Aspen Process Explorer

InfoPlus.21 Foundation Course

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 Objectives
• Acquire an Overview of Process Explorer
• Understand how to use standard
Process Explorer components to
examine data within InfoPlus.21

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 Glossary of Terms
• Aspen Tag Browser • Plot
• Context Menu • Plot Span
• Legend • Tag
• Map Record • Time Line Control
• Pen

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 What is Process Explorer?
• A container for a variety of displays and tools, which
display and manipulate data in real-time from a database
server:

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 Displays and Tools Available
• Types of displays: • Tools/Controls available:
– Trend Plots – Aspen Tag Browser
– X-Y Plots – Timeline Control
– Process Graphics – Custom Tools
– Batch Plots
– Profile.21 Plots
– GCS Displays
– SPC Plots
– Event Plots
– MultiVariate.21 Plots
– VBA displays

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 Plots, Displays, and Tools

Process
Graphic Trend
Display Plot
Display

Timeline
Control

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 Automation Interface Links

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 Make Custom Tools with VBA

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 Data Sources
Aspen Data
Batch.21 or
Process updates Event.21
in real-time data
Explorer

Process
Data Server Relational
Database
Process Database
IP_DAIDef

InfoPlus.21 Process Database IP_AIDef

IP_DAIDef
IP_AnalogDef

InfoPlus.21
Setcim ATCAI
SALTFLOW
IP_AIDef
IP_AnalogDef

Setcim
CIM/21 ATCAI
ATCPH101_RAN
SALTFLOW
SALTTANKLVL

CIM/21
Cimview ATCPH101_RAN
SALTTANKLVL

Cimview Historian Process

Historian Data Acquisition
Equipment

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 A Secure Environment

• From V3 onwards, access to data can be controlled

using Aspen Framework security
• Restrictions can be placed on ability to:
– Perform certain actions (e.g., create and save a new plot)
– View or modify certain data items

• Access is limited by user “role” held in Aspen Framework

• Roles are linked to Windows login

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 Starting Process Explorer
1. From the Start Menu:
Programs | AspenTech | Aspen Manufacturing Suite |
Process Explorer | Process Explorer

2. From the Process

Explorer Desktop Icon
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 Starting a New Plot

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 New Plot Before Adding “Pens”

Plot
Area

Legend

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 What Can Be Plotted?
• Current and Historical data from any record in the
InfoPlus.21 database that contains such information
• Usually, data is plotted from “tag” records
– “Tag” usually refers to:
• An InfoPlus.21 record, which corresponds to a data point on the plant
data system, or which is derived (calculated) from such a point
– Each tag in an InfoPlus.21 system has a unique name. Tags
are accessed by name
– If you do not have sufficient security to read a tag, the tag will
not appear in any of the browser lists, nor will you be able to
view data by typing the name of the tag

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 Starting the Tag Browser

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 Browsing Tags/Records
ATCF* *101 ATCF10?

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 Adding Pens to a Plot

Click
Drag and drop

Legend

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 The Process Explorer Legend
Value or Step and
Extrapolate
Aggregate
Map Plot Eng Time
Statistic Name Min Units Zone Period

Status
Name

Pen Description Level Plot Shift Type

Color Max
Data Autoscale Method
Source
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 Configuring the Legend

Right-click

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 Configuring the Legend Appearance

Use this for changing the appearance Use this for setting defaults and to
of the Legend import/export Legend settings

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 Plotting Tags

Click pen color

box to hide/show
pen in plot area.

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 Ad Hoc Calculations
• Process Explorer can display the results of an Ad Hoc
calculation
• Benefit – no need to create extra tags inside the Aspen
database
• Ad Hoc calculations can be typed directly into the
Legend of Process Explorer

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 Creating Ad Hoc Calculations
1. INSERT a new pen
in the Legend

2. Enter calculation

3. Select Data source

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 What Can Be Entered?
• Ad Hoc calculations begin with
the “=“ sign and can contain valid
InfoPlus.21 tag names

• Usual mathematical • Order of precedence from

operators can be used: highest to lowest is:
+ Addition ^ Exponent
– Subtraction * Multiplication / Division
* Multiplication + Addition
/ Division - Subtraction
^ Exponent (power of)

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 Result

Notice the
Description

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 Further Example IF..THEN..ELSE

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 Saving a Plot

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 Opening an Existing Plot

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 Moving the Time Window
 One way of moving the time window is to drag the time slider tool
along the trough
 Also...
 Clicking inside the trough causes a large step
 Clicking the arrows at the end of the trough causes a small step

Click Click

Start Plot Time Time End

Time Span Slider Slider Time
Field Field Trough Field
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 Is the Plot Still Updating?
• The background of the time field changes from white to
yellow when the plot is not updating
• Clicking the Return to Current Time button shifts the end
time back to current time

End
Return to Time
Current Time Field
Button

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 If I Change Start Time, is Span Changed?
• If time span is locked, changing start/end times shifts
time window
• If time span is unlocked, changing start/end times widens
or narrows time window

Start Plot End

Span Lock Time
Time Time Time
Field Span Button
Field Slider Field

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 Review
• Process Explorer is usually started from
the Desktop shortcut or the Start menu
• After starting a new plot, or opening an
existing one, a display appears containing
a Plot area, Legend, and Timeline
• “Tags” or any InfoPlus.21 record with a “map” record can be plotted
• Tags can be added to a plot to make “pens” by starting the Tag
Browser and dragging them to the legend, or by “inserting” a pen
and typing a tag or record name
• It is possible to gather tags from different AspenTech database
servers via the Tag Browser properties menu
• Plots can be saved and re-loaded

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 AspenChem Simulation Tag Names
ATCL101 ATCL102 ATCL103
101,102,103: Raw Material Silos ATCV101
 L Measured Levels
 F Measured Flows ATCF101 ATCF102 ATCF103
 V Valve Positions
ATCV201
201: Mixer
ATCF201
 L Measured Level ATCV103
 F Measured Flow
 V Valve Positions ATCL201

301: Reactor
 L Measured Level ATCF301

 F Measured Flow
ATCV301 ATCL301
 V Valve Positions
ATCTIC301 ATCP301
 TIC Measured Temperature
 P Measured Pressure ATCV403
ATCF401
401, 402, 403: Storage Silos
 L Measured Level
ATCL401 ATCL402 ATCL403
 F Measured Flows
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 Process Explorer Lab 1
• Getting Started: Viewing Trend Data
• In this lab, you will:
– Start Process Explorer
– Begin a new plot
– Add pens to the plot
– Save the plot
– Open existing plots

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