|
WELCOME TO EVENTS
|
  
|
|
WELCOME TO EVENTS
|
|
Welcome to EVENTS and EVENTS700
EVENTS is a Windows 2000, XP or VISTA* software program for ALERT and MODBUS applications. EVENTS communicates with Modbus RTUs, PLCs and ALERT decoders for monitoring and control of sensors and devices. EVENTS provides a graphical display interface, alarms, historical database, mini-SQL editor, report generator, security, and scheduler. EVENTS includes the design and runtime interface in one package. There are no limits on the number of sensor data points you can set or use. EVENTS standard window's interface and setup tools make it easy to design new screens and reports for your application. Events has installed and running since 1995.
EVENTS700 is a major upgrade to the standard Events product. EVENTS700 includes SMTP email, FTP file sending, scripts for report generatation, hyperlinks from annunciators, buttons, labels, special labels, global alarms, alarm triggers and defined sensor triggers. Hyperlinks include opening files (pdf, xls, doc, jpg, etc) or opening other applications (notepad, paint, word, Abode Reader). You can also link to other web pages via the http:// command. You can also import CSV files into Events. After the import, you can make trends, do reports and data analysis from your new Events compatible database file.
The EVENTS task manager (scheduler) triggers selected tasks by timers, buttons, alarms or other inputs. Database reports, forms, statistics, alarms can be output as an HTML file or as a CSV or TAB text file. The email script can report these alarms to the people who need to know. Database files, xml reports can be generated and forwarded to another site using FTP. This a powerful way to update other organizations with your data.
EVENTS screen display
EVENTS is an object-oriented program: each visual component is an object (Trends, Tanks, Valves, Pumps, Annunciators, LED Displays, Images, Labels, etc). Every component stores its own display properties and sensor data properties. Once you have created a new component and set its properties, the program updates the component whenever a change is measured.
EVENTS includes the Run Mode & Edit Mode for immediate changes
The user does not have to purchase a run mode program and a design mode program. Events includes both modes for immediate editing. The program can be toggled from run mode to edit mode by selecting the Edit | Run menu item, or by clicking the red square, run button. Clicking this button changes the state of the program from Edit Mode to Run Mode. When in the edit mode certain functions are disabled until you go back to the run mode. To switch back to the run mode, click the green arrow, run button.
Creating new display objects are easy. Click once on a component button in the toolbar to create a new component. A new component is centered on the active form. To change the component's properties, double click the new component to open the property form. Change the component's properties to get the look you want. When you click the update button, the new properties are applied to the component. Drag the component anywhere on the form, resize it by selecting one of it handles and dragging it. Nudge it by pressing the Ctrl Key and Arrow keys at the same time.
Click on the green triangle button to go back to the run-time mode. (the green triangle changes to a red square).
Click the red square Button to see tool bar.
In Run Mode
In Edit Mode
This program is designed to follow many of the standard Windows mouse and keyboard commands. In edit mode, copy a component by pressing Ctrl-C and paste it back by using Ctrl-V. Right click the mouse button to show a popup menu. Use Ctrl + Arrow keys to move components on the form and Shift + Arrow keys to resize existing components pixel by pixel.
A key part of this program is learning to set the component properties to reflect what you want to display. Once you have set the properties and closed the property form, the new properties are stored in the component. When the program is closed, each form saves its components and their properties.
EVENTS is a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) application. The multiple documents are the child forms or screens you create. The main window houses all the child forms in one area, keeping them together. You can tile, cascade, maximize, resize, and close the forms. Closing a form, however, only minimizes it so that the components are still updated with changes. Deleting a form deletes all its components and it's saved file also.
There are other windows that are not child forms. These windows are either running in the background or created when needed. The Communications Window is always running in the background, just hidden from view. The Data View Window is created when you want to see historical data. The ALERT or MODBUS Setup Windows, the Files & Alarm Window are always running in the background. These windows are updated with new data and alarms as they happen.
EVENTS has been designed to use a minimum amount of Windows resources while running. This will allow you to use other programs at the same time. We have had over 6 programs running at the same time with EVENTS. This includes Excel, Word, Notepad, MEW (word processing), PhotoShop, and ImageEdit. The amount of RAM in your system will affect program speed --64 Megabytes is the minimum recommended. EVENTS also runs while accessing the Internet or CompuServe at the same time.
*Events can run in Windows VISTA when you run Events in the administrator mode. Events needs to read and write files to different folder locations which requires administrative rights. We had to right click the short cut icon and select run as administrator. Then all the files loaded fine and Events was able to write to various file locations.