Everything you create and configure for a Citect SCADA system is stored in projects. This can include graphic pages, variable tags, alarms, communications settings, equipment definitions, programming content, and so on.
Citect SCADA allows you to work with projects in a way that logically reflects the architecture of the SCADA system. If the system you are building represents a large production facility, you could manage the required content using multiple projects that operate in tandem. Each project could represent a geographical area within the plant, or a particular production flow.
Included Projects
To enable the runtime integration of multiple projects, Citect SCADA allows you to "include" a project within another project. This means you can share content across a number of projects while maintaining each as a separate entity.
For example, you could create separate projects to represent each of the production lines within a factory. You could then include these projects in a main project that represents the whole factory. By doing this, you are able to develop and test the included projects independently.
System Projects
Citect SCADA also comes with a number of system projects that you can include in the projects you create. These projects contain pre-configured content (such as page templates and control objects) that you can add to your own content.
This framework is fully realized with Citect SCADA's "starter projects". A starter project allows you to create a new project that includes the basic components required to start building your own system. A set of Citect SCADA's system projects are automatically included in any new projects you create (based on a selected template style), which means a complete set of page templates and library controls are ready for you to use.
To prepare a project for use in a runtime environment, you need to compile it and distribute the required files to the computers that will be engaged in the runtime system. This initially requires the creation of a system topology (see Define a Topology).
See Also
Published June 2018