
Keynote speaker and emcee Rennie Crabtree helped facilitate nine internal presentations and eight client presentations on software integration, functionality and features.
5.5.2.1 Release
This version is a minor release improving on the features in the 5.5.2 series.
NEW FEATURES
Centerline
PARCmodel
PARCgraphics Designer
PARCview Manual
System Configuration
IMPROVEMENTS
PARCvalue
PARCcalc Support
PARCview Localiztion
Centerline
PARChistory
PARCIO
PARCtagSync
Excel Add-In
PARCgraphic Designer
In the digital age there are so many options for how to best share information. Whether it is flashing across your screen, or filling your inbox, reports of all kinds are normal in the workplace. Whether with pictures, video or even streaming, how you share can determine the type of influence the information may have. How data is reported also determines the influence or relationship others have with that data. Reports can be categorized into different types: live and static, as well as a lesser known type; dynamic. Static and live reports each have their own inherent advantages and disadvantages. Knowing when to use each type of report is key to presenting the relevant information and improving performance and ease of use.
Coming off nearly another year of sleep deprivation our developers are pleased to announce the completion of PARCview’s next major version, 5.5!
Similar to the WPF expansion in our last major release, 5.5 is packed with new tools and treats that have our engineers salivating! From graphic logic controls to the new PARCview Configuration Manager we will take a closer look at some of the great new features in this release.
All forms of commerce require energy. Industrial processing and manufacturing facilities tend to be the largest consumers, but even service industries such as insurance and banking require large buildings which must be heated, cooled and lit. The newest large energy consuming enterprises are data centers, which are large clusters of computers which store and serve up the data which flows through the internet. Regardless of the end use or the industry, companies strive to minimize production costs by minimizing energy consumption.
In addition to economic incentives, it is increasingly accepted that every BTU that is generated by burning fossil fuels (the source of the majority of our energy) leads to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. This, in turn, appears to be causing some undesirable changes in the global climate. There are now more reasons than ever for companies to seriously strive to reduce energy consumption.
The ISA 95 spec and OPC UA companion standard provide a model that allows software programs to exchange all the relevant information throughout a manufacturing organization. This provides the groundwork for an industrial internet of things by breaking down the communication barriers between objects.
The concept of an “Internet of Things” (IoT) has been around since about 2005 and has really begun to catch on in recent years. Basically, IoT is connecting multiple “things” with sensors to data processing programs capable of sending data to and receiving data from those things. The things can be anything from household appliances to industrial machines. In factories this concept is called the Industrial Internet of Things or Industrie 4.0. Industrie 4.0 is the term coined in Germany for the IoT because it is being considered the 4th Industrial Revolution. No matter what it’s called, the goal is to create a network world with intelligent objects that can communicate and interact with each other.
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A lot of time and effort goes into the construction of the HMI screens and other display screens that are used to monitor and control production processes, so it is worth giving some time and thought to their layout and design. The most important consideration is how they can convey the most useful information in a timely manner to their intended audience.
This blog post deals designing process monitoring screens to better assist with troubleshooting efforts. It contains tips and guidelines on how to use PARCview’s graphics design tool, PARCgraphics, to address this goal.
The New Year is starting and now is the time to book your PARCview training session. With the new training calendar rolling out this is the perfect time to plan your get-a-way to the Northwest. Whether you need to escape the heat of summer, the cold of winter, or just need to get away from the plant, PARCtraining is your ticket to a welcome escape. Oh, did we mention the training?
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Most people are familiar with compressing data files so that they require less memory and they are easier to send electronically. Similar concepts are popular with process data historians. With process data, compression means reducing the number of data points that are stored, while trying to not affect the quality of the data. Compression can be accomplished using one of several algorithms (swinging door, Box Car Back Slope). Each algorithm uses some criteria to eliminate data between points where there is constant change (slope), within some tolerance.
The main drivers for compression are disk space, and network traffic or data retrieval speed. The goal of compression is to remove data that is “unimportant”. The proponents of compression make convincing arguments, like the shape of the graph is still the same. However, there are several drawbacks to compression.
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Most of us take for granted the rapid advance of “technology”. Computers get smaller and faster, cell phones turn into smart phones, smart phone capabilities steadily increase, televisions become larger, and more of life’s transactions move onto the internet. Not all of the changes are appreciated by all people, but they occur regardless of who welcomes them and who does not.