Step 2.2. Enter Device Point Advanced General Properties

The available selections on the General tab depend on what point type you are configuring. The following procedure begins with entries for any point type and continues through entries for the analog/Boolean point types only.

General choices you can make to add to your device point's configuration are as follows.

1 Resource ID.
2 Enable point, Enable alarm, Enable Enterprise.
3 (Analog and Boolean points only) Trend history.
4 Log to database.
5 Log to Historian
6 Safety point
7 Availability trigger
8 Invert
9 Attribute set
10 Extra info
11 Level
1 Resource ID

Users who have the selected Resource ID assigned to their Role ID will be able to see any alarms generated for this point on their Alarm Viewer screens.

Opens the Select a Resource browser to select an available resource.
Displays a Popup menu to:
  • Open
    • The Select a Resource browser.
    • A New Resource dialog box.
    • The Resource dialog box for a selected resource
  • Select a recently selected resource.
2 Enable point, Enable alarm, Enable Enterprise

Check boxes do the following.

Check Box Description
Enable Point Enables the point at runtime.
Enable Alarm Enables the point's alarm.
Enable Enterprise Allows data to be exported to the Enterprise server so it will be available to other projects.
Important:
  • Point buffering is not supported for Enterprise Server points.
  • To see the alarms in the local project when enterprise point alarms are being collected, configure the:
    • Same resources in the local project that are configured for the point's source project.
    • Local resources to be visible to the local project's authorized users.
3 (Analog and Boolean points only) Trend History
Options Description
Max Duration (Checked box activates fields.) The amount of most recent time to be saved.

Select one of the following:

Seconds

Minutes

Hours

Days
Max samples (Checked box activates field.)
  • The number of n values to be saved.
  • Takes precedence over Max Duration in determining the number of values saved in the buffer.
Point buffering lets you allocate a buffer for a point and save a number of the most recent values. This feature is currently being supported only for the Trending option. 
Example
Max Duration 1 minute. The buffer contains the 12 most recent values for ABC at any given time.
Max Count 10. The buffer contains the 10 most recent values (that is, the values for the last 50 seconds).
Max Duration and   Max Count The buffer contains the 10 most recent values.
Note: A global parameter MAX_TREND_BUF is available to specify the maximum number of point values a point buffers for Trending.

The lesser of MAX_TREND_BUF and the Trend History of the point determine the ceiling of buffered values.

When MAX_TREND_BUF is not configured it uses the default value of 200.

4 Log to database
Note: The Log to database checkbox displays only if Database Logger is enabled on the General tab in the Project Properties dialog box.

When checked, logs data to the default CIMPLICITY DATA_LOG. You can apply more specifications in the Database Logger.

Setting a point value can require authorization that produces an audit trail.

5 Log to Historian
Note:

The Log to Historian checkbox displays only if Historian is installed/licensed and is enabled on the General tab in the Project Properties dialog box.

When checked, logs data to Historian.

6 Safety Point

Digital or analog (not REAL)

The safety point status controls whether or not a setpoint is permitted.

Buttons for the field do the following.

Opens the Select a Point browser to select an available point.
Displays a Popup menu to:
  • Open:
    • The Select a Point browser.
    • A New Point dialog box.
    • The Point Properties dialog box for a selected point.
  • Select a recently selected point.
7 Availability Trigger

Digital or analog

Determines the validity of the point you are configuring and provides a "device healthy" signal for points that are tied to intermediate devices during runtime.

Buttons for the field do the following.

Opens the Select a Point browser to select an available point.
Displays a Point Popup menu.
8 Invert

Check or leave blank based on the desired behavior, as described below.

At runtime if: Invert is Not Checked Invert is Checked
Availability Trigger Configured Point is Configured Point is
Evaluates to a non-zero value: Available Unavailable
Evaluates to zero: Unavailable Available
Is Unavailable: Unavailable
Max Count 10  the buffer contains the 10 most recent values (that is, the values for the last 50 seconds).
Max Duration and   Max Count The buffer contains the 10 most recent values.
9 Attribute Set

Sets of point attributes that use up to 32 bits each out of 64 available bits and can be applied to one or more points in a project.

All of the attribute fields in the selected attribute set will be available to associate with the point in any expression that takes a Point ID.

Opens the Select Attribute Sets browser to select an available attribute set.
Displays a Popup menu to:
  • Open:
    • The Select Attribute Sets browser.
    • A New Attribute Set dialog box.
    • The Attribute Set dialog box for a selected attribute set.
  • Select a recently selected attribute set.
10 Extra info

Any 32 bit number you want to enter.

You can access it as a point attribute and do with it what you want.

11 Level

A positive or negative number.

  • Specifies a security level for the point to restrict setpoint access; the higher the number, the more restricted the setpoint access.
  • Level security affects all writable attributes of the point, e.g. alarm limits, quality attributes and raw value.