ProtoLink developed a data collection and reporting system for the purpose of
monitoring the performance of high-speed packaging-machines used in food
processing plants. A primary system requirement stated that the system must
provide flexibility with regard to ever-changing machine types and tag lists.
ProtoLink addressed the client's requirements by developing a Packaging Machine
Monitor system consisting of a relational database and two client applications:
a data collection service and a configuration/reporting utility. The database
consists of roughly fifteen tables and associated stored procedures. It serves
the dual purposes of describing the packaging machine types and plant
configurations as well as holding the collected data.
The data collection service, which we implemented in C++, queries the database
for plant configuration information on startup. On a periodic basis, it reads
statistics of interest from the packaging machines through one or more OPC
servers located throughout the plant network. The service then logs the
collected data to the database.
The configuration and reporting application exposes several dialog boxes which
allow authorized users to configure the system for a given plant. This
application, which was also implemented in C++, provides on-screen and
hard-copy reports covering configurable time periods. The report formats are
data driven, so authorized administrators can modify the reports by simply
editing the relevant tables in the database.
