SOFTWARE TOOLS
4-3 DIAGNOSTIC DATA DISPLAY (DIAGC)
The Diagnostic Data Display (DIAGC) is a view-only program used for troubleshooting and/or statistical data gathering purposes. It permits I/O card data not defined in the control signal database (CDB) to be viewed. Not all data is defined in the CDB because data must be processed or scaled before it can be used by the Turbine Control programs or it is data created by the operating or communication systems of the I/O cards for troubleshooting purposes.
4-3.1. Executing DIAGC
The DIAGC can be executed from a menu pick on the Main Menu or from the DOS prompt using the command: DIAGC.
DIAGC is located within the <I> product code in the G:\EXEC subdirectory.
When first executed, the DIAGC program displays the following message reminding the user that only qualified individuals should access the software:
"DIAGC "is a diagnostic tool for firmware designers and field personnel only. Its purpose is to assist firmware
designers in the performance evaluation of the EPROM based programming and to assist field personnel in problem diagnosis. While the program is a "display only" program that poses no threat to the operation of the turbine control, it does not provide Turbine Operation information and should be run by authorized personnel only.
4-3.2. Menus
The DIAGC is organized in two menu levels. The Main Menu level displays a list of cards from which to select. This menu varies for different applications depending on which cards are in the system and which cards have a diagnostic data interface information coded in PROM. Not all cards in a given system may appear here, some I/O cards (such as the TCDA) perform very little data preprocessing.
The Main Menu shows the amount of free memory available in the upper right corner of the display (see Figure 4-21). The amount of free memory does not matter unless it falls below the minimum required to run DIAGC. This could be due to other applications still resident in memory. If there is insufficient free memory the program refuses to enter displays, an error message is displayed, and the user is exited to the DOS prompt or the original program.
The Main Menu shows the list of cards that are predefined as active cards for this display. Some of these cards have PROM revisions defined in the title such as TCQAG1A (F1AEA v5.1) Diagnostics. If this list shows an incorrect revision of PROM to that identified by the PROM labels, contact the factory for a new data file. PROM revision information is displayed in the Main Menu. Cards are defined in this list by the lowest common revision for which the display works. The display is only correctly defined for the DS200TCQAG1A board with PROM firmware labelled DS200TCQAF1AEA (see Figure 4-22). This means version 5.1 of the TCQA firmware. Another of the menu picks may be for Drive Control Card (DCC) diagnostics. This means that the display is correct for all revisions of the DS200DCCx board and associated firmware.
4-3.2.1. SUB-MENUS. Selecting a card from the menu produces a second level menu or Submenu. Submenus show the individual data displays available for that particular card (see Figure 4-22). Available displays at this level are predefined by the structure of the data that the card has been preprogrammed to send back to the <I>. Therefore, they vary considerably from card to card.
There are two types of Submenu picks:
• I/O data read in by the data acquisition portion of the I/O card software such as the LVDT data for the TCQA board. • performance information gathering software for advanced troubleshooting use only, such as the LCC ARCNET counter
display. Consult Product Service Engineering for details. GE Industrial Control Systems
Product Service Engineering, Rm. 191 1501 Roanoke Blvd.
Salem, VA 24153-6592 USA (540) 387-7595
4-3.2.2. POSITIONING TARGETS. Some positioning targets are standard throughout the <I> operating system. Standard targets used by DIAGC are as follows:
ALARM DISPLAY moves to the <I> alarm display.
EXIT moves out of DIAGC to where the program was initiated such as Main Menu or the DOS prompt. MORE OPTIONS shows additional targets to select.
MAIN DISPLAY shows list of cards to select.
PRINT IMAGE captures a snapshot of the screen and sends it to the printer spooler. SAVE IMAGE stores a copy of the display to the disk.
The following targets are defined specifically for DIAGC: MENU ↑ returns to the Main Menu.
NEXT sequences through Submenu displays.
NEXT PRCESSR selects the next processor such as <R>, <S>, or <T>. SUBMENU ↑ returns to the Submenu of the selected card.
SUBMENU ↓ retrieves Submenu of selected card. VIEW ↓ shows next Submenu data.
At the lower end of the screen is the standard alarm window. Alarms can be silenced by clicking anywhere in the blue area and can be acknowledged by clicking on the alarm status target.
4-3.2.3. SELECTING A DISPLAY. Selecting a particular display causes the <I> to establish a communication link to the card in question and ask for the PROM previously defined data associated with this display. The top right of a display shows the processor that is currently communicating with <I> (in Figure 4-23, it is the <R> processor). The next line shows the number of replies received from the processor. This number increments approximately once per-second as the replies come back from the linked processor or card. This counter returns to zero when 256 replies have been received. If the communication link is not established or the I/O card or communication link fails, the Reply received section turns red to indicate that the data is either stale or invalid. The Reply received section also turns red if the data received is invalid. Contact GEDS Product Service Engineering for assistance.
The Data shown must be understood before it is assumed valid or invalid. For example, not all power supplies are used in all applications and the P125V and N125V measures these points to ground. In Figure 4-24, not all milliamp inputs are used. Proper interpretation of DIAGC data requires comprehensive system knowledge.