OpenControl - Technical Features

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Hard Real-time Deterministic Performance
. Provided by HyperKernel real-time subsystem for Windows NT/2000 (patent pending)
. Proven 32-bit real-time operating system kernel
. OpenControl utilizes standard off-the-shelf Windows NT/2000
. No modifications to Hardware Abstraction Layer required; installs on standard OS installation
. OpenControl application survives Windows NT/2000 STOP conditions (blue screen crash) or hard drive failure
. Windows NT/2000 STOP condition flag available in flowchart to automate shutdown sequence
. Retentive memory card (BBSRAM) option

OpenControl Development Framework
. 32-bit Windows application acts as a container for OpenControl editors
. Access the same database for flowchart programming, configuration, and Visual Basic development
. Menus and editors function with standard Windows user interface
. Code compiler with automatic error checking
. Project comparison and master archive
. Number of flowchart blocks and logic memory points added to project statistics

Device Networks Supported
. Profibus
. DeviceNet
. Interbus-S
. GE Genius
. Seriplex
. Honeywell SDS
. Allen-Bradley Remote I/O
. Modicon Remote I/O
. EMS HS900 RFID
. Opto 22 Mistic (Windows NT 4.0 only)
. Optomux (Windows NT 4.0 only)

Flowchart Programming Environment
. Visual Flowchart Language (VFL), a graphical editor based on Nematron US patent #4,852,047
. Naturally intuitive approach for machine control programming
. Automatically connecting flowchart flowlines
. Efficient code generation and structured design
. Easy-to-understand machine diagnostics
. Embed user-developed functions in flowchart program with C Programmer's API
. On-line flowchart review of control logic functions include single step, watch window, and execute to break point

Powerful Debugger and Development Tools
. On-line debugger highlights currently executing flowchart block and allows variables to be forced on-line
. User definable drag-and-drop watch window with breakpoint execution functions in single step or execute to next breakpoint options
. View status of active flowcharts that execute in runtime
. Debug mode disables I/O scanning for off-line testing of code changes before running code in live operations
. Robust object-based DDK, complete with class libraries to cleanly integrate user-programmed device drivers with OpenControl development framework
. Log data at user-defined intervals, based on number of scans between log entries

Integrated Paragon HMI Software
. Operator interface graphics with wide range of animation attributes and traditional panel tools
. Historical and real-time trending, including X-Y plots
. Direct RDB history plotting into interactive and ActiveX trends with support for Microsoft BackOffice products
. Process I/O device drivers with built-in signal conditioning, scaling, conversion, and filtering
. Graphic process strategy development with powerful predefined function blocks
. Comprehensive networking