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v13 monitor resolution

Hardware specs from April 2017 says that v13 supports 16:9.  However, it says that servers do not support 1920x1080.  This doesn't seem to make sense that the server would support these monitors aspect ratio, but only at a 1600x900 resolution.  Anyone have some details that seem to be unclear from the hardware spec sheet?

Thanks in advance

TreyB

16 Replies

  • JessWilson
    Hi, the R730 is still sporting a version of the the Matrox G200 (G200eR2) 16MB video card from the 1990s...

    In our current project, we found that it can only produce up to 1600x1200 in 4:3 format with the Dell Monitors supplied by Emerson. With a blackbox DKM KVM between the Matrox G200 and the monitor, it can produce maximum 1680x1050. If you are trying to use the newer 1920x1080 graphics, you won't be able to work with or properly view graphics on the ProPlus out of the box. Its a real limitation.

    You can log in, then RDP to gain that resolution, but it looks like you need a floating license for a professional station. Or you can make it a remote client server with one station but you'll need a Professional Station license for that. If you use RealVNC, all you get is the lousy resolution the physical monitor is currently operating at.

    AdderLink X-USB pro KVMs can operate VGA at 1920x1080 and 1920x1200, but not sure without testing if it can make this Matrox G200eR2 perform at that resolution.

    Anyone else have any ideas or findings?

    One solid recommendation, use the server with the SSDs. The event chronicle works so much better and serves up the data to the Process History View clients WAY faster. Control Studio opens modules much faster too. The R730 is disappointing with Raid10 HDDs, but amazing with SSDs.
  • dave_marshall

    In reply to JessWilson:

    In 2014 ran into this on the tower servers. I had a customer who wanted to use their ProPlus as a development station and develop their 1920 x 1080 graphics from it (gasp!). After a significant amount of research, I was able to locate a video card that would function in that server and provide me with 1920 x 1080 resolution. There was only 1 model of video card in the whole wide world that would be accepted by the server, else it wouldn't boot properly.

    I suspect that the same thing could be done here if you want an actual video card and not a USB adapter.

    An additional (but costly) option would be to create a remote session and apply a Pro or Engineering license to that session. Then you would RDP into the session from your "development" computer or a thin client.
  • TreyB

    In reply to JessWilson:

    That sounds like bad news. I'm not worried about workstations and remote clients. That will be handled as we already do. It really comes down to the local proplus station. With updated software supporting 16:9, you'd think the hardware would be supported too. What decade is this?
  • fairchdm

    In reply to TreyB:

    It mostly comes down to the manufactures expectation that server class machines aren't intended to be graphics stations. They are designed to be for data collection and control. Typically Emerson recommends you work on the Engineering / Pro station and leave the Pro+ for administrative activities.
  • TreyB

    In reply to fairchdm:

    for administrative activities? All the configuration is done on the proplus. I'm not sure I follow.
  • John Rezabek

    In reply to TreyB:

    We do all graphics development on a lightly licensed (not the entire plant's DST's) operator station. You need to be logged on as administrator but no other licensing is necessary for graphics (iFix / VBA) editing / creation. We have it set up as a 1x2 (vertical) to match most of our operator stations.
  • TreyB

    In reply to John Rezabek:

    You're talking about an additional operator station though. I'm also not just talking graphics, but control as well. For the MOST part our configuration is done remotely, but the plants prefer to be able to use it as an additional operator station.
  • John Rezabek

    In reply to TreyB:

    Ah I see . . . I remember our neighbors doing that back in the NT days. I wonder if Server 2008 will load on a Dell tower (e.g. Precision) workstation? Why not?
    I do agree that it's annoying that the Server class machines struggle to support present day graphics. Present day as in 1920 x 1080 was commonplace a decade ago . . .
  • Mike Link

    In reply to John Rezabek:

    It is very unfortunate that server class machine do not have better graphics support. For most of Dell's server customers the graphics card is used for less than a day to setup the machine and then never used again, especially with many customers doing virtualization, so there is no reason for Dell to invest in the engineering, or additional cost to add better graphics to their servers. However with many companies starting to use GPUs (graphics cards) for data processing many of the newer Dell servers do have decent support to add graphics cards, this would solve your problem, but would not be supported by Emerson. I would not expect that Emerson would create a supported solution either, as points about above Emerson's recommendation is to license another station as a Pro station and use that for all configuration / engineering.
  • TreyB

    In reply to Mike Link:

    I understand that from a Dell point of view.... to an extent... it's 2017. Seems like maybe that reasoning is tired. However, I don't understand it from Emerson's POV. Imagine the scenario that you have only one workstation. What then? The recommendation to buy additional licensing and work stations..... Why buy additional stuff when you have a workstation that is installed to handle configuration from the get go. If it seems reasonable for a person to remotely access the proplus station in order to do configuration.. then i don't know why it is a leap to expect to just use that machine outright. There's also the possibility that the way we do things is different! I just know how it's done at my place. So, I am not clear on something apparently..

    If we were licensing a 2nd station as a pro station, what is the purpose of the first pro station? Seems like a lot of overkill just to do what is already possible on the existing machine.
  • TreyB
    Follow up then.

    The DeltaV v11.3.1 and newer systems support widescreen monitors with a 16:10 aspect ratio up to 1680x1050 resolution.
    The DeltaV v13.3 and newer systems support widescreen monitors with a 16:9 aspect ratio up to 1920x1080 resolution.
    Note: DeltaV servers do not support 1080p (1920x1080) resolution.
    The DeltaV system also supports a 19” monitor (5:4 aspect ratio 1280x1024 resolution only) on workstations and servers.

    Why say this? Does it imply that 13.3 does NOT support 16:10? I'm not sure what they are saying about DeltaV supporting the monitors.... it's software.
  • JessWilson

    In reply to TreyB:

    Over here, we feel and understand your pain. Some industries such as Mining don't have the deep pockets to buy a bunch of engineering station licensing that will be needed only for the manpower required during commissioning and plant start-up, and the pro-plus engineering station would come in handy at that time.

    Interesting to note, search for and have a look at the ProfessionalPLUS Station Software Suite Product Data sheet dated May 2017 and it does say that the Professional Plus Software Suite has it all, and provides Graphical Engineering Capabilities in bold. It also boasts you can hand the Pro Plus over to your operators for control. I'm sure they're talking about a tiny little system with the ProPlus on a non-server box, but it isn't clear, especially to someone that is new to engineering with DeltaV.

    It also doesn't say, quite likely those pro-plus developed graphics will look goofy when displayed on the other stations.
  • Brian Atkinson

    In reply to JessWilson:

    If you only need temporary licensing for commissioning and start-up have you looked into temporary engineering seat licenses? www2.emersonprocess.com/.../PDS_Engineering_Seat.pdf
  • gamella
    From IT perspective server class computers are not designed for interactive Users running desktop applications, they are designed to run services on network that server is attached to (workstation class computers will act as clients of theese services providing rich graphical UI).
    User interaction on servers is expected to be only maintenance/configuration related. As an example, microsoft Hyper-V S.O. does not have a graphical UI, it only provides command-line interface. Because of that, it is normal to not have "good" graphical hardware into server class computers.
    So, on a DeltaV network where Ploplus is a server class computer (mandatory if DOMAIN environment is deployed), it makes sense from IT perspective to not facilitate use of Proplus as a workstation, forcing to add Professional Workstations.
    For very small size DeltaV systems, WORKSTATION deployment may be selected, This will allow stting up Proplus into workstation class computer and then, having full graphical capabilities.
  • JessWilson

    In reply to Brian Atkinson:

    Yes , I've considered and used the temporary engineering seat licenses in a previous 12.3 project, and they are for sure somewhat less expensive than an Pro station. One thing that I hope could be improved was the timing of the license start. I recall the seats are 60, 90 and 180 days. We found out the time starts the day the licenses are posted by Emerson, whenever that happens. If the project start slips a month, you lose a month. We found that the time doesn't start when you first use the license. This is awkward.

    This adds some complexity to timing when you need to order this license and hope the timing is right. Also, if you need an extension, there is a hastle of justification, approvals, change order, PO... a couple of 180 day licenses to line up with the project, and you might as well get a full one. Please advise if there is a better way to do this.

    DeltaV is an amazing control system, but sometimes navigating the hardware and licensing design details is really tricky.

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