Could someone help me understand the difference between the EGD Configuration Server and the System Database that GE uses in the ControlST, Toolbox, and other automation software suites.

As far as I know, both can store information about EGD exchanges and devices configuration and have seen both being used on a single system, so I'm not very sure of what is the purpose of each one.

 

They do much the same thing; the difference is mainly generational. The SDB is from the Toolbox Classic, Mark VI and EX2100 era; the EGD configuration server is from the Mark VIe and ToolboxST era. You see both in systems with mixed Mark VI, Mark VIe, and EX2100 devices.

Primarily the SDB and EGD config servers are the central point for sharing symbols between parts of the system. Ie, the Mark VIe posts its global EGD variable list to the EGD config server, and all HMIs in the system can immediately see and use those variables.

Over time, the EGD config server has picked up a lot of non-EGD duties as well, like holding Alarm symbol and color information, and deploying HMI screen files to multiple HMIs in the system.

 

So, this means that on the new pure MarkVIe systems there is no more SDB?

And, that you mention about holding Alarm Symbols, does this substitute the TCI module of Toolbox Classic? or is this a completely different function?

 

Correct, you shouldn't see an SDB on a pure Mark VIe system.

TCI's function was a combination of protocol gateway and aggregating server for various protocols, including alarms. WorkstationST fills that role for the Mark VI and Mark VIe today (and older systems in certain retrofit scenarios).

What I meant about alarm symbols on the EGD config server is that the system-level configuration for alarms (ie classes, severity, sounds, colors, graphical symbols, etc) are shared via the EGD configuration server. The actual real-time data from the alarm queues on the controllers is aggregated by the WorkstationST alarm server, and passed to the individual alarm viewers on each HMI or engineering workstation.

A notable difference there from older generations is that HMIs don't use the CIMPLICITY alarm system; WorkstationST has its own alarm viewer application (and CIM plugin) that has much richer capabilities.

 

I have also problem in ge mark vi from 5 I can't appear data and lost communication and no data on hmi please som one tell me what happens

 

@eng.hydarkazem,

Do you mean you have a problem seeing data on the HMI monitor from a GE Mark* VI controlling a GE Frame 5 heavy duty gas turbine? (Sorry; I can't understand your original post.) (Is the GE turbine control system a Mark* VI or a Mark* VIe?)

If there is no data on the HMI screen, when did this problem start? Did the HMI lose mains power? Have you checked the VLAN network switches between the HMI computer and the Mark* VI? (There are usually two (2) VLAN network switches between the HMI computer and the Mark* VI turbine control panel--one near the HMI computer, and the other near the Mark* VI control panel. They should both be powered up and you should see blinking lights on both of them indicating data is being transmitted. There should be some kind of "link" between the two VLAN network switches--either Ethernet cables or fiber optic cables to connect the two VLAN switches to each other. Have you checked these interconnecting cables between the two VLAN network switches?)

Was the machine running when the data on the HMI monitor was lost?

What have you done to try to troubleshoot and resolve the problem? Have you tried restarting/rebooting the HMI? Are there any alarm messages in the Alarm Display area?

Where any changes made to the programs/apps on the HMI (Toolbox or ToolboxST) or CIMPLICIY or PROFICY MACHINE EDITION on the HMI prior to the start of this problem?

Have you checked the Ethernet ports on the back of the HMI computer where the cables connecting the HMI computer to the nearest VLAN network switch are connected so see if there are blinking lights on the ports indicating data transmission?

This is the basic stuff that must be done first to try to troubleshoot and resolve this problem. We need to know what was happening prior to the problem of lost data on the HMI monitor. We need to know what you've done to try to troubleshoot and resolve the problem. You need to verify that the connections between the HMI computer and the nearest VLAN network switch are good, and the connections between the two VLAN network switches are good and working, and that the connections between the local VLAN network switch (the one closest to the Mark* VI turbine control panel) are good and working and that the cables from the local VLAN network switch and the VCMI cards in the Mark* VI turbine control panel are good and working.

We also need to know what the status of the Mark* VI turbine control panel is, meaning what are the LEDs on the cards in the processor racks in the turbine control panel doing? Generally, there should be blinking LEDs on all of the cards and they should all be blinking at the same rate. Ideally, the LEDs should mostly be blinking green, though some might be blinking yellow (indicating Diagnostic Alarms).

If you have tried rebooting/shutting down and restarting the HMI computer, it would be helpful if you can tell us of any indications of failed boot-up/initialization processes (there is often a small window that opens during start-up of a GE Mark* VI HMI that shows the status of several boot-up/initialization process and will often show a FAIL indication for one or more of the processes if there is a problem).

Finally, it would be a great help if you could take and send a CLEAR photo of the Alarm Display on the HMI monitor.

Help us to help you by providing much more information that you have provided in your original post. We realize English might not be your native language, but try to be clear and tell us what you see and what you have done.

 

@eng.hydarkazem,

Your post should have been its own thread--not a part of another, unrelated thread.

Perhaps the fine, friendly moderators could fix that issue....