1. PVSS an industrial tool for slow control
SCADA
What is PVSS
Inside PVSS
Data base structure
Focus on main features
JCOP framework
Example Lhcb
Cost for KM3
Conclusion
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

2. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
What is SCADA ?
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system
Used in industrial and engineering applications for monitoring and control of distributed systems from a master location
Focus on supervising
Purely software package that is positioned on top of hardware to which it interfaces.
Rely on various functionality, scalability, performance and openness
Alternative to “in-house” developed packages, even for very demanding and complex control systems as those of physics experiments
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

3. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
What is PVSS ?
PVSS II is one of the existing industrial SCADA applications, produced by the Austrian company ETM.
PVSS can connect to hardware (or software) devices, acquire the data they produce and use it for their supervision
Can monitor devices’ behaviour, initialize, configure and operate them
PVSS can run in a distributed manner
as one single system
as various interconnected systems
Has multi-platform support (Linux and Windows).
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

4. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
Inside PVSS(1)
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

5. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
Inside PVSS(2)
The Event Manager (EVM) – Communications. Receives data from any Drivers (D) and stores it in the data base.
The Data Base Manager (DBM) – Interface to the (run-time) data base.
User Interface Managers (UIM) – Built in Graphical User Interfaces to monitor and control experiment.
Ctrl Managers (Ctrl) – Data processing as “background” processes, by running a scripting language. This language is like “C” with extensions.
API Managers (API) – External C++ access using a PVSS API
Drivers (D) – Interface to the devices. PVSS provides drivers like Profibus, OPC, etc. DIM interface exists.
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

6. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
Distribution
A PVSS System is an application containing one DB Manager and one Event Manager and any number of Drivers, User Interfaces, etc.
Managers can run across different machines this is called a PVSS Scattered System
For very large applications, a PVSS Distributed System can be used.
Add a Distribution Manager (Dist) to each system. Hundreds of systems can be connected in this way.
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

7. Database Structure – The Datapoint Concept Data Point Type
Device data in the PVSS DB (Oracle) is structured as, so called, DataPoints (DP) of a pre-defined DataPoint Type (DPT)
A DPT describes the data structure of the device
DPT structure is user definable, may be complex and hierarchical
Example: DPT of a simple HV channel. set of read (readings) and write (settings) parameters, and associated display information
May define archive, reading way, normalization, alarm handling
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

8. Database Structure – The Datapoint Concept Data Point
DPT -> data structure of the device DP -> instance of such a device.
From 1 DPT, user can create lots of DPs in some clicks, internal DB structure is then created.
Reading devices are time triggered or by a callback function when value changed
Creation and modification of DPTs and DPs done using the Graphical Parametrization tool, or programmatically using ctrl scripts.
Ex: DPE access Channel1.readings.vMon
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

9. Building user interfaces
With the Graphical Editor, design the static part of the GUI
Example of GUI
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

10. Using control scripts, Ctrl language
PVSS Ctrl is the reference language of PVSS (C like)
Ctrl scripts can be used in panels or as stand-alone processes
Provides
- the interface to the PVSS database
- functions for datapoint manipulation, for graphics, for file acces, etc...  
- a large library of functions giving access to all PVSS functionality
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

11. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
Accessing devices
- Through OPC: provided by manufacturer, complex to develop
- Using DIM: We should have access to devices through ethernet
DIM is a client/server protocol
The server part will be written by the equipment expert (light: 20 Kb)
Since DIM services can be structures, correspondence can be made between a DIM service and a full DP, graphically or by using control scripts.
DIM
DNS
Subscribe
Service
Publish
PVSS
Client DP
DIM
server
Service
Get data
Data
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

12. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
FSM
PVSS has a powerful scripting language “Ctrl”
But no customised tools for FSM modelling abstract behaviour
For automation and error recovery, SMI++ (an FSM language) was introduced
Lower level devices are modelled using PVSS, and the higher level, logical devices, are modelled using SMI++
Used for alarm handling, initialize, configure
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

13. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
Managing alerts
Based on industrial standards: DIN 3699 and DIN 19235
Alerts thresholds are defined at low level (DPT alert_hdl)
Alerts are centralized in a unique alert panel: Alert Event Screen
Definition of alert classes allows to program the behaviour:
- acknowledge,
- mask
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

14. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
The JCOP framework
JCOP framework is an additionnal layer HEP oriented
Developed for the 4 LHC experiments, contributions from the experiments and the CERN IT/CO group
A set of guidelines and tools to reduce PVSS developers effort
Includes templates, standard elements and functions to reduce the necessary knowledge
OPC and DIM servers, visualization, plot tools
CAEN and ISEG supplies, WIENER crates and Atlas ELMB completly integrated
For us, everything is not needed but it seems necessary to use this package and collaborate
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

15. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
An example: LHCB
PVSS used for DCS, also for acquisition conf (HLT 50 machines)
150 machines: 100 Linux, 50 windows
Manage 300 Ksensors -> 12 M DPEs (registers)
Use of OPC and DIM for home made systems (2500 DIM servers)
Manpower: 1 coord, 1 for DB, 1 per subdetector
For KM3:
More confortable, symetric subdetectors
15 sensors per floor: temp, humidity, pressure, LV, HV, ...
2000 floors -> 30 Ksensors -> 1.2 M DPEs
15 machines could be needed
1 person beginning
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

16. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
What could be the cost ?
Arrange with ETM for licensing
Through CERN:
- large project CHF
- 3 to 10 PVSS servers, unlimited number of IOs, 15 clients, 3 to 10 Distribution managers, RDB manager, all standard drivers
- use JCOP framework, have JCOP framework support
- must participate
KM3 is not yet a recognized CERN experiment, Antares is
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron

17. Km3net Paris Michel Ageron
Conclusion
Widely used in the industrial world, airports, metropolitan, the 4 LHC expertiments, etc... PVSS is able to cope with our needs:
Scalability, no limit
Device description (configuration database)
Device access (DIM), read devices “when needed“
Logging, archiving, trending and possibly configuring
User interface builder
Alarm handling (generation, filtering, summarizing, masking)
Normalize values
Robustness: use of Redundancy Manager
Interface to other systems (DAQ)
Easy to use for operators
2009 feb 23-24
Km3net Paris Michel Ageron