NEWS

TOPKAPI version 5.1 was made available in the second quarter of 2014, for new licenses and upgrade contracts.

New product features should be announced in the 1st half of 2015, but first we will open a new web site with reviewed graphic charter and browsing ergonomics, a "responsive" mode improving the use with modern display devices (smartphones, tablets, ...), as well as a forum where Areal and other users will share information.

TOPKAPI’s evaluation version has been enriched and reviewed graphically, particularly with a remodeled browsing menu to guide users in exploring the possibilities offered by the product.

We hope you will enjoy reading this newsletter.

NEW FEATURES OF THE VERSION 5.1 REPORTS MODULE

Version 5.1 has integrated functional evolutions to the Reports module. For many of us, these may be seamless. This is why we explain these functions below, which you may use to enhance your applications.

Consolidation

In remote management with data acquired from multiple units, how can a report be generated if one station’s data could not be acquired over the consolidation period?

Either the summary is incomplete, or the process is delayed waiting for all the data to be collected. With version 5.0a, the “process delay” parameter allows to select one of the 2 methods available. With version 5.1, the automatic mode of this parameter resolves this issue: the calculations are made with all the data present when generating summary consolidation.

When data is missing, the resulting calculations are presented using a color and a tooltip indicating the calculation’s invalidity. In the following consolidations, the invalid calculations are corrected automatically when the data missing initially is ultimately collected.

New functions:

• Over a given period, the time stamp of the minimum or maximum value can be extracted ("minimum date" and "maximum date" function)
• The "value extraction" function extracts a value at a specific point in time (e.g. every day at 2:30)

Data qualification: when data is missing over a period, the resulting calculations in Excel are allocated a particular color and/or comment to notify the viewer

Multiple templates: a different template can be selected for each processing period

A more recent version with other functional complements is available upon request, although not provided in the standard distribution in version 5.1:

New calculation periods have been integrated in addition to the current periods (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, annual): 5 mn, 10 mn, 15 mn, 20 mn, 30mn, 2h, 4h, 6h, 8h, 12h.

Two new functions allow to count the number of passages in/out of range: they complete the function counting the number of samples out of threshold

COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

Multichannel management of GPRS links

Our previous newsletter discussed the matter of communication over a GPRS medium. Since then, we have observed a steep growth in their use as classical telephone links (PSTN) are phased out due to gradual quality degradation.

Nevertheless, operators do not always wish to change data exchange mechanims, once per day (usually overnight) triggered by TOPKAPI, and upon event triggered by remote equipment, replaced by a permament real-time link likely to be more costly.

To resolve this issue, the main communication drivers over IP have been upgraded to manage several communications in parallel responding to connection requests configured in the TOPKAPI application. Hence, migration of RTC communication to GPRS merely results in minor configuration modifications.

Spontaneous emissions of the stations (equivalent to PSTN calls in case of alarm) are processed without delay, as a communication channel is reserved to their processing.

NEW PROTOCOLS

Data reception by SMS messages is supported in TOPKAPI with a single communication protocol currently covering more than fifteen devices. However, this communication mode, which has become commonplace, limits the quantity of data exchanged per message. To resolve this situation and responding to the popularisation of GPRS support (see above), manufacturers now offer to post data in the form of files on an FTP server.

To adapt to this acquisition mode, TOPKAPI now integrates the FILEFTP communication driver. Similarly to the SMS protocol, it is multi-manufacturer and enriched with the arrival of new devices. It fully supports dataloggers such as Smartlog (a new PERAX device to be presented at the POLLUTEC trade fair), Radcom Multilog (HWM), Octopus/Hydrins (HYDREKA), GSMBox (SEBAKMT) and IJINUS. Implementation tutorials and DB objects associated with each type of device are available to simplify application configurations.

The FILEFTP protocol already supported HYDREKA Radio-Tech concentrators, Intellisonde probes by Intellect Water and WEBDYN equipment in the field of energy management.

We remind that in GPRS, the LS datalogger by Sofrel uses the protocol specific to Sofrel hardware.

HOW TO UPDATE?

Updating a TOPKAPI application or changing a PC is risk-free if you apply our instructions. It can be performed by a non specialist in TOPKAPI skilled in file backup and restore operations, and in the case of redundancy by a person also mastering station IP addressing.

To help you in this task, we have written new support sheets available in the user manual (hardcopy or online help) of the licenses delivered in version 5.1 from September 2014. They are also available upon request from your usual contact, and you may call our technical hotline if necessary.

Two documents are proposed:

• One covers the update of architectures including a standalone server station, or a server station and several client stations (Netview or Open Client)
• The other concerns updating of multistation applications (server redundancy)

To ensure durablity of your applications, AREAL offers occasional updates and annual subscription contracts. With the latter, you benefit from the functional enhancements offered as new versions are issued. They also ensure compatibility with latest generation hardware connected to TOPKAPI (communication protocol updates) and with the latest releases of the Windows environment.

For more information, call your usual contact or fill in the contact form.

ACHIEVEMENTS