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Welcome to the FAQ

Welcome to the Support FAQ. Here you can find frequently asked questions with solutions to help solve any problems or concerns you may have with your CEMView products.

If you require more in-depth assistance then please do not hesitate to contact us.

General FAQs

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OPC Server runs for only one day

My OPC Server runs for approximately one day, after which it stops acquiring data. If I close the application and restart it, it runs again, but only for one day again. What is the problem?

Our OPC Servers distributed with a "demo version" license will exhibit this behaviour. You must purchase a permanent license to enable the OPC Server to run continuously without stopping every day. Please contact your local distributor or contact us to obtain a licence.

Should I upgrade to SQL Server 2008 R2?

CEMView 2.2 and some early versions of CEMView 2.5 were deployed with the Microsoft MSDE 2000 database. Since the release of SQL Server 2008 R2, CEMView 2.5 and later versions has been shipping with SQL Server 2008 R2 Edition as the default database.

To upgrade your CEMView database to SQL Server 2008 R2, please contact us.

What is OPC?

OPC is open connectivity via open standards in industrial automation and the enterprise systems that support industry.

OPC is a series of standards specifications. These specifications include:

OPC Data AccessOPC Alarms & Events
OPC Historical Data Access
OPC XML-DA

The wide industry acceptance of the OPC Specifications remains instrumental in our decision to develop products that conform to these standards.

As a universally supported industry standard, an OPC Data Access Server can acquire raw data from any physical device (analyzer, PLC, DCS, etc.) via serial or Ethernet connection. OPC Servers play the central role in the data acquisition process in providing an interface between the monitored hardware and the application software and saving the data as tags

Increased Flexibility and Efficiency

This standard mechanism for communicating to numerous data sources increases data access flexibility and efficiency which thereby decreases access conflicts, inconsistencies in implementation and duplication of efforts. The consistent interface to OPC client applications provides an efficient notification mechanism upon data change or the occurrence of specified Event and Alarm conditions.

For additional information on the OPC standards and specifications, please visit the OPC Foundation website.

What is the difference between software updates and upgrade?

The CEMView software annual subscription maintenance and support contract agreements reference software updates and upgrades. What is the difference between software updates and software upgrades? Software updates refer to corrections, changes and improvements made to the software. The version number of the software does not change and typically, additional functionality is not added to the product.

Software upgrades refer to feature improvements and additional functionality incorporated into the software. New technologies, capabilities and feature sets are often incorporated in the software and a version number change is made to the software. Full backward compatibility with existing software applications and systems is not guaranteed, although a transition or migration path to the new technology will be possible. These changes also typically coincide with new software releases of major components such as support for new versions of the Windows operating system or Service Pack releases.

The recently released SQL Server 2005 database system as an example of a component upgrade by Microsoft that impacted CEMView. A CEMView software update to support this new database has been released. There is no additional functionality added to CEMView, although the upgrade takes advantage of the change in SQL Server Express 2005 which supports a maximum on-line database size for 4.0 gigabytes versus the 2.0 gigabytes available with SQL Server 2000 MSDE edition.

A software upgrade to CEMView Version 3.0 from CEMView Version 2.5 will take advantage to some of the new features and technologies released with the SQL Server 2005 database. These will include data mirroring and 64-bit support.

Why is CEM DAS software so expensive?

The cost of any commercial software product is directly proportional to the need for the product and the market viability of the product. A software development company will develop and maintain a product that meets the market demand, only if the application is commercially viable.

The CEM DAS market is a low volume, vertical application market. The final deployed software application is effectively custom-built and configured to meet a site and source specific requirement. This is quite unlike a shrink wrapped commercial software product. The low market volumes and need for highly skilled personnel to develop and maintain the product is a primary reason why many large companies that develop and market CEM hardware has effectively abandoned the CEM software development market. They choose to work with a software development company like Nexus Solutions Inc. and effectively OEM or recommend the product with their analysis hardware.

Without a CEM DAS application that is properly implemented to meet the site and source specific requirement, the CEM analyzer hardware is effectively equivalent to a PC computer without any application software.

It is therefore important to choose a CEM DAS software vendor that has the capability to develop, deploy and more importantly maintain the CEM application. Nexus Solutions Inc. has demonstrated this capability with installations worldwide. The CEMView application is customized to meet your requirement. In the CEM business, low initial cost can sometimes lead to very hefty fines if the CEM system is not performing properly and the system is out of compliance.

Nexus Solutions modular and scalable CEMView products are very competitively priced in the marketplace.

Why should I install a local UPS on my CEMView computer?

My control room power is already protected with a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Source). Is the local UPS on the CEMView computer necessary?

Nexus Solutions strongly advises that a local UPS be used with the CEMView computer, even if a control room UPS is available.

The reason to install a local UPS on the CEMView computer, even if the control room power is protected with a large UPS, is to ensure that if or when, in the event of a prolonged power outage, the power from the control room UPS eventually goes off , the local UPS will be able to signal the CEMView computer to perform an orderly shutdown of the CEMView system. Without a local UPS available to signal the imminent power outage, the CEMView computer will be unable to perform the orderly shutdown of applications and the crash of the system due to the power loss could cause SQL Server database file corruption and the database integrity could be suspect.

Will CEMView run on Microsoft Windows Vista?

CEMView Version 2.5 and Version 3.0 has been updated to run on Microsoft Windows Vista 32-bit operating system.

CEMView Version 3.0 will be Certified for Vista.

CEMView FAQ

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Can CEMView interface with my DCS using Modbus or OPC?

CEMView is an OPC Client application and is therefore capable of interfacing with any device if an OPC Server exists for the device. Also, because CEMView is also an OPC Server application, if the DCS is OPC Client capable, it is possible to interface with the DCS using the OPC specification interfaces.

If the DCS / PLC control system is Modbus Slave compatible, then it is possible to communicate with it using the Modbus OPC Server. Serial ASCII / RTU and Ethernet Modbus/TCP protocols are supported. If the DCS / PLC control system is a Modbus Master only device, then the Modbus Slave OPC Client Link gateway product can be used to interface the DCS / PLC to CEMView.

Can I show CEMView data on a website?

It is possible to configure CEMView to display any information to a web site. This can be accomplished using a few different techniques and depends greatly on what data needs to be displayed, how the web server is configured and where it is being hosted.

A report can be scheduled to print on an intermittent timed basis to generate an HTML file / web page to be displayed by the web server.

An example of this can be seen at Suwannee American Cement, Florida, USA.

How is this accomplished?

A VBScript extension was written to acquire data from CEMView Server and to generate / update an HTML webpage every six (6) minutes.

Alternatively, at the EGAT Bang Pakong Power Plant in Thailand, a web application was written to access the CEMView data using the CEMView OLE-DB provider.

Does CEMView FTP the Alberta EDR file to Alberta Environment?

The Online Reporting - Electronic Submission of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Information to Alberta Environment is required for some sites in Alberta. CEMView is capable of generating the Alberta EDR file required for submittal to the Alberta Environment secure web site.

Instructions on How to Upload Monitoring Data to the Alberta Environment FTP Site can be found on the Alberta Environment website.

Using this secure website, the user must login to the site using the appropriate user id and password. The EDR file that is generated by the CEMView EDR manager application module can then be uploaded to the Alberta Environment secure website using the FTP file transfer protocol. By default, this is not automatically done by the CEMView EDR application because the file should be double checked by a user for accuracy before it is uploaded to Alberta Environment. The FTP file upload process typically requires user intervention.

However, it is possible to configure the CEMView EDR manager application to automatically upload the EDR file after it is generated. The user must then login to the Alberta Environment secure website to verify that the file is correct.

How much does CEMView cost?

Please contact us or your local distributor to request a quote on a system.

Link to additional information: General pricing model for CEMView.

Is a data logger required for CEMView?

CEMView is designed to acquire data from the analysis instrument by interfacing directly with the analyzer. A traditional CEM data logger that interfaces to an analyzer using analog 4-20 mA and discrete voltage level signals is not required, but CEMView can certainly co-exist with this traditional approach.

CEMView PI and PE Editions are capable of optionally supporting the CEMView Data Buffer Programmable Automation Controller (DB-PAC). The CEMView DB-PAC maintains the ability to communicate directly with the analyzers and provides data buffering capability in the shelter.

How reliable is CEMView without a data logger and what alternatives does CEMView offer?

Nexus Solutions offers a robust application architecture to meet and exceed the standard set by the CEM data logger or the traditional PLC based CEM DAS. The CEMView open, modular and scalable architecture has many inherent design advantages over the tradition CEM data logger and PLC design. Rather than simply follow the competition, the CEMView architecture offers many alternative solutions that are equivalent to, and at the same time better than, the data logger or PLC solution offered by many of our competitors. This gives us the ability to offer a solution that is uniquely matched to your site specific requirements.

Is the CEM database secure or tamperproof?

CEMView uses the Microsoft SQL Server database.

The CEMView OLE-DB provider database access mechanism is the means by which all data is committed to the data tables and all database activity is monitored and logged. The integrity of the data tables are verified using a checksum algorithm mechanism, hence any tampering with the data will be detected.

Direct access to the SQL database is strongly discouraged. The reason being that the data integrity checksum algorithm is not public information and will not be released by Nexus. This is to ensure that the database data is secure and unaltered.

What averages does CEMView have built-in?

CEMView implements block and rolling averages for regulatory compliance.

Additional details are discussed at this website topic on Regulatory Averages.

What can you tell me about CEMView?

CEMView is an open architecture family of Modular, High Performance Data Acquisition and Reporting Software for Environmental and Continuous Emissions Monitoring.CEMView is not a single software application. It is actually a number of software application modules that are configured to work together to meet the site and application specific continuous emissions monitoring requirement. This site contains a lot of information on a number of software modules that can be assembled to suit any requirement.Below are some quick links to additional information on this website.

Please feel free to contact us for additional information if you cannot find the answers to your questions on this website.

Software Installation FAQ

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Configuring DCOM

Securing your CEMView system and network with firewalls requires that you configure DCOM.Microsoft has a number of knowledge base articles that may be helpful in understanding how to configure your system.

See the following articles on the Microsoft Web site for a DCOM Technical Overview.

For additional information on configuring DCOM and securing your system: Using Distributed COM with Firewalls and additional information for your Windows 2000 / XP system: HowTo: Restrict TCP/IP Ports on Windows 2000 and Windows XP

Another source of information is the OPC Foundation website ASK OPC forum

Error -1608: Unable to create InstallDriver instance

Little information is known at this time about the specific cause of this initialization error since it rarely occurs and is typically encountered on an intermittent machine-specific basis. Here are the known causes and their resolutions from InstallShield.

1) DCOM permissions are not set to an adequate level

2) The InstallScript engine was not installed properly

3) The operating system has become corrupted

4) Other applications or utilities are running in the background and causing a conflict

5) Insufficient privileges in Windows

Make sure you have full administrative rights for your particular system, ie the computer recognizes your authority to install and or change settings.... Check your entry in the Control Panel->"Users and Passwords" applet... you must be a member of the 'administrators' group...

Do this before rerunning the installation after the II, III, or IV below:

a) Empty all temporary folders. The specific temporary folders for a machine can be determined by accessing the DOS prompt and typing "set". Note the values listed for "TEMP" and "TMP", and delete all files in those locations. (Start menu->Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt)

b) Make sure no other applications, including utilities such as virus scanners, are running in the background. Close all running applications and utilities.

II. Re-install the InstallScript Engine and insure that it is registered properly...

a) The following options have been known to resolve this error message in the majority of cases: Reinstall the InstallScript engine by running the "ISScript.msi" file. Just click on it like you would start any program. The Windows Installer should start and rerun the installer installation. If this works okay then you probably do not need to do 'b' below

b) Manually register the file "IDriver.exe" using the following command line:

Common FilesInstallShieldDriverIntel 32IDriver.exe /REGSERVER

You can also drag and drop the IDriver.exe onto the regsvr32.exe program to register...
(please note that there is usually both a regsvr and a regsvr32....use the latter)...

III. Reset the DCOM permissions by following the steps below:

a) Launch the utility DCOMConfig by typing "dcomcnfg" in the Windows Run dialog. (Left click on Start button in task bar and click on the "Run" menu item at the bottom, enter "dcomcnfg" in the textbox - this will launch the utility and open a dialog window)

Select the Default Security tab.
Click the Edit Default button in the Default Access Permissions section.
Make sure you choose Allow Access permissions.
Click OK in the utility, and re-run the Setup.exe.

If the above resolutions do not work then there are probably corrupted operating system files and you should try repairing/reinstall the operating System.

How to configure SQL Server 2005 to allow remote connections

When you try to connect to an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 from a remote computer, you may receive an error message. This problem may occur when you use any program to connect to SQL Server.

The following link to the Microsoft website provides information on How to configure SQL Server 2005 to allow remote connections

Windows Installer Error 1931

Symptoms

When running setup on a Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Windows XP machine, you may get the following error: Error 1931: The Windows Installer service cannot update the system file [2] because the file is protected by Windows. You may need to update your operating system for this program to work correctly. Package version: [3], OS Protected version: [4].

To prevent legacy setups from updating or installing system-specific files, Microsoft incorporated the New Windows File Protection (WFP) feature into Windows 2000, Windows Me, and Windows XP. This functionality was implemented to prevent systems or applications that used shared files from crashing and to prevent the infamous "DLL hell" problem. WFP does not allow setups to update protected files. On Windows 2000 and Windows XP, all system files in the System32 directory are protected by WFP. On Windows Me, system administrators can protect files using WFP, which prevents the files from being updated or deleted. The only way to update protected files is via a service pack for the respective operating system. At run time when the Windows Installer Service encounters a file that is protected by the system on Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Windows XP, it queries the WFP to update the file. After WFP updates the file from its database of cached files, it compares the version of the file on system against the version in the setup. If the version in the setup is higher than the version on the system, the setup displays error 1931 to inform the end user that it was unable to update the specific system file. The error informs the end user that they need to update the system with a later service pack to update the file.

If you need a certain version of system files on the target system, you should specify a service pack level as a system requirement as opposed to updating system files via the setup itself. However, if you need to update system files on Windows 9x or Windows NT, you should suppress the error message on later systems like Windows 2000. Listed below are ways to suppress this error message on Windows 2000, Windows Me, and Windows XP. InstallShield Developer: InstallScript MSI (formerly Standard) Project: You can filter operating systems by going to a component's Operating Systems property and selecting Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT. Do not select Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Windows XP. Components are accessible through the Components view or Setup Design view of the InstallShield Development environment. Click the component to view the component property grid. Basic MSI or InstallShield - Windows Installer Edition Project: You can prevent the component from being installed on Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Windows XP by setting a condition on the component. A typical condition would be: VersionNT < 500 OR Version9X < 490 InstallShield Express: Follow the steps below to filter the file for which you get this error by making it operating system specific.

1. Open your project in InstallShield Express.

2. Go to the Destination Computer's Files pane in the Files view.

3. Right-click on the file to be filtered and select Properties.

4. Click the Advanced tab and deselect "All Operating Systems". This allows you to deselect Windows 2000, Windows Me, and Windows XP.

For more information on VersionNT or Version9x values, see the "Operating System Property Values" topic in the Windows Installer Help Library .