Real-time and historical SCADA graph configuration

Trends (or charts, graphs) are essentially important for an industrial automation system. They record real time data from field, retrieve historical data, and present them in graphical ways. SCADA serves as the backbone to an automated system, and it also takes care of trends.

It can be said that every qualified SCADA software requires to have the functionality of trends. For IntegraXor, it is often recognized as Trends, or Trending. In this training we will learn how to configure SCADA Trends in detail.

Step 1: Identify your tags to be monitored

The main idea of implementing Trending is to monitor your data. While these data are tags stored in your SCADA, they can be IO tags or Virtual tags. Then, set log to database for the tags you want. For example, create new or open an existing IntegraXor project. Navigate to Virtual tag table, on the particular tag, set the database in “Log” column as shown below. Save the project.

ecava igx training scada graphs trends set log tag

Step 2: Configure Trending file

Next, navigate and click on Screen, a Menu list will be shown. Right click on the Menu list and select “New Menu”. Change the menu name to whatever you want. In “Path” column, select Browse and select “plot.htm” file from the project folder. It is a pre-created HTM file by default upon creating new project. Click to save the project when finish setting the Screen Menu.

The new Menu will now be listed under Screen, click on it will launch the content in editor. You shall see there are several blocks of HTML scripts, where each of them indicates how you wish to show your trending for each of the tags. Edit the scripts with your tags and the format you want, for example as shown below.

Example

1st tag name: temperature_cook
Minimum range: 0
Maximum range: 100
Format: 2 decimal points

2nd tag name: temperature_air
Minimum range: 0
Maximum range: 100
Format: 2 decimal points

ecava igx training scada graphs trends plot script

Note that it is important to link the tags correctly.

Save the file and save the project when done adding all your required tags by following the similar format.

Step 3: Run the project

Click on “Run Project” in Project Editor after saving everything.
Observe the front end HMI launched in web browser. Navigate to the menu for trends which you have added, and notice the tags’ values presented in plotted trends as shown below.

ecava igx training scada graphs trends HMI front end