Headline features in this release include 'Synchronized Cursors', an option to display Pen Pointers without the Preview Pane, SNMP and Windows Performance Plugin Dlls for the Sapphire Collector and OPC Cloaking.

New features in V5-0:

• Synchronized Cursors - this feature allows values in multiple trends to be examined concurrently by sweeping the cursor to the desired time period in the 'lead' plot. The user can then read off process values for all variables at the same instance in time without having to time synchronize the individual plots. Click here for a demonstration of Synchronized Cursors in action.
   
• Plugin Dlls - For release V5-0 the Sapphire Collector has been enhanced so that it can historize data from sources other than DA OPC Servers. This is achieved via the use of optional Plugin data sources.

  A Plugin data source consists of a Dll that is capable of reading data from the required data source, a configuration file defining operational parameters for the Dll and a CSV file that defines the associated name space for the Dll.

  The Dlls are developed by Jemmac Software, but are optional components within the Collector.

  Available Plugin Dlls for V5-0 are: 

  • SNMP data - reading values from devices such as network switches, servers, environmental monitoring devices etc.
  • Windows Performance counters - allowing operating system and process data to be historized

• Pen Pointers - pen pointers are 'tick marks' that indicate the position of new data values on the right hand Y-axis of a plot.

  From release V5-0 they can be enabled independently of the Preview Pane for any Strip Chart.

  Note: The size of the Pen Pointers is a User Preference increasing their visibility for trends displayed on large Plasma screens.

• Compression Mode - When a trend is zoomed out such that there is too much data to display stPro applies a Compression Mode.

  For previous releases a Single Point algorithm was the default Compression Mode, with the user having the option to override this on a per plot basis.

  For V5-0 the default Compression Mode has become a User Preference.

• Read Status - The SDR item list dialog has a new column called 'Read Status'. This will report any errors that have occurred reading the items within an SDR, allowing the user to quickly diagnose both the health of the item, and that of the underlying data source.

  The 'Read Status' column is also available on the Plot Properties Mapping Tab in stPro and stOCX.

For more details on release V5-0, see the New Features section of the On-line help.