Exaquantum/Explorer is a desktop environment that provides an easy-to-use user-interface and a comprehensive set of configuration tools to build the user displays.
Exaquantum/Explorer desktop has been designed using the standard Microsoft Multiple Document Interface (MDI) and ActiveX technology. This gives it a Microsoft look and feel so that users who are familiar with Microsoft products will feel comfortable with most of its interactions and the terminology used in this document.
What users see on their computer screen is organised in Exaquantum/Explorer by ‘documents’. Documents in turn can be organised into workbooks.
An Exaquantum/Explorer document can contain:
The controls allow user interaction, (e.g. buttons to click on) as well as displaying plant information in the form of live bar-graph indicators, updating text-boxes, trends, etc. These controls are either ‘intrinsic’ (i.e. they are part of the Exaquantum/Explorer kernel) or they can be ActiveX controls that are supplied with the Exaquantum/Explorer package or even bought-in third-party controls.
Navigation buttons to other documents and links to embedded OLE-compliant documents and applications.
Script files, provide the document with specific behaviour (for example to turn on normally hidden detail information to the document).
Scripts are small user-written program segments that are executed under certain pre-defined conditions, in order to carry out specific actions. For example, a script may be written and associated with a button click event, to call up a trend display or to invite a user to enter a new value in a text box.
References to Exaquantum tags. This is the mechanism whereby dynamic controls are ‘bound’ to specific tags in order to display their values. This is commonly referred to as data binding or parameterisation.
This versatility of content allows a wide range of user interface screens to be produced covering:
Plant schematics (mimics) – schematic representations that provide context to help users assimilate the presented information
Sophisticated trends – both real time and historical trend data
Dynamic graphics – live updates of actual process conditions
Lists, spreadsheets, charts and tables – summary information for quick decision support
Reports, including any or all of the above – on-screen or printed reports that can contain all the above elements.
Web browser displayable pages, including any or all of the above – the ability to view any Exaquantum/Explorer document in a standard web browser on the company intranet.
Exaquantum/Explorer provides a comprehensive and controlled environment for configuring the documents that make up the end users' interface to their process. It allows the creation of a wide range of applications ranging from ad-hoc reports through operating screens to full data management applications.
To give the power and flexibility to deliver more advanced users’ requirements, Exaquantum/Explorer provides an extensive tool kit that includes:
The ability to customise trends to suit particular requirements that are not covered by their default behaviour. For example, you can configure a special trend that trends plant conditions against the operational limits of the process’ various operating modes.
The ability to manipulate the controls on a document based on current conditions. In the previous example, the plant’s operational limits might be updated by the script – depending on the value of particular real-time data points.
Each control has properties which alter its appearance or behaviour. In design mode, the Property Sheets are used to enter the desired property values, such that the control exhibits the appropriate characteristics in Run mode.
These allow the drawing of static schematic information that helps focus users’ attention using familiar representations (such as the plant schematic, tabular reports that map the current paper reports, etc.).
The dynamic data display controls (such as live text-boxes, bar graphs, etc.) and action-inducing controls (e.g. data-entry grids, command buttons, etc.) can be added and positioned on the document. This will typically be done in a way that aids the clear, safe interpretation of the information the document contains as well as to allow quick navigation to documents that contain related information (eg other plant areas).