zenon Release 2021: zenon 10
The start of 2021 marks the tenth chapter in the zenon success story at COPA-DATA. Alongside upgrades of core functionality and several new features in the new release, you'll also find upgraded connectivity – with a special focus on new drivers. In addition, the latest version of the software platform rolls out an impressive new, state-of-the-art look in its Engineering Studio.
Fast Facts
- New look & feel for zenon Engineering Studio (formerly Editor)
- Extensive upgrades to the Web Engine
- Smart Objects support recipes and recipe groups
- OCPP driver for communication with e-vehicle charging stations
- E-signature provides additional security for data logging
- Translation of reports during runtime
The 2021 release provides our customers with a comprehensive software platform. The Report Engine, previously known as zenon Analyzer, is now integrated in zenon. zenon Runtime has become the Service Engine, and zenon Editor is renamed as the Engineering Studio. To present the new features in a visually consistent and attractive design, the engineering environment, including setup, has been given a completely new look and feel.
HTML5 Web Engine & Smart Objects: The journey continues
Industrial IoT is more than a buzzword – the demands on industrial automation software are changing. Flexible access, including remotely, is a key factor for future-proof systems and processes. For this reason, the capabilities of the Web Engine have been upgraded extensively with zenon 10. Alongside support for Docker container technology, it is now possible to comment on alarms and events. Together with performance enhancements in the Compiler and the use of Gantt charts in the Extended Trend, zenon is taking the next logical step toward web-based visualization. The development of Smart Objects launched in the previous release has also continued. With zenon 10, the reusable modules support recipes, recipe groups and import/export using XML.
Connectivity to meet the requirements of the future
It seems that electromobility will continue to build momentum as the mode of driving in the future. To meet the increasing demands for electromobility, zenon 10 brings an OCPP driver to market. This is used for communication with charging stations for e-vehicles. Further new features include offline configuration of the zenon Process Gateway in the Engineering Studio. A running service engine is no longer necessary; the project backup is included. The Egress Connector to the zenon Service Grid is also new. Similar to a driver that queries variable values, this enables access to the variables of other service engines. As with every new release, a large number of existing drivers and gateways (e.g. DNP3 or IEC61850) have been upgraded and are now more dynamic.
Ensure full data integrity with the e-signature
The new e-signature feature, which is increasingly being used in the pharmaceutical industry, provides additional security in audit trails and ensures that changes to records and initiated process steps can be tracked seamlessly, both in terms of time and personnel.
International cooperation
To support internationalization and meet the related requirements for global cooperation, alarms and event reports can now be translated in the Report Engine (formerly zenon Analyzer). The language can be selected directly in the report, like a filter. An existing language file in the Engineering Studio is the prerequisite. With the Smart Data Storage function, alarms and chronological events can be exported continuously and saved in SQL. This allows for reliable data consistency without any loss of content.
Want to learn more and see how the innovations work in practice? Klick here!
