Setup Guide

CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

CENTO is a multifunctional software platform for data collection, processing, and display.
CENTO can be used to build various automated systems, for example: dispatching, control, accounting, diagnostics, etc.
This guide describes the general steps for setting up CENTO software, as well as links to other instructions.

2. DEVICES, TAGS, CHANNELS

Operations for configuring the CENTO software are performed from the drop-down menu "Settings" (see Fig. 2.1) of the control panel at the top of the CENTO graphical interface.


Fig. 2.1 – Settings drop-down menu

2.1. Creating a device tree

Configuration begins with the creation of a tree of devices (sources of information). The device tree is formed based on the convenience of further work with this tree and can reflect either the structure and names of the places where information sources are installed, or (in the case of small projects) combine information sources and production facilities of the enterprise.  This tree is necessary for the subsequent attribution of all sources of information and the information itself to this structure.

To configure the structure, go to the "Devices, tags, channels" page (Settings – Devices, tags, channels) (see Fig. 2.2).

Fig. 2.2 – Devices, Tags, Channels Page

By default, CENTO has a "Root Object" preset. Under the root object, you can specify, for example, the name of a company or a separate object. In order to rename a tree element, you need to hover the mouse pointer over it and right-click, and then select "Edit" (see Fig. 2.3). You can also delete an unnecessary object by clicking on the button 

Fig. 2.3 – Editing an object

Attention! There must be no tethered devices in the power facility for removal.

Adding objects in the structure (name of the system or enterprise) is performed by right-clicking (hereinafter referred to as the "RMB") on:

• Selected object in the tree, in which case the new object will be nested;
• In the empty space of a given tree, in this case, the new object will be an independent object in this structure. 

The sequence and nesting of objects in the tree can be adjusted by dragging objects by holding down the left mouse button (see Fig. 2.4), as well as by using  and selecting the desired object in the tree (see Fig. 2.5).

Fig. 2.4 – Dragging a New Object Inside the Tree

Fig. 2.5 – Dragging a New Object Inside the Tree

To select all objects, click on the button  ,  and it will change its appearance to . To reset the selection of all objects in the tree, click on this button again . To collapse the tree, click on , and  to expand it . To change the width of the tree, you need to hover over the vertical line, and drag right/left while holding down the click and click.

The search input field  allows you to search for information by the name of the tree object, the name of the device, as well as its ID or Code.

Adding and configuring power facilities to CENTO is possible both through the above-described WEB-interface and using Excel files. Loading the CENTO configuration via Excel files is described in Section 3 of this guide.

2.2. Creating devices

You can create new devices (information sources) and edit existing ones on the "Devices, tags, channels" page ("Settings" – "Devices, tags, channels") (see Fig. 2.6).

Fig. 2.6 – Devices page

On this page, you can perform the following operations:

• Creating a device by clicking the button   in the upper right corner of the screen;
• downloading/uploading selected devices to an Excel file by pressing a button  , which allows you to configure devices for scanning without uploading the entire configuration on the page from section 3;
• go to the device editing window by left-clicking on the device name or its ID;
• search for an already configured device by selecting in the object tree and searching for devices in these objects manually or through filters in the headers of the device table, where   it searches by ID or by Code, depending on the user's choice;
• enabling and disabling device polling by switches in the "Status" column;
• viewing the status of the device and polling it according to the configured protocols;
• copying an untagged device  with its tags    and deleting devices   ;
• filter by category;
• filter by formula;
• filter by device.

Clicking on the button will open the   "Create a device" page, where you need to enter the parameters of the new device (see Fig. 2.7).

Fig. 2.7 – Device Creation Page

In order to edit an already configured device, click on its name on the "Devices" page, which will take you to the "Device Editing" page (see Fig. 2.8).

To speed up the creation of a device group, CENTO has the function of copying devices with all their settings by clicking the button   on the "Devices, tags, channels" page (see Fig. 2.6). Next, you need to change the configuration in accordance with the project, also going to the "Edit device" page.

Fig. 2.8 – Device Editing Page

The "Create Device" window ("Edit Device") consists of 2 blocks. The first block "General settings" has the same view for all devices. In the second block, you are asked to select and enter settings for the device polling protocol. For each device, it is possible to poll according to 2 or more protocols, for example, for electricity meters (polling real-time parameters, downloading archives of accumulated interval values of electricity) (see Fig. 2.8).

The "General settings" block contains the following fields:

Device name.

Select a template that corresponds to the selected device from the drop-down list or create a new one using the "+" button.

Identification number of the device in the system (by default, it is set automatically).

IP address of the device.

Serial number (for electricity meters).

The object to which the device belongs.

Stores a note on the device.

Binding the device to the object of the information model.

Allows you to replace the existing device with a new one, saving the metering data (after clicking, an additional window with instructions pops up, see Fig. 2.9).

Fig. 2.9 – Window "Replacement of the metering device"

After filling in the required fields, you should click on the "Save" button.

Then, to apply the changes, you need to click the "Update Configuration" button in the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the page.

Adding devices and configuring protocols to CENTO is possible both through the above-described WEB-interface and using Excel files. Loading the CENTO configuration via Excel files is described in Section 3 of this guide.

The rules and features of setting up devices and protocols are described in separate commissioning manuals.

After you add a new device, it appears in the device tree on the Devices page. The device name in the tree and in the device table may be preceded by one of the following icons ("statuses"), which are described in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1 – Device status decoding

Status Number	Device Status	Decoding
0		Disabled (device polling disabled in CENTO)
1		Normal (the device is connected, tags arrive without errors)
2		Data in the device with errors (some tags come with errors or are not polled)
3		Device is not available (device polling is enabled, but the device is not responding)
4		Tags or channels by device contain data with manual input
9		Status Not Available (Status Not Yet Received or Not Available)

2.3. Set up tags and channels

In CENTO software, information is divided into 2 types: tags and channels.

Tags are data, conditionally, "real-time". That is, data collected from sources of information with the lowest possible delays. The frequency of updating the value of each tag depends on the settings you set, the technical features of the data sources, and their capabilities. For example, in dispatching systems, data is updated once per second, but it can be both more frequent and less frequent (for example, it may depend on how much the value itself has changed).

Channels are data used for metering (electricity, other energy resources, operating time, products, etc.). A feature of metering channels is a clearly defined discreteness of information (for example: 1 minute, 3 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.). The value of the channel is recorded as an increment of a value for a given period, averaging for a given period and a value at the end of the period. In metering systems, information is most often transmitted in this form by the data sources themselves (meters, heat calculators, etc.), but accounting channels can also be formed in CENTO itself based on tag values. The use of information in the form of "channels" in accounting allows you to receive information from data sources even in case of failures in communication channels (data can be obtained from the archive after the connection is restored), it is convenient to work with data, and generate various reports.

Tags and accounting channels are configured on the same page "Devices, tags, channels" ("Settings" - "Devices, tags, channels") on the "Tags, channels" tab (see Fig. 2.10).

Fig. 2.10 – Parameter Description Page

On the "Tags, Channels" tab, when selecting one or more devices, all tags and channels of device data accounting are displayed in a tabular form. In this table, you can perform the following operations for each signal separately:

• Create a tag or channel by clicking   the button in the upper right corner of the screen.
• the button   allows you to export data on selected tags to an excel table, completely repeating columns and rows from "Tags, channels", while this uploaded file serves only for analysis, not configuration;
• The button   allows you to upload/download an Excel file with selected tags, in which you can remove/add tags to specific devices without downloading the entire configuration from the page from section 3 of this manual;
• Go to the tag or channel editing window by clicking the left mouse button on the tag name or its ID;
• viewing the values of tags and channels and going to the graph page of the required parameter by clicking the left mouse button on the value;
• enabling and disabling tag (channel) polling by radio buttons in the "Status" column;
• viewing the status of the tag (channel) and its polling;
• viewing the time of the last update of the tag (channel) survey – the date and time (in the format "yy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss") of the last successful receipt of the tag (channel) value (the value of the tag or channel itself may not have changed);
• copying and deleting tags and channels by clicking buttons   and   respectively.

2.3.1. Adding a protocol tag

To create a separate tag, click on the "Create Tag" button. This will open the "Tag Polling Creation" page (see Figure 2.11).

To display the protocol settings, you must first select the device (data source). After that, a set of protocols configured for the device will appear in the "Protocol" drop-down list (see p.2.2).

Fig. 2.11 – Adding a protocol tag

The "Tag Polling Creation" window consists of 4 blocks. The first block "General settings" contains the settings of the protocol that is configured in the device for which the tag is created. The second block contains the settings of the protocol through which the tag is passed (appears when the protocol is selected). The third block contains functions for processing the value of the tag. In the fourth block, the tag settings are configured, which determine the permissible limits of its change and the system's reaction to violation of these limits.

The "General settings" block contains the following fields:

Parameter name (set by the user).

Selection of the parameter category.

The alphabetic code of the tag, which can be used instead of ID (it is possible to enter numbers, Latin letters and the symbol _ ).

The identity address of the parameter. Default is set automatically, and can be changed.

Units of measurement of the parameter.

The device from which the parameter is read.

Protocol used (the list of protocols is formed from the configured protocols for the selected device).

Affects the appearance of charting on the "Live Data" analysis page, if the tag is analog, then the switch should be like in the picture.

Stores a note on the tag, does not affect the survey.

Appears for tags with a protocol, saves the history of changing values. When the "Save to database" function is disabled, tag data is not transferred to the backup server and is not transmitted via the S2S protocol. 

Depending on the selected device, the protocol specified when creating the device will be automatically selected in the "Protocol" field.

The rules, description, and specifics of setting up tags in terms of protocols are described in separate setup manuals.

The "Processing" block contains the following fields:

The formula for mathematical processing of the parameter (according to a predetermined formula or the user's formula). Clicking on the "+" opens the window for creating a new formula, which then appears in the list of templates.

A field for entering a custom formula, not from the list of templates.

Button to open help with formulas.

The "Setpoints" block contains settings for the following limits:

• upper physical limit
• a lower physical limit
• upper emergency limit
• lower emergency limit
• upper warning limit
• Lower warning limit.

Each of the above limits has the following settings:

Enabling/disabling value control.

Limit value in units specified by the tag.

Exposure time in milliseconds before the setpoint is triggered.

Enabling/disabling the acknowledgment of the event that occurs when the setpoint is triggered.

To save the tag settings, click the button 

Then, to apply the changes, you need to click the "Update Configuration" button in the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the page.

Adding tags to CENTO is possible both through the above-described web interface and using Excel files. Loading the CENTO configuration via Excel files is described in Section 3 of this guide.

The rules and specifics for setting up tags for different protocols and devices are described in separate configuration guides.

2.3.2. Add a calculation tag

If you select the "No log" item in the "Tag Polling Description" window (see Fig. 2.11) in the "Log" field, a calculated tag will be created, the value of which can be formed based on the transformation of other tags.

The value of the calculated tag is determined by the formula entered in the "Value Processing Formula" field (see Fig. 2.11) or by the Custom Formula (see Fig. 2.12). Examples of formulas are given under the Value Processing Formula field. The available features are also listed in Table 2.1 of this manual.

For calculation tags, setpoints can be configured in the same way as tags with protocols.

After filling in the required fields, you should save the changes by clicking the button  . Then, to apply the changes, you need to click the "Update Configuration" button in the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the page.

Adding calculation tags to CENTO, as well as other configuration elements, is possible through the above-described web interface and using Excel files. Loading the CENTO configuration via Excel files is described in Section 3 of this guide.

2.3.3. Setting up calculation formulas

For calculated tags (see section 2.3.2), different processing formulas are used. If you use the same type of formulas for a number of tags, you should make a description of these formulas so that you can use them to process any required tag.

You can add new formulas and adjust existing formulas on the Tag Polling Description page (Settings – Devices, Tags, Channels, Tags, Channels tab).

Fig. 2.12 – Editing Formula Templates

To adjust the existing formula, you should:

• click on the "Template" field to open the list of available formula templates and use the mouse wheel to find the desired formula (see Fig. 2.12)
• hover over it until the "edit" and "delete" symbols appear 
• if the template needs to be deleted, click on the "Delete" icon
• if the template needs to be corrected, click on the "Edit" icon
• The Edit Formula window opens (see Figure 2.13), where you can change the name of the formula in the Name field, and you can change the formula itself in the Formula field. There is also a hint with examples in the window
• To save the changes, click the button   

Fig. 2.13– Edit Formulas Page

To add a new formula, on the Tag Polling Description page, click the button   

Fig. 2.14– Formula Creation Page

On the "Formula Creation" page that opens (see Fig. 2.14), you need to enter the name of the new formula and the formula itself in the "Formula" field.

In the expression of the formula, arithmetic operations, conditions, calls of mathematical and special functions, etc., are allowed.

The functions used in the formulas are described in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2 – Functions used in formulas.

Permissible variable designations in formulas are given in Table 2.3.

Table 2.3 – Designation of variables in formulas.

2.3.4. Configuring calculation channels

CENTO has the ability to create calculated accounting channels. A calculated channel can be created either based on the values of other channels or on the basis of tag values. In order to create a calculation channel, you need to go to the link "Settings" - "Devices, tags, channels" - "Calculation channels" (see Fig. 2.15).

Fig.2.15 – List of calculation channels

On the "Billing channels" tab, when you select one or more devices, all billing channels for metering these devices are displayed in a tabular form. In this table, you can perform the following operations for each parameter separately:

• Create a channel by pressing a button   and   in the upper right corner of the screen.
• Go to the channel editing window by left-clicking on the tag name or tag ID.
• View channel values and go to the graph page of the required parameter by clicking the left mouse button on the value.
• enabling and disabling channel polling by switches in the "Status" column.
• viewing the status of the settlement channel.
• viewing the time of the last update of the tag (channel) poll – the date and time (in the format "yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss") of the last successful receipt of the tag (channel) value (the tag or channel value itself may not have changed).
• copying and deleting channels by pressing buttons   and   respectively
• preliminary check of the formula  
• filter by category
• filter by formula
• filter by device.

More detailed use of calculation channels is described in the "Guide to setting up accounting channels".

3. CONFIGURING CENTO VIA EXCEL

The CENTO software provides the ability to configure the system via Excel files. The interface of this functionality is located on the Downloading/Uploading Configuration Files page (Menu item "Settings" – "Configuration Files"). (see Fig. 3.1).

Fig. 3.1– Download/Upload Configuration Files Page

With the help of Excel files, you can configure:

1. Devices (also device tree and device types);
2. Tags and channels;
3. Events;
4. Information model (classes, elements, reference books);
5. Telecontrol Lock Conditions;
6. Accounting Channels.
7. Tabular data directories.
8. Alarm event recorders.

A .xlsx file with strictly defined tabs and columns is uploaded from this page with a single button. File correction is possible both through Excel and through other programs that work with the .xlsx table format, for example, LibreOffice. With another button, these files are uploaded to the server. After downloading, you need to apply the changes made by clicking the "Update configuration" button in the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of the page, as in Fig.3.2.

Fig. 3.2– Update Configuration Button

In addition to the web interface, power facilities and device types can be edited through the "Devices" table. On the first tab "List of objects" there is a table as in Figure 3.3

Fig. 3.3 – Table "List of objects"

The Object ID column contains unique numbers of the enterprise's power facilities. Their names are displayed in the "Object name" column. The "Parent Object ID" column determines where the power object will be located in the object tree, and if the cell is empty, then the object will lie at the root of the tree. Thus, the table shown in Figure 3.3 corresponds to the tree shown in Figure 3.4.

Fig. 3.4 – Tree of power facilities

The "Sorting" field determines where objects belonging to the same "parent" will be located relative to each other.

Adding new power facilities is carried out taking into account the ID of existing objects in the table. Object IDs must not be repeated.

The Device Types tab displays the device types available on the server (see Figure 3.5).

Fig. 3.5 – Table "Device Types"

The ID column of the device type displays the unique number of the device type, and the name column displays its name. To add new types, you must follow the numbering.

Editing other tabs in the Devices table and the Tags and Channels file is described in the setup guides for specific protocols and device types.

Setting up Events files is described in the Event System Configuration Guide.

The "Information Model Classes", "Information Model Elements" and "Information Model References" files are configured according to the "Information Model Setup Guide".

The rules for filling in the file "Telecontrol lock conditions" can be found in the "Remote Control Lock Settings Guide".

Working with accounting channels is described in the "Guide to setting up accounting channels".

The "Logger Settings" file is configured according to the "Alarm Event Recorder Configuration Guide".

"Tabular data references" are used in the mode calculation module, so their settings are specified in the "Mode Calculation Module Setup and Operation Manual".

4. EVENTS

"Events" in CENTO are designed to increase the observability of the system by tracking changes in the state of process equipment, recording changes in the event log and alerting users.

Events help personnel to respond in a timely manner to changes in the technological process and system operation.

• Event settings are located in the "Event Editor" menu item (see Fig. 4.1). Events that are configured on this page are included in the archive log of technological events, as well as in the operational log. For a more detailed description of the Event Editor page and how to configure technology events, see the Event System Setup Guide.

Fig. 4.1 – Event Menu

• In the CENTO software, it is possible to notify users about the occurrence of events by e-mail in the "Notifications" menu item, the description and configuration of this functionality are described in the "Event System Configuration Guide".
• In the "Sound Editor" menu, it is possible to upload files for sound notification of the occurrence of an event, the setting is also indicated in the "Event System Setup Guide".

5. MNEMONICS

Fig. 5.1 – Mnemonics

All mnemonic diagrams are developed in the built-in editor, which is located in the menu item "Mnemonics Diagrams" ("Settings" - "Mimic Diagrams" (see Fig. 5.1)). Available for viewing by the User are located in the tree of active mnemonic diagrams by clicking on the main menu of the CENTO software under the item  

Mimic diagrams display data from the polled devices, their tags and channels, in various forms of display (graphs, tables, reference information, animations of graphic elements, etc.).

More detailed use of mnemonic diagrams, their creation and configuration are described in the "Guide to the development of mnemonic diagrams".

6. INFORMATION MODEL

An information model is a tool for describing the object of automation (physical objects, equipment, processes, etc.).  The information model allows you to reflect the structure and consolidate information on each created object in the form of attributes (measurements, reference values, regulatory documentation, etc.). The information model is widely used in CENTO: to simplify the configuration of large systems, to implement various functions, to differentiate rights by objects.

The IM can be configured in the web editor "Information Model Editor" (see Fig. 6.1).

Fig. 6.1 – Information Model Editor Page

With the help of this editor, directories, classes, and objects of the Information Model are created.

For a detailed description of how to set up an information model, see the Information Model Setup Guide.

7. SYSTEM SETTINGS

Fig.7.1 – Menu "System"

The CENTO software administrator has access to settings from the "System" menu item, as shown in Figure 7.1.

1. Menu Editor – allows you to configure the CENTO main menu (see the "Administration Guide. Menu Editing").
2. User rights - configure access to various sections and interfaces of CENTO (see "Guide to setting up access rights").
3. System information – contains information about active modules, the number of tags/channels used, as well as the services installed on the server.
4. Mail servers are used to receive and send information through mail servers (event-based notifications, xml layouts). Fig.7.2 shows an example of configured outgoing and incoming mail servers.

Fig.7.2 – Setting up mail servers

To create a server, click  in the upper right part of the interface. After that, a page for creating a mail server will open, see Fig.7.3.

Fig.7.3 – Creating a mail server

• "Name" - the name of the mail server is written
• "Status" - enable/disable 
• "Protocol" - if you select SMTP, an outgoing mail server will be created, and for POP3 and IMAP protocols, an incoming mail server will be created
• "Sender's address" - the sender's e-mail address
• "Server" - the address of the server
• "Port" - connection port
• "User Name" means the user's name
• "Password" - the password of the mail
• "Use SSl/TLS" - enable/disable communication encryption
• "Use authentication" - depends on the settings of the mail server, enabled if the type of authorization with authentication is configured.

5. System Settings – allows you to configure:

• depth of storage of tag values/flexible reports/system log/technological log (see Fig. 7.4), after the expiration of the depth period, the data will be deleted from the database:

Fig.7.4 – Setting the storage depth

• change the language of the system (see Fig.7.5) After changing the language, the language in the CENTO interfaces will be changed (except for the information entered by the user himself when configuring the system, for example: names of devices, tags, symbols on mnemonic circuits, etc.)

Fig.7.5 – Selection of the system language

• server redundancy and backup of configuration/live data of tags and accounting channels/logs/reports (see "Backup Guide");
• To change the row height for all tables in the CENTO interfaces, see Figure 7.6:

Fig.7.6 – Adjusting rows in interface tables

• Changing the start page of the system.

To apply the changes, you need to refresh the browser page.

8. TRANSFER KITS

A number of methods are provided for the transfer of information (tags, channels) from CENTO to third-party systems:

• Transmission via IEC-60870-5-104 protocol (tags);
• Transmission via MODBUS TCP (tags);
• Transfer to third-party MS SQL or MySQL databases (channels);
• Transmission of electricity metering data in the form of XML files (channels);
• Transmission via the OPC UA protocol (tags, channels);
• Transfer via API (tags, channels, device trees, objects, information model attributes, etc.)

Data transfer via the OPC UA protocol and API does not require additional settings and is available after the installation of the appropriate modules in the system.

Data transfer by other methods is carried out through the so-called Transmission Sets. Setting up Sets for transfer is located in the "Set Editor" (see Fig. 9.1) and the procedure for working with this interface is described in more detail in the "Guide to setting up sets for transmission".

Fig.9.1 – Set Editor

9. LIGHTING CONTROL

Fig.10.1 – Lighting control

The "Lighting Control" page (see Fig. 10.1) ("Settings" - "Lighting Control") is used to enable/disable lighting objects from the "Lighting Control Module" schedule. The operation of this module is described in the "Lighting Control Module Setup Guide".

10. TOOLING