Datalogging and Trending

[JordanCClark]

What ball park costs are we looking at ? This isn't mission critical data, but just for troubleshooting generally for a single application.

That's how it usually starts...

 

[NetNathan]

Depending on tag count, you could do Aveva Wonderware Intouch for under $3,000.

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

We use our own.
The data logger must be able to make trends that can export the data in a common format that is easy to import and analyze with different software packages.
The data must be sample at EVEN or regular intervals so the time between samples is the same. This make doing calculations easier. Failing that, there must be accurate time stamps.
The sample rate must be fast enough to catch spurious events.
It is good to have a "logic analyzer" capability so an event can trigger the data logger and a period time time leading up to and after the event is logged. This is good for catching even'ts that might happen only once every few days.

 

[NetNathan]

Intouch history can be exported to csv or excel in any time frame you want....plus the history logs are sealed and cannot be edited.
When setting up the tags, you specify the amount of change before it is logged down to the decimal, or you can enter zero, which will save on any change. This speed can be in the milliseconds.
Plus... with Intouch you can build windows to view tags because you have a full HMI.

 

[Peter Nachtwey]

How much does tag normally cost. Way back in the 90s I was helping a customer that used Wonderware. He made about 25 machines a year and each one used Wonderware. It seemed expensive, much more than our motion controller. I can see using Something like Wonderware if there aren't many systems per year and programming resources are few. However, for 25 machines a year, it seemed like writing the interface in VB or C# would be better.


We also sell to the FAA. They only have a few systems but at the time they wrote all their HMI and analysis in VB6. This doesn't seem to make sense but I was told how much test and logging system cost to the FAA and believe me, they were saving tax payers dollars. The specialized custom data acquisition systems were very expensive.


BTW, I remember years back the a forum member was involved in the drives for the big FAA test machine.

 

[NetNathan]

I pay $3250 for a 5K tag license. Any tag you create counts...real or memory. There is quit a few $Tags that are included.
I work one site that has 45 Industrial furnaces (for heat treating of aircraft engine parts) and each is running InTouch (5K), plus 3 Master Servers that are running 60K tag versions. add to that.... a Wonderware Historian Server running SQL that is monitoring all the furnaces. The Historian can record at sub second levels, even with all the traffic.