Welcome to Citect for Windows Version 5.31

For Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT4.0, and Windows 2000.

What's New

See the What's New in the Online Help system for details of new features for this version.

For a detailed listing of problems that have been fixed in this release, see Relnotes.doc (found in the Citect 'bin' directory).

 

What's in this Document

Upgrading Issues

  • Long File Names
  • Remote I/O Devices
  • Alarm Server Compatibility
  • Trend Server Compatibility
  • Modifying Citect.ini
  • Updating your Protection Key
  • Trend system special values of -32001 & -32002 have been superseded.

Known Problems

  • Citect Runtime fails to start correctly on Windows 95
  • The ActiveX 'DB Grid Control' is not compatible with Graphics Builder
  • Auto-Starting of the WinRT Service
  • TrnAddHistory() and TrnDelHistory() do not work for the 8-byte trend storage method.
  • Second argument in TrnEventGetTable() argument is not working.
  • SPC XRS chart does not print out correctly.
  • Trend zoom functionality does not work on a periodic event trend.
  • TrnSetTable() function does not handle different periods.
  • Display Client does not display the first sample for slow trends.

 

Upgrading Issues

  • Long File Names

Citect Version 5.31 has the ability to take advantage of long file names and long directory names. The Citect help contains details on the limitations on naming lengths and allowed characters.

Long file name compatibility can be disabled with the Citect.ini setting.

[General]

LongFileName=0

If you want to disable long file name compatibility set the parameter before starting Citect Explorer for the first time. DO NOT alter this parameter if Citect is installed to a directory that uses long file names. (eg C:\Program Files)

 

  • Remote I/O Devices

The Remote I/O feature no longer requires that all Remote I/O devices on a given server share the same data frame specification, allowing any combination of RTUs or PLCs in the remote network.

A new "Modems Database" has been added, and can be accessed from the Communications | Modems menu in Project Editor. The Modems Database allows users to specify which modems are to be used by Citect, and what function they are to be used for: dial-out, dial-in, dial-back, or a combination of dial-out and dial-in. If you need to reserve a modem for non-Citect use, for example RAS, simply set FALSE for all of the functions for that modem.

The ability to now specify a dial-back modem maximises flexibility for handling dial-ins from remote I/O Devices with different speed and data frame combinations. If only one dial-in modem is to be used, the remote I/O Device dialling in will have to be called back on a compatible line. Dial-back modems may be used as an advanced option to dedicate certain modems to respond to remote I/O Devices dialling in, if for example contacting the unit is a high priority. Dial-back modems are not used for normal dial-out operations.

Existing projects using the remote I/O feature will continue to function without requiring any reconfiguration.

Persistent data caching is now supported for any number of standby I/O servers.

 

  • Alarm Server Compatibility

Where possible Citect Version 5.31 has been designed for compatibility with previous versions of Citect, in order to support staggered upgrading. Some areas of communication have been disabled where maintaining compatibility has not been possible. Specifically, Version 5.31 Display Clients are not compatible with Version 5.21 Alarm Servers.

 

  • Trend Server Compatibility

Where possible Citect Version 5.31 has been designed for compatibility with previous versions of Citect, in order to support staggered upgrading. Some areas of communication have been disabled where maintaining compatibility has not been possible. Specifically:

- Version 5.31 Trend Servers are compatible with Version 5.30 I/O Servers.

- Version 5.31 Trend Servers are not compatible with Version 5.30 Display clients.

- Version 5.31 Display Clients are not compatible with Version 5.30 Trend Servers.

- Version 5.31 Trend Servers are not compatible with Version 5.30 Trend Servers for redundancy purposes.

- Version 5.31 Trend Servers can use Version 5.30 history files.

 

  • Modifying Citect.ini

The Citect Version 5.31 installation program will modify an existing Citect.ini file, instead of completely overwriting it. When Citect Version 5.31 is installed, any existing [DATA] and [USER] paths will remain unchanged.

Users upgrading projects are advised to check the [DATA] and [USER] paths after the installation.

 

  • Updating your Protection Key

If you are upgrading from Citect Version 5.30, your Protection Key used for Citect licensing does not need updating. However, if upgrading Citect from a version prior to Version 5.30 then Citect requires an update to the Protection Key used for Citect licensing. Upon starting Citect Runtime for the first time, you will be presented with a series of dialogs regarding the updating of your key. To update your Citect Protection Key, an Authorisation Code is required. To obtain this Authorisation Code, you should visit www.cit.com.au <http://www.cit.com.au>.

You can update your Citect Protection Key at any time by running the "Citect Key Update" utility. This utility can be run by selecting the "Citect Key Update" menu item from the Help menu in Citect Explorer, or by executing the zipped program in the KeyUpdat directory of the Citect Version 5.31 CD.

 

· Trend system special values of -32001 & -32002 have been superseded.

The Trend system prior to Citect Version 5.31 was using the values of -32001 and -32002 to denote special meaning in the Trend System’s storage of the trend data. Specifically, -32001 was used to denote "Invalid" values and -32002 was used to denote "Gated" values.

These special values are no longer used, and any Cicode that uses them should be modified to use the new Cicode functions that supersede them. Specifically, these Cicode functions are:

TrnIsValidValue()

TrnGetGatedValue()

TrnGetInvalidValue()

Please see the online help for a full description of these functions.

 

 

The Following Known Problems Exist with this Version

  • Citect Runtime fails to start correctly on Windows 95

In some cases Citect Runtime will fail to start correctly on Windows 95.

The problem is the result of an incompatibility between Windows 95 and the version of Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) that Citect 5.31 runs on.

The solution is to either install Internet Explorer 4.01sp1 (or later), or to upgrade to Windows 98 (or later).

 

  • The ActiveX 'DB Grid Control' is not compatible with Graphics Builder

After you insert the ActiveX control 'DB Grid Control' (filename DBGRID32.OCX) into a page in Graphics Builder, you will receive error messages or faults accessing some of the tabs on the 'Appearance' properties page.

The ActiveX control 'DB Grid Control' (filename DBGRID32.OCX) works in a manner that is not compatible with Citect Graphics Builder. You should use an alternative control such as 'Microsoft DataGrid Control, Version 6.0' (filename MSDATAGRD.OCX) in your application.

 

  • Auto-Starting of the WinRT Service

Citect configures the WinRT service to automatically start when Windows NT boots up. This can cause communication problems for other software (e.g. - PLC software) that also uses hardware configured in Citect, e.g. - Allen Bradley KT cards with RSLogix. This problem can be worked around by manually stopping and starting the WinRT service inside Windows NT.

To do this,

1. Open the Control Panel in Windows NT.

2. Double Click on the Devices icon.

3. Find the WinRT service in the list and click the Stop button.

4. Run your software.

5. Once your software is running, start the WinRT Service again to allow Citect to work.

 

· TrnAddHistory() and TrnDelHistory() do not work for the 8-byte trend storage method.

These two functions do not work for the new 8-byte trend storage method. These functions operate correctly for the existing 2-byte trend storage method.

 

· Second argument in TrnEventGetTable() argument is not working.

The second argument (EventNo) of the function TrnEventGetTable() is not working properly when used with the new 8-byte trend storage method.

 

· SPC XRS chart does not print out correctly.

The line for the process mean will not be printed, and the process mean indicator is incorrectly printed along side the process range graph.

 

· Trend zoom functionality does not work on a periodic event trend.

The rubber band boxes can be drawn but when Zoom in or Zoom out is pressed nothing happens. This works as expected on periodic, periodic gated or event trends.

 

· TrnSetTable() function does not handle different periods.

TrnSetTable() will incorrectly set the values if the period argument is different to the sample period of the trend.

 

· Display Client does not display the first sample for slow trends.

For slow trends you will notice that the samples taken for a short time period after startup are incorrectly displayed as <na>. However, the data has been stored correctly. After the data starts displaying correctly you can scroll back to history mode and scroll forward again to real time mode and all the data will be displayed correctly.

 

 

Note: All the trend issues shown above are scheduled for rectification in Citect Version 5.40.

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