Templates/DP lists, basics

Templates/DP lists in the context of WinCC OA mass configuration are ASCII files created in V 3 resp. V4 format. The format in the ASCII Manager defines the structure of the file when exported from the database. The user can choose which format should be used when exporting a template/DP list.

If you resize the PARA module and then select a datapoint type the whole selected line is marked blue and no templates or DP lists (V3/V4) can be created for all datapoint types. If you want to create templates or DP lists for all datapoint types, restart the PARA module.

Features of a template and a DP list:

• Template: A master datapoint is provided with PowerConfigs. A template is created in the PARA module and involves the generation of an ASCII file. This file contains the master datapoint (format V 3) resp. the single elements of the master datapoint (format V 4) in one line, with the associated dynamic attributes divided into columns (there are no fixed attributes in the file when a template is exported). There is one template for each datapoint type when generating with the format V 3. In the format V 4 several different types of datapoints can be contained in the file.

• DP list: A DP list has exactly the same structure as a template (in consideration of the chosen format when exporting). A DP list can be generated as follows:

  1. Enter data in a generated template (create a a new line for each datapoint and set the parameters of the dynamic attributes). Importing the edited file creates the new DPs with the values defined for the dynamic attributes.

  2. If pre-configured datapoints containing PowerConfigs already exist in the system for a datapoint type, then a DP list can be exported from the PARA module. Thus is useful for documentation purposes.

Features of formats V 3 and V 4:

• V 3 (1 datapoint per line): When exporting with this format, a datapoint per line is saved into the file. The dynamic attributes on the single elements of the datapoint are divided into columns (fixed attributes are not taken into account in the file). The number of columns in the file is not restricted because a datapoint can show several elements. Datapoints with specific configurations can be created or deleted in the PowerConfigs with this format.

• V 4 (1 datapoint element per line): There are three essential differences between the format V 4 and V 3. The format V 4 can be used clever when creating a project where a datapoint list from a PLC programmer is available (structure is similar to that of the datapoint list). When exporting this format a data point per line is saved in the file. The dynamic attributes on the single elements of the datapoint are divided into columns (fixed attributes are not taken into account in the file). Also configs that are not configured (OPC addresses, smoothing) are exported. There is a difference between V 4 and V 3 in the limitation of the column number. This means that the maximum possible number of columns in the file is identical to the dynamic attributes of PowerConfigs defined in WinCC OA. In order to prevent inconsistency in the system when importing a modified template/DP list in format V 4, no datapoint elements can be deleted. Furthermore the changeable values of dynamic attributes are displayed via comment columns.

The templates/DP lists can be edited in an Editor or using Excel (see also Excel tools, basics). They provide another option for integrating a large number of pre-configured datapoints in a project. The following pages (Creating a template, Creating a DP list) contain examples of working with templates/DP lists and different formats.

The PARA module is used for generating these ASCII files. The files are saved by default with the extension .ascii in the directory <proj_path>/dplist. The ASCII Manager in WinCC OA is used for exporting and importing the files. The ASCII Manager chapter contains more information on the ASCII Manager. The maximum file size of WinCC OA DB-exports in format V 4 is 65000 lines due to a restriction of the MS Excel import function. In order to get all the data exported, WCCOAascii creates multiple files inserting a sequence number in the output file name, for example, instead of a single file "DP.ascii" multiple files named "DP_1.ascii", "DP_2.ascii" ... are created.