Emerson Exchange 365

In reply to Steve Jacklin:

This can get confusing. Each DeltaV node has an OPC DA server, but only the Professional Plus and Application Stations are delivered with a base 250 Tag server. The DeltaV Excel Add In license will enable the local OPC Server to 500 OPC Tags and can be assigned to any DeltaV workstation. Note that assigning it to the Professional Plus does not make it 750 tags. You do not need the Excel Add In license on the Professional Plus and Application Stations to make use of the Excel Add In. This gives you runtime data values. Note that PHV uses the local OPC DA server for real time trends, even if there is not license for the server.

To connect a third party application to the Historian, one needs to use the OPC HDA server. There is a DeltaV Historian available on every DeltaV station for up to 250 tags. However, only the Application stations can scale up to more tags. (30K tags for Continuous Historian, 60 K tags with Advanced Historian on v13.3). The Application Station comes with a free single user OPC HDA license for the Continuous Historian. The Advanced Historian comes with PI to PI. Only the Application Station can be assigned the OPC HDA scale up license. This begs the question, is there an OPC HDA server single client available on the other DeltaV workstations or just the App Station. It would seem only the Application Station has the OPC HDA server.

In reading the DeltaV Continuous Historian Product Data Sheet, it does not mention the use of the OPC HDA server with DeltaV Reporter. It does state that the OPC HDA and XML interfaces are used for integrating historical data to third party applications. The XLReporter from Sytech states it uses OPCHDA to read history data.

So, I'm wondering if DeltaV Reporter uses native API calls for history data (like PHV Does) or if it uses OPC HDA. Product information indicates it does not use the OPCHDA, but frankly it just doesn't clarify how it gets History data.

I checked DeltaV Diagnostics on the Historian, but it only has one parameter for clients, nothing for HDA clients. Seems that if I have a PHV client open, this client count increases. I don't have an OPC HDA client connected and I don't know if any new information will pop up in diagnostics.

If you can get an OPC HDA test client, you can confirm some of this by running the test client and seeing how DeltaV Diagnostics displays this connection. With the OPC HDA client connected, you cannot connect a second OPC HDA client unless you have the server scale up license, or are using an SI Key on the system. This would confirm the connection from DeltaV Reporter is using OPC HDA. You could then try the OPC HDA test client on the PROF station and confirm it is not licensed for any client connections.

Or someone can confirm exactly how DeltaV Reporter connects to the historian and why is does not connect to the PROF (Professional?) station's local 250 tag Continuous Historian.

Andre Dicaire

In reply to Andre Dicaire:

On further review, found in BOL that OPC HDA is used for 3rd party applications other than those listed, and DeltaV Reporter is listed. I can't find any information that indicates it only works with the Application station server. Since the Continuous Historian is licensed for 250 tags on the Professional station (all stations) I don't know that licensing is the issue with your connection to the PROF station.

As I reread your question, do you actually have the Historian enabled on PROF computer? The Trends on this computer could (should) be looking at the Historian server, as all Operator stations would. If that is the case, it explains what you are seeing. The Trends on PROF show history, but this comes from the APP station, and DeltaV Reporter fails to connect to the server because it is not enabled on PROF.

Andre Dicaire