design like a pro part1 laying the foundation

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Di Lik a PBoost Your Skills in HMI / SCADA Project Development

Part 1: Laying the Foundation or

Successul HMI / SCADA Projects

How important is a solid oundation

to the success o your project? A goodoundation is priceless; without it

your project will be on shaky ground.

This paper covers the planning you will need to do inorder to lay a solid oundation or your HMI / SCADAproject. The our things you need know to properlyplan or your projects success are: the three majorproject phases, what questions to ask to dene yourproject, how to build a solid project architecture, andhow to create a successul plan o action.

Design Like a Pro Series

At Inductive Automation we hear rom proessionalsall the time about how they are using Ignition tocreate great HMI / SCADA projects. In addition tooering sotware solutions or the manuacturing

industry we are constantly striving to support theIgnition community with the training, consulting,and knowledge they need or success. As part o thatongoing eort we are oering this Design Like a Proseries o white papers and webinars to give youinormation that will help you design a successulHMI / SCADA project every time.

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Design Like a Pro: Part 1 - Laying the Foundation

or Successul HMI / SCADA Projects | 2 o 7

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Creating a new project is like a road trip. It starts withchoosing a destination, then picking a route to getthere. There are many potential roads you can taketo reach your goal. Some could be very quick butrie with peril; others could be long and scenic butcostly in terms o time and money. To avoid potentialpitalls and keep on task you need a good road map:one that outlines a clear path marked by those whohave traveled the road beore.

Here is an outline o the development process o atypical project; it is broken into three major projectphases. Think o this outline as a road map you canuse to help lead you to your projects success.

Project Phase 1: Planning

Proper planning will lay a solid foundation for your

projects success.

1. Df P: Dene the problems your projectis solving and its size.

2. P Ai: Establish an overarchingstructure or your project.

3. Pla Ai: Formulate a plan to complete yourproject on time.

Project Phase 2: Design

Establish consistent templates for your project and

develop each screen.

4. sp: Establish all necessary connectionsto prepare or design work.

5. La: Design a navigation strategy and screenlayout or your project.

6. tpla: Create consistent templatesto expedite project development.

7. Dlp: Assemble and link together allscreens and components.

Project Phase 3: Start Up

Test and secure your project in preparation for

its launch.

8. ti:Troubleshoot your project through aseries o tests.

9. si: Dene user roles and lock down screens.

10. La: Resolve remaining issues so your projectcan go live.

This paper will ocus on the planning phase. This in-ormation is intended to help you make sure you start

your project o on the right path. To aid you, Appen-dix A o this paper is a checklist or the planning phase.

There are two more white papers in the series thatcover the remaining phases. To get these papers andview webinars with more tips to design great HMI /SCADA projects, visit the Inductive Automation web-site at: www.inductiveautomation.com

the 3 mAjor Project DeveLoPment PhAses
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Beore you can start on the path to a successul projectyou have to gure out where you are going. Thatswhat dening a project is all about. I you dont knowexactly what goals you are setting out to accom-plish, there will be no way o knowing i your projectachieves them. Another major requirement o deningyour project is to see how large in scale your projectwill be, that way you can plan or how to complete it.

Here are some questions that you must answer todene a project. Remember that people oten wontknow exactly what they want their project to be; itsyour job to ask questions o them and yoursel todetermine that inormation.

Questions to Ask WhenDening Your Project

See Appendix B or a worksheet with these questionsto help you dene your project.

Function

1. Wa d d p a ai?

A project is always an answer to a problem. It couldbe a communication issue, an inecient process ora variety o other problems. Identiy the pain pointsthat your project will be easing, and use them toestablish the goals or your project to accomplish.

2. Wa d d p d?

A good project should be built around its unc-tions. Ultimately your project is a tool to accomplisha certain task. A hammer was designed to drive a

nail; everything about its design is based aroundperorming that unction. Similarly, a well-designedHMI / SCADA project must be ocused on perormingcertain unctions.

Usage

3. hw d p d b d?

A hack saw and a chainsaw are both used to cut, butthey are designed dierently because they are bothused in distinctly dierent ways. Knowing howpeople will use your project is important in determin-ing how you should design it. Will they interace withyour project on a computer screen, a panel view, amobile phone or on all o these devices?

4. W will b i p?

There are many dierent types o people that couldbe using your project, all o them in a dierent way.An operator on a production line will probably useyour project dierently than someone who is work-ing in an administrative role. I you know who isgoing to use the project, then you can tailor it to ttheir individual needs.

5. Wa iai d d

p d i b b?

With many dierent people using your project indierent ways it is important that their needs aremet. Understanding what inormation users needwill inorm you on what to include in the project.

This will ensure that your project serves as a useultool to those who use it.

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Deadline

6. W d p d b lad?

In order to create a plan to get your project done, youneed to set a deadline or it to be completed. Having adate to aim or will allow you to prioritize and scheduleproject tasks so you can keep the project on track.

Hardware

7. Wa kid adwa d a wk wi?

You need to know what kind o hardware you haveto work with to ensure that you meet project require-ments. A very data-heavy project may require largerstorage space and a aster CPU than a smaller projectmay need. At the bare minimum you need to knowthe server, CPU, RAM, and hard drive requirementsor your project.

8. Wa pipal d b d

p?

A typical control system is going to have severalperipheral units connected to it. Knowing what theyare and sorting out any connection issues early onwill ensure that you dont have these types o prob-lems later in the process. PLCs (programmable logiccontrollers) and third-party OPC servers are some othe more common peripherals you may have to takeinto account.

Software

9. Wa pai a i?

Knowing the type o operating system you are work-ing with will help you avoid compatibility issues. Note:I you are using Ignition by Inductive Automation, youcan easily overcome this problem since the sotwareis cross-platorm compatible.

10. Wa hmI / scADA wa a i

b i?

To meet the needs o any project you should use anHMI / SCADA application that is both powerul andfexible. You dont want to put yoursel in a positionwhere constrictive sotware limits the potential oyour project and negatively infuences its design.Consider a sotware package that oers unlimitedlicensing or tags and clients at one fat rate; itsamazing how ast tags and clients add up (and theassociated costs) when you set about creating aproject. Use the list o SCADA sotware related ques-tions at the end o this paper in Appendix C to helpevaluate your sotware choice.

11. Wa ial wa b iad

wi p?

In some cases your project will need to interace withvertical sotware. This may aect how the project isdesigned so you need to know this inormation. Find-ing this inormation out early in the process will helpyou sidestep headaches later on.

Security

12. hw a i aia

?

Its never too early to think about security. Since itcan take time to set up, security needs to be kept inmind when dening your project. Using MicrosotActive Directory or a database solution are twocommonly used authentication methods.

I you ask these questions when dening your project,

you will start o on solid ooting. O course thereare more questions you can ask at this stage, andbecause each project is dierent you may have to digdeeper into certain aspects o your project. Alwayserr to the side o nding out more inormation. Thegreater your depth o knowledge at the beginningo the project, the less chance there will be o beingblindsided with a problem later in the process.


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So now that youve asked the necessary questionsabout your project, its time to start envisioning it.

For every great piece o architecture there was a solidblueprint and your project is no dierent. Beoreyou can build your project, you need to begin tovisualize how it will all work.

To get started, do an inventory o the unctions andscreens your project will consist o, then identiy thedata points and database structure you will need. Iyou ollow these steps you will be well on your wayto creating a solid blueprint or your project.

Inventory Functions

To start mapping out the architecture o your project,you rst need to make an ordered list o all the unc-

tions that your project will be required to perorm.Organize them in order o importance to help yousee the top uses o the project. Prioritizing your listwill aid you when it comes time to create your plan oaction. You can determine a unctions importance byhow much it will be used and by how crucial it is toresolving the issues the project is intended to address.

Some o the more common unctionalities thatan HMI / SCADA project can include are: real-timestatus and control, historical data logging, charts andgraphs, PDF reporting, alerting, auditing, batching,recipe management. Your project may need to per-

orm some or all o these unctions, depending onthe projects scope.

Inventory Screens

Ater you know what unctions your project mustperorm, you can create an inventory o all thescreens you will need to build. You will need at leastone or more overview screens and potentially manymore HMI and real-time status-and-control screens,

depending on the size o your project. Sketch out thescreens and make note o what each one will be used

or and how they will all be connected.

Always consider the people who will be using a spe-cic screen and what they will want to accomplish onthat screen. Keep in mind that you can place multipleunctions on a single screen. Start thinking aboutall the inormation that a specic operator will needand how to display that inormation as eciently aspossible. At the end o this step you should have adetailed outline o your project, along with the num-ber o screens and what inormation and unctionseach screen will need to contain.

Identiy Data PointsOnce you know how your project will unction andwhat data it will have to display, you then need to g-ure out what data points to capture to make it work.

Data points are most commonly captured by PLCswhere the data is associated with a tag. Each unc-tion could require dierent amounts o data romdierent tags.

Use the project unctionality list you previously cre-ated and go through each unction and identiy whatPLC tag data you will need to make each unction

work. This will help you see i the current SCADAsystem is already capturing all the data you need, orwhat you need to start capturing in order to developyour project. This step will also give you an idea ohow much data your project will need.

Dene Database Structure

With so much data driving the unctionality o yourproject, you have to start thinking about how to han-dle it in a database. In some cases you may alreadyhave a database to work with, and in other cases youmay need to create one or more to be a repository or

the data your project will contain.I you need to build a new database then you need tostart thinking o a schema or it. A database schema isthe organization and structure o a database system;its a blueprint o the tables that will construct thedatabase. Creating a structure or your database willgive you an idea o the complexity o your projectsinormation architecture. I you use Ignition sotware,it will handle much o this structuring or you.

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Now that you know where you want your project togo and what you need to do to get there, it s time to

gure out when to do things and how long it will take.

The key to creating a plan o action is that you havea project deadline in mind. This will allow you to pri-oritize what tasks get done and when. By creating anordered task list, matching tasks to your assets andputting tasks on a timeline, you can create a solid plano action that will lead to the successul completion oyour project.

Create Ordered Task List

To create a plan o action you have to start break-ing down each aspect o your project into a list oactionable items. Start by looking at the inventory ounctions and screens you created and then list outeach step you will have to take in order to completeeach one o them.

Its okay to start with generalizations here, but youdont want to end with them. The more specic youare able to get, the better.

For example, i one o your tasks is to create an over-view screen, it is helpul to break that task down intothe actual actions you will need to take. An action-able task list or creating an overview screen would

be similar to this: 1) sketch out overview screen lay-out, 2) create navigation strategy, and 3) assemblescreen ramework in the design environment. Anactionable item is one you can put a time rame on;this will come in very handy when setting a timelineor your project.

Match Tasks with Assets

Once youve broken down your project into a list oactionable tasks you have to start thinking abouthow to get all o it done. List out all your assets, whichinclude the hardware, sotware, data, and personnel

you have available. Next, match your task list up tothese resources.

I you are working on a team you want to match upthe expertise o your teammates with the tasks towhich they are best suited. This is all about eciency;identiy who will get the job done the astest andwith the best quality possible.

I you are working by yoursel you need to gothrough your task list and see i there are some tasks

that you are not equipped to handle. I you need toacquire more help, a tool, or training to get the jobdone, now is the time to account or that.

Put Tasks on a Timeline

Now its time to get everything together on a time-

line. Start by prioritizing your tasks. When doing so,take into consideration how long tasks will take tocomplete, and how important certain tasks are to thetimely completion o your project. Some tasks mayneed to be completed beore progress on the resto the project can move orward. You dont want thewhole project hung up by one thing, so make sure togive yoursel ample time to complete complex tasks.

In addition to allotting an appropriate amount o timeor each task, you should establish some major mile-stones on your project timeline. Milestones are bigturning points or your project and usually consist

o the completion o multiple tasks that need to bedone beore the rest o the project can move orward.

Putting the tasks o your project on a timeline willdo two very important things or you. First it will giveyou a prioritized list o what needs to be done andhow long it will take, and second it will keep every-one accountable or moving the project orward.

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Ater you have dened your project, put together

a solid project architecture, and assembled a plano action, you will have completed the planningphase o your project. The next leg o your journeyis Phase 2: Design. This phase will be covered in part2 o this series: Developing Dynamic HMI / SCADAProjects with Speed and Precision.

Following these steps will help you establish a solidoundation or the success o your HMI / SCADA proj-ect. By taking the time to properly plan out your proj-ect you will set yoursel up or success in the designphase, when you start putting all the pieces together.

Design Like a Pro Series

Inductive Automation is committed to delivering

meaningful knowledge, training and products that

support the manufacturing and process control in-

dustry in HMI / SCADA development. For more design

tips, check out the entire Design Like a Pro Series for

a collection of white papers and webinars focused on

development topics: www.inductiveautomation.com/

design-like-a-pro-series

movIng Into the DesIgn PhAse
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AppendixDi Lik a P

PArt 1: LAyIng the ounDAtIon or successuL hmI / scADA Projects

Tools to assist you in developing uture SCADA projects are located in theappendix o this paper.

Appendix A: Planning Phase Checklist

Appendix B: Project Denition Questions

Appendix C: SCADA Sotware Evaluation Questions

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Project Denition QuestionsAppdix B


Beore you can successully design your project you have to dene what itsgoing to be. Here are some questions that you need to answer in order todene your HMI / SCADA project.

Function

1. What needs does the project have to satisy? ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What do you need the project to do? ___________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Usage

3. How does the project need to be used? _________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Who will be using the project? ________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What inormation do users need rom the project to do their jobs better? _____________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Deadline

6. When does the project need to be launched? ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

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Hardware

7. What kind o hardware do you have to work with? ________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

8. What peripherals need to be connected to the project? ____________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sotware

9. What operating system are you using? __________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

10. What HMI / SCADA sotware are you going to be using? __________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

11. What vertical sotware must be integrated with your project? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Security

12. How are you going to authenticate to the system? _______________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

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Project Denition QuestionsAppdix B



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SCADA SotwareEvaluation QuestionsAppdix c

Modern IT technology, when utilized by SCADA sotware, can transorm control systems. IT has developed andis using concepts that make data management very ast and ecient: a database-centric, web-based architec-ture that leverages relational data to its ull potential.

Gaining a competitive advantage requires investigating any SCADA sotware vendor to ensure that they caninstall the sotware in one place, manage it in one place, add on to it in one place, and have the reedom to usean unlimited amount o tags and clients.

When choosing a SCADA sotware vendor, ask these qualiying questions to evaluate how they have integratedIT concepts with their sotware:

Database Connectivity

What brands o database servers can the sotware integrate with? _____________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Are multiple simultaneous database connections supported? _________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

How easy it is to connect to databases? ___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does the sotware provide rst-class support or integration with relational databases? ____________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Implementation Difculty

Can the sotware be installed in under ten minutes? _________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Is it web-based? ______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

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Can you launch unlimited clients? ________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you launch unlimited development clients? ____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Can changes be deployed to all clients instantly and simultaneously with a single click? ____________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you manage all projects rom a central location? _________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Can you deploy clients without installing any sotware on the host PC? _________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Is the sotware cross platorm? __________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Licensing Costs

Is the sotware licensed by the server? ____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Will I have to buy more tags, client licenses, or screens as I expand the system? ___________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Appdix c

design like a pro part1 laying the foundation

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