Integrated user management
WinCC User Administrator allows you to assign and control user access rights for configuration and runtime software. As an administrator, you can create up to 128 user groups, each with 128 users at any time, even while running, and assign them corresponding access rights to WinCC functions. In all, up to 999 different authorizations are possible.
All operator stations are included in user management, including the WebNavigator and DataMonitor clients. Thanks to the also integrated SIMATIC Logon functionality, you get centralized user management, covering the entire plant and integrated with Windows user management.
SIMATIC Logon: central user management throughout the plant
SIMATIC Logon offers a large number of security mechanisms both on the administrator side and on the user side. The user is uniquely identified by an identifier called User ID, the user name and his password. Functions such as password aging, automatic logout after a predefined time as well as access denial after multiple entries of an incorrect password guarantee maximum security. In addition, the administrator can create or delete online users for the entire installation and regardless of the application.
In the SIMATIC WinCC environment, SIMATIC Logon can be implemented in a variety of structures, such as a single-user or client-server configuration. SIMATIC Logon ensures high availability thanks to primary / secondary domain controllers and local management of Windows users.
Graphics system
The WinCC graphics system processes all currently running inputs and outputs on the screen. The pictures that you use for visualizing and operating your plant are created using WinCC Graphics Designer.
For simple control and supervisory applications as well as for complex control tasks: WinCC standard products allow the creation of user interfaces tailored to each application in order to ensure safe driving and optimization of the entire system. production. Thanks to centralized design settings and color palettes, custom menus and toolbars, it is possible to personalize each project through centralized design settings and color palettes, as well as menus and toolbars personalized. Vista Design includes shadows, transparency, themes and appearances to achieve special effects.
Benefits
■ Central management of all plant users with SIMATIC Logon, integrated into Windows user administration
■ High security thanks to planned measures on the administrator and user side
■ Different connection procedures possible:
keyboard, smart card reading
■ Can be used in different configurations (single workstation, client / server systems up to high availability solutions)
Every use of the plant, the archive and WinCC can be protected against unauthorized access. WinCC can save any tag operation with date, time, user name and a comparison between the old and the new value. The “hover” effects provide additional assistance: when hovering over objects, those that can be used are highlighted. In addition, you can use the WinCC / Audit option for applications in the pharmaceutical industry that must be validated according to 21 CFR Part 11.
The system offers a variety of elements for an attractive and process-compliant interface, from custom graphics objects, menus, toolbars, buttons and commands to centrally-editable, personalized faceplates.
The designer dynamically controls the appearance of the graphic parts and can access the values of variables for this purpose or take them directly from programs. WinCC supports the display of images with a size of up to 10,000 x 10,000 pixels, the resolution being adjusted at any time to the required screen resolution. Thus, your investment is sustainable whatever the future extensions of your installation.
The various graphic content representation functions such as pan, zoom, declutter mode, depending on the zoom factor, complete the graphic functionality and give driving and supervision a whole new dimension.
Message system
Minimize downtime with alarms and messages
SIMATIC WinCC detects process messages and local events, stores them in archives and makes them available filtered or sorted if necessary. Messages can be derived from the individual bits of a process variable (max. 32), originate directly from the automation system following a time-stamped signal telegram at the source, or result from analog interrupts in the event of a any number of exceedances of a limit value or be caused by manipulation (-> operator message). You can configure each message to force the operator to acknowledge it.
It is now possible to compare variables with a defined value. This makes it easy to set hysteresis and monitor ranges.
Free definition of message structure
Since the message structure can be freely defined, it adapts to the specific requirements of your installation. The division into a maximum of 10 different text blocks. (installation marker, fault location, text, etc.) provides greater visibility and enables targeted analyzes to be triggered in combination with the filtering or sorting function. The differentiation into up to 16 message classes allows both the simple creation of fault and status messages as well as the separate processing of alarms, warnings, faults and errors for several parts of the installation. It is also possible to differentiate up to 16 priorities within a message class (eg alarm).
User-friendly message display
Messages are displayed on the screen using the configurable tool WinCC Alarm Control. The display of information in a message can, for example, be adapted there exactly to the needs of the operators. The settings made can be saved in user-specific or global templates.
Using the contents of the individual message blocks, the display can be filtered, selected and sorted, eg. in chronological order, by priority or place of fault. The contents can then be exported directly as a CSV file or printed as a report. A customizable toolbar function also provides maximum flexibility, so you can integrate project-specific custom functions into the toolbar.
In order to maintain visibility in the presence of many messages, the user can hide unimportant status messages using the Alarm Hiding function. In this case, the messages are archived in the background.
Message archiving and logging
Microsoft SQL Server is used for message archiving. This guarantees flawless recording of all events. Messages are archived during alarm events, eg. when the message appears and if the message status changes.
In the logbook, messages can be documented in chronological order (selectively). All changes of state (arrived, gone, acknowledged) of the messages then pending are sent to a printer. In the message archive log, it is possible to create views defined on the archived messages.
Statistical evaluations
A large number of integrated statistical functions allow an extensive analysis of process states. The hit list indicates the average and total duration of message presence (signaling duration) and similarly the average and total acknowledgment time. Of course, here it is possible to filter by event, signaling location and time interval. You can quickly see where the critical places and bottlenecks are in production. In order to sort the messages displayed in the view for analysis, all you have to do is select the column header and the desired sorting criterion (eg decreasing frequency).
Archiving system
High-performance archiving for messages and measured values
Historical values or changes in values are saved in the process value archive. In addition to process values, WinCC also archives messages and user data. Archiving is carried out in archives of the Microsoft SQL Server database with high performance: up to 10,000 measurement values and 100 messages per second under continuous load (for an avalanche of messages, up to 15,000 messages within 10 seconds) are no problem for a central archive server. The required memory capacity is very low due to the high performance lossless compression functions. Process values can be consolidated (e.g. average value generation) cyclically (continuously), event-dependent or process-dependent (e.g. exceeding a limit value), or even archived via a integral function.
Tailored archive size and segmentation
The recording of measured values or messages takes place in an archive of configurable size. In practice, the maximum archiving time can be defined eg. over a month or a year, or depending on a maximum data volume. Each archive can be segmented. The individual closed archives can be transferred to the long-term archive server and read out at any time from WinCC and analyzed with the integrated means. The transfer of these archives ensures that no data is lost even during long-term archiving.
You can configure 512 archive tags in the WinCC basic system. These can be extended up to 120,000 variables by PowerPacks. The Tag Logging Editor allows you to customize the acquisition of your process values.
Representation of measured values
The measured values are displayed using WinCC Online Table Control and Online Trend Control, which represent the data in the form of tables or trends. In addition, WinCC Trend Ruler Control offers the possibility of representing the integrated statistical functions independent of the trend display. For the representation you can choose from the following possibilities
• Line curve, archive curves, F (x) curves
• Setpoint curves
• Different writing directions, representation of surfaces and limit values, interpolation, stepped curves, stepped curves, tables.
• Play line, zoom, scale switch, start / stop, scroll
The thickness of the curve lines can be configured to improve representation and analysis. By pressing the right mouse button when the pointer is located above a curve, a tooltip displays detailed information on the measuring point: archive, archive tag, date / time, value and also connection status.
The operator can not only change the online representation, but also store the changes in the configuration data and parameterize an online trend representation for any process variable.
Current values (online curves), historical process values and setpoint curves can be displayed in the same trend view. In addition, it is possible to scale the time axis and the range of values (eg percentage normalization). The time and value axes of each curve can be moved online using the mouse. This function can, for example, be used for batch comparisons.
In order to increase visibility, you can choose to display eg only the Y axis of the selected curve, to the left and / or to the right of the curve display. Curve selection can be defined by configuration or directly online using the Trend Control buttons. The settings made can be saved in user-specific or global templates.
The customizable toolbar function allows project-specific functions to be integrated into the toolbar, which provides maximum flexibility.
The process values and statistical data displayed in the trend view can be exported using a button to a CSV file and analyzed with standard tools.
Statistical evaluations of measured values
Numerous integrated statistical functions allow extensive analysis of process states. These functions can be placed anywhere in WinCC Trend Ruler Control.
For recorded process values, it is possible to define and display a minimum, a maximum, an average, a standard deviation and the integral for a time interval to be defined.
To simplify data analysis, it is also possible to insert a second reading line. A logarithmic representation of the curve profiles and an export of the displayed values in Excel format are also possible.
Logging system
WinCC has an integrated logging system for converting data from WinCC or other applications to paper. This system prints the data recorded during execution, the layout being to be configured. There are different types of logs: the live log, the system message log, user reports, etc. These reports can also be stored as a file and displayed on the screen via a preview. Obviously, these logs can be configured in several languages.
Customizable layout
Reporting can be triggered by clock, event or operator command. The printer can be selected online through a dedicated dialog box. The contents of a log can be dynamically defined during execution.
Open and integrable
WinCC logs can contain database data and external data in CSV format in the form of tables or trends. For tabular or graphical display of data from other applications, you can also develop your own report providers.
Basic Process Control functions
The basic system of WinCC also contains functions which enhance a WinCC station for control-and-control applications with minimal engineering work. Additional objects and configuration tools (e.g. Picture Tree Manager) from Basic Process Control make it easy to meet typical process control requirements:
• Grouped signals
• Fixed screen cutout
• Hierarchy of views, navigation in views
• Monitoring of signs of life
• Control of external warning devices (eg horn)
• Time-of-day synchronization via PROFIBUS or Ethernet
