Product category:
SCADA systems
News Release from: Yokogawa UK | Subject: Version 8.3 of FAST/TOOLS SCADA package
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 February 2005
SCADA package has strategic features
Version 8.3 of FAST/TOOLS SCADA package includes FAST/Start, support for the STARDOM FCx controller, OPC Alarm and Event Client and the FAST/TOOLS Monitor.
Yokogawa has introduced Version 8.3 of its FAST/TOOLS SCADA package with a number of new strategic features and enhancements including FAST/Start, support for the STARDOM FCx controller, OPC Alarm and Event Client, playback, printer management and the FAST/TOOLS Monitor FAST/Start is a variation of the FAST/TOOLS USER/FAST human/machine interface (HMI), intended to simplify and speed up system development
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 23 May 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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It contains a number of predefined definitions and wizards, and any configuration made with FAST/Start is compatible with the full HMI.
The new FAST/TOOLS product is also capable of interfacing with the Yokogawa's STARDOM FCJ and FCN network controllers.
The FCx driver is available as standard in the FAST/TOOLS product.
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In the FAST/Start environment there is a driver Wizard available for the FCx driver.
The STARDOM FCx driver is configured in a few mouse clicks.
In addition to the existing OPC DA server and client and OPC AE server, the OPC implementation is now extended with the OPC Alarm and Event client.
This means that FAST/TOOLS can access (third party) OPC Alarm and Event servers.
The information is mapped on FAST/TOOLS items and so is automatically available to other FAST/TOOLS functions such as the ALARM/FAST alarm management module.
As with the implementation of the FAST/TOOLS OPC DA client, the FAST/TOOLS OPC AE client can be configured off-line without having a connection with an OPC AE server.
Both the FAST/TOOLS HMI as well as the quick-load functionality can be used for this purpose.
Playback is a new feature which allows a user to view historical data through operator displays.
The same operator displays that are used to control the system can be used with playback.
This gives the appearance of viewing the system as it appeared some time in the past.
There are many uses for this functionality such as finding problems or training operators using events that happen in the past.
Playback is capable of showing item (tags) changes, alarm data and trend data.
With the new printer management facility, it is possible to define the FAST/TOOLS printer configuration from the HMI.
Printer management supports printer output via a printer queue, an application or a file on disk.
Additional features include the ability to change the FAST/TOOLS printer configuration on-line, to define backup devices for a printer destination (which will be used when the main device is unavailable), to add printer destinations for sending reports to different locations, to list current device statuses and print jobs, and to indicate printer device status via an item.
A new utility known as FAST/TOOLS Monitor allows the performance of the FAST/TOOLS system to be monitored.
This utility is only available on Windows platforms.
Via the FAST/TOOLS monitor, users can obtain information on general FAST/TOOLS system attributes, an overview of the FAST/TOOLS version installed and licensed, an overview of the status of each of the individual FAST/TOOLS processes and event information, and an overview of the processes that either consumed the most CPU power or transferred the highest amount of messages in a certain time interval.
It is now possible to install an unlicensed version of FAST/TOOLS on the Windows platform.
This unlicensed version of FAST/TOOLS will operate for up to one hour after starting the FAST/TOOLS system.
After this time expires, FAST/TOOLS can be restarted in order to operate for another hour.
The unlicensed version provides the full functionality as the full suite.
Any configuration data can be exported and loaded again when the system is licensed.
The new version of FAST/TOOLS comes with an easy upgrade path from the current 8.2 version to the new 8.3 version.
* About Yokogawa Electric Corporation - Yokogawa is a leading solutions provider for test and measurement, process control, and analysis instrumentation including a full range of analytical instrumentation.
Yokogawa's global network of 18 manufacturing facilities, 71 affiliate companies and over 200 sales and engineering offices span 28 countries.
Since its founding in 1915, the US$3 billion company has been engaged in research and innovation of the highest order, securing over 4,500 patents and registrations, including the world's first DCS and digital flow and pressure measurement sensor.
Test and measurement systems are a core business focus of Yokogawa.
For more information about Yokogawa Electric Corporation.
* About Yokogawa Europe - the European headquarters were founded in Amersfoort, the Netherlands in 1982.
Throughout Europe Yokogawa has its own sales, service and engineering operations.
This dedicated network has been extended to Central and East Europe and Southern Africa to further enhance the coverage and support associated with serving the process control and automation market place.
The company develops and produces flowmeters at Rota Yokogawa in Germany, and liquid analysers and industrial safety systems in the Netherlands.
In addition to this dedicated network of Yokogawa subsidiaries, a select organisation of test and measurement (T and M) subsidiaries and distributors is established in certain areas to support the specific customer needs of this continuously developing and specific market of T and M instrumentation.
About Yokogawa UK - Yokogawa UK, part of the global Yokogawa Corporation, is a supplier of enterprise technology solutions to the process, manufacturing and utility sectors.
The company is a technology and market leader in instrumentation and control, and holds many key patents and national and international approvals.
Yokogawa UK's headquarters are in Runcorn, Cheshire, with additional system sales support operations in Milton Keynes.
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