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  • Excel Monitoring and Logging
  (c) Automation Consultancy Limited, 2021

Excel Monitoring and Logging

 
 
Overview
Once installed PlcExcel adds two Add-ins and two worksheets to excel.
 
This guide is best consumed in conjunction with the Excel Monitoring Configuration file. This section is just a bird’s eye view of the configuration. Details are provided in subsequent sections.
 
 
1.     Plc Add-in: The add-in enables Plc tags monitoring and logging.
2.     Sql Add-in: This add-in enables data retrieval from the database where data had been logged by PlcExcel.
3.     Plc Worksheet: This is where the monitored tags are displayed.
4.     Sql Worksheet: This where the logged data is displayed according to date time filer and custom query.
 
Plc Add-in setup
This Add-in monitors and logs the configured tags in the Plc-Excel-Monitoring-Config.
 
1.     Plc Add-in: Once this Add-in is selected the PlcExcel operations configuration are shows as above.
2.     Monitor Plc Tags: When this is checked the configured tags with their live values will be read from their associated Plc. Tags can also be written to.
3.     Log to Local Db: When this is checked the configured tags are logged to the local database installed in the same PC where PlcExcel has been installed.
4.     Log to Remote Db: When checked the configured tags are logged to a configured remote database. Logging can only occur in either the local of remote database (not both)
5.     START: When clicked scanning of the network commences to search for the configured PLCs to read and write to the configured tags.
6.     Plc Configuration: This is read only and displays the configured PLCs in the Excel-Monitoring-Config file.
7.     Remote Database: This is read only and displays the remote configured database connection string.
8.     Status: This indicates the monitoring of tags status and displays any errors.
9.     Licence Button: When clicked this will activate or deactivates the purchased license.
 
Plc Add-in Tags Processing:
Full License
When a full license has been activated or a license dongle is plugged in There is no limit on the tags to be monitored and/or logged
 
1.     License: License activation button. When the license is activated the button, caption indicates “Pro License”.
2.     Monitor Plc Tags: This is checked to display the configured tags and read their values from the PLC.
3.     Log to Local: This checked to log the displayed and configured tags to the locally installed database.
4.     START button: The colour is now green to indicate the tags are being monitored and or logged (running) also the caption “STOP” indicates if the button is clicked monitoring will stop.
5.     Status: shows that monitoring and logging are in progress.
6.     Plc Worksheet: The tags and their values are monitored. The tags details are displayed. The “Write Value” column is used to inject or write to the PLC.
 
No License
PlcExcel can be used without a license but the number of tags is limited.
 
1.      License: No license has been activated and no license dongle is plugged in.
2.     Monitored Tags: only a limited number or tags are monitored and can be logged and written to.
3.     Configured Tags: This shows tags that have been configured but not being monitored and cannot be logged or  written to.
 
Sql Add-in setup
This Add-in retrieves logged data from the database according to date time filter and a query.
1.     Sql Add-in: Once this Add-in is selected the PlcExcel query configuration are shows as above.
2.     Fetch Data: When clicked the query is executed to fetch data from the database.
3.     From to date: This is a date time filter to home in the data of interest. It relies on the “InsertedDateUtc” field. Please note the “#” between the ‘From date’ and the ‘To Date’. Time filtering can also be used “yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm#yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm” The ‘#’ is how the system knows when the ‘From date’ ends and the ‘To date’ commences.
4.     Sql Query: The query to execute when the Fetch data button is clicked.
5.     Connection string: This is normally set to the last database where data was logged and may not need to be changed.
6.     Status: Query processing status and errors indication.
 
Full License
When a full license has been activated or a license dongle is plugged in There is no limit on the tags to be displayed.
 
 
1.     Fetch Data: When clicked the data is retrieved from the database.
2.     Status: displays how many records have been retrieved from the database.
3.     Data: Displays all the data records.
 
No License
PlcExcel can be used without a license but the number of tags displayed is limited.
 
 
1.     Fetch Data: When clicked the data is retrieved from the database.
2.     Status: displays how many records have been retrieved from the database.
3.     Data: Displays only a limited number of records and can be less than the retrieved records from the database.