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Manage Multiple Controllers
WATVIEW can communicate with one controller directly connected to your computer's serial communications port using EIA-232, or multiple controllers on an EIA-485 communications network. Diagnostic features help ensure that the controllers are communicating and that data is up-to-date. Using Watlow EM Gateways WATVIEW can communicate with controllers over your ethernet network.
WATVIEW Editions
WATVIEW is available in three editions. Pick the edition with the capabilities you require. |
- WATVIEW-D, the Developer edition, has the features found in all the editions. It can be used to setup, monitor and edit the values of controller parameters, to monitor and manage alarms, manage recipes and to log and graph process data. You can also create custom screens and user variables.
- WATVIEW-R, the Runtime edition has all the Developer features except custom screen editor and the ability to view and edit the user variable spreadsheet. You can create custom overviews and user variables in the Developer edition and transfer them to one or more installations running the Runtime edition.
- WATVIEW-C, the Configurator edition, has a considerably reduced feature set. It cannot log or graph data or display or clear alarms. It is intended for controller setup, not for day-to-day operation.
Monitor and Adjust Controller Settings
Several features allow you to view and adjust your controller settings. |
- WATVIEW features Controller Setup Screens that are specifically designed for each type of controller. These screens are customizable by users of the Developer edition.
- Use the Spreadsheet Overview screen to monitor and modify parameter settings.
- The Snapshot is a record of virtually all of a controller settings in a computer file. Once you have set up your controller, make a record of the settings so that you can copy them to an another controller or restore the controller setup as needed later.
- Users of the Developer edition may use the custom overview editor to create their own screens, which become an integral part of WATVIEW. Use custom overviews to adapt WATVIEW's interface to a particular process or piece of equipment.
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Manage Alarms
Alarms may be caused by the process variable exceeding user set limits or by a sensor failure. Several features of WATVIEW allow you to monitor for alarms and customize the program's response to them. |
- The Alarm screen displays alarms generated by controllers. Using the Alarm screen, you can acknowledge any alarms.
- Whenever an alarm occurs it is logged in the event log.
- Various controller parameters determine when alarms will occur. Utilize the Spreadsheet Overview screen or the controller setup screens to enable, configure and set the limits for alarms.
- You can customize the messages that are displayed on the Alarm screen when an alarm occurs. You can also provide remediation for each alarm. This message is displayed when the user clicks the alarm message in the Alarm screen.
- The background color in the fields containing process variables indicates how high or low the value is relative to the alarm limits. You can modify the colors used to indicate the alarm level.
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Controller Specific Tools
Many unique controller features are supported by special tools specifically designed to make the controller even easier to use and more flexible. Most notably, WATVIEW supports ramp and soak controllers with the following features. |
- The F4 Profile Editor allows you to create ramp and soak profiles, verify them by graphing, and download them to the F4S or F4D controller. Since you store these profiles on your computer, you can copy the same profile into other controllers instead of having to program the same profile. While the F4 can save up to 40 profiles, WATVIEW allows you to save a virtually unlimited number on your computer hard disk.
- The F4 Profile Control allows you to start, monitor and stop profiles from your computer.
- The CLS200 and MLS300 Profile Editor allows you to create and graph profiles.
- The CLS200 and MLS300 Profile Control allows you to upload, download and operate profiles in single or multiple channels in these multi-loop controllers. You can also save various profile configurations and restore them to the controllers as needed.
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Log Process Data
Data logs are files in which the values of user-selected parameters can be saved as they are read from the controllers. The data logs are tab-delimited, text files that may be imported into spreadsheet or database programs such as Microsoft® Access and Microsoft® Excel. Any number of data logging sets can be created but often a single data logging set will do the job. For example, logging all the process temperatures every ten minutes may meet your requirements. However, if more detail is required when, one of the temperatures exceeds 200°C, you can create a second set that logs the points of interest at a greater rate.
The data logging feature is highly configurable. Include any or all of the parameters that appear in the Spreadsheet Overview screen. (By default only the parameters users typically require are selected for logging.) For each data logging set you can set the following parameters: |
- How frequently points are recorded
- The drive and folder where the log file is maintained
- Whether the same file is used for the whole day or a new file is created each time you start logging
- Prompt the user for batch information to include in the log
- Include the user login in the file (if passwords are enabled)
- Various log file name options
- Criteria for starting and stopping logging based on a parameter value
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Graph Process Data
 WATVIEW includes a powerful graphing feature. Multiple graph setups can be created, named and saved. These graph setups specify which parameters to graph, which time period and vertical axis limits to display and other graph options.
The trend plot database contains process variable values and certain other parameters for all the controllers in the system. This data is used to generate graphs on the Trend Plot screen. The data is accumulated at a user-set rate and maintained for a user-set number of days. Data can be exported from the database to a tab-delimited, text file that can be used with other programs.
Personal Webserver
WATVIEW version 2.2 includes a Webserver when used on a PC with Windows® 2000 or Windows® XP Professional with the Microsoft® Personal Webserver installed. This feature allows you to monitor and edit settings in the controller as well as set up and view trend plot graphs and view the WATVIEW event log.
Recipes
A recipe is a collection of parameter settings saved in a file. Recipes may be downloaded from the computer to one or more controllers to change the operating conditions of the system.
You can determine which parameters are stored in a recipe by creating a recipe type. A recipe type is a template for recipes, and can include parameters from one controller or several. It can even include parameters from more than one type of controller.
Use the Recipe Editor screen to create recipes. While you are editing a recipe in the editor, none of your changes will be transmitted to controllers. After you have set all the parameters, you can send them to the controllers by downloading the new recipe.
There also are two ways to download recipes automatically: |
- WATVIEW can be set to download a recipe at a certain time and day or on a regular schedule. This feature can be used to prepare a process before operators arrive, or to automate recipe changes and eliminate operator error.
- WATVIEW can be configured to download, upload or prompt the user to choose a recipe whenever it is run. It automatically downloads a recipe upon rebooting after a power failure, and can choose between two recipes based on the time it takes to restore power.
Event Log
The event log is a file containing a record of user actions, alarms, recipe downloads and other significant events that occur while WATVIEW is running. This text log file may be viewed in WATVIEW or copied and viewed in a text editor.
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Password Protection
Each menu in WATVIEW can be password protected, and you can select the permission level required for each menu item. The three levels, Operator, Engineer and Supervisor, are hierarchical. Users logged in with Supervisor permissions can access all menus and menu items. Users with Engineer permissions can access any menu or item that is protected at the Engineer or Operator level or any item that is not protected. Users with Operator permissions can access only features that are protected at the Operator level or not protected.
User Variables
A User Variable contains the results of calculations based on constants and controller parameter values. User Variables are calculated in the spreadsheet on the User Variables screen. The resulting values may be viewed on the User Variables screen or on a custom overview. User Variables are also used when a custom overview displays an animation and for the recipe download interlock found on the Recipe tab on the Preferences screen.
You can view and edit the User Variable screen only in the Developer edition of WATVIEW. You may, however, set up user variables with the Developer edition and copy them for use with the Runtime or Configurator editions.
Online Help
Extensive context-sensitive help is provided covering both the program and controller features. Press the F1 button on the keyboard or click the Help button for descriptions of items on the screen and a list of pertinent procedures.
Utilities
These features make WATVIEW a powerful and flexible tool for running your system. |
- AnaMator allows you to assemble still images (Windows® bitmap files) into animations for use with custom overviews. The utility is used in conjunction with the Developer edition's custom overview editor.
- WatPlot allows you to view a trend plot graph at the same time as working on another screen on the WATVIEW window. You can choose from any of the graphs you have saved. You can also run more than one instance of WatPlot to view one or more graphs simultaneously.
- Active X (OLE 2.0) provides an interface for other programs to access information from WATVIEW's database.
Supported Controllers
See the table below for a list of supported controllers. |
| CAS200 |
2.00 |
| CLS200 Enhanced |
3.31 |
| CLS200 Extruder |
3.31 |
| CLS200 Ramp and Soak |
3.40 (pending release) |
| CLS200 Standard |
3.31 |
| CPC400 |
1.00 |
| F4P |
3.00 |
| F4S/F4D |
2.06 |
| MICRODINTM |
1.01 |
| MLS300 Enhanced |
3.31 |
| MLS300 Extruder |
3.31 |
| MLS300 Ramp and Soak |
3.40 (pending release) |
| MLS300 Standard |
3.31 |
| Power SERIES |
1.00 |
| SERIES 96 |
1.20 |
| SERIES 96 Ramping |
1.05 |
| SERIES 97 |
1.10 |
| SERIES SD Dual Display Controller |
1.00 |
| SERIES SD Dual Display Limit |
1.00 |
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WATVIEW Demo
If you run WATVIEW without a key, the program operates in demonstration mode and will communicate with controllers for one hour only. When running in demonstration mode, WATVIEW has all the features of the Runtime edition. This is great way to try out WATVIEW and see the beneftis it can bring you. Click the WATVIEW HMI Software upgrade and demo link below to download WATVIEW right now. |
Product Information
Click on the below links for more product information. PDF documents require Adobe®
Reader®
version 7 or higher for viewing.
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| Allowing a Limited User to run WatView
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148K / 5 (PDF) |
| CAS200 User's Guide, Rev 3.0, July 2001 |
1,191K / 124 (PDF)
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| CLS200 User's Guide, Rev 2.20, November 2003
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4,713K / 251 (PDF) |
| CPC400 User's Guide, Rev 2.2, Aug. 2005 |
3,309K / 230 (PDF) |
| EM Gateway User's Manual 0600-0040-0001 Rev D |
671K / 28 (PDF) |
| MICRODIN Quick Start Guide, Communicating Subpanel Temperature Controller, ... |
313K / 24 (PDF)
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| MLS300 SERIES User's Guide, Rev 2.20, May 2003 |
4,206K / 272 (PDF) |
| SERIES F4P User's Manual, 1/4 DIN Temperature/Process Controller,Rev D, February 2003 |
1,279K / 124 (PDF) |
| SERIES F4S/D User's Manual, 1/4 DIN Ramping Controller, Rev G, April 2004 |
4,485K / 152 (PDF) |
| WATVIEW Nonconformance Notice: Temp Issue when Used with SERIES SD |
36K / 2 (PDF) |
| WATVIEW User Manual rev B; June 2004 |
3,750K / 36 (PDF) |
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Adobe® is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
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WATVIEW is the HMI (Human Machine Interface) package for Watlow and Watlow Anafaze controllers. Use WATVIEW to setup, monitor and edit the values of controller parameters, to monitor and manage alarms, manage recipes and log and graph process data.
