Instruction manual

Instruction Manual
760006-A
September 2001
11-26 Appendices Rosemount Analytical Inc. A Division of Emerson Process Management
Model NGA 2000 Platform
11-2 EXCEL-BASED PC INTERFACE
Excel-Based PC Interface Description
NGA 2000 PC Interface packages consist of
software and hardware elements that allow
communication between NGA 2000 compo-
nents and a personal computer (PC). These
packages allow the user bi-directional or read-
only communication with commercially avail-
able software or Rosemount operating soft-
ware for the PC Workstation package.
The Excel-based PC Interface is a package
that uses Microsoft Corporation's Excel
spreadsheet software for its interface func-
tionality. It has bi-directional capabilities (i.e.,
it can place as well as read data on the net-
work).
The PC Interface addresses the network
through the network port (the I/O panel la-
beled LON MODULE, which is usually located
in the I/O slot nearest to the Analyzer module
opening in the Platform's back panel), and
achieve data transfer through Echelon's
LONWORKS communication protocol.
PC Interfaces have access to all network vari-
ables. Due to its bi-directional nature and
based on the power of the Excel software, the
Excel-based PC Interface can carry out many
standard I/O Module functions like setting
alarms and triggering calibration functions.
Through Excel’s functionality, you can create
custom screens that display data in groupings
specific to your application.
Excel-Based PC Interface General Re-
quirements
PC Interface Packages support operation of
the complete line of NGA 2000 products in-
cluding all of the Analyzer modules, and it
also allows reading of Platform and I/O mod-
ule variables.
It does not support operation with non-
Rosemount Echelon based devices; however
the Rosemount DDE server itself does emu-
late the operation of the Echelon DDE server,
allowing upgrading systems designed around
the latter.
Excel-Based PC Interface Software Re-
quirements
PC Interfaces require Microsoft MS-DOS V5.0
or higher, Windows V3.1 or 95, and Excel
V5.0 (all supplied by customer). Note it does
NOT support Windows NT™!
PC Interfaces also require the Rosemount
DDE Server driver software, the Serial
LONTALK Adapter (SLTA) driver (or the sin-
gle channel PCLTA and driver) (all supplied
by Rosemount Analytical).
Excel-Based PC Interface Hardware Re-
quirements
The minimum PC hardware required to sup-
port this package consists of an IBM compati-
ble, Pentium PC with 32 MB RAM, a 4 GB
hard drive (all supplied by customer) and one
available COM port. For optimal performance,
64 MB RAM and 6 GB of hard drive space is
preferable. PC Interface software occupies up
to 10 MB of hard drive space. Lengthy Excel
logging spreadsheets can easily occupy many
tens of megabytes.
The LONWORKS gateway hardware is an
Echelon Model 73000 Serial LONTALK
Adapter (SLTA). This device provides com-
munications between the NGA 2000 digital
network to the PC.
An alternative device is the Echelon PCLTA
ISA bus internal LONWORKS adapter.
A router device, the Echelon Model 71000
Router, is required when more than one NGA
2000 Platform is interfaced to a single PC
(one router for each Platform). This will elimi-
nate conflicts with node assignments between
Analyzer modules and their respective Plat-
forms. This device requires the use of some
specialized software which is available from
Rosemount (MAKE_API.EXE and
SET_LOCN.EXE).