Has Recent Work Introduced Errors?

You may have read this analysis of the errors DBDOC found that had been introduced into a client system over four years.

Here is another summary analysis of the important errors introduced into a different system over five years. DBDOC makes this sort of analysis trivial if you have backups of systems before and after work is done. Here are questions that should be asked:

1. How many errors that could hurt the plant are acceptable?
2. Why were these errors not in front of the DCS team for evaluation?
3. How could these errors, all breaking the rules, yield a clean Composer compile?
4. Should Composer have caught them?

Duplicate ADAPT Blocks and Multiple TSTALM Blocks

There are ten errors that result from the failure of Composer to force a cloned ADAPT or TSTALM block to have S2 or S1 set to -1 when the block is cloned.

Two of these errors are shown below. It is absolutely clear that S2 of block 1060 and S1 of block 1066 both should be 1062, not 2450. The value 2450 is residual from the working logic that was cloned into this logic. This is typical of a class of error made again and again by Composer users.

The block index for the prototype MSDRVR FC 129 Block 1062, centre of a wonderful set of beautiful functioning logic. The highlights show the four extra TSTALM block errors, so there are six of each. Not one of the errors was found when the work was done, compiled by Composer or loaded by the user.

Some Function Blocks are Defaulted as Disabled

This error message shows that one lag function was not enabled when it was added. The effect would show up as inexpicable unintended excursions that are supposed to be smoothed out. Clearly, the default should be to be enabled, not disabled.

Specification out of Range

What does this block do?

We could guess. Why should we have to? Why is this not an error in Composer, as the only legal values are 0, 1 or 2?

TSTQ Tests Block With No Quality

The work being analyzed has only two errors where a block is being tested for quality when it does not have quality to test. Only two!

First, note how the blocks with quality, shown by DBDOC as blue lines, lose that attribute when they go through logic blocks. Here, the cost of the one second lag function is the loss of quality for the pressure signal.

So, bad quality on the pressure signal will not be detected. What is it supposed to do? Simply put the FLOW CONTROL STATION into Manual. Oops!

Summary

There are fourteen potentially significant errors documented here, with many more less severe not mentioned. They should not have been made, and they should have been caught.

Configuration Change History Support in DBDOC 10.7

Archived Text File Dumps of Configuration and CLD / CAD Source

DBDOC now reports the specifications that make up the configuration of an INFI 90 system in text files we termed "DMPCFG".  We use these dumps to cross-check DBDOC handling of the CLD and CAD files, verifying that we handle the CLDs and CAD sheets the same as the ABB compilers Composer and WinCAD (and DOS CADEWS and SLAD).

DBDOC 10.6.1 introduced the creation of DMPCFG files for both the .CFG files and the CLD and CAD sheets automatically when you do a DBDOC build.  Read about them here.

DBDOC 10.7 introduces automatic archiving of the files from both the CLD / CAD sheets and the compiled or saved CFG files. When you do your DBDOC build, your DMPCFG files will now be archived with the error files. Also, the last build you did before installing 10.7 will be archived. Thus, you will start with a base for comparison of the last build you did with DBDOC 10.6.1 and the first with DBDOC 10.7.

Changes from Date to Date

The simple application of the DMPCFG file archives is comparison and documentation of changes in blocks and specifications from any DBDOC build dates. The following examples show how any differences will be clear.

This example shows the changes made in a module in the space of three months. Having them available like this will allow them to be cross-checked against the management of change documentation. The symbol "<" indicates the old value, with ">" showing the new blocks and specs.

Comparison of May 8 to Sept 14, 2016 - Module 6,50,05

< Block 531 FC80 S1=3646 S2=5 S3=3493 S4=5 S5=0 S6=5 S7=6.0 S8=0.4 S9=1.0 ...
> Block 531 FC80 S1=3646 S2=5 S3=3493 S4=5 S5=0 S6=5 S7=6.0 S8=5.0 S9=1.0 ...

< Block 796 FC30 S1=5    S2=0  S3=0.0 S4=250.0 S5=300.0 S6=-10.0 S7=0.1
> Block 796 FC30 S1=4706 S2=17 S3=0.0 S4=6.0   S5=10.0  S6=-1.0  S7=1.0

< Block 797 FC30 S1=5    S2=0  S3=0.0 S4=11.0   S5=100.0  S6=-10.0 S7=1.0
> Block 797 FC30 S1=4708 S2=18 S3=0.0 S4=1E+006 S5=1E+006 S6=0.0   S7=1.0

< Block 3546 FC6 S1=5    S2=11.0 S3=-1.0
> Block 3546 FC6 S1=2003 S2=2.0  S3=0.0

< Block 3886 FC37 S1=1    S2=1
> Block 3886 FC37 S1=4714 S2=4719

< Block 4049 FC2 S1=961.0
> Block 4049 FC2 S1=1565

< Block 4050 FC15 S1=4048 S2=4049 S3=1.0 S4=-1.0
> Block 4050 FC15 S1=4710 S2=4056 S3=1.0 S4=-1.0

< Block 4051 FC2 S1=274.4
> Block 4051 FC2 S1=1000

< Block 4052 FC17 S1=4050 S2=4051 S3=1.0
> Block 4052 FC17 S1=4721 S2=7    S3=1.0

< Block 4053 FC2 S1=0.0
> Block 4053 FC2 S1=1.065

< Block 4055 FC9 S1=4052 S2=4120 S3=4054 S4=0.0 S5=0.0
> Block 4055 FC9 S1=5    S2=5    S3=0    S4=0.0 S5=0.0

< Block 4056 FC16 S1=2003 S2=4055 S3=2.0
> Block 4056 FC16 S1=4722 S2=4049 S3=1.0

< Block 4062 FC80 S1=4057 S2=4056 S3=4058 S4=4060 S5=4059 S6=5 ...
> Block 4062 FC80 S1=4057 S2=4713 S3=4058 S4=4060 S5=4059 S6=5 ...

< Block 4075 FC80 S1=4069 S2=5    S3=4070 ... S28=3061 S29=0    S30=0 S31=60.0
> Block 4075 FC80 S1=4069 S2=4053 S3=4070 ... S28=3061 S29=4716 S30=0 S31=60.0

< Block 4120 FC68 S1=0 S2=1.26 S3=0.74 S4=0.84 S5=0 S6=5
> Block 4120 FC68 S1=0 S2=21.5 S3=12.5 S4=12.5 S5=0 S6=5

< Block 4581 FC16 S1=4580 S2=6 S3=1.0
> Block 4581 FC16 S1=4580 S2=6 S3=0.05

< Block 4582 FC6 S1=4581 S2=200.0 S3=-5.0
> Block 4582 FC6 S1=4581 S2=10.2  S3=4.2

New blocks added:

> Block 4706 FC7 S1=4707 S2=0.115
> Block 4707 FC6 S1=1063 S2=2800 S3=0.0
> Block 4708 FC166 S1=796 S2=2 S3=5 S4=1 S5=9.223E+018 S6=-9.223E+018 S7=1.0 S8=1
> Block 4710 FC17 S1=4056 S2=4052 S3=0.5
> Block 4711 FC17 S1=4050 S2=4051 S3=1.0
> Block 4712 FC15 S1=5 S2=5 S3=1.0 S4=-1.0
> Block 4713 FC30 S1=4711 S2=117 S3=0.0 S4=5.0 S5=9999 S6=-9999 S7=0.5
> Block 4714 FC12 S1=4076 S2=1.07 S3=-9999
> Block 4716 FC35 S1=3886 S2=0 S3=2.0
> Block 4717 FC2 S1=21.5
> Block 4718 FC2 S1=12.5
> Block 4719 FC62 S1=0 S2=1 S3=0 S4=0 S5=0 S6=4719 S7=0 S8=2
> Block 4720 FC9 S1=4717 S2=4718 S3=4719 S4=0.0 S5=0.0
> Block 4721 FC30 S1=4720 S2=43 S3=10.0 S4=25.0 S5=-9999 S6=9999 S7=0.5
> Block 4722 FC3 S1=3546 S2=1 S3=0.0 S4=2.0

What Next?

This is a respectable first step, but of course these are text files, generated during a DBDOC build, and not nearly as accessible as they could be.  We would like to see support for interactive viewing and browsing of Management of Change information from right inside the Hyperview browser.

Andrew McKeown of Oji Fibre Solutions in New Zealand suggested:

• My biggest need is around Management of Change. Knowing what has changed between each snap-shot build is an important part of managing and reconciling or even tracing changes between successive builds or across a period of time.  My contention was always that if you have the information about what is there then we should do something about seeing what has changed in detail.
• My contention now is that you could build this into the M14 by changing the file contents so that the differences could be seen in the MoC list [showing] the change and also the hyperlink to the CAD sheet and Block.

As far as comparing from version to version arbitrarily, Andrew also sets the bar very high:

• The trick then becomes what do you choose as the previous version to compare to [with] CFG and EWS CFG as sources plus the previous versions of the same.
• Archiving files for comparisons to previous versions for an ad-hoc datetime difference is all well and good but you need to make this interface easy for the user.

We concur, and are starting on this and more now. The ideas of our clients will help us.  There was a time when the errors DBDOC found during builds were available only via build-level log files, but now the Hyperview Error Browser makes this information highly accessible, and links it effortlessly into graphics and configuration.  There isn't any reason why Management of Change information, changed specs and so on, couldn't be presented in Hyperview in an analogous fashion.

Would this be useful to you?

DBDOC: Reads the Manual and Checks Your Specs.

DBDOC is unique in giving you significant help in finding integrity issues in your system. Every INFI 90 system in the world would benefit from improving operational safety and reliability. Our Error Browser and Error Marker development was designed to make it possible to manage errors and improve the integrity of your systems.

Here you see our much loved copy of the function code manual, dog-eared and duct-taped. You've probably read it too, but possibly not as intensely as we have.

Based on studying the documentation and the experiences of our clients, we added new tests for function block specifications that violate the documentation in ways that seem significant. Read on to see what we found.

We reviewed test data for 229 systems around the world, and found 1160 new errors of note in 77 systems involving 33 function codes - 15 errors per system. Of course, this means that 68% of the systems had none of the specification errors we looked for. It also means that over 1/3 of the systems had these new errors Composer did not find, but that DBDOC will.

I expect this will be the most boring blog I ever write. Holy Understatements, Batman!

Here are example of errors found in various specification values for various function codes from real systems. Some could bite!  All are now reported by DBDOC in the Error Browser.

FC35 - 45 instances in 21 systems

• Module 5,65,02 Block 133 FC35 S2 value 005 is out of the valid range [000,102]

FC36 - 15 instances in 4 systems

• Module 5,26,05 Block 6441 FC36 S9 value 9 is out of the valid range [0,8]
• Module 7,101,06 Block 5800 FC36 S10 value -1 is out of the valid range [0,1]

FC45 - 22 instances in 6 systems

• Module 2,48,02 Block 854 FC45 S2 value 20 is out of the valid range [0,2]

FC50 - 1 instance in 1 system

• Module 3,01,04 Block 4082 FC50 S1 value -1 is out of the valid range [0,1]

FC69 - 9 instances in 4 systems

• Module 32,04,05 Block 3285 FC69 S2 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]

FC80 - 61 instances in 26 systems

• Module 2,78,02 Block 2151 FC80 S6 value 39 is out of the valid range [1-3 or 5-8]
• Module 2,15,05 Block 2039 FC80 S17 value 246 is out of the valid range [0,7]
• Module 1,11,02 Block 2494 FC80 S23 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,4]

FC82 - 4 instances in 3 systems

• Module 3,02,20 Block 1992 FC82 S5 value 30 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 2,12,06 Block 15 FC82 S15 value 179 is out of the valid range [0,1]

FC83 - 501 instances in 4 systems

• Module 11,30,15 Block 463 FC83 S1 value 65 is out of the valid range [0,63]

FC84 - 5 instances in 4 systems

• Module 2,20,02 Block 6641 FC84 S2 value 10 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 2,20,02 Block 6641 FC84 S2 value 10 is out of the valid range [0,1]

FC86 - 1 instance in 1 system

• Module 2,104,10 Block 1882 FC86 S6 value 013 is out of the valid range [000,101]

FC95 - 36 instances in 5 systems

• Module 1,62,03 Block 979 FC95 S7 value 2 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 1,53,02 Block 9062 FC95 S12 value 7 is out of the valid range [0,1]

FC110, FC111, FC112 - 24 instances in 10 systems

• Module 5,12,04 Block 4015 FC110 S1 value 20 is out of the valid range [0,3]
• Module 5,23,02 Block 56 FC111 S1 value 10 is out of the valid range [0,3]
• Module 7,09,03 Block 4140 FC112 S1 value 10 is out of the valid range [0,3]

FC123 - 12 instances in 1 system

• Module 4,07,06 Block 3793 FC123 S7 value 22 is out of the valid range [0,11]
• Module 4,07,06 Block 3793 FC123 S8 value 22 is out of the valid range [0,11]

FC124 - 6 instances in 2 systems

• Module 5,33,03 Block 3194 FC124 S11 value 120 is out of the valid range [00,22]
• Module 5,33,03 Block 3194 FC124 S13 value 60 is out of the valid range [00,22]

FC126 - 3 instances in 1 system

• Module 1,14,11 Block 8501 FC126 S2 value 115 is out of the valid range [0,2]

FC129 - 92 instances in 33 systems

• Module 1,15,02 Block 3405 FC129 S7 value 003 is out of the valid range [000,111]
• Module 1,15,06 Block 3133 FC129 S8 value 1000 is out of the valid range [000,111]
• Module 1,20,05 Block 7810 FC129 S9 value 002 is out of the valid range [000,111]
• Module 1,23,03 Block 3995 FC129 S10 value 1000 is out of the valid range [000,111]
• Module 5,15,04 Block 2559 FC129 S11 value 20002 is out of the valid range [0000,2222]
• Module 1,44,04 Block 2509 FC129 S13 value 0003 is out of the valid range [0000,2222]
• Module 1,24,03 Block 1808 FC129 S14 value 222 is out of the valid range [000,142]
• Module 1,04,03 Block 3993 FC129 S15 value 23 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 3,54,04 Block 7764 FC129 S19 value 5 is out of the valid range [Any or All of 0,1,2,3]

FC132 - 64 instances in 14 systems

• Module 1,01,15 Block 1346 FC132 S3 value 2 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 1,60,02 Block 448 FC132 S3 value 4 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 11,26,04 Block 1106 FC132 S3 value 7 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 34,46,03 Block 8150 FC132 S10 value 78 is out of the valid range [0,5]
• Module 1,03,04 Block 1211 FC132 S13 value 50 is out of the valid range [0,5]
• Module 2,01,02 Block 244 FC132 S16 value 150 is out of the valid range [0,5]

FC136 - 28 instances in 3 systems

• Module 1,07,03 Block 1258 FC136 S16 value 3.0 is out of the valid range [0.0, 1.0, 2.0]

FC140 - 34 instances in 4 systems

• Module 10,02,07 Block 1076 FC140 S4 value 8078 is out of the valid range [00,11]
• Module 7,103,02 Block 3250 FC140 S5 value 212 is out of the valid range [0,63]

FC143 - 1 instance in 1 system

• Module 1,20,09 Block 8872 FC143 S1 value 3 is out of the valid range [0,2]

FC149 - 60 instances in 10 systems

• Module 5,41,02 Block 232 FC149 S3 value 8 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S11 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S12 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S13 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S14 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S15 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S16 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 11,01,04 Block 161 FC149 S17 value 5 is out of the valid range [0,2]

FC151 - 6 instances in 3 systems

• Module 1,65,05 Block 4531 FC151 S6 value 4532.0 is out of the valid range [0.0,127.0]
• Module 2,30,03 Block 7180 FC151 S7 value 3 is out of the valid range [0,1]

FC156 - 5 instances in 4 systems
Module 1,18,03 Block 6438 FC156 S19 value 32 is out of the valid range [0,1]

• Module 3,03,02 Block 7284 FC156 S20 value 40 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• FC166 - 8 instances in 3 systems

Module 4,05,07 Block 3697 FC166 S2 value 120 is out of the valid range [0,2]

• Module 3,01,04 Block 3807 FC166 S8 value 32767 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• FC182 - 19 instances in 1 system
• Module 1,07,14 Block 56 FC182 S1 value 000 is out of the valid range [001-009, 020-124, 040-041, 064]

FC190 - 6 instances in 3 systems

• Module 2,32,07 Block 2280 FC190 S2 value 7200 is out of the valid range [1,6553]

FC216 - 61 instances in 10 systems

• Module 1,09,07 Block 8172 FC216 S3 value 19 is out of the valid range [1,16]
• Module 20,38,07 Block 650 FC216 S4 value 051 is out of the valid range [000-109, 010-113, 020-125, 040-144, 060-161, 099-199]
• Module 1,03,04 Block 1428 FC216 S5 value 2 is out of the valid range [0,1]
• Module 6,60,08 Block 162 FC216 S11 value 0 is out of the valid range [16,24]

FC222 - 1 instance in 1 system

• Module 1,09,02 Block 1023 FC222 S2 value 1022 is out of the valid range [0000-1209, 0010-1115, 0210-1214, 0300-1302, 0400-1400, 0500-1500, 0900-1900]

FC224 - 18 instances in 4 systems

• Module 1,09,02 Block 1048 FC224 S2 value 1047 is out of the valid range [0,2]
• Module 1,09,02 Block 1048 FC224 S3 value 1046 is out of the valid range [0,255]

FC226 - 8 instances in 2 systems

• Module 20,10,31 Block 8358 FC226 S3 value 10 is out of the valid range [0,4]

FC247 - 4 instances in 2 systems

• Module 1,13,04 Block 953 FC247 S5 value 5 is out of the valid range [1-4 or 6-8]

Holy Complications, Batman! A number of expressions in http://holysmokesbatman.com/directory apply. DBDOC helps improve your system's integrity.