This section includes a brief summary of the DashBoard Control System client interface and its components. (Figure 1.1) displays a DashBoard window that includes the Custom Folders and Layouts View tabs. These tabs are not displayed by default when the DashBoard client is launched for the first time.
Figure 1.1 DashBoard Interface Overview
1.Main DashBoard Toolbar
The Main DashBoard toolbar provides access to menus that enable you to manually add devices, manage your layouts, and enable different tabs in the DashBoard window.
•File — From this menu you can manually add a device or create a new CustomPanel (New), save changes made to device configuration files on your computer (Save, Save As..., Save All), log-off from DashBoard when using DashBoard URM (Sign Out), or close the DashBoard client (Exit).
•Layouts — From this menu you can display a Layouts View tab in the DashBoard window (Show Layouts View), save your current arrangement of tabs in the DashBoard window (Save Layout), lock the DashBoard window to its current state (Maintain Window State/Size/Location), or select from a list of saved layouts to apply.
•Views — From this menu you specify which tabs to display in the current DashBoard window.
•Window — From this menu you can open multiple DashBoard windows on a single screen (New Window), restore the default DashBoard client layout of tabs (Refresh Perspectives), show or hide the main toolbar (Show Toolbar), set the window to the maximum screen size (Full-screen), lock the current DashBoard window (Lock Screen), and set preferences for Automatic discovery of devices on your subnet, automatic login, and software updates (Preferences).
•Help — From this menu you can access the DashBoard online help system (Help Contents), perform checks for DashBoard software updates (Check for Updates), and view details about your current DashBoard client software (About DashBoard).
2.Device View
This area displays tabs for each device that you double-click from the Tree View. From this view you can verify the device and connection status, update device parameters, and view read-only device information.When shutting down and then re-starting the DashBoard client, the Device Editor tab state is also saved/restored. Refer to the section The Device Editor Area and your device manual for more information.
3.Basic Tree View Tab
This area lists the devices, such as openGear frames and the cards installed in each frame, that can communicate with DashBoard. From this tab you can open Device Editors, enable or disable auto connections to devices, re-query the network for new devices, manually add new connections, and delete devices from the Tree View. Refer to the section DashBoard Basic Tree View for more information.
4.Advanced Tree View Tabs
The Advanced Tree View feature enables you to create a customized hierarchy of folders and subfolders in a single tab, where each folder can be expanded to display a list of devices and/or subfolders. You can re-organize your devices in a Custom Folder tab to suit your workflow by dragging and dropping devices from the Basic Tree View to any open Custom Folder tab. Note that this tab is not displayed by default. For more information on using Custom Folders, refer to the section Using the Advanced Tree View.
5.Layouts View Tab
This feature enables you to save and restore a series of Device View tabs and the DashBoard window size and position as a layout. Layouts can be recalled using the options in the Main DashBoard toolbar or from a Layouts View tab. Note that saving/restoring a layout restores the current Device Editor tab selection, the divider position and scroll position in opened Device Editor tabs. Note that this tab is not displayed by default. For more information on layouts, refer to the section Using Layouts.
Status Indicators
Some devices include a status indicator beside the node in the Tree Views, custom folders and subfolders. The Frame Status Indicator, the Custom Folders, and the subfolders reflect the most severe status of any contained devices.
Status severity is indicated by color as follows:
•Green — This color indicates that the device is running correctly and communicating with the frame.
•Orange — This color indicates that the MFC-8300 Network Controller Card for that frame can only support a limited number of connections and that maximum has been reached. You can select the Force Connect option, after right-clicking on the frame status indicator, to establish a connection between the frame and your DashBoard workstation. However, doing so will disconnect another connection to the same MFC-8300 Network Controller card.
•Yellow — This color indicates a minor problem with the device.
•Red — This color indicates that the device has a significant error condition. For example, there is no input or reference signal from the card.
•Gray — This color indicates the device is currently offline and cannot communicate with DashBoard. The offline status is also reflected in its Device Editor tab.
• icon — If the status indicator is replaced by this symbol, the user does not have permission to view/modify the device. In the case of an openGear frame, this icon means the frame parameters are locked and the Master Password is required to use it. Refer to the DashBoard Server and URM User Manual and the MFC-8300 Series User Manual for details. When a device has this icon, there are no editable parameters underneath it.