ClearSCADA has the ability to monitor flow calculation data from a RealFLO-enabled SCADAPack controller (a SCADAPack controller that is a gas flow computer). For each SCADAPack controller that is running RealFLO and for which you want ClearSCADA to process flow data, you need to add and configure a suitable SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO controller in the ClearSCADA database.
The SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO driver supports these types of RealFLO controller (outstation):
- SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO Direct Outstation—to represent a RealFLO-enabled SCADAPack controller that is directly connected to the ClearSCADA server.
Depending on the system setup, a Direct controller can belong to a Direct or Switched Outstation Set.
- SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO PSTN Outstation—to represent a RealFLO-enabled SCADAPack controller that can communicate with the server using a dial-up modem.
- SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO Shared Outstation—to represent a RealFLO-enabled SCADAPack controller that is directly connected to the ClearSCADA server, and that can communicate with the server using either of two channels. Each controller in a Shared Set can communicate via either channel.
If your database structure is ‘modular’ and Group Templates are used to store ‘model’ SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO configuration, in addition to the above types of controller, you can add this driver-specific ‘abstract’ controller item to your Group Templates:
- SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO Abstract Outstation—Converts to any of the SCADAPack Modbus RealFLO Outstation items listed above.
You can only add Abstract Items to Group Templates. The abstract items appear as additional driver-specific entries when you display the context sensitive menu from a Group Template. As with other abstract items, in order to represent a ‘real’ controller, you need to convert the abstract items into the required type of controller (outstation) within the Group Instances that reference the Group Template. For more information, see Add an Abstract Item to a Group Template in the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration.
You specify each controller’s properties using the fields on the appropriate RealFLO Outstation Form. Each RealFLO Outstation Form has several tabs.
Use the SCADAPack tab to:
- Define the Set Clock Method
- Configure various SCADAPack-specific controller features (see Configuring a SCADAPack Controller in the ClearSCADA Guide to the SCADAPack Modbus Driver).
Use the RealFLO tab to:
- Enable ClearSCADA to access the RealFLO components on a SCADAPack controller. The tab provides fields for you to:
Once you have configured a RealFLO controller in ClearSCADA, you need to create and configure the necessary Flow Run(s), and associate those Flow Run(s) with the RealFLO controller (see Configuring a SCADAPack Modbus Flow Run).
The fields on other tabs are common to controllers and outstations on many advanced drivers (see Tabs on Outstation Forms in the ClearSCADA Guide to Advanced Drivers).
For information on the minimal amount of configuration that you can undertake to produce a functional RealFLO-enabled SCADAPack controller in ClearSCADA, see Minimum Configuration.