Action.NET projects

However Action.NET, multiple users can work on the same project simultaneously. A project Action.NET is a single file on a computer, on a remote server, or in the cloud!

This design allows more efficient access to projects located on the local computer, remote stations, or servers in the cloud

The Action.NET automatically creates metadata about projects, with information such as screen preview, tool design and version, modification date, project template, and more. You can change the view of projects to Cards, or Table, or use the Rotate button to switch between the graphic icon and a brief summary of the project.

The project has a SQL-centric configuration, in which all project definitions, such as graphic screens, graphic images, scripts, report templates, are stored in a single file, which is a SQL database, whose manager is embedded in the software and supplied with Action.NET. This simple structure makes it much easier to back up the movement and deployment of projects. It also allows you to edit multiple projects at the same time, allowing multiple users to work simultaneously.

In the middle of the screen, icons can be seen to create a new project, "New Project", "Open Project" to open the project that is selected on the grid, and "Find Project" to set default paths to find other projects.

Distributed Engineering

In the tab Server, the location is defined if projects will be edited or executed.

You can edit and run the project locally (Localhost), or from a remote server (Remote).

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All tools and configuration features are automatically adjusted, whether a project is being accessed from the local computer or from a remote computer. There is no need for other software components for these facilities, Action.NET provides what is needed for distributed engineering.

Desktop configuration

The idea of the configuration interface is to function as a front-end web-page, where you easily navigate to forms, fill in the fields and save the data automatically to the Project Server, as a typical application web.

There is no need to open/save or periodically send repetitive closing commands. For detailed information about the work area, please refer to the Engineering Work Area.

Action.NET modules

The button Edit, in the engineering module workspace, allows access to the configuration tasks of the Action.NET.

Tags—to define, check, or edit the tags of the points to be used in the project.

Security—to set the permissions and access levels of project users.

Devices—to set up communication protocols and IEDs (Communication and Data Acquisition Equipment) that will be used by the project.

Alarms—to set up alarm tags and Alarm Groups for generating alarms under defined conditions.

Datasets—definition of data sources such as database files, specific tables, and predefined queries.

Scripts—for configuration of scripts that may be in C-Sharp or VB.Net, (in .NET) compiled and dynamically linked prior to project execution.

Displays—to set up or select dynamic graphical screens that will show in real time the state of supervised processes.

Reports—to set up Reports, which may include updated graphic symbols in XPS, HTML, ASCII, and Unicode format.

Real-time tags

The real-time database defines application process variables (tags), complex types (templates), and hierarchical levels (assets). It also ensures, without the need for any additional programming, the synchronization of data between the various processes of the server and the various client stations. A set of predefined properties, such as data quality, time stamp, lock state, and locked value, simplifies system modeling. Tag groups and other project components can be assigned to hierarchical levels, creating a view of your system's assets, such as: Regional, Substation, Tension Sector, etc.

The real-time database also supports three-dimensional arrays with a dynamically specified size, enabling efficient memory usage, and user-defined structures and models. The Action.NET has the most complete set of entities in real time. It was the first platform that implements full-time matching between real-time tags, variables in .NET, and SQL database fields, as shown in the following table.

Graphic Screens

The .NET Framework, among the various advances in technology, also brought the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), graphics technology that allows easy access to the full potential of modern video cards and hardware accelerators for image management. Another benefit was the introduction of XAML (Extended Markup Language), which allows to create the graphical user interface declaratively, enabling the construction of interfaces with more functionality, in less programming time.

Action.NET was entirely developed on the facilities provided by WPF and XML, both engineering tools that provide very user-friendly interfaces, such as real-time visualization modules, which make it easy for engineers to create advanced state-of-the-art applications, including access to the full potential of currently available video cards, faster and more efficiently in development.

The Action.NET includes a powerful graphics resource editor to create real-time applications, uniquely designed to provide the best integration with other modules and the database in real time. The editor also includes a set of dynamic animations for the preview objects and a symbol library, which can be extended by the user. 

Five types of remote clients are supported

Rich Clients: Runs as a desktop application, allows blocking the toggle between this task and other Windows. This type is ideal for process control applications that require high performance, availability and security.

Smart Clients: Uses click-once technology, which installs and updates the software on remote clients with a single click from a browser and is still automatically updated on remote clients when it is updated on the server. This type uses all the power of the remote computer, however, still retaining the advantages of a centralized installation system.

Web Clients: runs directly from the browser, without requiring installation of any software (nor any Active-X controls!). Safety partial-trust ensures execution in a safe and completely isolated environment.

Thin Clients: Runs using remote desktop connection or terminal server or other thin client technology. Typically used to run on tablets that use Android or WinRT.

Tables, native iPad app: The same screens created on Windows computers are automatically generated to run natively on iPads on iPhones, combining the user experience and security of a native application with the benefits of having only the project configuration.

See more at Graphical user interface.

Safety and Redundancy

In Action.NET, Security is used to define which users have access (and how) to the various components of the project. This includes the ability to block or allow the user to change tag values, execute commands, open displays, generate reports, and more.

User sessions can be tracked so that they are automatically terminated, based on inactivity, total session duration, or both. Online alarm and security conditions are automatically replicated in projects with redundancy.

Along with alarm and event capabilities, security tools provide everything you need to build applications that support FDA CFR 21 Part 11 recommendations.

See more at Security and Users.

The Action.NET automatically initializes the redundancy process and synchronizes the primary and secondary server continuously during system execution. IED communication channels are also easily configured for redundant physical networks and redundant PLC nodes.

Redundant or standalone servers allow switching between project versions without stopping service for connected clients by keeping the database loaded in real time during version switching. To start using redundancy just enter the IP of the secondary server and the server will configure TStartup.exe automatically to use redundancy.

Trend and Historian

The Historian Module makes it possible for the user to easily configure the registration of process variables in SQL databases. A SQLite database manager is provided for small and medium-sized databases for data stored on the same machine in the Action.Net.

Large systems, especially those distributed where the database is on a server other than Action.Net modules, can be configured to use Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or any OLE-DB, ODBC, or ADO.NET.

The Action.NET also has the option to use the OSIsoft PI system for the historian server, without the need for programming, including full integration and transparent access.

Graphical tools include a powerful trend chart generator object with support for quality information, annotations, vertical charts, series comparison, and more.

See more at Historian and Data Record.

The trend module allows you to compare two (or more) curves on the same chart to even for curves with different start dates, ideal for continuous or batch process analysis.

Trend charts can be added to web and PDF reports, allow image captures, and value data tables are available for export, either through operator commands or even any process event.

 Trend charts are fully functional in the tool, with no parameterization needs, although they are also completely customizable, including real-time calculations.

 Devices - Communication with IEDs

This module manages communication with IEDs, programmable controllers or other field equipment.

The Action.NET has built-in communication protocol modules to directly access PLCs, Remote IO, Fieldbus standards, single and multi-loops, scanners, barcodes, RFID devices and digital displays. OPC DA is also supported, but in most cases it is not necessary: native protocols are used when available because they enable better performance, easier configuration, and better message control. It reserves the use of OPC for when a native driver is not available or when the architecture specification so requires.

The I/O Device Configuration Tool can import databases from OPC servers, CSV, or text files. If the device is compatible, it automatically implements multi-threading on TCP/IP networks. The addressing syntax follows the remote device naming convention, making configuration and maintenance much easier, a full set of performance monitors and diagnostic tools is included.      

See more at Devices and Interfaces.

Alarms and Events

The System of Alarms Action.NET offers enormous flexibility in managing application alarms. Various alarm levels for each point/tag can be set and a whole range of behaviors, such as recognition, visual and sound screen, database logging, are bult-in features to simplify configuration.

Alarm conditions are automatically replicated on redundant servers, making sure there are no alarms lost in the event of a computer failure. Alarm and event tools are also part of the tools needed to create applications that support the FDA CFR 21 Part 11 recommendation.

See more at Alarms, Events and Audit Trail.

Datasets and SQL

The Dataset Module included in Action.NET provides an easy-to-use interface for exchanging real-time data, with external databases, XML, CSV, or text files and SQL queries and table access.

For the most common databases and data sources (Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, CSV files, Microsoft Access, PI, Firebird, Informix, Excel), Action.NET provides predefined settings that reduce the setting to a few mouse clicks. Any database that supports ODBC, ADO.NET or OLE-DB can be accessed. An embedded SQL database manager, SQLite, is also provided as a database for local stand alone applications.

Data collected with Datasets can be dynamically mapped to real-time points/tags and can be used in scripts or reports, or presented on screens using a powerful Data Grid Visual Object, with cell editors and support for various viewing themes.

See more at Datasets and Data Exchange.

Scripts and .NET

The Action.NET fully supports the Microsoft .NET Framework in a built-in integrated environment. Within the Action.NET architecture, you can compile, cross-reference objects, and directly access (using IntelliSense) the .NET classes and their project objects, including Alarms, Reports, and Communication Nodes.

.NET languages provide a more powerful and secure option when compared to VBA or VBScript, which are interpreted and enable many errors to only be encountered when running your project. With VBA or VBScript, already with the project in production, often still have execution errors, with undesirable consequences.

The Managed Environment of the Microsoft .NET Framework provides support for discovering and recovering from exceptions, thus providing a highly reliable environment for the system running in real time. Project scripts and business logic can be written in C# or VB.NET. A complete debugging system is included, enabling breakpoints, step-by-step execution, and online code changes during debugging. There is also a built-in language converter, which allows you to change the source code created dynamically between C# and VB.NET.

Advanced optimization and control

Although we use the name "script" to present a familiar nomenclature to new users, this module of the Action.NET is a Engine .NET, which supports Threading and advanced programming. In addition to UI logics, it can work as a process optimization module by calculating mathematical models in a safe, high-performance environment.

The development of these modules will focus only on algorithms and processes, since interfaces for read values and historical data, event triggering and writing values are standard functions and components already provided by the Action.NET

 See more at Using Scripts

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Reporting and data access

Action.NET supports SQL access, Web-Services, XML, and other data exchange interfaces to provide data for external reporting tools. In addition, it has its own Report Editor.

 Report Editor allows you to include dynamic text, dynamic graphic and graphic symbols, datasets, and the results of a query in an easy-to-use editing feature. Reports can be saved in HTML, text, XPS, or PDF and easily presented on remote clients and web screens. A native browser control for reporting visualization is included, so there is no need for third-party programs to see previously generated reports.

See more at Reporting and Data Access.