16 Using the Annunciator Interface 125
16.2 Setting Up the Annunciator 128
16.2.6 Creating a User-Defined Readings Page 140
Readings pages are used to display real-time values of some of the SMP Gateway’s data points, and to perform control operations on its output points. With some work, a simplified diagram of your substation can be made using up to 15 readings pages.
Like other display pages, readings pages are configured using SMP Config:
From the tree view, expand the Pages branch and select the Readings branch. The Readings
Annunciator Page pane appears on the right.
The readings page list is found on the left. The right part of the pane is occupied by a grid of 18 lines by 9 columns. Each cell is representing a small part of a readings page, and can be used to display static text, or the current state or value of one of your SMP Gateway’s input points. A “click action” can also be configured for the cell. Supported actions include switching the focus to another readings page and controlling one of the SMP Gateway’s output points. Above the grid, there is a toolbar giving access to all the design functions.
The following steps describe how to create and populate a readings page:
Under Page List, click Add. A new page called Page 1 was added to the list. Type a significant name for the page, or leave the default name, and press Enter.
Note: You can create a clone of an existing page, by clicking Duplicate. Also, if you
want to change the name of the page later, just select the page from the list and click Rename.
Cell(s) selection can be performed in many ways:
To select all cells from a given line, click the line header.
To select all cells from a given column, click the column header.
To select multiple cells from different adjacent lines and column, click and drag over the cells you want to select.
Finally, to select all cells, click the non-editable cell found at the intersection of the line and column headers.
Select the cell at the right of the line 1’s header and under column A header: let us call it cell
1A. When you click the cell, the grid’s toolbar becomes active.
The toolbar’s various controls are presented in the following table:
Control(s) Description
Allow you to cut, copy and paste cells in the currently edited page or from this page to another one.
Allow you to undo last edits, one at a time. If you want to revert to an edit you just undo, you can use the redo button. Note that a list of edits is preserved for each page, so you can switch back to a page you left a few minutes ago and undo the last change you did to this page, for example.
Change the font and font size of cell text. Only a limited number of font and sizes are available on the SMP Gateway.
Apply the Bold or Italic font style to cell text. You can also apply both styles at the same time.
Change the text’s alignment. Available choices are: left aligned, centered and right aligned. Text is left aligned by default.
Change the cell’s font and background colors for normal text. Click the appropriate button to apply the currently selected color (as displayed on the button itself) or click the drop-down button to select the color you like.
Other color options are only accessible through the Cell Properties dialog box, which is presented later in this section.
Open the Cell Properties dialog box. Depending on the shortcut button clicked, either the General, Font or Click tab will be selected. The Cell Properties dialog box is presented later in this section.
Enter preview mode. This functionality is described more later in this section.
Note: If you click on any button while multiple cells are selected, the resulting
modifications will be applied to all cells, if possible.
Still in cell 1A, click the General Properties button ( ).
The Cell Properties dialog box opens, with the General tab selected.
Note: You can also open the Cell Properties dialog box by double-clicking a cell.
The General tab is used to select the type of content that will be displayed in the cell: static text or the current reading of an input point (analog or binary). Text and background colors can also be set here. The resulting display is previewed at the bottom of the tab.
By default, every cell is configured to display static text. For the sake of our example, we will display the SMP Gateway internal clock’s minute field, which value is available in analog input _smp___clockMinute. Note that a static text cell can also be used to display a colored cell with no text at all.
Note: You can also type the text directly in the cell, from the Readings Annunciator Page pane.
If you like, change the text and background colors.
Click the Font tab to edit the text’s font, style, alignment and size. A preview is also available in this tab.
Click OK to complete edition of cell 1A.
To display the real-time value of an analog input (_smp___clockMinute, in our example):
Select cell 2A and click the General Properties button.
Under Select cell content, select Display analog data point. The Cell Properties dialog box changes to this:
Under Data Point, select the desired data point. For our example, select _smp___clockMinute. You can also type the point’s name if you prefer.
Select the number of decimals you want to display after the point for the value displayed. You can also apply a scale factor to the value before displaying it.
toggles between the normal and alarm – or state 0 and state 1 – colors) by selecting the Flash checkbox.
Similarly, you can specify different colors to use when the data point’s quality is bad (ex. communications failure).
You can also use the Font tab to edit the text’s font, style, alignment and size. Note that the same font, style, alignment and size will be used when the data point is in alarm or when its quality is bad.
Click OK to apply changes.
To display the real-time state of a binary input point in a cell, the configuration process is
quite similar:
Select the cell that will display a binary input’s real-time state and click the General
Properties button.
Under Select cell content, select Display binary data point.
Under Data Point, select the desired data point. You can also type the point’s name if you prefer.
The bottom part of the General tab is a bit different than for analog data points:
Type the text to display when the input’s state is 0. For example, if the point represents the state of a relay, you can type open. If you want the cell to blink in this state, select the Flash checkbox.
Type the text to display when the input’s state is 1. For example, if the point represents the state of a relay, you can type close. If you want the cell to blink in this state, select the
Flash checkbox.
You can specify the text and background colors to use while the point is in either state, or when the point’s quality is bad.
You can also use the Font tab to edit the text’s font, style, alignment and size. Note that the same font, style, alignment and size will be used when the data point is in alarm or when its quality is bad.
Using the preview mode, you can transform the grid into a preview of the Annunciator’s display for this readings page. When you enter this mode, all cells configured for real-time display are replaced by simulated values.
To enter the preview mode:
From the grid’s toolbar, click Preview Mode. Value cells display zero values and the Data
Point Simulator window appears.
Note: The Data Point Simulator window will remain open as long as you stay in the
Readings branch of SMP Config’s tree view.
Using the Data Point Simulator, edit the current value of the points that are used in the current page. You should see the corresponding cells changing in the preview pane.
Still using the Data Point Simulator, you can also simulate bad quality for any point in the list, by selecting Error under Quality.
To exit preview mode, click Preview Mode, or select any other branch in SMP config’s tree view.
Finally, you can also attach an “On Click” handler function to a cell. A handler function is an operation that is performed when a cell is pressed on screen, just like it would be clicked using a mouse pointer. For example, you might like to add, to your readings pages, buttons that allow you to control specific binary outputs or to open another readings page. By default, a cell has no handler attached to it.
To add a Change page handler function to a cell:
Select the cell.
Double-click it, and then click the Click tab or click the On Click Properties button on the grid’s toolbar.
Under Page, select which readings page should be displayed when the operator will press the cell. All configured pages should be available for selection, plus the following options:
<First>.
Display the first page of the readings pages list.
<Previous>.
Display the page that appears just above in the readings pages list.
<Next>.
Display the page that appears just below in the readings pages list.
<Last>.
Display the last page of the readings pages list.
When you have made your selection, click OK.
Binary output control requires a bit more configuration work, because you must set up a separate window that will appear when you press the cell. This window contain customizable buttons that allow you to set the output to state 0 and 1, and a Cancel button.
To add a Control Binary Output handler function to a cell:
Select the cell.
Double-click it, and then click the Click tab or click the On Click Properties button on the grid’s toolbar.
Under Select action to perform when user clicks cell, select Control Binary Output.
Under Data Point, select the output point you want to control. You can type the name of the point directly, if you prefer.
Under Window Title, type a title for the window that will appear when the cell will be pressed.
Type the button’s name in the Label edit box.
Specify the text and background colors for the button.
A preview of the button is displayed at the bottom.
Repeat the previous steps, this time under State 1, for the button that will set the output point to the state of 1.
Click Preview, to have an idea of what it will look like on screen.
Once you are finished, click OK.
Note: To have a larger control operation button, you can select multiple cells and add to
these cells the same handler function and background color. Enter text for the center cell and you end up with a button that is more visible and easier to use.