It is that time again for our monthly Dear ADISRA blog!
One of the things we enjoy most is hearing from our customers and learning about the innovative ways they are using ADISRA software. Every month, we receive a variety of questions from users around the world, ranging from application design and connectivity to best practices and advanced features.
When we see questions that may benefit the broader ADISRA community, we like to share the answers so that everyone can learn from real-world experiences and use cases.
So, without further ado, here are some of the questions you asked over the past month.
Question:
We are using Tag History with a SQL database connection and have logging configured on a trigger. The connection works correctly, but we’re noticing that records are being inserted into the database both when the trigger turns ON and when it turns OFF. Is there a way to log data only when the trigger is activated?
Answer:
Yes. ADISRA SmartView provides flexibility to control exactly when Tag History records are written to your SQL database.
A common approach is to create a dedicated tag, such as @saveHistory, and use it as the trigger for your Tag History configuration instead of using the process tag directly (for example, @storeData). This gives you greater control over when history records are saved.
You can then create a Trigger document that monitors @storeData and sets @saveHistory only when the desired condition is met, for example, when @storeData = 1. By separating the process condition from the history trigger, you can ensure that records are logged only when the trigger becomes active, avoiding additional inserts when the tag returns to its inactive state.
Example:
This configuration triggers @saveHistory only when @storeData equals 1. When @storeData returns to 0, no additional history record is generated.
This approach provides more precise control over data collection and helps ensure that your database contains only the events and values that are important to your application.
Another question we received this month focused on creating more intuitive operator interfaces.
Question:
How can I open a pop-up screen near a specific object on my HMI screen? For example, when an operator clicks on a piece of equipment, can I display a separate pop-up window positioned near that object rather than opening the screen at a fixed location?
Answer:
Yes. ADISRA SmartView provides several ways to display additional information to operators through pop-up screens.
It is important to understand that the Screen object is designed to display screens within its own configured area on a graphic. This makes it ideal for embedding screens inside other screens and creating modular user interfaces.
For pop-up windows, ADISRA SmartView provides functions such as SVGraphics.Open() as well as button actions that can be configured to open a graphic as a separate dialog window.
To create a context-sensitive pop-up near a piece of equipment or another screen object, you can dynamically set the popup’s Top and Left coordinates using tags. These coordinates can be calculated from the selected object’s position or the current graphic’s properties, allowing the popup to appear exactly where needed.
This approach enables operators to access detailed information, controls, alarms, or diagnostics without leaving the primary screen, creating a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
For users interested in implementing this functionality, ADISRA provides an example project that demonstrates how to open dialogs based on the coordinates of a selected object. The same technique can also be applied using a graphic’s Top, Left, Width, and Height properties.
Additional examples can be found on the ADISRA website:
Connectivity remains a popular topic, especially among Siemens users.
Question:
Which Siemens driver is required for my Siemens PLC firmware version?
Answer:
The driver you use is determined primarily by the Siemens PLC firmware version and the communication method you use.
Siemens introduced TLS-secured communications in newer generations of the S7-1200 and S7-1500 product families. As a result, ADISRA SmartView provides two Siemens drivers to support both legacy and modern Siemens environments.
The Siemens-TIA driver is intended for legacy Siemens applications and supports integration with TIA Portal project files, allowing users to browse and import tags directly from TIA Portal projects. This driver is commonly used with older PLC firmware versions that do not require TLS-secured communications.
The Siemens-TIA-TLS driver is designed for Siemens controllers configured for secure communications. It supports TLS encryption, symbolic access to optimized data blocks, and operation on both Windows and Linux platforms.
As a general guideline:
- For S7-1500 controllers running Firmware 2.9 or later, Siemens supports TLS-secured communications, and the Siemens-TIA-TLS driver should be used when secure communications are enabled.
- For S7-1200 controllers running Firmware 4.5 or later, Siemens supports TLS 1.3 communications, and the Siemens-TIA-TLS driver should be used when the controller has been configured for secure communications.
- For legacy systems that do not use TLS-secured communications, the Siemens-TIA driver remains the appropriate choice.
One important difference is that the Siemens-TIA-TLS driver communicates directly with the PLC and retrieves tag information from the controller itself. Unlike the Siemens-TIA driver, it does not import tags from TIA Portal project files. This architecture enables secure communications while supporting both Windows and Linux deployments.
In short, the driver selection is not simply a matter of preference. It is largely determined by the Siemens PLC firmware version and whether the controller has been configured to use modern TLS-secured communications.
We also received several questions about alarm and event management
Question:
I would like to add a button that filters the Event Viewer to display events associated with a specific tag or equipment group. Is there a way to dynamically filter events from code?
Answer:
Yes. ADISRA SmartView provides a built-in Filter() function to dynamically filter the contents of the Alarm/Event Viewer. This makes it easy to create buttons that display only the events relevant to a particular tag, piece of equipment, area, or process group.
The Filter() function accepts two parameters:
- The column or property to be filtered.
- The text value to match.
For example, the following code filters the viewer to display only events belonging to the PUMP group:
AlarmEvent1.Filter(“GROUP”, “PUMP”);
In this example, “GROUP” is the property being filtered, and “PUMP” is the value to match. When the button is pressed, the Alarm/Event Viewer updates to display only records associated with that group.
This functionality can be used to create context-sensitive displays that allow operators to quickly focus on alarms and events associated with a specific machine, production line, or plant area.
If you need to filter on a different field, you can use the same function with other properties, such as the event message. For example, you can filter records based on specific text contained within the message field. The Alarm Viewer also supports additional filtering options for more advanced use cases.
Keep the Questions Coming
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions this month. The creativity and innovation we see from ADISRA users around the world continue to inspire us. Whether you are building advanced HMI/SCADA applications, integrating with PLCs, creating custom reports, or exploring new ways to improve operations, your questions help us make ADISRA SmartView even better.
We hope these answers help you get even more value from your ADISRA investment and perhaps introduce you to capabilities you may not have known existed.
Have a question, an application challenge, a feature request, or a best practice you would like to share? We want to hear from you. Send your questions to info@adisra.com. Not only will you receive assistance from our engineering team, but your question may also be featured in a future edition of Dear ADISRA to help other users in the community.
To learn more about ADISRA SmartView, download a free trial and explore our growing library of technical articles, example projects, webinars, and product resources on the ADISRA website.
Together, we are building a stronger ADISRA community, one question at a time.
Interested in seeing what’s coming in ADISRA SmartView 5.0?
Join us for our upcoming webinar on July 23rd at 9:30 AM CDT and get an exclusive preview of the next generation of ADISRA SmartView.
Discover how ADISRA is bringing together the power of a rule-based expert system and machine learning to solve real-world industrial automation challenges. Learn how this unique combination helps organizations leverage AI while maintaining the control, transparency, and domain expertise required for critical industrial applications.
In addition to our new AI capabilities, ADISRA SmartView 5.0 includes many exciting enhancements inspired directly by customer feedback, including:
- Reporting support on Linux
- Intelligent Help
- Enhanced Templates
- Improved usability and productivity features
- And much more
Don’t miss this opportunity to see the future of industrial automation software and learn how ADISRA SmartView 5.0 can help you build smarter, more efficient applications.
Register today and join us on July 23rd at 9:30 AM CDT.
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