Agentilo: A modular visualisation software
The Agentilo visualisation is a package of several WINDOWS applications with similar user interface for the visualisation, control and surveillance of technical processes. It is particularly used in the area of building, home and industry automation with the European Installation Bus KNX (formerly EIB) and OPC. The current Agentilo version is 2.2.
The system offers process images to overview and control technical processes over a network, including data archives, an alarm management system, email notifications, et cetera. Moreover, it can be used as an automatic controller, automatically responding to events in the technical processes or influencing the technical processes based on a time schedule. The time schedule can be defined with the help of a calendar application. It is based on day programs which are assigned to week days or special days, i.e. holidays, maintained and calculated by the calendar application. The automatic behaviour can be configured by means of 'virtual devices' which are defined with the help of the drag & drop function. This is the easiest and preferred way to define automatic behaviour. However, the system also comprises an integrated development environment for basic scripts, similar to Microsoft’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
Other functions relate for instance to the user administration, with rights assigned to user groups, and the secured logbook.
The Agentilo system comprises a direct connection to the KNX bus via a KNX editor, which also helps to put KNX into operation and to keep KNX communication under surveillance. As an option, an OPC client application is available which allows to connect to various other technical processes.
Goals
This whole set of functionality has been developed with ease of use and comfort as primary concerns.
- Ease of use and comfort
The primary concern for the development of the Agentilo system has been ease of use for all phases of the project: planning, initial operation, regular operation, maintenance.
Different function modules with each a clear structure allow to focus on the respective task: configuration editors for process interfaces, editors for process logic, editor and player for process images, calendar program, system control. The function modules share one unique philosophy regarding the user interface which complies with modern WINDOWS standards: a user familiar with one function module will easily feel familiar with other function modules as well.
This consequence in the user interface is an important tool to achieve simplicity. Another essential element that makes for ease of use is the application of context sensitive tools, which always assist the user by providing them information and functions according to the current operation they are performing. Modern office programs have a quite simple subject compared to technical process control which is more complex and therefore requires even better user interfaces in order to achieve the same ease of use. For this reason, we give first priority to the user interface.
- Flexibility for changing needs
The second important goal is to achieve flexibility in order to meet the very different practical needs in process control. These needs do not only derive from different properties of the technical system in terms of devices and different ways of communication, but also from different intentions and business models on how to use the technical system. That is why this system has been developed as an open system, which can easily integrate more function modules in the future, when desired. In particular, we do not expect the user to program the system with a programming language, though this possibility is provided. In fact, common tasks should be configured easily, via drag & drop whenever reasonable.
Logical system structure of a modular system
The different applications of theAgentilo package are organized in three levels.
- Level of process interfaces (applications marked with blue colour):
The subject of this level is to configure and to observe the connection to technical processes in terms of devices and communication with devices. In order to set up the interface to a technical process, knowledge of these devices and their means of communication is required. The result is the ready-configured process interface, which is maintained as a process interface project, i.e. an agentilo® KNX project or an Agentilo OPC project.
Each process interface project forms a layer between the actual technical system with its devices at one hand and more application-oriented function modules at the other hand, which move the focus from technical details of the actual devices toward logical relations and finally the presentation of certain aspects via process images.
- Level of logical process models (applications marked with green colour):
Whereas the process interfaces implement access to connected devices, the logical process model describes the desired functionality based on parameters given by these devices. At this level, additional parameters may be defined and automatic control functions may be set up to supplement the devices behaviour. For example, the process interface may provide access to a room’s temperature and heating control, the logical process model will define archives of the temperatures, measured over a time period, and relate the desired room’s temperature to the occupancy state, perhaps planned in a calendar, by setting the control value for the heating device.
Several process interfaces may be combined in one logical process model. This is also the level to define alarm and warning ranges for parameters and to set up the alarm behaviour, which may comprise sending notifications via email.
- Application level (applications marked with yellow colour):
The application level comprises views to the logical process model. These are for example process images, which provide a means to overview and control certain aspects of the system, as well as the calendar program.
Access to these different levels and to certain functions are controlled by user rights. The users, as well as other general settings for the Agentilo system, are defined in the Agentilo control panel. The control panel provides access to all function modules of the Agentilo system.