
VAX DECscan VMS Software Toolkit, Version 2.1                    SPD 26.98.02

DESCRIPTION

The VAX DECscan VMS Toolkit is a software product used as an industrial 
application platform.  It provides data acquisition, alarm detection with 
controlling actions and reporting, action sets (sequence control), closed loop 
regulatory control, and an external utility interface.  This software package 
supports the I/O products of the following I/O vendors, and treats the logical 
I/O point ``tags'' in a device-independent fashion.

oo Honeywell (Honeywell MicroSwitch, BITBUS compatible devices) - The support 
  software for this device is included in the kit.

oo Phoenix (TM)(Phoenix Interbus-C, BITBUS compatible devices) - The support 
  software for this device is included in the kit.

oo Computer Products (CPI RTP, BITBUS compatible devices) - The support software 
  (BITBUS Starting Point RTP IOV Package) for this device is included with the 
  BITBUS Starting Point RTP Hardware Configuration.

Please contact your nearest CSS sales specialist for information regarding 
additional I/O vendor support.

The MENU-DRIVEN INTERACTIVE UTILITY provides the primary user interface to 
define and configure the application.  It supports the following features:

oo Easy on-line definition and configuration of the device-independent I/O point 
  tags, alarms (and their controlling actions), action sets, and closed-loop 
  controls

oo I/O vendor specific prompts (and detailed HELP) for the definition of the I/O 
  point tags

oo On-line monitoring of the DECscan Toolkit operation and status

oo On-line control of the alarms, control loops, and data acquisition

oo On-line forcing of output type I/O point tags

oo Real-time operator display of field I/O values in pre-converted engineering 
  units

oo Complete time-stamped configuration lists of current database definitions

oo Full DECnet support of all of the above features - For example, these 
  features are supported for tags defined in the database of a DECscan Toolkit 
  running on a different DECnet node

The RUN-TIME TASK does the actual processing of the DECscan Toolkit 
functions and offers the following features:

oo Operation is based around an in-memory database which contains the DECscan 
  Toolkit I/O point data (real-time I/O values) and all the user-defined 
  information used in controlling the Toolkit application functions

oo The processing of the data acquisition (scanning on individual nodes), 
  alarms, action sets and controls is fully configurable; for example, this 
  processing can be:

  -   Performed periodically (the default)

  -   Controlled by application programs

  -   Triggered by external events

  -   Triggered by date and time-of-day

  -   Triggered by alarm conditions

  -   Triggered by current I/O values

  -   Controlled by the controlling actions of other alarms, action sets, and 
      control loops

oo The "controlling actions" connected to alarms and action sets may contain any 
  combination (and any number) of the following actions:

  -   Force a value to an I/O tag

  -   Activate/deactivate an alarm, control loop, action sets

  -   Invoke a procedure in a separate application program, with parameter 
      passing

  -   Process a user-specified mathematical/logical expression which also 
      support conditional and repetitive statements

  -   Transfer I/O values across tags

  -   Initiate the scanning of all I/O tags on a ``node'' (e.g. a BITBUS node 
      on a BITBUS network spawned from the DECscan BITBUS controller)

  -   Wait for a specified amount of time before processing the next action in 
      the list

The DECscan Toolkit CALLABLE ROUTINES provide the primary user interface at 
run-time.  These routines are invoked by user-written application programs 
to monitor and control the status and operation of the Toolkit. They allow 
the application programs to:

oo Obtain the latest values of I/O tags

oo Force new values to output type I/O tags

oo Control the execution of pre-configured alarms, control loops, and action 
  sets

oo Interface database values to other VMS utilities

oo Perform all of the above features on DECscan Toolkit databases of other 
  DECnet nodes

The POINT LOGGING Utility provides for the periodic logging of I/O values 
on terminals and in files.  This utility can be used to provide historical 
data to other VMS utilities, or simply to track I/O point values in real 
time.  Several such sessions can be run in parallel, each with its own set 
of tags to log.  Finally, all I/O values are time-stamped.

The GRAPHICS INTERFACE routines provide the complete interface between the 
real time I/O data of the Toolkit's database to the DataViews (TM) (DV-Draw 
and DV-Tools) industrial graphics package, sold by V.I. Corporation.  The 
routines provided will automatically accumulate the list of I/O tags 
referenced in the views generated by DV-Draw.  They will then periodically 
read the latest I/O values of those tags and update the appropriate 
pictures on your graphics screens.

Typical applications for the Toolkit include factory floor monitoring and 
automation, remote high-speed data acquisition and control, product 
handling, environmental control, etc.  In such applications, the Toolkit 
allows the customer to set-up the monitoring and control activity with no 
coding required.  Application specific requirements, such as data archival 
and custom graphic displays, require customer programming and/or separate 
utilities.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

VAX, MicroVAX or VAXstation configuration as specified in the System 
Support Addendum (SSA 26.98.02-x).

In addition, the following Q-bus controller for communications to the I/O 
Vendor hardware is required:

oo IBQ01 DECscan (BITBUS) controller board - Supports communications to the 
  BITBUS compatible Honeywell MicroSwitch and Phoenix INTERBUS-C I/O devices.

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS*

VMS Operating System

*   Refer to the System Support Addendum for availability and required 
    versions of prerequisite/optional software (SSA 26.98.02-x).

ORDERING INFORMATION

Software Licenses: QL-VCSA*-**
Software Media: QA-VCSA*-**
Software Documentation: QA-VCSAA-GZ
Software Product Services: QT-VCSA*-**

* Denotes variant fields.  For additional information on available licenses, 
  services and media, refer to the appropriate price book.

SOFTWARE LICENSING

This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of DIGITAL's 
Standard Terms and Conditions.  For more information about DIGITAL's 
licensing terms and policies, contact your local DIGITAL office.

License Management Facility

This layered product support the VMS License Management Facility.

License units for this product are allocated on a CPU-capacity basis.

For more information on the License Management Facility, refer to the VMS 
Operating System Software Product Description (SPD 25.01.xx) or the License 
Management Facility manual of the VMS Operating System documentation set.

For more information about DIGITAL's licensing terms and policies, contact 
your local DIGITAL office.

SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES

A variety of service options are available from DIGITAL.  For more 
information, contact your local DIGITAL office.

SOFTWARE WARRANTY

Warranty for this software product is provided by DIGITAL with the purchase 
of a license for the product as defined in the Software Warranty Addendum 
of this SPD.

June 1989
AE-KP91C-TE
