DCS communicate with two gas turbines(MKV HMI) for monitoring purposes and fiew operator commands only.we have observed that the time of MKV HMI not same as DCS time. how can we adjust the time of MKV panel so that it become same as DCS time.

 

Unless the DCS is synchronized to some time signal which can be "shared" with one (or more) of the HMIs, what you're asking is not possible. For example, if the site has a satellite time source receiver and that signal is being used to "control" the DCS time, then it could be connected to a card in the HMI CPU and software on the HMI could be configured to broadcast the time signal to the Mk Vs and any other HMI(s) on the StageLink. (If the software is not already present on the HMIs, it can usually be installed from the Control System Solutions CD).

There are instructions on time synch functions in the GE Mk V HMI Manual.

markvguy

 

there is satallite time source reciver on DCS network, but on the HMI's I did not find time sync or time/frequecy processor board that can take the time from thIS source.I have found the following configuration data on (timesync.dat) file in the unit directory.
TIMESYNC LOWERS
LOCAL-TIMESET ENABLED
I-TIME LOCAL
TIME-SOUECE LOCAL
TIME-LOAD LOCAL

 

GE publishes a 'Mark V <I> Time Synchronization' manual, GEH-6370, most of which is appropriate to the GE Mk V HMI, also. It lists the Bancomm bc620AT board as the time synch board used in <I>s and <G>s; one would think a PCi equivalent would be used in HMIs. Symmetricom (Datum) (http://www.symmetricom.com) is the manufacturer of the board(s). They would be available from GE or other vendors.

After obtaining and installing the time synch board in the HMI CPU and following the instructions in the HMI Manual, the Mark Vs should be synchronized to the same time source signal as the DCS. One of the steps involved in the procedure is editing the TCI Control Panel Applet to make the appropriate changes to TIMEZONE.DAT.

NTP, Network Time Protocol, is the open-source Ethernet Time Synchronization software used on GE Mk V HMIs.

If you need more information, write back.

markvguy

 

You now need to obtain a compatible time synch board, install it in the Mk V HMI, connect the signal from the satellite to the card, and configure the card.

The info from TIMESYNC.DAT you provided shows that the HMI you obtained the info from was configured to be a master time source using the PC internal clock at a low resolution (approximately once-per-hour--but that's from memory and it may be different; as always, RTFM (Read The Fine Manual)).

Bancomm made the time synch cards typically used in <I>s and Mk V HMIs; they were made by a company called Datum, which seems to have become Symmetricomm (www.symettricom.com). You will need to obtain a card which will work in an available PCI slot; the Mk V HMI manual usually provided some details about the time synch card and its configuration. Another place to look for compatible time synch cards is the TCI Control Panel applet's 'Time Hardware' tab; click on the drop down button of the Time Card field and a whole list of compatible time synch boards is provided (unfortunately, the manufactuer's name is not listed, only their model numbers--but that should be enough to start a search on the Internet--that is if you don't want to buy a card from GE).

The last thing to do would be to configure the time synch card using the TCI Control Panel applet's 'Time Hardware' tab and 'Timesync (Stagelink)' tabs--configuration changes made to these tabs are written to TIMESYNC.DAT.

markvguy

 

thank you mkvguy (and sorry for late reply), at this moment, the time of HMI and MKV processors is the same but it is not correct. How can I adjust it?

Another question, can the TIMESYNC.DAT file be edited by ASCII text editor, or it will be changed once we apply the changes on TCI control panel window?

Regards

 

Try changing the time in the 'Date and Time' Control Panel applet of the HMI which is configured to be the LOCAL TIMESET-ENABLED. (Usually only one HMI is configured to be the local time master when no timesync card is installed.)

The TCI Control Panel applet should make the changes to TIMESYNC.DAT automatically. It could be edited with an ASCII text editor if one knew the parameters to be entered/changed.

markvguy

 

Were you able to change the time on the Mk V by changing the time in the 'Date and Time' Control Panel applet?

markvguy

 

Can I get the details of time synch of Mark V HMI using NTP?

Regards
Divyang

 

The following passage is from GEI-100487, "HMI Functions for SPEEDTRONIC Turbine Controllers":

"...The HMI can acquire the current time in a medium resolution format by using an NTP interface. This option requires that a time source be available over one of the Ethernet links provided in the HMI. The HMI can use this to acquire time and pass it to the turbine controllers, and it can also supply its time over this NTP link. (If the HMI has a High-resolution Time Card in it, it can make this time available to other PCs over the NTP link.)

The NTP offering includes a set of public domain programs created by the University of Delaware plus a set of custom configuration utilities provided by GE...."

There is more information in GEI-100513, "HMI Time synchronization," though this author does not have a copy of this document.

Can you be specific about what you're trying to accomplish? As the passage above states, NTP is basically a set of "open source" or public domain software, which GE bundles, along with a couple of configuration and monitoring utilities, to allow a time source signal to be sent to other HMIs and SpeedTronic turbine control panels (Mk IV, Mk V, and Mk VI). The utilities are usually installed from a CD provided by GE (the GE Control Systems Solution CD) which was provided with the HMI.

markvguy