2. Defining the Event and Trigger condition
The purpose of the sheet Event_and_Trigger_Definition is to define the event as well as the trigger condition to be monitored.
Note: The sequence of steps shown in this guide is a recommendation, as it felt the most natural for the author. But users are free to follow their own preferred sequence.
Important: This guide is written under the assumption, that the Configurator is used in Online Mode. This allows the Configurator to download both existing data model as well as tag configurations and make them available for users to select them without the need of typing and minimizing the risk of spelling mistakes.
Events defined inside Production Record Database are defined on a data model basis. This does prevent that wrong data are able to be stored in the wrong data model and corrupting the production event.
A Data Model has to be setup beforehand inside Litmus Production Record Database for example using the Litmus Solution Litmus Production Record Data Model Configurator.
The name of the data model for which the event is created is configured in the column labeled Production Record Data Model Node Name.
In Online mode, users select one of the available data models from the drop-down menu in the column labeled Production Record Data Model Node Name.
Note: Only values available through the drop-down menu can be selected.
Important: Do not leave blank rows between entries or at the start. A blank row will be seen as the end of the configuration and the configurator will not process any entry past the blank row.
While a very common way of filling in spreadsheet style lists is to do it row by row, it has been observed that it can be beneficial to fill in all Data Model Mode Names first, especially if more than one event is to be defined per data model.
This can be achieved through the use of copy & paste cell content as well as make use of the MS Excel autocomplete feature, where it does try to recognize what the user may want to enter as a repeat.
Making use of these fast forms of duplication, can make it very quick to fill in all the names for the devices as many time as it is needed.
Filling in the example below was done in less than 20 seconds.
In Offline mode, the user will have to insert the name of the data model manually. As the configurator can not download which data models are defined on the SQL server and can not create the drop-down menu available in Online mode.
Note: If the data model name is wrongly spelled for example or the data model doesn't exists, the configuration will fail to be setup inside Litmus Production Record Database.
The configurator will verify the data model Node Name for invalid ASCII characters. To learn more about which ASCII characters are allowed, review the section Restrictions on ASCII characters allowed to be used. The configurator also validates the length of the string.
If an invalid character is found, a prompt is shown to the user.
Invalid characters are marked in red.
As spaces are not a visible character, they can't be marked in red, so the user can make use of the comment added to the cell as well.
To allow for the most efficient storage of the configuration as well as practicality when using a Data model Node Name in a query, the maximum length of a Data model Node Name can not exceed 50 characters.
If a Data model Node Name is longer 50 characters, the user will be prompted.
Note: Names of data models which exceed the 50 character limit, will by default be trimmed to 50 characters if no action is taken by the user.
The name of an Event is configured in the column labeled Event Name.
Important: Do not leave blank rows between entries or at the start. A blank row will be seen as the end of the configuration and the configurator will not process any entry past the blank row.
The configurator will verify the Event Name for invalid ASCII characters. To learn more about which ASCII characters are allowed, review the section Restrictions on ASCII characters allowed to be used. The configurator also validates the length of the string.
If an invalid character is found, a prompt is shown to the user.
Invalid characters are marked in red.
As spaces are not a visible character, they can't be marked in red, so the user can make use of the comment added to the cell as well.
To allow for the most efficient storage of the configuration as well as practicality when using am Event Name in a query, the maximum length of an Event Name can not exceed 50 characters.
If an Event Name is longer 50 characters, the user will be prompted.
Note: Names of Events which exceed the 50 character limit, will by default be trimmed to 50 characters if no action is taken by the user.
To modify an already existing event, by for example adding a new trigger, changing a trigger condition or adding a new Item through the sheet Event_Item_Definition, users can select the event from the drop-down menu in the column labeled Event Name.
Note: This is only possible for events which have been previously configured on Litmus Production Record Database.
Important: This does require to be in Online Mode.
Users are able to provide a description for an event to provide some context for colleagues about the purpose of the event and what it is used for.
The configurator will verify the Event Description for invalid ASCII characters. To learn more about which ASCII characters are allowed, review the section Restrictions on ASCII characters allowed to be used. The configurator also validates the length of the string.
If an invalid character is found, a prompt is shown to the user.
Invalid characters are marked in red.
To allow for the most efficient storage the maximum length of an Event Description can not exceed 256 characters.
If an Event Description is longer 256 characters, the user will be prompted.
Note: Descriptions for Events which exceed the 256 character limit, will by default be trimmed to 256 characters if no action is taken by the user.
The name of a Trigger is configured in the column labeled Trigger Condition Name.
Important: Do not leave blank rows between entries or at the start. A blank row will be seen as the end of the configuration and the configurator will not process any entry past the blank row.
The configurator will verify the Trigger Condition Name for invalid ASCII characters. To learn more about which ASCII characters are allowed, review the section Restrictions on ASCII characters allowed to be used. The configurator also validates the length of the string.
If an invalid character is found, a prompt is shown to the user.
Invalid characters are marked in red.
As spaces are not a visible character, they can't be marked in red, so the user can make use of the comment added to the cell as well.
To allow for the most efficient storage of the configuration as well as practicality when using a Trigger Condition Name in a query, the maximum length of a Level Name can not exceed 50 characters.
If a Trigger Condition Name is longer 50 characters, the user will be prompted.
Note: Names of Trigger Conditions which exceed the 50 character limit, will by default be trimmed to 50 characters if no action is taken by the user.
While it is possible to reuse a Trigger Condition name for different events.
A specific Trigger Condition Name has to be unique in its combination with a specific Event Name and Data Model Node Name.
If the configurator does detect, that a specific combination has already be used, the user is prompted.
The duplicate row will have the three columns Production Record Data Model Node Name, Event Name and Trigger Condition Name be marked in red.
This allows the user to find the duplicate entry and correct it.
To modify an already existing trigger condition, users can select the trigger condition name from the drop-down menu in the column labeled Trigger Condition Name.
Note: This is only possible for events which have been previously configured on Litmus Production Record Database.
Important: This does require to be in Online Mode.
This will also autocomplete the following columns, as the Configurator can import the existing configuration.
To be able to monitor a trigger for an event, Litmus Production Record Database requires the tag which to monitor for the event.
A tag used in the column labeled Trigger Tag, has to be defined inside Litmus Production Record Database beforehand, for example using the Litmus Solution Litmus Production Record Tag Configurator.
The tag used for the trigger to monitor is configured in the column labeled Trigger Tag.
In Online mode, users select the tag from the drop-down menu in the column labeled Trigger Tag.
The Trigger Tag is a pipe symbol "|" separated string composed of:
- First position = Device Name used when setting up the tag in Litmus Production Record Database
- PLC_RC1_CCS | HTR_HTG_TEMP_PV | Value
- Second position = Tag Name used when setting up the tag in Litmus Production Record Database
- PLC_RC1_CCS | HTR_HTG_TEMP_PV | Value
- Third position = Item Name used when setting up the tag in Litmus Production Record Database
- PLC_RC1_CCS | HTR_HTG_TEMP_PV | Value
Note: Only values available through the drop-down menu can be selected.
Important: Do not leave blank rows between entries or at the start. A blank row will be seen as the end of the configuration and the configurator will not process any entry past the blank row.
In Offline mode, the user will have to insert the pipe symbol "|" separated string manually. As the configurator can not download which tags are defined on the SQL server and can not create the drop-down menu available in Online mode.
Note: If the tag string incudes a wrongly spelled device, tag or item or the device, tag or item doesn't exists, the configuration will fail to be setup inside Litmus Production Record Database.
In Offline Mode, the configurator will verify the trigger tag string for invalid ASCII characters. To learn more about which ASCII characters are allowed, review the section Restrictions on ASCII characters allowed to be used.
If an invalid character is found, a prompt is shown to the user.
Invalid characters are marked in red.
As spaces are not a visible character, they can't be marked in red, so the user can make use of the comment added to the cell as well.
To be able to monitor a tag for an event, Litmus Production Record Database does require a Trigger Condition.
Litmus Production Record Database supports six different conditions.
Trigger Condition | What is monitored |
|---|---|
onChange | Litmus Production Record Database will monitor the tag for any change to the value of the item set as Trigger Tag. |
greaterThan | Litmus Production Record Database will monitor the value of the item set as Trigger Tag if it is greater then the value set. |
smallerThan | Litmus Production Record Database will monitor the value of the item set as Trigger Tag if it is smaller then the value set. |
euqalTo | Litmus Production Record Database will monitor the value of the item set as Trigger Tag if it is equal to the value set. |
greaterequaltThan | Litmus Production Record Database will monitor the value of the item set as Trigger Tag if it is greater then or equal to the value set. |
smallerequalThan | Litmus Production Record Database will monitor the value of the item set as Trigger Tag if it is smaller then or equal to the value set. |
The user sets the Trigger Condition by selecting it from the drop-down menu in the column labeled Trigger Condition.
This will add the selected string into the cell.
Note: Only values available through the drop-down menu can be selected.
This is the value used by Litmus Production Record Database in combination with the Trigger Condition when monitoring the trigger tag.
Note: This column does not need to be filled in, if the cell itself is greyed out.
To define the Condition Value, the user enters the value into the cell of the column labeled Condition Value.
The configurator will verify the Condition Value for invalid ASCII characters. To learn more about which ASCII characters are allowed, review the section Restrictions on ASCII characters allowed to be used. The configurator also validates the length of the string.
This will impact mainly values which are alphanumerical.
If an invalid character is found, a prompt is shown to the user.
Invalid characters are marked in red.
The maximum length of a Condition Value can not exceed 256 characters.
If a Conditional Value is longer 256 characters, the user will be prompted.
Note: Conditional Values which exceed the 256 character limit, will by default be trimmed to 256 characters if no action is taken by the user.