Getting Started with OmniCom Overview OmniCom for Windows is an application used for configuring, operating, and diagnosing the Omni 3000 and 6000 flow computers (the “OMNI”). Each operating mode, Configure, Operate, and Diagnostics, presents a view similar in appearance. On the left hand side there is a tree that divides the mode specific information into sections each having several screens or tabs of entries that appear on the right. When “Online” with the OMNI, OmniCom refreshes the data as you change screens to make sure you are always looking at the current information. OmniCom has extensive online help that can be reached from the Help menu, pressing F1 on any screen, or pressing on the combination arrow question mark button on the toolbar
and then clicking on a menu item or field in a tab.
Installing OmniCom OmniCom is distributed on CD. Insert the CD and run the installation program. If you have “auto run” enabled on your system, simply insert the CD and it will automatically run the installation. If auto run is not enabled, go to “Start | run” and enter the drive name where the CD is located and “Autorun.exe”. For example, if the CD is in drive F, enter “F:\Autorun.exe”. The default installation directory is “C:\OmniFlow\OmniCom”. Setting up Connection Definitions Before communicating with the OMNI you need to have connection “Sites” defined that describe which communication port of the PC to use and other related communications parameters. You may set up Direct, Modem, Satellite and/or TCP/IP communications. OmniCom has two default direct connection sites defined at installation time. To see if they meet your needs select “Edit | Sites” from the menu bar. Highlight one of the sites and double click or press edit to view the parameters. You can change the parameters of an existing one or add a new site if desired. Each site has one or more units associated with it. Configure at least one unit for each site. The unit configuration allows you to set the details of the connection to a particular OMNI unit. Some details include Modbus ID, Protocol type, timing delays, and retries.
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Getting Started with OmniCom
Connecting to the OMNI • • • • •
Connect a serial or Ethernet cable from the PC to a port on the OMNI. Power the OMNI unit on. Select the “Globe” from the toolbar or “Actions | Online” from the menu. Highlight the site you want to use and expand it out by clicking on the plus sign to the left of the site name. Double click on the desired unit or highlight it and press the Connect button.
Synchronizing OmniCom and the OMNI After connecting to an OMNI, OmniCom needs to synchronize with the OMNI before any main configuration items can be changed. When the configuration tree item is expanded, a dialog box is presented giving you a choice of sending the current OmniCom configuration to the OMNI or reading the current OMNI configuration into OmniCom. The last option is to go offline and cancel the operation. Synchronization is not necessary when going to Operate, Diagnostics or WinPanel. Once synchronized you can freely go between configuration screens.
You may also synchronize by pressing the Receive button on the toolbar by selecting “Actions | Receive” on the menu.
or
Menu and Tool Bar Descriptions
Any of the actions performed by buttons on the toolbar can also be performed by selecting it from the menu. Hovering the mouse pointer above a tool bar item for a moment displays a toolbar tip showing the action that button performs. The first three buttons relate to the File menu: New - Initializes OmniCom and creates an empty configuration with default settings.
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Getting Started with OmniCom
Open - Provides a ‘File Open’ control dialog allowing you to load an existing OmniCom configuration from disk. Note that if you want to load an OmniCom DOS file you must use the Import function on the File menu.
Save - Saves the active configuration and report template files to its current name and directory. When you save a document for the first time, OmniCom displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your file set. The next set of items discussed are found in the Actions Menu: Connect - Connect to an Omni unit via Direct, Modem, Satellite or TCP/IP.
Offline - Use this command to disconnect from a unit or to work with files.
Operate - Perform operations such as retrieving reports, archive data and performing prover control and batch operations.
Reports - Modify report templates.
Configure – Configure the OMNI unit for operation.
Receive - reads the entire configuration from the OMNI unit.
Transmit – sends the entire configuration to the OMNI unit.
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Getting Started with OmniCom
There are two buttons associated with Diagnostics:
Diagnostics – I/O overview, WinPanel, and a communications test utility.
WinPanel – Access to the front panel and display of the OMNI with the active connection.
Most tab displays have an “Apply” and “Cancel” button at the top. If any changes are made to a tab the Apply and Cancel buttons become active. Pressing the Apply button commits those changes while the Cancel button restores the previous values. When Online the “Apply” button also causes the changes to be transmitted to the active connected OMNI.
Configure OmniCom opens in file mode with a new configuration file automatically opened for you. If this is the first time, the new file defaults to 20.74.10. If you have saved a file previously, it opens a new file using the Application, Version and Revision last used. If you would like to create a new configuration file of a different application and version, select “File | New”. Select the desired application and press OK. If you would like to open an existing configuration file, select “File | Open”. To import an existing OmniCom DOS file, select “File | Import OmniCom DOS File”. In general, the Configuration Tree is presented in the same order that items are to be entered. As you progress down the tree making entries, tree items and tabs
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Getting Started with OmniCom change to adapt to your desired configuration. You will only see those items necessary for your particular application. OmniCom enables or disables configuration screens based on selections made as you go through the configuration process. This hides parameters that are not relevant to the application you are programming the OMNI for. For instance, the General Setup – Equipment List tab allows you to indicate the equipment in your installation that interacts with the OMNI. The OMNI can be configured for up to four meter runs. If you have indicated in the Equipment List that there are only two meter runs, you will not see any of the configuration screens for Meter Run 3 or Meter Run 4. You can turn them on at anytime and the screens will then be available. You may select options that apply to your installation such as PID Control or Boolean and Variable Statements using the General Setup - Active Options tab. Only those options selected appear in the tree. The Omni I/O section is used to group and define the I/O in the system based on the boards or modules configured in the OMNI. The number and types of modules can be configured when “Offline”. If Online, you may only view the modules tab. Only the modules configured are listed in the tree. For example, if there is only one digital I/O module installed then you only see one digital board, D-1, in the tree. If there are two digital boards, then you see D-1 and D-2. Clicking on D-1 in the tree brings up tabs on the right to configure digitals 1-12. Clicking on D-2 brings up tabs for configuring digitals 13-24. The Process I/O section contains the other I/O modules. Each module has a Process Input and Analog Output entry in the tree. The Process Input tabs allow you to set up the input type and associated parameters for each input. There is a tab for every input available for that module type. There is also an Analog Output tab for each output available for that module type. The I/O points are numbered sequentially based on the type and boards installed (see the Modules tab for a summary of the I/O points assigned to each module.) The Current Assignments show a summary of the available I/O points, their type, and which I/O points have been assigned to equipment. The Ports section is for configuring the OMNI serial and Ethernet ports. There are two ports for each Serial module and two ports for each Serial Ethernet module. Only one of the two Serial Ethernet module ports is designated for Ethernet and is indicated in the port name on the tree. Press F1 for help on any tree item, tab, or entry item. You may also click on the combination arrow and question mark from the toolbar entry item for which you’d like help.
and then click on the
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Getting Started with OmniCom Report Template Editor OmniCom’s template editor is used to create and edit the report templates. Templates can be created and edited while connected to an Omni in the Online mode, or while in the Offline mode. Default templates are included in the “C:\OmniFlow\OmniCom\Templates” directory.
installation
under
the
Operate The operate tree allows you to view current and historical reports in the OMNI unit if Online. If Offline, only the Site List report is available. Additionally, if Online and Archiving is enabled via the Configure – General Setup – Active Options tab, the archive data may be retrieved and viewed. The Prover and Batch Control tree items are only available if Online.
Diagnostics – The diagnostic tree is available in the Online mode and includes an I/O Overview, WinPanel, and a communications test utility. The I/O Overview provides live information regarding the digital I/O, the process inputs, and the analog outputs. For convenience, a list of the currently installed modules is also displayed. WinPanel is a means of access the front panel and display of the OMNI with the active connection. You may scroll through the display and press buttons as if you were at the panel itself. The test communications facility is a means of sending raw Modbus messages to the OMNI with the active connection. All of the function codes and data types supported in the OMNI are available.
Disconnecting from the OMNI To disconnect from the OMNI with the active connection, select the “File Folders” icon from the toolbar or “Actions | Offline” from the menu.
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