Simcenter SCADAS Recorder Standalone Mode
2025-02-23T12:48:00.000-0600
Summary
Details
Simcenter SCADAS Recorder can be used in a "standalone" recording mode (i.e., without a PC) to record time data. This is useful for measurement situations where the presence of PC is not desirable.
In the standalone acquisition mode, an Android Tablet with Smart Control App can be used to start and stop the measurements.
Contents of this article include:
1. Getting Started and Process Overview
2. Create Standalone Template
3. Record Standalone with Tablet
4. Import data from Compact Flash into Simcenter Testlab
1. Getting Started and Process Overview
The following items are needed:
2. Create Standalone Template
A template contain the recording settings for standalone mode are created using a PC with Simcenter Testlab installed and the following:
Figure 1: To create a standalone template, plug the SCADAS Recorder into a PC with Simcenter Testlab software installed. Also plug a Compact Flash reader into the USB of the same computer.
On the computer with Simcenter Testlab installed:
Figure 2: From Simcenter Testlab, choose "File -> Save Standalone Recording Template..." to generate template for SCADAS Recorder.
The Save Standalone Recording menu will show the settings for the template. It will give info like the channel setup, bandwidth, and start/stop conditions as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: From the "Standalone Recording Template" ta name for the template can be entered to be saved directly on the USB mounted compact flash.
Figure 4: Files contained on compact flash configured for standalone recording. The *.rdf file contains the measurement settings. BOOT.DSP and BOOTSYS.DSP files are required files for standalone operation.
Figure 5: Simcenter SCADAS Recorder configuration for standalone recording.
Acquire as many runs as needed. They will be stored on the compact flash. If the name of the template was “brake”, run names will be called “brake001.trp”, “brake002.trp”, etc
4. Import data from Compact Flash into Simcenter Testlab
Re-insert the compact flash into the compact flash reader attached to the PC via USB.
Use the Navigator of Simcenter Testlab to import the *.trp files as shwon in Figure 8.
The trp time files on the compact flash can be imported into Simcenter Testlab as runs:
In the standalone acquisition mode, an Android Tablet with Smart Control App can be used to start and stop the measurements.
Contents of this article include:
1. Getting Started and Process Overview
2. Create Standalone Template
3. Record Standalone with Tablet
4. Import data from Compact Flash into Simcenter Testlab
1. Getting Started and Process Overview
The following items are needed:
- SCADAS Recorder with slot for a Compact Flash on the controller card
- Android Tablet with Smart Control App
- Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Antenna
- Compact Flash card and USB based Compact Flash reader
- Create Standalone Template – With the SCADAS Recorder plugged into laptop with Simcenter Testlab installed. via Ethernet, and Compact Flash plugged in separately via USB, create a standalone recording template to put on Compact Flash.
- Record Standalone with Tablet – After removing the Ethernet connection, the SCADAS is powered up with the Standalone Template on the Compact Flash in the SCADAS. The Smart Control App can be used on the Android Tablet to start, stop, and view data.
- Import Standalone Data in Testlab – Compact Flash is removed from the SCADAS, attached to the Testlab PC via USB reader, and data imported into Simcenter Testlab for processing. In standalone recording mode, the Simcenter SCADAS Recorder only creates time files. There is no processed spectral data.
2. Create Standalone Template
A template contain the recording settings for standalone mode are created using a PC with Simcenter Testlab installed and the following:
- Plug Compact Flash into PC via USB
- Plug SCADAS Recorder (without Compact Flash) into PC via Ethernet
Figure 1: To create a standalone template, plug the SCADAS Recorder into a PC with Simcenter Testlab software installed. Also plug a Compact Flash reader into the USB of the same computer.
On the computer with Simcenter Testlab installed:
- Start Simcenter Testlab Signature software.
- Under “Tools -> Add-ins”, make sure “Standalone Recording” add-in is checked on.
- Setup Channels as desired (PointIds, ICP or Voltage, Calibration factors) in Channel Setup worksheet.
- Set Sampling Rate in Acquisition Setup worksheet.
- Set measurement duration in Tracking Setup worksheet.
- Choose “File -> Save as Standalone Recording template” from main Testlab menu to write template on Compact Flash. This can be done from any worksheet (Measure, Documentation, etc) other than the Channel Setup worksheet.
Figure 2: From Simcenter Testlab, choose "File -> Save Standalone Recording Template..." to generate template for SCADAS Recorder.
The Save Standalone Recording menu will show the settings for the template. It will give info like the channel setup, bandwidth, and start/stop conditions as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: From the "Standalone Recording Template" ta name for the template can be entered to be saved directly on the USB mounted compact flash.
Looking through Windows explorer, the template file should be on the compact flash. It is the name that was entered with a *.rdf extension. The minimum set of files needed are shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Files contained on compact flash configured for standalone recording. The *.rdf file contains the measurement settings. BOOT.DSP and BOOTSYS.DSP files are required files for standalone operation.
There will also be two files; one called BOOT.DSP and another called BOOTSYS.DSP. These files need to stay on the compact flash.
If there is only one template on the Compact Flash, when the SCADAS boots up in standalone mode, it will automatically activate that template. If there is more than one template written on the frontend (different names) then the template that comes first alphabetically will be automatically be used. If Smart Control App is being used, then the template can be changed/selected via the tablet interface.
3. Record Standalone with Tablet
Using the Smart Control App on the android tablet, the acquisition can be started and stopped. Data can also be viewed, and gains adjusted (in case of overload or underload).
Figure 5 shows the configuration of the SCADAS Recorder for standalone recording.
If there is only one template on the Compact Flash, when the SCADAS boots up in standalone mode, it will automatically activate that template. If there is more than one template written on the frontend (different names) then the template that comes first alphabetically will be automatically be used. If Smart Control App is being used, then the template can be changed/selected via the tablet interface.
3. Record Standalone with Tablet
Using the Smart Control App on the android tablet, the acquisition can be started and stopped. Data can also be viewed, and gains adjusted (in case of overload or underload).
Figure 5 shows the configuration of the SCADAS Recorder for standalone recording.
Figure 5: Simcenter SCADAS Recorder configuration for standalone recording.
- Disconnect the SCADAS recorder ethernet cable from the PC.
- Turn off the SCADAS recorder, insert the Compact Flash, and turn on the SCADAS Recorder.
- Make sure the Bluetooth or Wi-fi antenna is plugged in.
- Make sure the SCADAS Recorder and Android tablet are paired via Bluetooth or Wi-fi. The password for Bluetooth pairing is "scadas"..
- Start the Smart Control App.
- In the main screen, there are two sections: Templates (where acquisition can be started, acquisition templated edited) and Runs (for viewing already acquired data).
Figure 6:
- Press the button called “Scope” next to the template to acquire data.
- Press Start to take data..
- While scoping or measuring data, views like Strip Chart can be useful.
- To setup a trigger on a data channel, exit to the main screen, highlight the template, and press “Edit” in the upper right..
- Scroll over to Measurement setup screen.
- Set start trigger to a level, specify the channel, and set a pretrigger.
- Change the Number of Runs higher than 1.
Figure 7:Measurement settings screen in Smart Control app.
Acquire as many runs as needed. They will be stored on the compact flash. If the name of the template was “brake”, run names will be called “brake001.trp”, “brake002.trp”, etc
4. Import data from Compact Flash into Simcenter Testlab
Re-insert the compact flash into the compact flash reader attached to the PC via USB.
Use the Navigator of Simcenter Testlab to import the *.trp files as shwon in Figure 8.
Figure 8: Importing standalone recording *.trp files from compact flash in Simcenter Testlab.
The trp time files on the compact flash can be imported into Simcenter Testlab as runs:
- Attach the compact flash to the Testlab PC via usb reader.
- Start Simcenter Testlab Desktop.
- In Navigator, under “My Computer” find the data on the compact flash.
- In the middle pane (where multi-select is possible), choose all the runs to import. Right click and choose “Import into Active Project”.
Once the time data is imported, it can be analyzed using Simcenter Testlab or Simcenter Testlab Neo: