Internal Data points of the Channel Manager

There are four internal data point types for the Channel Manager:

_ChannelManager - sends commands to the Channel Manager and contains information about the number of active/inactive/inbound/outbound/failed channels.
_ChannelManager_Channel - contains the configuration settings for each channel.
_ChannelManager_CommunicationSettings - contains elements that are used to send AT commands to a modem in case of a connect or disconnect.
_ChannelManager_Device - the Channel Manager has its own device data points. In these data points the information that the Channel Manager needs to know about a device is stored. Furthermore the Channel Manager writes its own data for the devices into these data points. A device data point for the Channel Manager is created automatically when the Dynamic Logic device is added via the configuration panel. When the Dynamic Logic device data point is called "_DL1", then the Channel Manager device data point is called “_devDL1”.

_ChannelManager

Data point element	Data Type	Description
Command.Object	string	Used to send a command to the Channel Manager. See also information beneath this table.
Command.Command	string	Used to send a command to the Channel Manager. See also information beneath this table.
Status.NumActiveChannels	uint	Number of configured active channels.
Status.NumInactiveChannels	uint	Number of configured inactive channels.
Status.NumUsedInbound	uint	Number of currently used inbound channels.
Status.NumUsedOutbound	uint	Number of currently used outbound channels.
Status.NumFailure	uint	Number of channels that currently have a failure and cannot be used.

The data point elements Command.Object and Command.Command are used to send a command to the Channel Manager. They must be written in one dpSet(). Possible values are:

Command.Object	Command.Command
Name of device	RESETDEVICE
Name of channel	RESETCHANNEL
Name of channel or device	RESETSTATISTICS
Tell Channel Manager to connect to a device	CONNECTDEVICE
Tell Channel Manager to connect to a device for a longer period	CONNECTDEVICEPERMANENT

_ChannelManager_Channel

Data point element	Data Type	Description
Settings.Type	string	Connection type: COM or MODEM. All available types are read from the config file [channelmanager] section (see dll config entry). COM is used for a direct RS232 connection.
Settings.OutOfService	bool	If the channel is set to "out of service" (TRUE), then the channel is no longer available until the value of this element will be set to FALSE again.
Settings.InboundOutbound	int	The value specifies the direction of the modem: 0 -> Outbound 1 -> Inbound 2 -> Inbound/outbound
Settings.Port	string	For a "COM" channel this data point element contains the used COM port. For the terminal server it contains the IP address and port on the terminal server.
Settings.SerialSettings	string	For a direct modem communication (without a terminal server) this element contains settings like baudrate, parity, etc. This is not used with terminal server since the Channel Manager assumes that the terminal server rack is pre-configured. That means that baudrates and port settings are pre-configured and stored in the terminal server.
Settings.CommunicationSettings	string	Name of a data point of type _ChannelManager_CommuncationSettings used for inbound connections only.
Status.CurrentDevice	string	The Channel Manager uses this element to store the current device that this channel is using.
Status.NumBytesTX	int	Number of bytes that have been sent through the channel.
Status.NumBytesRX	int	Number of bytes that have been received through the channel.
Status.Busy	bool	TRUE -> channel is busy FALSE -> channel is not busy
Status.NumConnects	int	Number of times that this channel was connected to a device.
Status.Error	int	Error number from the chmgr.cat message catalogue (defines all texts for errors).
Status.ErrorText	string	Error text containing detailed error information from chmgr.cat message catalogue.
Status.State	int	Current state of a channel.
Status.StateText	string	Current text for state of a channel.
Status.NumErrors	int	Indicates number of errors since start of the Channel Manager.
Status.NumConsecutiveErrors	int	Indicates number of consecutive errors.
Debug.Enable	bool	TRUE -> writes the debug information not only to a file but also to the data point element Debug.Output. The debug information are stored in a file in the directory <WinCC OA project>\log\DynamicLogic\debug. The maximum file size and the debug file name can be specified in the config file - see Possible Config Entries of the Channel Manager. The following information are stored in the debug file (and in the data point element if configured): AT commands AT responses Raw data bytes going out Raw data bytes coming in Cannot open COM port Cannot open TCP port Cannot open modem port Timeout in modem communication Socket lost Other diagnostic messages in communication
Debug.Output	string	Text that contains the latest debug information when Debug.Enable = TRUE.

_ChannelManager_CommunicationSettings

Data point element

Data Type

Description

Settings.Connect

dyn_string

Each line contains a string in the following format:

This functionality is used to send AT commands to the modem. Examples for such entries in the dyn_string are:

- AT|ATX1|OK|5

- AT|ATE0|OK|2

The defined commands are sent to the modem during connection initialization.

Settings.Disconnect

dyn_string

Each line contains a string in the following format:
'

This functionality is used to send AT commands to the modem. Examples for such entries in the dyn_string would be:

- AT|ATX1|OK|5

- AT|ATE0|OK|2

The defined commands are sent to the modem during connection termination.

As each modem type could need different AT commands, there could be many instances of this data point. A channel (for inbound) or a device (for outbound) can use one of these data points.

_ChannelManager_Device

Data point element	Data Type	Description
.Settings.ChannelName	string	Name of channel when a device is connected to one physical channel.
Settings.ChannelType	string	Connection type: COM, MODEM or MODEM300 (for communication with old devices special modems have to be used). COM is used for a direct RS232 connection.
Settings.Address	string	Address. Baudrate when type is COM. Phone number when type is MODEM.
Settings.OutOfService	bool	TRUE -> The device is "out of service" - not available for polling.
Settings.TimePlan	string	Name of selected timeplan. For information how to define a timeplan see Defining a Timeplan.
Settings.CommunicationSettings	string	Name of the data point of type _ChannelManager_CommuncationSettings used for outbound connections only.
Status.Busy	bool	TRUE when channel is currently communicating.
Status.CurrentChannel	string	Name of channel that this device is connected to.
Status.NumBytesTX	int	Number of bytes transmitted.
Status.NumBytesRX	int	Number of bytes received.
Status.NumConnects	int	Number of connects.
Status.State	int	Current state number.
Status.StateText	string	Current text for state.
Status.NextPoll	string	Specifies the time when the device will be polled the next time according to the timeplan.

V 3.11 SP1