Introduction

This User Guide and Technical Reference was designed to help you get the best results from your InduSoft Web Studio™ software. This document provides technical information and step-by-step instructions for all the tasks you need to create Web-enabled HMI/SCADA programs.

Who should read this

This User Guide and Technical Reference is a comprehensive document designed to provide useful information for both novice and advanced users of IWS.
  • New Users: This publication uses a step-by-step, hands-on approach to the project development process. Be sure to read the introductory chapters describing the product's features and development environment.
  • Experienced Users: This publication offers advanced instructions, tips, and troubleshooting information to help you get the most out of your projects.
Note: We assume you are familiar with working in a Windows environment, and we do not attempt to explain Windows navigation, file management, and so forth. If you are unfamiliar with any of these procedures, we recommend using the Windows Help feature (Start > Help) or consulting your Microsoft Windows documentation.

Contents

The information in this document is organized into the following chapters:
  • This chapter: Describes the purpose, content, and organization of the User Guide and Technical Reference. In addition, this chapter contains the following information:
    • Explains the formatting, mouse, and Windows conventions used
    • Lists other publications providing information about IWS
    • Explains how to contact a technical support representative
  • About This Software: Provides a high-level overview of the product's uses, features, and functions.
  • Installing and Uninstalling: Provides step-by-step instructions for installing, licensing, starting, and uninstalling InduSoft Web Studio and CEView.
  • Navigating the Development Environment: Describes the IWS interface (or development environment), and explains some basic skills and techniques you must understand before creating a new project.
  • How the Software Works: Describes the internal structure of IWS, including how data flows through the runtime modules and how these modules are executed.
  • Creating and Configuring a New Project: Provides step-by-step instructions for creating and configuring a new project.
  • Working with Tags: Explains basic concepts about the product database, tag types (arrays, classes, and pointers), tag values and parameters. Following the concepts discussion, this chapter provides instructions for creating and editing tags for your projects.
  • Creating Screens and Graphics: Explains how to use the different IWS development tools to create your project screens and graphics.
  • Configuring Background Tasks: Explains how to create and configure the different IWS task worksheets for your projects.
  • Event Settings: Describes the logging and event-retrieval features.
  • Communicating with Other Devices: Describes how to configure your project to read from and write to a device's registers. The information includes instructions for configuring drivers and OPC, TCP/IP, and DDE communication.
  • Configuring a Security System: Explains how to set-up and manage a security system for your projects.
  • Testing and Debugging Your Project: Discusses how to test and debug projects using tools such as the Database Spy and Output windows. This chapter includes a list of possible error messages and methods for correcting those errors.
  • Configuring a Web Solution: Explains how configure and run your projects on the Web.
  • Downloading to a Remote Device: Explains how to download, monitor, and debug projects from a remote runtime workstation.
  • Using the Translation Tool: Explains how to use the Translation Tool to translate the text in your projects from one language to another.
  • Database Interface: Explains how to connect IWS to compatible databases.
  • Scripting Languages: Describes IWS's built-in scripting language, as well as the support for VBScript in IWS.
  • Troubleshooting and FAQs: Provides instructions for verifying projects, describes some common development errors, and explains what to do if you need to contact a support representative.

Related documentation

You may want to review the following manuals in addition to this Technical Reference:
  • Getting Started Manual: Provides basic information about InduSoft Web Studio, including a systematic tutorial that allows you to develop a single project and become familiar with the product in a short time.
  • Tutorial Manual: Describes how to build an project, step-by-step, with the main product features. You can use this document as a self-training manual.
  • Drivers User Guides: Explain how to configure individual direct communication drivers, according to their unique protocol characteristics. One customized user guide is included with each driver.
Note: All manuals are located in the Documentation folder on the IWS installation CD. IWS installs the Drivers User Guides in the\Drv folder in the program directory. You also can access technical information from the Help menu.