Virtual Processor setup

TIP: You can open Virtual Processor Setup in Management Console from the Tools > System > ION Virtual Processor Setup link.

The Virtual Processor (VIP) is the Power Monitoring Expert service (ION Virtual Processor Service) that provides coordinated data collection and aggregation, control, and mathematical analysis of power monitoring system data from groups of metering or similar intelligent devices. Use Virtual Processor Setup to configure a Modbus Slave port when using the VIP as a Modbus Slave device for exporting data to an external, 3rd-party Modbus Master. . Virtual Processor Setup can also be used to improve the performance of the ION Virtual Processor Service by modifying its global operating parameters.

See Virtual Processor service (VIP) for application examples using the Virtual Processor.

Configuring the Modbus Slave port

NOTE: The VIP Modbus Slave functionality requires a Data Exchange Module license.

You can configure the VIP to act as a Modbus Slave device to an external Modbus Master. The Modbus Master can read data from the VIP through the VIP Modbus Slave modules. See the ION Reference for information on how to configure Modbus Slave modules.

For the Modbus Master to be able to access the VIP, you need to configure a Modbus Slave Port. A Modbus Slave Port can be a serial port, for example COM1, COM2, and so on, or a Modbus TCP port.

To add a Modbus Slave Port:

  1. Open Management Console and log on with a supervisor level user account.
  2. Select Tools > System > ION Virtual Processor Setup. This opens the ION Virtual Processor Setup dialog box.
  3. In ION Virtual Processor Setup, find the VIP for which you want to add a slave port. Double-click Modbus Network for this VIP. This opens the Network view.
  4. Double-click Slave Ports. This shows any configured slave ports for this VIP. If no slave ports are configured, the list will be empty.
  5. Click Add Port. This opens the VIP Setup Modbus Port/Site dialog box.
  6. In VIP Setup Modbus Port/Site, select the Port you want to use. Click OK.
  7. Double-click the newly added slave port and then double-click Settings. This opens the port settings.
  8. Edit the port settings if required. For more information on port settings, see VIP Modbus Slave port settings
  9. Click Save, then click Exit.

    NOTE: You must restart the VIP for the changes to take effect.

Done

Modifying the Global Parameters

Typically, you do not need to change the default Virtual Processor’s Global Parameters. However, the settings in the following table can be modified to improve system performance. To view and select the settings, expand Global Parameters.

Global Parameter Value Range Description Notes
Module Update Period 50 to 1000 ms The interval at which ION modules inside the Virtual Processor are updated. Frequent module updates contribute to the workstation's processor load. By increasing the Module Update Period, you reduce the number of times a module executes in a given time period.
Configuration Saver Period 10 to 600 seconds The interval at which the Virtual Processor writes its configuration data to the workstation's hard disk. Increasing the Configuration Saver Period significantly reduces the processor load if you have a large Virtual Processor configuration file.
Client Polling Period 500 to 300000 ms The interval at which the Virtual Processor gets information from other nodes in the network (for example, another Virtual Processor or a device). You can increase the period for less time sensitive Virtual Processor applications and reduce the period for more time sensitive applications.
Server Polling Period 200 to 1440000 ms The interval at which the Virtual Processor responds to requests for information from client nodes such as Vista or the Log Inserter. Reducing this value increases the rate at which these responses are sent; however, this can also increase network traffic.