User controls within EOS SCADA can be
dynamically enabled or disabled according to the values
of the SCADA data to which they are associated.
This feature allows not only the visibility of user
controls, but also whether they can be operated by the
operator, to be automatically managed according to
real-time process conditions.
Dynamic User Control Enablement
In SCADA systems, it is important that operator interfaces
not only display process information, but also manage the
operations that the operator can perform according to
current operating conditions.
For example, a command button may need to be enabled when
a process variable exceeds a specific value, while the
same button may need to be disabled when the required
operating condition is not present.
EOS SCADA provides the ability to link
the enabled or disabled state of user controls to the
value of any SCADA data.
As a result, buttons, input fields, switches, or other
user controls that send commands can automatically be
made enabled or disabled
according to real-time process conditions.
Basic operating principle:
When the data being processed satisfies the specified
condition, the user control becomes enabled. When the
condition is not satisfied, the user control is
disabled, preventing the operator from performing the
corresponding operation.
Advantages of Enabling / Disabling User Controls
Changing the enabled state of user controls according to
process data helps SCADA operator interfaces adapt to
actual operating conditions.
-
Process condition-based control:
The availability of user controls can be automatically
determined according to real-time process values.
-
Prevention of incorrect operations:
Operations that are not appropriate under the current
conditions can be disabled for as long as the
corresponding condition persists, reducing the
possibility of incorrect operator actions.
-
Operator guidance:
When the conditions required for an operation are met,
the corresponding control can automatically be enabled.
-
Command safety:
Especially for user controls that send commands to
controllers, availability can be restricted according
to process conditions.
-
Dynamic operator interface:
User controls on the screen do not have to remain in a
fixed state. They can change their behavior according
to actual field operating conditions.
Example of an Enable / Disable Condition
The Limit Value and
Limit Type are used together to determine
under which conditions the user control will be enabled
or disabled.
Example settings:
-
Limit Value: 0.5
-
Limit Type: Greaterthan
In this case, when the processed data value is
greater than 0.5, the user control
becomes enabled.
When the data value is equal to or less than 0.5,
the user control becomes disabled,
and the user cannot perform an operation using the
control.
Thus, instead of being manually changed by the operator,
the availability of the user control is automatically
managed according to the state of real-time data obtained
directly from the SCADA system.
Input Parameters for the Enabledisable Action
The Enabledisable action can be used not
only to determine whether a user control is enabled or
disabled, but can also be configured with additional
parameters to determine how the control is displayed to
the operator while it is disabled.
These parameters can be entered in the
Input Parameters section of the
Action Settings window.
|
Input Expression
|
Operation
|
|
[empty]
|
When the user control is disabled, the
control changes to gray.
When the mouse pointer is moved over the
control, a cursor indicating that the
operation cannot be performed is displayed.
|
|
lock
|
When the user control is disabled, it retains
its current color.
A LOCK icon is displayed in
the upper corner of the control.
When the mouse pointer is moved over the
control, a cursor indicating that the
operation cannot be performed is displayed.
|
|
noopen
|
Applies to the BREAKER user
control.
Only the
Send Open Command
operation is disabled.
|
|
noclose
|
Applies to the BREAKER user
control.
Only the
Send Close Command
operation is disabled.
|
|
noboth
|
Applies to the BREAKER user
control.
Both the
Send Open Command and
Send Close Command
operations are disabled.
|
Note:
When no input parameter is specified, the disabled
state of the user control is displayed using the
default appearance behavior.
The lock parameter can be used to
preserve the control's current appearance while also
indicating its disabled state with a lock icon.
Selective Command Restrictions for BREAKER Controls
For BREAKER user controls,
the noopen, noclose,
and noboth parameters can be used to
prevent specific commands from being sent instead of
disabling the entire control.
-
noopen:
Prevents the open command from being sent by the
BREAKER control; the close command may remain
available.
-
noclose:
Prevents the close command from being sent by the
BREAKER control; the open command may remain
available.
-
noboth:
Prevents both the open and close commands from being
sent.
This feature is particularly useful when a BREAKER must
be controlled only in a specific direction depending on
the current process conditions.
Additional Safety for Command-Sending Controls
Enabling or disabling a user control based on a data value
can provide an important additional layer of safety,
especially for user controls that send commands to
controllers.
For example, if operating a piece of equipment is not
appropriate under a particular process condition, the
corresponding command button can automatically be
disabled for as long as that condition persists.
When the process condition becomes suitable again, the
user control can automatically be enabled.
This eliminates the need for the operator to manually
change the control state continuously.
CAUTION:
Disabling a user control should not, by itself, be
considered an authorization or security mechanism.
A disabled user control should primarily be used to
prevent the corresponding operation from being
performed through the operator interface.
For actual access security and authorization,
appropriate user permissions,
access controls, and required
control system security mechanisms
should also be implemented.
Difference Between Hidden / Visible
and Disabled / Enabled
In EOS SCADA, making a user control
disabled / enabled is different from
making it hidden / visible.
-
Hidden / Visible:
Determines whether the user control is displayed
on the screen.
-
Disabled / Enabled:
Determines whether the user control can be operated
by the operator while it remains visible on the
screen.
Therefore, depending on the process design, these two
features can also be used together.
For example, a control can be completely hidden under
certain conditions, while under another condition it can
remain visible but disabled.
Example approach:
If it is important for the operator to see an
operation but not be able to perform it, the user
control can remain
visible but disabled.
If the operation should not be displayed to the
operator at all, the control can instead be made
hidden.
Enabling or disabling user controls in EOS SCADA based
on data values allows operator interfaces to adapt to
real-time process conditions.
The data to be monitored can be specified using the
Valuechanged action, while the
Enabledisable operation manages the
enabled state of the user control.
Limit Value and
Limit Type determine the conditions under
which this behavior occurs.
In addition, the appearance and behavior of disabled
controls can be modified using
Input Parameters.
Parameters such as lock,
noopen, noclose, and
noboth provide more detailed control,
particularly for command-sending user controls such as
BREAKER controls.
This makes it possible to dynamically determine not only
which controls are displayed on operator screens, but
also which controls can be operated under specific
process conditions.
