New operator's console recorder

This article described a software module that automatically records images being shown on multiple HMI or SCADA operator's displays. Videos used for monitoring activities at industrial plants can be combined with the operator console videos and data from a process historian. This enables engineers, analysts or investigators to see what is occurring in the plant, what the operator is seeing on the HMI screen, and all relevant real-time data from an event. In the case of a leak at a pumping station, investigators could watch plant video taken at a remote site showing fuel oil creeping across the floor, real-time data being acquired from pumps, valves and the receiving tank while the leak is occurring. The video shows the operator's HMI screen as well as the alarm screen that signifies the leak detection. The Longwatch Operator's Console Recorder and Video Historian are used together to acquire data about actual plant plant management because they show everything that happens during an event. The Console Recorder automatically retrieves and replays operator displays by clicking on a time-based alarm or system message. Play back of video feed is a valuable tool for training and analysis purposes, and can help mitigate insurance and regulatory issues by eliminating uncertainty and conjecture. 1 fig.