I’m Jason Firth.
Yesterday, without much fanfare (at least for their customers), Schneider released Wonderware System Platform 2014 R2.
Some quick notes from reading the documentation:
- Windows XP, all versions; Windows Vista, all versions; Windows Server 2003, all versions; Windows Server 2008, non-R2 versions are no longer supported.
- Modern InTouch Applications now allow you to better integrate ArchestrA objects into Intouch.
- Wonderware Intouch now incorporates the ArchestrA Graphic Toolbox directly.
- Additional Situational Awareness Library Symbols – There are now a number of new symbols for alarms, valves, and trends.
- Graphic Connectors – It seems a new tool is available that can connect different objects together.
- Alarm Shelving – This seems like a particularly useful function that will let operators “shelve” a nuisance alarm for a certain period of time.
- Enhancements to Programmatic Export and Import of ArchestrA Symbols – It looks like they’ve added new ways to create archestra symbols using xml.
- Conversion of InTouch Windows to ArchestrA Symbols – This is a huge win for anyone who was going to be forced to convert their windows by hand previously. Anyone doing an Intouch to ArchestrA conversion knows what I’m talking about.
When I first saw System Platform for the first time, my instinct was that Wonderware Intouch was going to slowly fade by the wayside, and it seems this is happening. More and more, the much more powerful ArchestrA framework is being integrated more into Intouch.
I’ll use it more in the coming weeks, and write more about my experiences with the new system.
There have been a lot of steps in the right direction for Wonderware in the past few years: It seems like they’ve spent a lot of time resolving a lot of the show stopper bugs in the core program. I’m hoping to see that continue.
Wonderware customers with a support contract can find the new software on their website at The Wonderware Development Network.
Thanks for reading!