Handling time stamps

The Interface obtains time stamps from the OPC Alarms and Events (OPCAE) server along with the AE data. The interface adjusts the time stamps to match the time on the PI Data Archive. This is done because PI cannot store data in the future, and the PI OPCAE interface and/or the device may have a clock setting that is different from that of the PI Data Archive. The adjustments to the time stamps also correct for clock drift. The Interface attempts to get new time stamps from the PI Data Archive and the OPC AE server every 30 seconds.

Note: It is highly recommended that both machines are set to the same timezone and the same behavior for daylight savings time.

If the OPCAE server does not provide time stamps, or does not provide time stamps for all data, use the /TS command line switch (See Command-line parameters) to adjust the behavior of the Interface.

• The preferred setting is /TS=Y. This setting causes the OPCAE server to provide time stamps without adjusting them to the PI Data Archive time.

• The default setting is /TS=N. Use this setting when the OPC server cannot provide time stamps. The Interface time stamps each value as it receives it with the time stamp of the PI Data Archive.

• Using /TS=A causes the interface to adjust the timestamps to match the time on the PI Data Archive.