Quick Start¶

xView can be started automatically, by double-clicking the xView icon on the desktop, or from the Start menu. The xView program group looks like this.

Figure 10 — The xView program group

Once xView starts, and after it has shown its logo and software copyright, the main program window appears, titled xView(Server). Its components are shown below.

Figure 11 — The main xView(Server) window

Across the top of the program is the menu bar, containing File, Edit, View, Controls, Options, Window and Help, together with a tool bar for the commands used most often.

At this point the program has already begun communicating with and receiving data from the devices, and is ready to accept commands and display data on screen for as long as required.

xView can be driven either from the menus or from the tool bar.

Tool bar shortcuts¶

Tool bar commands fall into three groups.

1. General commands¶

2. MMI system commands (not shown in some operating modes)

3. Graph commands

Figure 12 — Tool bar

Whether a given tool bar button is available depends on the type of display currently on screen (the active window).

Note

File → New refers to a menu command written as Main Menu → Sub Menu → Sub Menu. So File → New means the New item within the File menu.

Initial setup¶

The first time the system is used, its basic settings must be configured. Use the following menu commands.

File → Communication Setup
File → Device Setup
Options → General
Options → Data Log

Displaying data on screen¶

xView can display the values measured by the meters. The relevant commands are:

File → New, or
File → Open, or
File → Save, or

The data that can be displayed falls into the following types.

1. Instrument Window¶

Shows the detail of the various electrical values as they occur in real time, so that the whole picture can be taken in from a single window. The illustration below shows several window types open at once — a Graph Window and an Instrument Window (PM01 [MDB]).

Figure 13 — Several window types open at the same time

2. Graph Window¶

Displays data as a graph (trend) from a set of values defined earlier — for example the three phase voltages shown as three lines.

Figure 14 — Graph Window

3. Harmonic Spectrum Window¶

Displays the spectrum of the harmonics present in the system, as measured by those Digital Powermeter models that report harmonics. The spectrum shown runs from the 1st to the 31st order.

Figure 15 — Harmonic Spectrum Window

4. Harmonic Waveform Window¶

Digital Powermeter models that report harmonics can also capture the waveform of each phase, for both voltage and current. This window shows the result of that capture.

Figure 16 — Harmonic Waveform Window

5. Data Log Window¶

Some Digital Powermeter models can store electrical data and events inside the meter itself (data logger / events logger). The Data Log Window displays the data that has been uploaded out of the meter's memory and stored on the hard disk.

Note

See "Reading out the data recorded by the meter" for details.

Printing real-time and historical data¶

Whatever is shown on screen, in any window type, can be printed by using File → Print or by clicking the printer button on the tool bar:

Closing a window you no longer need¶

Once a window has been opened on screen, it can be closed when no longer needed by clicking that window's close icon.

How passwords work¶

xView provides two ways of dividing users into levels: a password on its own, or a user name together with a password, which supports up to 99 levels. (For configuring password levels, see the xDraw manual.)

Table 3 — Password levels when using a password only

No.	User level	Permitted operations
1.	GUEST	No rights to any command; cannot shut the system down
2.	USER	Normal day-to-day operation
3.	SUPERVISOR	As USER, plus the right to change critical settings: Communication Start, Communication Stop, Communication Setup, Device Setup, User Set Points, Password Setup

After every installation, the system password is set to blank for ordinary users and to "1234" for the Controls menu. In other words, on first entering the program after installation you are immediately at Supervisor level, so when the system asks for a password simply press Enter, or press .

Only a Supervisor can change the password, using Options → Password.
Before working, use the Log On/Off command to select the level you want to work at; only then are the menu commands available.
When you have finished, enter Log On/Off again and press so that the system locks itself and prevents unauthorised users (Guest) from getting in.

Notes

Set the passwords as soon as installation is complete. The system administrator holds the Supervisor password; other users whose job is to print or check data should only be given the User level password.
If the password is forgotten, reinstall the program.

Totalising and TOD maximum demand¶

If more than one powermeter is installed, xView can calculate combined and average electrical values — for example total active power across meters, or total accumulated demand. To display a combined value, select the entry from System in the Source field of the relevant setup.

In addition, for each powermeter the system calculates the maximum demand separately for each defined time band, and calculates the period demand — the electricity used over the period just elapsed (a 15-minute interval).

Electricity cost calculation and group totals¶

The program can calculate electrical totals as required, and work out the electricity cost immediately, which can then be viewed through a web browser. For configuring and viewing these, see the Group Setup and Report sections respectively.

Automatic end-of-month processing¶

On the last night of each month, or on a configured date and time, if the TOD system is in use (TOD Enable) the system automatically does the following.

Backs up the data for the month just ended.
Resets the maximum demand and accumulated values on every powermeter (depending on whether this has been enabled).
Synchronises the maximum demand period.