The Bailey MCS Operator Console configuration contains much of the information needed for the PI Point database. The MCS can be configured from DBASE files on a personal computer. It is possible to create text files for PIDIFF or PIConfig from the DBASE files created for the MCS.
Start by entering DBASE and creating a new database with several of the same fields as the MCSTAG.dbf file. The following PI attributes can be extracted.
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PI Attribute
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MCS Database Field Name and Comment
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Tag
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The field name in the MCS database is TagName. The MCS field is 14 characters long so some conversion may be necessary.
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Descriptor
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The field name in the MCS database is TagDescriptor. The MCS field is 32 characters long. The PI Descriptor is only 26 characters long.
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EngUnits
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The field name in the MCS database is EngineeringUnitDescriptor.
Note: The Engineering Unit strings must be configured in PI before configuring points that will use them.
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Zero
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The field name in the MCS database is ValueZero.
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Span
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The field name in the MCS database is Span.
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DigStCode
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The MCS database field ZeroState points to a string in the MCS state table.
PI2 Server: The ZeroState could be replaced with PI digital state code numbers.
Note: Most Infi90 digital points represent two-state devices, thus the DigNumber for these points in PI would be 1. The PI digital state table can be configured to have similar strings. These digital state strings must be configured before building PI points.
PI3 Server: PI3 requires that a digital state set be defined for each unique set of digital states. The digital state set must be defined before building PI points.
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Location2
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This is 256 times the MCS field Loop plus the MCS field Node.
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Location3
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This is the MCS field Module.
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Location4
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This is the MCS field Block.
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Location5
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The field name in the MCS database is TagType. The MCS field has string descriptions of the type (e.g., ANALOG, RCM) rather than the number of the CIU point type. These can be converted with DBASE or a text editor.
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One can configure performance points to monitor the amount of time in seconds that it takes an interface to complete a scan for a particular scan class. The closer the scan time is to 0 seconds, the better the performance. The scan time is recorded to millisecond resolution. Because this interface is not scan-based, performance points are not applicable.
I/O Rate Tag Configuration
An I/O Rate point can be configured to receive 10-minute averages of the total number of exceptions per minute that are sent to PI by the interface. An exception is a value that has passed the exception specifications for a given PI point. Since 10-minute averages are taken, the first average is not written to PI until 10 minutes after the interface has started. One I/O Rate tag can be configured for each copy of the interface that is in use.
Monitoring I/O Rates on the Interface Node
For Windows nodes, the 10-minute rate averages (in events/minute) can be monitored with a client application such as ProcessBook.
Configuring I/O Rate Tags with PI ICU (Windows)
The PI Interface Configuration Utility (PI ICU) provides a user interface for creating and managing I/O Rate Tags.
PI ICU currently allows for one I/O Rate tag to be configured for each copy of the interface that is in use. Some interfaces allow for multiple I/O Rate tags.
Enable IORates for this Interface
The Enable IORates for this interface check box enables or disables I/O Rates for the current interface. To disable I/O Rates for the selected interface, uncheck this box. To enable I/O Rates for the selected interface, check this box.
Tag Status
The Tag Status column indicates whether the I/O Rate tag exists in PI. The possible states are:
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Created – This status indicates that the tag exist in PI
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Not Created – This status indicates that the tag does not yet exist in PI
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Deleted – This status indicates that the tag has just been deleted
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Unknown – This status indicates that the PI ICU is not able to access the PI Server
In File
The In File column indicates whether the I/O Rate tag listed in the tag name and the event counter is in the IORates.dat file. The possible states are:
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Yes – This status indicates that the tag name and event counter are in the IORates.dat file
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No – This status indicates that the tag name and event counter are not in the IORates.dat file
Event Counter
The Event Counter correlates a tag specified in the iorates.dat file with this copy of the interface. The command-line equivalent is /ec=x, where x is the same number that is assigned to a tag name in the iorates.dat file.
Tagname
The tag name listed under the Tagname column is the name of the I/O Rate tag.
Snapshot
The Snapshot column holds the snapshot value of the I/O Rate tag, if the I/O Rate tag exists in PI. The Snapshot column is updated when the IORates/Status Tags tab is clicked, and when the Interface is first loaded.
Button Menu Options Create
Create the suggested I/O Rates point with the tag name indicated in the Tagname column.
Delete
Delete the I/O Rate point listed in the Tagname column.
Reset
Change the value in the Tagname text box back to the default value.
Rename
Allow the user to specify a new name for the I/O Rate point listed in the Tagname column.
Add to File
Add the I/O Rate point and the event counter number to the IORates.dat file.
Search 
Allow the user to search the PI Server a previously defined I/O Rate points.
Update Snapshot 
Allow the user to refresh the snapshot value.
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