Glossary

address

The address contains all the information the SCADA system needs to get values from a known device, and to return a value determined by the values read from the device and the calculation rules defined in the address.

alarm categorization

Added when setting up custom tags, this is one of the alarm filters. which will be used for filtering and sorting alarms in the Alarm Log. Categories are: normal, over, over hs, rate of change, reversal, sag, swell, transient, under, and under hs.

alarm text (On/Off)

For onboard alarms, this is the text (added while adding a custom tag) that displays when the alarm is on or off. This text will display in the Alarm Log.

alarm filters

Setup in the Profile Editor, these filters help you filter and sort data that displays in the Alarm Log.

alarm groups

Added when setting up custom tags, this is one of the alarm filters. which will be used for filtering and sorting alarms. Groups are: frequencies, motors, power factors, powers, temperatures, time, and voltages.

alarm levels

Added when setting up custom tags, this is one of the alarm filters. which will be used for filtering and sorting alarms. Levels are: event, high, medium, and low.

alarm types

Added when setting up custom tags, this is one of the alarm filters. which will be used for filtering and sorting alarms. Types are: diagnostic, power quality, protection, and system.

Manage Multiple Devices window

Used instead of the I/O Device Manager, this tool allows you to add multiple devices at a time to a project.

bandwidth

The amount of space or processor resource being used by a part of the system. You can use the bandwidth allocation parameters to allocate bandwidth for different types of data.

baud rate

The speed of transmission of electrical signals on a line. This is often described in bits per second (bps), although the baud rate and bps are not truly interchangeable. The baud is actually the measurement of how frequently the sound changes on the line.

bitmask

A mask is defined as data that is used with an operation to extract information that is stored in another location of the code. A bitmask is the most common mask used. It extracts the status of certain bits in a binary string or number (a bit field or bit array).

Cicode

This programming language, which is similar to Visual Basic or "C," allows you to access and edit real-time data in the project. Although not difficult to use, the person working in Cicode must have received Cicode training.

cluster

A discrete group of alarms servers, trends servers, reports servers, and I/O servers. It would usually also possess local control clients. For a plant comprising several individual sections or systems, multiple clusters can be used, one cluster for each section.

CommsMethod (communications method)

This is the communication protocol, such as MODBUS/RTU via Gateway, that is being used by a device. When adding devices in the Manage Multiple Devices window, you will need to specify the CommsMethod.

ComPort

(also COM port) The computer's communications port used to connect to devices, for sending and receiving serial data.

components

Standardized, predefined graphics for defined use.

All drawn objects are either graphics, that is, free-form drawings, or components. A component contains one or several graphic figures. It can also have predefined functionality. Components typically represent a feature or a component in a live system.

composite device type

A composite profile can be made from more than one device type. Each device type included in the composite profile can use its own protocol for communication. The composite device type allows the engineer to use two devices for one monitoring point, e.g., a breaker and a monitoring device. Power Operation combines the functionality of the two devices so that the end user only needs to consider one device when analyzing that location in their system.

configuration environment

(See design time environment.)

control

This is a command written to a device register that then causes an action within some equipment. There are a series of default control tags in Power Operation to achieve these actions. For example, in the Sepam 40, there are control tags to operate a circuit breaker and enable a recloser.

CRA

Remote I/O drop header

custom device type

This is a "new" device type that is added to a system. Although the Profile Editor includes many standard device types, it may be necessary to add a new device type that includes custom tags, or one that includes a different set of tags than the standard device types.

custom tag

This is a "new" tag that is added to the system. Although the Profile Editor includes many standard tags, you may need to add a tag for a third party device, or to edit an existing tag to change its attributes. In these cases, you need to add a custom tag. These tags are then added to a customized device type to be made available in profiles and projects. The custom tag creation interface applies rules to the tag creation to help guide the user to making tags that will correctly retrieve the desired information from devices.

DataBits

This is the number of data bits used in data transmission. The I/O device and the ComPort must have the same value.

data type

Data types are restricted to these types that are supported by the SCADA system: digital, int, long, real, and string.

demo mode

This demonstration mode allows you to run the product without a hardware key. You can use all of the product features, but with limited runtime and I/O options.

design time environment

To be used only by the person who is creating and installing the project for the end user, this is the environment in which you add devices, profiles, and projects, and create genies and one-lines.

device category

Used in the I/O Device Manager to logically group device profiles, to make them easier to locate. The default category is "Schneider Electric, and the default subcategories are "Monitoring Device," "PLC," and "Protective Device." Do not confuse these terms with:

categorization and sub-categorization (alarm filters, used during runtime, to filter and sort alarm data)
category type: real-time filters that provide metadata for future reporting

device profile

A subset of the device type; where the device type includes all of a device type's attributes, the device profile includes only the specific tags that are used by an individual customer. A device profile is set up like a device type, except that it is specially configured for a particular need. For example, a CM4000 that is being used to monitor the main at a given facility would have a different profile from the CM4000 that is used to monitor water and gas at a facility. The profile also allows you to designate that some tags will be used for trending or for PC-based alarming.

device type

Contains all the information for retrieving the available information from a given device type. This information is stored in the form of tags. Tags can be of these types: real-time, onboard alarms, controls, and Resets. Real Time tags can be further separated into groups such as Currents or Energies.

A device type has a name and has one or more drivers associated with it. It also has one or more tags associated with it; for each driver/tag combination, the device type can have an address.

device type drivers

Programs that allow Power Operation to interact with a device or series of devices. Power Operation includes several generic drivers (generic MODBUS, Sepam 40 Range, MicroLogic 5P and 6P, CM4000 series, and PM800 series) that interact with "standard" device types.

engineering unit templates

Used for conversions between base units and their conversions (for example, inches to centimeters or amperes to kiloamps).

enumeration (used for the circuit breaker status)

This is a single value (0-5) that defines a condition that is determined by multiple bits. They allow for dynamic contingencies, such as when you need to use multiple bits to describe the position of a circuit breaker.

Time stamping module

format code

These codes define the attributes of the address field of a tag. See Format code definitions for a list of format codes.

functional addressing

Creates addressing for a device that has data residing in different registers. Functional addressing dynamically addresses the device, based on its configuration (using C#, you can write code to account for user-defined variables). When you add the profile to a project, you will enable functional addressing. Then, when exporting to the I/O Device Manager, you are prompted for the variable(s) related to these device types.

genie

A genie is a multi-layer graphic that is used on the Graphics page to indicate an object, such as a motor, generator, circuit breaker, or switch. Using genies, you only have to configure common behaviors of that object once. The default genie library includes a large number of pre-defined genies. A graphics page can contain any number of genies.

ICD file

IED capability description: This is the file that is imported into the Profile Editor from an IEC 61850 device. Editing for ICD files is limited to the ability to add/delete datasets and control blocks, and the ability to edit buffered and unbuffered control blocks that were created in the Profile Editor.

IEC tag name

The IEC 61850-compatible name that is created when a tag is created. This is the name that is used by the SCADA system. The tag names provided use an abbreviated form of the IEC 61850 naming convention. A tag name cannot include any special characters except ( _ \ ). It can be a maximum of 32 characters.

IED

Intelligent electronic device

IID

Instantiated IED description: defines the configuration of one IED for a project; is used as the data exchange format. This file contains data for just the IED that is being configured.

logic code

Logic codes tell the program how to mathematically certain values in device registers, thus providing values that the user needs. Examples of logic codes are date and time for a circuit monitor or a Sepam device, digital inputs/outputs, and IEEE power factor.

metadata

Metadata provides data about other data. In Power Operation, metadata might include additional information about a custom tag: its category type, utility type, statistical type, or quantity. It is often used for reporting purposes.

multi-monitor support

This option allows you to view the runtime environment from multiple computer monitors. In Power Operation, this allows you to view a different startup page on each monitor.

OFS

OPC Factory Server

onboard alarm

Onboard alarms are alarms that are detected and stored in a device's data logs. If an onboard alarm is configured within a device, you can map it, via the Profile Editor, to a digital time-stamped alarm in Power Operation. These alarms and associated waveforms can be read and displayed in the Alarm Log.

PAC

Programmable Automation Controller

parity

Parity is used as a simple means of detecting error by verifying that the result is odd or even. In Power Operation, parity is required for the generic serial or MODBUS/RTU comms methods, when adding a device.

PC-based alarms

PC-based alarms are alarms that are detected from a device and are stored in the software. You can add them to the Profile Editor when you create the device profile. All PC-based alarms are analog by default.

PMCU

The Meter Configuration Help Utility. Use this application to set up the features within PowerLogic devices, and enabling such features as onboard alarms and waveforms. The information that is generated from PMCU is then available for use within Power Operation.

point (see SCADA tag)

polling priority

When adding a custom tag, this field determines the level of priority that Power Operation uses when reading data from the related device. Options are low, normal, or high.

Power Operation tag name library

This library includes electrical parameters, or measurements or topics. A tag name has three parts:

an easy to read name (such as Current Phase A)
a unique identifier
meta data (attributes used to categorize the data for intelligent display/analysis)

Profile Editor

This tool allows you to create device type tags, device types, and device profiles. This information is then imported into Power Operation, for use in creating graphics pages.

I/O Device Manager

This tool allows you add device profiles to, or delete them from, a project. From the Profile Editor, you export profile data into a file that can be used in the project. From there, you use the I/O Device Manager to add the device profile into a project.

project

A project is made up of any number of profiles. Profiles that have been added to a project can be imported into the SCADA system and made available for setting up actual devices in the SCADA system.

A project name must match exactly between the Profile Editor and Power Operation Studio.

Each project includes: a unit template, display name, and one or more instantiated device profiles (instantiated by choosing a device profile and specifying a name). The following is a simple example of how device profiles and projects inherit information from the device type.

The device type myCM4Type can use either the Modbus driver or the IEC 61850 driver.
The device profile myCM4Profile inherits this device type.
The project myCM4Project instantiates the myCM4Profile and calls it myModbgusCM4, and it specifies that it uses the Modbus driver.
When this project is imported into the SCADA system, Modbus addressing will be used.

register scaling

This is a conversion that is the result of applying a scaling multiplier to a register value.

resets

This feature allows you to reset data from a device. There are some pre-defined resets, such as device date/time and onboard data logs, You can also add custom resets.

reserved names

The following terms are reserved for use in the Include project. If you use them in projects that you create, they can cause compilation errors:

IO_Server
Report_Server
Alarm_Server
Trend_Server
Client

runtime environment

This is where the end user views system information. This environment includes the one-line diagrams with interactive objects, alarm and event pages, and analysis pages (from which users can view trends and waveforms).

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)

A system that collects data from various points, both local and remote, and then stores the data at a central location. A SCADA system also can control equipment at a facility.

SCADA tag (SCADA point)

A SCADA tag is an extension of the tag name. A SCADA tag is made up of five parts: two in addition to those already defined in the Power Operation tag library:

an easy to read name (such as Current Phase A)
a unique identifier
an address (where on a device to read the raw data from)
a formatting scheme (what to do with the data after it is read to scale it)
meta data (attributes used to categorize the data for intelligent display/analysis).

SCL

Substation Configuration Language, the configuration description language for communication in electrical substations related to IEDs (defined by IEC 61850-6). This language is used when importing/exporting ICD files. SCL files are used in such devices as G3200 gateways.

snippets

Standardized, predefined functions for defined use in graphics.

Snippets typically represent a feature in a live system. Snippets are located in dedicated libraries and are displayed in the Snippets pane. Blink, which starts and stops a blink animation, is an example of a snippet.

SOE

Sequence of Event – a sequential set of state transitions recorded by an RTU. Each transition is represented by an event object, often recorded with the time of occurrence

StopBits

The number of bits that signals the end of a character in asynchronous transmission. The number is usually 1 or 2. Stop bits are required in asynchronous transmissions because the irregular time gaps between transmitted characters make it impossible for the server or I/O device to determine when the next character should arrive.

super-genie

Dynamic pages (usually pop-ups) to which the system can pass information when the runtime page displays. You can use super-genies for pop-up type controllers (for a very specific task that may not be always needed).

tag

Any quantity or measurement (topic) that is recorded by the device; for example, current A. All tag names will use the IEC61850 naming convention. The user can create custom tags; the naming convention will be in the following format:

Where <EquipmentName> uses '_' (underscore character as a separator)

Where <PointName> uses '\' (backslash as a separator)

For example: SST_MV_BUSA_INC1\XCBR1\Pos

A tag contains a tag description, units, tag name, data type, and address.

Tags include the following (* indicates required information):

tag name*
display name*
group*
data type*
engineering units
Citect formatting
polling priority
alarm "on" text
alarm "off" text
category type
utility type
statistical type
quantity
alarming categorization
alarm type
alarm group
alarm subcategorization
alarm level

The tag's group determines the tag's class:

If the tag's group is onboard alarm, control, or reset, the tag's class is the same.

If the tag's group is anything else, the tag's class is real time.

tag address

This "address" includes everything you need to know about a tag (quantity/topic). Included are the data type, priority, and logic code; and how the tag is displayed in registers. You can change address attributes on the Edit Address screen. The full tag address displays on the Define Device Type Tags tab when "Advanced Properties" is selected.

tag description

The tag description is a human readable name which can include spaces and special characters (except for \ / : * ? < > | ). The description can be a maximum of 32 characters long.

tag group

The basic groups include: real-time, of which there are several sub-groups (for example, currents, energies, frequencies and power factors); onboard; control; and reset.

units

Units are the standard measurement associated with the quantity measured by a tag. Units come in two types: base units and conversion units.

Some information is common to all units, and some applies only to conversion units:

Common Information: base unit name, base unit abbreviation

Conversion Unit Information: conversion unit name, conversion unit abbreviation, offset, multiplier

units template

The units template defines the conversion factor that must be applied to the standard units provided in order to give the user their information in their desired units. The units profile applies to an entire project. For example, If the standard unit for a device is MW, but the user wants their project to display KW, they must define this units conversion in the units template and then apply it to an entire project.

user privileges (user access, user rights)

This feature allows you to control the amount of access that each user has to the system. User privileges are password-protected. See Default security settings for more information.

vector math

Vector math and vector math IEEE are two logic codes. They are the result of math that use vectors, which are directed quantities.

zOL

A memory device that is used to drive one-line animation graphics. You must have at least one zOL device per project.