System 800xA Training

Chapter 16 Bulk Data Handling

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 16 Bulk Data Handling .................................................................................................................................................... 1

16.1 General Information........................................................................................................................................................... 2
16.1.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
16.1.2 Legend ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
16.1.3 Reference Documentation........................................................................................................................................... 2
16.2 Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3
16.2.1 Components ................................................................................................................................................................ 3
16.2.2 Main Functions ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
16.2.3 Activate Workbooks ................................................................................................................................................... 4
16.2.4 Starting the BDM ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
16.3 Reading Objects and Aspects ............................................................................................................................................ 6
16.3.1 Data Areas .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
16.3.2 Creating a Default Data Area ...................................................................................................................................... 7
16.4 Reading Data ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
16.4.1 Filtering Data Using an Auto-Update Data Area ........................................................................................................ 9
16.5 Creating Objects .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
16.5.1 Instantiating Objects ................................................................................................................................................. 11
16.5.2 Deleting Objects ....................................................................................................................................................... 13
16.6 Error Logs ........................................................................................................................................................................ 14
16.7 Changing Parameters ....................................................................................................................................................... 15
16.7.1 Change Offline.......................................................................................................................................................... 15
16.7.2 Change Online .......................................................................................................................................................... 17
16.8 Initial Values.................................................................................................................................................................... 19
16.9 Bulk Data Manager Templates ........................................................................................................................................ 20
16.9.1 Where to Find the Templates .................................................................................................................................... 20
16.9.2 Example: BDM_DiagramRef_Var ........................................................................................................................... 21

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16.1 General Information

16.1.1 Objectives
On completion of this chapter you will be able to:
 Tell the purpose of the Bulk Data Manager (BDM)
 Describe the main steps to use BDM
 Use predefined templates

16.1.2 Legend
> Indicates when you go from one menu to a sub-menu
Italic Indicates object and file names
“ “ Indicates dialog box buttons, tabs, menus etc.
Bold Indicates important topics
Indicates start/explanation of student activity

16.1.3 Reference Documentation

3BSE038018 System 800xA
System Guide - Functional Description
3BDS011223 System 800xA Engineering
Engineering Studio

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16.2 Overview

16.2.1 Components
The ability to efficiently manage large amounts of data is a crucial part of any
automation system. Bulk Data Manager (BDM) is a component of the Engineering
Workplace allows users to configure worksheets to read and write aspect and object
properties. It supports list oriented bulk data operations like handling of signal lists,
tag lists, etc. through a tight integration with Microsoft Excel.
The Bulk Data Manager is composed of:
 Microsoft® Excel 2007 (not included with Bulk Data Manager)
 Add-Ins that integrate Microsoft Excel into the Engineering Workplace
 Predefined templates

16.2.2 Main Functions

Bulk Data Management:
 List oriented processing of engineering data in Microsoft Excel
 Retrieving, filtering and saving data from/to other applications
 Automatic creation of objects, aspects, and structures based on reusable solutions
 Import and export of customer data from other applications
 VBA macros can be created in Microsoft Excel handling objects and aspects
 Work off-line with application data (without connection to the Aspect Server)
once they are loaded from the platform

Templates offer the user additionally:

 Enter and retrieve (reporting) data by using the full set of Excel functionality
 Link data from other applications. Linked data can be updated automatically or on
the user’s demand.
 Performing calculations using a variety of strong Microsoft Excel functions

Monitoring of live (process) data enables the user to:

 Monitor e.g. the process value or status information of a set of selected objects
 Present important process information in a dynamic updating chart like radar
diagrams or pie charts

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16.2.3 Activate Workbooks

The Bulk Data Manager distinguishes between Workbooks that are managed by the
BDM and Workbooks that are not managed (i.e. standard Excel workbooks).
By default, Excel workbooks are not managed until they are activated by “Bulk Data
Manager > Activate”. This menu item will automatically appear after installation.

Once the workbook is activated, the menu items “Save, Update Selection, Update All,
Options, etc.” become available in the Bulk Data Manager menu.

16.2.4 Starting the BDM

There are different ways to start-up the Bulk Data Manager. The easiest way is:
1. Open the Engineering Workplace and right mouse click onto any object. Select
“Advanced > Bulk Data Manager” from the context menu.

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2. An excel sheet is opened. The Bulk Data Manager is activated and connected to
the system automatically.

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16.3 Reading Objects and Aspects

To read/write data from/into an Excel sheet, a data area has to be created:
 A data area is a contiguous range of cells in a Worksheet with a certain number of
columns and a limited or unlimited (max 65536 rows) number of rows.
 Each data area has a headline that defines which properties of which aspect
category are to be handled in the data area.

16.3.1 Data Areas

Data can be loaded automatically in a data area (Auto-update Data area) or by drag
and drop of objects (Default Data area).
NOTE! There can be one Default Data area and many Auto-
update Data areas per worksheet.

Default Data area

To configure a Default Data Area drag an aspect from the Engineering Workplace and
drop it into a cell of the worksheet:
 This action automatically fills all accessible property names into the headline.
 The first drop operation also automatically fills in the four required properties
“Command”, ”Object Identification”, “Source Object” and “Basic Property
Structure/Functional Structure.ParentObject”.
 Properties, which are not needed, can be deleted from the headline. Do not delete
the properties “Command”, “Object Identification” and “Source Object”.

Auto-update Data area

Data can be loaded automatically in a data area (Auto-update Data area). An Auto-
update Data area updates itself automatically according to user-defined criteria
whenever the workbook is opened, printed, or on user’s demand.

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16.3.2 Creating a Default Data Area

The following steps describe how to create a Default Data area and then read some
objects:
1. Select an object in the Functional Structure and drag let’s say the Functional
Structure aspect of this object into the first cell (A1) of the data area.

2. Click “OK”.

3. Upon dropping the aspect onto the sheet, the three required properties appear (in
red) along with the functional structure property.

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16.4 Reading Data

Select an object in the Functional Structure and drag & drop it into the second line of
the Bulk Data Manager sheet.

All objects including child objects appear in the sheet along with the values of their
properties.

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16.4.1 Filtering Data Using an Auto-Update Data Area

1. Create a Default Data area as described before.

2. Click on “Set BDM Options” in the toolbar. On the “General” tab select “Object
Name” and click “OK”.

3. For example, to filter for all objects with the name S01Prg_V in the Functional
Structure, go to field “A2” and select “Filter”.

4. Extend the selection to “Filter: with Functional Structure”. In field A2 you should
see now “Filter:Functional Structure”.

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5. Below the column “Object Identification” you can type now S01Prg_V to filter for
object names beginning with S01Prg_V.

6. Change the Default Data area to an Auto-Update area by using a right mouse click
onto the “Command” field. Select “Make Auto-update Data Area”.

7. To perform an update click in the toolbar menu on “Update All Objects”.

Alternatively you can also save and close the document. If you open the document
again you also perform an update.

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16.5 Creating Objects

16.5.1 Instantiating Objects

The simplest method to create objects with BDM requires an initial object that already
exists in the System 800xA platform. This initial object can be created manually as
learned in the previous chapters.

Let’s say we want to create an I/O board object in the Control Structure.
1. Open the Bulk Data Manager window as described before.

2. Click onto the “Set BDM Options” button in the toolbar and select the
“Advanced” tab. Deselect the “Show Path in Source Column” checkbox.

3. Drag & drop a Control Structure aspect onto the first line of the BDM sheet.

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4. Import the board object onto the second line of the BDM sheet by using drag &
drop from the Control Structure.

5. Then use the Excel functions copy & paste to configure a new line for each new
object. It is not necessary to fill in the Parent column, because the full path is
defined in the object identification. Just drag the cursor on the Object
Identification field and copy the field Source Object as many times as needed.

Five lines where added that will create 5 instances of the DO810 board object types
with the position 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
NOTE! You don’t need to change the name of the original object
that was dragged and dropped onto the sheet. BDM will
not create a new object with the same name but will only
update that object.

6. Click onto the “Save All Objects” button to create your board instances in the
Control Structure.

7. The result will look like this:

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16.5.2 Deleting Objects

To delete object with the Bulk Data Manager, use the command “Delete” in the
“Command” column of the Excel sheet.
1. Click onto the field below the Command field. Select “delete” from the pick list.

2. Copy and paste the delete command to the next lines.

3. Click onto the “Save All Objects” button.

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16.6 Error Logs

Errors that occur during a save objects operation will be logged in a separate
worksheet called “Errors”.
 This sheet is created automatically by BDM when needed.
 Just click on the “Errors” worksheet to see what error(s) occurred.
 Clicking on the actual error will guide you directly to the data cell that caused the
error.
 You can correct the error and save the data again.

In the example below, the board object “DO810” is not unique in the system. More
than one board exists in the project and the system therefore does not know which
board object to use. If you select “Save All Objects”, an Errors sheet is created.

Click on the “Errors” sheet to get the details.

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16.7 Changing Parameters

16.7.1 Change Offline

Before downloading the data into the controller you can change some parameters
offline. Let’s set some offline values like Min, Max … for an I/O board.
NOTE! Before you can set the values to the board you have to
assign a variable to that channel first.

1. Select an I/O board object in the Control Structure and drag & drop the Control
Properties aspect onto the left field (A1) on the first line of the BDM sheet.

2. Click onto the checkboxes for the properties which should be visible.

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3. The extended command line with the settings (1_Min…) is now visible.

4. Import now a board object with drag & drop to the second line of the BDM sheet.

5. Now you can edit the settings directly in the cells. Click on “Save All Objects” to
write the changed parameters.

6. Check the results in Control Builder via right mouse click onto the board. Select
the Editor and go to the “Properties” tab.

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16.7.2 Change Online

Subscribing for live data means that the values referred to will automatically be
updated in an opened workbook whenever it changes. The subscription mechanism is
based on Property References that can be tagged to subscribe for live data.
NOTE! The application with the required objects needs to be
loaded to the controller first.

1. Select a module (e.g. level S01Prg_LT11) in the Functional or Control

Structure.

2. Via drag & drop, import the Function Block aspect onto the left field “A1” on the
first line of the BDM sheet.

3. Click onto the checkboxes for the properties which should be visible.

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4. The extended command line with the Max, Min settings… becomes visible.

5. Import now the S01Prg_LT11 object with drag & drop to the second line of the
BDM sheet. The online values for these parameters are displayed.

6. Change the values and write the changed values by clicking on “Save All
Objects”.

7. Check the result in Control Builder. Right click onto the S01Prg_LT11 module in
online mode and open the Online Editor.

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16.8 Initial Values

The initial values are a special part of setting parameters offline. You can set the initial
values with the Bulk Data Manager and a download to the controller will write the
initial values to the parameter/variables.
It depends on the attribute settings of the parameter/variables (e.g. retain, cold retain
…) if the initial values are written the by the next download as well, or if they are only
written by the first download.
NOTE! Setting initial values with the BDM is equal to work with
offline parameters as described before.

You will find the initial values in the Control Property aspect of an object in the Plant
Explorer. All initial values are ending with the letters _init_val.
It is important that you use the right source for writing the initial values:
 If a parameter of an object (e.g. function block or control module) is not
connected, then the function block / control module object is the right place.
 If a parameter is connected to a variable, then the source object of this variable
(the application objects) is the right place. In this case you have to write the initial
value to the variable, not to the parameter.

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16.9 Bulk Data Manager Templates

Engineering Templates support various engineering activities like getting cross-
reference lists, creating variables for applications or programs, etc.

16.9.1 Where to Find the Templates

There are two ways to start the templates:
1. Open the folder Engineering Templates on your desktop.

2. Choose an object and select “Advanced > Engineering Templates”.

Select the Engineering Template you want to work with.

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16.9.2 Example: BDM_DiagramRef_Var

This template allows to perform following operations using this template:
 Connecting and disconnecting diagram variables
 Modification of description of diagram variables
 Modification of name and description of diagram references
 Modification of data type, initial value and attributes of diagram variables
 Modification of communication variables
 Modification of diagram references

16.9.2.1 Changing Diagram Reference

1. Open the BDM_DiagramRef_Var_Advanced.xls sheet.

2. Drag and drop the required object that need to be modified, into the template. For
Example S01_Inlet

3. The result will look like this:

NOTE! Do not modify the values in the read only column

(columns with pink color header) of the template.

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4. Enter/Edit the reference name, reference description, variable name, variable

description, variable data type, variable init value, variable attributes,
communication variable and on copy diagram reference as required..

5. Click “Save All Objects”.

 Exercise 16.1

NOTE! A comprehensive training about BDM is available

through the Expert Workshop E121.

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