Applies To:
  • CitectSCADA 1.00 1.01 1.10 1.11 1.20
Summary:
Converting Citect for DOS databases can be confusing, and there are many places where the conversion process will not work if certain things have not been done.

It is highly recommended that you have had experience with both Citect for DOS and Citect for Windows packages to perform these upgrades. If you are not familiar with Citect for DOS then at least look in the Citect for DOS configuration and compare the datafiles and their associated fields with the corresponding database files within the Citect for Windows system. The are numerous areas to look out for in particular fields that are either truncated or not converted at all.

 

Solution:
Using the sequence below should minimize the problems with conversion.
  1. DOS directory structure:
    \CITECT\CONF\A_DB (We will assume database A is being converted)
    \CITECT\CONF\B_DB
    \CITECT\RUN
  2. Make a directory \CITECT\CITEXT.
  3. Run CITEXT and convert all of Citect database A to .DBF files. These files will be placed in the \CITECT\CITEXT directory.
  4. Copy the Conversion Program CONVERT.EXE into this directory.
  5. Make a directory \CITEXT\NEW.
  6. Run CONVERT.EXE -b ..\CITEXT NEW. This will upgrade the Citect configuration files to Citect for Windows ver 1.2 and place them in the \CITEXT\NEW directory.
  7. Delete *.* from the CITEXT directory.
  8. Copy A:SBLTOSYM and A:PICTOBMP and \CITECT\RUN\CITECT.DEV to the CITEXT directory.
  9. Copy \CITECT\CONF\A_DB\*.* to \CITECT\CITEXT.
  10. Run PICTOBMP *.PIC.
  11. Run SBLTOSYM *.SBL.
  12. Copy *.SYM and *.BMP and *.AN and *.TRN and *.BAR and *.DIR to \CITEXT\NEW.
  13. Delete *.* from the CITEXT directory.
  14. Install Citect for Windows ver 1.2.
  15. Create a new database.
  16. Copy \CITECT\CITEXT\NEW\*.* to the new database directory.
  17. Pack the database.
  18. Compile the database and fix errors which occur.

Traps for Young Players:

  1. Protocol names might have changed (address formats should not).
  2. If the DOS system communicated through the DSI board then new communications will have to be setup.
  3. Scaling values required a "0" before a decimal point. (i.e. .5 to 1.5 will give a compilation error on the .5).
  4. All digital addresses will be referenced directly by unit name and address rather than having Tags assigned to them in the variables database. (This will work as it is but is not a NICE solution.)
  5. Trend and Bar definitions will probably have to be redone.
  6. It is advisable to redo the Trend page configuration from scratch.
  7. Bar Symbols will need to be redone from scratch.
  8. Runtime configuration options are not converted. They need to be configured manually.
  9. Variable formats from Graphics numbers are not transferred to Variables.dbf.
  10. Where cursor positions were used, unless a symbol is placed at the AN, the cursor will not appear to move to the AN.
  11. Set FullScreen = 1 in [Page].
  12. Password functionality is different.
  13. The first 20 Animation Points are now reserved and every screen will need to have animation points 11 to 20 re-allocated.
  14. Reports will need to be modified.
  15. Symbols will need to be re-coloured since DOS multiplexes its colour pallet.
  16. When the Colours database gets converted, the colour 0 which should be black gets translated as NoChange and will need to be corrected.
  17. If the new computer has higher graphics capabilites you may wish to suppress them (i.e. Resolution and pallet).
  18. Check if the DOS database used packed variables. If so these will be converted to Remapped variables (REMAP.DBF). There is an error in the current convert programs that leaves the Citect variables and the Physical variables are the wrong way round in the REMAP.DBF file.
  19. Check for alarm bit setting in alarm categories in the DOS system. These need to be entered into the Alarm categories database as alarm on action settings.
  20. System command and page commands in the DOS system could perform three functions;
  1. Set a digital address
  2. Set a variable address (Data Tag)
  3. Call a monitor function.

The conversion to Windows truncates some of these fields, so ensure that all the functionality for the original command remains in the new system keyboard and page keyboard commands.

 
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