User Manual

Visual T&D Explorer

© 2011 Cooper Power Systems, LLC – All rights reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Cooper Power Systems

Energy Automation Solutions
730 Commerciale Street
Suite 200
Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec
Canada G6Z 2C5
Phone: +1.418.834.0009
Fax: +1.514.227.5256
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cooperpower.com

Technical Support: [email protected]

GUI-00115-00020 T, version 23
 Contents
Getting Started 9
Introduction .........................................................................................................................9
Welcome to Visual T&D Explorer ........................................................................9
Contacting Cooper Power Systems .......................................................................9
Technical Support................................................................................................10
The Visual T&D System....................................................................................................10
Technical Overview.............................................................................................10
The Server ............................................................................................. 11
The Site Configuration .......................................................................... 11
The Client Programs ............................................................................. 12
Timestamping in Visual T&D ............................................................... 12
Managing the Site Configuration .......................................................... 13
Visual T&D Server Redundancy........................................................... 13
Installing Visual T&D .......................................................................................................13
How to Install Visual T&D .................................................................................13
Upgrading from a Previous Installation ................................................ 14
Selecting the Destination of the Programs ............................................ 14
Selecting the Visual T&D Program Components ................................. 14
Choosing Optional Visual T&D Functions ........................................... 15
Restarting the Computer ....................................................................... 15
Verifying the Installation .....................................................................................16
Disabling Server Status Notifications..................................................................16

Configuring Visual T&D 16

Overview ...........................................................................................................................16
Setting the Server Properties..............................................................................................17
Displaying the Server Properties .........................................................................17
Setting Up User Accounts ...................................................................................18
Adding or Modifying a User ................................................................. 19
Setting the Data Logging Properties ....................................................................20

Visual T&D Explorer •i

 Defining the Server Management Properties .......................................................22
Customizing the Alarms and Events Toolbar ........................................ 23
Defining Redundancy Properties .........................................................................24
Using Visual T&D Explorer to Configure the Site ............................................................25
The Data Displays ...............................................................................................26
The Current Site Configuration ...........................................................................27
Managing the Site Configuration .......................................................................................27
The Configuration Files .......................................................................................27
Creating a New Site .............................................................................................27
Configuring the Data Sources ............................................................... 28
Selecting Data Sources .......................................................................... 32
Loading the New Site Configuration on the Server .............................. 32
Customizing the New Site Configuration ............................................. 33
Loading an Existing Site Configuration on the Server ........................................33
Manually Updating the Site Configuration on the Server ...................................34
Automatically Updating the Site Configuration on the Server ............................34
Managing the Program Connection .....................................................................35
Working While Not Connected to the Server ......................................................35
Editing the Current Site Configuration ..............................................................................35
Exporting the Site Configuration to a File ...........................................................36
Importing a Site Configuration File.....................................................................38
Managing the Data Sources ...............................................................................................39
Adding or Modifying a Data Source ...................................................................40
Updating the Data Point Settings.........................................................................41
Defining Miscellaneous Categories ...................................................................................42
Binary Types .......................................................................................................43
Type Icons ...........................................................................................................44
Units ....................................................................................................................45
Control Types ......................................................................................................46
Event Types .........................................................................................................47
Tag Types ............................................................................................................48
Topological Categories ........................................................................................49
Editing Data Points ............................................................................................................50
Naming Data Points.............................................................................................51
Grouping Data Points ..........................................................................................51
Alarms and Events...............................................................................................55
Using the Data Grid .............................................................................................55

ii • Visual T&D Explorer

 Scrolling Through the Grid ................................................................... 55
Sorting Grid Items by a Particular Column ........................................... 55
Resizing a Column ................................................................................ 56
Adding New Points ............................................................................... 56
Deleting a Point or a Line ..................................................................... 56
The Fill Area Commands ...................................................................... 56
Configuring Binary Points ...................................................................................57
Configuring Analog Points ..................................................................................61
Creating Calculated Data Points ..........................................................................64
Data Point Names in Expressions ......................................................... 67
Comments in Expressions ..................................................................... 67
Condition Statements ............................................................................ 68
Mathematical Functions ........................................................................ 68
Data Point Functions ............................................................................. 69
Tag Functions ........................................................................................ 70
Generators ............................................................................................. 70
DFR Processing Functions .................................................................... 71
Arithmetic Operators ............................................................................. 72
Binary Operators ................................................................................... 72
Logical Operators .................................................................................. 73
Relational Operators.............................................................................. 73
Constants and Variables ........................................................................ 74
System Data Points ............................................................................................................74
Alarm Detail Files..............................................................................................................76
Creating the Detail Files ......................................................................................76
Assigning Detail Files to Data Points ..................................................................77
Storing Detail Files on a Web Site ......................................................................77
Defining the Site Layout ....................................................................................................77
Sizing the Grid.....................................................................................................79
Adding a Zone .....................................................................................................80
Deleting a Zone ...................................................................................................80
Resizing a Zone ...................................................................................................80
Moving a Zone ....................................................................................................80
Saving the Site Layout.........................................................................................81
Assigning Zones to Data Points...........................................................................81
Selecting Points to be Displayed in the Site Layouts View .................................81
Deleting the Site Layout ......................................................................................83

Visual T&D Explorer • iii

 Defining Digital Fault Records ..........................................................................................83
Event Notification ..............................................................................................................85
Configuring Event Notifications .........................................................................86
Alarm and Event Categories ................................................................. 87
Defining and Editing an Event Notification .......................................... 88
Enabling or Disabling an Event Notification ........................................ 93
Defining and Editing a Contact ............................................................. 94
Enabling or Disabling a Contact ........................................................... 96
Email Sequence of Events ..................................................................... 97
SMS Summarized Sequence of Events ................................................. 97
Multiple event notifications management ............................................. 98
Email Options ....................................................................................................................98
Network Connection Options ............................................................................................99
Licensing Options ............................................................................................................100
Adding Software Modules ................................................................................. 101
Modifying the Number of Users, Data Points and Data Sources....................... 102
Configuring the Standalone HMI Mode .......................................................................... 103
Opening the Visual T&D Shell Configurator .................................................... 103
Configuring the Logon Information .................................................................. 104
Configuring the Applications ............................................................................ 106
Enabling the Standalone HMI Mode ................................................................. 108
Leaving the Standalone HMI Mode .................................................................. 109
Disabling the Standalone HMI Mode ................................................................ 110

Using Visual T&D Explorer 111

Starting Visual T&D Explorer ......................................................................................... 111
The Views ........................................................................................................................ 112
The Status Bar ................................................................................................................. 113
Alarms and Events ........................................................................................................... 114
Overview ........................................................................................................... 114
Managing Alarms .............................................................................................. 116
How Visual T&D Explorer Processes the Appearance of Alarms ...... 116
Acknowledging Alarms ...................................................................... 116
How Visual T&D Explorer Processes the Disappearance of
Alarms ................................................................................................. 117
Acknowledging the Disappearance of Alarms .................................... 117
Multiple Alarm Occurrences ............................................................... 118

iv • Visual T&D Explorer

 Special Alarm Statuses ...................................................................................... 118
Silent Alarms....................................................................................... 118
Blocked Alarms................................................................................... 118
Permanent Alarms ............................................................................... 118
The Alarms and Events Toolbar ........................................................................ 118
The Site Layout Diagram .................................................................................. 120
The All Alarms Page ......................................................................................... 121
Colors on the Alarms Pages .............................................................................. 123
The All Events Page .......................................................................................... 123
Viewing and Adding Notes to Alarms............................................................... 124
Viewing Alarm Details ...................................................................................... 125
Customizing the Alarms and Events Display .................................................... 125
Configuring the Tabs........................................................................... 126
Choosing the Columns to Display for Each Tab ................................. 128
Printing the Window Contents .......................................................................... 129
Real-Time Data ................................................................................................................ 130
Overview ........................................................................................................... 130
The Data Sources View ..................................................................................... 131
The Real-Time Trends Folder ........................................................................... 131
The Trending Toolbar ......................................................................... 132
Selecting Data Points .......................................................................... 133
Selecting a Time Frame ...................................................................... 133
Selecting the Display Properties.......................................................... 134
The Chart Legend ................................................................................ 134
The Site Layouts Folder .................................................................................... 135
The Table Views Folder .................................................................................... 136
Creating a Customized View............................................................... 137
Applying a Filter ................................................................................. 138
Showing and Resetting the Transition Counters ................................. 140
Choosing the Columns to Display in a Table View ............................ 140
Sorting Data in a Table View .............................................................. 141
Viewing Data Point Properties .......................................................................... 142
Data Point Properties Dialog Box- General Tab ................................. 143
Data Point Properties Dialog Box - Attributes Tab ............................. 144
Data Point Properties Dialog Box - Tags Tab ..................................... 144
Customizing the Real-Time Data Display ......................................................... 145
Printing the Window Contents .......................................................................... 146

Visual T&D Explorer •v

 Historical Data ................................................................................................................. 146
The Chart View ................................................................................................. 146
The Chart Display Toolbar .................................................................. 147
Selecting Data Points .......................................................................... 147
Selecting a Time Frame ...................................................................... 148
Selecting the Display Properties.......................................................... 150
The Chart Legend ................................................................................ 150
Zooming In on the Data ...................................................................... 152
Performing Measurements on the Data ............................................... 152
The Query View ................................................................................................ 152
Executing a Query ............................................................................... 153
Managing Queries ............................................................................... 154
Choosing the Columns to Display in the Query View ........................ 156
The DFR View .................................................................................................. 157
The Details Window ........................................................................... 158
Exporting Data .................................................................................................. 159
Exporting Chart Data to a Text File .................................................... 159
Exporting Query Data to a Text File ................................................... 160
Creating Reports.................................................................................. 163
Customizing the Historical Data Display .......................................................... 166
Printing the Window Contents .......................................................................... 167
Task Manager .................................................................................................................. 167
Starting the Task Manager................................................................................. 168
Generating a Scheduled Report ........................................................... 169
Generating an Event-Based Report ..................................................... 173
Defining More Actions to Perform with a Generated Report.............. 176
Starting an Application ....................................................................... 179
Exporting Events to IED Manager Suite ............................................. 180
Control and Tag Operations ............................................................................................. 183
Control Operations Concepts............................................................................. 183
Control Operations Handling............................................................................. 184
SMP Gateway and Communication Server ......................................... 184
OPC Server ......................................................................................... 184
Control Operations Over Multidrop Links .......................................... 184
Setting Up Visual T&D Explorer for Control Operations ................................. 185
Performing Control Operations ......................................................................... 185
Managing Tags .................................................................................................. 186

vi • Visual T&D Explorer

 Control and Tag Operation Security .................................................................. 188
Using the SCADA Control Interlock Mechanism ........................................................... 188
Simulation Mode ............................................................................................................. 189
Getting into Simulation Mode ........................................................................... 189
Changing Data Point Values Dynamically ........................................................ 190
Development Mode ......................................................................................................... 190
Reactivating Data Acquisition ........................................................................... 190
Standalone HMI Mode .................................................................................................... 191
Changing Password ......................................................................................................... 191

Maintenance 193
Analyzing and Repairing the Data Log ........................................................................... 193
Backing Up and Restoring the Site Configuration and the Data Log using Backup
Exec ................................................................................................................................. 194
Setting Up Backup Jobs..................................................................................... 194
Creating a Backup Job and Scheduling its Execution ......................... 195
Restoring the Data ............................................................................................. 195
Backing Up the Site Configuration Without Using a Backup Software .......................... 196
Restoring the Site Configuration ....................................................................... 197

Visual T&D Explorer • vii

Getting Started

Introduction

Welcome to Visual T&D Explorer

The Visual T&D family of products is specially designed to integrate a large variety of data
sources and provide you with a unified view of all the devices in a power substation.

With Visual T&D Explorer, you can easily:

‰ Configure the Visual T&D Server.

‰ View alarms and events as they occur at a site.

‰ View data in real time.

‰ Analyze historical data.

‰ Generate reports.

Contacting Cooper Power Systems

Cooper Power Systems is committed to providing the best possible support to Visual T&D users.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about Visual T&D or our substation automation line of
products.

Our sales department can assist you with general questions regarding the use of Visual T&D and
with any pricing and licensing issues.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1.418.834.0009
Fax: +1.514.227.5256

Visual T&D Explorer •9

 Technical Support
If you have any question regarding the performance, application or testing of any component of
this Cooper Power Systems product, do not hesitate to contact us. Our staff will be pleased to
assist you.
Technical Support
Cooper Power Systems
Energy Automation Solutions
730 Commerciale Street, Suite 200
Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec
Canada G6Z 2C5

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1.418.834.0009
Fax: +1.514.227.5256

Business hours are from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday.

The Visual T&D System

Technical Overview
In this section, we will describe the architecture and design of Visual T&D. While Visual T&D is
very easy to set up and configure, your task will be greatly simplified if you understand the design
concepts behind Visual T&D, and the different components involved and how they operate
together.

Visual T&D uses a client-server architecture. This simply means that there is a main program,
called the server, which performs all the real-time, mission-critical functions of the system. The
user interface to Visual T&D is provided by the Explorer and Diagram Editor programs, which
in this context are called client programs. Together, these programs provide the HMI for the
substation.

Typically, the server program is hosted on a dedicated PC located directly in the substation
environment. The client programs can be located on any PC with access to the server through a
LAN, WAN or dial-up connection. The Visual T&D client-server architecture provides any
number of users with simultaneous access to all the substation data, historical or real-time, locally
or remotely.

10 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Visual T&D Architecture

The Server
The server is the main component of Visual T&D. It performs all the mission-critical real-time
functions such as data acquisition, data logging and alarm management. Since the server is the
central component of the system, it also manages the site configuration and supports the client
programs.

The Visual T&D server supports the following types of data sources: an SMP Gateway
(Substation Modernization Platform™), an OPC server, and the communication server. Each of
these data sources can itself be connected to any number of binary or analog data points. In most
systems, configuring the data acquisition parameters for each data point is often quite a
challenging task. With Visual T&D, this task is greatly simplified by the built-in capability to
query the data sources and automatically import the configuration of all their data points.
Furthermore, once the system is set up, the server can detect changes to the data sources and
update the site configuration accordingly.

Once the data sources are set up and the data points have been identified, the server can
immediately start performing basic data acquisition and data logging functions. With a minimum
of effort, you can use Visual T&D to chart and display significant data related to the substation.

If you provide additional configuration parameters, the server will be able to perform even more
advanced functions such as scaling analog readings, detecting thresholds, and generating events
and alarms.

The Site Configuration

All the functions that the server performs are defined by settings and parameters that you provide
when you configure the system. These settings and parameters are called the site configuration.

Not only is the site configuration used by the server program, it is also required by the client
programs. Many of the configuration settings are used to display information. For instance, each
data point has a description and can be represented by various icons. Each alarm has a description,
and you can attach a document to the alarm to provide detailed instructions to an operator.

Visual T&D Explorer • 11

 The site configuration thus consists of a set of files that contain the information necessary for
Visual T&D to perform its functions. The site configuration files are located on the server.

The Client Programs

While the server performs the mission-critical real-time aspects of the system, the Visual T&D
Explorer and Diagram Editor programs provide the HMI functions required to monitor and control
the operation of the substation.

When you run a client program, it connects to the server and retrieves the current state of the
system. It is then continuously notified of all changes, events and alarms. The Visual T&D client-
server communication method is specially designed to provide highly responsive client
applications even on a low bandwidth connection, such as a dial-up modem connection.

The communication method is based on the exchange of short encoded messages. The server
sends the minimum amount of information necessary for the client application to create the
required display. In order to implement this method, the client programs require an up-to-date
copy of the site configuration.

The approach used with Visual T&D is different from that used in a typical client-server system.
Often, as in Web-based systems, it is the server that creates the display used by the client. While
this approach provides for a very simple client program, it requires large bandwidth and often
results in an unresponsive user interface.

The Visual T&D client programs provide the highly responsive user interface that is expected in
mission-critical systems.

Timestamping in Visual T&D

3 types of sources can provide data to Visual T&D:

‰ An SMP Gateway

‰ The communication server

‰ An OPC server

All values and transitions received by Visual T&D are timestamped. The approach to
timestamping differs based on the type of data source.

SMP Gateway

The SMP polls the device. If the device protocol supports timestamping, the device provides the
SMP with the time to which the value applies, and the SMP passes this timestamp to Visual T&D.
If the device does not provide a timestamp, the SMP sets the timestamp to the time at which it
received the value from the device.

Visual T&D needs to know whether the SMP is the time source, that is, whether the SMP is
synchronized with an external clock, such as IRIG-B or GPS. If you have several SMPs and some
of them are synchronized with an external clock, you identify only one of them as the time source.

Communication Server

As with the SMP, the communication server either uses either the device-supplied time or the time
at which it receives the information.

12 • Visual T&D Explorer

 OPC Server

OPC servers provide timestamped data.

Managing the Site Configuration

To provide the most responsive user interface possible, Visual T&D keeps a copy of the site
configuration files available on each of the client workstations. In this manner, the client program
can create a complex display while retrieving a minimum amount of data from the server. The
local copies of the configuration files are managed automatically. Whenever the site configuration
is changed on the server, all client workstations are notified and can be updated automatically.

You will use Visual T&D Explorer to modify the site configuration. However, your changes will
only apply to the local copy of the files. To activate the changes, you will transfer the modified
site configuration to the server.

Whenever a client program connects to the server, it checks whether the local copies of the
configuration files are up-to-date. If they are not, it automatically retrieves updated files from the
server; however, if the program detects that you have modified the files, it prompts you to update
the server files.

Visual T&D Server Redundancy

You can set up redundant Visual T&D servers. This requires 2 computers with the exact same
hardware configuration, each using the Windows Server 2003 operating system. The Visual T&D
server is installed on both machines, but only one instance runs at any given time. Both share a
common configuration file. If the server is running on one computer and a problem arises, a switch
is made to the server residing on the other computer.

Redundancy is based on cluster technology. By definition, a cluster consists of two or more

computers, called nodes, connected together in such a way that they behave like a single computer.
Visual T&D is installed on both nodes of the cluster. Only the server is aware of the cluster; the
latter is transparent to the client applications, which can be installed on one or both computers, or
on another computer altogether.

Installing Visual T&D

Note: If you are installing redundant Visual T&D servers, refer to the document entitled
Installing and Configuring a Visual T&D Cluster, AUT-00115-00051 T, rather than
using the procedure described in this section.

How to Install Visual T&D

To install Visual T&D, run the SETUP.EXE program in the Install folder and follow the
instructions displayed on the screen.

Visual T&D is a client-server system, so it consists of a server program and client programs. The
client programs can be installed on the same computer as the server program or they can be
installed on different computers.

Visual T&D Explorer • 13

 During the installation process, you will choose the folder in which you want to install the
programs. You will also decide which programs to install on your computer.

Note: In order to install Visual T&D, you must log on to the computer with a user
account that has administrative privileges.

Upgrading from a Previous Installation

The installation program detects if Visual T&D has already been installed on you computer. If
such is the case, the installation program will prompt you to confirm the removal of the previous
installation and its replacement by the new version.

Note: During an upgrade, the installation program preserves the configuration data and
only replaces the program components.

Selecting the Destination of the Programs

The Visual T&D server stores all the substation data in a special set of files. To ensure the best
program performance, you should select the location of the programs according to the following
guidelines:

‰ All the programs should be installed on a local hard disk and not on a shared network drive.

‰ The hard disk used for data logging should have enough space available to store the substation
historical data. By default, the hard disk on which the server is installed is used for data
logging. Once the server is installed, you can use the Windows Control Panel to set the data
log path to a drive other than the installation drive if you want to, and to set the maximum size
of the data logging files.

Selecting the Visual T&D Program Components

Visual T&D includes the following programs:

‰ The Server program, which performs all the real-time functions such as data acquisition,
alarm management and data recording.

‰ The Explorer program, a sophisticated graphical user interface program that you will use as
an HMI to monitor data, alarms and events. You will also use the Explorer program to
manage the system configuration and access historical data.

‰ The Diagram Editor program, which provides a complete set of tools to create and display
the diagrams used to monitor and operate the substation.

‰ The Diagram Viewer program, which you will install on those workstations that are only
used to display diagrams. Diagram Viewer is a subset of Diagram Editor.

The Diagram Editor and Diagram Viewer programs both require that you also install Microsoft®
Visual Basic® for Applications.

14 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Note: The demonstration version of Visual T&D is provided with a special version of the
server program that simulates the data points of a substation and cannot connect
to real devices. All other programs are fully operational and are not limited in any
of their functions.

Choosing Optional Visual T&D Functions

Visual T&D includes a number of options. Some of these options are installed automatically based
on your license. Others, such as OPC data access and Visual T&D server redundancy, must not
only be supported by your license but also require that you select them at installation time. If you
purchase an option after having installed Visual T&D, you will obtain special license codes from
Cooper Power Systems after which you can add the option, as discussed under “Licensing
Options”, page 100.

The optional functions include:

‰ Reports.
Allows you to generate reports of significant events for a selected time frame.

‰ DFR processing.
Allows you to view historical charts of the different channels on a device, subsequent to a
problem that caused the generation of a digital fault record.

‰ Alarm and event notification.

Allows you to notify interested parties, via email, SMS or pager, when significant events
occur.

‰ OPC Data Access.

Allows you to access the real-time value, quality and timestamp of the data points via an OPC
client. Visual T&D then operates as an OPC server, and supports version 2.05a of the OPC
Data Access standard.

‰ Communication server.
Allows you to connect substation devices to your computer without having to go through an
SMP or an OPC server. The communication server is based on SMP technology. It acts as a
master station in that it polls the substation devices for data and sends control requests
originating from Visual T&D. It includes one master protocol component and one
communication component per device. At the heart of the communication server is the Real-
Time Data Exchange (RTDX). The master protocol component retrieves the values of the
device's data points and puts them in the RTDX. Visual T&D retrieves the data from the
RTDX and makes it available to you through its user interface.

‰ Visual T&D server redundancy.

This option requires 2 computers with the exact same hardware configuration, each using the
Windows Server 2003 operating system. The Visual T&D server is installed on both
machines, but only one instance runs at any given time. Both share a common configuration
file. If the Visual T&D server is running on one computer and a problem arises, Windows
Server 2003 switches to the Visual T&D server residing on the other computer.

Restarting the Computer

Once you have selected the Visual T&D components and their location, the installation program
will copy all the necessary files to your computer.

Visual T&D Explorer • 15

 Once the installation is complete, you may need to restart your computer for the installed
programs to function properly, depending on the operating system and the options installed.

Verifying the Installation

When you restart your computer after installation, the Visual T&D Server should start
automatically.

The only visible interface to the server is its agent, which is represented by an icon in the system
tray. By default, notification messages are published through this icon. For example, the following
figure shows a notification message that is displayed while the server is starting up:

Keep an eye on this icon for server status updates. To get the current status of the server, hover the
mouse pointer over the icon: the status will appear in a tooltip.

Disabling Server Status Notifications

To prevent the server agent from displaying notifications messages:

‰ Right-click the agent’s icon in the system tray.

‰ If there is a checkmark beside the Show status changed notifications command, click it to
disable such notifications.

Configuring Visual T&D

Overview
Visual T&D is now installed on your system. However, before you can use Explorer to manage
alarms and events, view data in real time and analyze the historical data related to a site, you must
first configure the Visual T&D Server.

16 • Visual T&D Explorer

 You will begin by using the Control Panel to set up user accounts to identify those users that can
connect to the program and the operations they can perform. You will then define how the server
program will manage the historical data log.

Once the server is set up properly, you will define the site configuration. To do this, you will
perform the following steps:

‰ Create a site configuration database.

‰ Define units and types.

‰ Define the topology of your site.

‰ Add data sources.

‰ Add and configure data points.

‰ Define the site layout.

‰ Load the configuration file on the server.

You will perform all these steps using the Visual T&D Explorer program.

Setting the Server Properties

Visual T&D is a client-server application. The server program is designed to operate completely
unattended on a dedicated computer. You will start by setting the following server properties using
the Control Panel on the computer hosting the server:

‰ The names of the users that can connect to the system and the operations they can perform.

‰ The data log drive and path, the data logging policy, and the maximum size of the data log.

Note: You will set server properties only if you are using the complete version of Visual
T&D. If you are using the demonstration version of the program, skip this section
and go directly to the section entitled “Using Visual T&D Explorer to Configure
the Site”, page 25.

Displaying the Server Properties

To display the server properties:

‰ Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar, choose Settings, and then click on Control
Panel.

‰ Click on Visual T&D Server to display the server properties.

Visual T&D Explorer • 17

 The Visual T&D Server Properties dialog box contains 4 tabs: User Management, Data
Logging, Server Management and Redundancy.

Use the User Management tab to add, modify or delete user accounts. Use the Data Logging tab
to set the data logging properties. Use the Server Management tab to modify the server's security
attributes. Use the Redundancy tab to specify the location of the configuration file that will be
shared by the redundant Visual T&D servers.

Note: To be able to set up Visual T&D server properties, you must log on to the
computer with a user account that has administrative privileges.

Setting Up User Accounts

For security reasons, only authorized personnel can access the server program. You must therefore
start by setting up user accounts and identifying the employees that can access the system and
those that are authorized to perform control operations, edit site configurations and set data
logging parameters.

User accounts are normally set up by the Visual T&D systems administrator.

The User Management tab of the Visual T&D Server Properties dialog box contains the
following items:

18 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
User List Displays the list of configured user accounts.

Add Displays a dialog box in which you can add a new user account.

Modify Displays a dialog box in which you can modify the properties of the selected
user account.

Delete Deletes the selected user account from the list.

Minimum password Specifies the minimum required length for a user account password.
length

Password must meet When selected, user account passwords must contain characters from at least 3
complexity out of the following categories:
requirements
‰ alphabetic high caps
‰ alphabetic small caps
‰ numeric
‰ special characters

Adding or Modifying a User

When you click Add or Modify in the User Management page, the system displays the User
Properties dialog box in which you can enter or modify a user name, password, and privileges.

Object Description
User name Specifies the user name.

Visual T&D Explorer • 19

 Object Description
Password Specifies the user password. Users can also change their password in Visual
T&D Explorer (see “Changing Password”, page 191)

Confirm password Specifies the user password a second time so that Visual T&D Explorer can
ensure that the password entered was indeed the intended password.

User must change When selected, the user will be prompted to change its password at next logon.
password at next
logon

User cannot change When selected, the user will not be able to change its password by itself.
password

Password never When selected, the user account’s password will never expire.
expires
Otherwise, the password expires after 42 days. If the user connects to the server
during the 7 days period prior to the password expiration, the application
informs him about this matter and offers him to change his password.

Account is disabled When selected, the user account is disabled.

User can edit site When selected, enables the user to edit configurations.
configuration

User can perform When selected, enables the user to perform control operations.
control operations

User can simulate When selected, enables the user to simulate data for engineering purposes.
data

User can When selected, enables the user to acknowledge and clear alarms.
acknowledge and
clear alarms

User can set silent, When selected, enables the user to set alarms as silent, permanent or blocked.
permanent and
blocked alarms

User can manage When selected, enables the user to tag data points.
tags

User can manage When selected, enables the user to edit and delete tags that have been created by
tags added by other other users.
users

Setting the Data Logging Properties

The Visual T&D server records all binary state changes and all sampled analog values. All the
data is time-stamped and tagged for quality. The server uses a highly efficient compression
technique to ensure that several years' worth of data can fit on a typical workstation hard disk.

Use the Data Logging tab in the Visual T&D Server Properties dialog box to set the data
logging properties.

20 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
Specify the location Sets the drive and directory path of the location where the substation data will
of the data log files be stored by the data logger. We recommend that you use an efficient drive
system to enhance performance.

If you have set up redundant Visual T&D servers, make sure the data log is
located on a shared SCSI disk. Also note that you will enter this information on
the currently active computer. See the document entitled Installing and
Configuring a Visual T&D Cluster, AUT-00115-00051 T, for detailed
instructions on setting up redundant Visual T&D servers.

Note that if you change the data log path, any existing data log file will NOT
automatically be moved to the new path.

Browse Use this button to browse through your computer folders in order to identify the
data log path.

Default Click this button to have Visual T&D replace the data log path with the path
that was defined at installation time.

Maximum size of Sets the data log to the size that you specify via the sliding bar.
the data log
(percentage of disk
drive)

Delete oldest data Deletes the oldest data from the log files once the maximum log size has been
and continue reached. The data will be replaced with new data.
logging

Visual T&D Explorer • 21

 Object Description
Keep all existing Stops logging data once the maximum log size has been reached, and keeps the
data and stop data that has already been logged.
logging

Defining the Server Management Properties

The Visual T&D server uses general security properties to authorize or prevent control, alarm
management and tag management operations. These properties can be found in the Server
Management tab of the Visual T&D Server Properties dialog box.

Box Description
Enable remote If you put a checkmark in this box, a user with control operations privileges can
control operations perform control operations from a computer other than the computer on which
the Visual T&D server resides.

Enable remote If you put a checkmark in this box, a user with alarm management privileges
alarm management can perform management operations from a location that is remote from the
Visual T&D server. If you don't put a checkmark, only local operations are
authorized.

Enable remote tag If you put a checkmark in this box, a user with tag management privileges can
management perform management operations from a location that is remote from the Visual
T&D server. If you don't put a checkmark, only local operations are authorized.

22 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Box Description
Enable SCADA Put a checkmark in this box to activate the SCADA control interlock
control interlock mechanism. When the mechanism is activated, control operations from Visual
T&D are enabled only in local mode. To learn how to set control operations in
local or remote mode, see “Using the SCADA Control Interlock Mechanism”,
page 188.

Control operations Specifies the number of minutes after which the currently connected user loses
privilege timeout command execution privileges if his workstation remains inactive. This function
prevents unauthorized persons from performing control and tag operations in
the Visual T&D Diagram Editor or Explorer programs. After the specified
timeout period, the user has to reenter his password to re-establish his
privileges.

To disable the control operations privilege timeout feature, specify a value of 0.

Alarms must be Specifies that the alarm management function in Visual T&D Explorer will
acknowledged and allow acknowledgement and recall of alarms in the order in which they
recalled in the order occurred. If you choose this option, the Alarms and Events toolbar will contain
they occurred the Ack & Clear All, Ack Oldest and Clear Oldest tool buttons.

Alarms can be Specifies that the alarm management function in Visual T&D Explorer will
acknowledged and allow acknowledgement and recall of the selected alarms. If you choose this
recalled in any option, the Alarms and Events toolbar will contain the Ack & Clear All,
order Acknowledge and Clear tool buttons. The Acknowledge and Clear buttons
apply to the selected alarm.

Custom Allows you to select which alarm management functions will be available in
Visual T&D Explorer. Thus, you can allow users to acknowledge and recall
alarms any way you want to.

Customize This button becomes available when you click Custom. When you click on the
button, the Custom Alarm Management dialog box appears, and you can
choose the buttons you want to include on the Alarms and Events toolbar.

Customizing the Alarms and Events Toolbar

You can determine which buttons will appear on the toolbar located at the top of the Alarms and
Events view, and you can determine the order in which they will appear.

To do this:

‰ Click on the Customize button, on the Server Management page of the Visual T&D Server
Properties dialog box. The Custom Alarm Management dialog box appears.

Visual T&D Explorer • 23

 ‰ Select the buttons you want to see on the toolbar, and use the arrow buttons to change their
order of appearance.

Defining Redundancy Properties

You can use redundant Visual T&D servers on 2 computers with the exact same hardware
configuration, each using Windows Server 2003. You can then use the Redundancy page of the
Visual T&D Server Properties dialog to specify the location of the configuration file that will be
shared by the redundant Visual T&D servers. You specify this information on the currently active
computer. See the document entitled Installing and Configuring a Visual T&D Cluster, AUT-
00115-00051 T, for detailed instructions on setting up redundant Visual T&D servers.

Object Description
Specify the location Sets the drive and directory path of the configuration file that will be shared by

24 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
of the shared the redundant Visual T&D servers. Make sure to specify a shared SCSI disk.
configuration
between redundant
servers

Browse Use this button to browse through your computer folders in order to identify the
shared configuration path.

Default Click this button to have Visual T&D replace the path to the shared
configuration file with the path that was defined at installation time.

Using Visual T&D Explorer to Configure the Site

Now that you have set Visual T&D Server properties, you are ready to start using the Visual T&D
Explorer program to configure the site.

To start Visual T&D Explorer:

‰ Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar, then Programs, then Cooper Power
Systems, and then Visual T&D.

‰ Click on Explorer.

The program displays a dialog box in which you can enter the address of the server you want
to connect to, your user name and your user password.

Note: Remember that Visual T&D Explorer and the server program can be installed on
different computers. All program functions are available, whether the server is
installed locally or remotely.

Visual T&D Explorer • 25

 Box Description
Server Enter the address of your server. Otherwise, you can select a server from a drop-
down list of recently used servers.

<local server> means that the Explorer and Server programs are installed on the
same computer.

User name Specifies the user name.

Password Specifies the user password.

Change password When selected, prompt the user to change its password right after logon.
after logon

Note: For the demonstration version, User name and Password are both set to
"tutorial".

The Data Displays

As its name indicates, Visual T&D allows you to view the data related to a power plant or
substation in different ways. You access the various data displays using the tabs at the bottom of
the main program window.

When Explorer starts up, it automatically displays the Alarms and Events view. Use this display
to view and manage the alarms and events that occur in a power plant or substation.

Use the Real-Time Data display to see the current state of the site in real time.

26 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Use the Historical Data display to consult and analyze the historical data accumulated for the site.

The Current Site Configuration

When you open Visual T&D Explorer and connect to the server, the program automatically opens
the current site configuration, that is to say, the site configuration currently loaded on the server.
The name of the configuration, as well as the name of the user account used to contact the server,
is displayed on the title bar.

If you are using the demonstration version of Visual T&D, this will be a site configuration called
Tutorial.

If you are using the complete version of the program and are starting the program for the first
time, the system will automatically open an empty site configuration called Default.

You will probably want to customize the site configuration with your corporate settings. The
sections that follow will guide you through the process of defining a new site for which you will
enter your specific settings.

Managing the Site Configuration

All the information related to the configuration of a particular site is stored in a set of
configuration files. These files are grouped together in a folder on both the client and server
computers.

When you create a new configuration, the program creates a new folder with the name that you
provide. The folder is created on the client workstation. When you choose the Update Site
Configuration command in the Site menu, the program copies the folder and all the files to the
server. The server then activates the site configuration.

The Configuration Files

The site configuration consists of a set of files. The most important file is the configuration file.
This file is a standard Microsoft Access file (file type MDB) that contains all the data that you
enter in the Site and Categories tabs.

The site configuration also contains bitmap files (file type BMP) that define the icons displayed
with the data points, detail files that are associated with alarms, and template files used to create
reports. The bitmap and detail files are stored in separate folders called Res and Details,
respectively.

Creating a New Site

To create a new site:

‰ Choose the New Site command in the Site menu.

A wizard displays the New Site Configuration dialog box.

Visual T&D Explorer • 27

 ‰ Enter the name of the new site, and click Next.

The wizard now displays a dialog so that you can define the data sources.

Configuring the Data Sources

Typically, you will define a single data source. Larger sites, however, may have two or more data
sources, since there is a limit to the number of points an SMP Gateway or OPC Server can
monitor. In the example below, we added 2 SMP Gateway data sources.

Object Description
List of data sources This is the list of data sources you have defined. The list grows whenever you
click the Add button and specify a new data source, and diminishes whenever
you select a data source in the list and click the Delete button.

Name Displays the name of the data source.

Address Displays the machine name or IP address of the data source.

28 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
Type Displays the type of data source: SMP Gateway, OPC Server or Communication
Server.

Time Source Displays the data source that will act as the time source for the system. This
data source will be used to synchronize the computer clock at regular intervals.
There can only be one time source.

Add Displays the types of data sources you can add:

‰ SMP Gateway
‰ OPC server
‰ Communication server

Once you make your selection, the corresponding properties dialog box appears,
allowing you to define the data source. When you close the dialog box, the new
data source appears in the list.

Edit Allows you to modify the properties of the selected data source.

Delete Deletes the selected data source from the list.

To set up an SMP Gateway as a data source:

‰ Click Add, then SMP Gateway.

The following dialog box appears:

Object Description
Name Use this box to assign a name to the SMP Gateway.

Visual T&D Explorer • 29

 Object Description
First address Specify the machine name or IP address of the SMP Gateway.

Second address If Visual T&D is connected to your SMP Gateway via redundant links, you
have to specify the IP address of the second Ethernet port in this box.

Data points prefix Specifies a prefix to be appended to the name of every data point of the
SMP Gateway. If you have only one data source, you do not need to enter a
prefix. However, if you have more than one data source, we strongly
recommend that you specify a prefix to ensure that all data points are unique
across the entire system. Otherwise, if you add a new data point and Visual
T&D detects that this new data point has the same as an existing data point, it
will disable the new data point.

Login ID Specify the login name used to connect to the SMP Gateway, if required.

Password Specify the password used to connect to the SMP Gateway, if required.

The device is the Put a checkmark if you want the SMP Gateway to be used as the time source for
time source the system. To qualify as a time source, the SMP Gateway has to be
synchronized to an external clock. See “Timestamping in Visual T&D”,
page 12.

Device time is in This box normally has a checkmark, as the SMP Gateway uses UTC time by
UTC (GMT) default.

However, if you have set up your SMP Gateway with local time, remove the
checkmark. The box located below the checkbox will then become available,
and you can use the drop-down list to specify the time zone. In this case, you
must also indicate if the device’s clock is adjusted for daylight saving changes.

‰ Enter the requested settings, and then click OK.

Note: If version 5.1 or later of the SMP Gateway software is installed on the gateway,
the built-in firewall of the gateway must be configured to allow VPN connections.
Otherwise, Visual T&D will not be able to connect to the real-time database of the
gateway.

To learn how to configure the built-in firewall of an SMP Gateway, refer to the
SMP Gateway User Manual, GUI-00316-00001 T.

To set up an OPC server as a data source

‰ Click Add, then OPC server.

The following dialog box appears:

30 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
Name Use this box to assign a name to the OPC server. Use the COM server name, as
documented by the OPC server manufacturer.

Address Specify the machine name or IP address of the data source.

If the OPC server and the Visual T&D server are both running on the same
computer, enter 127.0.0.1 to indicate that it is the local computer.

Data points prefix Specifies a prefix to be appended to the name of every data point on the OPC
server. Note that it is not necessary to enter a prefix. Prefixes ensure that data
point names are unique across the system.

‰ Enter the requested settings, and then click OK.

To set up the communication server as a data source

‰ Click Add, then Communication server.

The following dialog box appears:

Object Description
Data points prefix Specifies a prefix to be appended to the name of every data point on the
communication server. Note that it is not necessary to enter a prefix. Prefixes
ensure that data point names are unique across the system.

Device time is in This box normally has a checkmark, as the communication server uses UTC
UTC (GMT) time by default.

However, if you have set up the communication server with local time, remove
the checkmark. The box located below the checkbox will then become

Visual T&D Explorer • 31

 Object Description
available, and you can use the drop-down list to specify the time zone. In this
case, you must also indicate if the device’s clock is adjusted for daylight saving
changes.

Configure Opens the communication server editor, so that you can configure the protocols
and data points to be acquired from the communication server. The button is
available only if the Communication Server option is installed. See Visual T&D
Communication Server Option, GUI-00115-00035 T, for details.

‰ Enter the requested settings, and then click OK.

When you have finished specifying the data sources, click Next.

Selecting Data Sources

You now have to choose the data sources for which you want to retrieve the data point settings.

‰ Click one or more sources in the list, and then click Next.

Loading the New Site Configuration on the Server

Visual T&D will now retrieve all the data point settings for the selected data sources and update
the site configuration accordingly. The site configuration will not be activated until you load it on
the server.

32 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ Click Yes to load and activate the site configuration, and then click Finish.

Customizing the New Site Configuration

As soon as you have obtained the data point settings from the data sources, you will want to
customize the site configuration. For example, you will probably want to enter the site layout. As
for the data points, the initial settings are somewhat skeletal; so, you may want to identify which
data points are to trigger an alarm and which are to trigger an event. You may also want to
categorize your equipment so that the data points can be displayed together by region, substation,
IED, bay, and so on.

For details, refer to the following sections:

‰ “Defining Miscellaneous Categories”, page 42;

‰ “Editing Data Points”, page 50;

‰ “Deleting the Site Layout”, page 83.

Loading an Existing Site Configuration on the Server

The behavior of the server program is determined by the site configuration. You can create any
number of different site configurations, but only one configuration can be active at any given time
on the server. For instance, you may begin by creating a basic site configuration that only contains
the description of the data sources and the list of active data points. Later on, you may create a
new site configuration in which you define the alarm thresholds for analog data points.

When you create a new configuration, the Visual T&D Explorer program creates the files on the
client workstation. When you load a site configuration on the server, if it’s a new configuration,
the program copies all the configuration files to the server and then activates the configuration. If
it’s not a new configuration, the server simply loads the newly requested configuration.

To load a site configuration on the server:

Visual T&D Explorer • 33

 ‰ Choose the Load Site Configuration command in the Site menu.

The command displays a dialog box from which you can select the configuration to be loaded.

Box Description
Available site Displays the list of available site configurations. The current site configuration is
configurations identified by [current].

Site configurations that only exist on the client workstation are identified by
[client]. These site configurations will automatically be copied to the server
before they are activated.

Manually Updating the Site Configuration on the Server

Just as when you create a new site configuration, all the changes you perform on the current site
configuration remain on the client workstation until they are transferred to the server. You must
transfer your modified site configuration to the server for it to become effective.

To transfer the modified site configuration and update the server:

‰ Choose the Update Site Configuration command in the Site menu.

Note: You may choose to terminate the Visual T&D Explorer program without updating
a modified site configuration. The program will detect the changes the next time
you connect to the server and will prompt you to update the server.

Automatically Updating the Site Configuration on the Server

When Visual T&D Explorer connects to the server, it compares the site configuration stored on the
client computer with the one stored on the server. If they are identical, the program starts as usual.
If the site configurations are different, the program determines which one must be updated
according to the following rules:

‰ If you have modified the site configuration on the client computer, the program prompts you
to update the server. If you choose not to update the server at this time, the program renames
the site configuration that you have modified and updates the client computer from the server.

34 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ If you have not modified the site configuration, the program assumes that it has been modified
by another user and automatically updates the configuration on the client computer so that it is
identical to the one on the server.

Managing the Program Connection

When you start Visual T&D Explorer, you are prompted to connect to the server. If you click the
Cancel button, you will not be connected to the server and the program will not be able to access
real-time information.

You can choose to disconnect the program from the server at any time, either to connect to a
different server or to edit a configuration file that is not currently loaded on the server.

To disconnect from the server:

‰ Choose the Disconnect command in the Server menu.

To reconnect to the server or to connect to a different server:

‰ Choose the Connect command in the Server menu.

To reconnect to the server using a different account:

‰ Choose the Reconnect command in the Server menu.

Working While Not Connected to the Server

Although you usually work with Explorer and the Server connected, you may choose to create a
new site configuration or to edit an existing configuration while not connected to the server. For
example, you may want to modify a site configuration on a portable computer that is not currently
connected to the network.

To edit a site configuration while not connected to the server:

‰ Choose the Edit Configuration File command in the Site menu.

When you reconnect to the server, the program will automatically check whether the site
configuration on the server is identical to the one on the client computer. If the configurations
differ, the program will prompt you to update the server, as described previously.

Editing the Current Site Configuration

Many of the tasks you will perform, such as managing your data sources, identifying topological
categories and defining the site layout, will require that you edit the currently loaded site

Visual T&D Explorer • 35

 configuration.

To edit the current site configuration:

‰ Select the Edit Site Configuration command from the Site menu.

This command activates Edit mode. Two new tabs are added to the main program window - the
Site tab and the Categories tab.

The Site tab is used to specify the data sources from which points are obtained and to define the
various data points. Optionally, you can also define the layout of the power plant or substation.

The Categories tab is used to define the icons that the program will use in the different displays to
identify the type of data points and the status of binary points, to specify the units in which analog
values are to be displayed, to define the types of control operations that can be applied to data
points, and to classify your equipment by region, substation, IED, and so on.

Note: The Edit Site Configuration command is available only to those users who have
been attributed editing privileges.

Exporting the Site Configuration to a File

You can export the current site configuration, or a part of it, to a text file for backup purposes or to
help you configure another similar site.

To export the current site configuration:

‰ Make sure Edit mode is active. Site configuration export command is only available in that
mode. To activate Edit mode, select the Edit Site Configuration command from the Site
menu.

‰ Select the Export Configuration File command from the Site menu. A wizard displays the
Export Site Configuration dialog box.

36 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ You may choose from two actions: exporting the entire current site configuration, or a part of
it, or exporting only the expressions associated with the calculated points in the current site
configuration. Make your selection, and then click Next.

‰ If you choose to export the current site configuration, you must select the fields to export:

‰ Fields that may be exported are divided in two groups: Site fields, such as the data sources,
the input/output points and the site layout, and Categories fields, such as types, units and
functions. To select the entire site configuration, select the site name checkbox. Click Next.

Visual T&D Explorer • 37

 ‰ Specify a valid name and path for the destination file. Click Finish to perform the export. The
program will display a message when the export will be completed. Click OK.

Importing a Site Configuration File

You can import a site configuration file to help you configure your site faster.

To import a site configuration file:

‰ Make sure Edit mode is active. Site configuration import command is only available in that
mode. To activate Edit mode, select the Edit Site Configuration command from the Site
menu.

‰ Select the Import Configuration File command from the Site menu. The program displays a
file selection dialog box:

‰ Select the desired configuration file and click Import. Data found in the file will be merged to
the current site configuration. A message box will appear to remind you that the edited site

38 • Visual T&D Explorer

 configuration must be updated to the server to be effective. Click OK.

Managing the Data Sources

Once you have set up a site, you may want to add new data sources or delete existing data sources.
Or if any data points have been added to, modified or deleted from a data source, you will need to
update the site configuration to reflect the changes.

To manage Visual T&D server’s data sources:

‰ From the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

‰ Click on the Data Sources tab of the Site view, to display the list of data sources.

Object Description
List of data sources This is the list of data sources you have defined.

Name Displays the name assigned to the data source.

Address Displays the IP address or machine name of the data source.

Type Specifies the type of data source: SMP Gateway, OPC Server or
Communication Server.

Visual T&D Explorer • 39

 Object Description
Time Source Indicates whether or not the data source will act as the time source for the
system. The data source that acts as a time source will be used to synchronize
the computer clock at regular intervals. There can only be one time source.

Add Displays the types of data sources you can add:

‰ SMP Gateway
‰ OPC server
‰ Communication server

Once you make your selection, the corresponding properties dialog box appears,
allowing you to define the data source. When you close the dialog box, the new
data source appears in the list.

Edit Allows you to modify the properties of the selected data source.

Delete Deletes the selected data source. All data points associated with the data source
will also be deleted.

Update Queries the active data sources to determine which data point settings have
changed (if any), and updates the site configuration accordingly.

Adding or Modifying a Data Source

To add a new data source or modify an existing data source:

‰ Click the Add button in the Data Sources tab of the Site view, and then choose the type of
data source you want to add: an SMP Gateway, an OPC server or a communication server.

OR

‰ Click on the data source in a Data Sources tab of the Site view, and then click the Edit
button.

The program displays the appropriate dialog box, depending on the data source you are
adding or modifying.

‰ Enter the new information or make the desired modifications in one of the following dialog
boxes, depending on the data source:

‰ The SMP Gateway Properties dialog box (see “To set up an SMP Gateway as a data
source”, page 29).

‰ The OPC Server Properties dialog box (see “To set up an OPC server as a data source”,
page 30).

‰ The Communication Server Properties dialog box (see “To set up the communication
server as a data source”, page 31).

When you add a new data source, the program asks if you want it to query the data source to
retrieve the description of all the data points. If you accept, the data points will be added to your
site configuration.

40 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Updating the Data Point Settings
Whenever you add, modify or delete data points on the data source, you must update the Visual
T&D site configuration to reflect the changes. Visual T&D can automatically query the data
source to determine which data points have changed.

To update the site configuration to reflect changes to the data sources:

‰ Click the Update button in the Data Sources tab of the Site view.The program displays a
dialog box in which you can select the data source(s) you want to update.

If there is no difference between the data source and the points defined in the site
configuration, the program displays a message indicating that no changes were detected.

If the points in the data source have been modified, the program displays a dialog box in
which you can select the data points to be added, removed or modified in your site
configuration.

‰ Use the mouse to select the points you want to update, or click All to select all the points in a
list, or click None to select none.

‰ If there are points that you don't need but that you want to avoid seeing in the list of points to
be added each time you perform an update, click the checkbox at the bottom of the dialog
box. Visual T&D will add the points to your site configuration, but will mark them as

Visual T&D Explorer • 41

 disabled. If you want to use some of these points later on, you can edit the site configuration
and remove the Disabled checkmarks for the desired data points.

‰ Click Update to update the Visual T&D site configuration.

The system displays a message indicating that the site configuration has been updated.

To make sure each data source is started and connected to Visual T&D, use the Data Sources
view in the Real-Time Data display. See “The Data Sources View”, page 131.

Note: Changes to the site configuration are not effective until you update the server by
selecting the Update Site Configuration command in the Site menu.

Defining Miscellaneous Categories

The Visual T&D program provides you with a set of default icons and units that are used in the
various views to identify the types of data points involved, the status of binary points, and the
units in which analog values will be displayed. You can add, modify or delete the icons, units and
types to suit your needs. You assign units and types to data points when you configure them.
Visual T&D provides an empty icon that is automatically used if you don’t assign any specific
icon or unit to a data point, or if the associated file is unavailable or in the wrong format.

You can also assign control schemes that can be applied to output data points, such as open/close
or pulse operations.

Lastly, you can classify your equipment by region, substation, IED, and so on, to reflect the
topology of your site.

To categorize your equipment:

‰ In the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

‰ Click the Categories tab at the bottom of the main program window.

The Categories view consists of several tabs:

‰ Binary Types

‰ Type Icons

‰ Units

‰ Control Types

‰ Event Types

‰ Tag Types

‰ Regions, Substations, IEDs, Functions, Subfunctions, Voltage Levels, Bays and

Equipment.

42 • Visual T&D Explorer

 You define these categories in the listed order, since these categories become part of a drop-
down list for the following category in the list.

For example, if you define nine bays on the Bays page, they will appear in the drop-down list
of bays on the Equipment page, so that you can assign related equipment to a particular bay
within a substation.

All of this classification will appear in the Topology folder of the Real-Time Data server
views, once you update the server (see “Real-Time Data”, page 130).

Binary Types
Visual T&D Explorer uses binary state labels and icons to indicate the state of a given binary data
point type in the various Visual T&D displays. A pair of labels/symbols can be associated with the
active and inactive state of each binary point, for example: True/False, Local/Remote,
Input/Output.

Column Description
Name Specifies the name of the binary symbol.

This name is displayed in the list of available Input or Output Types in the
binary point configuration.

Sort Assigns a sorting order to the list of available Input or Output Types in the
binary point configuration.

You can use non-sequential numbers so that you can add binary types in the
future without changing the sorting order.

State 0 Label Specifies the string that will be used to display state 0 for this type of binary
point, in the real-time and historical data views.

State 1 Label Specifies the string that will be used to display state 1 for this type of binary
point, in the real-time and historical data views.

State 0 Icon Specifies the name of a bitmap file that will be used as an icon to display state 0
for this type of binary point, in the real-time and historical views.

Visual T&D Explorer • 43

 Column Description
State 1 Icon Specifies the name of a bitmap file that will be used as an icon to display state 1
for this type of binary point, in the real-time and historical views.

Note: State icon files must be .bmp files and must contain a 13 X 13 pixel image. These
files normally reside in the Res folder of your site. If you select an image file in
another folder, Visual T&D automatically copies it to the Res folder when you
retrieve it for the first time.

Type Icons
Visual T&D Explorer uses type icons to identify the type of a data point. For example, you may
choose to display a thermometer for temperature alarms, a pressure indicator for air-pressure
alarms, and so on.

Column Description
Name Specifies the name of the icon.

This name is displayed in the list of available Icons in the point configuration.

Sort Assigns a sorting order to the list of available Icons in the point configuration.

You can use non-sequential numbers so that you can add type icons in the future
without changing the sorting order.

File Name Specifies the name of the file containing the icon image.

The program automatically adds a BMP extension to the file name.

44 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Note: Type icon files must be .bmp files and must contain a 13 X 13 pixel image. These
files normally reside in the Res folder of your site. If your image files reside
elsewhere, Visual T&D automatically copies them to the Res folder when you
retrieve them for the first time.

Units
The Units tab contains a list of the units and formats in which analog data points can be displayed
in the different views.

Column Description
Name Specifies the name of the unit.

This name is displayed in the list of available Units in the point configuration.

Sort Assigns a sorting order to the list of available Units in the point configuration.

You can use non-sequential numbers so that you can add units in the future
without changing the sorting order.

Visual T&D Explorer • 45

 Column Description
Format Specifies a control character string used by the software to display a value in
units. The format is "%X.YfZ", where X, Y and Z are variables representing the
following:

X number of significant digits before the decimal point

Y number of significant digits after the decimal point
Z unit abbreviation

Control Types
The Control Types tab contains a list of the control schemes that can be applied to output data
points. For instance, open/close and pulse operations are two different types of controls that need
to be configured. Visual T&D supplies default control types for typical uses, but you can modify
the configuration to suit your needs. For example, you may want to set an Open/Close type of
control operation with the label Trip instead of Open, and with a red button rather than with the
default window color.

For a detailed discussion on control operations, refer to “Control and Tag Operations”, page 183.

Column Description
Name Specifies the name of the control type.

This name is displayed in the Control Type list, in the binary and analog output
point configuration.

Control Sequence Lists the available control sequences: Select Before Operate (SBO), Logical
SBO and Direct Execute. In a logical SBO sequence, the Select operation is
performed logically by the SMP Gateway rather than physically by the device.

Execution Type Lists the available execution types: Open/Close, Pulse and Analog Setpoint.
Open/Close and Pulse apply only to binary output points, whereas Analog
Setpoint applies only to analog output points.

46 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Column Description
Open Label Description of the Open button in open/close control operation dialogs. You set
up the button by entering the following values, separated by commas, as shown
below:

Label, BackgroundColor, ForegroundColor

where:

Label is the text displayed on the button.

BackgroundColor is the color of the button.
ForegroundColor is the text color.

You can choose from among the following color mnemonics: black, blue, cyan,
green magenta, red, yellow, white, darkblue, darkcyan, darkgreen, darkmagenta,
darkred, darkyellow, darkgray, lightgray. In fact, you can use any of the color
mnemonics defined in HTML

For instance, if you specify an Open Label with TRIP,red,white, your control
operation dialogs will show a red button with TRIP written in white.

Close Label Description of the Close button in open/close control operation dialogs. See the
Open Label description for details.

Pulse Label Description of the Pulse button in pulse operation dialogs. See the Open Label
description for details.

Pulse Duration Default value, in milliseconds, for Pulse Duration in pulse operation dialogs.
You can change this default value for a specific operation.

Timeout Timeout value, in milliseconds, for the control operation. The system waits the
specified number of milliseconds before issuing a timeout error. A typical value
would be 5000 milliseconds.

Event Types
The Event Types tab is used to define categories of events that can be applied to data points. The
sole purpose of event types is to help organize and filter data points and their resulting events and
alarms in the various views.

Visual T&D Explorer • 47

 Column Description
Name Specifies the name of the event type.

Sort Assigns a sorting order to the list of available Event Types in the point
configuration.

You can use non-sequential numbers so that you can add event types in the
future without changing the sorting order.

Description Describes what distinguish events of this type from others.

Tag Types
The Tag Types tab is used to define up to 32 categories of tags that can be applied to data points.

Column Description
Index The index of the tag type, ranging from 1 to 32. All indexes must be unique, but
do not have to be consecutive.

Name Specifies the name of the tag type.

Action Indicates the action that is undertaken by the Visual T&D server when a tag of
this type is applied to a data point. The following actions are available:

‰ All control inhibited.

When a tag of this type is applied to an output point, it becomes inhibited
and control operations can no longer be performed on it.
‰ Information.
Applying a tag of this type on a data point has no specific effect: it is used
for informative purposes.

There is one tag type defined by default for each of these actions, named after
the action configured for them.

48 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Column Description
Group The group identifier of the tag type. Used to regroup tags in function of their
type. Must be different than 0. Different tag types can belong to the same group.

Priority The priority level of the tag type, used when multiple tags of different types are
applied simultaneously to the same data point. Must be different than 0, 1 being
the highest priority level.

Maximum The maximum number of tags of this type that can be applied to a given data
point, ranging from 0 to 1000.

When set to 0, there is no limit.

Description Describes what distinguish tags of this type from others.

Symbol Used for tag information display, such as in the real-time data table views. The
symbol is a character string, which cannot be longer than 10 characters.

Topological Categories
With Visual T&D, you can identify the various topological components of your site. These
components are represented by the following tabs:

‰ Regions.
This page contains the list of geographical regions in which the substations are located.

‰ Substations.
This page contains the list of substations within your defined regions.

‰ IEDs.
This page contains the list of IEDs within each substation. IEDs include such intelligent
devices as electronic multifunction meters, digital relays and controllers.

‰ Functions.
This page contains the list of functions within each substation. A function might be an alarm
at an entrance gate, for example.

‰ Subfunctions.
This page contains the list of subfunctions within each function. If a function consisted of an
alarm at a particular gate, a subfunction might be fire or theft.

‰ Voltage Levels.
This page contains the list of voltage levels at each substation.

‰ Bays.
This page contains the list of bays within each voltage level. A bay consists of a subset of
equipment that needs to be protected, such as a transformer and a line end. The control of its
switchgear is crucial; for example, which parts can be switched off at the same time with
minimal impact on the rest of the substation.

‰ Equipment.
This page contains the list of devices located in each bay, such as protection equipment,
switching equipment, feeders and transformers.

Visual T&D Explorer • 49

 You first define the regions, then the substations, and so on, since these categories become part of
a drop-down list for lower-level items. For example, if you define nine bays on the Bays page,
they will appear in the drop-down list of bays on the Equipment page, so that you can assign
related equipment to a particular bay within a substation. All of this classification will appear in
the Topology folder of the Real-Time Data server views, once you update the server (see “Real-
Time Data”, page 130).

The screenshot below shows the Equipment page.

Editing Data Points

In contrast to other applications on the market, Visual T&D does not use tags to identify points.
Only physical I/O and calculated data points, derived from physical I/O, count as licensed data
points. Binary points are used to determine the status of power equipment, such as circuit
breakers, and to perform control operations. Analog points are used to measure values such as
voltage or current.

For each type of data point, Visual T&D provides a grid of cells in which you enter point
properties such as the name of the point, its description, the zone to which the point has been
assigned, the data source from which the point is obtained, the scale and offset used to convert raw
data to scaled units, whether or not the point is an alarm and if it is, the priority of the alarm, and
so on.

The list of available data points and their properties is available from the Site view, in which you
can select the following pages:

‰ Binary inputs

‰ Binary outputs

‰ Analog inputs

‰ Analog outputs

50 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Naming Data Points
It is assumed that you are using a naming convention to identify the data points on your site. Each
data point in the system must be unique. However, you may have several identical devices in the
substation, to which you want to assign the same data point names. In the example below, there
are 3 devices of the same type that each have a data point called TRIP.

In order to distinguish the data points, Visual T&D uses the following convention:

<Data source><separator><device master prefix><separator><device signal name>

In our example, the data source is an SMP Gateway we have called Maple Grove, since it is
located in the Maple Grove substation. The device masters have prefixes SEL351_F1, SEL351_F2
and SEL351_F3, to represent Schweitzer SEL351 relays on feeders 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
Presuming that the separator is an underscore, Visual T&D will identify the 3 data points as:

Maple Grove_SEL351_F1_TRIP
Maple Grove_SEL351_F2_TRIP
Maple Grove_SEL351_F3_TRIP

Grouping Data Points

Visual T&D can group data points together according to your specifications. This grouping will
help you when you need to select data points in the following instances:

‰ When you select data points in order to generate calculated data points, using the Expression
Editor (see “Creating Calculated Data Points”, page 64).

‰ When you select data points for graphs in the Real-Time Trends view of the Real-Time
Data display (see “The Real-Time Trends Folder”, page 131).

Visual T&D Explorer • 51

 ‰ When you select data points for Table Views in the Real-Time Data display (see “The Table
Views Folder”, page 136).

‰ When you select data points for graphs on the Chart page of the Historical Data view (see
“The Chart View”, page 146).

‰ When you make a query on selected data points and generate a report (see “The Query View”,
page 152).

When you set the display options for data points, you can request that Visual T&D group together
data points that have names with a common beginning or a common ending. You can specify that
there is a delimiting character in a particular position of the data point name, or that you want to
group the data points by the first or last characters of their names.

For example, suppose the components of your data point names are delimited by underscores.

If you request that Visual T&D group the data points together by their common beginning, you
will obtain a result that looks like this:

If you then open one of the folders, the data points will be listed as follows:

If you repeat the exercise, requesting that Visual T&D group the data points together by their
common ending, you will obtain a result that looks like this:

52 • Visual T&D Explorer

 If you then open one of the folders, the data points will be listed as follows:

To specify how data points are to be grouped together, proceed as follows:

‰ Choose the Display Options command in the Tools menu.

Visual T&D displays the Display Options dialog box.

‰ Select the Group Settings tab.

Visual T&D Explorer • 53

 Box Description
Include binary Specifies whether or not binary points are to be made available for display.
points

Group data points Specifies whether or not the data points are to be grouped together.

If you do not select this checkbox, all dialog items below the checkbox will
become unavailable.

With a common Specifies that the data points are to be grouped together by the starting
beginning characters of their name.

With a common Specifies that the data points are to be grouped together by the trailing
ending characters of their name.

Are delimited by States that each data point name has the specified delimiting character, and that
the character ... in you are interested in the nth occurrence of the delimiter. If your data point
position ... names contain three separate underscores as delimiters, for example, and you
specify a position of 2, you are referring to the second underscore. Thus, Visual
T&D will group together data points that have a common name preceding the
second underscore or following the second underscore, depending on whether
you asked for grouping by names with a common beginning or a common
ending.

Have a fixed length Specifies that Visual T&D is to look at the specified number of characters. If
of ... characters you enter a value of 7, for example, Visual T&D will group together data points
that have names with the same 7 starting or trailing characters, depending on
whether you asked for grouping by names with a common beginning or a
common ending.

Preview This area displays the list of folders that Visual T&D has created based on your
grouping criteria. If you open the various folders, you will note that binary
points are displayed in blue, while analog points are displayed in green.

54 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Alarms and Events
In Visual T&D, data points can be configured so that a change in their value generates an event or
an alarm.

An alarm can be defined as an abnormal condition. For instance, a switch is open, a line has been
severed or a voltage has exceeded a safe limit. There are also system-related alarm conditions,
such as the fact that a data source clock is out of sync, that Visual T&D has lost contact with a
particular data source, or that the data log is full. Alarms are first and foremost a safety
mechanism. Their unique purpose is to warn the operator that something has gone wrong. This is
separate from taking corrective action or from the issue of whether or not the alarm condition has
returned to normal, which it might do on its own without external intervention. When alarms are
triggered, unless configured otherwise, they set off a sound warning system, which must be
cleared before they can be acknowledged. A return to normal condition is treated in the same way,
thereby making sure that the operator is aware of the new situation.

An event can be defined as any detectible occurrence that you want to be aware of without its
necessarily triggering an alarm. All alarms are events but the reverse is not necessarily true. Like
alarms, events can be triggered when there is a change in the state of a binary data point or when
the value of an analog point exceeds or falls below a certain limit defined in the point
configuration. An event can also be the result of an operator action such as closing a switch, or
uploading parameters. Visual T&D lists the last 5,000 events in the Events view of the Alarms
and Events display.

Whether a data point is an alarm or an event or neither is defined in its configuration.

Transitions and state changes on those data points that are not configured as being either alarms or
events are logged by the system but are not shown in the Alarms and Events display. You can
consult them in the Real-Time Data display or in the Chart view of the Historical Data display.
The Query view of the Historical Data display logs only those points that have been configured
as alarms or events. This view is especially useful in determining the sequence of events that
occurred at a particular point in time.

Using the Data Grid

You will enter and edit most of the site configuration values and data point properties in a standard
grid of cells, much as you would in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft ExcelTM. Since you
are probably familiar with the use of such grids, we will only describe the functions that are
specific to Visual T&D.

Scrolling Through the Grid

As in all Windows programs, you will use the scrollbar at the bottom of the grid to scroll through
the display.

When scrolling horizontally, the Source and Name column remains fixed, making it easy for you
to see for which point you are modifying the properties.

Sorting Grid Items by a Particular Column

To sort the list of items in a grid by a particular column:

‰ Double-click on the column heading to sort the data in ascending order, and then double-click
on the column heading again to sort the data in descending order, and so on.

Visual T&D Explorer • 55

 OR

‰ Click on the column heading to select the column, and then click the Sort Ascending or Sort
Descending command in the Edit menu.

Resizing a Column
As in all Windows programs, you can resize a column in any grid, to the size of the largest entry
in the column.

To do this:

‰ Double-click on the right border of the heading of the column you want to resize.

OR

‰ Click on the right border of the heading of the column you want to resize.

‰ Drag the mouse to the right, until the column expands to the size of the largest entry.

Adding New Points

Visual T&D automatically retrieves the definition of all the points in a data source, so you do not
need to add device data points manually. However, you may want to add calculated data points,
the value of which will be derived from physical data points. To do this, follow the procedure
outlined under “Creating Calculated Data Points”, page 64.

Deleting a Point or a Line

To delete a data point or a line in a grid:

‰ Select the line to be deleted by clicking in the left margin of the grid.

‰ Delete the line:

‰ Choose the Delete command in the Edit menu.

OR

‰ Click the DEL key on your keyboard.

The Fill Area Commands

Whenever you need to copy a value to a number of cells in the grid, you can use the Set Fill Area,
Add to Fill Area, Clear Fill Area and Copy Cell to Fill Area commands in the Edit menu or on
the Fill Area toolbar. Note that these commands can only be used for one column at a time.

56 • Visual T&D Explorer

 The Fill Area toolbar provides a shortcut to the following commands:

Button Description
Set Fill Area button. Selects the lines you want to include in your fill area. The
selection is displayed in gray.

Add To Fill Area button. Adds the selected lines to the fill area.

Clear Fill Area button. Cancels the selection of a fill area.

Copy Cell to Fill Area button. Propagates the value of the selected cell to all
the cells in the same column within the fill area.

To copy the value of one cell to a group of cells in the same column:

‰ Use the mouse or the keyboard to select the group of lines that contain the cells to which you
want to copy the value.

‰ Click the Select Fill Area button or choose the command in the Edit menu.

The selected lines will be displayed in gray.

‰ Click anywhere in the cell that contains the value you want to copy.

‰ Click the Copy Cell to Fill Area button or choose the command in the Edit menu.

The cell contents will be copied to all the cells in the same column, within the fill area.

‰ Click the Clear Fill Area button to remove the selection of the fill area.

You can cancel the fill operation before the operation is complete:

‰ Click the Clear Fill Area button to remove the selection of the fill area.

You can add one or more lines to an existing fill area, and the lines to be added do not have to be
contiguous:

‰ Select the line or lines to be added. If you are adding several lines, use the Shift or Ctrl key.

‰ Click the Add to Fill Area button or choose the command in the Edit menu.

The lines you have added are displayed in gray and are now part the fill area.

Configuring Binary Points

The properties that you enter for a point define how Visual T&D processes the data, how it is
displayed, and the alarms and events that can be associated with the point. Some properties are
optional, while others must be entered.

Visual T&D Explorer • 57

 The Binary Inputs and Binary Outputs pages of the Site view define all the binary data points
associated with a site. This includes the name of the point, its description, the type of point it is,
the zone to which the point has been assigned, the data source from which the point is obtained,
whether or not the point is an alarm and if it is, the priority status of the alarm, and so on.

To display a binary input or output page:

‰ From the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

‰ Click on the Site tab at the bottom of the screen.

‰ Click on the desired tab at the top of the screen.

Column Description
Source Indicates the name of the data source from which the data point is obtained.

Name Specifies the name (maximum of 120 characters) given to the binary point.

Disabled Put a checkmark in this box if you want Visual T&D to ignore this data point.
You can enable the point later on, since the data point will not be deleted. All
data points are enabled by default.

Binary Type Selects one of the binary symbol/label pairs defined on the Binary Types page
of the Categories view. The program will use the associated symbols to
represent the state of the data point in the Alarms and Events and Real-Time
Data displays.

Description Describes the binary point (maximum of 120 characters), i.e., the type of
information conveyed by the point.

58 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Column Description
Expression If the source is "internal", this is a calculated data point, the value of which is
determined by an expression (see “Creating Calculated Data Points”, page 64).

Need Log Indicates whether or not the value of the data point is to be logged.

Publish Put a checkmark in this box if you want the communication server to make this
data point available to a slave component. You can use this functionality to send
Visual T&D data points to a control center. The communication server has to be
installed on your computer.

Publish OPC Put a checkmark in this box if you want the OPC data access interface of the
Visual T&D server to make this data point available to an OPC client. The OPC
Data Access option has to be installed on your computer.

Event Specifies whether or not a state change on this data point is to be recorded as an
event by the server.

Select <None> if you do not want to record this point’s state changes, or
<Generic> if you want to record changes as generic events. You can also use
any of the event types defined on the Event Types page of the Categories
view.

Alarm Specifies whether or not a state change on this data point is to be handled as an
alarm by the server.

Alarm State Indicates which state of the binary data point is considered to be an alarm
condition.

Choose "State 1" or "State 0" if you want to generate an alarm when the data
point is in the specified state. For example, you may want to trigger an alarm
when a breaker is tripped. If the breaker is subsequently closed, the alarm state
will disappear. You can acknowledge this type of alarm, but you cannot clear it.

Choose "All transitions" if you want to generate an alarm for every transition on
the data point. This option is especially useful for representing transitory states.
An example might be the case where a door would open for a few seconds,
thereby generating an alarm, and then close, generating a second alarm. Another
example might be a notification that a DFR was received. You can both
acknowledge and clear this type of alarm.

Bad Quality Alarm Specifies whether or not a quality change on this data point is to be handled as
an alarm by Visual T&D. The associated alarm is active when the quality of the
data point is bad.

Alarm Descr. Optional. Describes (maximum of 120 characters) the condition that triggers the
alarm if the alarm checkbox is selected. This description is displayed in the
Alarms and Events view. If the field is empty, the binary point description is
displayed instead.

Priority Indicates the alarm priority.

The priorities are: 1 (high), 2 (medium), and 3 (low).

App. Filter Appearance filter. Selects the time that must elapse (in milliseconds) before an
alarm is triggered, once an alarm condition has been detected. A value of zero
cancels the filter.

Visual T&D Explorer • 59

 Column Description
Dis. Filter Disappearance filter. Selects the time that must elapse (in milliseconds) before
an alarm returns to normal, once a return to normal condition has been detected.
A value of zero cancels the filter.

Detail File Optional. Use this box to specify:

‰ the name of a detail file located on the server’s computer in the Details
folder, under Server;

OR

‰ a URL address, i.e., a link to a Web page where you keep detail files.

A detail file contains details or operator instructions for an alarm.

If an alarm is triggered, a "D" will be displayed in the status column of the data
point, on the Alarms page of the Alarms and Events view. If you then select
the data point in the view, and click Details in the View menu, Visual T&D will
open the file or Web page that you have specified here.

Inverted Polarity Specifies whether or not the binary input should be inverted at the server level.
This column exists for input data points only.

Input Type Selects one of the types defined on the Type Icons page of the Categories
Output Type view. The program will use the associated symbols to represent the type of the
data point in the Alarm and Events and Real-Time Data displays.

Control Type Selects the control type associated with the binary output point, for control
operations. Select <Undefined> if you want to disable control operations for the
data point. This column exists for output data points only.

Monitoring Point Indicates the monitored input point which value is displayed in control
operation dialogs. Select <Undefined> to display the value of the output point
on which a control operation is currently being performed. This column exists
for output data points only.

Zone Identifies the zone in which the data point is located. Zones are defined in the
Site Layout page of the Site view.

Addr-1 Optional. Specifies three addresses that can be associated with the data point for
Addr-2 informational purposes.
Addr-3

Region Each item has a drop-down list that allows you to choose the region, the
Substation substation, the voltage level, etc., to which the data point belongs. This is the
IED topology you established via the Categories view.
Function
Subfunction
Voltage Level
Bay
Equipment

60 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Configuring Analog Points
The Analog Inputs and Analog Outputs pages of the Site view contain the configuration of all
analog points associated with a site. This includes the name of the point, the data source from
which the point is obtained, its description, the zone to which the point has been assigned, the
scale and offset used to convert raw data to scaled units, whether or not the point is an alarm and if
it is, the priority of the alarm, and so on. Note that the analog inputs page includes system points,
as shown in the screenshot. You cannot edit system points. For a description of the system data
points, refer to “System Data Points”, page 74.

To display an analog input or output page:

‰ From the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

‰ Click on the Site tab at the bottom of the screen.

‰ Click on the desired tab at the top of the screen.

Column Description
Source Indicates the name of the data source from which the data point is obtained.

Name Specifies the name (maximum of 120 characters) given to the analog point.

Disabled Specifies whether or not Visual T&D subscribes for transitions on the data
point. A disabled data point does not exist in the Visual T&D real-time
database.

Description Describes the analog point (maximum of 120 characters), i.e., the type of
information conveyed by the point..

Visual T&D Explorer • 61

 Column Description
Expression If the source is "internal", this is a calculated data point, the value of which is
determined by an expression (see “Creating Calculated Data Points”, page 64).

Data Type Indicates the type of point. An analog point can be floating point, 16-bit signed,
or 32-bit signed. This setting provides the size of the field and is used for data
logging.

Scale Used to scale raw readings of analog data point values, according to the
Offset following formula:

Scaled value (Unit) = (Raw reading x scale)+ offset

By default, the scale is 1 and the offset is 0.

Unit Selects one of the units defined in the Categories view. The program uses this
selected unit to format the value of the data point when it is displayed.

Low EGU Specifies the minimum and maximum values the analog data point can attain, in
High EGU engineering units. These values are used to set the operational range of the data
point. Out-of-range values are marked as being of bad quality.

Deadband Specifies the minimum change, in engineering units, that must occur on a data
point for the change to be considered significant. If the change is less that the
deadband value, no data logging or reporting takes place. This is used with
high-disturbance signals, to limit the amount of data recorded.

Need Log Indicates whether or not the value of the data point is to be logged.

Publish Put a checkmark in this box if you want the communication server to make this
data point available to a slave component. You can use this functionality to send
Visual T&D data points to a control center. The communication server has to be
installed on your computer.

Publish OPC Put a checkmark in this box if you want the OPC data access interface of the
Visual T&D server to make this data point available to an OPC client. The OPC
Data Access option has to be installed on your computer.

Event Specifies whether or not a transition on this data point is to be recorded as an

event by the server.

Select <None> if you do not want to record this point’s transitions. Or select
<Generic> if you want to record the transitions as generic events. You can also
use any of the event types defined on the Event Types page of the Categories
view.

Alarm Specifies whether or not a transition on this data point is to be handled as an

alarm by the server.

Bad Quality Alarm Specifies whether or not a quality change on this data point is to be handled as
an alarm by Visual T&D. The associated alarm is active when the quality of the
data point is bad.

Alarm Descr. Describes (maximum of 120 characters) the condition that triggers the alarm if
the alarm checkbox is selected. This description is displayed in the Alarms and
Events view.

62 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Column Description
Priority Indicates the alarm priority.

The priorities are 1 (high), 2 (medium) and 3 (low).

Lower Threshold Indicates the value of the lower threshold, in engineering units.

An event or alarm condition is generated if the scaled value falls below this
threshold value. A negative value is allowed.

Upper Threshold Indicates the value of the upper threshold, in engineering units.

An event or alarm condition is generated if the scaled value exceeds this

threshold value. A negative value is allowed.

App. Filter Appearance filter. Selects the time that must elapse (in milliseconds) before an
alarm is triggered, once an alarm condition has been detected. A value of zero
cancels the filter.

Dis. Filter Disappearance filter. Selects the time that must elapse (in milliseconds) before
an alarm returns to normal, once a return to normal condition has been detected.
A value of zero cancels the filter.

Detail File Optional. Use this box to specify:

‰ the name of a detail file located on the server’s computer, in the Details
folder, under Server;

OR

‰ a URL address, i.e., a link to a Web page where you keep detail files.

A detail file contains details or operator instructions for an alarm.

If an alarm is triggered, a "D" will be displayed in the status column of the data
point, on the Alarms page of the Alarms and Events view. If you then select
the data point in the view, and click Details in the View menu, Visual T&D will
open the file or Web page that you have specified here.

Input Type Selects one of the icons defined in the Type Icons page of the Categories tab.
Output Type The program will use the icon to represent the type of the data point in the
Alarms and Events and Real-Time Data displays.

Control Type Selects the control type associated with the analog output point, for control
operations. Select <Undefined> if you want to disable control operations for the
data point. This column exists for output data points only.

Monitoring Point Indicates the monitored input point which value is displayed in control
operation dialogs. Select <Undefined> to display the value of the output point
on which a control operation is currently being performed. This column exists
for output data points only.

Zone Selects the zone in which the data point is located. Zones are defined in the Site
Layout page of the Site tab.

Addr-1 Optional. Specifies three addresses that can be associated with the data point for
Addr-2 informational purposes.
Addr-3

Visual T&D Explorer • 63

 Column Description
Region Each item has a drop-down list that allows you to choose the region, the
Substation substation, the voltage level, etc., to which the data point belongs. This is the
IED topology you established via the Categories view.
Function
Subfunction
Voltage Level
Bay
Equipment

Creating Calculated Data Points

Visual T&D enables you to derive a data point through a mathematical expression that includes
existing data points.

For instance, you may want to set an alarm on the power level but no such data point is available.
If data points are available for voltage and current, you can simply define a new data point that is
calculated as the voltage times the current.

Calculated data points can also be used to set up high-high and low-low alarms. For example, you
want a high-high alarm to be generated if a certain data point exceeds a particular value. You set
up a calculated data point, which you identify as being a high-high alarm. You set up an
expression that evaluates the physical data point you want to measure, and you establish an upper
threshold for the calculated data point. If the value of the physical data point exceeds the
threshold, the expression of the calculated data point evaluates to true, and an alarm is generated.

The expression for deriving a calculated data point can be evaluated in one of two ways:

‰ By exception.
Whenever there is a transition on the data points included in the expression. If you choose this
option, you also specify whether the evaluation is to be triggered by a specific data point or by
any data point in the expression.

‰ Periodically.
Every X milliseconds.

You can choose to have the expression evaluated either by exception or periodically, or both. If
you choose both, the expression will be evaluated once every X milliseconds as well as anytime
there is a transition on a data point or signal used in the expression. If you do not choose either
method, the expression will be evaluated only once, on startup of the Visual T&D server.

To create a calculated data point:

‰ In the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

‰ In the Site view, click on the binary or analog page to which you want to add the calculated
data point.

‰ Scroll down to the last line of the grid, marked by the "*" symbol.

‰ Enter the data point name, description, and so on.

64 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ Choose Internal in the Source drop-down list.

‰ Click in the Expression column.

The word "Undefined" will appear.

‰ Click on the arrow, next to the word "Undefined".

Visual T&D displays the Expression Editor dialog box.

The Expression Editor is used to enter the expression that generates the value of the calculated
data point. It is displayed across several windows, which allow you to set the attributes of the
calculated data point and assist you in editing the expression.

Use the toolbar at the top of the dialog to validate, save and close the expression, or to undo the
last change to the expression.

The table below describes the various dialog windows:

Window Description
Properties Used to specify the different attributes of the calculated data point. These
attributes are defined in the sections below.

Visual T&D Explorer • 65

 Window Description
Data Points Used to select and enter existing data points in the expression. You can select
data points from the list of available data points. These are grouped together in
folders, based on grouping criteria that you established with the Group Settings
tab of the Display Options dialog (see “Grouping Data Points”, page 51).

If you open the various folders, you will note that binary points are displayed in
blue, while analog points are displayed in green.

The list is a memory jogger for selecting I/O points to be used in the expression.
Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor location in the expression
window.

DFR Displays the list of all the digital fault records and channels defined in Visual
T&D (see “Defining Digital Fault Records”, page 83).

Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor position in the expression

window.

Functions Displays the list of all the functions that can be inserted in the expression.
Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor location in the expression
window. The various functions are described in the sections below.

Operators Displays the list of all the operators, constants and variables that can be inserted
in the expression. Double-click on an item to insert it at the cursor location in
the expression window. The various operators are described in the sections
below.

Expression Used to enter and edit the expression to be evaluated. You can enter the
(empty window at expression directly from the keyboard or use the memory-jogging windows
the bottom of the described above.
dialog)
The result of the evaluation of the expression is assigned as the value of the
calculated data point.

A calculated data point has the following properties:

Properties Description
Name Name of the calculated data point for which the expression is currently being
edited. This field cannot be edited. To edit an expression for another calculated
data point, close the editor and select another data point in one of the analog or
binary point pages in the Site view.

Timestamp Defines how the calculated data point is to be timestamped. Specify "Server" if
you want the system time to be used as the timestamp, and specify "Triggered
point" if you want the timestamp to be the time of the point that triggered the
calculation.

By default, the calculated data point is time-stamped by the Visual T&D server.

Quality Specifies whether the quality of the calculated data point will always be good,
or will depends on the quality of its source point(s)

If you select Use source quality, as soon as the quality of one of the source
points is bad, the calculated data point’s quality will also be bad.

66 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Properties Description
Time-based Specifies whether the expression is to be evaluated on a periodic basis. The time
interval is then specified via the Time interval attribute. Normally, expressions
are not evaluated on a periodic basis.

Time interval (ms) Specifies that the expression is to be evaluated every X milliseconds. This time
interval applies only if the Time-based attribute specifies "Yes". The minimum
value is 50 ms.

By exception Specifies whether the expression is to be evaluated whenever there is a

transition on one of the data points or signals in the expression.

Specific trigger Specifies whether the evaluation of the expression is to be triggered by a single
data point ("Yes") or by any data point ("No") in the expression. This attribute
is ignored if By exception is set to "No".

Triggered by Used to specify the name of the data point or signal that will trigger the
evaluation of the expression. This attribute is ignored if Specific trigger is set
to "No".

Note: Any data point can be used as the trigger, even if it is not used in the
expression.

Data Point Names in Expressions

To use a data point in an expression, simply enter the name of the data point. Make sure to include
the prefix, if applicable.

A data point name used in an expression must adhere to the following Visual Basic-like notation:

‰ It must begin with a letter.

‰ It can include alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9), the underscore separator " _ " (without
the quotes), and special characters, such as a period.

If the data point name contains a special character, it must be surrounded by the special delimiter
character " ` " (ASCII 096). For example, a physical data point name of T5.APHA must be
declared as ` T5.APHA`.

Here are some examples of valid expressions:

120 + ( CurrentPoint * 0.02 * ( Rand() - 1 ) )

( 0.85 * `T5.APHA` * `T5.KVAB` ) / 1000

`1B17.MA` AND (`120-1.MA` AND NOT `120-1.MB` ) AND `1B1.MA`

Imbalance(`T5.APHA`, `T5.APHB`, `T5.APHC`)

Comments in Expressions
Expressions can span several lines. To insert a comment into an expression, put a single quote at
the beginning of the line.

Visual T&D Explorer • 67

 For instance:

' Calculates the imbalance of transformer #5

Imbalance(`T5.APHA`, `T5.APHB`, `T5.APHC`)

Condition Statements
You can use the following condition statements in expressions:

Statement Description
If <condition> Then Evaluates the specified expression if the logical condition is true.
<expression>
Endif

IF <condition> Then Evaluates the expression specified after the "THEN" if the
<true expression> logical condition is true, or evaluates the expression specified
Else after the "ELSE" if the logical condition is false.
<false expression>
Endif Note that the expression can contain several embedded IF and
ELSE statements, in which case each ELSE statement is
associated with the IF statement closest to it.

Mathematical Functions
You can use the following built-in mathematical functions in expressions:

Function Description
Abs( x ) Calculates the absolute value of x.

Pow( x, y ) Calculates the value of x to the power of y.

Sqrt( x ) Calculates the square root of x.

Exp( x ) Calculates the value of e raised to the power of x.

Log( x ) Calculates the logarithm of x to the base 10.

Sin( x ) Calculates the sine of angle x, expressed in radians.

Cos( x ) Calculates the cosine of angle x, expressed in radians.

Tan( x ) Calculates the tangent of angle x, expressed in radians.

ArcSin( x ) Calculates the arcsine of angle x.

ArcCos( x ) Calculates the arccosine of angle x.

ArcTan( x ) Calculates the arctangent of angle x.

Min( x, y ) Compares the values of x and y, and retains the lesser of the two.

Max( x, y ) Compares the values of x and y, and retains the greater of the
two.

68 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Data Point Functions
You can use the following built-in data point functions in expressions. The transition functions are
used to perform historical queries on the data log.

Function Description
Imbalance( point A, point B, Calculates the imbalance among three phases, for the current
point C ) represented by the three data point names.

The calculation is defined as follows for a three-phase current:

((Imax - Imin) / Iavg) * 100

where:

Iavg = (AI + AB + IC) / 3

Imax = max (IA, IB, IC)
Imin = min (IA, IB, IC)

IsEqual( point1, point2, precision ) Compares point1 and point2, to the nearest precision significant
digits.

The expression evaluates to TRUE or FALSE, depending on

whether or not point1 = point2.

IsTrigger( point ) Evaluates to TRUE if the specified point causes the expression
to be reevaluated.

QualityOf( point ) Evaluates to TRUE if the value of the specified data point is
valid.

TimestampOf( point ) Returns the timestamp of a point, as a number of milliseconds

that have elapsed since an internal reference date and time. Use
this function for the sole purpose of comparing timestamps that
were obtained via a previous call to the TimestampOf() or
TransitionTimestamp() function.

Transitions( point, quantity ) Returns a signal consisting of the last quantity transitions on the
specified point. The signal returned by this function may have a
length shorter than that specified by the quantity parameter. Use
the TransitionQuantity() function to obtain the length of the
signal.

TransitionQuality( point, position ) Evaluates to the quality of the data point transition for the
position in historical data and for the point specified. The
position is relative to the current value. For instance, a position
of 2 returns the quality of the past 2nd transition in historical
data for the specified data point. If position is 0, the current
quality is returned.

TransitionQuantity( point, quantity ) Evaluates to the number of transitions in the signal returned by
the Transitions() function (see above).

TransitionValue( point, position ) Evaluates to the value of the point at the position in the data
log. The position is relative to the latest value in the data log for
the specified data point. For instance, a position of 2 returns the
value of the second-to-last transition that is recorded in the data
log for the specified data point.

Visual T&D Explorer • 69

 Function Description
TransitionTimestamp( point, This function is similar to the TimestampOf() function, except
position ) that you specify the position relative to the latest timestamp in
the data log for the specified data point. For instance, a position
of 2 returns the number of milliseconds that have elapsed, for
the second-to-last timestamp of this data point in the data log,
since a reference date and time. Use this function for the sole
purpose of comparing timestamps that were obtained via a
previous call to the TimestampOf() or TransitionTimestamp()
function.

BAD_QUALITY Sets the quality of a data point to bad. That is, the value of the
data point cannot be assumed to be correct.

Tag Functions
You can use the following built-in tag functions in expressions:

Function Description
ActiveTagCountOf( point ) Calculates the number of tags currently set to TRUE for the
specified data point name.

TagOf( point ) Calculates the integer value of all tag bits for the specified data
point name.

TagOf( point, type ) Evaluates to TRUE if the data point tag is set to the position
specified by type.

type can specify:

‰ 0 for an information tag

‰ 1 for an "All Control Inhibited" tag.

Generators
You can use the following built-in generators in expressions. Generators are used to
mathematically generate input values for data points.

Generator Description
Sine( amplitude, frequency, phase ) Generates an expression of the form: Sine( A, f, P ).

Calculates the value of a sinusoid with an amplitude of A, a

frequency of f Hertz, and an initial phase of P degrees. P is
optional and if you don't specify it, it will be assigned a value of
0.

Pulse( amplitude, frequency, duty Generates an expression of the form: Pulse( A, f, dc, d ).
cycle, delay )
Calculates the value of a pulse stream with an amplitude of A, a
frequency of f Hertz, a duty cycle of cd percent, and a delay of d
milliseconds. d is optional and if you don't specify it, it will be
assigned a value of 0.

70 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Generator Description
Saw( amplitude, frequency, delay ) Generates an expression of the form: Saw( A, f, d ).

Calculates the value of a sawtooth wave with an amplitude of A,

a frequency of f Hertz, and a delay of d milliseconds. d is
optional and if you don't specify it, it will be assigned a value of
0.

Randn( mean, variance ) Generates an expression of the form: Randn( mean, var ).

Calculates a random value with a normal distribution that has a

mean value of mean and a variance of var.

Rand() Generates an expression of the form: Rand( ).

Calculates a random value with a uniform distribution ranging

between 0.0 and 1.0.

DFR Processing Functions

You can use the following functions on channels in digital fault records. All the functions produce
a result in scalar format. DFR processing functions are performed on a user-defined data range. If
you do not specify a data range, the latter will include all data, that is, indexBegin=1 and
indexEnd=length of channel.

Function Description
Avg( signal, indexBegin=1, Calculates the mathematical average of the specified data range,
indexEnd=qty ) for the specified channel.

AvgRange( signal, percent, Calculates the arithmetic average of the channel data, excluding
indexBegin=1, indexEnd=qty ) the values that are away from the average by the specified
percent.

BestFit( signal, indexBegin=1, Using the least squares method, calculates slope m of the mx+b
indexEnd=qty ) equation line that best fits the specified channel.

Sum( signal, indexBegin=1, Calculates the sum of the data for the specified channel.
indexEnd=qty )

Min( signal, indexBegin=1, Returns the minimum value of the data for the specified channel.
indexEnd=qty )

MinPos ( signal, indexBegin=1, Returns the position of the minimum value of the data for the
indexEnd=qty ) specified channel.

Max( signal, indexBegin=1, Returns the maximum value of the data for the specified channel.
indexEnd=qty )

MaxPos ( signal, indexBegin=1, Returns the position of the maximum value of the data for the
indexEnd=qty ) specified channel.

AbsMax( signal, indexBegin=1, Returns the maximum value of the data for the specified channel,
indexEnd=qty ) expressed as an absolute value.

Visual T&D Explorer • 71

 Function Description
AbsMaxPos( signal, Returns the position of the absolute maximum value of the data
indexBegin=1, indexEnd=qty ) for the specified channel.

ItemsGreaterThan( signal, min, Calculates the number of items within the specified channel, that
indexBegin=1, indexEnd=qty ) have a value greater than min.

ItemsLessThan( signal, max, Calculates the number of items within the specified channel, that
indexBegin=1, indexEnd=qty ) have a value less than max.

ItemsBetween( signal, min, max, Calculates the number of items within the specified channel, that
indexBegin=1, indexEnd=qty ) have a value greater than min and less than max.

TimeStampOf( signal ) Returns the timestamp of the specified channel as a number of

milliseconds since a reference date and time. Use this function to
compare the timestamps of different channels.

Value( signal, index ) For the specified channel, returns the value of the data located at
the specified index position.

Arithmetic Operators
You can use the following arithmetic operators in expressions:

Operator Description
+ [Add] Calculates the sum of the left and right operands.

- [Subtract] Calculates the difference between the left and right operands.

* [Multiply] Calculates the product of the left and right operands.

/ [Divide] Divides the left operand by the right operand.

( [Opening parenthesis] Expressions are evaluated according to standard operator precedence.

Parentheses are used to group sub-expressions and control the order in
which expressions are evaluated.

1 + 2 * 3 evaluates to 7

(1 + 2) * 3 evaluates to 9

) [Closing parenthesis] Expressions are evaluated according to standard operator precedence.

Parentheses are used to group sub-expressions and control the order in
which expressions are evaluated.

1 + 2 * 3 evaluates to 7

(1 + 2) * 3 evaluates to 9

Binary Operators
Binary operators are used to manipulate the individual bits of expressions or data points.

You can use the following binary operators in expressions:

72 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Operator Description
BAND Calculates a bitwise AND between the left and right operands.

For instance, 12 BAND 5 evaluates to 4 (1100 BAND 0101 is 0100).

BOR Calculates a bitwise OR between the left and right operands.

For instance, 12 BOR 5 evaluates to 13 (1100 BAND 0101 is 1101).

BNOT Calculates a bitwise NOT of the value to the right.

For instance, BNOT 0 evaluates to -1 (BNOT …0000 is …1111).

BXOR Calculates a bitwise XOR between the left and right operands.

For instance, 12 BXOR 5 evaluates to 9 (1100 BXOR 0101 is 1001).

BEQV Calculates a bitwise EQV between the left and right operands.
For instance, 12 BEQV 9 evaluates to 6 (1100 BEQV 0101 is 0110).

Logical Operators
Logical operators are used to combine the results of logical expressions such as comparisons.

You can use the following logical operators in expressions:

Operator Description
AND Evaluates to TRUE if the left and right operands are both TRUE.

OR Evaluates to TRUE if either the left or right operand is TRUE.

NOT Evaluates to TRUE if the value to the right is FALSE.

XOR Evaluates to TRUE if the left and right operands have different values.

EQV Evaluates to TRUE if the left and right operands have the same value.

Relational Operators
You can use the following relational operators in expressions:

Operator Description
< [Less than] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is less than the right operand.

> [Greater than] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is greater than the right operand.

<= [Less than or equal Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is less than or equal to the right
to] operand.

>= [Greater than or equal Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is greater than or equal to the right
to] operand.

Visual T&D Explorer • 73

 Operator Description
= [Equal to] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is equal to the right operand.

!= [Not equal to] Evaluates to TRUE if the left operand is different from the right operand.

Constants and Variables

You can use the following built-in constants and pseudo-variables in expressions:

Operator Description
CurrentPoint [Point Represents the current value, i.e., the value of the logical point being
value] edited, just prior to its evaluation.

TRUE Represents a logical true value. Any value other than 0 is considered true.

FALSE Represents a logical false value. A value of 0 is considered false.

PI Represents the numeric constant PI (3.141592), which is the ratio of the

circumference of a circle to its diameter.

T [Time (ms) since Represents the time, in milliseconds, since the Visual T&D Server was
server startup] started.

dT [Time (ms) since last Represents the elapsed time (delta T), in milliseconds, since the last
evaluation] evaluation of the expression.

System Data Points

Visual T&D includes a number of system data points that are used to keep track of significant
information. You cannot edit system data points, as they are internal to the system. The table
below briefly describes these data points.

Data Point Description

_vss__alarmActiveCount Number of active alarms.

_vss__alarmBlockedCount Number of blocked alarms.

_vss__alarmConfigCount Number of alarm data points in the site configuration.

_vss__alarmLevel1ActiveCount Number of priority 1 active alarms.

_vss__alarmLevel2ActiveCount Number of priority 2 active alarms.

_vss__alarmLevel3ActiveCount Number of priority 3 active alarms.

_vss__alarmPermanentCount Number of permanent alarms.

_vss__alarmSilentCount Number of silent alarms.

_vss__alarmToAckCount Number of alarms to be acknowledged.

74 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Data Point Description
_vss__alarmToClearCount Number of alarms to be cleared.

_vss__cpuServerUsage Current CPU usage by the Visual T&D Server application.

_vss__cpuSystemUsage Current total CPU usage on the Visual T&D Server computer.

_vss__logAvailableSpaceLeft Amount of free space currently available in the data log.

_vss__logAvgTrPerSec Average number of transitions logged per second.

_vss__logCacheHighSize Number of high-priority transitions in the cache.

_vss__logCacheLowSize Number of low-priority transitions in the cache.

_vss__logCacheMediumSize Number of normal-priority transitions in the cache.

_vss__logCacheSize Number of transitions in the cache.

_vss__logDataPointscount Number of data points logged.

_vss__logDiskFreeSpace Current amount of free disk space.

_vss__logDiskUsedSpaceSinceStartup Amount of new disk space used by the data log since startup.

_vss__logFilesCount Number of files in the data log.

_vss__logLowTrLostCount Number of low-priority transitions that were overwritten.

_vss__logNonSeqEventCount Number of non-chronological events.

_vss__logNonSeqTrCount Number of non-chronological transitions.

_vss__logPeakTrPerSec Peak number of transitions logged per second.

_vss__logReadErrorCount Number of read errors.

_vss__logReadPerSec Number of disk read operation per second made for the data
log.

_vss__logReadSizePerSec Number of kilobytes read on disk per second for the data log.

_vss__logRepairCount Number of repairs performed on data log files.

_vss__logReusedFileCount Number of files that were reused (disk usage policy).

_vss__logSeekErrorCount Number of seek errors.

_vss__logSeekPerSec Number ok disk seek operation per second made for the data
log.

_vss__logSize Current data log size.

_vss__logTrLostCount Number of transitions lost.

_vss__logWriteErrorCount Number of write errors.

Visual T&D Explorer • 75

 Data Point Description
_vss__logWriteSizePerSec Number of kilobytes written on disk per second for the data
log.

_vss__logWritesPerSec Number of disk write operation per second made for the data
log.

_vss__memPhysicalAvailable Free memory currently available on the Visual T&D Server

computer (including the page file).

_vss__memServerUsage Free memory currently available on the Visual T&D Server

computer (including the page file).

_vss__memSystemAvailable Free memory currently available on the Visual T&D Server

computer (including the page file).

_vss__memSystemUsage Current memory usage on the Visual T&D Server computer

(physical memory).

_vss__memSystemUsageRatio Current memory usage ratio on the Visual T&D Server

computer (physical memory).

Alarm Detail Files

Visual T&D has a number of advanced display features, such as the site layout and type icons,
specially designed to assist operators in rapidly assessing the operational status of the substation.

Detail files are another advanced feature of Visual T&D, which allows you to assign additional
information or operating instructions for each data point that can generate an alarm.

Creating the Detail Files

The information that you will display with the alarms can be stored in a number of different
formats. In the simplest case, you could store the information in a simple text file created with
Notepad. However, Visual T&D can also display most common file formats such as Microsoft
Word® or HTML.

As with all the other site configuration data, detail files are stored on the Visual T&D server
computer.

To use detail files:

‰ Create your information files using an editor such as Notepad or Microsoft Word.

‰ Copy the files to the folder named Details located in the site configuration folder on the server
computer.

76 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Note: When you display a detail file, the contents are transferred from the server to
your computer only if the file is missing locally, or if the contents have changed.
Obviously, the Windows program must be installed on both computers (Word, for
example, if the detail file is a Word file), or you will not be able to read the file.

Assigning Detail Files to Data Points

To assign a detail file to a data point:

‰ From the Site tab, select the display page that contains the data point.

‰ Locate the data point in the grid and add the name of the file in the Detail File column. You
must enter the complete name of the file with the extension, such as "alarm01.txt". Do not
provide a path; files are always retrieved from the Details folder, in the site configuration
folder located on the server.

Note: Details files are available for alarms only.

Storing Detail Files on a Web Site

Instead of storing detail files on the server, you can provide a reference to a page on a Web server.
Visual T&D will then display the information in a browser window.

To assign a reference to a Web page:

‰ From the Site tab, select the display page that contains the data point.

‰ Locate the data point in the grid and add the Web reference in the Details File column. You
must enter a complete URL, such as: http://intranet/alarms/pressure.htm.

Note: You must ensure that the client computer can access the Web server and the
specified reference.

Defining the Site Layout

Although defining a site layout is optional, you will find that this is one of the most useful and
innovative features of Visual T&D. The site layout allows you to graphically represent the power
plant or substation being monitored and to indicate the position of every data point and alarm on
the site. The site layout diagram is used to a large extent in all Visual T&D displays.

To create the site layout, you will define a grid on which you will place rectangular zones that
represent the physical or logical layout of the site, bays, busbars, or devices such as transformers,
breakers and switches. Once the zones are defined, you will assign data points to each zone. For
instance, you could create three rows, the first row representing the input lines, the second the
transformers, and the third the output lines. Additional zones might represent the relays and
switches.

Visual T&D Explorer • 77

 Visual T&D displays a scaled-down version of the site layout next to each alarm and event in the
Alarms and Events view. To help you locate the data point, Visual T&D displays a black stripe
in the zone that contains the selected data point. It also displays in red, any zones in which alarms
have been triggered, and in green, any zones in which there had been an alarm condition that has
now returned to normal.

You can also assign up to eight data points to each zone. These data points will be shown in
real-time, in the Site Layouts Default view of the Real-time Data display.

To define the site layout:

‰ In the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

‰ Click on the Site tab at the bottom of the screen, and then on the Site Layout tab.

78 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Sizing the Grid
To define the size of the site layout grid:

‰ Select the Site Layout page from the Site tab.

‰ Click the Grid button to enter the grid dimensions.

Box Description
Number of rows Selects the number of rows displayed in the grid. This number must be between
1 and 10.

Number of columns Selects the number of columns displayed in the grid. This number must be
between 1 and 100.

Note: Since the site layout is scaled down to a height of one line of text, keep the layout
as small as possible in order to obtain the best results.

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 Adding a Zone
To add a new zone in the site layout:

‰ Click on an empty cell and drag the mouse to define the size of the zone. The selected area
turns yellow.

‰ Click the Add Zone button to add the zone to the site layout.

The area turns red to indicate that it is selected, and a default name of Zx is displayed inside the
zone.

‰ Replace the name of the zone (Zx) with a name of your choice:

‰ Click the Zone Properties button.

‰ Replace the name in the Name box of the Zone Properties dialog box.

Deleting a Zone
To delete a zone:

‰ Click in the zone to be deleted. The zone will turn red.

‰ Click the Delete zone button.

Resizing a Zone
To change the size of a zone:

‰ Click in the area to be resized. The zone will turn red.

‰ Click on any of the four resizing buttons. You can use the buttons to add or remove cells
above or to the right of the selected zone.

Moving a Zone
To move a zone:

‰ Click in the zone to be moved. The zone will turn red.

‰ Use the mouse to drag the zone to a free area of the grid.

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 Saving the Site Layout
Once you have positioned, sized and named each zone to your satisfaction, click the Save Layout
button to save the modifications. The layout must be saved before the new zones can be listed in
the Zone column of the data point configuration pages.

Assigning Zones to Data Points

You must assign zones to data points before the points can be displayed in any zone.

To assign a zone to a point:

‰ Choose the Edit Site Configuration command in the Site menu.

‰ Click on the Site tab at the bottom of the screen.

‰ Click on the appropriate tab (Binary Inputs, Analog Inputs, Binary Outputs, Analog
Outputs), depending on the type of point you are configuring.

‰ Select the desired point in the list.

‰ In the Zone column, select the appropriate zone name in the drop-down list.

Note that if you are assigning a number of data points to the same zone, you can save time and
effort by using the Fill Area toolbar buttons or the corresponding commands in the Edit menu.
See “The Fill Area Commands”, page 56.

Selecting Points to be Displayed in the Site Layouts View

You can assign up to 8 display points, to each zone in your site layout. The name and real-time
values of these points will be shown in the Site Layouts Default view of the Real-Time Data
display. Assigning points to a zone is optional but is very useful in that it allows you to see, at a
glance, the states and sampled values of important data points.

To assign display points to a zone:

‰ Click in the zone, to select it.

The zone will turn red.

‰ Click the Zone Properties button.

The program displays the Zone Properties dialog box.

The dialog displays the list of available data points. You can group them to customize the display
to suit your needs. You choose the data points you want to include in the selected zone, and you
can move the selected data points up or down in the list.

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 Object Description
Name Displays the name of the zone to which you are assigning data points.

Available points Displays the list of all the data points available on the site. These points are
grouped together in folders, based on grouping criteria that you established with
the Group Settings tab of the Display Options dialog (see “Grouping Data
Points”, page 51).

Filter Filters the Available points list by name. All data points containing the text
written in the box will appear in the list.

Group Settings Displays the Group Settings tab of the Display Options dialog box, which you
can use to group the data points differently, thereby changing the order in which
the points are presented in the list of available points.

See “Grouping Data Points”, page 51.

Selected points Displays a list of the points that will be displayed in the zone in the Site Layout
page of the Real-Time Data tab.

Add Adds the selected available data point to the list of selected data points.

Remove Removes the selected data point from the list of selected points.

Remove All Removes all the data points from the list of selected points.

Arrow buttons Click these buttons to move the selected data point up or down in the list of
selected points.

Note: The only data points that are available for display in a particular zone are those
points that you assigned to the zone when you configured the data points.

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 Deleting the Site Layout
To delete all the zones in the site layout:

‰ Click the Delete Layout button.

Defining Digital Fault Records

Relays and IEDs typically generate standard event reports or digital fault records. A standard
event report typically contains the waveforms, the binary sequence of events, and the relay settings
at the time the event took place. A digital fault record typically contains the waveforms.

A master protocol component on the SMP Gateway, such as SEL Events, Hathaway 1200, Mehta
Tech or IEC-60870-5-103, polls the relay or IED, and generates a text file from the digital fault
information it receives from the device. It stores the text file on the Visual T&D server computer,
in a folder shared by the SMP Gateway and Visual T&D. Whenever Visual T&D detects a new
text file in the shared folder, it copies the file to a backup folder within the folder being monitored.
It then converts the original text file to standard COMTRADE format, and stores the
COMTRADE file in the DFR folder of the current site. If you look in the DFR folder, you will
actually see 3 COMTRADE files: a header file, a configuration file, and a data file. The
COMTRADE files are renamed according to the document entitled File Naming Convention for
Time Sequence Data, a report of the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee Working Group
H8. For example, if the text file put into the shared folder by the SMP Gateway master protocol
component were called Line4Events, then the 3 COMTRADE files in the DFR folder for the site
may be labeled 000809,175215183,-4d,sta80,ben717,nyiso.hdr, 000809,175215183,-
4d,sta80,ben717,nyiso.cfg and 000809,175215183,-4d,sta80,ben717,nyiso.dat, respectively.

The procedure required to set up the shared folder on the Visual T&D server computer, and to set
up the SMP master protocol components to use the shared folders, is described in the technical
note entitled Using Visual T&D to retrieve event files from SEL relays, AUT-00115-00050 T.

If your license includes the DFR option, you will be able to react immediately when a new digital
fault record arrives in the DFR folder. You can set up the system so that:

‰ an alarm is generated, which you can see in the Alarms and Events display;

‰ you receive email notification that a new digital fault record has arrived;

‰ you can view the waveforms and the details of the digital fault record via the Historical Data
tab (see “The DFR View”, page 157).

You can also create calculated data points based on the channel signals. For example, you could
set up a data point that calculates the mathematical average of the values within a specific range of
a particular channel (see “Creating Calculated Data Points”, page 64).

To access the digital fault records, you need to use the DFR configuration page. To display the
page:

‰ From the Site menu, click Edit Site Configuration.

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 ‰ Click the Site tab at the bottom of the screen, and then the DFR tab at the top of the screen.

The DFR page is illustrated below. You use the top window to identify the sources from which
Visual T&D will be receiving the digital fault records. A separate entry is required for each device
that produces disturbance reports. You use the bottom window to specify which channels you
want to extract from the digital fault records originating from the device that is selected in the top
window.

In the example, we have identified 3 devices on an SMP Gateway that we called South Substation
in SMP Config. The 3 devices are polled by master protocol components to which we assigned
the following names in SMP Config: IEC103_1, SELEvts_SER_F1 and SELEvts_SER_F2. We
have assigned the following Visual T&D internal names to the 3 devices: IED103_L3,
SEL_Events_F1 and SEL_Events_F2. All the disturbance reports from all 3 devices will be put
into the shared folder called ACQ_DFR located drive D, on the Visual T&D server computer.
Note that we could have used one shared folder per device. To do this, we would have had to set
up 3 shared folders on the Visual T&D server computer and instructed each master protocol
component, in SMP Config, to use its specifically assigned folder.

The table below describes the DFR page.

Column Description
Name Specifies an internal name of your choice (maximum of 120 characters) for the
digital fault records originating from the Recording Device. The name must be
unique in Visual T&D. Example: "IED103_L3".

Station Name Identifies the SMP Gateway that contains the master protocol components that
will be storing the text files to the shared folder. Enter the name you provided in
the Substation Name field of the Gateway branch in SMP Config. Example:
"South Substation".

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 Column Description
Recording Device Identifies the specific device that produces the text file. Enter the name that you
assigned, in SMP Config, to the master protocol instance that polls the device.
Example: "IEC103_1".

Description Free-form text that provides a brief description of the digital fault record
(maximum of 120 characters).

Alarm Put a checkmark if you want Visual T&D to trigger an alarm each time it
retrieves a text file from the shared folder.

Priority Specifies the priority of the alarm that will be triggered when Visual T&D
retrieves a text file from the shared folder.

Directory to be Specifies the path to the shared folder from which Visual T&D will retrieve the
monitored text files. You must provide the full path, using the standard directory naming
convention. Example: "D:\ACQ_DFR".

Note: Visual T&D does not support mapped drives.

Signal Name Name of a channel contained in the digital fault record that is selected in the top
window. This name must match the name of a channel defined in the
COMTRADE digital fault record and is the Channel Identifier, per the
COMTRADE standard.

Description Free-form text that provides a brief description of the channel (maximum of 120
characters).

Event Notification
Visual T&D can be set up to send event notifications to the person in charge of the operation or
maintenance of a substation, by email, cellular phone, or pager. Cellular phones and alphanumeric
pagers receive the notification via the Short Message Service (SMS) normally available for these
communication devices. SMS messages are sent via email to the SMS provider. Bell Mobility in
Canada, for example, uses the format: [email protected], where xxxxxxxxxx is the
cellular phone number, including the area code. For instance, a notification can be sent via SMS to
the alphanumeric pager of John Smith when the feeder #1 breaker trips. Direct pager (not
alphanumeric) is also supported, that is, a pager that can be contacted directly through a phone
number. Numerical information, rather than an SOE, is sent to the pager.

You can set up which events the recipient is to be notified about and you can choose which
categories of events, subsets of data points, and alarm events (appearance, disappearance,
acknowledge) will trigger a notification.

Visual T&D’s event notification system was thought and implemented in order to reduce the
number of messages sent to its bare minimum. Therefore, if two notifications are triggered by the
same event, only one message (the one with the shortest waiting time) will be sent to all its
configured contacts. If this is not the behavior you need, please read section “Multiple event
notifications management” for tips on how to work it out.

To set up Visual T&D for event notification, you need to go through the following steps:

Visual T&D Explorer • 85

 ‰ Configure the SMTP (outgoing mail) server information. The SMTP server must be available
to the Visual T&D Server on the network. To learn how to configure the SMTP server
information, refer to “Email Options”, page 98.

‰ Configure the event notifications, as explained in this section.

Configuring Event Notifications

Configuring event notifications involves several steps, namely: defining the notifications,
identifying the persons to be contacted, and associating the notifications with the contacts.

To configure event notifications:

‰ In the Tools menu, click Event Notification.

If this command is missing from the Tools menu, the event notification option is not activated
for your version of Visual T&D. Contact Cooper Power Systems to have the option activated.

The Event Notification dialog box is displayed.

Object Description
Notifications Lists the event notifications configured in the system.

When you click on a notification in the list, the contacts that are notified,
together with their communication devices, are shown with a checkmark in the
Contacts list.

Contacts Lists the contacts configured for event notification, with their communication
devices.

Add Adds a new notification or contact.

Delete Deletes the currently selected notification or contact.

Edit Edits the currently selected notification or contact.

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 Alarm and Event Categories
Alarm and events are grouped together by category. These categories will be displayed so that you
can choose specific alarms and events, under the following circumstances:

‰ When you define or edit an event notification, as discussed in “Defining and Editing an Event
Notification”, below.

‰ When you customize the Alarms and Events display (see “Customizing the Alarms and
Events Display”, page 125).

‰ When you define a new historical data query (see “Managing Queries”, page 154).

‰ When you define a new event-triggered task (see “Task Manager”, page 167).

The following alarm and event categories are currently defined in Visual T&D:

Category Description
Process-Related Events Events and alarms associated with a data point.

<Generic> All data point events, including alarms.

An analog threshold exceeded, or a status change on a binary

point, are examples of alarm events. Alarms are generated for a
data point when the Alarm box contains a checkmark in the
configuration for that point.

User-Initiated Events Events that originate from an operation on the process by a user.

Control Operations Events generated when a control operation is performed on a

configured data point, such as when a breaker is opened, for
example.

Tag Management Operations Events generated when a tag is set or cleared.

Alarm Management Operations Events generated when an alarm is acknowledged or cleared.

Visual T&D Events Events and alarms related to Visual T&D functions.

Information Events generated by the server in certain situations for

information purposes (login, logoff, parameter load, etc.).

Warnings Events and alarms generated by the server in situations that

require user intervention, but where the system is still functional
(ex.: data source out of synchronization with the server).

Errors Events and alarms generated by the server in situations that

require immediate user intervention, and where the system is no
longer functional (ex.: data log full).

Expert System Events Diagnostic events and alarms, and operation diagnostics
generated by the optional Visual T&D Expert System
component.

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 Events Diagnostic events generated by the optional Visual T&D Expert
System component.
Diagnostic events do not require immediate attention or
acknowledgement.

Alarms Alarms generated by the optional Visual T&D Expert System

component.
Diagnostics requiring immediate attention generate an alarm of
this category.

Operations Operation diagnostics generated by the optional Visual T&D

Expert System component. Operation diagnostics are generated
by the expert system in order to report unusual operating
conditions that require operator intervention.

Data File Acquisitions Events generated when a data file is acquired by Visual T&D.

Event Records Events generated by the server whenever it receives a data file
that it recognizes as significant to the application (ex.: a DFR
file in COMTRADE format).

External Device Failures Alarms generated by an external device and acquired by Visual
T&D. Reserved for custom applications.

Failures Alarms generated when a failure is reported by a data source.

Defining and Editing an Event Notification

You define event notifications with the help of a step-by-step wizard. Proceed as follows:

‰ In the Event Notification dialog (above):

‰ Click the Add button below the Notifications list, to add a notification to the list.

OR

‰ Click on the notification you want to modify.

‰ Click the Edit button below the Notifications list, to edit the notification.

The following dialog box appears.

88 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ Click the event categories you want to include in the notification. You can find a description
of the event categories under “Alarm and Event Categories”, above.

‰ Click Next to continue.

The following dialog box is displayed only if you chose Process-Related Events in the
preceding dialog box.

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 ‰ To be notified of events on all possible data points:

‰ Put a checkmark in the All data points checkbox.

‰ To be notified of events on a selection of data points:

‰ Make sure there is no checkmark in the All data points checkbox.

‰ Click on the desired data points in the Available points list.

‰ Click the Add button, to add the data points to the Selected points list.

‰ Click Next to continue.

The following dialog is displayed only if you chose Expert System Events in the first dialog
box.

You can select the event severity and zones, as defined in the expert system rule editor.

‰ Specify the event severity range that will trigger a notification.The event severity can
range from 1 to 3. For example, to trigger a notification on an event of severity 1 only,
specify a severity range of 1 to 1.

‰ Specify the zones to which an expert system event has to be assigned in order to trigger a
notification. You have to click at least one zone, or the event notification condition will
never be triggered. Use < Undefined > for any data points that are not defined to a
particular zone.

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 ‰ Click Next to continue.

The following dialog is displayed.

‰ Choose the events that will trigger an event notification. You have to click at least one event,
or the event notification condition will never be triggered.

‰ Set a filter on oscillatory events by selecting the maximum number of notifications that
occurred in the last N minutes.

‰ Click Next to continue.

The following dialog box is displayed.

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 This dialog defines the information that will be sent to the recipients. A sequence of events is
sent to an email address, a cellular phone or an alphanumeric pager. A numeric code is sent to
a direct pager. The whole sequence of events (SOE) is sent as an email; however the SOE is
summarized as a short message for cellular phones and alphanumeric pagers (SMS).

The dialog contains the following boxes:

Box Description
Include events that The sequence of events provides information about events that took place a
preceded the event specified number of seconds before the event trigger. For example, specify 10
trigger by seconds to send an SOE that starts 10 seconds before the event trigger. Specify
0 to send a sequence of events that starts at the event trigger.

Include events that The sequence of events provides information about events that took place a
followed the event specified number of seconds after the event trigger. The minimum value is 30
trigger by seconds.

Long subject Specifies the email subject field. Typical subject fields include information
(email) about the substation and the event type.

Short subject (SMS) Specifies the Short Message Service (SMS) subject field. Since SMS is limited
in the number of characters (140 to 160), we recommend that you enter as short
a subject field as possible. A typical short subject would only contain
information about the substation. Ex.: "Valley SAS".

Numeric code Specifies the numeric information displayed on a numeric pager (direct paging).
(pager) This code can be a phone number or a substation/alarm code, such as 00200102:
substation 2, alarm number 102.

‰ Specify the information to be sent to the recipients.

92 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ Click Next to continue.

The following dialog box is displayed.

‰ Specify a unique name for the notification.

‰ Click Finish to create the new notification or to complete the editing of an existing
notification.

Enabling or Disabling an Event Notification

When you first define an event notification, it is automatically enabled by the system. You can
temporarily disable the notification. Indeed, you can toggle the notification between the enabled
and disabled state at your discretion.

To disable a notification:

‰ In the Notifications list of the Event Notification dialog, remove the checkmark from the
checkbox next to the notification name.

To enable a notification:

‰ In the Notifications list of the Event Notification dialog, put a checkmark in the checkbox
next to the notification name.

To learn how to configure event notifications, see “Configuring Event Notifications”, page 86.

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 Defining and Editing a Contact
You create or edit contacts using the Contact dialog illustrated below.

Proceed as follows:

‰ In the Event Notification dialog:

‰ Click the Add button below the Contacts list, to add a contact to the list.

OR

‰ Click on the contact you want to modify.

‰ Click the Edit button below the Contacts list, to edit the contact.

The Contact dialog box appears.

Box Description
Name Specifies the name of the contact. This name will be listed in the Contacts list
of the Event Notification dialog and must be unique.

Comments Specifies general information about the contact. This field is optional.

Phone Specifies the phone number at which the contact can be reached. This phone
number is not used by the notification system, and is for information only. The
field is optional.

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 Box Description
Communication Lists the communication devices defined for the contact. There are three types
devices of communication devices:

‰ Email.
An email device is the standard electronic mail that can be reached via an
SNMP server (outgoing mail server).
‰ SMS.
An SMS device is either a cellular phone or an alphanumeric pager
configured to receive a message via the Short Message Service. SMS
messages are sent via email to the SMS provider.
‰ Pager.
A pager is a numeric or alphanumeric pager that can be contacted directly
through a phone number. For a numeric pager, numerical information,
rather than an SOE, is sent to the pager.

Add Adds an email, SMS or pager device to the list.

Delete Deletes the selected communication device.

Edit Edits the selected communication device.

Test Sends a test message to the selected communication device.

To add a device to which an email is to be sent:

‰ Click the Add button, and choose Email in the drop-down list.

An email entry is added to the list of communication devices, and the cursor is positioned for
editing.

‰ Enter the email address of the device.

To edit an email address:

‰ Click on the item in the list of communication devices.

‰ Click the Edit button.

The item becomes available for editing.

‰ Modify the email address.

To add a pager device:

‰ Click the Add button, and choose Pager in the drop-down list.

A pager entry is added to the list of communication devices, and the cursor is positioned for
editing.

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 ‰ Enter the phone number of the pager. To call a direct pager, a modem must be installed in the
Visual T&D server computer. The modem is automatically detected.

To edit a pager phone number:

‰ Click on the item in the list of communication devices.

‰ Click the Edit button.

The item becomes available for editing.

‰ Modify the phone number.

To add a device to which an SMS message is to be sent:

‰ Click the Add button, and choose SMS in the drop-down list.

An SMS entry is added to the list of communication devices, and the cursor is positioned for
editing.

‰ Enter the email address.

To learn how to activate SMS reception via email, and what email address to use for your device,
contact your communication device provider.

To modify an SMS email address:

‰ Click on the item in the list of communication devices.

‰ Click the Edit button.

The item becomes available for editing.

‰ Modify the email address.

Enabling or Disabling a Contact

When you first define a contact, it is automatically disabled by the system. You can manually
enable some or all of its devices for a specific event notification. Indeed, you can toggle the
devices between the enabled and disabled state at your discretion, using the Event Notification
dialog box (see “Configuring Event Notifications”, page 86).

To enable notification of specific communication devices for a particular contact:

‰ In the Notifications list, click on the notification to be sent.

‰ In the Contacts list, put a checkmark in the checkbox next to the communication device or
devices to be notified.

To enable notification of all communication devices for a particular contact:

96 • Visual T&D Explorer

 ‰ In the Notifications list, click on the notification to be sent.

‰ In the Contacts list, put a checkmark next to the contact name.

To disable a contact for a particular event notification, i.e., to prevent all devices for that contact
from receiving the notification:

‰ In the Notifications list, click on the notification.

‰ In the Contacts list, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to the contact name.

To disable a particular communication device for a particular event notification, i.e., to prevent the
communication device from receiving the notification:

‰ In the Notifications list, click on the notification.

‰ In the Contacts list, remove the checkmark from the checkbox next to the communication
device.

Email Sequence of Events

A sequence of events sent by email is received in HTML format and contains all the detailed
information you requested when you defined your event notifications. The information, which is
listed in chronological order, allows you to perform a first-glance analysis of the problem.

What follows is a typical sequence-of-events email message:

SMS Summarized Sequence of Events

Small Message Service (SMS) messages are typically limited to 140 to 160 characters. Therefore,
the sequence of events information has to be summarized before it can be sent by SMS.

The SMS message body is:

TimeStart to TimeEnd on PointName (ValueAtTrig, ValueAtSend) 1:NbApp/NbRtn

2:NbApp/NbRtn 3:NbApp/NbRtn EventDescription

where:

TimeStart is the timestamp at the beginning of the sequence of events. The format is:
hh:mm:ss.

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 TimeEnd is the timestamp at the end of the sequence of events. The format is: hh:mm:ss.

PointName (ValueAtTrig, ValueAtSend) is the name of the data point that triggered the event,
the value of the data point when the event was triggered, and the value of the data point when
the notification was sent (that is, at timestamp TimeEnd). If the event is not on a data point,
this section is not added to the SMS message.

1:NbApp/NbRtn is the number of appearances and the number of returns to normal for priority
1 events.

2:NbApp/NbRtn is the number of appearances and the number of returns to normal for priority
2 events.

3:NbApp/NbRtn is the number of appearances and the number of returns to normal for priority
3 events.

EventDescription is the description of the trigger event.

Typical SMS messages might be:

“13:23:04 to 13:23:46 on VLY_IED07_SEL351_CBF041_STATUS (1,0) 1:1/1 2:0/0 3:0/0

CB F41 STATUS (IN101)”

“13:23:04 to 13:23:34 1:1/0 2:0/0 3:0/0 The SMP Gateway and Visual T&D server clocks are
out of sync”

Multiple event notifications management

As Visual T&D’s event notification system was thought and implemented in a way to reduce the
number of messages sent to its bare minimum, it can be tricky to manage multiple event
notifications. Here are a few simple rules to apply that will make managing multiple event
notifications much easier:

‰ Avoid duplication of trigger-contact pairs. If a trigger raises two or more notifications and
a same contact is configured for all concerned notifications, then only one message will be
sent to that contact. We recommend creating an independent notification for all common
triggers and leave only the different triggers in the original notifications.

Email Options
Visual T&D has the ability to send electronic mail when predefined situations arise. For instance,
an email can be sent when an event is triggered on selected data points. In order to send event
notifications by email, you must provide Visual T&D with information about the mail server, also
called the SMTP server. You do this by setting up the mail options.

To edit the mail options:

‰ In the Tools menu, click Mail Options.

The Mail Options dialog box appears.

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 Object Description
Address Specifies the name or TCP/IP address of your SMTP server computer. For
information, see your systems administrator.

Port number Specifies the SMTP port number on the server computer. Typically, the port
number is 25. For information, see your systems administrator.

Default Restores the default value of 25 in the Port number box.

User name Specifies the account user name for accessing the SMTP server. For
information, see your systems administrator.

Password Specifies the password for accessing the SMTP server. For information, see
your systems administrator.

Reply address Specifies the mailbox address of the Visual T&D administrator. The Test
command available from this dialog is performed by default on this address.

Delete Clear all fields and restores the default value of 25 in the Port number box.

Test Sends an email to the recipient you specified in the Reply address, in order to
test the SMTP server settings. Use this command to verify the settings before
committing the changes.

Network Connection Options

Some functions in Visual T&D need to connect to a service provider through a network
connection. For instance, the event notification function has to connect to an SMTP server to send
an email, and the query scheduler has to connect to an FTP server to send a file on the network.

The local area network (LAN) is used as the default network. If there is no FTP or mail server
available on the LAN, you have to set the network connection options to make use of a phone line,
so that Visual T&D can access the mail server by modem.

To edit the network connection options:

‰ In the Tools menu, click Network Connection Options.

The Network Connection Options dialog box appears.

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 Object Description
Connect using my Specifies that the local area network is used to access the SMTP or FTP server.
local area network
(LAN)

Connect using my Specifies that a modem is used to dial a remote network connection.
phone line
The list shows all the configured dial-up connections on the Visual T&D server
computer. Select the dial-up connection to be used. A modem has to be installed
on the Visual T&D server computer, if you want to use a dial-up connection.

User name This box is available only if you specified that you want to use a dial-up
connection. It specifies the user name for authentication on the remote network.

Password This box is available only if you specified that you want to use a dial-up
connection. It specifies the password for authentication on the remote network.

Licensing Options
Visual T&D is delivered with a hardware key or dongle that is installed on the computer hosting
the Visual T&D Server. This protection key indicates the number of clients that are licensed to use
the program and what options are supported for those clients. As with user accounts and data
logging options, the protection key is managed by the person responsible for the Visual T&D
system.

You modify the protection key options using Visual T&D Explorer. Proceed as follows:

‰ Click the Licensing Options command in the Tools menu to display the Licensing Options
dialog box.

100 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
Key serial number Displays the serial number of the hardware key. This number is supplied by
Cooper Power Systems and cannot be edited.

System Displays the software options currently installed in Visual T&D.

Configuration

Maximum number Displays the number of clients that are currently licensed to use Visual T&D
of simultaneous simultaneously.
users

Maximum number Displays the maximum number of data points that can be added within a site
of data points configuration.

Maximum number Displays the maximum number of data sources that can be added within a site
of data sources configuration.

Function list This list shows the functions that are currently installed in Visual T&D.

Add Displays a dialog through which you can add functions to Visual T&D.

Modify Displays a dialog through which you can modify the number of users that are
licensed to use Visual T&D simultaneously, and the number of data points and
data sources allowed in a site configuration. The button becomes available when
you click on the item you want to modify.

Adding Software Modules

To add a software module to Visual T&D, you must first contact Cooper Power Systems to obtain
an activation code.

When you have the activation code in hand, proceed as follows:

Visual T&D Explorer • 101

 ‰ Click the Add button in the Licensing Options dialog box.

The system displays a dialog box in which you can select the appropriate module enter the
corresponding code supplied by Cooper Power Systems.

Modifying the Number of Users, Data Points and Data Sources

You can modify the number of users that can use Visual T&D simultaneously. You can also
modify the number of data points and data sources that are allowed within a site configuration.
You must first contact Cooper Power Systems to obtain a new code indicating the number of
clients, data points or data sources to be supported.

To modify any of these values:

‰ Select the item to be modified, in the Licensing Options dialog box.

‰ Click the Modify button.

The System Configuration – Modify an option dialog box appears.

‰ Type the maximum number of simultaneous users you want to allow to use Visual T&D
simultaneously.

AND/OR

‰ Type the activation code provided by your Cooper Power Systems sales’ representative.

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 ‰ Click OK.

Configuring the Standalone HMI Mode

Visual T&D is typically used as a normal Windows application, but it can also be configured to
run as a standalone HMI. In this special mode, the computer is dedicated to run Visual T&D. All
the usual Windows’ user interface functions are disabled, so that the end user can only use Visual
T&D.

The latest version of Visual T&D’s Standalone HMI mode is easier to set up, and allows the
execution of non-Visual T&D applications. The Visual T&D Diagram’s Full Screen display
setting has also been improved for better integration with the Standalone HMI mode, and a new
Kiosk mode, that restricts even more the access to Visual T&D’s configuration functionalities, is
now also available. Both the Full Screen and Kiosk mode are presented in details in the Visual
T&D Diagram Editor User Manual.

When the Standalone HMI is activated, the computer enters this mode at startup. The workstation
automatically starts Visual T&D, without prompting the user for a Windows or Visual T&D login,
as it uses dedicated Windows and Visual T&D accounts.

To configure and enable Visual T&D’s Standalone HMI mode, you must use the Visual T&D
Shell application, which is a separate configuration tool that is installed with Visual T&D. The use
of this application is restricted to users that have Windows administrative privileges.

Opening the Visual T&D Shell Configurator

To start the Visual T&D Shell application:

‰ From Windows’ taskbar, click Start to open the Start menu.

‰ Click All Programs, Cooper Power Systems, Visual T&D, and then Visual T&D Shell
Configurator.

The Visual T&D Shell window appears.

The Visual T&D Shell application’s main window

The configuration and activation of Visual T&D as a standalone HMI requires the following steps:

‰ Logon information configuration.

The Standalone HMI mode requires dedicated Windows and Visual T&D accounts, which are
specified at configuration time.

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 ‰ Startup Applications configuration.
By default, the only applications that are started and usable in the Standalone HMI mode are
Visual T&D Explorer and Visual T&D Diagram. Non-Visual T&D applications can also be
started, when specified during this configuration step. Also, you must decide whether to run
the Diagram application in the Full Screen and Kiosk mode.

When the Standalone HMI mode is correctly configured, all that is left is the activation of this
mode, which becomes effective upon the computer’s next startup.

The following sections explain all these steps in details.

Configuring the Logon Information

Visual T&D’s Standalone HMI mode restricts access to Windows functions, but it does not mean
that it is no longer connected to your network domain. Windows logon information must still be
provided at startup. The same applies to Visual T&D’s client applications, to connect to the Visual
T&D server. These logon operations are performed automatically at the computer’s startup, when
the Standalone HMI mode is active.

A Windows account must be dedicated to the computer that will run Visual T&D as a standalone
HMI. There is no privileges requirement for this account. By “dedicated”, we mean that this
account cannot be the same that is used to configure and activate the Standalone HMI mode.

There are no specific requirements for the Visual T&D account that will be used in the Standalone
HMI mode. However, we recommend that you create a specific account for this matter, with the
required privileges.

To configure the logon information:

‰ Open the Visual T&D Shell application.

‰ Click Configure.

The Configure Visual T&D Standalone HMI Mode dialog box appears.

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 The Configure Visual T&D Standalone HMI dialog box

‰ Select the Logon Information tab.

‰ Under Windows Logon Information, enter the credentials of the dedicated Windows
account:

‰ Type the user name, without the domain information

‰ Type the corresponding password.

‰ Besides Domain, enter the name of the network domain. If the computer is not in a
domain-based network, but in a workgroup, enter the workgroup’s name instead.

Note: If the computer is in a workgroup and the specified account does not exist, the
application will offer to create the account for you. If you accept, you must type
again the password and type it another time to confirm it.

‰ Click Validate. If the credentials are not valid, an error message appears besides the
validation button. Review the credentials you provided and correct any mistake. If these
credentials are specified for a given network domain, make sure a corresponding account
exists.

‰ Under Visual T&D Logon Information, enter the credentials of the dedicated Visual T&D
account:

‰ Type the user name.

Visual T&D Explorer • 105

 ‰ Type the corresponding password.

‰ Click Validate. If the credentials are not valid, an error message appears besides the
validation button. Review the credentials you provided and correct any mistake. Make
sure the account exists on the Visual T&D server (see “Adding or Modifying a User”,
page 19).

‰ Click OK to save the logon information and close this dialog box.

Configuring the Applications

You must decide at configuration time which applications are available while in Visual T&D’s
Standalone HMI mode. By default, both Visual T&D Explorer and Visual T&D Diagram will be
available, but you can select not to start one of those two applications. You can also select some
other non-Visual T&D applications.

To configure the applications that will be available:

‰ Open the Visual T&D Shell application.

‰ Click Configure.

‰ Select the Applications tab.

The Applications tab

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 ‰ Under Startup Information, select Visual T&D’s client applications that you want to use
while in the Standalone HMI mode. By default, both Explorer and Diagram should be
selected (with a checkmark). If you do not want to start either application, clear the checkbox
that appears beside the application’s name.

Note: At least one of Visual T&D’s client applications must be selected.

‰ Select which application should be displayed on the top of the others at startup.

There is no easy way to guarantee that a specific application will appear topmost at startup,
but we provide a mechanism that can help you achieve it. You must first decide following
which order the applications will be started:

‰ Still under Startup Information, select an application in the list.

‰ Click Move up if you want the selected application to be started after the application that
is currently above the selected one. The topmost application is the one that will be started
last.

‰ Click Move down if you want the selected application to be started before the
application that is currently under the selected one. The bottommost application is the one
that will be started first.

‰ To add a non-Visual T&D application to the list:

‰ Under Startup Information, click Add.

The Add Applications dialog box

‰ Under Name, type the name of the application, as it should appear in the list.

‰ Under Executable’s file name and path, type the complete name and path of the
application’s executable file.

‰ Click OK to add the application to the list.

‰ Move up or down the application in the list to specify when it should be started compared
to others.

Visual T&D Explorer • 107

 ‰ Repeat the steps above for each application to add to the list.

‰ To remove an application from the list:

‰ Under Startup Information, select the application to remove.

‰ Click Remove.

Note: Visual T&D’s client applications cannot be removed from the list. If you want one
of those not to be started, clear its corresponding checkbox.

‰ Under Visual T&D Diagram Options, select the Start in Full Screen mode checkbox if you
want Visual T&D Diagram to start in the Full Screen mode.

‰ If you put a checkmark in the Start in Full Screen mode checkbox, you also have the
possibility to enable the Kiosk mode by selecting the Kiosk mode checkbox.

‰ Click OK to save the logon information and close this dialog box.

Enabling the Standalone HMI Mode

Once the Standalone HMI Mode’s settings are specified, proceed as follows to activate it:

‰ Open the Visual T&D Shell application.

‰ Click Enable Standalone HMI Mode.

Confirm the current account’s password when requested to do so.

Note: Under Windows 2000, the user account used to enable the Standalone HMI
mode must have the Act as part of the operating system privilege, as defined
in the Local Security Settings of the Visual T&D computer.

If you do not know how to modify your user account’s privileges, contact Cooper
Power Systems’ Technical Support group (see “Technical Support”, page 10).

A dialog box appears, telling the user that the specified settings will be effective next time the
user will log on to Windows using the specified dedicated Windows account.

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 Standalone HMI mode confirmation dialog box

From there, you have three options:

‰ If you want to enter the Standalone HMI mode immediately, click Restart. The computer
will reboot and will enter the Standalone HMI mode.

‰ If you want to log on using another account and wait before entering the Standalone HMI
mode, click Log Off.

Note that if you log off and enter the credentials of the Windows dedicated account, the
computer will enter the Standalone HMI mode.

‰ If you want to continue to operate under the current Windows account, click Later.

Note: There is a difference between the activation of the Standalone HMI mode, and
the action of the computer that enters this mode.

When the Standalone HMI mode is active, you can still log on using a Windows
account that is not the dedicated one, allowing you to use all of Windows usual
functions.

The computer enters the Standalone HMI mode when you log on using the
dedicated Windows account, or simply when the computer restarts.

Leaving the Standalone HMI Mode

You can leave the Visual T&D Standalone HMI mode anytime to perform normal Windows
functions. To do so, you must log off, and then log on again using any Windows account that is
not the dedicated one.

To log off while in Standalone HMI mode:

‰ In Visual T&D Explorer or Visual T&D Diagram, from the File menu, click Exit and log off.

If the dedicated Windows account does not have administrative privileges, the Visual T&D
Shell application asks for administrative credentials. Enter the user name, password and
domain of an account with such privileges, and then click OK to log off.

Since the Standalone HMI mode is still active, the computer will reenter it upon next computer
restart, or the next time you log on using the dedicated Windows account credentials.

Visual T&D Explorer • 109

 Note: You can always bypass Windows’ automatic logon by pressing and holding the
SHIFT key during Windows’ startup. At the end of the startup, instead of entering
the Standalone HMI mode, the computer will ask you enter your user name and
password.

Disabling the Standalone HMI Mode

To deactivate Visual T&D’s Standalone HMI mode:

‰ Leave the Standalone HMI mode (see above).

‰ Log on using a Windows account with administrative privileges.

‰ Open the Visual T&D Shell application.

‰ Click Enable Windows Application Mode.

Confirm the current account’s password when requested to do so.

Note: Under Windows 2000, the user account used to enable the Standalone HMI
mode must have the Act as part of the operating system privilege, as defined
in the Local Security Settings of the Visual T&D computer.

If you do not know how to modify your user account’s privileges, contact Cooper
Power Systems’ Technical Support group (see “Technical Support”, page 10).

110 • Visual T&D Explorer

Using Visual T&D Explorer

Starting Visual T&D Explorer

To start Visual T&D Explorer:

‰ From Windows’ taskbar, click Start, select All Programs, then Cooper Power Systems, and
then Visual T&D.

‰ Click Explorer.

The program displays a dialog box in which you enter the address of the server that you want
to connect to, and your Visual T&D’s account credentials.

Object Description
Server Enter the address of your server, or select a server from a drop-down list of
recently used servers.

Note: <local server> means that the Explorer and Server programs are
installed on the same computer.

User name Specifies your user name.

Password Specifies your user password.

Visual T&D Explorer • 111

 Note: Visual T&D Explorer and the server program may be installed on different
computers. All program functions are available, whether the server is installed
locally or remotely, unless you restrict the remote privileges (see “Defining the
Server Management Properties”, page 22).

The Explorer and Diagram Editor programs use the same Visual T&D user
account if they are connected to the same Visual T&D server.

Note: In the demonstration version, User name and Password are both set to "tutorial".

The Views
As its name indicates, Visual T&D Explorer is a viewing tool. Its main function is to display
alarms and events as they occur, view states and measures in real time, and analyze the historical
data related to a power plant or substation.

Visual T&D Explorer provides you with several views of the data available in the substation:

‰ Use the Alarms and Events display to view analog and binary alarms and events.

‰ Use the Real-Time Data display to view a site’s states and measures in real time.

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 ‰ Use the Historical Data display to analyze data over a given period of time.

You will use the tabs at the bottom of the main program window to select the current view.

The Status Bar

The status bar located at the bottom of the screen displays the status of the various system
components. The panels are described below, from left to right.

‰ The first panel indicates the status of the connection to the Visual T&D Server, which can be
one of the following:

‰ Not connected – Explorer is not connected to the server.

‰ Connected (on a green background) – Explorer is connected to the server.

‰ Connecting… (on a red background) – Explorer is connecting to the server.

The system may take some time to find the server on the network, or the server may have
stopped functioning, or the network connection may have been lost.

‰ The second panel indicates, via the server icon, the status of the connection between the
Visual T&D Server and the data source.

If the icon is green, the server is properly connected to all its data sources. If the icon takes on
another color:

‰ You can find an explanation of what the various icon colors mean by referring to
“Verifying the Installation”, page 16.

‰ Identify which data source is not started or is not connected to Visual T&D, by looking at
the Data Sources view in the Real-Time Data display. See “The Data Sources View”,
page 131.

‰ The third panel indicates the status of the Visual T&D Explorer program.

‰ Configuration has changed – Indicates that another client computer has changed the site
configuration. Visual T&D stops updating the displays when it detects that the
configuration has changed. When this situation occurs, you can use the Get Latest Site
Configuration command from the Site menu to restart the data acquisition and displays
in Visual T&D Explorer.

‰ Overflow – Indicates that Visual T&D Explorer is unable to process the information
provided by the server fast enough. When this occurs, the program’s displays are not up-
to-date. This may happen if a large number of data points are changing and Visual T&D
Explorer is connected to the server with a low speed connection.

Visual T&D Explorer • 113

 ‰ The fourth panel indicates the number of new unacknowledged alarms, on a red background.

‰ The fifth panel indicates your computer's current date and time.

Alarms and Events

Overview
The main function of Visual T&D Explorer is to display and manage the alarms and events that
occur on a site. The design of the Alarm and Events display is based on usability studies
performed with substation operators.

The display provides the following innovative features:

‰ The Alarms pane provides an ordered list that contains alarm conditions. The appearance and
disappearance of an alarm are indicated on the same display line. This innovative feature
makes it much easier to analyze the display. At a glance, you can determine whether the alarm
condition is still active or how long the condition lasted before returning to normal.

‰ The Events pane provides an ordered list of all alarms and events occurring in the substation.
Each event is displayed with all the information required to simplify the analysis of the
information and the location of faults.

‰ You can easily select a data point in the Alarms pane and access the associated notes,
operational details and historical trend data.

When you open Explorer, the program automatically displays the Alarms and Events view. You
can adjust the size of the two panes by using the mouse to drag the splitter bar separating the two
panes. You can choose the order in which the tabs are presented. You can also choose which
columns you want to display, and in which order. Lastly, you can choose which buttons will
appear on the toolbar, and in which order.

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 By default, the system displays the All Alarms page in the Alarms pane and the All Events page
in the Events pane, but you can display any combination of data pages by clicking on the
appropriate tabs.

For the Alarms pane:

‰ The All Alarms page shows the current state of the alarms in the site being monitored.

‰ The Permanent page displays the list of permanent alarms.

‰ The Blocked page displays the list of blocked alarms.

‰ The Silent page displays the list of alarms for which the sound has been disabled.

‰ The Notes page displays the notes associated with the point currently selected in one of the
other pages.

For the Events pane:

‰ The All Events page is a chronological list of the events that have taken place within the site.

‰ The Notes page displays the notes associated with the point currently selected in the All
Events page.

All the different pages are synchronized to the selected point. When you select a point by clicking
on it, it is displayed in yellow on a blue background. All other instances of this point are also
automatically selected, in all the other pages and in both panes. Once an alarm is selected, it can

Visual T&D Explorer • 115

 then be acknowledged, blocked, put to silence or set as permanent (see “Managing Alarms”,
below).

In all alarm pages, you can select multiple alarms that are related to different data points, using the
Shift or Ctrl key. You can then manage the selected alarms simultaneously, instead of having to
repeat the same operation for each separate alarm.

Note: A multiple selection of alarms is visible in the event pane, in real-time data’ pages
and even in the site layout diagram, although it is not possible to alter the
selection in these views (the selection cannot be extended or reduced).

Managing Alarms
A data point may be configured to generate an event when it changes states or exceeds a threshold
value. More specifically, it may be configured to generate alarms that require specific user
attention and operations. Visual T&D can also generate system alarms to alert you to the fact that
the data log is full or that it has lost the connection with one of its data sources, for example.

Events are displayed on the All Events page, in their order of appearance. Alarms are displayed on
both the All Alarms and All Events pages, since alarms are also events.

How Visual T&D Explorer Processes the Appearance of Alarms

When an alarm condition is detected, Visual T&D performs the following actions:

‰ A sound warning system is turned on to let you know that an alarm condition has occurred. If
your computer is not equipped with a sound card, the Visual T&D icon at the bottom of the
screen turns orange and starts blinking.

‰ The alarm condition is added to the All Alarms and All Events pages. A red symbol with the
letter "A" is displayed in the Event Icon column to indicate the appearance of the alarm
condition; for a system alarm, the Event Icon column shows a yellow circle with an
exclamation mark. Unless you have chosen not to display the Active, Ack and Priority
columns, an X appears in the Active column to indicate that the alarm is active, the Priority
column indicates whether the alarm has priority 1, 2 or 3, and the Ack box is empty to show
that you have not yet acknowledged the alarm. The color of the display line indicates the
severity of the alarm, with high priority alarms shown in red, medium priority in orange, and
low priority in yellow.

Acknowledging Alarms
When an alarm occurs, you must first clear the sound warning system before you can acknowledge
the alarm. The sound warning system also acts as an interlock, ensuring that you are aware of all
the alarms that occur.

‰ Click Clear Sound to clear the sound warning system.

‰ Depending on the Server Management options you have selected, you can:

‰ Click Ack & Clear All to acknowledge all new alarms and clear the alarm display of all
data points that have returned to their normal condition.

OR

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 ‰ Click Ack Oldest to individually acknowledge each alarm, beginning with the oldest.

OR

‰ Select one or more particular alarms and click Acknowledge, in order to acknowledge a
specific alarm. Whenever you acknowledge an alarm, an X is displayed in the ACK box,
to indicate that the alarm has been acknowledged, and the entire line turns a paler shade
of its original color.

The data points that are in an alarm condition remain in the alarm display until the condition
disappears, at which time you can clear them from the display.

How Visual T&D Explorer Processes the Disappearance of Alarms

Visual T&D also notifies you when the alarm condition returns to normal.

‰ The sound warning system is turned off again.

‰ The red "A" symbol beside the data point is replaced by a green "R" symbol, to let you know
that the alarm condition has returned to normal; for a system alarm, the yellow circle with the
exclamation mark becomes a green circle with an exclamation mark. The entire line also turns
green. Furthermore, the X disappears from the Active column.

Acknowledging the Disappearance of Alarms

You must once again clear the sound before you acknowledge that the alarm condition has
returned to normal. You can then clear the alarm point so that it is no longer displayed in the All
Alarms page.

‰ Click Clear Sound to clear the sound warning system.

‰ Depending on the Server Management options you have selected, you can:

‰ Click Ack & Clear All to acknowledge all alarms and clear the alarm display of all data
points that have returned to their normal condition.

OR

‰ Click Ack Oldest to individually acknowledge each alarm, beginning with the oldest.

‰ Click Clear Oldest to individually clear each alarm, beginning with the oldest.

OR

‰ Select one or more particular alarms and click Acknowledge, in order to acknowledge a
specific alarm.

‰ Click Clear, in order to clear the alarm display of the data point that has returned to
normal.

Note that some alarms can never be deactivated or never return to normal. You can acknowledge
the alarm, but you cannot clear it from the display. Also, the X never disappears from the ACK

Visual T&D Explorer • 117

 box.

Multiple Alarm Occurrences

Alarms are displayed differently on the All Alarms and All Events pages. On the All Alarms
page, alarm appearances and disappearances are displayed on the same line, as are multiple
instances of an alarm. When an alarm appears and disappears more than once without being
cleared, the "A" or the "R" symbol in the column indicating the state of the alarm has an "X" in the
bottom right corner. This makes it easy for you to distinguish between single and multiple alarms,
since multiple appearances and disappearances are always displayed on the same line.

On the All Events page, every alarm appearance, acknowledge and recall is displayed on a new
line.

Special Alarm Statuses

You can use the Alarm and Events toolbar to assign special statuses to selected alarms. These
alarms will then be displayed in their own page. The special statuses are described below.

Silent Alarms
Silent alarms are those that do not activate a sound warning when triggered. They are displayed on
the All Alarms page as well as on the Silent page.

Blocked Alarms
You may want to temporarily ignore an alarm for a particular data point. You achieve this by
assigning a blocked status to the alarm. The alarm is transferred to the Blocked page until you
unblock the alarm, at which point it is transferred back to the All Alarms page.

Permanent Alarms
You usually attribute permanent alarm status to long-lasting alarms that you want to remove from
the Alarms pages. When you attribute a permanent status to an alarm, it is displayed on the
Permanent page. If you want it to continue to be displayed on the All Alarms page while it is
displayed on the Permanent page, remove the checkmark from the Exclude permanent alarms
checkbox on the Alarms and Events toolbar.

A permanent alarm remains active as long as there hasn’t been a return to normal. Once the alarm
returns to normal, it automatically disappears from the Permanent page, and from the All Alarms
page if applicable. The change in state or transition is displayed on the All Events page.

The Alarms and Events Toolbar

The Alarms and Events toolbar is located at the top of the screen. It allows you to see at a glance
the zones in which alarms have occurred, how many silent, blocked, permanent, new, and active
alarms there are, and how many points are being monitored in the site. You can also choose which

118 • Visual T&D Explorer

 buttons you want on the toolbar and in which order (see “Customizing the Alarms and Events
Toolbar”, page 23).

Object Description
Disable Sound Put a checkmark to disable the sound warning system.

Exclude permanent If you put a checkmark, alarms marked as permanent will not be displayed on
alarms the All Alarms page.

Show events If you clear the Show events checkbox, the Events pane is removed and only
the Alarms pane remains. You can also manage the panes by dragging the
splitter bar with the mouse.

Silent Put a checkmark to disable the sound warning system for the selected alarm(s).

The field to the right indicates, on a red background, how many alarm points
currently have a Silent status. The list of all the silent alarms is displayed on the
Silent page.

Blocked Put a checkmark to assign a blocked status to the selected alarm(s).

The field to the right indicates, on a red background, how many alarm points
currently have a Blocked status. The list of all the blocked alarms is displayed
on the Blocked page.

Permanent Put a checkmark to assign a permanent status to the selected alarm(s).

The field to the right indicates, on a red background, how many alarm points
currently have a Permanent status. The list of all the permanent alarms is
displayed on the Permanent page.

New Indicates, on a red background, how many new unacknowledged alarms are
currently displayed in the All Alarms page.

Active Indicates, on a red background, how many alarms are currently active in the site
being monitored.

Monitored Indicates how many data points in the site are being monitored by Visual T&D,
including all physical data points from all data sources, logical data points
within Visual T&D, and system data points.

Clear Sound Stops the sound warning system that is set off whenever a new alarm is
triggered. Pressing the Clear Sound button stops the sound (or the blinking, if
you do not have a sound card), even if there is more than one new alarm.

The sound must be cleared before you can acknowledge or clear alarms.

Ack & Clear All Globally acknowledges and clears all alarms and "returns to normal" that are
displayed in the Alarms view.

You cannot acknowledge or recall an alarm before you have cleared the sound.

Visual T&D Explorer • 119

 Object Description
Ack Oldest Acknowledges the oldest unacknowledged alarm in the Alarms view.

You cannot acknowledge an alarm before you have cleared the sound.

Clear Oldest Clears the oldest alarm in the Alarms view that has returned to normal.

You cannot clear an alarm that has returned to normal before you have cleared
the sound.

Acknowledge Acknowledges the selected alarm in the Alarms view.

Clear Clears the selected alarm in the Alarms view. This button is not available
unless you have first acknowledged the alarm.

To assign a special status to an alarm:

‰ Click on the alarm in the All Alarms page.

‰ On the Alarms and Events toolbar, click in the Silent, Blocked or Permanent checkbox.The
number next to the box on which you clicked is incremented by 1, to show that a new alarm
has been silenced, blocked or made permanent. The alarm appears on the Silent, Blocked or
Permanent page. It also disappears from the All Alarms page, unless it is a permanent alarm
and you have removed the checkmark from the Exclude permanent alarms checkbox.

To remove an alarm from a special status page:

‰ Click on the alarm on the Silent, Blocked or Permanent page.

‰ On the Alarms and Events toolbar, click in the Silent, Blocked or Permanent checkbox.The
alarm disappears from the Silent, Blocked or Permanent page, and reappears on the All
Alarms pages. The number of alarms in the corresponding box on the Alarms and Events
toolbar is decremented by 1.

The Site Layout Diagram

The site layout in the top right hand corner of the screen pictorially represents the position of data
points and the status of alarms by zone. Alarms are displayed in four different colors:

‰ Red.
Indicates that there is at least one active, unacknowledged alarm in the zone.

‰ Pink.
Indicates that there is at least one active alarm in the zone, but all of the alarms have been
acknowledged.

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 ‰ Green.
Indicates that there are no active alarms in the zone, but that some alarms that have returned
to normal have not been acknowledged.

‰ White.
Indicates that there are no active alarms in the zone and that all alarms and returns to normal
have been acknowledged.

A black line in a zone indicates the zone in which the currently selected point is located.

Note: The zone to the far left of the site layout (surrounded by a dotted line) is the
default zone to which those points not associated with any particular zone in the
site configuration are assigned.

The All Alarms Page

As its name indicates, the All Alarms page lists all the alarms on the site. At a glance, you can:

‰ See which alarms are currently active and where they are located on the site.

‰ See which alarms have occurred once and which have had multiple occurrences.

‰ See which alarms have returned to normal but have not been cleared.

‰ See the date and time at which the alarm’s state last changed.

This means that the alarm’s timestamp is updated when the alarm becomes active, or when it
returns to normal. It is not updated when it is set as blocked, silent or permanent.

‰ See the status of an alarm. Is it silent, does it have a note or a detail file associated with it?

‰ See whether the alarm has been acknowledged.

‰ See whether the alarm is still active.

A specific set of columns is displayed by default. You can change the default display by adding or
removing columns. However, you cannot remove the description, date or time. The procedure for
modifying the display is outlined under “Customizing the Alarms and Events Display”, page 125.

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 Column Description
Status Indicates the statuses of the alarm:

‰ P: Permanent alarm
(only if the Exclude permanent alarms checkbox is not checked).
‰ S: Silent alarm.
‰ N: There is a note associated with the point.
‰ D: There is a detail file associated with the alarm.

Event Icon Displays an icon indicating the type of event that caused the alarm, whether the
alarm has appeared or disappeared, and whether the alarm has occurred more
than once without being acknowledged.

Active An X means that the alarm is active. The absence of an X means that the alarm
is inactive.

ACK An X means that the alarm has been acknowledged. The absence of an X means
that the alarm has not been acknowledged.

Priority Displays the priority of the alarm: 1, 2 or 3, where 1 is the highest priority.

Description Displays the description of the alarm. For an analog alarm, the field also shows
the threshold value that has just been exceeded. Bad quality alarms are also
shown for all data point types; that is, the description is replaced with an
indication that the data point quality is bad.

Name Displays the name of the point.

Value Displays the value of the data point, such as "On", "Off", "Open" or "Closed", at
the moment when the alarm last changed states, appeared or disappeared.

Date Specifies the date on which the alarm was activated or has returned to normal.

If the alarm has returned to normal, the date on which the alarm was activated
can be obtained by subtracting the value displayed by the Duration value (see
below) from the Date value.

Time Specifies the precise time, to within a millisecond, at which the alarm was
activated or returned to normal. The time contains an "*" next to the millisecond
field if it does not originate from a precision source that is synchronized via
IRIG-B or GPS.

If the alarm has returned to normal, the time at which the alarm was activated
can be obtained by subtracting the value displayed by the Duration value (see
below) from the Time value.

Duration Indicates the duration of the alarm. This duration value is only valid when the
alarm has returned to normal.

Position Contains a reduced-scale version of the site layout, showing the location of the
point within the site.

A blue bar to the left of the mini-diagram indicates that the point belongs to the
zone currently selected in the site layout at the top of the page.

State Icon Displays an icon representing the current status of the binary data point that
caused an alarm to be generated.

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 Column Description
Type Icon Indicates more specifically what caused the alarm, such as the fact that a power
threshold was exceeded.

Note: Even if an alarm is triggered several times, the time used to sort the alarms on
the All Alarms page is that at which the alarm first appeared.

Colors on the Alarms Pages

Alarms are displayed in several different colors:

‰ Red.
Indicates that the alarm has top priority (URGENT) and has not yet been acknowledged.

‰ Orange.
Indicates that the alarm has second priority (NORMAL) and has not yet been acknowledged.

‰ Yellow.
Indicates that the alarm has third priority (NON-PRIORITY) and has not yet been
acknowledged.

‰ Green.
Indicates that the alarm has returned to normal.

‰ Blue.
Indicates that the alarm is currently selected.

‰ A paler shade of the original color indicates that the alarm has been acknowledged.

A gray line is used to separate groups of alarms that occurred more than 1 second apart.

Note: Even if you are in the Real-Time Data or Historical Data display or are in editing
mode, the sound system will still sound as soon as a new alarm is triggered or
there is a return to normal. Moreover, the number of new alarms will be displayed
in red in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

The All Events Page

The All Events page displays a chronological list of the events that have occurred on a site. All
alarms are events.

Each line in the display represents a single state change or transition. All the events associated
with the currently selected data point are displayed in blue.

A gray line is used to separate groups of events that occurred more than one second apart.

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 A specific set of columns is displayed by default. You can change the default display by adding or
removing columns. However, you cannot remove the description, date or time. The procedure for
modifying the display is outlined under “Customizing the Alarms and Events Display”, page 125.

Column Description
Alarm Icon Displays the icon that represents the type of alarm, if the displayed event is an
alarm.

Event Icon Displays the icon that represents the type of event that took place.

Description Displays the description of the point or alarm. For an analog alarm, the field
also shows the threshold value that has just been exceeded.

Name Displays the name of the point.

Value Displays the state of the data point, such as closed, enabled or false.

Date Indicates the date on which the alarm was activated or returned to normal.

Time Indicates the precise time, to within a millisecond, at which the alarm was
activated or returned to normal. The time contains an "*" if it does not originate
from a precision source that is synchronized via IRIG-B or GPS.

Time Frame Indicates the time interval that separates the event from the previous event on
that point.

Position Contains a reduced scale version of the site layout showing the location of the
point within the site.

A blue bar to the left of the mini-diagram indicates that the point belongs to the
zone currently selected in the site layout at the top of the page.

State Icon Displays an icon representing the current status of the binary data point that
caused an alarm to be generated.

Type Icon Indicates more specifically what caused the alarm, such as the fact that a power
threshold was exceeded.

Alarm Icon Displays an image of an alarm if the event generated an alarm.

Viewing and Adding Notes to Alarms

You can associate a Note with a data point selected in one of the Alarms and Events pages.
These notes are information messages that the operators and the maintenance staff can exchange
among themselves. Notes are stored on the server and are shared by all the connected clients.

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 The letter "N" in the Status column of the Alarm display indicates that there is a note associated
with the data point.

To view the note associated with a data point:

‰ Click on the data point in the one of the Alarms and Events pages to select it.

‰ Click on the Notes tab to display the notes page.

To edit the note associated with an alarm:

‰ Click on the data point in the one of the Alarms and Events pages to select it.

‰ Select the Edit Note command in the Edit menu to activate the Notes page and enable text
editing.

The note is automatically saved when you change the display page or the data point.

Viewing Alarm Details

An alarm data point may have an associated description or operating procedure that you can
consult.

The letter "D" in the Status column of the Alarms display indicates that there are additional
details associated with the data point.

To view the details associated with a data point:

‰ Click on the data point in the one of the Alarms and Events pages to select it.

‰ Select Details in the View menu.

Customizing the Alarms and Events Display

You can modify how the information is displayed in the Alarms and Events panes according to
your preferences:

‰ Click on the pane you want to customize.

‰ Select the Display Options command in the Tools menu.

‰ Choose the Alarms and Events tab.

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 Object Description
Modify Used to modify the character font used to display the information.

Automatically Automatically adjusts the column width. The width of the columns will be
adjust column width calculated automatically to occupy the width of the window. If you select this
option, you will be unable to manually adjust the width of the columns.

Configuring the Tabs

The Tab Configuration dialog displays all the tabs that are currently in either the Alarms or
Events pane.

To display the dialog:

‰ Click in either the Alarms or Events pane.

‰ In the View menu, point to Alarm And Events, then click Tabs.

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 Object Description
Tab list Lists the names of the tabs currently displayed in the Alarms or Events pane.

The system tabs are created by default, and cannot be edited or removed.
System tabs are: All Alarms, All Events, Permanent, Disabled, Silent, and
Notes.

Moves the selected tab up in the tab list.

Moves the selected tab down in the tab list.

New Adds a new tab to the selected pane.

Delete Deletes a tab from the selected pane. Note, however, that system tabs cannot be
deleted.

Properties Displays the properties of the selected tab in the list. The button is not available
for system tabs.

The Tab Properties dialog box is used to specify the properties of new and existing tabs in the
Alarms and Events view. You can customize a filter such that a particular tab will display only
certain categories of alarms and events.

To display the dialog box:

‰ Click New or Properties in the Tab Configuration dialog box.

Note that the Properties button is available only for tabs that you add; the button is not
available for the standard tabs.

Object Description
Tab name Name of the tab being created or edited.

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 Object Description
Filter This tree structure contains alarm and event categories to be displayed on the
current tab.

For the list of alarm and event categories and subcategories available in Visual
T&D, see “Alarm and Event Categories”, page 87.

Choosing the Columns to Display for Each Tab

You can customize any alarm and event tabs by choosing which column of information is
displayed, and in which order you want them. The Columns dialog displays the columns
configuration for the selected tab.

To modify the column configuration for a given tab:

‰ Click on a tab in the Alarms and Events view.

‰ In the View menu, click Alarms and Events, and then click Columns.

The Columns dialog box appears.

Object Description
Available data items Shows the list of data items that are available for display. The data items are
different, depending on whether you click on an Alarms or Events tab.

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 Object Description
Select available data Use this drop-down list to choose which data items to include in the list of
items from Available data items.

‰ All Data Items

Includes both alarm and event configuration information items, as well as
information that changes in real-time.
‰ Configuration Information
Consists of the data items related to alarms and event management, such as
the type icons and the event icons you defined through the various pages in
the Site display when you edited the site configuration.

See “Defining Miscellaneous Categories”, page 42.

‰ Real-Time Information
Consists of the data items that change in real time, namely: acknowledged
state (ACK), active, duration, position, state icon and value.

Add Click on an item in the list of Available data items, and then click this button
to add the item to the Show columns in this order list.

Remove Click on an item in the Show columns in this order list, and then click this
button to remove the item from the list.

Note that you cannot remove the description, date or time.

Default Click this button to choose the default group of columns, in the default order.

Show columns in Contains the list of data items that will be included in the Alarms and Events
this order view, and the order in which they will appear.

Move Up Click on an item in the Show columns in this order list, and click one of these
Move Down 2 buttons to move the item up or down in the list, so as to change the order in
which the columns are to be displayed.

Lock view settings If you put a checkmark in this box, the view will always show the columns you
selected, in the order you specified. The display will remain the same, even if
you subsequently make a global change to all alarm and event views using the
Apply To All Views button.

Apply To All Views Click this button to apply the current column settings to all your alarm and
event views, except those for which you locked the settings via the Lock view
settings box.

Printing the Window Contents

You can print the contents of the various Alarms and Events views. Only the contents of the
active window are printed. If the window is split in two, you can distinguish the active window by
the dark blue border just below the tabs at the top of the page.

To activate a window and print its contents:

‰ Click on the tab of the window, in order to activate it.

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 ‰ Click Print, in the File menu.

To obtain a preview of the window contents before printing:

‰ Click Print Preview, in the File menu.

Real-Time Data

Overview
The Real-Time Data display allows you to view the state of a site, in real time. The left pane has
a tree structure, which allows you to choose a particular real-time view, while the right pane
displays the view you request via the tree structure.

The tree structure includes the following items and folders:

‰ Data Sources allows you to see the current status of each data source you have defined:
whether the data source is started, whether it is connected to Visual T&D, how many data
points it has, and so on.

‰ The Real-Time Trends folder allows you to view charts of the states or sampled values of
data points, as they occur.

‰ The Site Layouts folder displays the various zones in your site and allows you to see, at a
glance, the real-time values of the important data points.

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 ‰ The Table Views folder contains various views that display your data points in tabular
format.

Contrary to the Alarms and Events view, which displays only those points that generate alarms
and events, the Real-Time Data views display the real-time values of the requested data points,
regardless of whether or not they generate alarms or events.

The Data Sources View

The Data Sources view allows you to see the current status of the data sources you have defined.
This view can be useful in establishing which data source is causing a problem when, for example,
the server icon on the Windows taskbar shows that the server is not connected to all its sources.
The view is illustrated below.

To display the Data Sources view:

‰ Click on Data Sources in the left pane.

The Real-Time Trends Folder

The Real-Time Trends folder contains only one entry, labeled Default. You can add other views
if you so choose. Each view allows you to monitor measures and state changes in real time. The
information is displayed in the form of a dynamic chart. You can monitor up to four points
simultaneously, for a specified period of time.

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 To display the view:

‰ Click on Default, in the Real-Time Trends folder.

This displays an empty view, with the trending toolbar, which you will use to choose the data
points you want to plot and the time frame for which you want to chart the data.

The Trending Toolbar

The Trending toolbar below the graph contains the following boxes and buttons that you will use
to select the contents of the display.

Object Description
The Add data points to chart button. Adds or removes data points from the
chart.

The Display properties button. Displays a dialog box in which you can set the
display properties, such as the background color and grid.

Time range text box. Specifies the width of the display, in time units.

Time units button. Specifies the type of time units (minutes, hours or days).

The Show or hide legend button. Displays or hides the chart legend. This
button appears on the toolbar only after you have selected the data points.

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 Selecting Data Points
When you click on the Add data points to chart button on the toolbar, the program displays a
dialog box in which you can choose the points you want included in the chart and the colors in
which you want the data plotted.

Object Description
Available points The list of all the data points available on the site. Binary points are displayed in
blue, while analog points are displayed in green.

Filter Filters the Available points list by name. All data points containing the text
written in the box will appear in the list.

Group settings Displays the Group Settings tab of the Display Options dialog box, which you
can use to group the data points differently, thereby changing the order in which
the points are presented in the Available points list.

See “Grouping Data Points”, page 51.

Selected points A list of the data points to be plotted on the chart.

Add Adds the selected point to the list of points to be plotted.

Remove Removes the selected point from the list of points to be plotted.

Remove All Removes all the data points from the list of selected points.

Color Selects the color in which the point to be added will be plotted.

Selecting a Time Frame

To specify the time period for which you want to view your data:

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 ‰ Click the Time units button to choose minutes, hours or days.

‰ Type the number of time units in the Time range text box. The display is updated
automatically.

Selecting the Display Properties

Visual T&D uses default colors to display the graph background and grid.

To change the way the grid is displayed:

‰ Click on the Display properties button on the trending toolbar, to display the Display
Properties dialog box.

To change the display colors:

‰ Clear the Use default colors checkbox.

‰ Click on the appropriate color box. The program displays a color chart from which you can
select the color in which you want the chart background and grid displayed.

To add or remove grid lines:

‰ Clear or select the Vertical and Horizontal checkboxes.

To use the same scale for data points which values are displayed with the same units:

‰ Select Use same scale for data point with same units.

The Chart Legend

The points that you selected to be plotted in the chart are displayed in a legend at the bottom of the
page. The legend provides additional information on the plotted data and controls that can be used
to set the color and scaling.

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 Column Description
Point Specifies the name of the point.

Low EGU Specifies the minimum value, in engineering units, that is currently visible on
the chart.

High EGU Specifies the maximum value, in engineering units, that is currently visible on
the chart.

Color Specifies color in which the data is plotted for the point. Click this button to
display a dialog box to change the plot color.

Scaling Specifies the type of scaling used for the vertical axis.

Automatic – The scaling is automatically set to fit the minimum and maximum
values reached. Min. Scale and Max. Scale values cannot be edited.

Custom – You set the scaling of the vertical axis by double-clicking the
Min. Scale and Max. Scale cells and entering the desired values.

Min. Scale Specifies the lower and upper limits of the vertical scale.
Max. Scale

R. Scale When selected, displays the vertical scale also on the right side of the chart.

You can select a point in the table by clicking on it with the mouse. The name of the point and the
units in which it is expressed are displayed in the top left-hand corner of the graph. The vertical
scale on the graph is automatically adjusted to correspond to the selected point. The bottom left-
hand corner of the chart shows the chart start time, while the right-hand corner shows your PC
time. The horizontal scale shows the time increments between the current PC time and the chart
start time. For example, if you ask for a plot of the last 10 minutes and the current time on your PC
is 4:08 p.m., the left side of the chart will show 15:58:00, the right side will show 16:08:00, and
the horizontal scale will be divided into 10 sections, each showing a 1-minute increment in time,
i.e., 15:58:00, 15:59:00, 16:00:00, and so on. The start time, PC time, and horizontal scale
increments all change dynamically as the time on your PC changes; so you always see the last 10
minutes relative to your PC time. It is, therefore, important to note that if the data source is not
synchronized, the data display could be erratic, since the start time could be later than the PC time.

To display or hide the legend:

‰ Click on the Show or hide legend button, on the trending toolbar.

The Site Layouts Folder

The Site Layouts folder contains only one entry, labeled Default. This view shows the site layout
and displays the names and current values of the points you assigned to each zone. You can view
your site and see, at a glance, the current states and values of the important data points.

The mini-site layout at the top right-hand corner of the screen pictorially represents the position of
data points and the status of alarms by zone.

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 To display the view:

‰ Click on Default, in the Site Layouts folder.

The Table Views Folder

The Table Views folder contains three folders:

‰ You use the Server Views folder to define views that will be stored on the Visual T&D server
and shared by all users. Note that you require site configuration editing privileges to create
server views. If you are upgrading from a previous version and had defined state pages in that
version, Visual T&D will automatically convert your state pages into server views. If you are
not upgrading from a previous version, the folder will contain the following views: all data
points, all analog input points, all analog output points, all binary input points, all binary
output points.

‰ The Topology views are created when you define regions, substations, IEDs, and so on, via
the Categories tab, and then assign your binary and analog points to these categories when
you edit your site configuration. There is one view per category. You cannot modify these
views. Each of them lists all the data points that fall into the particular category. Note that
there will be no Topology folder if you have not defined the topology of your site.

See “Defining Miscellaneous Categories”, page 42.

See “Configuring Binary Points”, page 57.
See “Configuring Analog Points”, page 61.

‰ You use the User Views folder to define views that will be stored on your own workstation
and to which only you will have access.

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 As their name implies, table views show data in tabular format. You can create any number of
customized views. For example, you may want to view all binary output points, and perhaps you
only want to see the name of each data point, its current value, and its binary state icon. Or then
again, you may want to view all the points associated with a distribution line or a transformer.

In the example below, we have created a user view of all analog input points that have a priority of
2.

Data points are normally listed in black. If the status of a data point is doubtful, the point is
displayed in red. The state of a data point can become uncertain if there is a problem
communicating with the data source or if there is a failure associated with the data point.

The information for a data point is displayed on a white background if the state of a binary point
has not changed since the last transition reset (i.e., when its transition counter was zero). The
background is gray if there was at least one transition on the data point. The exact number of
transitions is shown in the Counter column.

The currently selected data point is displayed in yellow and highlighted in blue.

Creating a Customized View

To create a customized server or user view:

‰ In the left pane, click Server Views or User Views, depending on the type of view you want
to create.

‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, then to New, and then click Table View.

A table of all the data points on your site automatically appears in the right pane, showing all
known information for every data point, and a new item is added to the tree structure, labeled
"New Table View".

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 ‰ Assign a meaningful name to the table view.

Applying a Filter
You probably don't want to see all information for all data points. To identify the information you
want to display, you will use a filter.

To establish a filter for the desired information:

‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, and then click Filter.

The Filter box appears above the table view, in the right pane.

‰ If you want to include only data points that contain certain characters in their name, such as
L3 or 025, type the characters in the Name contains text box, then click Apply.

The table view appears, showing only the data points with names containing the characters
you specified.

‰ If you want to specify other selection criteria, click Advanced.

The Advanced Filter box appears, showing the filter criterion you previously applied, i.e.,
data points with certain characters in the name.

‰ Click Add, to add a new criterion to the list.

The Define Filter dialog box appears, showing the list of available data items, namely:

‰ All properties and categories that can be assigned to a data point.

See “Configuring Binary Points”, page 57.

See “Configuring Analog Points”, page 61.

‰ All data items that change in real time: date, time, reading, scaled reading, state, and
transition counter.

‰ Click on an object in the list, and enter the desired value in the Contains box.

In the example above, we requested data points with a Breaker Operation control type.

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 ‰ If you want to see the list of data points in order to make a more specific selection,
choose <Data point list> and click the Data Points button.

This displays the Add Data Points to Filter dialog, which is the same as the data point
selection dialog of the Real-Time Trends view, except that it offers no color selection
(see “Selecting Data Points”, page 133).

‰ Once you have specified your selection criterion, click OK.

The filter criterion gets added to the active filters. In our example, we have two active
filters.

‰ If you want to add yet another criterion, click Add again, and repeat the process.

‰ Once you have finished specifying all selection criteria, click Advanced to make the
Advanced Filter box disappear.

‰ In the Filter box, click Apply.

The table view appears, showing all the data points that met your selection criteria.

To make the filter disappear from above the table view:

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 ‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, and then click Filter.

OR

‰ Click on the X located at the top right-hand corner of the filter box.

Showing and Resetting the Transition Counters

The Counter column is used to display the number of changes that have occurred on the data
points since the counters were last reset. Counting is done locally, in Visual T&D Explorer, and
not on the server. Data points that have undergone changes are displayed on a gray background.
You can control whether or not these transitions will be shown for binary data points.

To toggle on and off, the counting and displaying of state changes for binary data points:

‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, and then click Show Transitions.

To reset the transition counters of all the data points:

‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, and then click Reset Transition Counters.

Choosing the Columns to Display in a Table View

You decide which data you want to display in a table view, and in what order to position the
columns.

To do this:

‰ In the left pane, click on the view name.

‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, and then click Columns.

The Columns dialog box appears.

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 Object Description
Available data items Shows the list of data items that are available for display.

Select available data Use this drop-down list to choose which data items to include in the list of
items from Available data items.

‰ All Data Items.

Includes both data point configuration information and information that
changes in real-time.
‰ Configuration Information.
Consists of the data items that are available when you configure the data
points.

See “Configuring Binary Points”, page 57.

See “Configuring Analog Points”, page 61.
‰ Real-Time Information.
Consists of the data items that change in real time, namely: date, time,
reading, scaled reading, quality and state.

Add Click on an item in the list of Available data items, and then click this button
to add the item to the Show columns in this order list.

Remove Click on an item in the Show columns in this order list, and then click this
button to remove the item from the list.

Note that you cannot remove the name of the data point or the transition counter
from the list.

Default Click this button to choose the default group of columns, in the default order.

Show columns in Contains the list of data items that will be included in the table view.
this order

Move Up Click on an item in the Show columns in this order list, and click one of these
Move Down two buttons to move the item up or down in the list, so as to change the order in
which the columns are to be displayed.

Lock view settings If you put a checkmark in this box, the table view will always show the columns
you selected, in the order you specified. The display will remain the same even
if you subsequently make a global change to all views using the Apply To All
Views button.

Apply To All Views Click this button to apply the current column settings to all your table views,
except those for which you locked the settings via the Lock view settings box.

Sorting Data in a Table View

There are two ways to sort data in a table view:

‰ Simple sort - sorting by a single column.

This is the standard way to sort the list of items in a grid (see “Sorting Grid Items by a
Particular Column”, page 55).

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 ‰ Advanced sort - sorting by up to 3 columns.

Advanced sort

To sort the data by one column, then by another column, and then perhaps by a third:

‰ In the left pane, click on the name of the view you want to sort.

‰ In the View menu, point to Real-Time Views, and then click Sort.

The Sort dialog box appears.

Object Description
Sort by Each of these drop-down lists shows the list of data items available for display.
Then by The three lists are identical and consist of the columns currently displayed in the
Then by table view. When you choose an item in a drop-down list, click Ascending or
Descending to sort the data in ascending or descending order.

Default Click this button to have the table view sorted by name only.

Lock view settings If you put a checkmark in this box, the table view will always be sorted in the
order specified, even if you subsequently make a global change to all views
using the Apply To All Views button.

Apply To All Views Click this button to apply the current sort settings to all your table views, except
those for which you locked the settings via the Lock view settings box.

Viewing Data Point Properties

You can view real-time data point information using the Real-Time Data display, as described in
previous sections. However, some real-time information, such as the current tags assigned to a
data point, or any bad-quality conditions, are not displayed in the table views. You may find it

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 interesting to view real-time information about a data point listed in a table view or shown on the
site layout or in other displays, such as the Alarms and Events view. The Data Point Properties
dialog is available for this purpose.

To view the properties of a data point:

‰ Click on a data point in any display, including the site layout.

‰ In the View menu, click Data Point Properties.

Visual T&D displays the Data Point Properties dialog box. This dialog contains three tabs,
each providing different real-time information on the data point on which you clicked. While
the dialog is displayed, you can click on another data point, and the dialog will be updated on
the fly, with the information for the new data point.

The General, Attributes and Tags tabs are described below.

Data Point Properties Dialog Box- General Tab

The General tab displays the most common information about the data point, such as its current
value, the timestamp of the last transition, and its quality.

For physical data points originating from an SMP Gateway, an OPC server or from the
communication server, the Quality box shows a list of the conditions that constitute a bad quality.
If there is a checkmark for at least one of these conditions, the data point quality is bad.

For logical data points, the Quality box contains only one item, labeled "Bad". The quality of a
logical data point is bad only if you set its quality to bad, either directly in simulation mode, or
through the evaluation of an expression. For an OPC server data source, if Visual T&D loses the
communication with the OPC server, it sets the quality of all of its data points to bad.

Object Description
Description Description of the data point.

Value Current value of the data point, either in engineering units or as a raw value. In
simulation mode, you can change this value and then click the Write button to
write the value to the Visual T&D server real-time database; you will see the
change directly in the current display.

Timestamp Date and time of the last transition on the data point.

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 Object Description
Quality A list of bad-quality conditions or, for logical data points or data points
originating from an OPC server, the word "Bad". In simulation mode, you can
add or remove checkmarks in the list of bad-quality conditions, and then click
the Write button to write the changes to the Visual T&D server real-time
database; you will see the changes directly in the current display.

Scaled/Raw Shows whether the value is displayed in engineering units or as a raw value.

Write In simulation mode, writes a new value and quality in the Visual T&D server
real-time database. For additional information, see “Simulation Mode”, page
189.

Data Point Properties Dialog Box - Attributes Tab

The Attributes tab displays static information about the data point, such as the data source, the
units, the scale and offset, whether the data point can generate alarms, and so on.

Object Description
Attribute Name of the attribute. The attributes listed are those available on the Site tab for
the data point.

Value Current value of the attribute, as defined in the site configuration.

Data Point Properties Dialog Box - Tags Tab

The Tags tab displays a list of the current tags assigned to the data point. You cannot manage the
tags from this view; you need to use the Tag Operation dialog for this purpose (see “Control and
Tag Operations”, page 183).

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 Object Description
Active tags Lists the names of the tags currently assigned to the data point.

Attribute Name of the tag’s attribute.

Value Value of the tag’s attribute. The values cannot be edited.

Customizing the Real-Time Data Display

To modify how the information is displayed in the different Real-Time Data views:

‰ Click Display Options, in the Tools menu.

Visual T&D displays the Display Options dialog box.

‰ Choose the Real-Time Data tab.

Object Description
Grid Font Modifies the font used to display the information in the table views.
Modify

Automatically Automatically adjusts the column width of the table views. The width of the
adjust column width columns will automatically be calculated to occupy the width of the window. If
you select this option, you will be unable to manually adjust the width of the
columns.

Site Layout Font Modifies the font used to display the information in the site layout view.
Modify

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 Object Description
Fit to window Automatically adjusts the size of the site layout diagram so that you can see the
entire diagram.

Zoom Expands or reduces the size of the diagram to the specified scale.

Printing the Window Contents

You can print the contents of any table view in the Real-Time Data display.

To print the contents of a table view:

‰ Click anywhere in the view, in order to activate it.

‰ Click Print, in the File menu.

To obtain a preview of the window contents before printing:

‰ Click Print Preview, in the File menu.

Note: You cannot print the contents of the Real-Time Trends or Site Layouts views.

Historical Data
The Visual T&D Historical Data display is used to consult and analyze the historical data
accumulated for a site.

Visual T&D logs all the state changes and variations in analog measures. It also logs the digital
fault records in COMTRADE format (if the DFR option is installed). You can consult this
information later, through the Chart, Query and DFR views.

The Chart View

The Chart view allows you to graphically display all analog measures and binary states as a
function of time, regardless of whether or not they are events. You can modify the display
attributes to suit your liking, and you can zoom in on a specific section of the graph to view the
enlarged portion at a finer level of detail.

Visually, the Chart view is similar to the Trending view of the Real-Time Data display, except
that the values are not updated in real time.

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 The Chart Display Toolbar
The chart display toolbar below the graph contains the following text displays and buttons.

Object Description
Reference Displays the position of the Reference cursor. This field is automatically
updated as you move the Reference cursor.

Measure Displays the position of the Measurement cursor. This field is automatically
updated as you move the Measurement cursor.

Difference Displays the time interval between the two cursors.

The Add data points to chart button. Adds or removes points from the chart.

The Display properties button. Displays a dialog box in which you can set the
display attributes.

The Zoom out button. Allows you to return to normal viewing after you have
zoomed in on a certain section of the graph.

If you have not zoomed in on a section of the graph, the button is unavailable.

The Show or hide legend button. Displays or hides the chart legend.

Selecting Data Points

When you click on the Add data points to chart button on the toolbar, the program displays a
dialog box, in which you can choose the points you want included in the graph and the colors in
which the data will be plotted.

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 Object Description
Available points A list of all the data points available on the site. Binary points are displayed in
blue, while analog points are displayed in green.

Filter Filters the Available points list by name. All data points containing the text
written in the box will appear in the list.

Group Settings Displays the Group Settings tab of the Display Options dialog box, which you
can use to group the data points differently, thereby changing the order in which
the points are presented in the Available points list.

See “Grouping Data Points”, page 51.

Selected points Lists the data points to be plotted on the chart.

Add Adds the selected point to the list of points to be plotted.

Remove Removes the selected point from the list of points to be plotted.

Remove All Removes all the data points from the list of selected points.

Color Selects the color in which the point to be added will be plotted.

Selecting a Time Frame

You use the time frame toolbar located above the graph, to specify the time period for which you
want to view the data points on the chart.

You can specify a predefined or custom time period, as shown in the two figures below.

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 Choosing a predefined time period automatically sets the Begin and End values on the toolbar.

Choosing the <Custom> time period sets the time frame to manual mode. You can enter the Begin
and End values, or you can set the period as a multiple of a time period (5 days, in the figure).

The time frame toolbar contains the following boxes and buttons.

Object Description
Start time boxes. Used to enter the chart start date and time.

End time boxes. Used to enter the chart end date and time.

Relative time period button. Specifies the time span of the display,
as a time period relative to the present time. The predefined time
periods are:

‰ Today
‰ Yesterday
‰ This week
‰ Last week
‰ This month
‰ Last month
‰ This year
‰ Last year

Number of time units text box. Specifies the width of the display,
in time units. The available time units are minutes, hours and days.

Scroll left one frame and Scroll right one frame buttons. Used to
modify the time frame by the number of time units selected (above
example, 5 days).

Scroll Left and Scroll Right buttons. Used to modify the time
frame by one time unit (above example, 1 day).

Apply button. Activates the point selection and time frame entered.

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 Selecting the Display Properties
Visual T&D uses default colors to display the graph background, grid, reference cursor and
measurement cursor.

To change the display colors or the grid:

‰ Click the Display properties button on the Display toolbar.

The Display Properties dialog box appears.

To change the display colors:

‰ Clear the Use default colors checkbox.

‰ Click on the appropriate color box. The program displays a color chart from which you can
select the colors in which you want the chart background, grid and cursors.

To add or remove grid lines:

‰ Clear or select the Vertical grid and Horizontal grid checkboxes.

To use the same scale for data points which values are displayed with the same units:

‰ Select Use same scale for data point with same units.

The Chart Legend

The points you chose to display on the graph are listed in a legend at the bottom of the page. The
legend provides additional information on the plotted data, and you can use the buttons to control
the color and scaling.

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 Column Description
Point Specifies the name of the data point.

Ref. Value Indicates the minimum and maximum values of the data at the position of the
Reference cursor. These values are dynamically updated as the cursor is moved.

Meas. Value Indicates the minimum and maximum values of the data at the position of the
Measurement cursor. These values are dynamically updated as the cursor is
moved.

Diff. Value Reflects the difference between the Reference and Measurement cursor values.

Low EGU Indicates the minimum value reached, in engineering units, during the specified
time period.

High EGU Indicates the maximum value reached, in engineering units, during the specified
time period.

Color Specifies the color in which the data is plotted for the point. Click this button to
display a dialog box that will allow you to change the plot color.

Type Specifies the type of data display. If there is more than one sampled value to be
displayed for a given pixel, values must be grouped together and displayed as a
single point. This can be done in one of two ways:

Normal – The system displays the minimum and maximum values of each
group of sampled values, connected by a vertical line. This results in a graph
with vertical line sections.

Mean – The system calculates the average for each group of sampled values
and displays this value as a single point. It results in a graph with data plotted as
a regular curve.

Scaling Specifies the type of scaling used for the vertical axis.

Automatic – The scaling is automatically set to fit the minimum and maximum
values reached. Min. Scale and Max. Scale values cannot be edited.

Custom – You set the scaling of the vertical axis by double-clicking on the
Min. Scale and Max. Scale cells and entering the desired values.

Min. Scale Specifies the lower and upper limits of the vertical scale.
Max. Scale

R. Scale When selected, displays the vertical scale also on the right side of the chart.

You can select a point in the legend by clicking on it with the mouse. If you click on an analog
point, its name and the units in which it is expressed are displayed in the top left-hand corner of
the graph. If you select a binary point, only its name is displayed. The vertical scale on the graph is
automatically adjusted to correspond to the selected point.

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 To hide or display the legend:

‰ Click the Show or hide legend button.

Zooming In on the Data

To zoom in on a particular portion of the graph:

‰ Select the section you want to zoom in on by holding down the left mouse button and
dragging the mouse.

‰ Return to normal viewing by clicking on the Zoom out button.

Performing Measurements on the Data

Visual T&D Explorer displays two vertical cursors in the chart (the Reference cursor in blue and
the Measurement cursor in red), which you can use to perform measurements on the data.

The current position of the cursors is displayed below the chart. The values of the data points at
the position of the cursors are displayed in the legend below the chart. These values are
automatically updated to reflect the current position of the cursors.

To move a cursor:

‰ Click on the cursor with the left mouse button and drag it to the appropriate location.

The Query View

The Query view is used to analyze the alarms and events logged by the system for a given period
of time. To see data logged for points that have not been configured as alarms or events, consult
the Chart view.

The data shown on the Events page of the Alarms and Events tab, and the data shown in the
Query view of the Historical Data tab, are very similar.

The differences are as follows:

‰ The Events view displays real-time data, whereas the Query view displays historical data.

‰ In the Historical Data view, the program displays a red bell for alarm data points in order to
help you distinguish alarms from events.

‰ Whereas the Alarms and Events display only keeps track of the last 5,000 events, the
Historical Data Query view shows all the events logged by the server.

On the Query page, you can:

‰ Create and execute a temporary query for on-demand historical data analysis.

‰ Save a temporary query, in order to make it permanent.

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 ‰ Execute an existing query and view the resulting data set.

Executing a Query
To execute a query, proceed as follows:

‰ Choose a query:

‰ Select a query in the Query drop-down list located on the toolbar at the top.
The query will be executed automatically.

OR

‰ Choose <Undefined> in the drop-down list, to define a new query.

‰ Use the Edit button to edit the <Undefined> query.

‰ Use the Save as button to save the <Undefined> query into a named and permanent
query.

‰ Fine-tune the time frame for the query:

‰ Choose the <Custom> time frame.

‰ Use the buttons on the Time Frame toolbar to select the desired time period.

‰ Click the Apply button to execute the query.

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 The Time frame toolbar in the Query view is very similar to the one described in the Chart view.
For details on how to enter the time frame, refer to “Selecting a Time Frame”, page 148.

To manage your queries, use the Query Manager described in “Managing Queries”, below.

Managing Queries
Visual T&D uses the concept of queries to retrieve historical data from the database. A query is
what defines the information to be retrieved; executing a query generates data that can be
displayed in the historical data Query view, or exported to a supported file format.

Queries are managed by the Query Manager. With the Query Manager, you can create, edit,
copy, execute and send queries to the Visual T&D server. A query is located either locally or on
the server. A query on the server is available to all Visual T&D users. A local query is available
only to your local workstation. This feature enables you to create queries for your own purpose,
and to create queries of general interest.

To manage your queries:

‰ Click Query Manager, in the Tools menu.

The program opens the Queries dialog box.

Object Description
Name Name of the query. This name is listed in the Query drop-down list of the
historical data Query view.

Description Description of the query.

Location Location of the query definition file: either Local or Server.

New Opens the Query wizard, which helps you define a new query.

Edit Opens the Query wizard, which helps you modify an existing query. Only an
administrator can edit queries located on the server.

Delete Deletes the selected query. Only an administrator can delete queries located on
the server.

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 Object Description
Copy Copies the selected query to a new query. You can then edit the new query by
clicking the Edit button.

Save to server Saves a query to the server for the purpose of distribution to other users of the
system. Only an administrator can save queries to the Visual T&D server.

Execute Executes the selected query, and displays the resulting data set in the Query
view of the Historical Data display.

Close Closes the Query Manager.

When you click on the New or Edit button of the Queries dialog, a query wizard takes you
through a step-by-step procedure for defining a query.

‰ You select the type of data you want to include in the query. You must choose between
Sequence of events and Data point values.

‰ You select the event categories you want to include in the query. You can find a description
of the event categories in the section entitled “Alarm and Event Categories”, page 87.

‰ You specify whether the query applies to all the data points in the configuration or to a subset
of data points that interest you.

‰ You set the period of time you want to use in your query. You can choose relative time
periods such as "today", "yesterday", "this week", "last week", and so on.

‰ You set the name and description of the query.

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 Choosing the Columns to Display in the Query View
As in real-time data and alarms & events views, the selection and display order of the columns in
the Query view can also be customized.

Proceed as follows:

‰ From the View menu, click Historical Data, and then click Columns.

The Columns dialog box appears.

Object Description
Available data items Shows the list of data items that are available for display.

Select available data Use this drop-down list to choose which data items to include in the list of
items from Available data items.

‰ All Data Items

Includes both alarm and event configuration information items, as well as
information that changes in real-time.
‰ Configuration Information
Consists of the data items related to alarms and event management, such as
the type icons and the event icons you defined through the various pages in
the Site display when you edited the site configuration.

See “Defining Miscellaneous Categories”, page 42.

‰ Real-Time Information
Consists of the data items that change in real time, namely: acknowledged
state (ACK), active, duration, position, state icon and value.

Add Click on an item in the list of Available data items, and then click this button
to add the item to the Show columns in this order list.

Remove Click on an item in the Show columns in this order list, and then click this
button to remove the item from the list.

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 Object Description
Default Click this button to choose the default group of columns, in the default order.

Show columns in Contains the list of data items that will be included in the Query view, and the
this order order in which they will appear.

Move Up Click on an item in the Show columns in this order list, and click one of these
Move Down 2 buttons to move the item up or down in the list, so as to change the order in
which the columns are to be displayed.

Lock view settings No effect in this context.

Apply To All Views No effect in this context.

The DFR View

The DFR (Digital Fault Records) view allows you to graphically display analog and binary
channel data as a function of time, from an event recorded in COMTRADE standard format.
Signals from standard data points can also be viewed along with DFR channel data. You can
modify the display attributes to suit your liking.

Visually, the graph is similar to the Trending view of the Real-Time Data display, except that
the values are static and are not updated in real time.

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 The DFR view is displayed across several windows, which you can use to browse for DFRs on the
server, select channels or data points, view a graph of the signals, or look at the DFR details.

The view includes the following windows:

Window Description
Digital Fault Used to browse and select DFR channels to add to the chart. To browse for
Records DFRs, expand the hierarchical tree as needed. You can list the records by the
devices on which they occurred or by their trigger timestamp. To browse for
available channels in a DFR, expand its folder in the hierarchical tree. The
window has a Filter button that you can click to view a list of the digital fault
records for a particular time frame. There is also a Refresh button that you can
click to refresh the information displayed in the window.

Data Points Used to select and add existing data points to the chart. You can select data
points from the list of available data points. The latter are grouped together in
folders, based on grouping criteria that you established with the Group Settings
tab of the Display Options dialog (see “Grouping Data Points”, page 51).

If you open the various folders, you will note that binary points are displayed in
blue, while analog points are displayed in green.

Signals Displays the selected digital fault record channels and data point signals. The
functionality of this window is similar to that of the Chart view. Refer to “The
Chart View” section for more information on the various fields and buttons in
this window.

Details Displays detailed information about the currently selected DFR and channel in
the Digital Fault Records window. This information is described below.

To have the waveforms of a particular channel appear on the chart:

‰ Double-click on the channel in the Digital Fault Records window.

The waveforms get added to those already displayed on the graph. You can display as many
as 10 channels at a time.

To remove the waveforms of a channel that is currently displayed on the chart:

‰ Double-click on the channel in the Digital Fault Records window.

The Details Window

The Details window displays information about the record and channel selected in the Digital
Fault Records window. The information is essentially the contents of the DFR’s COMTRADE
configuration file (.CFG).

Field Description
Station The station name of the record.

Recording Device The name of the device that created the original record.

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 Field Description
Start Time The timestamp of the first data value of the record.

Trigger Time The timestamp of the trigger point.

Duration (msec) The total duration of the event, in milliseconds.

Description The description of the DFR, as configured on the DFR page of the Site view.

File Location The full path of the COMTRADE file on the server.

Channel The name of the selected channel.

Units The units of the selected channel.

Phase The name of the phase monitored by the selected channel.

Device Monitored The name of the device monitored by the selected channel.

Normal State The normal state (0 or 1) of the status channel, if that type of channel is
selected.

Line Frequency The line frequency, in Hz, that was measured at trigger time.

Note A note that was recorded in the COMTRADE file at the time the DFR was
generated. It contains information such as the number of grid faults, the function
type and the status of the fault.

You can double-click on the note in order to see or modify its contents.

Exporting Data
Visual T&D provides three means by which you can export historical data:

‰ Use the Export command to write the currently displayed chart data to a text file.

‰ Use the Export command to write the currently displayed Query View data to a text file.

‰ Use the Report command to create historical data reports, based on Seagate Crystal Reports
templates.

Exporting Chart Data to a Text File

When you export the data in a chart to a text file, the file contains the name of the site, the current
date and time, the point name and the units (if it is an analog point) in which it is expressed, the
start and end times, and the minimum and maximum readings obtained for the time period. The
data is listed separately for each point. The sampling rate is a function of the selected time frame.

To export chart data to a text file:

‰ Display the chart data to be exported (Chart view or DFR view).

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 ‰ In the File menu, click Export, to export the data for a selected time frame.

Exporting Query Data to a Text File

The resulting data of a query can also be exported either to a Comma Separated Values file (.csv)
or a Tab Separated Values file (.txt). Data is stored in the file by columns, in the same order that is
used for display: what you see in the Query tab of Visual T&D Explorer is what you get in the
exported file.

Note: To learn how to change the columns’ selection and display order, see “Choosing
the Columns to Display in the Query ”, page 156.

To export the results of the current query:

‰ From the File menu, click Export. The Export as dialog box appears.

‰ Select the destination folder.

‰ A default file name is offered, based on the current date and time. If required, type the name
of your choice.

‰ Select the file format. You can select to export data to either a comma-separated values file
(.csv) or a tab-separated values file (.txt). Both these formats are also available as compressed
.zip file.

‰ Click Export to proceed with the export process.

Some options are available:

‰ The data and time information of the exported data can be customized. Also, the user can
select to store this information either in the UTC format or according to the client’s time zone
information (“local time”).

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 ‰ The export file can be uploaded to an FTP server.

Note: These options’ settings are permanently stored on the workstation. You do not
have to redefine them every time you export data from the Query view.

To customize the data and time information format:

‰ From the File menu, click Export. The Export as dialog box appears.

‰ Click Options. The Export Query Options dialog box appears.

‰ Select the Date and Time tab.

‰ Select the date format. The following formats are available.

Date Format Description

d Day of month, as digits with no leading zero for single-digit days.
dd Day of month, as digits with leading zero for single-digit days.
ddd Day of week, as a three-letter abbreviation.
dddd Day of week, as a full name.
M Month, as digits with no leading zero for single-digit months.
MM Month, as digits with leading zero for single-digit months.
MMM Month, as a three-letter abbreviation.
MMMM Month, as a full name.
y Year, as the last two digits with no leading zero for years less than 10.
yy Year, as the last two digits with leading zero for years less than 10.
yyyy Year, represented by all four digits.

‰ Select the time format. The following formats are available.

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 Time Format Description
h Hours, with no leading zero for single-digit hours; 12-hour clock.
hh Hours, with leading zero for single-digit hours; 12-hour clock.
H Hours, with no leading zero for single-digit hours; 24-hour clock.
HH Hours, with leading zero for single-digit hours; 24-hour clock.
m Minutes, with no leading zero for single-digit minutes.
mm Minutes, with leading zero for single-digit minutes.
s Seconds, with no leading zero for single-digit seconds.
ss Seconds, with leading zero for single-digit seconds.
t One character time-marker string, such as A or P.
tt Multiple-character time-marker string, such as AM or PM.

‰ Click OK to close the Export Query Options dialog box.

‰ Click Cancel to close the Export as dialog box, or proceed with the export process by
clicking Export.

To set up the destination FTP server:

‰ From the File menu, click Export. The Export as dialog box appears.

‰ Click Options. The Export Query Options dialog box appears.

‰ Select the FTP tab.

‰ Enter the required information for the FTP server and account.

‰ Click OK to close this dialog box and save these settings on the workstation.

‰ Click Cancel to close the Export as dialog box, or proceed with the export process by
clicking Export.

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 ‰ To upload the export data file to the specified FTP server:Follow the instructions presented at
the beginning of this section, but put a checkmark in the Send via FTP checkbox before
clicking Export. If the FTP settings have been set properly, the file will be created, then
uploaded to the specified FTP server.

Creating Reports
You can also create historical data reports, based on Seagate Crystal Reports templates.

Visual T&D provides you with three built-in report templates created using Seagate Crystal
Reports. You can use this program, available separately, to customize the built-in reports or create
your own report layouts.

The following templates are provided with Visual T&D:

‰ AnalogReadings.
Generates a report by sampling analog data point values.
You specify the analog points to be sampled, the sampling period, and the reporting time
frame. Binary points are ignored by this report.

‰ TransitionsByDataPoints.
Generates a report by binary data point, of all transitions that occurred on the data point. You
specify the binary points of interest and the reporting time frame. The Retrieve all binary
transitions option must be set in the query definition.

‰ TransitionsByTime.
Lists binary point transitions in chronological order. You specify the binary points of interest
and the reporting time frame. The Retrieve all binary transitions option must be set in the
query definition.

To produce a report:

‰ In the Tools menu, click Report.

The program displays a dialog box in which you can specify the data points, time frame, and
type of report you want to produce.

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 Object Description
Templates Choose the template on which the report is to be based.

Report templates can be installed either on the server, where they are available
to all users, or on your workstation.

Queries Contains the list of available data queries, and shows whether the query exists
locally or on the server (L or S).

Initially, there is only one data query in the list, called Model.req. This query
resides on the server. Use the Copy button to create a new query locally.

Copy Creates a new data query based on the selected query, and assigns it the same
name as the selected query. You can change the name of the new query by
clicking the Edit button.

Edit Selects the data points and the sampling period for the report, and assigns a
name to the query.

Remove Deletes the selected data query.

Settings Specifies the time frame for the report:

Start time Specifies the start date and time.

End time Specifies the end date and time.

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 Object Description
Period MTD Specifies whether the report is to show values for the entire period, daily,
Daily YTD month-to-date, or year-to-date.

If you select "Period", specify both the start and end dates and times. The report
will span the entire period.
If you select "Daily", you can only specify the start date and time. The report
will start on the specified start date and time, and will end today.
If you select "MTD", you can only specify the end date and time. The report
will start at the beginning of the current calendar month and end on the
specified end date and time.
If you select "YTD", you can only specify the end date and time. The report will
start at the beginning of the current calendar year and end on the specified end
date and time.

Comments Optional. Allows you to enter a comment that will be added to the report.

Info Select a template in the Local folder, and click the button. Visual T&D displays
a message telling you what type of report will be generated if you use this
template.

The button is not available if you select a template in the Server folder.

Print Preview Displays the report in a window, in the same format as it will be printed.

Print Displays the Print dialog box, which allows modification of print settings, prior
to printing.

Quick Print Sends the report to the default printer.

To generate a report:

‰ Click on an item in the Queries list, to choose an existing query to use as a template.

‰ Click the Copy button.

Visual T&D Explorer creates a local copy of the data request. You will be able to change the
name later on.

‰ Click the Edit button.

The program opens a dialog box, in which you can choose the data points and sampling
period, and assign a meaningful name to the data query.

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 Object Description
Available points Displays the list of available points. Binary points are displayed in blue, while
analog points are displayed in green.

Filter Filters the Available points list by name. All data points containing the text
written in the box will appear in the list.

Group Settings Displays the Group Settings tab of the Display Options dialog box, which you
can use to group the data points differently, thereby changing the order in which
the points are presented in the Available points list.

See “Grouping Data Points”, page 51.

Selected points Displays the list of points to be included in the report.

Retrieve all binary For reports that include binary data points, the system will include all
transitions transitions, regardless of the sampling period.

Name Specifies the name of the data request.

Sampling period Specifies when the data is to be sampled. For each selected data point, the report
will include values for each sampling interval during the selected time period.

Customizing the Historical Data Display

To modify how the information is displayed in the different Historical Data displays:

‰ Click Display Options, in the Tools menu.

‰ Click on the Historical Data tab of the Display Options dialog box.

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 Object Description
Modify Modifies the character font used to display the information.

Show position Displays the column containing the reduced-scale site layout diagram.

Automatically Automatically adjusts the column width.

adjust column width

Printing the Window Contents

You can print the contents of the Historical Data display.

To print the contents of a window:

‰ Click Print, in the File menu.

To obtain a preview of the window contents before printing:

‰ Click Print Preview, in the File menu.

Task Manager
Visual T&D uses the concept of tasks to perform automated actions at a scheduled period of time
or when a specific event occurs. Two types of tasks are supported: starting (launching) an
application and generating a report file.

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 Starting the Task Manager
Tasks are managed by the Task Manager. With the Task Manager, you can create, edit, delete,
copy and execute tasks on the Visual T&D server.

To manage your tasks:

‰ From the Tools, menu, click Task Manager.

The program opens the Tasks dialog box.

Object Description
List of tasks This is the list of tasks you have defined. The list grows whenever you click the
Add button to create a new task, and diminishes whenever you select a task in
the list and click the Delete button.

Name Displays the name of the task.

Type Displays the type of task: either Generate a report or Launch an application.

Trigger Displays the trigger condition of the task.

Add Open the Task Manager Wizard, which helps you create a new task.

Edit Open the Task Manager Wizard, which helps you edit the selected task.

Delete Delete the selected task.

Duplicate Copies the selected task to a new task. You can then edit the new task by
clicking the Edit button.

Execute Execute the selected task immediately.

Close Close the Task Manager dialog box.

The various types of task that can be created by the Task Manager Wizard will be described in the
sections below.

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 Note: Task management requires the site configuration edition privilege (see “Adding or
Modifying a User”, page 19). Nevertheless, users that don’t have this privilege
can consult the list of configured tasks.

Generating a Scheduled Report

There are many uses for a report containing Visual T&D information. For example, reports based
on schedules are used for monthly, weekly or daily production reports. To create a scheduled
report generation task:

‰ In Visual T&D Explorer, from the Tools menu, select Task Manager.

The Tasks dialog box appears.

‰ To add a new task, click Add on the right. The Task Manager Wizard will appear.

‰ Select Generate a report, and then click Next.

‰ Select Periodically, according to a time schedule, and then click Next.

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 ‰ Select the time at which you want the report to be generated.

‰ Select the generation occurrence.

‰ Click Next.

‰ Select the query that will be used to generate the data for this report. You can use one of the
pre-defined queries, or define one specific to your needs (see “Managing Queries”, page 154).

‰ Once the desired query is selected, click Next.

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 ‰ Select the format in which the report will be exported, and then click Next.

‰ Select the data fields to export.

‰ Move the data fields up and down the list to change their order in the file.

‰ To include the column headers in the exported file, select Include column headers.

‰ Click Next.

‰ Select a format for the date and time information of the exported data.

‰ Select the Local time (client) time zone if you want the local time zone modifier to be
applied to all timestamps.

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 ‰ Click Next.

‰ Specify the report’s file name.

‰ Select Compress file (.zip) to save the file as a ZIP archive.

‰ Select Prefix with date and time information to add the report’s generation date and time at
the beginning of the report’s file name.

‰ Click Next.

‰ The wizard displays the actions that will be performed with the report. Only one action should
be displayed at this time: Save to disk.

To change the save directory, select the Save to disk action, and then click Edit.

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 ‰ To learn how to define more actions, see “Defining More Actions to Perform with a
Generated Report”, below. Click Next for now.

‰ Specify a name for the task. Click Finish to complete the task creation.

Generating an Event-Based Report

Reports based on events allow you to diagnose an event that might have occurred, such as a failure
in a line phase, by recording information before and after the event and having the report
displayed to analyze it. To create an event-based report generation task:

‰ In Visual T&D Explorer, from the Tools menu, select Task Manager.

The Task Manager dialog box appears.

‰ To add a new task, click Add on the right.

The Task Manager Wizard appears.

‰ Select Generate a report, and then click Next.

‰ Select When a specific event occurs, and then click Next.

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 ‰ The task can be triggered for any type of events that can be generated by a Visual T&D
server. Select the categories of events that should trigger the task. For more information about
event categories, see “Defining and Editing a Contact”, page 94.

‰ For process-related events, you may restrict the filter to alarms only. To do so, select the
corresponding checkbox.

‰ Click Next.

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 ‰ If you selected a category of events that are generated by data points, you must select the data
points for which events will trigger the task. Select All data points if the task should be
triggered on any data point event. Click Next.

Visual T&D Explorer • 175

 ‰ If you selected Expert System Events, you must specify the severity range and zones of the
events that will trigger the task. You must specify at least one zone. Click Next.

‰ Choose the events actions that will trigger the task.

‰ Set a filter on oscillatory events by selecting the maximum number of events that may be
considered in the last N minutes for the trigger. During that time interval, if an event occurs
more than the configured number of occurrences, no task will be triggered. Click Next.

‰ Remaining steps are the same than for a scheduled report (see “Generating a Scheduled
Report”, above).

Defining More Actions to Perform with a Generated Report

The task manager can do more than just saving the generated report on the server’s hard drive. It
can also send the report to a mail recipient or upload it to an FTP server. You can define these
actions in the Task Manager Wizard:

‰ In Visual T&D Explorer, from the Tools menu, select Task Manager.

The Tasks dialog box appears.

‰ Select a task and click Edit on the right.

The Task Manager Wizard appears.

‰ Click Next as often as required to reach the actions definition window:

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 ‰ Click Add to define a new action.

The Action Creation Wizard appears:

‰ Specify the type of action you want the task to perform with the report file.

The following steps depend on the type of action chosen.

To send the file by email:

‰ Select an email recipient from your contact list (see “Defining and Editing a Contact”, page
94).

Visual T&D Explorer • 177

 ‰ Type in a generic subject, as the same mail template will be sent every time the task will be
triggered. The same also applies to the mail contents.

‰ If you have not yet configured your mail settings, you can do it now by clicking Email
Options (see page 98).

‰ Click Finish to add this action to the currently edited task.

To send the file to an FTP server:

‰ Specify the host or IP address of the server, and change the port number if needed.

‰ Specify the username and password of the account that will be used to logon to the server, as
well as the relative path where to upload the file on the server.

‰ If needed, select the Passive Mode option. Click Finish to add this action to the currently
edited task.

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 To save a copy of the file to the server:

‰ Type in the complete path where to save the copy of the report on the server.

‰ Click Finish to add this action to the currently edited task.

Starting an Application
The task manager can also start applications the same way it generates report files. Therefore, you
can schedule an application to start up periodically or you can configure it to start up when one or
more specific events occur. To create an application startup task:

‰ In Visual T&D Explorer, from the Tools menu, select Task Manager. The Tasks dialog box
will appear.

‰ To add a new task, click Add on the right. The Task Manager Wizard will appear.

‰ Select Start an application, then click Next.

‰ The remaining steps are the same than for report generation tasks (see “Generating a
Scheduled Report” and “Generating an Event-Based Report” above), except for the
application-specific parameters that must be specified.

Visual T&D Explorer • 179

 ‰ Type in the application executable path and file name, and the program arguments. You can
see the resulting operation in the Command line preview box. Click Next.

‰ Type in the name of the task. Click Finish to complete the task creation.

Exporting Events to IED Manager Suite

The Task Manager can also export events to a Yukon IED Manager Suite’s Event Server. This
type of task is neither scheduled nor triggered: when it is configured, it is in constant execution,
waiting for the occurrence of new events to be transferred to IMS.

To configure this task, proceed as follow:

‰ From the Tools menu, select Task Manager. The Tasks dialog box appears.

‰ Click Add. The Task Manager Wizard appears.

‰ Select Export events to IMS, and then click Next.

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 ‰ Select the type of the events to export, and then click Next.

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 ‰ If any of the selected event types is triggered by data points, the next step consists of the
selection of such points. By default, all data points will be considered. To use only some
specific points, clear the All data points checkbox and select the points. Click Next.

‰ If you selected Expert System Events, you must specify the severity range and zones of the
events that will be exported. You must specify at least one zone. Click Next.

‰ Type the complete pathname of the destination folder. This folder must be located on the IED
Manager Suite server’s computer. Click Next.

‰ Type the name of the task, as it will appear in the list.

Note: There can only be one task of this type. To add additional event types to export
or more triggering data points, go to the Tasks dialog box, select this task and
click Edit.

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Control and Tag Operations
Visual T&D is used not only as a specialized Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and for historical
data archiving of power substations, but also for supervisory control operations.

Both Visual T&D Diagram Editor and Visual T&D Explorer client applications can be configured
to perform control operations, as well as alarm and tag management. Visual T&D Explorer can be
set up to perform operations in a few minutes, whereas Visual T&D Diagram Editor needs a little
bit more engineering, but is more flexible. When engineering cost is a major concern in setting up
a system, Visual T&D Explorer is the preferred solution for control and tag operations.

Control Operations Concepts

There are basically two types of control operations, as discussed below.

Select Before Operate (SBO)

This type of command has a 3-step sequence:

‰ Device selection

‰ Operation selection

‰ Operation execution

This method is used to minimize the possibility of inadvertent operation, so as not to damage
equipment and in order to ensure the safety of human beings who may be near the equipment.
SBO commands allow the operator to examine the requested action for security. When the
operator selects a device, he waits for confirmation of device selection and if he is satisfied, he can
request its operation. SBO controls are timed. If the delay between device selection and device
operation is too long, the control sequence is aborted and the selection is canceled.

SBO control requires the command originator to transmit a "select" message to the device,
containing a coded action and data point identity. The device returns an error-free "select" to the
originator, along with the selection codes, if the device was successfully selected. Upon receipt of
the returned select message, the originator sends an execute or activate message to the device.
Upon receipt of an error-free execute or activate message, the device operates its selected
interface, and returns an error-free execute message to the originator as a signal that control is
activated. Any errors in the message stream will cause the device to return an error message. If
there is an error in the process or if the messaging is not completed within a time window, the
control sequence is canceled. Once an end point is selected, it holds in select mode for the
originator, and rejects all other select requests until Select Mode self-cancels on a timeout, or is
canceled or executed by the originator.

Direct Operate

Direct Operate is a control methodology that uses a single message to initiate a control action by
an automation system control device. The single-message Direct Operate method is more efficient
and responsive than multiple message systems since it requires fewer messages and, therefore, less
communications bandwidth. In order to minimize inadvertent operations, direct operate message
schemes may use multiple selection codes, encoded in different formats, within the message to
reduce the sensitivity to single- and multiple-bit errors.

Visual T&D Explorer • 183

 Control Operations Handling
Some devices support SBO commands, whereas others do not. The processing of SBO and Direct
Execute commands differs, depending on the data source.

SMP Gateway and Communication Server

Control operations are handled the same way for an SMP Gateway and the communication server.
The processing is as follows:

‰ If the device requires that an SBO command be sent:

‰ If the master protocol component receives a Direct Execute command from Visual T&D,
it simulates an SBO command by sending a Select command to the device, waiting for
the acknowledgement, and then sending the Execute command and waiting for an
acknowledgement.

‰ If the master protocol component receives an SBO command, it processes it normally,

i.e., it sends the Select command, waits for an acknowledgement, sends the Execute
command, and waits for an acknowledgement.

‰ If the device does not support SBO commands:

‰ If the master protocol component receives a Direct Execute, it sends it to the device and
waits for an acknowledgement.

‰ If the master protocol component receives an SBO command, it acknowledges the Select,
and then sends a Direct Execute command to the device.

OPC Server
The SBO concept is not defined in the OPC Data Access standard: the only control operation
allowed is a write operation, which is a Direct Execute command. However, some OPC servers,
such as Cybectec OPC Servers, use two separate data points for control operations: a command
point, used to define the type of command to perform (select or execute, for example) and a value
point.

Refer to your OPC server’s usermanual or online help for details.

Control Operations Over Multidrop Links

During normal operations, all master protocol instances that share the same communications link
have the same priority. In other words, each instance gets its turn on the link once every X turns,
where X is the number of instances.

When a master protocol instance is ready to send an output control request to its remote device,
the communication link manager provides a special access to the communications link, thereby
ensuring that the request is sent quickly. Thus, this instance is next in line to temporarily own the
communications link, and access is granted immediately after the instance that currently owns the
link completes its operations.

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 When the instance has completed its output control operation, the instance’s priority on the
communication link returns to its initial state.

Setting Up Visual T&D Explorer for Control Operations

To set up Visual T&D Explorer to perform control operations, you need to go through the
following steps, in the order listed:

‰ Configure the available Control Types to suit your needs.

To learn how to configure the control types, see “Control Types”, page 46.

‰ For each binary or analog output point that needs to be controlled, associate a control type and
a monitoring point. To learn how to configure output points for control operations, refer to the
following sections:

“Configuring Binary Points”, page 57.

“Configuring Analog Points”, page 61.

Tag management does not require any configuration; all data points can be tagged.

Performing Control Operations

Once you have set up Visual T&D Explorer for control operations, you need to go through the
following steps to perform a control operation on a data point:

‰ Click on a data point in any of the Alarms and Events, Real-Time Data or Historical Data
display grids.

‰ From the Tools menu, click Control Operation.

Note that if the data point on which you clicked is not configured for control operations, the
Control Operation command will not be available.

The control operation dialog that will be displayed depends on the control type associated with the
data point on which you clicked. There are three control operation dialogs:

‰ Open/close operation (for a binary output point).

Used to set the state of the specified output point to "0" (off, open) or "1" (on, closed).

‰ Pulse operation (for a binary output point).

Used to set the state of the specified output point to "1" for a specified amount of time, and
then back to "0".

‰ Analog setpoint operation (for an analog output point).

A setpoint control operation is a request to change the value of a specified output point. The
setpoint value can be specified as a raw or floating-point value in the control request.
Depending on the master’s specifications, the setpoint value is subject to being converted to
another format, using the output point’s scale and offset settings.

Visual T&D Explorer • 185

 The figure below shows a typical "open/close" dialog, for a breaker operation. You can modify the
button labels and colors you specified when you configured the control types (see “Control
Types”, page 46).

Object Description
Status Current status (or value, for an analog setpoint control operation) of the
monitoring point.

Active tags Number of tags currently applied to the data point.

Open, Close Click one of these buttons to perform the corresponding control operation. The
button label and color are those configured for the control type associated with
the data point.

Tags Click this button to display the Tag Operation dialog (see “Managing Tags”,
below).

Managing Tags
You can apply tags to data points in order to attach to a device, a piece of information that is of
interest to other users, or to assign important action attributes to a device. Inhibiting a device from
performing control operations is an example of an action tag that can be applied. All data points
can potentially be tagged.

To tag a data point in Visual T&D Explorer:

‰ Click on a data point in any of the Alarms and Events, Real-Time Data or Historical Data
display grids, or in the Real-Time Data site layout.

‰ From the Tools menu, click Tag Operation.

The Tag Operation dialog box appears.

186 • Visual T&D Explorer

 Object Description
Tags Lists the current tags attached to the data point.

Attribute Name of the attribute for the currently selected tag.

Value Value of the attribute for the currently selected tag.

Comment A description or comment about this tag.

New Displays the New Tag dialog, which allows you to create a new tag for the data
point.

Delete Deletes the currently selected tag. A tag can be deleted only by its owner or an
administrator.

Edit Allows a user to modify the tag’s comment.

Note: You can also manage your tags through control operation dialog boxes, as
discussed in "Performing control operations", above.

The New Tag dialog is shown in the next figure.

Visual T&D Explorer • 187

 Object Description
Name Tag name or ID. The name must be unique for each tag. A default name is
provided using date and time information in the following format:
yyyymmdd_HHMMSS (year month day_hours minutes seconds), but you can
specify any name, as long as it is unique.

Type Type of tag. Two types are supported: Information, and All Control Inhibited.

Comment A free-text comment.

Add Click this button to display the Tag Operation dialog (above) and see the new
tag added to the list.

Control and Tag Operation Security

Visual T&D uses the concepts of privileges and timeout to ensure a good level of security for
operations.

To perform control operations, you need to have the User can perform control operations
privilege. To manage tags, you need to have the User can manage tags privilege. To learn how to
set or change user privileges, see “Setting Up User Accounts”, page 18.

The control operation timeout feature adds another level of security. The timeout inhibits control
and tag operations on a workstation if a user with control privileges remains logged on for a long
time without doing any activity. For instance, if the timeout is set to 15 minutes, all control and tag
operations will be locked if you leave your workstation for a 20-minute coffee break. To learn
how to set the control operation timeout, see “Defining the Server Management Properties”,
page 22.

Using the SCADA Control Interlock Mechanism

The SCADA control interlock mechanism is used with an SMP Gateway data source, to allow or
disallow control operations from local substations, that is, from Visual T&D. The SMP Gateway
provides two logical data points that are used by the mechanism.

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 ‰ The _smp___localControl binary input point indicates the state of the local control lock.
When this point has a value of 1, local control is enabled; when the value is 0, local control is
locked.

‰ The _smp___setLocalControl binary output point is used to modify the local control lock
state, from Visual T&D or from the SCADA.

‰ To set the control to local mode, set the value of the data point to 1.

‰ To set the control to remote mode, set the value of the data point to 0.

Simulation Mode
Simulation is used to generate transitions on data points. It can be useful to test a diagram created
with Diagram Editor.

Getting into Simulation Mode

You use the Simulation Mode dialog box to get into simulation mode. You can access the dialog
only if you have simulation privileges, as assigned to you by your systems administrator (see
“Setting Up User Accounts”, page 18).

To display the dialog box:

‰ From the Tools menu, click Simulation Mode.

The dialog box contains the following boxes:

Box Description
Activate simulation Activates a state in Visual T&D Explorer, whereby data transitions can be
mode simulated. When this state is activated, Simulation Mode appears on the Visual
T&D Explorer toolbar, and the Write button of the Data Point Properties
dialog box becomes available (see “Data Point Properties Dialog Box- General
Tab”, page 143).

Visual T&D Explorer • 189

 Send manually Sends the simulated value and quality to the data source, if the latter is an
written value to SMP Gateway.
SMP Gateway

Changing Data Point Values Dynamically

When you are in simulation mode, you can manually change the value and the quality of a data
point via the Data Point Properties dialog (see “Viewing Data Point Properties”, page 142).

You can see the values change dynamically in the current display. The Data Point Properties
dialog applies to the currently selected data point. If you select another data point, the properties of
that data point will be displayed in the dialog box. Thus, you can modify the value and quality of a
number of data points without having to close the dialog box. Furthermore, if you choose the
appropriate option in the Simulation Mode dialog, Visual T&D will send your modified values to
the SMP Gateway (see “Getting into Simulation Mode”, above).

Development Mode
The development mode let the user works without protection key. When Visual T&D starts and
the key is absent, it automatically enters development mode. This mode contains all the
functionalities, except that data acquisition runs for a limited time. Thus, despite the fact that this
system cannot be used in production, the user can create, configure and test a site in development
mode.

Reactivating Data Acquisition

Visual T&D Explorer and Visual T&D Diagram use the status bar to display the development
mode’s current state.

When the server starts in development mode, data acquisition is initially stopped. The following
indicator appears in client applications:

To activate data acquisition:

‰ In Visual T&D Explorer or Visual T&D Diagram’s Server menu, click Start Data
Acquisition.

Data acquisition starts and the indicator displays the time at which the acquisition will stop.

190 • Visual T&D Explorer

 To let users work on their site configuration without bothering about when data acquisition will
stop, the acquisition end time resets every time any of the following commands is executed:

‰ Site configuration update via Visual T&D Explorer,

‰ Site diagram update via Visual T&D Diagram,

‰ Animation mode activation in Visual T&D Diagram,

‰ Simulation mode deactivation in Visual T&D Explorer.

Standalone HMI Mode

Visual T&D’s Standalone HMI mode allows you to dedicate a workstation to the sole usage of
running Visual T&D. In this mode, all the usual Windows user interface functions are disabled.
The end user can only use Visual T&D and a limited set of applications.

The configuration and activation of this mode can only be performed by a user that has a Windows
account with administrative privileges. For more information about this mode, see “Configuring
the Standalone HMI Mode”, page 103.

Changing Password
User can change their password directly in Visual T&D Explorer.

To change the password of the current user’s account:

‰ In the Server menu, click Change Password.

The Change Password dialog box appears.

The dialog box contains the following boxes:

Box Description
User name Specifies the current user’s name.

Visual T&D Explorer • 191

 Box Description
Old Password Specifies the current user’s password to modify.

New Password Specifies the current user’s new password.

Confirm New Specifies the current user’s new password a second time so that Visual T&D
Password Explorer can ensure that the password entered was indeed the intended
password.

192 • Visual T&D Explorer

Maintenance

In this chapter, you will learn how to analyze, repair, backup and restore Visual T&D’s data log.
You will also learn how to backup and restore your site configuration, either using a backup
software or manually.

Analyzing and Repairing the Data Log

Visual T&D writes the following items in the data log, on a continuous basis:

‰ All events.

‰ All transitions on analog and binary output points for which you put a checkmark in the
"Need Log" box when you configured the data points.

See “Configuring Binary Points”, page 57.

See “Configuring Analog Points”, page 61.

The data log allows you to reconstruct the sequence of events and to see the data point transitions,
using the Historical Data tab (see “Historical Data”, page 146).

In the event of a blackout or if you inadvertently power off the computer or experience a computer
failure for any other reason, Visual T&D may not have time to close the data log properly. This
could impact the integrity of the data log or affect the performance of the data logging function. If
this happens, you should use the analysis and repair tool. The analysis function verifies the
integrity of the data, while the repair function reorders any items that are not in chronological
order. This last function is important because each time you enter a historical query or request a
report, Visual T&D has to present the data in chronological order. Thus, if the data is not in the
right sequence, response time will be slow.

To analyze the data log:

‰ In the Server menu, point to Data Log, and then click Analyze and Repair.

‰ In the Data Log Analysis and Repair Tool dialog, click Analyze.

The analysis operation begins, and you can monitor the progress of the operation via the
progress bar. The results are displayed in the Results box and when the operation comes to an
end, Visual T&D indicates whether a repair operation is recommended.

Visual T&D Explorer • 193

 To see the details of the analysis:

‰ Click the View Report button.

To repair the data log:

‰ Click the Repair button.

The repair operation begins, and you can monitor the progress of the operation via the progress
bar. The results are displayed in the Results box.

To see the details of the repair operation:

‰ Click the View Report button.

Close the dialog box once you have finished the desired operations.

Note: You can interrupt the operation in progress at any time, by clicking the Stop
button, without having any negative impact on the system.

Backing Up and Restoring the Site Configuration and

the Data Log using Backup Exec
It is always a good idea to make frequent backups of important data that you don’t want to lose.
This chapter discusses the strategy that we encourage you to adopt in order to safeguard your site
configuration and the data log maintained by the Visual T&D server, and suggests a procedure for
restoring the data.

We recommend that you use Backup Exec System Recovery Desktop Edition 2010 or later, to
back up your data. You can obtain this software from Symantec (www.symantec.com).

The data log files are accessed continuously, and stopping the Visual T&D server for the sole
purpose of making a backup is not very desirable. For this reason, some administrators might be
tempted to use Backup Exec’s Open File Option, which is an extra component specifically
designed to back up currently open files. However, we strongly recommend against using this
option while the Visual T&D server is running, as this could lead to unexpected results such as
affecting the capacity of the server to record new data on disk.

However, running Backup Exec without the Open File Option while the Visual T&D server is
running should not cause any interference with the server's data logging function.

Setting Up Backup Jobs

Go to Symantec website and retrieve the Backup Exec Administrator's Guide that applies to your
version of Backup Exec and to your operating system (the Backup Exec 2010 Administrator’s
guide is available here: http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/). This document will give you details

194 • Visual T&D Explorer

 on installing Backup Exec, and will help you understand the sections that follow.

Creating a Backup Job and Scheduling its Execution

Use the following procedure to create a job that will make a full backup of your data.

‰ Start the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery application.

‰ In the Tasks section, select Run or Manage Backups.

‰ In the Easy Setup dialog, uncheck both Back Up My Computer and Back Up My
Documents.

‰ Click the Custom… button.

‰ Select the Back up selected files and folders option. Click the Next button.

‰ Uncheck any checked folder.

‰ Click the Add Folder… button.

‰ If the site configuration and the data log are located in the same directory, enter the path
to their containing folder in the Folder to back up field (i.e.: “C:\Program Files\Cooper
Power Systems\Visual T&D\Server\Param\Tutorial). In the case where they are located
in different folders, you will have to add both folders.

‰ Check the Subfolders option. Include all files.

‰ Click the OK button.

‰ Check the newly added directory. Click the Next button.

‰ Give a significant name to your backup task (i.e.: “Visual T&D - Tutorial Site – Backup”).

‰ Select the destination for your backup. We recommend you choose a destination on another
computer or at least on another disk on the same computer. Click the Next button.

‰ Enter a schedule of your choice. If no schedule is entered, the backup will have to be started
manually. Click the Next button.

‰ Click the Finish button.

Restoring the Data

Use the following procedure to recover the backuped data to your Visual T&D Server.

‰ Start the Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery application.

‰ In the Tasks section, select Recover My Files.

‰ Click the Search button.

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 ‰ Select all files located under the directory you want to recover. Type Ctrl+A to select all files.
You may also recover only a subset of files by selecting them individually.

‰ Click the Recover Files button.

‰ Choose the Original Folder destination.

‰ Click the Recover button.

Note: You cannot restore the site configuration or the data log while the Visual T&D
server is running and the site configuration is loaded.

Backing Up the Site Configuration Without Using a

Backup Software
You can also backup the site configuration without using any specific software, just by copying
the configuration files to an external media. However, the data log cannot be backed up this way.

Proceed as follows:

‰ If the Visual T&D server computer is in the Standalone HMI mode, leave this mode.

To learn how to leave this mode, see “Leaving the Standalone HMI Mode”, page 109.

‰ Open Windows Explorer and move to the following folder:

\Program Files\Cooper Power Systems\Visual T&D\Server\Param\<site>

where <site> is the name of your site.

For example, the Tutorial site configuration is found in the […]\Param\Tutorial

folder.

‰ In the folder, select all files and folders, except the DataLog folder.

‰ From the Edit menu, select Copy.

‰ Still in Windows Explorer, move to the backup location. It may be a CD-ROM drive, a
network folder, or an USB key drive. Ideally, create a new folder with the same name as your
site.

‰ Once you are in the backup location, select Paste from the Edit menu.

‰ If you left the Standalone HMI mode to perform this backup task, reenter it, by following the
steps described in “Enabling the Standalone HMI Mode”, page 108.

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 Restoring the Site Configuration
The restoration of a site configuration is usually required when you must reinstall the Visual T&D
server on a new computer or a new hard drive.

Proceed as follows:

‰ If the Visual T&D server computer is in the Standalone HMI mode, leave this mode.

To learn how to leave this mode, see “Leaving the Standalone HMI Mode”, page 109.

‰ In Windows Explorer, move to the backup folder.

‰ In the backup folder, select all the files and folders.

‰ From the Edit menu, click Copy.

‰ Move to the following folder:

\Program Files\Cooper Power Systems\Visual T&D\ Server\Param\

‰ Create a new folder, and give it the same name as your site configuration’s database (.MDB)
file.

For example, the configuration of a site named “Maple Grove” would be found in the Maple
Grove folder, and its database file would be named Maple Grove.mdb. The folder name
is not case sensitive, but it must be the same than for the site and its database file.

‰ Still in Windows Explorer, move to the newly created folder.

‰ From the Edit menu, click Paste.

‰ If you left the Standalone HMI mode to perform this backup task, reenter it, by following the
steps described in “Enabling the Standalone HMI Mode”, page 108.

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