Configuring Triggers and Formulas

This guide covers how to configure trigger conditions for data recording and use calculation formulas to process data.

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Configure Trigger Conditions

Trigger conditions determine when data is recorded. You can configure multiple triggers for a single table - data is recorded whenever any trigger condition is met.

Trigger Type 1: Tag Trigger

Record data when a tag expression becomes true.

Configuration Steps:

1. Click Trigger Configuration
2. Click Add → Tag Trigger
3. Click Configure Expression
4. Build a logical expression using tags and operators
5. Select the Result Type:
   • Becomes True: Trigger once when expression changes from false to true
   • Becomes False: Trigger once when expression changes from true to false
   • True/False Change: Trigger on any change
6. (Optional) Set Repeat Frequency: Trigger repeatedly while condition remains true
7. Click Confirm

📷 [Screenshot: Tag Trigger configuration dialog]

Example Expressions:

Use Case	Expression	Result Type
Record when part completes	{Part_Complete} == 1	Becomes True
Record when machine stops	{Machine_Running} == 0	Becomes True
Record on status change	{Status} != PREVALUE({Status})	True/False Change
Record when temp exceeds limit	{Temperature} > 80	Becomes True

Trigger Type 2: Scheduled Trigger

Record data at specific time intervals.

Configuration Steps:

1. Click Trigger Configuration
2. Click Add → Scheduled Trigger
3. Set the Start Time
4. Set the Repeat Frequency:
   • Every X seconds/minutes/hours
   • Daily at specific time
   • Weekly on specific days
5. (Optional) Add a Condition: Only trigger if expression is true
6. Click Confirm

Example Schedules:

Use Case	Start Time	Repeat Frequency	Condition
Record temp every minute	Now	Every 1 minute	None
Record production at shift end	14:00	Daily	{Production_Active} == 1
Record energy hourly	00:00	Every 1 hour	None

Trigger Type 3: Field Change Trigger

Record data when a field value changes.

Configuration Steps:

1. Click Trigger Configuration
2. Click Add → Field Change Trigger
3. Select one or more fields to monitor
4. (Optional) Add a Condition
5. Click Confirm

Use Case: Record a new row whenever the product code changes.

Trigger Type 4: Alarm Trigger

Record data when an alarm activates.

Configuration Steps:

1. Click Trigger Configuration
2. Click Add → Alarm Trigger
3. Select one or more alarm points
4. Set Repeat Frequency: Continue recording while alarm is active
5. Click Confirm

Use Case: Create a "fault snapshot" by recording key parameters every 5 seconds while an alarm is active.

Trigger Type 5: Tag Value Change Trigger

Record data when specific tags change value.

Configuration Steps:

1. Click Trigger Configuration
2. Click Add → Tag Value Change Trigger
3. Select one or more tags to monitor
4. Click Confirm

Use Case: Record data whenever equipment status changes (Running → Stopped → Fault).

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Using Calculation Formulas

Calculation formulas process raw data to create meaningful metrics.

Formula Syntax

Element	Description	Example
Field Reference	Reference another field	[Temperature], [Cycle_Time]
Operator	Mathematical or logical operator	+, -, *, /, >, <, ==
Function	Built-in function	SUM(), IF(), TEXT()
Constant	Fixed value	100, "OK", TRUE

Common Operators

Operator	Description	Example
+	Addition	[A] + [B]
-	Subtraction	[End_Time] - [Start_Time]
*	Multiplication	[Quantity] * [Unit_Price]
/	Division	[Good_Parts] / [Total_Parts]
>	Greater than	[Temperature] > 80
==	Equal to	[Status] == "Running"
&&	Logical AND	[Temp] > 80 && [Pressure] > 50
||	Logical OR	[Alarm1] == 1 || [Alarm2] == 1

Commonly Used Functions

Logical Functions

Function	Syntax	Example
IF	IF(condition, true_value, false_value)	IF([Score] > 60, "Pass", "Fail")
AND	AND(expr1, expr2, ...)	AND([Temp] > 80, [Pressure] > 50)
OR	OR(expr1, expr2, ...)	OR([Status] == "Fault", [Status] == "Error")

Numeric Functions

Function	Syntax	Example
SUM	SUM(val1, val2, ...)	SUM(10, 20, 30) = 60
AVERAGE	AVERAGE(val1, val2, ...)	AVERAGE(10, 20, 30) = 20
ROUND	ROUND(number, digits)	ROUND(3.14159, 2) = 3.14
ABS	ABS(number)	ABS(-5) = 5

Text Functions

Function	Syntax	Example
CONCATENATE	CONCATENATE(str1, str2, ...)	CONCATENATE("Line", "1") = "Line1"
TEXT	TEXT(value, format)	TEXT(TODAY(), "yyyy-MM-dd") = "2024-01-15"
UPPER	UPPER(text)	UPPER("abcd") = "ABCD"
LOWER	LOWER(text)	LOWER("ABCD") = "abcd"

Date Functions

Function	Syntax	Example
TODAY	TODAY()	Current date
NOW	NOW()	Current date and time
YEAR	YEAR(date)	YEAR("2024-01-15") = 2024
MONTH	MONTH(date)	MONTH("2024-01-15") = 1
DAY	DAY(date)	DAY("2024-01-15") = 15
HOUR	HOUR(time)	HOUR("14:30:00") = 14

Special Functions

Function	Syntax	Description
PREVALUE	PREVALUE(field)	Get previous record value
CHANGE	CHANGE(field, range)	Calculate change from previous value

Formula Examples

Calculate Yield:

[Good_Parts] / [Total_Parts] * 100

Calculate OEE:

([Availability] * [Performance] * [Quality]) / 10000

Determine Shift:

IF(HOUR([Record_Time]) < 14, "Day Shift", "Night Shift")

Calculate Duration in Minutes:

DATEDIF([Start_Time], [End_Time], "M")

Format Date:

TEXT([Record_Time], "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")

Calculate Energy Cost:

[Energy_Consumption] * [Unit_Price]

Detect Counter Reset:

IF([Current_Count] < PREVALUE([Current_Count]), 
   [Current_Count] + 10000, 
   [Current_Count] - PREVALUE([Current_Count]))

Calculate Net Production:

CHANGE([Cumulative_Count], 10000)

💡 Tip: Click Validate in the formula editor to check for syntax errors before saving.

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Best Practices

Trigger Configuration

Choose the Right Trigger:

• Use Tag Trigger for event-based recording (part complete, alarm)
• Use Scheduled Trigger for periodic sampling (temperature, pressure)
• Use Field Change Trigger for status tracking (product code change)
• Combine multiple triggers for comprehensive data capture

Avoid Over-Triggering:

• Don't record data more frequently than needed
• Use aggregation tables instead of high-frequency raw data
• Consider storage and performance impact

Formula Best Practices

Keep Formulas Simple:

• Break complex calculations into multiple fields
• Avoid nested formulas (> 3 levels deep)
• Document formula logic in field descriptions

Error Handling:

• Handle division by zero: IF([Total] == 0, 0, [Good] / [Total])
• Check for null values: IF([Field] == NULL, 0, [Field])
• Validate data types match formula expectations

Performance:

• Use aggregation instead of complex formulas when possible
• Test formulas with sample data before deployment
• Monitor system resources during peak archiving periods

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Next Steps

• Data Management Reference - Complete function library
• Data Management Examples - Real-world scenarios
• Creating Data Tables - Back to table creation