Static Database Batch Editor

Settable Database Fields

Quick Links: Point Fields Alarm Fields

sdBatch allows the user to set most of the fields in the static data cache. Some fields are not intended to be dynamic are are not allowed to be changed. Others may be added in the future, assuming the associated complexities are tamed.

Point Fields

These are fields in the POINT table in the PICS Static Database. sdBatch allows either the long or short field names to be used interchangeably. In the simplest form, a field may be assigned a new value using an assignment like this:

OffState=DISABLE

The statement above would be used to set the off state label for a digital point (actually, all digital points matching the current mask) to "DISABLE". Should you want to set a value based on another field in the same record, you may use field names on both sides of the equal sign. For example, to set the archive refresh interval to 10 times the list refresh interval:

eval [ari] = {ri} * 10

(for an explanation, see "EVAL Commands" on the main sdBatch page.)

Type Short Long Description/Values

WORD AVG AvgType DARS Averaging type: 0=no averaging; 1=averaging

WORD EVENT EventTrigger Event Trigger (only applicable to digital points)

WORD INV Invert Invert Digital Value

WORD SHORT ShortTest These are not generally used in the PGDP implementation and should only be changed under direction from EVI.

WORD UTR UTR

WORD UTRC UTRCent

WORD LOG LogRange

WORD NOVAL ValAlarmInhib Determines whether or not PICS will perform validity alarm checking. Set to 1 (one) to INHIBIT validity alarm checking or 0 (zero) to ENABLE validity alarm checking.

WORD NOEUA EuAlarmInhib Determines whether or not PICS will perform EU alarm checking. Set to 1 (one) to INHIBIT EU alarm checking or 0 (zero) to ENABLE EU alarm checking.

WORD NOROC RocAlarmInhib Determines whether or not PICS will perform rate-of-change alarm checking. Set to 1 (one) to INHIBIT RoC alarm checking or 0 (zero) to ENABLE RoC alarm checking.

WORD TEST InTest Flags a point as being "in test." This was intended for times when some part or system is undergoing maintenance/testing. It would allow PICS to be used to monitor the test while alerting operations that the values are not representive of actual operation.

WORD SCAN OffScan When set, this flag tell PICS to stop scanning the hardware for this point or to stop computing a value for derived points. In some hardware, this may not actually cause hardware scanning to cease (for example the C-310 CPI hardware, which scans large blocks of points at once), but it will cause the value to stop being updated regardless.

WORD MAN OpEnter When set, this flag indicates that the currently reported EU value was manually substituted for any scanned or derived value. Some points (such as the gradient) are always substituted.

WORD CKPID CheckPid Setting this flag causes the 8800 scanning the associated point to dump a large amount of internal data about the processing of the point (when the CHECKPID flag is also activated on the 8800). This flag ONLY affects the logging of the 8800s, but it should be used sparingly to prevent an 8800 from getting too busy logging and not scanning!

string DESC Desc Point description string (up to 32 characters)

string ON OnState Digital ON state label (up to 8 characters) NOTE: This field is also where the Engineering Units label (for analog points) is stored.

string OFF OffState Digital OFF state label (up to 8 characters)

string FORM Format C-Language format string used when formatting the value for display. This field is important for analog points and must be %s for digitals.

string DN DependentName DO NOT CHANGE this field. It contains the named of the program that will be run for the associated 8800.

DWORD MASK SetMask This field contains a bit mask indicating the building, unit, and type of the point. The AlarmSort INI file contains the most current listing of these bits.

WORD COLOR Color The index into the PICS color database for this point. Colors 0-15 correspond to the original PC colorset.

float MIN DefaultMin For analogs, the default minimum value, used when generating graphic displays.

float MAX DefaultMax For analogs, the default maximum value, used when generating graphic displays.

WORD RI RefreshInterval The live refresh rate, in seconds. This determines the minimum amount of time between deliveries of this point's current value, regardless of change activity. Smaller numbers ensure that all nodes are up to date despite potential dropped UDP packets at the expense of increased network traffic.

float EU EUValue Initial engineering value, for points supporting this feature.

float EUM EUManual Most recently set manual engineering value, if any.

float S SpikeThreshold These values are used in the 8800's and should only be changed under direction from EVI, or after detailed study of their meaning and effect, which is beyond this document's scope.

float F Filter

float G Gain

float RVC RawValueComp

float LCL LowClampLimit

float LCV LowClampValue

float HCL HighClampLimit

float HCV HighClampValue

WORD AP AssoPid

float RSC RawSigChg

float SC SigChg Engineering significant change threshold specifies the minimum amount that the point's value must change before it is reported. Note that points may be refreshed (see above) with new values that were not significant enough to report.

WORD ATL AlmTranLimit These values aren't used in the PGDP system are should not be changed.

WORD ST SteadyTime

WORD PT PidTrans

WORD ARI ArchRefreshInterval Similar to the live refresh interval (above) but used only by the Plant Data Recorder (PDR) to determine how often to record an otherwise unchanged data record.

float ASC ArchSigChg Similar to the engineering significant change (above) but used only by the PDR to determine if a data record has changed enough to be recorded.

WORD AOS AutoOffScanInterval Use exclusively in the 'parasite' 8800s to guess when the master system has taken a point off scan. This specifies the amount of time (in seconds) that must elapse after the most recent value was received for a point before the 'parasite' 8800 declares the point to be off scan. If a new value is received, the 8800 will automatically clear the autooffscan state.

WORD UIE UseInitEU Indicates whether or not the initial engineering value (above) should be used by the 8800.

WORD IEU InitEuUsable Indicates whether or not the initial engineering value, when provided by the 8800, may be used by other applications (for computations, etc).

Alarm Fields

Alarms are set just like the point fields and may be pending at the same time, sdBatch will automatically group point and alarm changes into separate commands to the static database. The same types of statements may be used to set alarms, with the eval statement perhaps being more approrpiate here where one alarm limit may be sensibly set relative to another. See the sdBatch main page for more information about how PICS uses these limits relative to PGDP's MODCOMP system's alarms.

Type Short Long Description/Values

float VDB ValidDeadband Validity deadband

float HV HiValid HIGH Validity

float LV LoValid LOW Validity

float HDB HiDeadband HIGH deadband

float HC HiCrit HIGH Critical

float HA HiAlert HIGH Alert

float HW HiWarn HIGH Warn

float LW LoWarn LOW Warn

float LA LoAlert LOW Alert

float LC LoCrit LOW Critical

float LDB LoDeadband LOW deadband

float ROA ROA Rate of Ascent

float ROD ROD Rate of Descent

WORD DON OnAlarm True/False indicating if a digital's ON state is an ALARM state

WORD DOFF OffAlarm True/False indicating if a digital's OFF state is an ALARM state

Type	Short	Long	Description/Values
WORD	AVG	AvgType	DARS Averaging type: 0=no averaging; 1=averaging
WORD	EVENT	EventTrigger	Event Trigger (only applicable to digital points)
WORD	INV	Invert	Invert Digital Value
WORD	SHORT	ShortTest	These are not generally used in the PGDP implementation and should only be changed under direction from EVI.
WORD	UTR	UTR
WORD	UTRC	UTRCent
WORD	LOG	LogRange
WORD	NOVAL	ValAlarmInhib	Determines whether or not PICS will perform validity alarm checking. Set to 1 (one) to INHIBIT validity alarm checking or 0 (zero) to ENABLE validity alarm checking.
WORD	NOEUA	EuAlarmInhib	Determines whether or not PICS will perform EU alarm checking. Set to 1 (one) to INHIBIT EU alarm checking or 0 (zero) to ENABLE EU alarm checking.
WORD	NOROC	RocAlarmInhib	Determines whether or not PICS will perform rate-of-change alarm checking. Set to 1 (one) to INHIBIT RoC alarm checking or 0 (zero) to ENABLE RoC alarm checking.
WORD	TEST	InTest	Flags a point as being "in test." This was intended for times when some part or system is undergoing maintenance/testing. It would allow PICS to be used to monitor the test while alerting operations that the values are not representive of actual operation.
WORD	SCAN	OffScan	When set, this flag tell PICS to stop scanning the hardware for this point or to stop computing a value for derived points. In some hardware, this may not actually cause hardware scanning to cease (for example the C-310 CPI hardware, which scans large blocks of points at once), but it will cause the value to stop being updated regardless.
WORD	MAN	OpEnter	When set, this flag indicates that the currently reported EU value was manually substituted for any scanned or derived value. Some points (such as the gradient) are always substituted.
WORD	CKPID	CheckPid	Setting this flag causes the 8800 scanning the associated point to dump a large amount of internal data about the processing of the point (when the CHECKPID flag is also activated on the 8800). This flag ONLY affects the logging of the 8800s, but it should be used sparingly to prevent an 8800 from getting too busy logging and not scanning!
string	DESC	Desc	Point description string (up to 32 characters)
string	ON	OnState	Digital ON state label (up to 8 characters) NOTE: This field is also where the Engineering Units label (for analog points) is stored.
string	OFF	OffState	Digital OFF state label (up to 8 characters)
string	FORM	Format	C-Language format string used when formatting the value for display. This field is important for analog points and must be %s for digitals.
string	DN	DependentName	DO NOT CHANGE this field. It contains the named of the program that will be run for the associated 8800.
DWORD	MASK	SetMask	This field contains a bit mask indicating the building, unit, and type of the point. The AlarmSort INI file contains the most current listing of these bits.
WORD	COLOR	Color	The index into the PICS color database for this point. Colors 0-15 correspond to the original PC colorset.
float	MIN	DefaultMin	For analogs, the default minimum value, used when generating graphic displays.
float	MAX	DefaultMax	For analogs, the default maximum value, used when generating graphic displays.
WORD	RI	RefreshInterval	The live refresh rate, in seconds. This determines the minimum amount of time between deliveries of this point's current value, regardless of change activity. Smaller numbers ensure that all nodes are up to date despite potential dropped UDP packets at the expense of increased network traffic.
float	EU	EUValue	Initial engineering value, for points supporting this feature.
float	EUM	EUManual	Most recently set manual engineering value, if any.
float	S	SpikeThreshold	These values are used in the 8800's and should only be changed under direction from EVI, or after detailed study of their meaning and effect, which is beyond this document's scope.
float	F	Filter
float	G	Gain
float	RVC	RawValueComp
float	LCL	LowClampLimit
float	LCV	LowClampValue
float	HCL	HighClampLimit
float	HCV	HighClampValue
WORD	AP	AssoPid
float	RSC	RawSigChg
float	SC	SigChg	Engineering significant change threshold specifies the minimum amount that the point's value must change before it is reported. Note that points may be refreshed (see above) with new values that were not significant enough to report.
WORD	ATL	AlmTranLimit	These values aren't used in the PGDP system are should not be changed.
WORD	ST	SteadyTime
WORD	PT	PidTrans
WORD	ARI	ArchRefreshInterval	Similar to the live refresh interval (above) but used only by the Plant Data Recorder (PDR) to determine how often to record an otherwise unchanged data record.
float	ASC	ArchSigChg	Similar to the engineering significant change (above) but used only by the PDR to determine if a data record has changed enough to be recorded.
WORD	AOS	AutoOffScanInterval	Use exclusively in the 'parasite' 8800s to guess when the master system has taken a point off scan. This specifies the amount of time (in seconds) that must elapse after the most recent value was received for a point before the 'parasite' 8800 declares the point to be off scan. If a new value is received, the 8800 will automatically clear the autooffscan state.
WORD	UIE	UseInitEU	Indicates whether or not the initial engineering value (above) should be used by the 8800.
WORD	IEU	InitEuUsable	Indicates whether or not the initial engineering value, when provided by the 8800, may be used by other applications (for computations, etc).