In this chapter, all the configuration settings of your VPVision are explained. The steps of this chapter are as followed:
5.1 Start your VPVision web interface
5.3 Configure the inputs of your devices
5.4 Configure the widgets to visualize your data
1. Starting
![]() | Be aware that the new version of VPVision has just released, for more information about VPVision 5.2 can be found in the user manual |
1. Startup – Go to the configuration backend
Now you are able to configure the VPVision software. The first steps are the startup of the back-end of the VPVision. In the back-end, all the configurations can be done.
1. Connect to the VPVision cabinet: Open a web browser and fill in the IP-address of the VPVision main PC.
2. Click the green puzzle icon.
3. Login with the default username: ‘Admin’. The default password can be found on the configuration sheet.
4. Now that the back-end of VPVision is opened, the configuration of VPVision is possible.
2. Icon definition
In this table, different icons that are visible in the VPVision menu can be seen. Click the up and down arrows to scroll through the different icons.
Icon | Definition | Options | Explanation |
![]() | System configuration | User settings General settings | Set the users and their permissions. Set language and other network settings. |
![]() | Input devices | Configure inputs | Here Modbus devices and analog sensors can be configured, zero and span can be set and channel names can be changed. |
![]() | Widgets | Configure widgets | Here you can configure widgets for example pie charts, dashboard overviews, real-time graphs, and Key Performance Indicators. |
![]() | Pages | Configure pages | Here you can configure a page. A page can contain multiple widgets. Icons can be assigned to a page, drag and drop widgets, etc. |
![]() | Reports | Configure reports | Here you can create reports, add modules to reports. Once the report is set up, it can be generated automatically with just one mouse click. |
![]() | Alarms | Configure alarms | Here you can set alarm conditions to guard the compressed air system, automatically generate alarms and have them sent out by e-mail. |
![]() | Configuration | Configure the whole system | In this screen, you are able to set all the configurations of your VPVision system such as widgets and the device settings. |
![]() | Log-out | Log out See the pages | In this mode, you are only able to see the pages you have created. When logged in the configurations can be changed. |
2. System configuration
![]() | In this sub-chapter, we will give a brief explanation of the different properties and possibilities within the system configuration tool. |
In the menu system configuration you have 2 options to choose namely:
- User
- Settings
1.User
Click the user button and see a list of your existing users:
Add a new user
There are 2 levels of access:
- Users: can configure everything except the system settings.
- Administrator: has full access to all of the settings and can change them all.
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1. Click the icon. | 2. Fill in the descriptions of the new user. |
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3. Click add to save this new user. |
Activate/ deactivate user
Click the flag icon to activate or deactivate the user, by default the new user is set to inactive.
![]() | Active user |
![]() | Inactive user |
Edit existing user
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1. Click the pen icon to edit the user. | 2. Edit the user settings. |
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3. Click Save. |
Delete user
![]() | Click the icon to delete the user. |
2.Settings
Click the settings icon to open the settings page. On this page, there are different options.
System
In the system settings, you are able to see the VPVision software version and the serial number of your VPVision system.
License
VPVision contains a licensing system. Enter the license page to view your current license settings or to renew your licenses. A new license can be uploaded by clicking the update license button.
Your license can be updated by uploading a license file. Click the update license button to upload a new license file. The files are distributed by VPInstruments when license changes have been made.
License type | Description | On expiration |
VPVision main PC | Main license for the usage of VPVision. | Widgets are disabled. Data logging will stop. |
Modbus devices | The number of Modbus devices that can be configured in VPVision. | The number of expired devices will be disabled and data logging will stop. |
Analog inputs | The number of analog inputs that can be configured in VPVision. | The number of expired inputs will be disabled and data logging will stop. |
Virtual inputs | The number of virtual inputs that can be configured in VPVision. | The number of expired inputs will be disabled and data logging will stop. |
Alarm module | Alarm conditions, e-mail triggers, and alarm overview. | The alarm module will stop the registration of alarm. Visualization is disabled. |
P&ID & plant map module | P&ID view with a real-time number and a clickable map with links. | The widgets will be disabled. |
SQL module | SQL connection module for export of last hour data. | The data table will be disabled. |
Regional
On this page, the date and time format, decimal separator, thousands separator, valuta, valuta symbol, and the report paper size can be changed. Changing them will affect all widgets, reports, and alarms however, it will not affect the stored measurement data in the database as this is stored always in a consistent format.
![]() | Changing regional settings will effect all widgets, reports, and alarms. |
Global
In your global settings, you are able to set the kWh price to your own preference. This price is used in a number of Key Performance Indicators and as default number in the report module.
Network
The VPVision main PC contains 4 Ethernet (LAN) ports. For each port, the IP settings can be assigned. Keep in mind that LAN port 1 should be reserved for the configuration access and LAN port 2 is used for the local analog I/O module in the VPVision cabinet. Ports 3 and 4 can be used for connecting other remote I/O modules.
The Network configurations can be changed from here, such as the IP-address, netmask, gateway, and DNS for each network adapter.
![]() | Keep in mind that you use different IP ranges, these can be completely different or a range separated into parts by using the netmask. |
![]() | The 4 Ethernet connections are all separate network interfaces. They do not “see” each other. VPVision can not be used as a switch. |
VPVision features it’s own e-mail server, it can send out e-mail reports or alarms. Depending on the factory Ethernet settings, the e-mail port might be blocked for security reasons. In many cases, a relay host is needed in order to send out e-mails.
![]() | Ask the IT department for the correct Relay host. |
Fill in the correct Relay hosts so that you are always able to receive the e-mails.
Date and Time
VPVision uses UTC time format to store all its data consistently. If VPVision is connected with the internet, or a local time server on the factory Ethernet network then the time will be set and adjusted automatically. When there is no connection the time and date can be set manually. In that case, it is recommended to check the system time on a regular basis.
![]() | Keep in mind that if the time and date are set manually a time discontinuity will occur, this can easily be fixed by again setting the time and date. |
3. Input devices
1.Overview
![]() | This sub-chapter shows how to configure, add and remove devices, what type of connection is made from the sensor. Click input devices, an empty list or an overview of the configured inputs appears. This is where hard-, and software connect. |
![]() | Configuration of the devices is the most important step, as this forms the basis for all of the VPVision data. |
Icon explanation:
Icon | Name | Description |
![]() | Edit device. | Additional information or edit the connection type of the device. |
/![]() ![]() | Determines if a device is inactive/ active. | You can click this icon to activate or deactivate the device. |
![]() ![]() | Determine the status of the devices. | Thumbs up: the device is responding properly. Exclamation mark: there is a communication issue. There can be a 1-minute delay in this icon. |
![]() | Delete. | Deletes a device. An “Are you sure” window will pop up. |
![]() | Add device. | Add’s a new device. |
![]() | Restart VPVision. | A restart is required when a new device is added and configured. |
![]() | There can be a 1-minute delay before the connection status icon updates. For the local RS485 port, you can also check the tx/rx LED’s on the VPVision main PC. |
2. Adding a device
- Click the add device icon at the right bottom corner.
Choose the type of device you want to add. Some devices are pre-configured. When the device is not available, contact VPInstruments for a custom device driver (additional cost may apply).
- There are different options that you can choose from:
![]() | Analog Converters.
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![]() | VP Dew Point Sensor. This is a Modbus over RS485 device. |
![]() | VPFlowScope M. You can choose Modbus over RS485 or Modbus TCP. |
![]() | Virtual input: here you can create a new input that contains a mathematical combination of devices, logic variables, and constants e.g. Add the power of 2 meters together or subtract flow of 1 area from the main header to calculate the 2nd area. |
![]() | VPFlowScope. You can choose Modbus over RS485 or Modbus TCP (via the Modbus TCP converter). |
For all devices, a type of connection has to be chosen. The following options are available:
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RS485: Use this type when the device has a direct Modbus connection with the VPVision main PC. |
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SE5001: Select this type of connection when the device has a Modbus connection with a Modbus to Ethernet converter. |
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TCP: This type of connection can be used for 2 types of devices:
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Now that a connection is established with an analog to Ethernet converter, each analog device has to be configured separately.
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Virtual input: This contains a mathematical combination of inputs or variables. | Assign a name to the input you want to create. |
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A virtual input contains a mathematical combination of inputs or variables. For example, add the power of 2 sensors together or subtract the flow of 1 area from the main header to calculate the 2nd area
The example above: The average temperature of the VPFlowScope sensor Middle and VPFlowScope sensor Low is created as a new input. Available nodes:
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After you have added a new device, an overview with all the corresponding settings will be shown. By clicking the back arrow you will go back to the main screen, where you will see your newly added device, the status of this device will be disabled, click on the flag icon to activate the device.
![]() | After adding a new device you always have to restart your VPVision, by clicking the restart button. |
4. Widgets
1. Overview
![]() | Open the widgets page. In the overview of the page, you can see all the widgets that have been configured. Here widgets can be added or deleted. |
![]() | You cannot delete a widget when it is in use on a page. |
2. Add widget
Click “add widget”, choose a widget type. All widget types are listed below, after a chose has been made, you will be guided through a number of intuitive steps to finalize your widget configuration.
![]() | Dashboard | This widget offers you a grid overview of up to 4 measurement values (columns). You are able to add up to 8 devices (rows). First, the desired units will have to be configured. Each device can have one or multiple inputs, if a sensor’s input unit is not available then it will not be shown. When you have selected more than one device, an additional row will be added. This row can contain the average or sum of the column. This results in a table of different devices with the measurement values. |
![]() | Pie chart | This widget allows you to see the ratio of the different devices for a chosen unit, as long as the devices have the same measurand. You can use this, for example, to show the consumption of each department, in order to make a direct comparison. You are able to add 8 different inputs (devices) in one pie chart. |
![]() | Line graph | This widget shows your data in a graph where time is placed on the x-axis.
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Click the image for full-screen
![]() | KPI (key performance indicator) | You can use this to show KPIs or ENPI’s. VPVision offers various indicators which are grouped in 3 categories:
The KPI is calculated over the last hour of data or since midnight when the name includes “today”. Depending on the KPI you can adjust the green and red value. This will give you visual feedback. Some of the KPI’s include electricity costs. The cost per kWh can be configured in the widget. |
![]() | Export | This widget can export stored data to a CSV file. You can adjust the average interval and the unit. Data can be exported with a maximum resolution of 1 minute. One can choose a lower resolution which will speed up the export and limits the number of data points. All available data within the selected interval will be averaged before it is exported as one number. |
Full-screen view by clicking on the image
![]() | Area chart | This widget shows a graph where the data is on the y-axis and time-scaled on the x-axis. You can add different types of data input. When the measurands are the same also a sum will be shown. There are 3 types of charts available: Basic, Stacked and Percentage.
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Click the image for full-screen
![]() | Bar graph | The bar graph shows your data in bars where the time is on the x-axis. Add up to 4 inputs to the bar graph. There are 2 different types:
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![]() | Variation chart | The variation chart can be used to plot variation in data. Two types:
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![]() | P&ID | Upload your P&ID image as a background picture and show your measurement fields on top of this image. The update frequency is once every second. These inputs will be represented numerically and/or with a selected color, the color can set to specific boundary conditions. The P&ID widget is part of an optional software module. Contact VPInstruments for the details. |
![]() | Navigation map | In the navigation map, you are able to upload an image as a background. Within this image, you can then make short-cuts to another widget page with for example the corresponding sensor. In the navigation map, multiple short-cuts to a different page are possible for a quick overview of your entire factory. The Navigation Map is part of an optional software module. Contact VPInstruments for the details. |
![]() | Alarm | This widget will show the last alarms, by default the last 5 alarms are shown. The alarm name, date, time and priority are shown. The Alarm function is an optional module. Please contact VPInstruments for the details. |
5. Pages
1. Page overview
![]() | Prerequisite: A number of widgets must be created before you can set up any pages. See chapter K6.4 for additional information. |
On the page overview, all the different pages that are created can be found. You are able to activate or deactivate the pages, also you can delete a specific page or change the order (with the green arrows) in which the pages appear in the navigation. You are also able to edit a page. Click the pencil icon to edit the specific page.
2. Page configuration
Click on the icon to add a new page.
- Fill in the page name and choose a pre-configured icon for your page.
Now that you have created a page. The purpose of the pages is to visualize the real-time data of your VPVision system. This gives an accurate insight into the data. The data can be visualized by adding widgets to your pages. The page options are shown in a top bar. Pages run separately from the DAQ process, which always runs in the background. This means that you can choose to visualize only data that is meaningful to the user while logging additional data for other purposes.
- Change the page name
- Change page icon
- Add widget
- Save page
- Create multiple windows
- Edit window
- Drag and drop widgets at your convenience
![]() | Widgets can be used on multiple pages. |
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1. After you have created the page click ‘save page’. | 2. By default the page is inactive. Click the flag to activate your page. |
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3. Click the puzzle icon to go to the configuration screen. | 4. Click on the icon of the page you have just created. |
6. Next step
The software of VPVision is now configured and it is installed on-site. So now it is time for the next step: B6. Reports and Alarms