Random interface point configuration

The Random Simulator, an interface that is installed and configured with Data Archive, is an excellent source of test data. You can configure points to generate various types of randomized data. The default point source for this interface is "R". To list the points that the Data Archive installer creates, and to create points for the Random interface, use PI System Management Tool's Point Builder option. To configure the type of data generated for a point, set Location5. The interface can generate the following kinds of data:

• Sinusoid (Location5=0)

  Sine wave data that oscillates over a specified amplitude and period.

• Random (Location5=1)

  A signal similar to white noise, values range from 0 to 1.

• Station (Location5=2)

  Random data changes around a specified midpoint.

• Fractal (Location5=3)

  Mandelbrot Sets, which resemble process data and pink noise.

• Profile model (Location5=4)

  Data based on a Profile model for use with the PI-Profile client application.

• String (Location5=5)

  Random-length string data.

Set point attributes according to the type of data you want to generate, as described below. The following point data types are supported:

• float16

• float32

• int16

• int32

• string

• digital

Sinusoid data

To configure how the sine-wave data is to be generated, set tag attributes as follows:

• Location2: The number of cycles per day for the sine wave. For example, setting Location2 to 2 sets a period of 12 hours for the wave.

• Location3: Phase offset from midnight, in seconds. The time can be local time or UTC-based. To specify a UTC based time, Location2 is set to a negative number whose absolute value signifies cycles per day.

• Span: The maximum value to be generated

• Zero: The minimum value of the wave

Random data

To configure the random data to be generated, set tag attributes as follows:

• Location2: Limits the amount of change between each value, specified as thousandths of Span

• Span: The range of values to be generated

• Scale: Optional scale factor by which the generated value is multiplied

Station data

Stationary random values are useful for experimenting with SQC (statistical quality control) analysis. By default, the midpoint is (Zero + Span)/2. To periodically reset the midpoint, set Location3 to the desired frequency of reset.

• Span: Maximum amount of excursion

• Zero: Minimum value

• Location3: (Optional) Number of values to generate before the midpoint is reset to the current value

Fractal data

Mandelbrot sets resemble pink noise and are useful for simulating process trends. Set Location2 to the scale factor for change size (rate) in units of 0.001 of Span. The default scale factor is 25.

Profile model data

To simulate data based on a Profile model for use with the PI-Profile client application, set tag attributes as follows.

• Location1: Profile model number (0,1,2,…,9). This attribute corresponds to a paper machine.

• Location2: Attribute array number (0,1,2,…,9). This attribute corresponds to an attribute of a paper machine.

• Location3: The model point type. The following types are supported:

  • 1 Reel Number Tag (integer)

  • 2 Elapsed Distance Tag (real)

  • 3 Grade Tag (digital)

  • 4 HiHi Limit Tag (integer or real)

  • 5 Hi Limit Tag (integer or real)

  • 6 Target Limit Tag (integer or real)

  • 7 Lo Limit Tag (integer or real)

  • 8 LoLo Limit Tag (ineger or real)

  • 9 Attribute Array Tag (integer or real)

  • 10 Defect Type (digital)

  • 11 Defect MD start (real)

  • 12 Defect MD length (real)

  • 13 Defect CD start (real)

  • 14 Defect CD width (real)

• ExDesc: In conjunction with the Location3 attribute, configures characteristics of the model point type.

  • Loc3=1: The MinReelTime, MaxReelTime, and ResetTime (in seconds). Default values are 1800,3600,23400.

  • Loc3=2: Machine Speed (in distance/minute). The default value is 50.0.

  • Loc3=3: Not used

  • Loc3=4-8: LoValue, HiValue

  • Loc3=9: If ExDesc is not blank, the tag will always have bad data.

  • Loc3=10: Defect frequency per scan (0.0 – 1.0). The default value is 0.02.

  • Loc3=11: Not used

  • Loc3=12: DefectMinLen, DefectMaxLen (in % of machine speed). Default values are 0.5 and 10.0.

  • Loc3=13: Machine Width. Default value is 30.0

  • Loc3=1:4 DefectMinWidth, DefectMaxWidth (in % of width). Default values are 0.01 and 0.05.

String

The interface generate strings with lengths that vary between the minimum and the maximum configured for the tag. Zero-length strings are supported. The string contains ASCII alphabetical characters in order from A-Y followed by a-y, repeating as necessary. For example:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYabcdefghijklmopqrstuvwxyABCDEFGHIJ

Set tag attributes as follows:

• Location2: Minimum length of the string, 0 or greater.

• Location3: Maximum length of the string (max 976).