HMI/SCADA: Vijeo Citect software supports redundancy, multi-core processors

New supervision software from Citect and Schneider Electric Telemechanique

By Control Engineering Staff June 14, 2007

Palatine, IL— New supervision software developed in collaboration with Citect Pty Ltd., a Schneider Electric company, lets Schneider Electric provide its customers with automation solutions that are completely integrated. Vijeo Citect software can handle advanced functions specific to Telemecanique programmable controllers, as well as development for multiple central processing units (CPUs) or hyper-threaded machines. According to Donna Smalls, HMI/SCADA product manager, Schneider Electric North America, “the unification of Vijeo Citect software in architectures preferred by Schneider Electric guarantees customers high productivity at all stages of system life, from development to maintenance.”
“Vijeo Citect software is a scalable, flexible and reliable solution for industrial automation monitoring and control,” said Smalls. “Its introduction allows Schneider Electric customers to take advantage of solutions that are completely coherent with our entire automation offer, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), HMIs and more.”
Vijeo Citect software meets the requirements of stand-alone control stations as well as redundant supervision systems. It provides redundancy through its task-based architecture and its DCS (distributed control system) type redundancy. The redundancy features are integrated and easy to configure, said Smalls, with the LAN redundancy requiring no setup, and task redundancy setup configured in a few seconds using a simple wizard. “With its native redundancy function, Vijeo Citect HMI/SCADA software is the ideal partner for Modicon [brand]‘hot standby’ programmable controllers,” Smalls added.
When developing for multiple central processing units (CPUs) or hyper-threaded machines, Vijeo Citect software automatically creates separate components across multiple CPUs at start up, resulting in improved performance and stability, said
The software handles advanced functions specific to Telemecanique programmable controllers through its automatic installation of OFS, Schneider Electric’s OPC Factory Server. It also provides Unity FastLinx for the dynamic management of Unity Pro software links, and synchronization of Vijeo Citect and Unity Pro databases. HMI configuration software
The Telemecanique brand Vijeo Designer V4.5 HMI configuration software lets Magelis users exchange data with reliable traceability and provides more communication design options. Its open architecture adapts to all Magelis XBT-GT touchscreen platforms, as well as Magelis Smart and Compact iPCs, managing design from 3.8-inch terminals to 15-inch HMIs. It also provides multimedia functions, allowing users to view real-time or recorded video. The software allows simultaneous viewing of recorded and real-time sequences, and optimizes the display for local or remote control of installations whether using a Magelis XBT-GT or iPC terminal.
“Vijeo Designer V4.5 software features a Web Gate remote access function, offering users the flexibility to manage their HMI applications in complete security via a simple Internet navigator using Ethernet architecture,” said Smalls. “Users easily can exchange up to 300 variables between eight Magelis XBT-GT touch screens and iPC terminals in complete security using an Ethernet connection. The software now also can be used with the protocols Modbus Plus TCP/IP and Uni-Telway, providing even more communication options.”
—Edited by Renee Robbins, Control Engineering
Renee.robbins@reedbusiness.com