OAProfessor

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toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-21T15:30:41+00:00

Topic List Alert Screen no Popup Alert Filtering A&E Internal DPs ASCII File Editing Auto Login Backup Info Backup Versions Better Simulators Stylesheet Checkbox Desktop UI Only Events Desktop UI Redundant Delete Old Log Files English as Default Enter Key vs. Mouse Login root issues Log Viewer HotLinks Master Data Point Backdoor OA Tool for System() Panel Name Extensions Paths and Symbolics Popup Message Box PostgreSQL Backup Email from OA Shutdown UPS logic UI Start on…

postgresql_backup - created

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-21T15:28:12+00:00

There is a backup tab in the NGA configuration for the database of your choice. But, this backup works only if the database is being managed by WinCC OA (i.e. started and stopped with each run of the project, not a service). Many customers do not want their database managed this way, they want to run the database as a service as expected and put the files on secondary drives or even on remote drives.

graphics_ui_only_events - created

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2025-07-08T17:45:09+00:00

Most of the time the events created by the change of a DPE are enough for most designs. There are some interesting features that allow you to create an event that only the UI you are using will see. Here is the scenario: You need to display output fields in the units (english vs. metric) that the user selects. You can imagine that the user would have some toggle button on a topology page like the info or navi page. If the user toggles this button, then all of the output fields on the page w…

dp_fct_expressions

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-04-19T18:52:30+00:00

The dp_fct config for a data point element is a slick way to create calculated tags without scripting. The most common use case for this is to average some sensor values to get an overall value. Let's take this example: you have a chilled tank with 3 sensor values for the temperature. You really want the overall tank temperature, but over time the tank will have different temps at the sensors. A good way to get a better feel for the tank overall temperature is the average of the temps: tan…

popupmessagebox

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2023-03-14T14:32:13+00:00

Don't make your own message popup panels for your project, use the ones that are already made. Sadly, they are hidden in help. Search in the help system for “Standard dialogs” to find the discussion on these very useful popups. You then use the button wizard and it creates the code like:

autologinpanel

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-08-11T16:41:19+00:00

NOTE: this method does not appear to work when using -ssa on 3.17+ Some use cases have the OA client auto start to a user which has limited security privileges. In these cases, the UI should start without a login dialog, but auto login with a “safe

backupyourbackups

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2022-08-03T13:46:26+00:00

Sometimes we make some fun subroutines. Here is a control manager script that takes the backup folder that OA makes (if you set it up) and makes a copy every day so you have 365 versions of your project somewhere. It then will reuse the folder name for next year.

shutdown

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2021-12-29T20:41:00+00:00

SCADA systems are usually run 7x24x365. There are some cases when we want to shutdown a project and maybe even the computer. I encountered this case for a system running on a big UPS. Unlike the home UPS, this system had _address config DPE that told us 2 things, first was when we were running on battery, and secondly, when the battery was getting low.

startasserviceui

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2021-12-10T22:07:16+00:00

The help has very nice documentation on starting OA as a service on either Windows or Linux. see: help->Installation->Windows->WinCC OA as service The concept is this, setup pmon as a service, and he will start all of the managers you have specified.

masterdpbackdoor

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2021-11-02T14:43:58+00:00

Master data points are a key feature which makes WinCC OA a powerful object oriented modeling tool. The ability to create a template and reuse it to ensure consistency is very important for large complex projects. From time to time, I have seen situations where the _mp_ master data point forgets configs. I don't know why or when this happens, but it happens. Sometimes, we want to add or adjust a master data point without having the system make any changes to all of your instances. For these…

dp_fct.png - created

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2020-01-02T17:21:58+00:00

enterkey.png - created

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-11-25T23:15:04+00:00

backupversions.ctl - created

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-11-25T22:58:30+00:00

autologin315.pnl - removed

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-11-25T15:02:06+00:00

login_standard.pnl - removed

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-11-25T15:00:02+00:00

login.pnl - removed

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-11-25T14:59:59+00:00

autologin.zip - created

toddmalone (toddmalone@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-11-25T14:59:46+00:00