CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

CENTO is a multifunctional software platform for data acquisition, processing and display. This manual describes how to configure the CENTO user tool Control.

It is assumed that the user, having read the "User manual", is already familiar with the basic elements of the CENTO interface.

This manual describes how to configure the Control service, which is used to send control commands to the objects being controlled.

2. CONTROL USING WEB INTERFACE

2.1. Control using the device, tags editor

A user with the appropriate permissions can control the object using the devices, tags, channels editor.

By default, for security reasons, in CENTO software, the Administrator role is not authorized for remote control and control operations, and the Dispatcher role does not have access to the devices, tags, and channels editor. To enable control and remote control using the editor, configure a custom role. For example, duplicate the Dispatcher role and assign it the necessary permissions to access and use the editor.

To control the device, navigate to the Tags, channels tab on the Devices, tags, channels page accessible in the menu: Settings > Devices, tags, channels. In the tree structure, locate the device whose parameters are to be controlled. All the tags with preconfigured control functionality will display either a C button (see Fig. 2.1) or a TC button (see Fig. 2.2) in the Control column.

C is an abbreviation for Control. TC is an abbreviation for Remote control. In CENTO software, Control refers to sending a non-negative integer value to a device, while Remote control refers to sending a discrete signal.

Figure 2.1. Tags with remote control enabled

Figure 2.2. Tags with control and control enabled

Clicking C opens a pop-up window prompting the user to enter a password to access the control function (see Fig. 2.3).

Figure 2.3. Entering password

To proceed, enter the account password. After successful authentication, a modal window appears allowing to specify the value to be written to the device (see Fig. 2.4).

Figure 2.4. Entering value for control

After entering the value in the field, click Send (see Fig. 2.4).

Next, confirm the entered value by clicking Execute to initiate the control command and write the value to the device. Alternatively, click Cancel, to cancel the operation (see Fig. 2.5).

Figure 2.5. Confirmation of the command to write a value

Clicking TC also opens a password prompt window. After successful authentication, a command selection window appears (see Fig. 2.6). As with the Control, a confirmation window follows the selected command.

Figure 2.6. Selecting command for remote control

3. SETTING CONTROL

3.1. Setting using WEB interface

Setting control for tags transmitted via Modbus, OPC DA, or IEC-104 protocols is performed through the Edit parameter interface located under Settings > Devices, tags, channels, in the Tags, channels tab. In this interface, select the target device in the device tree by checking the box next to it. The device should be configured with one of the supported protocols: Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU over TCP, OPC DA, or IEC-104. To open the tag editing interface, click on the tag identifier or tag name in the general tag list.

The interface includes protocol-dependent fields:

- general settings described in the “Setup manual”,

- reading settings as defined in the relevant configuration manuals,

- settings for writing:

• Remote control (discrete signal transmission to the device) for IEC-104 protocol: "Remote control is allowed", "Select before operate (SBO)", "Function", "Command duration", "Switch on address", "Switch on value", "Switch off address", "Switch off value", for Modbus TCP protocol: "Remote control is allowed", "Function", "Value length", "Switch on address", "Switch on value", "Switch off value", "Switch off address", "Write by bitmask";
• Control (transmission of a positive integer to the device) for Modbus TCP protocol: "Record values", "Function", "Data type in device", "Address", "Byte order", conversion elements: "Physical value (lower limit)", "Physical value (upper limit)", "Value to record (lower limit)", "Value to record (upper limit)", for OPC DA protocol: "Record values", "Device Tag Data Type", conversion elements: "Physical value (lower limit)", "Physical value (upper limit)", "Value to record (lower limit)", "Value to record (upper limit)".

1) The remote control function is available for Modbus TCP Modbus RTU over TCP) protocols (see Fig. 3.1.1) and IEC 104 (see Fig. 3.1.2).

The position of the Remote control is allowed switch determines whether record commands can be sent to the device at the specified address.

The position of the Select before operate (SBO) switch defines whether command selection is required prior to executing telecontrol commands.

In the Remote control field, select the appropriate ASDU type for the control command from the drop-down list (see Fig. 3.1.4).

Figure 3.1.1. Setting telecontrol via Modbus protocol

Figure 3.1.2. Setting telecontrol via IEC-104 protocol

The following functions are available for the Modbus protocol:

FC5 (0x05) - recording the value of one flag (Force Single Coil).

FC6 (0x06) - recording the value to Preset Single Register.

FC16 (0x10) - recording multiple registers, used to record a block of contiguous registers (1 to 123 registers) to a remote device (Write Multiple Registers)

The Value lenght field specifies the number of registers to be recorded.

The Switch on address field specifies the address of the register in the device memory where the enable command will be written. The address should be a non-negative integer.

The Switch off address field specifies the register address in the device memory where the disable command will be written. The address should be a non-negative integer.

The Switch on value and Switch off value indicate the value to be written to the register address to execute the disable command. The value can be specified in decimal, binary, octal, or hexadecimal (HEX) format. Decimal is written as a plain number, binary is prefixed with 0b or 0B, represents setting the two least significant bits to 1 and 0, octal is prefixed with 08, HEX is prefixed with 0x or 0X.

The Write by bitmask field specifies the mask in decimal, binary, or HEX format.

2) The Control function is available for Modbus TCP (Modbus RTU over TCP) protocols (see Fig. 3.1.3 ), and OPC DA (see Fig. 3.1.9). 

Figure 3.1.3. Setting  control for Modbus protocol

Figure 3.1.4. Remote control for IEC-104

Settings for writing: Write values, Function, Device Tag Data Type, Address, Byte order; Tranformation elements: Physical value (lower limit), Physical value (upper limit), Record value (lower limit), Record value (upper limit).

The position of the Write values switch determines whether value write commands can be sent to the device at the specified address.

The Function field selects the Modbus recording function from the drop-down list (see Fig. 3.1.5).

Figure 3.1.5. Modbus control function

FC5 (0x05) - recording the value of one flag (Force Single Coil).

FC16 (0x10) - recording multiple registers, used to write a block of contiguous registers (1 to 123 registers) to a remote device (Write multiple registers).

The Address field specifies the address of the tag in the device memory to which the value will be written. The address should be a non-negative integer in decimal format.

The field Byte order from the drop-down list (see Fig. 3.1.6) is used to select different order of bytes and/or words in the written CENTO data.

In the Device Tag Data Type field, select the data type used by the device to store values from the drop-down list (see the device manual for details) (see Fig. 3.1.7).

Fig. 3.1.7. Device Tag Data Type

In the Transformation block, a linear transformation is applied to convert a physical quantity into a value to be recorded, using defined upper and lower limits for both. These limits establish the valid ranges for the physical quantity and its corresponding recorded value, within which data can be filled in (see Fig. 3.1.8).

Figure 3.1.8. Transformation block

In devices using the OPC DA protocol, the control function is easier to configure. In the settings, enable Write values, select the device tag data type, and define the necessary transformations (see Fig. 3.1.9).

Figure 3.1.9. Configuring control for OPCDA protocol

3.2. Setting control using MS Excel