3.4 Online Monitoring and Diagnostics
A comprehensive diagnostic tool is now integrated directly into the RexDraw development tool. All the diagnostic functionality that was previously accessible only from the RexView diagnostic tool is now also available from the RexDraw.
Before using the diagnostic tool, a binary configuration must be successfully downloaded into the target device, loaded and started. For information about downloading a binary configuration into the target device see the section 3.2.
A diagnostic tool in RexDraw may be used only when there is an on-line connection established with the target device. The connection is established by clicking on Target/Connect from the menu, clicking on the icon on the toolbar or using the F7 shortcut. The connection may also be established after a binary configuration is downloaded into the target device and a dialog is shown in which a user is asked if the on-line connection with the target should to be preserved and so-called Watch mode should be activated.
A Watch mode is indicated by a gray background of all windows with function block diagrams. It is not possible to add, delete or move function block or connections between blocks in the Watch mode. Instead, a user may inspect signals of all block inputs, outputs and parameters and observe all signal values in real-time with a refresh period that may be adjusted in the settings dialog and which is one second by default. This is a so-called Signal Monitoring.
3.4.1 Monitoring signals
It would be inefficient and bandwidth-consuming if all signals were monitored immediately when the Watch mode is activated. For that reason, only the DISPLAY blocks are monitored automatically. A user has to switch other function blocks into a so-called Monitoring State if he or she wants to monitor signals of that blocks.
When a block is in the Monitoring State, all input and output values are displayed beside corresponding pin of a monitored block. A block is added to the Monitoring State by selecting Target/Monitor Selection from the menu or using the Ctrl+W shortcut. A block is removed from the Monitoring State by selecting Target/Exclude Selection from the menu or using the Ctrl+Shift+W shortcut.
The values of parameters are shown in a floating yellow window when a user locates the mouse cursor over a function block. Parameters may also be inspected and adjusted from the on-line block properties dialog that is invoked by pressing Ctrl+E. Be careful when modifying the values of parameters as changes are immediately committed to the target when the OK or Apply button is clicked.
A dialog that allows to transfer all changes to the parameters made in the Watch mode back to the drawing is displayed before disconnecting from the target device. A user may accept or discard changes to all parameters individually. This simplifies an effort to keep a project synchronized with the run-time configuration.
A user should always observe a right part of the statusbar where a state of the connection with the target device is indicated. A green color indicates that connection has been successfully established and the data is communicated periodically without any errors. A red color indicates that the connection with the target device has been unexpectedly closed or an error occurred during the data exchange.
3.4.2 Viewing trends
The blocks TRND and TRND are available in the REX Control System to monitor signals over a period of time. The TRND allows to save up to 4 signals and the TRNDV allows to save up to 64 signals into the memory of the target device. The samples are stored synchronously during a task execution. This allows to store and observe very fast processes without loosing a single sample.
The diagnostic tool of the RexDraw makes possible to show all the data stored in the memory of the TRND block in the Watch mode. To show a windows with all data signals shown in a graphical trend simply double-click on a TRND block while the RexDraw is in the Watch mode. A data may be zoomed, a scale and a range of both axes may be changed and the data may also be exported do a CSV file from the window.
3.4.3 Viewing System Log
A system log with error, warning and other informational messages with timestamps is present on every target device. A user may display a content of the system log directly from the RexView selecting Target/Show System Log from the menu or by clicking on the icon on the toolbar. A content of the system log is uploaded and shown in a dialog. A user may browse all messages, filter the content or export selected items into a CSV file.
The types and severities of messages that are written to the system may be configured by selecting Target/Configure System Log from the menu. The Safe print flags to the target option must be selected if it is required to store the configuration of the system log permanently on the target device. A last saved configuration is loaded during the next system boot if the option remains unselected.
3.4.4 Diagnostics
A detailed diagnostics tool may be launched by clicking on Target/Diagnostics from the menu or by clicking on the icon on the toolbar. The tool provides all the functionality that was previously available separately in a stand-alone application, the RexView. The integration of the RexView application into the RexDraw brings many advantages such a sharing a single connection with the target device, faster start-up and better user experience. The diagnostic tool window is closed automatically when a user initiates a disconnection from the target device.
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