin Jetté, [email protected]

DevNet Unplugged 2002 “Express Your Innovations” 1

Develop Efficiently and Consistentlywith PI ACE

Advanced Computing Engine

Martin Jetté, [email protected]

OSI Developers Network

Copyright © 2002 OSI Software, Inc. All rights reserved.


ACE applications

PI Universal Data Server

• Data filtering • Engineering calculations• Financial calculations• K.P.I.• Communication (e.g., paging, emailing, etc.)• Data transfer

PI-PE Subsystem PI-ACE


Advantages of using ACE for your applications

• ACE structure helps organize computations (EXE files, modules, contexts)

• ACE computations can be deployed in a distributed environment

• ACE can use tags from different PI servers• ACE can perform several computations in the

same module (no need to ‘cascade’ equations)• Comments are easily added to the VB code



• Natural triggering - can use multiple input tags for computation triggering

• Can debug and test the equation interactively• Can stop and restart independently any EXE,

module or context• Built in data filtering, clamping and substitution• Several logging levels and options• Advanced programming functions are available

(For… Next loops, Cases, external libraries, iterative computations,…)



ACE is "module database aware”– Calculations can easily be re-implemented on other pieces of

equipment simply by assigning a new context (PI Module) for that calculation.

– You can exploit the scalability of PI Properties and PI Aliases collection of a PI Module with for/each loops. Computation can be reconfigured simply by editing the PI Module database.

'where mymodule contains an unknown number'of temperature aliasesFor Each MyAlias in mymodule.aliases

temp = temp + MyAlias.datasource.data.snapshotc = c+1

Next MyAliasAvgtemp = temp / c


PI Module Database - Refresher• The PI Module Database is a hierarchical Database

with Historical capability and much more– Released with PI Universal Data Server 3.3 April 2001– Integrated to our Archive Database, PI Batch Database and PI

Transfer Record Database– Scalable– Secure– ActiveX based development tools to access the PI Module

Database. (PI-SDK)• The PI Module database is an organized/hierarchical

collection of PI Modules.• The PI Module Database adds structure and relation to

your data– TAGNAME, TIMESTAMP, VALUE ???


PI ModuleDB – Physical Model

Division

Location

Unit

Department

Equipment

Equipment Class

EnterpriseThe structure of the PI ModuleDB allows the information to be stored hierarchically in relation to a physical model, a business model or an application model .


PI ModuleDB - Business modelThe ModuleDB hierarchy can be used to organize a group of modules in multiple ways on your PI Server. Since you can insert Module links anywhere in the ModuleDB structure, you may want to allow users to choose from several different navigational paths to access information from a particular plant.

All Sites Business groups Regional Divisions


PI ModuleDB - Application model

• PI ModuleDB can provide a structure at the server level for organizing your PI application settings.

• PI ModuleDB can be used as a registry for your PI applications.

• PI tools using PI ModuleDB: PI ACE, PI ICU, PI BatchView 3, PI ModuleDB Editor, PI RTSQC, Process Templates,…


PI Module Characteristics

• Each module has:– Configurable information about itself - PIProperties– Linked tags - PIAliases– Dated versions - Revision number, Version number,

EffectiveDate and ObsoleteDate– System assigned information – UniqueID, Owner, Parent

list,…– Submodules with the same characteristics - PIModules


PIProperties• The PIProperties are collection of named values that can

store information related to a PI module• A PIProperty has a name and a value that can be almost

any type: string, numeric, date,…• PIProperties are used to store information about a

module, example:– Serial number– Installation date– Name of the technician that performed the installation

• The PI ModuleDB lets you keep history of changes in properties– Note: We recommend to use tags to archive high frequency

changing properties > 1 week rather than PI Properties


Module Properties• PIProperties are hierarchical


PIAliases

• PIAliases let you configure common names to access real time information => PI tags


PIAliases

Temperature identification without aliases

RX:TC143.PV RX:TC144.PV RX:TC145.PV RX:TC146.PV

Temperature identification with aliases

Temperature Temperature Temperature TemperatureReactor1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 4

Reactor1 Reactor 2 Reactor 3 Reactor 4


Versions and Revisions

• Each PI Module has a set of properties to control versioning :– EffectiveDate : Date when the module was put into

service (12/31/1969 7:00:01 by default)– ObsoleteDate : Out of service date– Version number : Let you keep track of major changes in

the configuration of your modules– Revision number : lets you keep track of minor changes

to modules Modify a propriety or alias Rename a module Change effective date…


Track History of Changes to Modules• The information in a module is kept throughout time, so it is possible to

look at a module to see its configuration back in time.


• ACE Wizard (Visual Basic Add-In)– A wizard for setting up, testing, and scheduling

calculations– All PI API and PI SDK code is provided behind the

scenes

• ACE Manager– Control panel for starting and stopping calculations– Provides means for assigning a calculation to Modules

• ACE Scheduler– Coordinates execution of calculation

The Three Parts of ACE


ACE Scheduler

ACE VBWizard

ACE Manager


Structure of ACE Modules

ACE Executable 1

ACE Module 1

ACE Module N

ACE Executable M

ACE Executables

ACE Context 1

ACE Context K

Information stored in PI ModuleDB

ACE EXE file


Example 1 My First ACE Computation


ACE Wizard (VB Add-in)Step 1 : Defining Input and Outputs

Either PI Tags or Module aliases may be used.

PI ACE will create output tags if they don’t already exist.


• Rich development environment

• COM servers

– Formula library

– Steam functions

• PI tags as ACE objects

– Methods

– Properties

• ACE built-in functions

Step 2 : Writing Your Calculation

ACE Wizard (VB Add-in)


Step 3 : Debugging Your Calculation

The Visual Basic debugger can be used to check calculation, step-by-step.

Waving the cursor over variables will show their values.



Step 4 : Testing Your Calculation

PI ACE provides additional testing under various conditions that may occur during real time execution.



Step 5 : Scheduling Your Calculation

Natural Scheduling

Timed Scheduling



ACE Manager• Monitor ACE Modules• Modify calculation status of ACE Modules

– Take out of service– Resume– Delete

• Edit scheduling information• Edit tag options (clamping and substitution)• Define the scheduling of a calculation and the PI

module (if any) associated with it. – This is a “context”

• Copy structural information of ACE Modules from one PI server to another



ACE Scheduler

• A Windows NT/2000 service

– Communicates with the default PI Server for the

computer where the ACE Scheduler is installed.

– Periodically checks for changes in the ACE

configuration information. • For example, after a context for an ACE Module is

successfully registered or added (via the ACE Wizard or

ACE Manager), the ACE Scheduler would automatically

start the ACE Context (i.e., the ACE Module with the

specified context). The status for the context becomes

"On" if successful and "Error" otherwise.


Example 2 Energy Calculation


Steam functions

• Steam tables are accessible for PE and ACE

• The steam functions calculate the thermodynamic

properties of a stream.

• These functions are derived from the software

distribution of ASME's Steam Tables, 6th Edition. The

functions support both English units and SI units.

• The PISteamTableFunctions.dll is not included

automatically in the references for new ACE project

(EXE).


Steam functions

• 24 different functions for both English

and SI units: StmEng_xxx or StmSI_xxx

• Examples

– StmSI_VPS(P, S) calculates the vapor specific

volume as a function of pressure and entropy. Use

for both superheated or wet steam.

– StmEng_VsatP(P) calculates the saturated vapor

specific volume as a function of pressure


Steam Functions - Example






Example 3 The Power of Multiple contexts using the PI Module Database

Deploy quickly a consistent set computations across the enterprise.


Flow compensation example


Example 4 DevNet Email Notifier

(available soon)

This download will be available in 2 flavors:a) Simple one line function call (.Bas include file)

b) Module database aware alarm engine


A – Single function callThis function sends an email. Prerequisites:• Include DevNetEmail.Bas file to your ACE project• Make reference to the Microsoft CDO for Exchange 2000 Library or

the Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 library

Function SendMessage(strMsg As String, strSubject _ As String, strMailingList As String, strMailingCC As _ String, strSMTPServer As String, strFrom As String)_ As Boolean

Parameter Description

strMsg (passed) This is the message that appears in the email body

StrSubject (passed) This is the subject of the email message

strMailingList (passed) List of email addresses to send the message

strMailingCC (passed) List of email addresses (carbon copy) to send the message

strSMTPServer (passed)

SMTP server to be used for the email message delivery

strFROM (passed) Email address of the sender


B – Module Database aware Alarm engine

Key features:• Send automatically an email message for HIGH and LOW

alarms• Alarm level are configurable via the PI Module database

properties• Alarms can be triggered via snapshot data or summary

calculations• Configurable Alarm repeat delay• The addition of new Alarms are automatically picked up by

PI ACE (no stopping and starting of ACE computation simply add a PI module with the corresponding properties)


Documents

DevNet Unplugged 2002 “Express Your Innovations” 1 Develop Efficiently and Consistently with PI ACE Advanced Computing Engine Martin Jetté, [email protected]