Configure the log settings for the Output window

Configure the log settings for the Output window to select exactly which types of messages are included in the log.

By default, the log shows only debugging and error messages — that is, messages which indicate your project is not running properly. If the log showed all possible messages generated during project run time, it would quickly overflow and become unusable. Configuring these log settings allows you to select the types of log messages that you want to include in the log.

To configure the log settings for the Output window:

1. Right-click anywhere in the Studio Output windowLogWin tab, then choose Settings on the shortcut menu.

   The Log Settings dialog box is displayed with the Log Options tab selected. None of these options are enabled by default.

   

2. In the Log Options tab of the dialog box, select the types of log messages that you want to include in the log.

   Option	Description
   Field Read Commands	Show any read commands that are sent to connected devices.
   Field Write Commands	Show any write commands that are sent to connected devices.
   Protocol Analyzer	Show messages generated by configured device drivers.
   OPC UA	Show messages generated by the OPC UA Client Runtime task.
   OPC UA Server	Show messages generated by the OPC UA Server Runtime task.
   Authentication	Display a message whenever a user logs on or logs out. (For more information, see Security System.)
   Trace Messages	Show messages generated by the Trace function. This function is used to generate customized messages from within your project.
   Database Messages	Show messages generated by communication with external databases and AVEVA Historian through the Database Gateway. Historian connection messages appear only when Database logging is enabled in the runtime log settings.
   Recipe/Report	Show messages generated by the execution of Recipe and Report worksheets.
   Display Open/Close	Display detailed information whenever a screen is opened or closed: Disk Load Time: Time to load the screen file from the disk into memory. Open Time: Time to open the screen, including initializing tags used in the screen and running any "OnOpen" scripts or functions. Total Load Time: Total time to load the screen (includes Disk Load Time and Open Time above). First Draw Time: Time to first drawing of screen objects. First OnWhile Time: Time to first running of any "OnWhile" scripts or functions. Total Open Time: Total time to open the screen (includes First Draw Time and First OnWhile Time above). Close Time: Time to close the screen, including finalizing tags used in the screen and running any "OnClose" scripts or functions. Total Close Time: Total time to close the screen, including the time to close the screen file on the disk. This information can be used to analyze runtime performance on low-end target systems. If a particular step of opening or closing takes an unusually long time, then it can be identified and redesigned.
   TCP/IP Messages	Show messages generated by TCP/IP communications.
   Mobile Access/IoT View	Show messages generated by Mobile Access and IoT View.
   Insert date/time	Timestamp each message.
   Log To File

3. If you selected OPC UA, you need to specify exactly which types of messages from the OPC communication stack should be included in the log. Click the browse button to the right of the selected option in order to open the OPC Log Settings dialog box, and then use it to select the types of messages you want to include.

   Each OPC communication stack has its own settings, but the descriptions of the settings are the same for all. The example messages below are for OPC UA.

   

   Option	Description
   Read	Enable trace messages on read operations. Examples of messages: OPC UA: Read Group 1 Started – OK OPC UA: Read Group 1 Completed – OK OPC UA: Read Group 25 Started – Error, asynchronous reading pending for the current group
   Write	Enable trace messages on write operations. Examples of messages: OPC UA: Write Group 1 Started [Line 1 = 10.25, Line 42 = 20.45] – Status OK OPC UA: Write Group 1 Completed [All Items] – Status OK
   Connection	Enable trace messages on changes in connection status between the OPC Client (that is, your project) and the OPC Server. Examples of messages: OPC UA: Connection established with server "Connection1" OPC UA: Error to connect to server "Connection2" – Time out waiting for server response
   Subscription	Enable trace messages on subscriptions to server items, such as the creation of new subscriptions and changes in data type. Examples of messages: OPC UA: Group 1 => Subscription created

   You also need to select the level of verbosity for OPC messages.

   Option	Description
   Error	Critical issues that have caused the OPC communication to fail. These issues must be resolved before you can resume communication.
   Warning	Non-critical issues that affect runtime performance or might cause the OPC communication to fail under other conditions. These issues should be resolved as soon as possible. Includes Error above.
   Information	All messages generated by the OPC communication. This is the default option. Please note this can be extremely verbose, depending on which type(s) of messages you have selected to display and how many OPC item subscriptions you have created. Includes Error and Warning above.

   When you are done, click OK to save the settings and close the dialog box.

4. If you selected OPC UA Server, you need to specify exactly which types of messages from the OPC UA Server Runtime task should be included in the log. Click the browse button to the right of the selected option in order to open the OPC UA Server dialog box, and then use it to select the types of messages you want to include.

   

   Note: These settings are for the runtime task only. They are separate from the trace messages generated by the OPC UA communication stack. For more information, see How to manage OPC UA Server during project run time.

   When you are done, click OK to save the settings and close the dialog box.

5. Use the OPC UA Server dialog box to select the types of messages that you want to include in the log.

   Each OPC communication stack has its own settings, but the descriptions of the settings are the same for all. The example messages below are for OPC UA.

   You also need to select the level of verbosity for OPC messages.

   Option	Description
   Error	Critical issues that have caused the OPC communication to fail. These issues must be resolved before you can resume communication.
   Warning	Non-critical issues that affect runtime performance or might cause the OPC communication to fail under other conditions. These issues should be resolved as soon as possible. Includes Error above.
   Information	All messages generated by the OPC communication. This is the default option. Please note this can be extremely verbose, depending on which type(s) of messages you have selected to display and how many OPC item subscriptions you have created. Includes Error and Warning above.

   When you are done, click OK to save the settings for the selected OPC task and close the dialog box.

6. If you selected Mobile Access/IoT View, you will specify which types of messages from the Mobile Access Runtime task or the IoT View runtime should be included in the log. Click the browse button to the right of the selected option in order to open the Mobile Access dialog box, and then use it to select the types of messages you want to include.

   

   By default, only error messages — that is, messages about critical issues that have caused Mobile Access to fail — are included in the log. For more information about the available options, see Use the activity log to troubleshoot the Mobile Access web interface.

   When you are done, click OK to save the settings and close the dialog box.

7. If you want to log every change in the values of specific project tags, do the following:

   1. In the Log Settings dialog box, click the Log Tags tab.

      The tab is displayed.

      

   2. Click Add.

      The Object Finder is displayed.

   3. Use the Object Finder to select the project tag that you want to log, and then click OK.

      You can also log changes in tag properties. For more information, see Reference a tag property instead of a project tag.

      The selected tag is added to the log.

   4. Repeat as needed for each project tag that you want to log.

8. Click OK to save your settings and close the Log Settings dialog box.