SurvalentONE

DB-400
SCADA DATABASE EDITING
OVERVIEW GUIDE

Version 1.6
 SCADA Database Editing Overview Guide

Copyright, Notices and Trademarks

Copyright © Survalent Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. The
software described in this document is furnished under license and can
only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of such license. The
content of this manual has been carefully checked for accuracy.
However, if you find any errors, please notify the Survalent Technology
Corporation.

Survalent Technology Corporation

7965 Heritage Road
Brampton, Ontario L6Y 5X5

(905) 826 5000

(905) 826 7144

support@[Link]

[Link]
FAX (905) 826-7144

The software described in this document is furnished under

license, and may only be used or copied in accordance with
the terms of such license.

About This Publication

This manual describes the SCADA system, its database, and how to create and
maintain the database.

It is assumed that you have some background knowledge about SCADA systems.
 SCADA Database Editing Overview Guide

Revisions

Version Description
1.0 Initial version.
1.1 Minor style and content revisions, updated figures.
1.2 Minor corrections.
Added Command Timeout in Data Access Preferences.
Added Select Station and Select RTU function to tabular displays, with List and Tree
options.
1.3 Added the database changes
Added the STC Explorer screens and functionality

Document reviewed by Ilija Mitrov.

1.4 Added new logo.
1.5 Updated cover
1.6 Added Two-Factor Authentication login for STC Explorer in Chapter 4.

SCADA Revisions
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Contents

1 Introduction 1-1

1.1 Other Documentation .................................................................................................................... 1-2

2 SCADA Concepts 2-1

2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2-1

2.2 The SCADA System ..................................................................................................................... 2-2
2.2.1 System Overview ...................................................................................................................... 2-2
2.2.2 Remote Terminal Units ............................................................................................................. 2-2
2.2.3 Master Station ........................................................................................................................... 2-3
2.3 User Interface ................................................................................................................................ 2-4
2.3.1 STC Explorer ............................................................................................................................ 2-4
2.3.2 Tabular Data Displays............................................................................................................... 2-4
2.3.3 WorldView................................................................................................................................ 2-4
2.3.4 SmartVU ................................................................................................................................... 2-5

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3 Database Overview 3-1

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3-1

3.2 Conventions .................................................................................................................................. 3-2
3.3 Organization.................................................................................................................................. 3-3
3.3.1 Station ....................................................................................................................................... 3-3
3.3.2 Communication Line ................................................................................................................ 3-4
3.3.3 RTU........................................................................................................................................... 3-4
3.3.4 IED ............................................................................................................................................ 3-5
3.3.5 Status Point ............................................................................................................................... 3-6
3.3.6 Analog Point ............................................................................................................................. 3-6
3.3.7 Text Point .................................................................................................................................. 3-7
3.4 Data Ranges .................................................................................................................................. 3-7
3.5 Planning Your Database ............................................................................................................... 3-8
3.5.1 Stations...................................................................................................................................... 3-9
3.5.2 User Types .............................................................................................................................. 3-10
3.5.3 Zones ....................................................................................................................................... 3-10
3.5.4 Command/State Strings........................................................................................................... 3-11
3.5.5 Alarm Message Formats ......................................................................................................... 3-11
3.5.6 Other Planning Notes .............................................................................................................. 3-11
3.6 The Default Database .................................................................................................................. 3-12
3.6.1 Zones and Zone Groups .......................................................................................................... 3-12
3.6.2 Users and User Rights ............................................................................................................. 3-13
3.6.3 Stations, Communication Lines, RTUs and Points ................................................................. 3-13
3.6.4 User Point Types ..................................................................................................................... 3-14
3.6.5 Formats ................................................................................................................................... 3-14
3.6.6 Command/State Strings........................................................................................................... 3-15
3.6.7 Alarm Formats ........................................................................................................................ 3-15
3.6.8 Alarm Priorities ....................................................................................................................... 3-18

4 STC Explorer 4-1

4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4-1

4.2 The STC Explorer Window .......................................................................................................... 4-2
4.3 Login and Logout.......................................................................................................................... 4-4
4.4 Navigating the Tree....................................................................................................................... 4-6
4.5 Adding and Modifying Items ........................................................................................................ 4-6
4.6 Deleting an Item............................................................................................................................ 4-8
4.7 Browsing for a Point ..................................................................................................................... 4-8
4.8 Status Bar ...................................................................................................................................... 4-9
4.9 Exiting from the STC Explorer ..................................................................................................... 4-9

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5 Tabular Data Displays 5-1

5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 5-1

5.2 Using the Tabular Displays ........................................................................................................... 5-2
5.2.1 Menus........................................................................................................................................ 5-2
5.2.2 Toolbar ...................................................................................................................................... 5-3
5.2.3 Status Bar .................................................................................................................................. 5-6
5.2.4 Operating from the Point Viewers ............................................................................................ 5-6

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1 Introduction

This manual, DB-400, Database Editing Overview, provides some background in SCADA, and describes
how to use the software provided to create and maintain the various elements of the database. Whether
you will be receiving training in database preparation or not, you should begin by reading this document,
and doing a little planning. If you are expecting to attend a database training course, reading this material
ahead of time can make your training time more productive.

The preparation of your SCADA database does not require knowledge of computers or programming
techniques. All you need is some familiarity with the fundamentals of a SCADA system. For example, you
need to know what an RTU is, and you need to understand the point numbering scheme within each type
of RTU on your system.

This manual covers the following:

• Chapter 2 describes the SCADA system, and its user interface.

• Chapter 3 describes the database in general, including the factory-default items you will find in it.
It also provides some planning advice.

• Chapter 4 describes the STC Explorer, the database navigation and editing program that you can
use to create and maintain your database.

• Chapter 5 describes the Tabular Data Display programs, the status point viewer and the analog
point viewer. These programs allow you to see all the status or analog points in the database,
organized into their stations.

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1.1 Other Documentation

This overview is one of a family of database guides. The complete set is listed in Table 1.1-1.

Table 1.1-1 Database Editing Guides

Document
Number Document Name
DB-400 Database Editing Overview
DB-401 Point Database Editing Guide
DB-402 Alarm Database Editing Guide
DB-403 Automation Database Editing Guide
DB-404 Historical Database Editing Guide
DB-405 Report Database Editing Guide

Depending upon the configuration of your SCADA system, there may be other documents available as
well. These will describe optional features or advanced subjects, and you should refer to them as needed.

Since you will need to know a few things about the way your RTUs report data, you may also want to
consult the documentation provided by the RTU manufacturer. If Survalent has supplied your RTUs, the
RTU manual that is supplied with each unit should be sufficient.

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2 SCADA Concepts

This chapter discusses some general concepts regarding the SCADA system, its database, and the
interface to the users.

2.1 Introduction
The SCADA system is made up of a Master Station and a number of outlying Remote Terminal Units
(RTUs). In this chapter, there is a brief overview of the physical subsystems that make up the SCADA
system, and in particular, the Master Station. This identifies the major parts involved in gathering the data
at the remote locations, presenting it to the operator, and sending operator commands out to be
performed by the RTUs.

The view that an operator has of the system is provided by user interface software. This is the man-
machine interface, or HMI. The HMI used by the operators for day-to-day operation of the system is not
discussed in this manual, but you will find a description of the Status Point and Analog Point Viewer
programs. Although they could be used for operating the system, they are intended mainly to provide a
database maintenance capability. They can give the database designer a view of all the points in the
database (see chapter 5, Tabular Data Displays).

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2.2 The SCADA System

2.2.1 System Overview

The SCADA system consists of the Master Station, which provides a central location for monitoring and
control operations, and a number of Remote Terminal Units, or RTUs, which gather status and telemetry
data at each of a number of distant locations. The RTUs can also support outputs such as controls (relay
contacts) and setpoints (analog currents or voltages).

The Master communicates with the RTUs using one or more communication lines, and gathers data from
each of them. This data is stored in a database, in storage elements known as “points”. The data is then
made available to operators using the WorldView or SmartVU user interface.

Each RTU contains input circuitry to monitor status contacts provided by your field devices. There is also
an analog input capability, which converts measured signals into numbers to be transmitted to the Master.
The status and analog data is communicated to the Master using a specified communication protocol.

The communication may be carried over a variety of media, including telephone lines, radio, fiber optic
cables, etc. Sometimes the communication is by way of a computer networking protocol such as TCP/IP,
which you should think of as just another medium. In such a case, there may be more than one “logical”
communication line carried by the single physical network.

2.2.2 Remote Terminal Units

The RTU has circuits wired to the various field devices to be monitored or controlled. This might include
status inputs, analog inputs, control outputs and sometimes, analog outputs. Monitoring the state of a
device will require one or more status inputs to be connected to it, while controlling the device will require
(usually) two control outputs to be connected (for on-off control). To report analog quantities, a transducer
or other signal source is connected to one of the analog inputs at the RTU.

Many RTUs also support pulse accumulator inputs. These are counters maintained and reported by the
RTU when requested by the Master (usually at regular time intervals). Although reported as a count
similar to an analog value, the pulses are received by the RTU using input hardware similar to a status
point.

Every change of a status input is normally communicated to the Master, although the RTU may provide
some degree of buffering. This prevents changes from being lost if they occur more quickly than the rate
at which they are sent to the Master.

Analog values come from quantities that are converted to a binary number by the RTU. These results
change a little nearly every time they are measured, but significant changes usually only occur when
conditions in the field change. In order not to waste time communicating tiny changes to the Master, only
those changes larger than a threshold (called the upset threshold, or deadband) are sent to the Master.
The size of this threshold may be adjustable at the RTU or at the Master, depending upon the
communication protocol being used.

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2.2.3 Master Station

The core of the Master Station is a “host” computer, which runs the main portion of the SCADA software.
It is sometimes referred to as a server, since it makes the data it gathers available to other programs,
called clients. For reliability purposes, the host computer is often implemented as a pair of redundant
computers, called the master and the standby computer. In the event of a failure in the master computer,
the standby is able to take over (“failover”) immediately. Such a backup computer, where the data is
instantly kept current to facilitate an immediate failover, is referred to as a “hot standby”.

For each communication line, the master runs a program known as a “scan task”. Using the specified
communication protocol, this program scans (polls) the RTUs on its communication line, and stores the
received data in the database. It keeps track of the status of each RTU (responding or not) and the
communication line (working or not). The data received from the RTU is stored in either status or analog
points, depending on the format of the data received.

Most protocols implement “report-by-exception” logic to cut down on communication bandwidth

requirements. Normal traffic on the communication line only includes new changes in status, and analog
values that have changed by more than their upset threshold. Occasionally, a background or “all data”
poll is sent to request a complete update from the RTU. This ensures that small analog changes, and any
as-yet-unreported status changes are received.

Other programs in the host computer process the received data. First, it is checked for changes that
require alarms to be raised (unauthorized status changes, or analog limit violations). Optionally, there
may be user-defined calculations made on these values, the results of which are stored in other points in
the database (non-telemetered, or “calculated” points).

In some applications, the database values are sampled periodically, to generate a historical record of the
changes in the data. User programs, called command sequences, can be made to run periodically, or on
demand. These may reference database values, and may store values in other points in the database.
They may also perform control operations, raise alarms, etc.

If control operations are requested (i.e., the operator performs a control on a status point in the
database), the necessary commands are sent to the RTU by the scan task. Most protocols do this by
means of a select-checkback-execute sequence. The master first sends a message to select the desired
control output point. A checkback response is required, to ensure the correct point is selected. Then the
execute command is given, which causes the RTU to operate the selected device. This logic is
implemented to ensure that no false command is ever executed.

Notice that in the master, control outputs are related to particular status inputs, in the sense that both the
state and the commands pertain to a device in the field that is represented by a status point in the
database. But in the RTU, the status point is just an input, and a control “point” is just an output. No
relationship between them is known by the RTU.

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2.3 User Interface

2.3.1 STC Explorer

The STC Explorer provides the user interface for editing the database. Refer to chapter 4 for a description
of the STC Explorer and how to use it.

STC Explorer is a “client” program that communicates the database changes you make to the server.
Although you might choose to do your database editing while sitting at one of the host computers, it is
equally easy to run STC Explorer on a different computer, elsewhere on the network. So, with appropriate
network connections, you can maintain your SCADA database from any convenient computer.

2.3.2 Tabular Data Displays

Two tabular display programs are provided, called the Status Point Viewer, and the Analog Point Viewer.
They provide a list of all existing status points and analog points, respectively.

The two tabular displays are also client programs, which can communicate with the server via your
network. They are extremely useful for checking out and commissioning new database points. Refer the
chapter 5 for a discussion of these displays.

2.3.3 WorldView

Worldview is the client program that provides the primary user interface for your operators. It is a
graphical interface that presents the data on a user-created map, such as seen in Figure 2.3-1. Symbols
on the map represent status points in the database (which in turn represent devices in the field). These
show the current state, indicate alarms when necessary, and can be operated on to perform controls.
Also on the map, analog values can be viewed and manipulated. In addition to map viewing windows,
WorldView includes dedicated alarm viewing windows, and an operator summary view.
Figure 2.3-1 Typical WorldView Map View

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Using WorldView to operate your SCADA system is too large a subject for discussion in this manual, so
you should refer to the separate documentation listed in Table 2.3-1.

Note that before you can really make good use of the graphical user interface, a WorldView map must be
created. We recommend that map designers receive training from Survalent in the creation of WorldView
maps and their related materials.

Table 2.3-1 WorldView Documentation

Document Document Name
Number
WV-200 WorldView for Windows Operator’s
Guide
WV-201 WorldView for Windows Editor’s Guide

2.3.4 SmartVU

SmartVU for Windows is a map user interface for Windows. SmartVU runs on Windows
Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 and operates as a client to the SCADA host computer.

The SmartVU program uses a local copy of the map (stored on the PC’s hard drive), on
which it overlays dynamic analog and status data that is retrieved from the host
computer.

Operator actions, such as control and alarm acknowledgment, are forwarded to the host
computer for execution.

SmartVU features sophisticated navigation tools such as pan, zoom (both continuous and
incremental) and automatic de-clutter. Navigation within the map is a local function.

The PC does not have to communicate with the server to modify the current view of the
map except to obtain new point values. This makes the program usable with a dial-up link
to the host.

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Figure 2.3-2 Typical SmartVU Map View

Table 2.3-2 SmartVU Documentation

Document Document Name
Number
SV-201 SmartVU Operator’s Guide

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3 Database Overview

In this chapter, general concepts relating to the Windows SCADA database are discussed, including its
logical structure, the provisions for storing different types of data, and things you should consider when
planning your database.

3.1 Introduction
Before beginning to create the database for your SCADA system, you should review the concepts
discussed in this chapter. Then spend a little time planning how you want your system to operate, and
what database design will help you achieve your operational goals.

Although it is always possible to change what has been done in the database, you can save a lot of time
by thinking things through in advance, and making decisions at the beginning that will make your work
easier later on. You may want to get input from others who will be affected by the database decisions you
make, including operating, engineering, and maintenance personnel.

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3.2 Conventions
Although this manual makes use of some conventions in how information is presented (most of which
should become obvious as you read on), in this section we mean the conventions that you adopt in the
design of your database. By taking a little care in determining conventions for how you use the
capabilities of the system, you can greatly simplify the future maintenance of your database, reduce the
difficulty in documenting what you do, and most importantly, make simplifications in the work you need to
do in order to create your database.

Even if you do not agree with the conventions we suggest, please do settle on your own set of rules for
naming and using things, so that you will not create a database that is difficult to maintain as your system
grows.

Suggestions for conventions you might adopt include:

1. Create a station for each geographical location, functional block, or logical grouping of data within
your overall system. This may very well mean a station for each RTU’s data, but that may not be
best in every case.
2. Give each station a short descriptive name that indicates its location (or function, or whatever the
reason was for creating the station).
3. Wherever you may have similarities in equipment at different sites (such as in RTUs), make the
most of those similarities by using the equipment in the same way at each site (e.g., wire the
same signals to the same input connections at each substation RTU).
4. Most importantly, take advantage of the similarities created above, by creating points in each
station with the same name, description, etc., as was used in other stations.
5. Avoid duplicating information. Do not repeat a point’s name or its state in its description, for
example. But do use the description wisely to enhance the information that will appear when the
point is operated, or when it generates alarms. Say what you need to, but avoid making the text
excessively long.
6. For most 2- and 4-state devices, define the states 0, 1, 2 and 3 to mean Open, Closed,
Transition, and Error, respectively, using whatever words are appropriate for the device.
Maintaining the conventional orientation of Open and Closed creates consistency in your
database, and makes it easier to understand calculations, command sequences, and other
places where the numerical values of these states might be used.

You will come to understand how to achieve these goals in the later manuals in this series.

These suggestions, or similar conventions of your own, will allow you to take advantage of certain
features in creating and maintaining your database and your user interface. These include:
• Using the Model feature to create points (and other database items) that are based on ones
you have previously created
• Copying, cutting, and pasting in the Windows environment
• Various Survalent database utilities that rely on point name relationships across stations
• Using the Station Cloning feature to create an entire new station and all its points, based on
an existing station
• Using the WorldView and SmartVU Station Rename feature to copy a portion of your map,
and reassign all those pmacros to points in a different station in one operation
• Providing a consistent “look and feel” to your system, making it easier to learn and use

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3.3 Organization
The most important organizational structure in the SCADA database is the station. A station is a logical,
rather than a physical entity. It functions as a name, or heading, under which a number of database points
can be grouped.

There is no requirement that the points in a station be physically related to one another. They are made
members of the station in name only, as you create the database.

However, there are inherent relationships between points, just because they are being received from a
certain RTU, or by way of a certain communication line. Although you do not really need to care about
this in organizing your stations, these data points are going to be related to each other. For example, if a
particular RTU fails, all points receiving data from that RTU will fail to get updated information.

To deal with these relationships, the database includes the concept of an RTU, and a communication line.
You will need to define each RTU and communication line in the database, to correspond to the physical
arrangement of your system.

Then you can proceed to define the individual points that you want. Remember that “points” are data
storage locations that may be used to hold data received from an RTU, or data entered manually by an
operator, or the results of a calculation. There are three point types in the SCADA database: status,
analog, and text. Each of these is discussed below.

3.3.1 Station

In the database, a station is a logical grouping of points.

Most people define a database station to represent a physical location. For example, a database station
may consist of all of the database points associated with a substation in an electrical network or with a
pumping station in a pipeline. The points in a station can include both telemetered points and calculated
or manually entered quantities.

The SCADA system does not restrict how you group points into a station. You can, if you wish, have a
small number of large stations, each representing multiple physical locations in a geographical area. Or
you can have each physical location represented by multiple smaller database stations (for example, a
separate station for each generator in a generating plant or one for each machine in a manufacturing
plant). You can even have a single station that consists of a group of otherwise unrelated points, such as
pole-top switches.

The system also does not enforce an association between stations and RTUs. Most installations end up
having a direct correspondence between stations and RTUs simply because, using an electrical
distribution system as an example, each database station is either a transformer station or a some kind of
substation, and there is typically one and only one RTU at each of these locations. But this does not have
to be the case. You can have multiple RTUs providing data to points on the same database station or you
can have one RTU transmitting data to points on multiple stations.

A station is itself a special type of database element. It has a name and a very important attribute: the
overall alarm status of the station. The alarm status of a station, which can be displayed on a WorldView
map, indicates:
• Whether there are any unacknowledged alarms on any point on the station (usually by having
the station symbol blink)
• The priority of the highest-priority unacknowledged or outstanding alarm on any point on the
station (usually by a color-coding scheme of your own design)

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3.3.2 Communication Line

A communication line is an element in the database that represents the medium used to communicate
with one or more RTUs. The RTUs that can be accessed via the communication line are defined
separately (see 3.3.3).

The SCADA database supports as many communication lines as your hardware can provide. The
SCADA server software runs a separate scan task for each of them. Each scan task polls the RTUs
defined on its communication line and stores the data it receives from them in the database.

A communication line has a special status point associated with it, which the scan task uses to tell you if
it’s receiving any data at all. If at least one RTU is responding on the communication line, the scan task
sets the point’s status to Normal. If no RTU is responding on the communication line, the scan task sets
the status of the point to Abnormal. Since an ordinary status point is used for this, you can define your
own alarm messages, alarm severity, and the terms used to describe the “failed” and “ok” states of the
communication line. We will usually call the two states “Down” and “Up” in this manual.

By manually setting the communication line status point to Down, you can tell the scan task to stop
polling, thereby effectively “shutting down” the communication line. To resume polling, you remove the
manually set value. If any RTUs respond, the scan task will set the communication line point’s status back
to Up.

Among the important attributes of a communication line are communication channel parameters such as
baud rate and parity, timing parameters such as response timeout, retry count and poll rate, and the
choice of communication protocol. The SCADA software supports multiple RTU protocols on the same
system, running a different scan task for each protocol. However, protocols cannot be mixed on a single
communication line.

3.3.3 RTU

An RTU is an element in the database that represents a physical Remote Terminal Unit or other type of
Intelligent End Device (IED) that is connected directly to the communication line. The term IED is treated
a bit specially in the database, and this is discussed more in section 3.3.4.

An RTU has an associated status point that the scan task uses it to tell you whether it’s communicating
successfully with the physical device. If the scan task fails to obtain a good response from the RTU after a
number of retries, it sets the RTU point’s status to Down, but keeps polling it. When the scan task starts
receiving good responses, it sets the RTU’s status to Up. As in the case of the communication line, such
status changes are accompanied by alarms of your own design.

By manually setting the RTU point to Down, you can tell the scan task to stop polling that RTU, thereby
taking it out of service. To place the RTU back in service, you remove the manually set value. The scan
task resumes polling, and if the RTU responds, the scan task will set the RTU’s status back to Up.

Among the important attributes of an RTU is a set of associated analog points that the scan task may use
to collect communication statistics for that RTU. Such statistics include counts of timeout errors, message
security errors (i.e. responses that were corrupted by noise) and wrong reply errors (i.e. responses that
were intact but were not the expected response). Exactly which statistics are gathered depends on which
protocol is being used to communicate with the RTU.

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3.3.4 IED

The term Intelligent End Device or Intelligent Electronic Device is usually used in the industry to refer to a
meter or relay that has an internal microprocessor, and can be communicated with in a manner similar to
an RTU. It is typically capable of measuring a large number of quantities, and may include some control
capabilities as well.

If you have an IED directly connected to your communication line, you could accommodate it in your
SCADA database by creating an RTU to represent it, and creating the status and analog points you need
to receive its data.

But the SCADA database allows you to create an element called an IED to represent it, instead. The first
reason to do this is to take advantage of an automated tool known as the IED Wizard. This tool will assist
you in creating the IED and all its database points. This is especially helpful if you have any IEDs with a
very large number of data points available.

Another reason to use the IED database element is to represent a meter or relay that is not directly
connected to your communication line. Such IEDs are called “slaves”, because they are connected to an
RTU “Master”, that is in turn connected to the SCADA Master station. Data points from slave IEDs are
mapped into the RTU’s internal database. Then database points are created in the usual way at the
Master, to receive the data.

Because this arrangement can lead to you having to do a great deal of data mapping (especially if each
RTU is connected to many slave IEDs), you will want to use the IED Wizard to help you. It will
simultaneously help you create mapping tables to control how the RTU gets the data from the IEDs, and
help you create the corresponding database points at the Master.

Note: The IED Wizard is an optional feature of your SCADA system, which is described in the document
IED-100, IED Wizard and Control Panel User’s Guide.

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3.3.5 Status Point

A SCADA status point is used to represent the state of a field device such as a breaker or valve.

A status point can be either a two-state or a four-state point, depending on whether it is represented by a
single data bit, or two. A breaker, for example, is usually a two-state device represented by a single bit to
indicate Open or Closed. Valves and motor-operated disconnects, on the other hand, are often
telemetered from the RTU by two consecutive bits, where each bit is wired to a limit switch on the field
device. One limit switch closes when the valve or disconnect is fully Open, and the other limit switch
closes when the device is fully Closed. When both limit switches are open, the device is considered to be
in a third state called the Traveling or Transition state. If both limit switches appear closed (which should
be a physically impossible condition) the device is in a fourth state called the Error state.

A SCADA status point can be defined to be any one of:

• indication only
• control only
• combined indication and control

depending on whether a telemetry address and any control addresses are defined for it.

3.3.6 Analog Point

A SCADA analog point represents a numeric value, which is stored in the database as a double-precision
floating-point number.

If the analog point has a telemetry address defined for it, the point’s value is transmitted from an RTU.
Most RTUs transmit two types of analog data (in the form of binary integers):
• Measurements that are digitized by A/D converters, typically with 12–16 bits of precision
• Accumulators that represent pulse counts, with 16 bits of precision or more, and where each
pulse represents a unit of an accumulated quantity such as like energy or flow consumption

For both types of analog point, the master station converts the received integers to floating-point
engineering values by applying a scale factor and offset that you specify for each point.

An analog point can also be defined to be a setpoint, in which case the analog point’s value is transmitted
to the RTU. This is usually used to output an analog quantity (a small current or voltage) from the RTU.

Whenever an analog point’s value changes, whether the change occurs through telemetry, calculation or
a manual set operation, the new value is checked against optional alarm limits that you may specify,
which may cause an alarm to be raised or cleared.
For each point, you can specify three nested pairs of upper and lower limits:

• Pre-emergency
• Emergency
• Reasonability

with a deadband value for each limit pair, and a separate alarm severity for each of the six alarm limits.

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3.3.7 Text Point

A text point is a SCADA point whose value is a text string. A text point’s value cannot be telemetered from
an RTU; it can only be changed by the operator (via manual set operations) or by application software.
Text points do not generate alarms of any kind.

Text points, when placed on a map, can be used as little notes that are manually entered by the operator.
They are even more powerful in the hands of application software, where a set of text points may be used
to tell the operator the condition of an ongoing process. These messages can be much more flexible than
simply translating a 2- or 4-state status point into words like Open and Closed.

3.4 Data Ranges

Internally, database points are referenced by means of identification numbers, and each type of point
corresponds to a range of IDs. Similarly, internal numbers identify other items in the database. Generally
you do not need to care about these numbers, since you will refer all database items by their names.

Table 3.4-1 gives the ranges for the different point types in the database, and the maximum quantity of
each type of point you may have in the database.

Table 3.4-1 Point ID Ranges

Point Type ID Number Range Maximum Number of Points

Status 400000–499999 100,000
Analog 300000–399999 100,000
Text 100000–199999 100,000

For most other database items (user types, formats, etc.), there are no fixed limits you need to worry
about. You can create as many as you need, until your computer runs out of memory, disk space, file
size, or some other resource.

If you need it, Survalent can increase the size of one or more of your database files to accommodate
more elements.

Integers
Where it is necessary to enter an integer number, such as for timing values, the valid range of values may
be restricted by the particular scan task you are using. But if not, the STC Explorer will allow you to enter
positive or negative values up to about 4 billion.

Floating-Point Numbers
Where a floating-point number is required, values can range up to about 10308. Negative numbers of a
similar size are also allowed, in places where negative values make sense. Zero is a valid floating-point
number, but very small numbers can also be specified, down to about 10 -308. These “double-precision”
floating-point numbers are equivalent to about 15 decimal digits.

You enter floating-point numbers using an integer format (like 10, or 1234), a decimal format (as in
2467.98), or an exponential format (where 6.022E23 or 6.022e23 both mean 6.022 x 10 23).

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Text
Some fields, such as names and descriptions, require you to enter text. These can accept any of the
upper-case or lower-case letters, the digits 0 through 9. The five characters $ # @ - and _ may also be
used.

Spaces can also be used in many text items, but they are not allowed in point names.

Point names can be up to 32 characters long. Point descriptions can be up to 128 characters long.

Use care when specifying long text items; you may find they don’t look right in the places you want to use
them, such as alarm messages or printed reports.

3.5 Planning Your Database

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that we think you should read this manual start to finish, at least
once, before you start. Since you will want to begin thinking about your points right away, we suggest you
also read most of DB-401, Point Database Editing Guide.

The next place to look while planning your database is the next manual in the series, namely DB-402,
Alarm Database Editing Guide. These will give you the knowledge to make reasonable choices for the
basic features of your system.

But be sure to read the later manuals, when you are ready to begin thinking about advanced features
such as calculations, reports, or historical data gathering. Of course, if there are options or advanced
features you want to use right away, you will need to consult their particular manuals early in your
planning process.

The SCADA database is a complex and versatile database. Although you can always change any
attribute of any point at any time, you will save yourself a lot of work if you take a little time to plan ahead
before you start entering the database.

For example, attributes of analog points such as scale factor and alarm limits can be entered and
adjusted after the points are defined. But if you know the values of these things at the time that you first
create the points, by all means enter them.

Then you can make better use of powerful modeling capabilities, and greatly reduce the effort in creating
a large number of similar points (with identical scale factor and limits, etc.).

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How much planning you want to do is, of course, up to you. The following is a set of topics that we think
you should plan before you start your database:
• Stations
• User point type codes
• Zones
• Command/state strings
• Alarm message formats

3.5.1 Stations

In every SCADA system, stations are fundamental to the organization of the alarms in the system. In
Windows SCADA each station can have a dynamic symbol on the SCADA map that summarizes the
alarm status of all the points on that station.

The station is one of the important selection criteria for:

• Alarm displays
• Tabular displays of points
• Reports
• SQL queries

Both the summarization and selectivity provided by these two features are extremely important when
operating the system. The operators need to be able to see at a glance that everything’s fine, and if
something’s not fine, where the problem is. Then they need to be able, in one step, to zero in on the
problem. Keep this in mind when you’re designing your database stations.

A station is known by its name. The full name of every point in the database consists of the name of the
station that the point is associated with, followed by a comma, followed by a specific point name.

For example, a database station named “ABERDEEN” might represent a substation called Aberdeen, and
a point for current in Feeder 1 at Aberdeen station might be named “ABERDEEN,Feeder1Amps”.

To make life easier for the operators, and for themselves, many users adopt a point naming convention
such that the same point at two different stations would have the same point name. For example, Feeder
1 Amps at Aberdeen and Warden stations would be named:

• “ABERDEEN,Feeder1Amps”
• “WARDEN,Feeder1Amps”

This same idea can be extended to include as many attributes as you can, such as descriptions and
formats. If it is possible to wire the RTUs at several locations in the same way, the database points can
even have parts of the telemetry address copied from one station to another. Modeling new points on
existing points in this way can save a lot of work in generating your database. In fact, entire stations with
all of their points can be “cloned” if their points are sufficiently similar.

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3.5.2 User Types

Each status, analog and text point can be assigned a user-defined point type. These point types can be
used as sorting parameters in reports and SQL queries.

You define these types yourself by specifying a short text string for each. This is described in DB-401,
Point Database Editing Guide.

3.5.3 Zones

Zones are intended to represent areas of responsibility. There can be up to 128 individual zones, which
you organize into a number of named groups. Groups can contain one or more zones, and a particular
zone can be a member of more than one group.

You then assign each database point to the zone group of your choice. Event printers and operator login
accounts may also be assigned to any zone group.

This “zones” capability serves two purposes:

• It restricts access to the point to only those persons who are logged into certain SCADA
accounts
• It acts as a filter in alarm displays, printed event logs and some reports

A zone or zone group can mean whatever you want it to mean. Examples of how you can use zones to
partition your system into:
• Separate utilities – if your system is a combined electric, gas and water system
• High voltage and low voltage circuits – if your system is an electric distribution system and
your operators have different training requirements for different voltage levels
• Separate pipelines – if your system is a multiple pipeline system with separate operators for
each pipeline

It is possible to create a user account that is not assigned to any zone group. When this user is logged in,
they will not be allowed to manipulate any points or deal with any alarms. Conversely, it is not possible to
create a point that is not assigned to any zone group.

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3.5.4 Command/State Strings

Command/State strings are text strings that are used by status points to represent their present states
and their control commands.

Command/State strings are defined in sets of eight. In each set, four of the strings, called the state
strings, are used to represent the possible states of the point. The other four strings, called the command
strings, are used for identifying control operations. Most communication protocols do not support more
than two commands, so usually the first two command strings are sufficient.

3.5.5 Alarm Message Formats

An alarm message format is a (Fortran-like) format string that specifies what an alarm should look like.
The alarm message formats are described in DB-402, Alarm Database Editing Guide.

As you create status points, you assign the desired alarm format to each. This dictates how the
messages will look when these points raise alarms. Analog limit alarms use a group of pre-defined
message formats, although you can edit these as well.

There are over 100 alarm message formats pre-configured for use by the system itself. Several additional
ones already exist, ready for you to customize for use in formatting the alarm messages for your points.
And if necessary, you can create additional formats as needed.

3.5.6 Other Planning Notes

In later manuals, you will discover how to specify all of the different attributes that define your status and
analog points. You will discover how flexible these definitions can be, and you will find that there appear
to be many ways to create the behavior you want. You may be wondering which way to proceed, and
whether it makes any difference to the system.

Hopefully the following suggestions will shed a little light on this subject, without making too many
assumptions about how you would like to use your SCADA system.

Status Points
It is important to stick to the convention that a “0” value in the database means “open”, and a “1” means
“closed”. For 4-state devices, expand this idea to include the values of 2 (for “in transition”) and 3 (for the
error condition). If you stick to these definitions, you can make other useful assumptions elsewhere in the
definition of the point database, and later in defining calculations and other advanced features.

Note: We recommend you adhere to this convention, even though “open” for a valve means there is flow,
but for a switch it means there is not. In both cases, the database value should be 0.

You do not need to stray from this convention, even if the device you are monitoring prefers to report a 0
for “closed” and a 1 for “open”. In that case, use the format code that causes the received data to be
inverted before it is stored in the database (every scan task has one, just look it up in the scan task user’s
guide). Then you can treat the database value for this point the same as any other.

Since all your database points now have the same “sense”, you will find it is convenient to come up with
state strings for them—you will not need to have one for open-close and another for close-open, for
example. You will also end up with control addresses that make sense: the 0-command is the “open”
command, that yields a status value of 0, and the 1-command (the close command) yields a status of 1.

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This keeps your choice of command strings in line with the state strings, and avoids having to define
several other combinations.

Note: If you find your Command Strings and State Strings do not both agree that 0=Open and 1=Closed,
you may need to choose a better Format Code, or to swap the two Control Addresses.

You will also want to consider the choice of Normal state. Either 0 or 1 must be chosen, and any time the
point is not in the normal state, it is considered to be abnormal. If they are defined as “sustained” alarm
points (see DB-402, Alarm Point Database for a discussion of momentary vs. sustained alarms), they will
generate an alarm when the point goes into the abnormal state. The alarm will be “active” until the point
returns to its normal state. (Remember that this state is specified with respect to the value in the
database, after the format code is applied). This is not the case for “momentary” alarm points, which
generate alarms for every change of state. But all abnormal points will show up in the Off Normal view in
the Status Point Viewer, regardless of the type of alarm they generate.

Analog Points
Analog points have relatively fewer issues around the choices you make. Just remember that once you
have chosen the format code to interpret the number received from the RTU, and converted that number
into real engineering units (using the scale factor, etc.), it is the engineering value that is stored in the
database. Everywhere else that you think about this number, whether for display purposes, for alarm
limits, or what have you, you should think in engineering units.

3.6 The Default Database

When a Windows SCADA system is first provided (usually for database editing and training) it is given an
initial database, so that you will not have to start working from a completely “blank slate”. So that you will
know where you are starting from, the most important portions of this “default database” is described in
this section.

The individual characteristics of the database items are not discussed in detail here. You should treat this
section as a reference, and rely on DB-401, Point Database Editing Guide, and DB-402, Alarm Database
Editing Guide for details about the items in the database.

Although you are free to edit all information in the database, be sure you understand what an item is used
for before you make changes to it. If you were just looking for something that looks similar to one of the
defaults, consider if you might be better off making a “model” of it, and changing the copy, instead of
modifying the standard version.

3.6.1 Zones and Zone Groups

The default database includes a few zones, named Zone1, Zone2, and so on. There is also one zone
group defined, called AllZones.

Naturally, you will want to create your own zones and zone groups if you plan to make use of zones in
your system. If you do not need to use zones, you can just use the AllZones group everywhere zones are
mentioned. All users will have access to all your database points.

Zone groups may be assigned to points, loggers, and users as you see fit. You may not create a group
that does not include any zones, but you may assign “no group” to a user if you wish. You may not assign
“no group” to a point, since that would make it impossible for any operator to use that point.

Note: If you add zones to your system, be sure to include them in your definition of the zone group
AllZones as well.

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3.6.2 Users and User Rights

It is necessary to log in as a user with sufficient rights, in order to edit the SCADA database. It may also
be necessary to log in to perform ordinary operating duties on the system. For these reasons some user
accounts and their corresponding user rights are provided in the default database.

Each user account is assigned a set of user rights that determines the actions that user may take. This
provides individual control over various operating and editing functions. Each user account may also be
assigned Privilege mode or Training mode. If neither of these is assigned, the user is said to be in Normal
mode.

Privilege mode may be required to access certain high-level functions in your SCADA system, depending
on its configuration. Training Mode restricts an operator to only those stations in the database that are
also in training mode. This prevents trainees from manipulating real system devices, and allows you to
designate a database station and its points for training purposes.

Table 3.6-1 shows the provided user names and their passwords, zone groups and user rights. Table
3.6-2 shows which rights are enabled for each User Rights set.

Note: The GUEST user is used internally by the system. You must not delete this account, or the
NoRights record that it relies upon.

User names and passwords are not case sensitive within the SCADA system.

Table 3.6-1 Default Users

User Name Password User Rights Zone Group Privilege Training
GUEST GUEST NoRights None No No
ADMIN ADMIN AllRights AllZones Yes No
SCADA SCADA AllRights AllZones Yes No

Table 3.6-2 Default User Rights

User Rights Rights Enabled
AllRights All existing user rights
NoRights None

For example, in order to edit your new database using the STC Explorer (see Chapter 4), you could log in
as a user with the name SCADA, and the password SCADA.

For additional information on users and user rights please refer to SM-402 Security Manual.

3.6.3 Stations, Communication Lines, RTUs and Points

The default database does not include any examples of telemetered status or analog points. You will
need to create points for the data items you are interested in, whether they are telemetered from an RTU,
calculated, or manually entered. Since there are no pre-defined telemetered points, there are also no
communication lines, RTUs or IEDs in the default database.

However, there are a few status points provided in the default database, as described below. These
points can be found in a station called SYS$. This is a station provided in the default database, to hold
points that the SCADA system uses for its own purposes.

If you create database points for other “internal” purposes, feel free to place them in the SYS$ station as
well.

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ALFULL
This status point is used to raise an alarm if the Alarm file becomes full (of unacknowledged alarms). See
DB-402, Alarm Database Editing Guide.

HostA, HostB
These status points are used to hold the state of the Master and Standby host computers. See calculation
29 in DB-403, Calculations Database Editing Guide.

Logger1
This status bit holds the current state of the first event logger (printer), if one is present. It is used to raise
an alarm if the logger becomes unavailable.

SCADA
This status point is used internally by the SCADA system, for certain alarms. Do not edit or delete it.

3.6.4 User Point Types

These point type strings can be used any way you like, but are intended for grouping status and analog
points by function or data type. Thirty-six types are defined for you, named Type01 through Type36,
which you may edit or add to however you like.

The types shown in Table 3.6.1 are provided in the default database. You may use them when you create
points of the listed types.

Table 3.6-1 User Point Types

User
Rights Enabled
Rights
Master Points dealing with Master Station equipment
RTU RTU and IED status points
CommLine Communication line status points.
Station Database stations
IEDdata Points whose data comes from IEDs (used by IED Wizard)

3.6.5 Formats

Status points and analog points receive data from the RTU/IED in one or more data formats. Which
formats may be used depends on the selected protocol and also on the selected object type of each
point. You should refer to the User’s Guide for your scan task for detailed information.

The “Format” code dictates how the data that is received from the RTU/IED will be stored into the SCADA
database. The formats are also descriptive. For example, for a status point that is single-bit data, there
are two formats available to be used:

• Single bit – Normal Processing (meaning, “0” is received from the RTU - “0” is stored into the
database; and “1” is received from the RTU - “1” is stored into the database)

• Single bit – Inverted Processing (meaning, “0” is received from the RTU, but “1” is stored into the
database; and vice versa)

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3.6.6 Command/State Strings

A few sets of command/state strings are defined in the default database. These include sets for simple
On-Off and Open-Close points; a typical set is shown in Figure 3.6-2. You may find these sufficient for
your needs, but if not, you can add to them, or modify them.

Figure 3.6-2 Command/State Strings

User Rights Rights Enabled
OpenClose Open, Close Open, Closed, Travel, Error
OffOn Off, On Off, On
NormalAlarm Normal, Alarm Normal, Alarm
StopStart Stop, Start Stopped, Started
NoYes No, Yes No, Yes
OpenCloseUnknown Open, Close Open, Closed, Unknown, Unknown
DisEn Disable, Enable Disabled, Enabled
FailNormal Fail, Normal Failed, Normal
PriAlt Primary, Alternate Primary, Alternate
ManAuto Manual, Automatic Manual, Automatic
LowerRaise Lower, Raise Lowered, Raised
MasterStandby (None) Master, Standby, Unavailable, Synchronizing
RaiseLower Raise, Lower Raised, Lowered
NormalFail Normal Fail Normal, Failed
YesNo Yes, No Yes, No
EnDis Enable, Disable Enabled, Disabled
OnOff On, Off On, Off
StartStop Start, Stop Started, Stopped
UnblockBlock Unblock, Block Unblocked, Blocked
BlockUnblock Block, Unblock Blocked, Unblocked
StopRun Stop, Run Stopped, Running
RunStop Run, Stop Running, Stopped
BreakerLockout Breaker Lockout Locked Out, Normal
Reset Reset Command No, Yes
(De)Energize De-Energize, De-Energized, Energized
Energize
LeadLag Lead, Lag Leading, Lagging

When creating your own command/state string sets, you should use the words appropriate to each
different type of equipment whose status will be monitored or controlled by the SCADA system.

3.6.7 Alarm Formats

The SCADA system comes with a default set of alarm message formats that you can view and modify.
These default formats are listed in Table 3.6-3.

The first 10 formats are intended for you to assign to your status points. Although you may customize
these formats, it is recommended that all alarm messages used for point alarms contain N2," “,N1 to
cause the point’s full name to be included. However, you may wish to delete the record number that you
see included in these default formats.

The other formats in the default set are reserved for use by the SCADA system. Although some values in
between these reserved system formats are not presently used, they may be in the future, so don’t use
them with any of your status points.

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Table 3.6-3 Default Alarm Message Formats

Format Alarm Format String

Number
1 N2,",",N1," #1 ",D," ",C
2 N2,",",N1," #2 ",D," ",C
… …
10 N2,",",N1," # 10 ",D," ",C
62 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' ',B21
63 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' ',B21
64 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' ',B21
65 B60
66 B21
67 P,' ',N2,',',N1,' ',B40
68 N2,",",N1," COM COUNTS: BCH:",I4," PEC:",I4,"
TMO:",I4,X1,P
70 "REPORT '",B4,"' SPOOLED TO DISK"
74 N2,',',N1,' ',D," UNEXPECTED CHECKBACK"
75 N2,',',N1,' ',D," COMM TIMEOUT ERROR"
76 N2,',',N1,' ',D," BCH/PARITY ERROR"
77 N2,',',N1,' ',D," BAD/EXTRA DATA"
79 N2,',',N1,' ',D," STATION ECHO FAIL"
80 N2,',',N1,' ',D," LINE MISSED"
81 N2,',',N1,' ',D7" ALL STATION ECHO FAIL"
82 N2,',',N1,' ',D," ONE STATION ECHO FAIL"
83 N2,',',N1,' '," SCAN TASK MAY BE STALLED"
84 N2,',',N1," TIMEOUT ",D," ",C
85 N2,",",N1," # 85 ",D," ",C
87 N2,',',N1," CONTROL SEQUENCE VALIDATION
FAILURE"
88 B6," ",N2,",",N1," FROM ",B22
89 N2,",",N1," SET TO ",F8," (",F8,") FROM ",B22
90 "POWER FAILURE"
91 "RESTART AFTER POWER FAILURE"
92 "MAPBOARD UNIT ",I2," - ",B18
93 B60
94 B60
95 Z,B60
96 "REPORT ",B3," -SLD ",B3," MISSING"
98 "YESTERDAY'S MIN/MAX UNAVAILABLE"
99 N2,",",N1," ",B40
101 "LOGGER ",I2," NOT READY"
102 "LOGGER ",I," REDIRECTED TO LOGGER ",I
104 "ALARM FILE ",I3,"% FULL"
105 N2,",",N1," #105 ",D," ",C
106 N2,",",N1," #106 ",D," ",C
107 N2,",",N1," #107 ",D," ",C
109 N2,",",N1," #109 ",D," ",C
110 N2,',',N1,' ',D," CHECKBACK FAILURE"
112 N2,',',N1,' ',D," CONTROL FAILURE"
113 N2,',',N1,' ',D," RTU RESTART"
114 "READY TO SYNCHRONIZE"
115 "SYNCHRONIZATION STARTING"
116 "SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETED"

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Table 3.6-4 Default Alarm Message Formats continued

Format Number Alarm Format String

117 N2,',',N1,P,D," CONTROL ECHO FAILURE"
118 "ONLINE BACKUP COMPLETE"
119 "TREND FILE 80% FULL"
120 "YESTERDAY'S TREND DATA GONE"
121 "TREND FILE FULL"
122 N2,',',N1,' ',D," ROC ",F8," ",F8
123 "SCADA STARTUP ",B1
124 "PROCESSOR ",B1," FAILOVER COMPLETE"
125 "REPORT ",B4," TRUNCATED"
126 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' ROC ',F8.2,F8.2,F8.2
127 B4," - REPORT SPOOL FILE FULL"
128 "REPORT ",B4," SKIPPED"
129 N2,',',N1,' ',D," ALL ALARMS BLOCKED"
179 N2,',',N1,' ',P," LO LO LO ",F8,X1,F8
180 N2,',',N1,' ',P," LO LO ",F8,X1,F8
181 N2,',',N1,' ',P," LO ",F8,X1,F8
183 N2,',',N1,' ',P," HI ",F8,X1,F8
184 N2,',',N1,' ',P," HI HI ",F8,X1,F8
185 N2,',',N1,' ',P," HI HI HI ",F8,X1,F8
186 N2,',',N1,' ',D," RTU FAILURE ",P
187 N2,',',N1,' ',D," COMM LINE FAILURE"
188 "STANDBY UNAVAILABLE"
189 "DISPLAY ",I2," FAILURE"
190 N2,',',N1,' ',D," A/D OVERRANGE"
191 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' LO LO LO ',F8,X1,F8,X1,F8
192 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' LO LO ',F8,X1,F8,X1,F8
193 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' LO ',F8,X1,F8,X1,F8
195 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' HI ',F8,X1,F8,X1,F8
196 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' HI HI ',F8,X1,F8,X1,F8
197 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' HI HI HI ',F8,X1,F8,X1,F8
198 N2,',',N1,' ',D,' A/D OVERRANGE ',F8.2
208 "Telemetry Address Conflict ",B40
257 'System started in OTS mode'
258 N2,',',N1,' Limit Matrix: ',B
259 'Product ',B,' not licensed'
260 "NEW ALARM IN ZONE GROUP ", B,". NO
WORKSTATION LOGGED IN"
261 "External Name Conflict ",B
301 N2,',',N1,' ',B
302 B
303 B
304 B
305 "New external call events in Call Table (CallExec)"
306 "New meter outage reports from AMI (MtrExec)"
307 B
308 B
309 B
310 " Non-matching outage report(s) received, see callexec log"
311 "Received new calls from CSR"
312 B

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Table 3.6-5 Default Alarm Message Formats continued

Format Alarm Format String

Number
313 N2,',',N1,' ',B
314 B
315 B

3.6.8 Alarm Priorities

Five alarm priorities have their coloring defined in the default database. You may not add or delete entries
in this table. The default color scheme is detailed in Table 3.6-6. See DB-401, Point Database Editing
Guide for a detailed description of the meaning of these items.

Table 3.6-6 Alarm Priority Coloring

Momentary 1st Sustained 1st Sustained 2nd Sustained
Priority Ack/Nac Raise Ack / Nak Clear Ack / Nak Clear Ack / Nak
0 White / White White / White White / White White / White
1 Cyan / Cyan Cyan / Cyan Cyan / Cyan Cyan / Cyan
2 Cyan / Cyan Cyan / Cyan Cyan / Cyan Cyan / Cyan
3 Cyan / Cyan Green / Green Cyan / Green Cyan / Green
4 Cyan / Cyan Red / Red Cyan / Red Cyan / Red
5 Aqua/Aqua Red/Red Aqua/Red Aqua/Red
6 Aqua/Aqua Red/Red Aqua/Red Aqua/Red
7 Aqua/Aqua Red/Red Aqua/Red Aqua/Red
8 Aqua/Aqua Red/Red Aqua/Red Aqua/Red
9 Aqua/Aqua Red/Red Aqua/Red Aqua/Red
10 Aqua/Aqua Red/Red Aqua/Red Aqua/Red

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4 STC Explorer

The STC Explorer is the program that permits you to navigate throughout the database. If you log in with
appropriate user rights, you may make changes to any portion of the database using the editing
capabilities provided.

4.1 Introduction
You normally invoke the STC Explorer program using the “shortcut” provided under Programs in the Start
[Link] on how your computer has been set up you may find other shortcuts in other places,
such as on the Desktop.

STC Explorer is a “client” program, which communicates with another program called a “server”. Although
the server runs on the SCADA host computer, the Explorer can run on any computer that is connected to
the host via the SCADA network.

Because of this arrangement, it is possible for you to manage the SCADA database from any suitably
configured PC on the network. You do not need to go to the host computer to do it.

The network connection between your computer and the SCADA host computer must be available before
you start the Explorer, or it will not be able to access the database.

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Figure 4.1-1 The STC Explorer Window

4.2 The STC Explorer Window

When you run STC Explorer, you are presented with a three-pane viewing window, as shown in Figure
4.1-1. If you have used the Windows Explorer to manage files on your computer, you are probably
already familiar with most of what you see. On the left side is a “tree” representation of how the database
is organized. If you select an item on that side, you will see a list of all the database items in that “branch”
of the tree in the right-hand pane.

On the Help menu you will find About and View. ABOUT displays some information about the program
you are using, including its version number.

VIEW displays the “Station List Flat Tree”. If this is checked, when expanding the “Stations” branch, you
will have all of the stations in your database listed below. If “Station List Flat Tree” is not checked, when
you expand “Stations” branch the stations will be organized in parent-child (hierarchical) arrangement.

The default is “Station List Flat Tree” not being checked, i.e. when expanding “Stations” branch, the
stations are displayed according to the parent-child (hierarchical) arrangement.

You will not find anything about saving your work on the File menu. This is because each time you modify
an item in the database (see section 4.5), the changes are written immediately to the SCADA database.
In a dual-redundant Master, the changes are sent immediately to the standby computer’s database as
well.

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Note: you will not generally find one-step “undo” commands in the various database editors.

There are two parameter items on the File menu that allow you to configure a few items that the STC
Explorer uses. The Connection Parameters (Figure 4.2-1) include the name of the host computer (or
computers) to which this copy of the STC Explorer will connect next time it runs, a timeout to use to
determine if the connection has failed, and a timeout to use to determine if a command has failed. These
are normally set at the factory, and should not require adjustment

When you click on OK, the STC Explorer reconnects to the SCADA system and displays a login dialog.
You are required to log in again.

The Application Parameters consist of a single item, which is the path used by the optional IED Wizard to
locate the template files it needs. This is discussed in more detail in IED-100, IED Wizard User’s Manual.

Figure 4.2-1 Data Access Preferences

The STC Explorer includes a button bar to make certain functions easy to access with a single click. In
particular, you will find the Login, Logout, Connection Preferences and Select Connection. These buttons
will be discussed in the next few paragraphs. Notice that the buttons on this toolbar are highlighted when
you move your mouse over them.

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4.3 Login and Logout

Initially, you are not logged in as a SCADA user when you start the STC Explorer. To make changes or
view the databse you will need to log in.

The database includes the definition of a User you can use for your initial editing. You may wish to create
additional users for the various SCADA operators, any non-operating “observers”, and those who will be
maintaining the database.

4.3.1 Logging into STC Explorer

1. Click on the Login icon located at the top right of the STC Explorer window.
Result: The Log In window displays.

2. Enter the login credentials and click OK.

Note: If two-factor authentication is not enabled on this account the two-factor authentication field
is disabled.

3. If two-factor authentication is enabled you must enter the code generated by your authentication
application.

When you are finished, you may want to log off to prevent unauthorized use of your SCADA account.
The different users will have different abilities within the SCADA system. These are controlled by the
User Rights defined in the database. The default database includes default users and their user rights.

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[Link] Authentication Error

If you do not enter the required authentication or enter the incorrect authentication number, the following
error will display.

Figure 4.3-1 Authentication Error Message

A login failure is counted and logged and you have three attempts to correct the code and if the attempts
fail, the dialog closes.

If the code is verified, the login box closes.

4.3.2 First Use of the Two-Factor Authentication

If two-factor authentication is enabled you will need to install an Authenticator application

on your cell phone.
Note: For details on installing and using the Authenticator application please see your System
Administrator.

If two-factor authentication is enabled for an account and this is your first login attempt, the SCADA
system generates an authentication key for you and stores it.

Figure 4.3-2 STC Explorer Authentication Code Request Message

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On the first login a message with the secret key displays. This key is a sequence of numbers and letters.
The letters are in lower case, although most authentication applications do not care about case. The
digits ‘0’ and ‘1’ are not used in the key, as they are easily confused with letters ‘o’ and ‘l’.

This is the code that you will enter into the Authentication application on your cell phone.

4.4 Navigating the Tree

Most branches in the tree are shown with a small “+” sign in a box next to them. This indicates that there
are sub-branches in that portion of the tree.

Click on the “+” (or press the “+” key in the numeric keypad) to expand the branch to see these sub-
branches. These are the same items you may have seen in the right-hand pane if you selected that
branch with the mouse. The sub-branches may in turn have further sub-branches, and this will be shown
by another “+” sign.

Pressing the “*” key in the numeric keypad will cause all sub-branches of the selected branch to expand
at once. This behavior is the same as you would expect from Windows Explorer.

In general, to look at items of a particular type, locate and select the type in the left hand pane, then look
at the list that appears in the right hand pane.

You may sort the right-hand pane by clicking on the header bar, on the field (such as Name, or
Description) you want to sort by. Note that you can only sort on certain fields.

You may select one of the items in the right-hand pane by clicking on it. With an item selected, a right-
click will bring up a menu of actions that can be performed on that item. See section 4.5, Adding and
Modifying Items.

4.5 Adding and Modifying Items

Once you have logged in and located the database items you are interested in, you will likely want to
create a new one.

For example, if you have located the list of RTUs on a particular communication line, you may need to
create a new RTU. Or, if you have navigated to an existing item (say a particular status point) you may
need to edit it.

To create a new item, right--click in the right-hand window pane to bring up a pop up menu and select
New.

If you have right-clicked on an existing item, the menu will include the Edit and Model commands

The Model menu choice will create a new item, with the data fields already filled in. The data is copied
from whichever item you had selected when you right-clicked to bring up the menu.

To edit an existing item, the Edit command may be used. You may also double-click on the item.

Either way, an editing dialog appears for the type of item you are working on. You will need to refer to
DB-401, Point Database Editing Guide for instructions on how to specify the various attributes of the item

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you are working on. Note that if you have used Model, everything is copied from the existing item.
Therefore you will need to make the changes required in the new item, before you store it

Once you are finished editing, you must choose to press either the OK button (if you are satisfied and
want to keep what you have done), or the Cancel button (if you wish to discard your edits).

If there is an error in any of the data fields when you press OK, an error message is displayed. Once you
dismiss the message, you should correct the error and press OK again.

The Refresh command on the pop-up menu can be used to update the list in the right-hand pane of the
explorer, after changes have been made.

In the various editing dialogs you will use, some fields may appear a dim grey color, and it may not be
possible to edit them. This happens because the fields are needed by a configuration other than the one
you are using. For example, in a communication line, you may have chosen a particular connection type.
Certain fields will not apply to your connection type, so they will be disabled.

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4.6 Deleting an Item

To delete an item follow the steps below.

1. Right-click on the item you want to delete.

Result: The pop up menu displays.

2. Select Delete.
Result: A confirm delete window displays.

3. Click Ok.

Use great care in deleting items from the database, especially those that you have not just recently
created. If other portions of the database reference the item, deleting it can cause a number of problems.

If a database has been in use for a while, and you believe that an item is no longer needed, it may well be
better to simply ignore or rename it, than to delete it without examining every place that might have
referenced it.

4.7 Browsing for a Point

Occasionally when editing your database, it will be necessary to select an existing point. For example,
Figure 4.7-1 shows a point being added to a list.

The button indicated by the arrow in the figure is called a Browse button, and pressing it will call up the
Drag-n-Drop window.

Figure 4.7-1 Point Browser

You can navigate the tree of stations in the point browser to locate the point you want. Then drag the
point from the right-hand pane of the point browser on to the point name field that you are filling in.

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A single point browser can be kept open and used to fill in all of the point name fields you are working
with during your edit session (Although each point name field provides its own Browse button, they all
invoke the same Point Browser).

4.8 Status Bar

At the bottom of the window is the status bar. Here you will see the user name currently logged in, and
the name (or address) of the SCADA host whose database you are editing.

4.9 Exiting from the STC Explorer

You can exit from the STC Explorer by using the usual Exit button in the title bar. The program will close
immediately. Since any modifications you have made have already been written to the database, you do
not need to worry about saving your changes when exiting the STC Explorer.

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5 Tabular Data Displays

This chapter describes the Status Point Viewer and the Analog Point Viewer. These are two programs
that allow you to look at the points you have created in the database. They can view all existing points
automatically, without you having to create any specific displays. However, the formats available for
displaying your points are fixed by the program, and you cannot customize them. These displays are
therefore not well suited to normal operation, although they can be very useful for database maintenance.

5.1 Introduction
Two programs are provided for viewing points in the SCADA database: the Status Point Viewer and the
Analog Point Viewer. The viewers can display a list of all the points of the requisite type, one station at a
time. You can control which details to include in the display by selecting from a list of defined views.

Each of the Viewer programs is normally started from the corresponding shortcut on the Windows Start
menu. Depending on how your computer has been set up, you may find shortcuts in other places, such
as the Desktop or the Windows QuickLaunch bar.

Each of these viewers appears in a window that includes a title bar, a menu, a toolbar (button bar), and
the display window containing the list itself. At the bottom is found a message window and
acknowledgment button, as described for the STC Explorer, in section 4.2.

Figure 5.1-1 shows a typical view of a tabular display; in this case it is the Status Point Viewer.

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Figure 5.1-1 Tabular Display (typical)

5.2 Using the Tabular Displays

5.2.1 Menus

The viewer’s menu bar consists only of a brief Help menu (listing only the About selection), and a File
menu. Choose About to find out which version of the viewer you are currently running, if you are asked for
this information.

The File menu allows you to set certain preferences in the viewer, invoke the Off Normal display, or reset
the status points’ transition counters.

Preferences
The Preferences menu illustrated in Figure 5.2-1 contains two items. The System Preferences allow you
to set certain database access details, as described for the STC Explorer in section 4.2.

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Figure 5.2-1 Preferences Menu

The Application Preferences dialog is shown in the figure. You can control how frequently the information
on your display is updated from the SCADA database by adjusting the Interval setting.

Off-Normal Display
If you turn on this setting, the contents of the display will be changed to include only those points that are
not in their “normal” state. For status points, this depends on their defined normal state. For analog
points, this means the point is not in violation of any of its limits.

Reset Transition Counts

The status point viewer also allows you to reset all of the status points’ transition counters to zero, in a
single operation. You need to be logged into SCADA as a user with sufficient rights in order to do this,
however.

5.2.2 Toolbar

The Toolbar includes (from left to right): Select station, Select RTU, Select view, the Log In and Log Out
buttons, Print, Find context, Refresh and the About button:

The About button works just like choosing About from the Help menu. The other buttons are discussed
under Operating from the Point Viewer, below.

There are also three drop-down selectors in the toolbar. The first shows a list of all the stations in the
database, and allows you to choose the station whose points you wish to be displayed. The second
allows you to choose the RTU whose points are to be displayed. The third selector allows you to choose
the type of view.

Each view consists of certain columns of data. All points in the selected station will be displayed under
these headings, showing the particular set of information about each point. Points will be listed in
alphabetical order, by name (except where noted).

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Note that, for “flag” type fields, a “+” is displayed to indicate a true or active condition, otherwise it will be
blank.

Select Station
This button causes a list of stations to be displayed in the left pane, from which you may select a station
whose points you wish to see in the right pane. By default, the stations are simply listed in alphabetical
order. However, if you select the Tree option from the arrow pushbutton, the stations will be displayed in
hierarchical order (i.e. parent stations that you can open to see child stations).

Select RTU
This button causes a list of RTUs to be displayed in the left pane, from which you may select an RTU
whose points you wish to see in the right pane. By default, the RTUs are simply listed in alphabetical
order. However, if you select the Tree option from the arrow pushbutton, the list of RTUs will be
organized by communication line.

The list of available views for status points includes the following:

Brief
This view shows point name and description, current status, condition code and control state, tag type,
and unacknowledged alarm flag. The view also provides an indication that telemetry and control
addresses are defined (but not the full addresses).

Full
This view shows all of the above, plus the time of the last update, zone group, user point type, device
class, and transition count.

Commissioning
This view shows the point name, description, condition, control state, unacknowledged alarm flag,
transition count, full telemetry address (no control addresses), device class and user type. The point list is
sorted in numerical order by telemetry address.

The list of available views for analog points includes the following:

Value
This view shows point name, description, current value, condition code, units, unacknowledged alarm
flag, zone group, user type, device class, and time of last update. The view also provides an indication
that a telemetry address is defined (but not the full address).

Limits
This view shows point name, description, current value, condition code, units, unacknowledged alarm
flag, and all the alarm limits.

Compressed
This view shows point name, description, current value, condition code, and unacknowledged alarm flag.

Commissioning
This view shows point name, description, current value, condition code, units, unacknowledged alarm
flag, device class, and time of last update. The complete telemetry address is displayed, and the list is
sorted by this field.

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History 15Min
This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the past
15 minutes, minimum value during the past 15 minutes and the time when this minimum occurred, and
maximum value during the past 15 minutes and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Previous 15Min

This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the
previous 15 minutes, minimum value during the previous 15 minutes and the time when this minimum
occurred, and maximum value during the previous 15 minutes and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Hour
This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the past
hour, minimum value during the past hour and the time when this minimum occurred, and maximum value
during the past hour and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Previous Hour

This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the
previous hour, minimum value during the previous hour and the time when this minimum occurred, and
maximum value during the previous hour and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Day
This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the past
day, minimum value during the past day and the time when this minimum occurred, and maximum value
during the past day and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Previous Day

This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the
previous day, minimum value during the previous day and the time when this minimum occurred, and
maximum value during the previous day and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Week/Month
This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the past
week/month, minimum value during the past week/month and the time when this minimum occurred, and
maximum value during the past week/month and the time when this maximum occurred.

History Previous Week/Month

This view shows point name and description, current value, condition code, average value during the
previous week/month, minimum value during the previous week/month and the time when this minimum
occurred, and maximum value during the previous week/month and the time when this maximum
occurred.

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5.2.3 Status Bar

At the bottom of the window is a status bar. Here you will see the user name currently logged in, and the
name (or address) of the SCADA host whose database you are connected to.

5.2.4 Operating from the Point Viewers

Once you have the desired view (see Toolbar, above), it is possible to operate the SCADA system from
these viewer windows. How much you are able to do depends on the rights associated with the user you
are logged in as.

Logging In
You can log in using the left button of the pair pictured above. The user name you log in as appears in the
status line at the bottom of the window. When you are done, and you do not wish anyone else to be able
to operate using this window, you should log out using the right-hand button pictured above.

Operating
Any point in the database is available to you using these viewers. Once you have located the point(s) you
are interested in, you can select one using the mouse. Right-clicking on the selected point will bring up a
menu of available actions:

These are the same actions you would be able to perform in the WorldView operator interface.
Acknowledging alarms, manually setting the point, even performing control operations and placing tags
are possible.

The meaning of these actions, and the effect they have on the system, is
beyond the scope of this manual. Before operating on points using the
viewers, consult the operator’s manuals and other training materials, to learn
about operating the SCADA system.

equipment in the field. Your actions might have far-reaching effects.

When You Are Finished

You can exit the point viewer by using the standard Windows exit control in the title bar.

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