Main properties

The main properties tab contains the most central parameters of the tracker process unit. Most of these parameters must be considered for the TPU to work properly.

ProcessUnit

The process unit parameter decides on which Process Unit the TPU works. The set of process units available is governed by the database configuration.

Process Unit ID

This is a read only parameter showing the database id of the selected process unit.¨

Tracker process Unit ID

This is a read only parameter showing the assigned database id of this actual TPU.

Task name

The task name is a descriptive name of the TPU. The name of the TPU in the ModFrame environment will be the name of the process unit followed by the task name surrounded by brackets, e.g ProcessUnitName[TaskName]. This parameter is required.

Description

This is a textual description of the TPU. This text is registered in the TrackerProcessUnit table in the database, and may be used for miscellaneous visualization and reporting purposes.

Material status

This is a textual description of the status of the material that is currently inside this tracker process unit. This text is registered in the TrackerProcessUnit table in the database, and are typically used for reporting purposes in order to show status for material.

Product material definition

The product material definition defines what type of material this TPU produces.

Test mode

This parameter is used to enable test mode. The choices are:

  • Disabled: Test mode is disabled.
  • Test material: Material is registered in the database with a state that makes it invisible in all reports.
IMPORTANT: The test mode only applies to this TPU. If this TPU is in test mode, but delivers materials to the next TPU which is not in test mode, the material in the next TPU will be visible in reports, even if it is a successor of test material.

Process topology position 

This parameter is deprecated, and is only available for backward compatibility. Use the INTERMEDIATE choice

Time allocation

This parameter is deprecated, and is only available for backward compatibility. The ProcessUnitTimeAllocator component is recommended for process time allocation.

The time allocation parameter decides how time allocations shall be registered for this TPU. The parameter is only editable when the role Default Time Manager is assigned for the TPU. Possible choices are none, signal based, message based and both. If signal based or both is selected, time allocation control and status ports will appear on the TPU. For message based time allocation registration to take place, message based or both must be selected.

Fictitious Material Handling

This parameter is used to enable fictitious material restore. Fictitious material restore can be used when it is necessary to insert material information directly in the database. By the use of fictitious material restore in the tracker, these materials can be loaded into the tracker application. The possible choices are:

  • Disabled. Fictitious material restore is disabled.
  • Message based. Fictitious material restore is available as web transactions.
  • Signal based. Fictitious material restore is available from a control port on the tracker process unit.
  • Message and signal based. Fictitious material restore is available as web transactions and from a control port on the tracker process unit.
Only material that has the fictitious state in the database will be loaded into the tracker application by the use of fictitious material restore.

Database material state reflection

This parameter is used to enable reflection of database material state. Use this to make the tracker process unit reflect the material state in the database for this TPU. When reflection is initiated all aspects of the material, such as amount, article, identifiers and so on are reloaded from the database.

  • Disabled. Database material state reflection is disabled.
  • Message based. Database material state reflection is available as web transactions.
  • Signal based. Database material state reflection is available from a control port on the tracker process unit.
  • Message and signal based. Database material state reflection is available as web transactions and from a control port on the tracker process unit.

Database run state reflection

This parameter is used to enable reflection of database run state. Use this to make the tracker process unit reflect the run state in the database for this TPU.

  • Disabled. Database run state reflection is disabled.
  • Message based. Database run state reflection is available as web transactions.
  • Signal based. Database run state reflection is available from a control port on the tracker process unit.
  • Message and signal based. Database material state reflection is available as web transactions and from a control port on the tracker process unit.

Default quality assignment

This parameter decides the default material quality to assign to material that enters this TPU. If continued is selected, the quality of the parent material in the previous tracker process unit will be assigned as default material quality in this tracker process unit. If Port based (ID) is selected, a port will appear that enables a default material quality id to be provided from a port. In addition, fixed material qualities may be used as default qualities. The set of qualities available depends on the database configuration. Only qualities related to the selected material definition are available.

Port based quality assignment

If this parameter is set to true, a port named CTR Material quality assignment will appear. This port is used to change material quality on specific materials inside the TPU.

Default article assignment

This parameter decides the default article to assign to material that enters this TPU. If None is selected, no article will be assigned. If continued is selected, the article of the parent material in the previous TPU will be assigned as default article in this TPU. If Port based (ID) is selected, a port will appear that enables a default article id to be provided from a port. When default is selected, the default article of the corresponding process unit is assigned. In addition, fixed articles may be used as default articles. This is achieved by selecting a specific article in the list.

Carrier connection

The carrier connection parameter decides how to control the active carrier of the TPU. If a carrier is active on the TPU, all material that enters the tracker process unit will be registered into a carrier. The possible choices are Message based and Signal/Message based. If signal based is selected, a port named CTR Active Carrier ID will appear. This port defines the active carrier of the TPU.

Position ports

If Position ports checked, the module will place its ports at appropriate positions. Uncheck this parameter if you want to place the ports manually. 

Make strategy

This parameter decides in what way the tracking material is created inside the tracker process unit. Material is received in some form, from the up-stream tracker process units, and new Material is made inside the TPU. The strategy for when new materials are created is divided in several approaches:

  • Triggered Externally. New Material is created when port signal becomes true.
  • Appended Amount Limit. New Material is created when the integrated Amount exceeds a specified limit. The limit is specified by the Target Amount and Target Amount Value parameters
  • Material Change. New Material is created when the received material changes (I.e. the ID of the material changes), or the input flow to the TPU stops. This only possible if there is one material type that can be received in the TPU
  • Material Stop. New Material is created when the received material stops entering the TPU. This strategy is deprecated. The same functionality is provided by Material Change.

Target Amount

When a new material is made, the start amount of the material can be decided by three approaches:

  • Appended Amount. The Amount is the converted and integrated amount since the previous Material was made.
  • Fixed Value. The Amount becomes a fixed value given by the Target Amount Value parameter. This implies that the Amount is zero until the material is made.The make strategy must be Externally Triggered, Material change or Material stop for this choice to be valid
  • Port value. Same as Fixed value, but the actual target amount value is read from a port named CTR Target Amount.

Target Amount Value

This parameter has two approaches:

  • If the Make Strategy property is set to Appended Amount Limit and the Target Amount is set to Appended Amount, the value of this parameter is the limit for when a new Material is made.
  • If the Target Amount is set to Fixed Value the start amount of the material is set to the value of this parameter at make time regardless of the incoming amount.

Inherit data values

When this parameter is set to true, all the data values registered on the parent material in the previous tracker process unit are also registered on the tracking materials in this tracker process unit.

This functionality is not recommended and must be used with care only in special situations, since a lot of database traffic is generated and a lot of database space is used.

Intermediate state persistence

The Intermediate state persistence decides at what point in time the tracking material and the related information will be persisted to the database. The alternatives are:

  • Globally defined: The persistence strategy is decided by the corresponding top application setting.
  • Continuously: Tracking material will be persisted whenever the material is changed, i.e. on amount changes and so on.
  • Disabled: Tracking material will only be persisted when the state changes, i.e. on material creation, material making and material exit.