Release Notes

1. Fernhill SCADA
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3. Release Notes

Version 4.1

Released: 27-Nov-2023

New features:

• Added a new VDR Talker Driver. The VDR Talker Driver sends SCADA data to a Voyage Data Recorder.
• Improved Redundant Fernhill SCADA Servers to support dual network connections between servers.
• Improved the IP Camera Tag to support authentication using a WSS-UsernameToken.
• Improved the List Page of the Operator Interface to support saving to a CSV file with column headers. Previously column headers were not included in the saved file. The save options now include:
  • Text File
  • CSV File
  • CSV File with Headers
• Improved the Linux version of the Operator Interface to print pages in landscape orientation.
• Upgraded these third party libraries to the latest most secure versions:
  • OpenSSL upgraded to 3.1.4 (Windows, Linux, macOS). The Android and iOS currently use OpenSSL 1.1.1w.
  • LibPNG upgraded to 1.6.40.
  • FreeType upgraded to 2.13.2.
  • Curl upgraded to 8.3.0.
  • Zlib upgraded to 1.3.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  1. Two Fernhill SCADA Servers are configured as a redundant pair.
  2. The network link between the two servers is disconnected temporarily.
  3. Some time later, the active server is shutdown.
• Fixed the OPC UA Connection Tag to recover reliably when there is a communication break. If a communication break occurred while receiving a reply, a restart of the Fernhill SCADA Server would be required to recover communication.

Version 4.0

Released: 31-Oct-2023

New features:

• The Windows version of Fernhill SCADA is now supported on Arm64 processors. To support this, the setup programs for Windows have been reorganized:
  • There is a new setup program for Arm64 computers.
  • The existing setup programs have been split into X86 and X64 versions.
• Added operator alarm tuning:
  • Improved the Analog Level Alarm Tag to support alarm limit tuning.
  • Added new tag commands: AlarmPropertyOverride, AlarmPropertyRestore.
  • Added new IEC 61131-3 user interface functions: TagAlarmPropertyOverride() and TagAlarmPropertyRestore().
  • Added a new user right TuneAlarms.
• Improved the Linux version of the Operator Interface to support printing.
• Improved the Windows and Linux versions of the Operator Interface to support a Backup Connection. If the connection to the Fernhill SCADA Server fails, the Operator Interface will automatically try and use the Backup Connection.
• Improved the OPC Classic Connection Tag to support asynchronous mode.
• Improved the Select Point Tool to take into account the current zoom when selecting lines. Previously, when zoomed in it could be difficult to select the correct line.
• The .NET API has been deprecated.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  • The Fernhill SCADA Server is running in standby mode.
  • The Fernhill SCADA Server contains historic data tables not present on the Active Server.
• Fixed a potential hang in the Operator Interface when double clicking an empty single-line text entry box.
• Fixed the OpenFile Function to work in the Windows version of the Operator Interface. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.99.
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA Server to load the data state of all tags reliably. Previously an Internal String Tag with a value length of more than 500 characters could cause some tags to not load their data state.
• Fixed thick lines on a Graphic Page to draw correctly when the LineColor is Auto.
• Fixes to the Select Point Tool when deleting points from a shape:
  • Make sure the final shape appears as expected. Previously, deleting certain points from a curved shape could result in significant distortions to the final shape.
  • The attributes are no longer reset back to default values.
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA Service Manager to use readable colors after clicking "Edit the server configuration file". Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.99.
• Fixed the Restore Backup tool to correctly restore the default toolbar when the backup contains no toolbar definition.
• Fixed a truncated error message when a client fails to connect to a Fernhill SCADA Server because of a network timeout.

Version 3.99

Released: 30-Sep-2023

New features:

• Changes to the Modbus TCP Channel Tag:
  • Added a new GatewayMode configuration property.
  • Added a new protocol type: Modbus RTU over TCP.
• Added a new command line option --Toolbar to the Operator Interface. The new option provides control over where the built-in Operator Toolbar appears.
• Added a new "Dark Mode" to reduce glare when using the Operator Interface in low light level conditions. Changes to support "Dark Mode include:
  • Added a new "Dark Mode" option to the menu in the Operator Toolbar.
  • Added a new named color value "Auto". When used, the color of the item is automatically selected to match the context. The "Auto" color can be used in a Graphic Page and in the NormalColor property of Data Point Tags.
  • Added a new "Dark Mode" option to the Graphic Editor Menu.
• Support HSL in Color Values.
• Added an HSL Color Mixer tab to the Color Editor
• Improved the Color Mixer in the Color Editor to show a sample of the current color.
• Improved the Gradient Fill Editor to show the position of each gradient stop.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to translate ICMP Digital Points.
• Improved the SVG Import tool to translate document style information.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when:
  • A graphic page contains an Operator Action that calls DialogAddGraphicPage().
  • The Operator Action is run.
  Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.98.
• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if a IEC 61131-3 Program contains a CONCAT function with 255 parameters. All function calls are now limited to a maximum of 254 parameters.
• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if a IEC 61131-3 Program is saved that has:
  • A user-defined function block.
  • A global variable instance of the user-defined function block.
• Fixed the transfer of a Database Table Tag from an active server to a standby server. Previously changes to a Database Table Tag on an active server might not be transferred to the standby server.
• Fixed the BorderWidth property of the Alarm List and the SQL List to accept changes. Previously any attempt to change the value would result in a "Property Change Rejected" error.
• Fixed the OpenFile Function to report the correct error messages for all errors. Previously a file association error would be reported as a problem with a USB device. This problem only affected the Windows version of Fernhill SCADA.
• Fixed the Configuration Tool to show the code stack when reporting an error in an Operator Action. The code stack allows the project developer to go directly to the source code that caused the error. Previously the error location was reported without providing a way of navigating to the source code. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.58.
• Fixed the Linux version of the Operator Interface to support Cairo graphics mode when cairo development files are not installed. Previously the Operator Interface would fail to find the Cairo library and fall back to use OpenGL. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.94.
• Fixed the integrated menu to appear completely on screen when the menu has a vertical scroll bar. Previously the menu could appear with the scroll bar off screen.
• Fixed rotated bitmap images to display in the correct position when using Cairo Graphics.
• Fixed rotated bitmap images to display in the correct orientation when using GDI Graphics. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.89.

Version 3.98

Released: 31-Aug-2023

New features:

• Added a new Loopback Test Driver. This driver provides tags to perform loopback tests on network connected devices.
• Changes to the OPC UA Server:
  • Properties of type TIME, TIME_OF_DAY, CHAR and WCHAR can now be accessed. Previously reading any of these property types would return an error.
  • Alarm Conditions are now visible in the tag database namespace.
• Improved the OPC UA Connection Tag to include a MaxItemsPerRead property. The MaxItemsPerRead property defines the maximum number of items in one read request.
• Added a new option StandbyTransferInterval to the SCADA Server Parameters. The new option allows you to change the frequency of data transfers from the main server to the standby server.
• Improved the Server Configuration File to remove trailing whitespace from parameter values. Previously trailing whitespace could cause difficult to diagnose problems with some parameters. For example, the StandbyServerName parameter configured with trailing whitespace would prevent a server establishing a connection with its partner server.
• Improved the Tag Database Backup to include any custom Operator Interface Toolbar.
• Improved the SVG import tool to:
  • Support tspan elements.
  • Translate a fill-opacity value of 0 to no fill style.
  • Support floating point values that use exponents.
  • Ignore and not raise any errors for metadata elements.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when:
  1. An Operator Action is started in the IEC 61131-3 Debugger.
  2. The Operator Action is run, or stepped through, until the action opens a dialog.
  3. The Restart icon is pressed on the IEC 61131-3 Debugger.
  4. The Operator Action is run, or stepped through, until the action opens a dialog.
• Fixed a crash in the Linux and macOS versions of the Server Monitor Tool. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.97.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor Import Tool to import files with warnings. Previously a file import with warnings would not import anything even if the user accepted the warnings. This problem only affected the import of SVG files. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.96.

Version 3.97

Released: 06-Aug-2023

New features:

• Support custom views in a Graphic Page. For more information see Graphic Editor Multiple Views.
• Added two new properties to Data Point Alarm Tags:
  • DelayIntoAlarm to define the minimum time an alarm condition must exist before the alarm is raised.
  • DelayOutOfAlarm to define the minimum time an alarm condition must no longer exist before the alarm is cleared.
• Extended Configuration Macros to configure:
  • Trend Plots
  • Value Duration Plots
• Improved the Fernhill SCADA Server to disconnect client links that are idle for more than 5 minutes.
• Improved the Start Page of Windows version of the Operator Interface to use larger text on high DPI displays.
• Document the --ScreenDensity Operator Interface Command Line Option. Previously this command line option was supported, but not documented.
• Improved JSONata Selectors in Fernhill SCADA to:
  • Allow underscores and numbers in field names. Previously field names with underscores or numbers would need to be escaped.
  • Support single quote strings.
  • Allow structure members to be selected using a string.
• Improved the Windows version of the Start Page to move the most recently used connection to the top of the list.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed tooltips configured on a Group on a Graphic Pageto work correctly.
• Fixed the Acknowledge Alarm With Comment command in the Alarm List in the Operator Interface to correctly record the comment.
• Fixed embedded lists on Graphic Pages to print correctly.
• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 Compiler to generate correct code when:
  • There is an informal function block call, and
  • One or more output parameters are not defined in the call.
  For example:

  VAR P : TP; END_VAR
  P( TRUE, T#5s );

• Fixed the Graphic Editor to report semantic errors in code immediately. Previously semantic errors caused by a property change would not be reported until after an edit.

Version 3.96

Released: 30-Jun-2023

New features:

• Extended Configuration Macros to configure a Graphic Page.
• Extended the IEC 61131-3 ST Language to support FOR EACH statements.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the text editor to correctly paste text with embedded null characters. Previously embedded null characters could cause:
  • Problems with cursor movement.
  • File truncation on save.
• Fixed the PLC Scanned Device Tag to correctly configure the ScanOffset. Previously the ScanOffset was incorrectly set to the same value as the ScanInterval. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.92.
• Fixed the tag browse dialog to not show duplicate entries when browsing for folder tags.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Operator Interface when:
  1. A graphic page is displayed using OpenGL or Direct3D modes.
  2. The Show Subscription menu option is used to show the current data subscription.
  3. The user attempts to zoom in or out using the mouse wheel and the CTRL key pressed down.

Version 3.95

Released: 31-May-2023

New features:

• Added a new function DialogAddPasswordEntry to add a password entry box to an operator dialog.
• Added a new function ChangeUser() to allow an Operator Action to change the current user without returning to the start page.
• Added a new function GetUsername() to return the current username.
• Added a new GPIO Driver to provide an interface to GPIO on a Linux operating system. Use this driver to interface Fernhill SCADA to the GPIO on a Raspberry Pi.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool if certain tag properties were modified using the browse "..." button. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.94.
• Fixed example 3 in the help topic TagWindowEntry Class to compile correctly.

Version 3.94

Released: 15-May-2023

New features:

• Extended the Configuration Tool to support Configuration Macros. A Configuration Macro is an IEC 61131-3 Program that automates configuration tasks.
• Improved the Tag Window to support multiple selection.
• Extended IEC 61131-3 to support Dynamic Data Types.
• Improved the integrated menu to use a wider scroll bar on high DPI screens.
• A Linux setup package for 64-bit Arm platforms is now available.
• Debian 9 (Stretch) is no longer a supported operating system.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the function LOG_REASON_TO_STRING() to correctly convert reason code 10 to a string. Reason code 10 represents "Value before change" added in Version 3.92.
• Fixed the Code Errors Tab of the Status Views Window to move the cursor to the correct column when the error is in:
  • A Data Binding
  • A Operator Action
• Fixed these data bindings to not run Operator Actions when the data binding evaluates to 0 (zero):
  • DataBindScaleX
  • DataBindScaleY
• Significantly reduced the number of alignment exceptions in the armhf version of Fernhill SCADA.

Version 3.93

Released: 2-Apr-2023

New features:

• The Graphic Page now supports an Embedded Alarm List.
• The size of text in an Embedded SQL List can now be configured.
• Added a new UserPrivileges property to each database tag. The new property provides the privileges the user has for that tag.
• Improved lists to display scroll bars permanently.
• Improved the integrated menu to add a scroll bar if there are too many entries to fit in the available space.
• Added a new "--Title=TITLE" command line option to the Operator Interface.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to translate:
  • Objects with '*' or '\' characters in the object name.
  • Alarm Lists embedded on mimics.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the tag database to delete all files associated with child tags when a parent folder is deleted. Previously tag files associated with child tags were not deleted when a parent folder was deleted.
• Fixed the integrated menu to always show a check mark when requested. Previously on some operating systems a square box was shown instead of a check mark.
• Fixed the "--StartView" command line option of the Linux version of the Operator Interface to work correctly. Previously the Linux version of the Operator Interface accepted "--Startview" (with a lowercase 'v'), but the option was ignored.
• Removed the broken autohide option from the Tag Status Window.

Version 3.92

Released: 28-Feb-2023

New features:

• Added an OutOfService property to all I/O Data Point Tags.
• Improved the Numeric Key Pad to support date entry.
• Improved the Windows version of the Operator Interface to remember the window position when closed. Previously the Windows version of the Operator Interface opened at a default position.
• Extended the URL Options to include:
  • A --data option to send HTTP POST requests with data.
  • A --request option to send custom HTTP requests.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to translate:
  • SNMP Objects
  • The InService property of data points
  • The Persistence properties of digital data points
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to translate Omron I/O addresses.
• Added a new log reason "Value before change" to the Data Historian. The "Value before change" log reason is used to identify the last known value before a significant change is stored.
• Upgraded these third party libraries to the latest most secure versions:
  • OpenSSL upgraded to 1.1.1t (Linux, macOS, Android and iOS). Windows still uses 1.1.1q.
  • LibJpeg upgraded to v9e.
  • FreeType upgraded to 2.13.0.
  • Curl upgraded to 7.88.0.
  • Expat upgraded to 2.5.0.
  • Zlib upgraded to 1.2.13.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a Tag Reference to an array data property to compile correctly. Previously the error "Directly located variable 'Tag Name'; is type 'ARRAY [] OF WORD', which is not compatible with 'ARRAY [] OF WORD'" would be reported. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.81.
• Fixed the Toolbar Editor to not show a modified state immediately after opening the editor.

Version 3.91

Released: 31-Jan-2023

New features:

• Improved the Operator Interface Command Line to allow an Alarm List as the initial view shown to the operator.
• Improved the Fernhill SCADA Server to replace full stops with underscores in tag names on database load. This change helps users to recover after importing a database configuration file that contains full stops in tag names.
• Updated the ClearSCADA Import Tool to support Geo SCADA 2022.
• Improved the Allen Bradley Logix PLC Address to support bit access to variables.
• Added barcode reader support to the Operator Interface. For more information see the Operator Interface Command Line.
• Added the simplified chinese language to the Operator Interface.
• Improved the Random Digital Data Point Tag to accept state names for the Value parameter of the Write Value Tag Command.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  • A Program Tag contains a formal call to the function CONCAT_TOD, and
  • One or more parameters were missing from the call.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to work correctly when a vertex contains an invalid floating point value. Previously if a vertex contained an invalid floating point value, clicking anywhere on the graphic page would display a blue screen.
• Fixed the OPC UA Server to support Username authentication with the Softing OPC UA Client. Previously the Softing OPC UA Client would report "Bad Identity Token Invalid" when using Username authentication with Fernhill SCADA.
• Fixed the Import Tools to reject tag names which contain invalid characters.
• Fixed a possible crash in the Android version of the Operator Interface when the app is resized. This type of event is more likely when the app runs on a Chromebook.

Version 3.90

Released: 30-Nov-2022

New features:

• Added new TextDocument Functions:
  • TextDocFromHistoricData Function Block
  • TextDocWriteToUrl Function Block
• Improvements to the ClearSCADA Import Tool:
  • All types of Hyperlink Pick Action on Mimics are now translated (Navigate, Navigate & Resize, Open in New Window, Open as Inset).
  • Mimic parameters with no default value are now translated correctly.
  • Improved the translation of mimic animations.
  • These VBScript functions are now translated: CBool, CByte, CDbl, CInt, CLng, CStr, InStr, Left, Len, Mid, Right.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  • The OPC UA Server receives a HistoryRead request for processed data with a very small sample interval.
  • The OPC Classic Server receives a HDA request for processed data with a very small sample interval.
  Previously this type of request could cause an out of memory exception in the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to load embedded graphics correctly when:
  • An embedded graphic is added to the drawing canvas for the first time.
  • The embedded graphic contains a bitmap.
  Previously a red rectangle would be displayed in place of the bitmap images in the embedded graphic.
• Fixed connections to the OPC UA Server from stalling after a large reply was sent back to the client.
• Fixed the Embedded Graphic Binding Editor to open the Structured Data Binding Editor when an embedded graphic uses a relative tag reference. Previously the Free Format Data Binding Editor would be opened when the embedded graphic uses a relative tag reference.
• Fixed these function blocks to recover from invalid commands correctly:
  • SQLCommandFromTagDB Function Block
  • SQLCommandFromODBC Function Block
  • TextDocFromTagFile Function Block
  • TextDocFromUrl Function Block
  • ConfigureTag Function Block
  Previously:
  • The first execution of the function block would report the error correctly.
  • Subsequent executions would report the error "Command Gone", even if the error condition was removed.
• Fixed these function blocks to store the correct value to the TAGNAME member variable:
  • TextDocFromTagFile Function Block
  • ConfigureTag Function Block

Version 3.89

Released: 31-Oct-2022

New features:

• Added a new Security Camera Driver. The new driver provides an interface to security cameras using the ONVIF protocol.
• Added new IEC 61131-3 functions to return Locale information:
  • SysGetActualLocale()
  • SysGetOSLocale()
  • SysGetRequestedLocale()
• Improved the Modbus TCP Channel Tag to configure the range of values used for the Modbus TCP Transaction Id. Previously the Modbus Driver would use the entire range 0 - 65535.
• Improved the Calculated Data Point Tag to warn if a semicolon is placed at the end of the calculation. In Versions 3.84 to 3.88, a semicolon at the end of the calculation was reported as an error. Before Version 3.83, any text after the end of the calculation was ignored.
• Improved the Time Series Tags to:
  • Retain the current state after a server restart.
  • Provide better log file diagnostics.
• Renamed the IEC 61131-3 System Functions to use camel case instead of underscores.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  • A Program Tag runs two SQLCommandFromTagDB Function Blocks.
  • The SQL Commands return large results.
  • The program fetches a row from one of the function blocks, but then tries to read a column value from the other function block.
• Fixed graphic pages, shown in an operator dialog, to display the correct bitmaps when using GDI or Cairo graphic modes. OpenGL and Direct3D graphic modes were not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the Start Server Monitor command of the Server Notification Icon to work. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.83.
• Fixed Data Point Tags to use the correct format when DisplayFormat is changed to an empty string "". Previously some parts of the old format would be retained.

Version 3.88

Released: 22-Aug-2022

New features:

• Added a Delete Unused Data Tables command to the Tag Window. You can use this command to delete historic data tables that are no longer associated with database tags.
• Improved the OPC UA Server to support File Transfer. OPC UA Clients can now access tag files.
• Improved the OPC Classic Connection Tag to support log file download.
• Improved the ODBC Driver to support reading data using the SQL_C_BINARY data type. This change improves compatibility with the ODBC Import Tool in Office 365 applications.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a DLL Hijack vulnerability in these components of Fernhill SCADA:
  • Configuration Tool
  • Operator Interface
  • SQL Test Tool
  • Server Notification Icon
  • Fernhill SCADA Service Manager
  • Windows User Rights Editor
  • License Administration Tool
  To exploit this vulnerability an attacker would need to place a carefully crafted DLL in the folder where Fernhill SCADA is installed. Only the Windows version of Fernhill SCADA was affected by this problem. The Linux and macOS versions were not affected.
• Fixed how non-standard VARIANT_BOOL values are translated by Fernhill SCADA. A VARIANT_BOOL value should only contain the value VARIANT_FALSE (0) or VARIANT_TRUE (-1). However, some 3rd party OPC Classic servers and OPC Classic clients use non-standard values to represent TRUE, for example 1. Previously Fernhill SCADA would translate a non-standard VARIANT_BOOL value as False. Now a non-standard VARIANT_BOOL value, for example 1, is translated to True. This problem affected the following:
  • The OPC Classic Connection Tag when reading boolean data sources.
  • The OPC Classic Server when receiving boolean write requests.
• Fixed the OPC Classic Connection Tag to not stop the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  • A request to add a group returns a successful status code, but
  • A null interface pointer is returned by the OPC Classic Server.
• Fixed the OPC Classic Connection Tag to not create an additional thread after changing the ScanInterval. Previously a change to ScanInterval could result in:
  • The connection to the OPC Server fails with the error "An interface that was marshalled for a different thread".
  • No further information recorded in the log file for the OPC Classic Connection Tag.
• Fixed the OPC Classic Connection Tag to not display an error when configuring the ProgId property for the first time.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to provide access to the Global Variables Dialog. Access to the Global Variables Dialog was lost in Version 3.53 when Graphic Pages where changed to support multiple aspect ratios.

Version 3.87

Released: 31-Jul-2022

New features:

• Improved the I/O Digital Data Point Tag to support an InputDelay property to filter out noisy signals.
• Extended IEC 61131-3 to support CLASS declarations.
• Extended the URL Options to allow custom HTTP headers to be added to HTTP requests.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to translate menus built by mimic scripts.
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to read projects with:
  • References to ActiveX properties and methods
  • References to IsAnyAsyncFunctionBusy()

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Configuration Import Tool to import a whole database export correctly. Previously one or more tag files could be lost during the import. Note: A whole database export is created by exporting the database root tag. The import of a folder, or tag, was not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to recover correctly if the first registration attempt to a Foreign BBMD fails.
• Fixed the Allen Bradley Driver to support boolean alias tags when the bit offset is non-zero.

Version 3.86

Released: 12-Jun-2022

New features:

• Improved the Modbus Driver to support these data address formats:
  • Enron Modbus
  • DirectLogic
• Improved the Allen Bradley Driver to read predefined data types when connected to a ControlLogix or CompactLogix PLC.
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to:
  • Provide suggested defaults the Resolve Access Names dialog.
  • Translate the ItemName of I/O Tags associated with Siemens S7 and Modbus access names.
  • Support the dollar character '$' in tag names.
  • Not try to import animations that use features that are not currently translated.
  • Read Condition Scripts, Data Change Scripts and Keyboard Scripts from the InTouch project.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if a Calculated Data Point Tag contains only a comment. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.84.
• Fixed the Server Notification Icon to authenticate correctly with the Fernhill SCADA Server. Since Version 3.60, the Server Notification Icon logged on to the SCADA Server as a Guest user. This could prevent a user, who has configuration rights, from restoring a configuration backup to the SCADA Server from the Server Notification Icon.
• Fixed the driver log files to use the correct maximum size parameter DriverLogSize. Previously the maximum size of driver log files was incorrectly set from the ServerLogSize parameter.
• Fixed an incorrect user rights error reported when Fernhill SCADA is installed on a new computer. The error would be visible in the tag status report for the database root tag. Restarting the Fernhill SCADA Server would clear the error.

Version 3.85

Released: 16-May-2022

New features:

• Offline tag update now applies to I/O Data Point Tags attached to register blocks.
• Added new UpdateReason and UnforcedUpdateReason properties to Data Point Tags. The new properties provide a reason for the most recent update to Data Point Tags.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed Data Bindings to work correctly when associated with a Group. In Version 3.84, new Data Bindings on a group work but stop working when the graphic page is closed and then opened.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when:
  • A Graphic Page contains an Embedded Plot.
  • The Graphic Page has one or more data bindings.
  • The "Main" program in the Global Bindings of the Graphic Page adds a pen to the Embedded Plot.

Version 3.84

Released: 09-May-2022

New features:

• Improved the DNP3 TCP/IP Channel Tag, configured in listening end point mode, to close a connection if invalid data is received. Previously the connection would remain open and filter out invalid data.
• Changed the OPC UA Client Connection Tag to send a NULL value for the ServerURI parameter in the CreateSession request. This change helps to establish connections to Siemens S7 PLCs that support OPC UA.
• Added a new OfflineTagUpdateInterval property to the PLC Scanned Device Tag. The new property defines how often to update I/O Data Point Tags when the PLC Device is offline. Offline update can help to avoid gaps in historic data if the PLC Device is offline for a long time.
• Changes to IEC 61131-3:
  • Improved the type checking of variable-length array parameters to built-in functions.
  • Added more button options to the DialogOpen() function.
  • Added a new Pragma Compiler Directives: AutoTypeConversion. When used, a value of one type can be assigned to a variable of a different type without the need for a Type Cast.
  • Added a new Pragma Compiler Directives: GenericVariables. When used, a variable can be declared as a Generic Data Type.
  • Allow an expression for a VAR_IN_OUT parameter of a user-defined function. Previously a VAR_IN_OUT parameter required a variable reference.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the DNP3 TCP/IP Channel Tag, configured in Listening End Point mode, to recover correctly when a transaction times out.
• Fixed the DNP3 Driver to correctly parse the response to an Activate Configuration request sent to a Metasphere RTU.
• For Windows only: Fixed a low probability event of some drivers sending extra random data to devices. The Linux and macOS versions were not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 compiler to generate correct code when:
  • A user-defined function that returns a value is called, and
  • The function call discards the return value.
• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 compiler to generate correct code when:
  • A built-in function with multiple output parameters is called, for example SPLIT_DATE, and
  • One or more output parameters are not assigned to variables.

Version 3.83

Released: 07-Apr-2022

New features:

• Improvements to data plots:
  • Increased the maximum number of pens to 20.
  • Improved the layout of the trend key to use multiple columns.
  • Changed the default line width to 2 pixels.
• Changed the Graphic Editor to allow references to undefined tags in Data Bindings. Previously a reference to an undefined tag would be reported as data binding error.
• Improved IEC 61131-3 code to allow a user-defined FUNCTION to define input parameters using a Generic Data Type.
• Implemented new IEC 61131-3 Validation Functions:
  • IS_DEFINED()
  • IS_VALID()
  • IS_VALID_BCD()
• Added a "Remember Connection" check box to the Connection Dialog opened by a "Connect to Fernhill SCADA" link. The new check box allows the user to choose whether the connection is added to the recent connection list.
• Extended the Tag Status Report of the Database Root Tag to report errors in the user rights configuration of the SCADA Server.
• Added new Tag Command Functions to write data directly to data sources:
  • TagDirectWriteBit
  • TagDirectWriteByte
  • TagDirectWriteString
  • TagDirectWriteWord
• Renamed the Tag Command Function Blocks to avoid confusion with Tag Command Functions. For example the TagWriteValue Function Block is now called TagWriteValueFB Function Block. The old names can still be used, but the IEC 61131-3 compiler will now warn the user the function block is deprecated.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to:
  • Translate EXISTS(), FORMATVAL(), STR() and CHR() functions.
  • Translate Pick Action Menus.
• Upgraded these third party libraries to the latest most secure versions:
  • OpenSSL upgraded to 1.1.1n.
  • Expat upgraded to 2.8.4.
  • Zlib upgraded to 1.2.12.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when any client tries to run an SQL query that uses a LEFT JOIN.
• Fixed a crash in the Linux version of the Fernhill SCADA Server Monitor Tool.
• Fixed a possible crash in the Configuration Tool when closing a Graphic Page which has embedded graphics nested three or more levels.
• Fixed a possible graphic freeze in the Linux version of the Operator Interface. The graphic freeze could happen if the Graphic Page, or any embedded graphic, had a Main Program Unit declared. Other platforms were not affected. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.75.
• Fixed the Operator Interface to draw a Graphic Page with the correct background color. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.79.
• Fixed the MQTT Driver to immediately fail a DirectWriteString Tag Command if the MQTT Broker is offline. Previously the MQTT Driver would try to execute the DirectWriteString Tag Command when the connection is offline.

Version 3.82

Released: 15-Mar-2022

New features:

• Improved the Modbus Slave PLC Device Tag to support a variable number of registers.
• Improved the Database Table Editor to support inserting new columns.
• Improved the OPC Client Driver to read the build information from the OPC UA Server. The build information is displayed in the tag status report of the OPC UA Client Connection.
• Changed the IEC 61131-3 compiler to report a warning if a longer string is assigned to a shorter string. Previously assignment of a longer string to a shorter string was reported as an error. This change reduces the impact of the changes to string handling in Version 3.81.
• Added keyboard shortcuts for cut, copy and paste to Text Editor Fields on Operator Dialogs.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Operator Interface when two ValueDialog are opened one after the other.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to not lose a property change when:
  1. An item on a graphic page is selected.
  2. A property of the selected item is edited using the browse button "...".
  3. Focus is moved away from the Graphic Editor. For example, by selecting a tag in the Tag Window.
  4. Focus is moved back to the graphic page without changing the selection.
  5. The same property in step 2 is edited again.

  Previously the change made in step 2 would be lost.

• Fixed the concrete batching example in the standard demonstration project to work correctly. Changes to string handling in Version 3.81 broke the concrete batching example.
• In IEC 61131-3 code, fixed directly located WSTRING variables to report the correct size. Previously the size reported would be 1 character less than the actual tag reference. For example a reference to WSTRING[160] would appear to the IEC 61131-3 code as WSTRING[159];
• Fixed the pasting of text data when the source of the text data has multiple null terminators. Note: Some third party applications copy text data to the clipboard with two null terminators.

Version 3.81

Released: 06-Mar-2022

New features:

• Improved the OPC UA Server to support authentication using an X509 Identity Token.
• Increased the maximum string length of the String Data Point Tag to 1024 UTF-16 characters. Note: If historic storage is enabled, the maximum string length is reduced to 80 UTF-16 characters.
• Improved the IEC 61131-3 compiler to warn when the type of the Tag Reference in a Variable Declaration may result in data loss. For example when the variable type is REAL, but the tag reference is LREAL.
• Changed IEC 61131-3 Program Units and Operator Actions to report a runtime error if a string is truncated on assignment. Previously string truncation on assignment was not be reported, which can lead to unexpected results. This change may break existing applications. If string truncation is required, use the LEFT() Function to limit the string to the required size before assignment.
• Changed these tag commands to report an error if a string is truncated when used with a String Data Point Tag:
  • ForceValue
  • WriteValue
  • WriteValueQuality
  Previously if a long string was written to a String Data Point Tag, the string would be truncated without an error reported.
• Changed the Calculated String Data Point Tag to report an error if the calculated string is too long to store in the tag. Previously long strings would be truncated without any error reported. If string truncation is required, use the LEFT() Function to limit the string to the required size.
• Changed the SQL INSERT and SQL UPDATE commands to report a runtime error if a string would be truncated. Previously string truncation errors would not be reported. This change may break existing applications. If string truncation is required, use the SUBSTRING() Function to limit the string to the required size.
• Added new Graphic Item Functions:
  • GraphicItemGetGlobalVariable()
  • GraphicItemGetParentId()
  • GraphicItemPlotAddPen()
  • GraphicItemPlotHasPen()
  • GraphicItemPlotRemovePen()
  • GraphicItemSetGlobalVariable()
• Improved the Operator Interface to provide better support for kiosk mode:
  • Added the command line option --DetectLongPress. This option allows operators to open a right-click context menu using a long press of the left mouse button. It is useful in situations where the operator interface is a touch screen with no mouse pointer.
  • Added the command line option --NoDisconnect. This option prevents the operator returning to the Operator Interface Start Page.
  • Connections to the Fernhill SCADA Server are retried if the network stack is not ready to accept requests. This helps when the Operator Interface is started before the network stack is ready.
• Improved the Tag Status Report of the BACnet Device Tag to show:
  • BACnet Features - The BACnet protocol features supported by the device.
  • BACnet Database - Information about the BACnet objects in the device.
• Improved how sensitive data is redacted in log files. The new format makes it easier to see the redacted data in the context a message.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the BACnet Driver to not crash the server when all the I/O Data Point Tags on a device have invalid IOItemName properties.
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to write the present value of binary objects using an enumerated value 0 or 1. Previously the driver would try and write a Boolean to the present value of binary objects.
• Fixed the MQTT Driver to support connections to HiveMQ Cloud.
• Fixed the Operator Interface to set the correct frame refresh rate when:
  • A failed connection is retried.
  • A second and subsequent connection is started.
• Fixed the Connection Failed Dialog to report OpenSSL errors correctly. Previously if a client connection failed because of an OpenSSL error, the the error would not be shown in the dialog.
• Fixed numeric values to display correctly on the Linux Operator Interface when the locale does not use a full stop decimal separator.
• Fixed the Tag Window to update correctly when:
  • A new item is added to a Template Folder, and
  • There are folders linked to the Template Folder that are visible, but not expanded.
• Fixed Operator Actions to run to completion if two dialogs are opened one after the other. Previously the Operator Action would not continue after the second dialog closed.
• Fixed the Code Errors tab of the Tag Status Window to display all errors. Previously when displaying a long list, errors at the top of the list would not display correctly.
• Fixed the Text Editor to position the cursor correctly during whole line drag selection.

Version 3.80

Released: 31-Jan-2022

New features:

• Added a new function FORMAT_INTEGER to convert an integer to a string using a defined number base.
• Added a new function DialogAddComboBox to add a combo box to the current dialog definition.
• Added a new LinkedList Data Object to represent a variable length linked list of elementary types.
• Improved these drivers to match string values with state descriptions for Digital Data Point Tags:
  • BACnet
  • MQTT
  • Data File
  • OPC Client
  • ODBC Client
  • SNMP Client
  Digital Data Point Tags can now be used with data sources that report binary values using state descriptions.
• Improved Trend Plot to show the most recent value from a data source even when change filtering would exclude that value from the historian. This change improves how Trend Plots show data that changes slowly over time.
• Support method calls in the OPC UA Server.
• Improved lists to better handle cell values that have multiple lines of text.
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to:
  • Translate Quick Functions.
  • Translate calls to StringFromIntg().
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to support:
  • Version 6.84 export files.
  • Single value variable objects.
  • Nested templates by converting template instances inside templates to normal folders.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when attempting to use an IEC 61131-3 { Use ... } pragma in a data binding.
• Fixed the Trend Plot to display digital data correctly when there are data points with timestamps after the right Y Axis.
• Fixed the ODBC Driver to better support import of data into Microsoft Excel 365. Previously when importing into Excel from Fernhill SCADA using ODBC, it was not possible to browse for tables.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to report correctly errors with the DataBindBlink data binding of rectangular shapes. Previously the Data Binding Editor would not show any errors for the DataBindBlink property of rectangular shapes.
• Fixed the ClearSCADA Import Tool to:
  • Support export files that contain Operator Document Stores.
  • Not cause an exception in the Configuration Tool when importing a trend with more than 8 traces.
• Fixed the text editor in the SQL Test Tool to highlight multi-line string literals correctly. Previously only the first line of a multi-line string literal would be shown with the correct color.
• Fixed the Code Errors tab of the Tag Status Window to provide links to error locations.

Version 3.79

Released: 31-Dec-2021

New features:

• Added a new function DialogAddGraphicPage to display a Graphic Page on an operator dialog.
• Improved the Graphic Item Functions to also search the container graphic page when called from an embedded graphic. Previously a Graphic Item Function would only search the Graphic Page that called the function.
• Improvements to the BACnet Driver:
  • Support browsing bits of bit string properties by name.
  • Support browsing network addresses for directly connected channels.
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to:
  • Support expressions that use DText() or Text().
  • Not report an error when a QuickFunction is called.
• Fernhill SCADA now uses these open source libraries:
  • Curl 3.80.0
  • FreeType 2.11.1

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed SQL Queries on historic data that use an inner join to not ignore a filter on the timestamp. For example:

  SELECT H.ValueTime, H.Value
  FROM 
      HistoricDataViewLREAL AS H INNER JOIN TagDataPoint AS T
      ON T.HistoricDataTable = H.TableName
  WHERE 
      T.FullName = 'Example Graphic.Tank Level' AND 
      H.ValueTime >= Current_Timestamp - Interval '1' Day

  Previously the condition on H.ValueTime would be ignored.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to always open operator dialogs in the correct position. Previously operator dialogs could open approximately 30 pixels further down the screen than intended.

Version 3.78

Released: 1-Dec-2021

New features:

• Added a new BACnet Driver.
• Improved the SNMP Client Driver:
  • For SNMP Version 2c and Version 3, the driver can now read multiple SNMP Objects in one GetRequest.
  • Added a new GetRequestMaxObjects configuration property to the SNMP Agent Connection Tag. The new property defines the maximum number of SNMP objects to read in one GetRequest.
  • Added new SNMP Tag Error Codes to provide a clearer indication of common SNMP errors.
• Added a new "Reset Layout" menu option to the Configuration Tool.
• Improved the Server Diagnostics provided by the OPC UA Server to include more Session and Subscription information. This change improves compatibility with the Server Diagnostics View of the Unified Automation UaExpert tool.
• Improved the recovery of Modbus TCP Channels when a device incorrectly responds with Modbus RTU for some commands.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a denial of service vulnerability in the Fernhill SCADA Server. Previously sending a carefully crafted packet to port 20295 could cause the Fernhill SCADA Server to crash.
• Fixed the Allen Bradley Driver to reliably browse variables in a ControlLogix or CompactLogix PLC. Previously the driver would try and read type information for variables names that start with two underscores. Tag names that start with two underscores are system tags that should not be accessed because the type information is not always available.
• For I/O Analog Data Point Tag, fixed the default value of the Write Value Tag Command to display the correct number of digits. Previously the any number of digits would be displayed. This problem did not affect the Internal Analog Data Point Tag. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.55.
• Fixed the SNMP Client Driver to check the RequestId field of the response matches the request. This problem affected SNMP Version 1 and Version 2c. SNMP Version 3 was not affected.

Version 3.77

Released: 16-Oct-2021

New features:

• Improved the recovery of Modbus TCP Channels when the Modbus device sends back extra data bytes after a reply frame.
• Added a new property EnableTrackingEvents to the Program Tag. The EnableTrackingEvents property controls whether tracking events are stored in the Event Log for tag database updates from the Program Tag. Previously a Program Tag would generate tracking events for all tag database updates.
• Improved the recovery of the Data Historian and the Event Log when there are unexpected disk errors. For example Disk Full or I/O Error.
• Improved the Server branch of the OPC UA Server to include entries for:
  • Session diagnostics (SessionDiagnosticArray)
  • Subscription diagnostics (SubscriptionDiagnosticArray)
• Improved the Citect Import Tool to:
  • Translate variables associated with the DNPR protocol.
  • Support case insensitive matching of tag names.
  • Support Text Properties with the Display Value Type set to Multi-state or Array.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue with Database Table Tags losing records if:
  • Records are deleted from the table.
  • The metadata of the table is changed.
  • The Fernhill SCADA Server is restarted.
• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when trying to restore a backup that includes data taken before Version 3.73.
• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when a Program Tag writes to a tag in a template folder.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when a a Monitored Item is deleted from an OPC UA Subscription.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when the right mouse button is pressed over a group in the Properties Window.
• Fixed a crash in the Graphic Editor after repeated use of a drag rectangle to select items. The problem was caused by a resource leak drawing the drag rectangle.
• Fixed the OPC Client Driver to work with the Prosys OPC UA Server.
• Fixed the OPC Client Driver to work with OPC UA Servers when:
  • The session authentication token is an integer node id.
  • The integer value is greater than 2,147,483,647.
• Corrected the distorted appearance of some images in the help. The distortion affected PNG images with 4 bits per pixel.

Version 3.76

Released: 29-Sep-2021

New features:

• Improved the OPC UA Server to support:
  • An entry for the Fernhill SCADA Tag Database in the Namespaces node.
  • The RegisterNodes service.
  • The UnregisterNodes service.
  Note: These changes are to support connections from the OPC UA Client in an S7-1500 PLC.
• Improved the Plot Editor to allow the scale of each pen to be configured manually.
• Added a new Temporary Plot Function: PlotPenSetFixedAnalogScale(). The new function configures a pen to have a fixed analog scale.
• Extended the Import File Tool to support SVG files.
• A Shape on a Graphic Page can now be filled with a Radial Gradient. The new FillColorGradientType property allows you to choose between a Linear Gradient and a Radial Gradient.
• Added these new properties to the Bitmap Image on a Graphic Page.
  • HorizontalAlignment
  • VerticalAlignment
  • ImageFitMode
  These properties provide more control when the aspect ratio of the image does not match its position on the Graphic Page.
• Added a new property LineJoinMiterLimit to the Shape on a Graphic Page. The new property sets the maximum size of a miter used to join two lines. Previously the maximum length of a miter was 10 canvas units.
• Improved the error message reported when a Program Tag attempts to call a Graphic Item Function.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if an OPC UA Client reads any $Configuration.FullName node.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when a graphic page is opened that has an invalid tag reference in the Global Bindings.
• Fixed a possible crash in Configuration Tool when using the Select Above or Select Below commands in the Graphic Editor. The crash was likely to happen if a Select Above, or Select Below, command followed a Delete command. For example:
  1. Create a new Graphic Page.
  2. Edit the Graphic Page and add two rectangles.
  3. Delete the first rectangle.
  4. Right-click the remaining rectangle and click Select followed by Select Below.
• Fixed the temporary plot functions PlotSetFixedXAxis() and PlotSetMovingXAxis() to work in the Operator Interface.
• Fixed the drawing of wide lines on a Graphic Page when the line goes back on itself. Previously this type of line might not be drawn correctly.
• Fixed the Operator Interface to not display an error message when all of the following conditions were true:
  • The Operator Interface is running on a different computer to the Fernhill SCADA Server.
  • A Graphic Page is displayed by the Operator.
  • The Graphic Page contains tag references in the Global Bindings.

Version 3.75

Released: 28-Aug-2021

New features:

• Extended Graphic Pages to support an SQL List. The SQL List executes an SQL Command and displays the results in a table on the Graphic Page.
• Improved the Graphic Page to run any Main Program Unit declared in an embedded graphic. Previously only the Main Program Unit declared in the top level graphic page would run.
• Added a Connection Name field to the Recent Connection List found on:
  • Configuration Tool Start Page
  • Operator Interface Start Page
  If used, the Connection Name appears in the Recent Connection List instead of the details of the connection. This allows connections to be named by the location of the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Improved the Recent Connection List on the Linux version of the Operator Interface to support editing connections.
• Added a GE Fanuc Autodetect Wizard.
• Added the following information to the Tag Status Report for the Root Tag:
  • The version of software running on the server.
  • The fully qualified domain name of the server.
• Upgraded to OpenSSL 1.1.1l. This upgrade includes these security fixes:
  • CVE-2021-3712
  • CVE-2021-3711

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the DNP3 Driver to recover communications correctly when:
  • A DNP3 Outstation Tag is configured to use a DNP3 TCP/IP Channel.
  • The DNP3 TCP/IP Channel is configured for Initiating End Point mode.
  • The DNP3 Outstation is configured to enable unsolicited data.
  • The TCP/IP connection to the outstation fails.
• Fixed the DNP3 Driver to not timeout an integrity poll when the Outstation sends many thousands of events. Previously an Outstation sending many thousands of events could cause the integrity poll request to time out before it completed.
• Fixed the Siemens S7 Driver to recover communications correctly when:
  • A Siemens S7 Ethernet Channel Tag is used to communicate with an S7 PLC.
  • Fernhill SCADA performs a communication check with the PLC.
  • The reply to the first part of the communication check is delayed and times out.
  • The communication check attempts the second part of the communication check.
  • The reply to the first part of the communication check is received.
• Fixed these client programs to drop SQL Commands when an SQL List is closed:
  • Configuration Tool
  • Operator Interface
  Previously the SQL Commands would remain open on the Fernhill SCADA Server until the connection from the client program was closed.
• Fixed the Embedded Plot to draw text with the correct properties. Previously a text item drawn just before the Embedded Plot could change the appearance of text on the embedded plot. The text properties that could change the text on an Embedded Plot include:
  • Direction
  • TextStrikeout
  • TextUnderline
• Fixed these Operator Actions to work when an left button or tap operator action is also configured:
  • ActionContextMenu
  • ActionDoubleClick
• Fixed the GraphicItemGetTrendXInterval() to return the correct value. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.68.
• Fixed dialog boxes in Operator Interface to move focus to the previous control when Shift+Tab is entered on the keyboard.
• Fixed the Operator Interface to not show square box characters when text contains horizontal tabs.

Version 3.74

Released: 31-Jul-2021

New features:

• Added a new GE Fanuc Driver.
• Added a new SQLCommandFromODBC Function Block to execute an SQL Command on an external database. The new function block is intended for use in a Program Tag running on the SCADA Server.
• Added queries for All tags, and All folders, to the Database View Window.
• Added a new configuration property ParentFolder to the Common Core Tag. The ParentFolder property provides the full name of the folder that contains the tag.
• Added a new SequenceErrorCount statistic to the Base Channel Tag. The new statistic counts the number of replies where the sequence number does not match the request. Previously sequence number errors were reported as framing errors.
• Added a new IEC 61131-3 Extension Function: GET_ELEMENT(). The GET_ELEMENT function returns an element of a string.
• Improved the errors reported from these functions:
  • SQLCommandGetValue
  • SQLCommandIsNullValue
• Improved the these function blocks to support relative tag names:
  • All Tag Command Function Blocks
  • ConfigureTag Function Block
  • TextDocFromTagFile Function Block
• Improved these editor dialogs to not close when the escape key is pressed and the content has been modified:
  • Data Binding Editor
  • Global Bindings Editor
  • Operator Action Editor
• Changed the Text Editor to no longer automatically indent when editing IEC 61131-3 Code.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 compiler to correctly compile references to function blocks. Previously taking a reference of a function block would report an assignment error.
• Fixed the ODBC Driver to integrate with SQL Server. Previously following How to Link Microsoft SQL Server to Fernhill SCADA would result in an "invalid column definition" error reported by SQL Server. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.31.
• Fixed the Advanced Settings Dialog of the ODBC Driver to not truncate text.
• Fixed all help topics to display correctly. In Version 3.73 a small number of help topics were truncated. This problem affected both the product help and the website.
• Fixed the Data Table Window to show the query names. In Version 3.73 query names were not displayed.
• Fixed the Configuration Tool to always show the mouse cursor. Previously this sequence of events could cause the mouse cursor to disappear when moved over the Configuration Tool:
  1. Edit a Graphic Page Tag.
  2. Select an item on the Graphic Page.
  3. From the Properties Window edit a data binding, or operator action.
  4. Type some text in text editor.
  5. Press ESC to cancel the text editor.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor Debug Tool to resume correctly after this sequence:
  1. The Operator Action under debug opens a dialog.
  2. The user closes the dialog.
  Previously the dialog would remain on display and a menu to start a new debug session would appear. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.54.

Version 3.73

Released: 27-Jun-2021

New features:

• Added a new IEC 61131-3 function FORMAT_NUMBER() to convert a number to a string using a custom format.
• Added a new DisplayFormat configuration property to these tags:
  • Analog Data Point Tag
  • Word Data Point Tag
  • Double Word Data Point Tag
  • Long Word Data Point Tag
  • Time Series Counter Tag
  The DisplayFormat configuration property provides more control how the tag value is displayed as text.
• Added a new HistoricOriginFilter configuration property to all Data Point Tags. The HistoricOriginFilter property is intended for use with data sources that provide both Timestamped data and Sampled data. For example the DNP3 Outstation Tag.
• Modified the DisplayValue property of the Data Point Tag to no longer include the units configured on the tag. Added a new property DisplayUnits to the Data Point Tag to display the units configured on the tag. For applications that use the DisplayValue property, this is a potential minor breaking change.
• Added new properties to the Time Series Tag:
  • CurrentSampleDisplayValue - The current sample value with any display format applied.
  • LatestCompleteSampleDisplayValue - The latest complete sample value with any display format applied.
  • DisplayUnits - The units configured on the tag.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed Text Fields in the Operator Dialog opened from the Tag Window to allow content wider than the Text Field.
• Fixed a minor issue with cursor positioning in the Text Editor. Previously when using the keyboard to move to a new line, the cursor could be placed at the wrong character in the line.

Version 3.72

Released: 02-Jun-2021

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the function FORMAT_DATE_TIME() to not try local time conversion when used with a TIME_OF_DAY value.
• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 compiler to correctly compile these functions:
  • SysDateTimeToLocal - Converts a UTC date and time value to local time.
  • SysDateTimeToUTC - Converts a local date and time value to UTC.
  A mistake in the compiler internal metadata made these functions unusable. Fixes a problem in Version 3.71.

Version 3.71

Released: 31-May-2021

New features:

• Added a new Mitsubishi Melsec TCP/IP Channel Tag to support Mitsubishi Melsec devices using TCP/IP protocol.
• Improved the DNP3 Driver to translate DNP3 Object Flags into data point quality. Previously the DNP3 Driver would ignore DNP3 Object Flags.
• Added a new ReadFile Tag Command to read a file from a DNP3 Outstation Tag.
• Improved the Modbus Driver to reject the response to any read request which has an incorrect byte count. Previously the driver would accept responses with an incorrect byte count.
• Added to new functions to convert dates and times between UTC and local time:
  • SysDateTimeToLocal - Converts a UTC date and time value to local time.
  • SysDateTimeToUTC - Converts a local date and time value to UTC.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the Mitsubishi Melsec Driver to set the clock of FX PLCs correctly when using Ethernet Communications. FX PLCs using serial communications were not affected by this problem. Other types of Mitsubishi PLC were also not affected.
• Fixed the Show Historic Data menu option to work reliably when used with a Time Series Tag.
• Fixed a potential SCADA Server crash when this sequence of events occurs:
  1. A Modbus TCP Channel Tag connects successfully.
  2. The first communication check times out.
  3. The second communication check is sent, but the reply to the first communication check is then received.

Version 3.70

Released: 09-May-2021

New features:

• Improved the DNP3 Driver to support writing files to DNP3 Outstations.
• Added a new user access right WriteFile.
• Improved the layout of dialogs in the Operator Interface when used with high DPI screens in portrait orientation.
• Changed the Graphic Editor Pen Tool to:
  • Start new shapes with Style set to Line Only.
  • Set the Style to Line & Fill when the shape is closed.
  This change provides better visual feedback when using the pen tool.
• Improved the code example for the DialogAddNumericKeyPad() function.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a potential server crash if a DNP3 Outstation goes offline. Changes in Version 3.69 can increase the probability of this problem occurring.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to set the selection rectangle correctly after an undo of a Pen Tool operation.
• Fixed the DataSource property of the DNP3 Outstation Tag to show the correct value.
• Fixed a crash in the macOS version of the Operator Interface if the App is started and stopped without attempting a connection.

Version 3.69

Released: 22-Apr-2021

New features:

• Improved the OPC Client Driver to support connections to OPC UA Servers.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed the SNMP Client Driver to show the correct data source in tag status report of associated I/O Data Point Tags.

Version 3.68

Released: 28-Mar-2021

New features:

• Support a Value Duration Plot in the Operator Interface.
• Added a new Value Duration Plot Tag to store the definition of a Value Duration Plot.
• Improved the Plot Editor to draw selection handles in gray when the window does not have keyboard focus. The gray selection handles shows the user that keyboard shortcuts are not available until keyboard focus is restored to the window.
• Improvements to the Allen Bradley Driver when used with ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs:
  • Improved the error information shown in the Tag Status Window for I/O Data Point Tags when a read request fails.
  • Work around user-defined data types in the PLC where the External Access of a member variable is set to None. Previously all I/O Data Point Tags associated with this type of user-defined data type would show bad quality. This would happen even if external access to the member variable referenced by an I/O Data Point Tag allowed external access.
• Added a Units configuration property to these data point tag types:
  • Word Data Point Tag
  • Double Word Data Point Tag
  • Long Word Data Point Tag
• Upgraded to OpenSSL 1.1.1k. This upgrade includes these security fixes:
  • CVE-2021-3450
  • CVE-2021-3449

Bug Fixes:

• For a DNP3 TCP/IP Channel Tag configured as a Listening End Point:
  • Fixed a server crash when the OutOfService property of a DNP3 Outstation Tag is changed from TRUE to FALSE.
  • Fixed the DNP3 driver to request an integrity poll every time the DNP3 Outstation connects to Fernhill SCADA. Previously an integrity poll was requested only on the first connection.
  • Fixed I/O Data Point Tags associated with a Listening End Point outstation to not store duplicate data values.

Version 3.67

Released: 28-Feb-2021

New features:

• Improved the OPC UA Server to support the HistoryRead service.
• Improved the DNP3 TCP/IP Channel Tag to support Listening End Point mode. When configured for Listening End Point mode, the channel tag waits for connections from DNP3 Outstations. This change is intended support low powered outstations that periodically wake-up to report data.
• Improved the Show Events option of the Tag Window Menu to provide more options for viewing events.
• Improved Trends to provide a better screen layout when the available screen space is limited. The size of text on the trend is automatically reduced to ensure the data area of the trend is a reasonable size.
• Added a new server parameter RecordFailedLoginPassword to store the password of failed logins to the Event Log. This parameter is provided to help diagnose login problems.
• Improved the SCADA Server to generate a summary file when the SCADA Server starts. The file name is "ServerStartSummary.log" and is located in the server log file folder. The file contains telemetry information about the SCADA Server and is useful for diagnosing problems.
• Upgraded to OpenSSL 1.1.1j. This upgrade includes these security fixes:
  • CVE-2021-23841
  • CVE-2021-23840

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Busy Indicator to not disappear early when displaying a Graphic Page Tag.

Version 3.66

Released: 7-Feb-2021

New features:

• Support the Micrologix Ethernet Interface (1761-NET-ENI) in the Allen Bradley Driver.
• Added a new Location parameter to the SCADA Server Parameters. If set, the new parameter appears in the tag status report of the root folder. This helps users of the Configuration Tool identify the server they are connected to.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the "Display Data List" command on the Trend Plot to generate valid SQL. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.63.
• Fixed the configuration properties of the Modbus Device Tag to display expanded by default.
• Fixed the Data Log Window to draw text correctly after the Configuration Tool is minimized and then restored.

Version 3.65

Released: 31-Jan-2021

New features:

• Started a Fernhill SCADA YouTube Channel to provide training videos for the Configuration Tool.
• Improved the OPC UA Server to support Subscriptions.
• Improved the Select Shape Tool to expand the selection rectangle to a multiple of the grid when:
  • A small item is selected, and
  • The grid is enabled.
  This change ensures that when a small item is moved, the new position is aligned to the grid.
• Improved the Embedded Plot to support pan and zoom operations.
• Reduced the hot area of Rotation Tool to avoid any overlap with the Resize Tool when a small shape is selected.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Tag Window Restore Tool to set the initial value of Internal Data Point Tags correctly. Previously when restoring configuration without data, the ApplyInitialValue configuration property was ignored and no initial value would be set for Internal Data Point Tags.
• Fixed the Select Shape Tool to allow horizontal and vertical lines to be resized.
• Fixed I/O Data Point Tags to show the correct DataSource when the IODataSource refers to an IEC 61131-3 Program Tag.
• Fixed the Check for New Version Dialog to display long error messages correctly.

Version 3.64

Released: 6-Jan-2021

New features:

• Extend the IEC 61131-3 in Fernhill SCADA to support:
  • Sequential Function Charts.
  • Instruction List.
• Removed support for Legacy Global Text Styles from the Fernhill SCADA Server. The minimum version of Operator Interface that will work with the Fernhill SCADA Server is now Version 3.50.
• Improved how the Graphic Editor behaves when zoomed in:
  • Changed the active area of the Rotation Tool to be relative to the screen. Previously the active area of the Rotation Tool used a fixed number of grid units. This would cause the active area to expanded to a large area on screen when zoomed in.
  • Changed paste operations to insert the new content in the center of the screen. Previously pasted content was placed at the center of the canvas, which could be off screen.
• Improved the Graphic Editor to draw selection handles in gray when the editor does not have keyboard focus. The gray selection handles shows the user that Keyboard Shortcuts are not available until keyboard focus is restored to the editor.
• When the Database Root Tag is selected in the Tag Window, the Tag Status Window shows the status of the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Support CURRENT_USER in SQL Expressions.
• Improved the error message reported when Program Tag attempts to call an Operator Action Function.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed an issue with Database Table Tags losing content if the tag is renamed. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.55.
• Fixed the Text Editor to display code errors and warnings in the correct place. Previously errors and warnings could be shown at the wrong column. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed truncated error messages shown in the Tag Status Tab for IEC 61131-3 Programs with errors. In previous versions some longer error messages were truncated.
• Fixed the Browse Tag References Dialog to set the Relative Reference check box correctly. Note: The Browse Tag References Dialog is accessed from the Embedded Graphic Bindings Editor using the Select tag reference... context menu option.
• Fixed Internal Data Point Tags to fully update their state for this sequence of actions:
  1. Create a new Internal Data Point Tag.
  2. Set the ApplyInitialValue configuration property to If no value written.
  3. Set the InitialValue configuration property to any value.
  Previously the tag status would show the correct tag state, but data provided to client subscriptions would not.
• Fixed the Numeric Keypad opened with the DialogAddNumericKeyPad function to allow entry of numbers less than 1. For example 0.1.
• Fixed the Properties Window to not start in-place editing when a control key is pressed.

Version 3.63

Released: 13-Dec-2020.

New features:

• Added a new set of Plot Functions. The Plot Functions allow an Operator Action to configure and open Temporary Plots.
• Improved the Trend Plot Tag to:
  • Support an SQL Command as a data source.
  • Allow an X Axis interval of up to 100 years.
• Improved the OPC UA Server to support the Write Service.
• Improved the Operator Interface to reposition any open dialog when the window is resized.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Operator Interface running on Linux or macOS when:
  • The Operator Interface is started with a --Connect=... Command Line Option.
  • The --Connect=... Command Line Option has an incorrect syntax.
• Fixed all Drivers, running on Linux or macOS, to set serial communications parameters correctly. Previously parameters such as baud rate, character length, or parity might not be configured correctly by the driver. This problem did not affect the Windows version.
• Fixed security filtering for Guest users connected to the Fernhill SCADA Server running on Linux. Previously the Fernhill SCADA Server running on Linux would incorrectly grant privileges of authenticated users to the guest user.

Version 3.62

Released: 24-Nov-2020.

New features:

• Improved the documentation for SQL Command Objects.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when running a Operator Action that uses the SQLCommandFromTagDB function. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.59.
• Fixed a crash in the Operator Interface when running a Operator Action that uses the SQLCommandFromTagDB function. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.59.

Version 3.61

Released: 23-Nov-2020.

New features:

• The SCADA Server now provides an OPC UA Server.
• Removed the "Run Autodetect Wizard" option from the start page of the Configuration Tool. This option has been removed to simplify the Start Page for new users. The Autodetect Wizard is still available from the Tag Window.
• Upgraded three third party libraries to the latest most secure versions:
  • OpenSSL upgraded to 1.1.1h.
  • FreeType upgraded to 2.10.4.
  • Curl upgraded to 7.73.0.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash when starting the Fernhill SCADA Server if the tag data state file (Data.fhdat) was an empty file. Deleting the empty tag data state file would work around the problem.
• Fixed the Configuration Tool to log users on correctly to the Fernhill SCADA Server for the second and following connections. In version 3.60 a user would be logged on to the Fernhill SCADA Server as a Guest user for the second and following connections. Restarting the Configuration Tool would work around the problem.
• Fixed Digital Data Point Tags to show the correct text value in the All Data Point Tags list. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.56.
• Corrected the examples in the SQLCommandFromTagDB Function block help page. Previously two of the examples referenced a member variable that did not exist.

Version 3.60

Released: 15-Oct-2020.

New features:

• Extended the Event Log to record user authentication events.
• Added two new queries to the Data Tables Window
  • Event categories
  • Security events
• Improved the Windows version of the SCADA Server to generate a diagnostic file in the event of a crash. The diagnostic file would help Fernhill Software to understand the cause of the crash.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a possible crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when running an SQL command with a WHERE clause that contains a nonparenthesized-value-primary. For example: SELECT fullname FROM TagDataPointDigital WHERE Value.
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA Server to not display old data after any of these events:
  • The computer running the Fernhill SCADA Server loses power.
  • The computer running the Fernhill SCADA Server crashes.
  • The Fernhill SCADA Server crashes.
  Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.54.
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA Server to start when installed on a new Linux computer. The problem was caused by Fernhill SCADA Server trying to use the folder /var/log/fernhill-scada without creating the folder first. Manually creating the /var/log/fernhill-scada folder worked around the problem. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.54.
• Fixed the Open in Operator Interface command of the Tag Window to work when logged in with a username and password.

Version 3.59

Released: 20-Sep-2020.

New features:

• Added a new HistoricDataSource configuration property to all Data Point Tags. The HistoricDataSource property provides better control of how historic data is sampled from the Data Point Tag. The HistoricStoreLastFilteredValue configuration property, added in Version 3.57, has been removed.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a very low probability crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server. The crash was more likely to happen if a project had the following features:
  • Many IEC 61131-3 Programs
  • Each IEC 61131-3 Program writes many I/O Data Point Tags using tag references
• Fixed diagnostic log files created by the Fernhill SCADA Server to not show a large "Size on disk". For example when the file properties are viewed from Windows Explorer. The problem occurred when the Fernhill SCADA Server was started. The actual file size was never as large as indicated and the effect was temporary.
• Fixed a memory leak in the Fernhill SCADA Server when this sequence of events occurs:
  1. A client application executes an SQL Command on the Fernhill SCADA Server.
  2. The SQL Command takes more than 5 seconds to execute.
  3. The client application disconnects before the SQL Command completes.
  A single event of this type would have little effect on the Fernhill SCADA Server. If repeated many times, the memory leak could cause the computer running the Fernhill SCADA Server to run out of memory.
• Fixed a very low probability crash when the Fernhill SCADA Server is stopped.
• Fixed the StandardTagMenu() function to work in the Graphic Editor when the Graphic Editor is in run mode. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.58.
• Fixed the Replace feature of the Find Replace Tool to replace text. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed the Find Replace Tool to open with CTRL-F or CTRL-H. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed the ODBC Driver to drop SQL Commands when a statement is deleted. Previously SQL Commands were not dropped until the connection was deleted.

Version 3.58

Released: 4-Sep-2020.

New features:

• Added a "Cancel Connection" button to the Operator Interface connection in progress page.
• Support limited browsing of IOItemName property values for I/O Data Point Tags in Template Folders.
• Improved the historian and event log to better support high data rates.
• Added a new IEC 61131-3 extension function DialogAddNumericKeyPad() to provide a numeric key pad.
• Support these IEC 61131-3 Third Edition standard functions:
  • CONCAT_DATE
  • CONCAT_DT
  • CONCAT_TOD
  • DAY_OF_WEEK
  • SPLIT_DATE
  • SPLIT_DT
  • SPLIT_TOD

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when both of these conditions are true:
  • A user clicks the browse button of the IOItemName property of an I/O Data Point Tag.
  • The I/O Data Point Tag is in a Template Folder.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when these two events happen at the same time:
  • A user clicks the browse button in the Properties Window.
  • The Fernhill SCADA Server goes offline.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool, and Operator Interface, when a user runs an IEC 61131-3 script with this sequence of function calls:
  1. DialogNew(),
  2. DialogOpen().
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to update data bindings correctly after a Make Group or Break Group command. Certain edit operations that followed the Make Group, or Break Group, command caused some data bindings to stop working. The effect was temporary and other types of edit operation would cause the data bindings to start working. An example set of edit operations that caused this problem was:
  1. Drag a Data Point Tag onto the Graphic Editor.
  2. Select Current Value.
  3. Make the selected text into a group using the Make Group command.
  4. Move the group using the cursor keys.
• Fixed Linked Folders to correctly copy tags from nested folders in templates. Previously tags added to a nested folder in a template would not be added to the corresponding linked folders. This problem affected all of the ways that tags are added to template folders:
  • Directly add a new tag, or new folder.
  • Paste a tag or folder.
  • Move a tag, or folder, into a template folder.
• Fixed relative references from a Trend Plot Tag to work correctly when:
  • A newly created Trend Tag is opened in the Plot Editor.
  • A Data Point Tag is dragged onto the trend.
  This problem did not affect Trend Tags that were previously saved.
• Fixed the "Del" key to work again in the Text Editor. Fixes an issue introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed the Configuration Tool to not allow editing of these tags when linked to a template:
  • The Graphic Page Tag
  • The Trend Plot Tag
  • The Text File Tag
  Previously the Configuration Tool would allow editing of tags linked to a template, but then report an error when trying to save the changes.
• Fixed the Embedded Graphics Binding Editor to not offer the built-in variable CurrentAction.
• Fixed these edit operations to make sure any new historic data tables are immediately visible in the SQL Schema:
  • Link a folder to a template.
  • Create a folder linked to a template.
  • Restore a project from a backup.
  Previously new historic data tables would not appear in the SQL Schema until a later edit operation triggered a rebuild of the SQL Schema.
• Fixed the transfer of configuration from the active server to a standby server to update the SQL Schema on the standby server.
• Make sure historic data tables are not created for Data Point Tags in Template Folders.
• Fixed the backup and export tools of the Tag Window to always add the appropriate file extension. Previously if a backup was requested with the file name "My Project V1.0" the file name would not be saved with a ".fhsbak" extension.
• Fixed the Tag Window to not show duplicate tags after certain edit operations.
• Implement the IEC 61131-3 function CONCAT_DATE_TOD. Previously this function was documented but not implemented.
• Fixed the Auto Complete menu of the Text Editor to open in the correct location. Fixes an issue introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed the editor for the Fernhill SCADA Server Parameters to open in the center of the display monitor. Applies to the Windows version of Fernhill SCADA only.

Version 3.57

Released: 17-Aug-2020.

New Features:

• Added a new configuration property HistoricStoreLastFilteredValue to these Data Point Tags:
  • Analog Data Point Tag
  • Double Word Data Point Tag
  • Long Word Data Point Tag
  • Word Data Point Tag
  The new configuration property is used when a significant change occurs and a new value is stored in the historian. This property determines whether the value before the significant change is also stored in the historian.
• Changed the default project to no longer generate random alarms. Alarms are now generated by clicking on a pump symbol on the demonstration graphic page.
• Removed Windows Vista from the list of supported operating systems.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a problem in the Modbus Driver when writing a bit value to a holding register. Previously a bit write to a holding register would not work when the following conditions were true:
  • The holding register was an even number, for example 40014.
  • The HasCommand22 property in the Modbus Device Tag was set to False.
• Fixed new installs to load the default project correctly. In Version 3.56 a new install loads an empty project.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Configuration Tool when the following happens:
  1. The Graphic Editor is open.
  2. The Graphic Page open in the Graphic Editor has data bindings to a tag.
  3. The tag is renamed, or moved, using the Tag Window.
  Each tag rename, or move, would result in duplicate Graphic Editor Views. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.53.
• Fixed the alarm list in the Configuration Tool to display correctly when there are no alarms to display.

Version 3.56

Released: 12-Aug-2020.

New Features:

• Improvements to the Mitsubishi Melsec Driver:
  • Writes to a bit position in a word register are now supported.
  • The driver now resets the error indicator on Q and QnA serial modules during the first communication link check.
  • Text strings are now provided for many more common error codes returned by the PLC.
• You can now download log files for the Fernhill SCADA Server directly from the Tag Window in the Configuration Tool.
• Added new SQL Data Views for reading historic data. The new views make it possible to read historic data starting with a full tag name in one SQL statement. For more information see the Read Historic Data example.
• Added a new MaxSQLResultSize parameter to the Fernhill SCADA Server. The MaxSQLResultSize parameter sets the maximum size of an SQL Result Set.
• The Download Log Files command in the Tag Window now selects the downloaded zip file in Windows Explorer.
• The SCADA Server Monitor Tool now includes statistics about client connections.
• Added password protection to Graphic Pages.
• Connections from client applications to an IP address which has no DNS entry, are now faster.
• The SCADA Server running in standby mode now accepts connections from the Operator Interface. Operator actions received by the standby SCADA Server are automatically sent to the active SCADA Server.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if both of these conditions were true:
  • The user views the status of a Register Block Tag in the Configuration Tool.
  • The Register Block Tag was configured to read many words.
• Fixed the SQL Test Tool to always display the result when a new query is selected from a context menu in the current query.
• Fixed the Mitsubishi Melsec Driver to not light the communication error indicator on QnA serial modules. In previous versions the driver would use a command not supported by QnA PLCs.

Version 3.55

Released: 20-Jul-2020.

New Features:

• The Fernhill SCADA Server now supports Redundant Server Configurations. Two Fernhill SCADA Server can be setup in a redundant configuration where:
  • One server is the active server, which runs drivers and SCADA tasks.
  • The other server is a standby server ready to take over if the active server fails.
  Configuration and data is automatically copied from the active server to the standby server.
• Added a new Fernhill SCADA Server Monitor Tool to monitor the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Improved the Fernhill SCADA Service Manager to provide an option to edit the Server Configuration File. This improvement is available on the Windows version only.
• Added new SCADA Server Parameters:
  • DriverLogFolder
  • ServerLogFolder
  • EventLogFolder
  • HistoricDataFolder
  • StandbyServerName
  • StandbyServerPort
  • StandbyServerPassword
• The Show Events menu option is now provided for tags in Template Folders.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential hang in the Refresh Tag Command. The hang would happen in all of the following were true:
  • The Refresh Tag Command was requested on PLC Device on a TCP/IP Active Channel Tag.
  • The Refresh Tag Command generated multiple transactions with the PLC Device.
  • Any transaction except the last one timed out.
• Fixed write requests to an Analog Data Point Tag from the Standard Tag Menu to work correctly. Fixes an issue introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed the export of a Database Table Tag to include all recent changes. Previously recent changes to a Database Table Tag might not be included in the export.

Version 3.54

Released: 25-Jun-2020.

New Features:

• Support Micro850 and Micro870 PLCs in the Allen Bradley Driver.
• Changed the Fernhill SCADA Server to only open a single port for client applications. Previously the SCADA Server opened a second port that provided a modified protocol for the Java API. This change reduces the attack surface of the SCADA Server.
• Added a new option --PortNumber=PORT to set the port number used by the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Changed the Java API to connect to the SCADA Server using the main port. Previously the Java API used a second port on the SCADA Server that provided a modified protocol.
• Added password protection to these tag types:
  • Trend Plot Tag
  • Calculated Data Point Tags

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool after these actions:
  1. A new Graphic Page was created.
  2. The new Graphic Page was opened in the Graphic Editor.
  3. The Graphic Editor was put into run mode.
  This problem did not affect Graphic Pages that were previously saved. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.53.
• Fixed data bindings on new Graphic Pages to work correctly. This problem did not affect Graphic Pages that were previously saved. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.53.
• Fixed the OPC Client Driver to support flat name spaces. Previously browsing for IOItemName values, on a server with a flat name space, would report the error "Invalid browse position ''".
• Fixed the Password Protect feature to work on all locales. Previously on some locales you could set an access password, but when opening the tag in the editor:
  • The Enter Access Password dialog would not appear.
  • An invalid password error would be shown.
• Fixed a low probability crash in the Operator Interface when the following occurs:
  1. A graphic page is loaded.
  2. The operator tries a pan or zoom gesture while the graphic page is loading.

Version 3.53

Released: 31-May-2020.

New Features:

• Extended the SNMP Client Driver to support writes to SNMP Agents.
• Added an Alarm Bell Sound to the Operator Interface.
• Added a new feature Graphic Editor Multiple Views to Graphic Pages. Adding extra views to Graphic Pages makes it easier to create content that works well with different screen aspect ratios and orientations. For example:
  • Extra wide screens.
  • Smart phones in portrait orientation.
• Reduced the display width needed to see a complete row in:
  • The List Page
  • The Alarm List Page
  This change improves how list data is accessed from mobile devices.
• Changed the order of columns shown in Alarm List Page to: Severity, Timestamp, Message, Source, Condition, State. This change is intended to improve how alarm list data is displayed on mobile devices.
• Improved the missing embedded item indicator on Graphic Pages. The indicator now shows the name of the missing item.
• Improvements to the Text Editor:
  • Added a context menu to the vertical scroll bar. The context menu allows you to scroll directly to positions in the text file.
  • The vertical scroll bar now shows the location of text changes.
  • The vertical scroll bar now shows the location of errors and warnings for these types of file:
    • IEC 61131-3 Programs
    • Calculated Data Point Tags
    • Text Report Tags
    • The data map of the Modbus Slave PLC Tag

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when the Show Code Listing option is selected in the Toolbar Editor. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed a minor problem selecting text in the Text Editor when the cursor moved outside of the editor window. When the cursor moved outside the window, the text selection would be extended back to the start of the document. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.52.
• Opening the Data Log Window no longer causes the Configuration Tool to refresh all of its windows. Fixes a minor problem introduced in Version 3.52.
• Fixed the Configuration Tool to not show duplicate error messages when the following occurs:
  1. A user opens a Graphic Page in the Configuration Tool.
  2. Another user deletes the Graphic Page.
  3. The first user tries to save the Graphic Page.
• Improved the Refresh MIB Files command of the Configuration Tool to handle MIB files with missing IMPORTS. For example the definition for USB-MIB as published in RFC 1628 uses TEXTUAL-CONVENTION without a reference in the IMPORTS section. Errata exists to correct this, but not all MIB repositories have applied the errata. Previously importing the original RFC 1628 without the errata applied could cause the Configuration Tool to crash.

Version 3.52

Released: 06-May-2020.

New Features:

• The menus and dialogs in the Operator Interface are now provided directly by the graphics engine. The reasons for this change are:
  • To make sure menus and dialogs have a consistent appearance across all operating systems.
  • To make sure graphic pages update on macOS while a dialog or menu is open.
  • To speed up menus and dialogs on Android devices.
  • To support iOS devices.
  Previously menus and dialogs were provided by the host operating system.
• Improved the Operator Interface Text Page to:
  • Support text selection and copy to clipboard on all operating systems.
  • Always show the scroll bars.
• Improved the Operator Interface to offer a Retry option if the connection to the Fernhill SCADA Server fails. Previously the Operator Interface would switch to the Start Page on connection failure.
• Improved the Text Editor to place any Input Method Editor near the cursor.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a low probability crash when closing the Operator Interface.
• Fixed how a wide sloped line is printed. Previously a wide sloped line would print as a rectangle.
• Upgraded to OpenSSL 1.1.1g. This upgrade includes these security fixes:
  • CVE-2020-1967
  • CVE-2019-1551

Version 3.51

Released: 17-Mar-2020.

New Features:

• Support Fernhill SCADA on MAC computers. See Installing Fernhill SCADA macOS Runtime.
• Improved the busy indicator on the Operator Interface to provide a description of the current action.
• Added an Open option to the list of recent connections.
• Support Arabic complex text layout.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a possible crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface when a connection attempt to a Fernhill SCADA Server is rejected.
• Fixed a possible crash when running certain types of IEC 61131-3 Script on older Arm processors.
• Upgraded to curl Version 7.68.0. This upgrade fixes these security issues:
  • CVE-2019-15601
  • CVE-2019-5482
  • CVE-2019-5481

Version 3.50

Released: 10-Feb-2020.

New Features:

• You can now choose any TrueType or OpenType font when configuring text.
• When a font is not available, a similar font is automatically substituted. When a font does not contain a required character, a similar font which supports the required character is automatically substituted.
• Very small text is no longer displayed as rectangular blocks.
• The Global Text Styles Editor has been removed. This separate configuration step is no longer required.
• The first connection from the Operator Interface to a Fernhill SCADA Server is now much faster. Bandwidth used on first connection has been reduced.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the blurred effect on large text when using OpenGL or Direct3D graphics.
• Cairo graphics on Linux now supports large text and rotated text.
• Text is now displayed at the requested size. Previously text configured with a height of 22 points would display at 20 points (if the default global text styles was used). This change may cause single-line text on Graphic Pages to break over multiple lines after upgrade to Version 3.50.

Version 3.49

Released: 17-Jan-2020.

New Features:

• Tag files on the SCADA Server are now stored compressed. This change has improved the following:
  • Reduced the size of graphics, trends, programs and reports stored on the server.
  • Reduced network bandwidth used when loading new graphic pages.
  • Reduced the size of export (.fhscfg) and backup (.fhsbak) files.
  • Export and backup operations are now faster.
• Improvements to the Graphic Editor:
  • Added a new Tooltip property to all item types on a Graphic Page. This property allows a tooltip to be configured directly on the graphic item. Previously configuring a tooltip required a Data Binding.
  • Added a new Blink property to Bitmap Image, Embedded Graphic, Embedded Plot and Text. The new property allows the blink mode to be configured directly on the graphic item. Previously enabling blink mode required a Data Binding.
  • Added separate blink properties for the line and fill properties of a Shape on Graphic Pages.
  • Added a new Embed without Background option to the DrawMode property of the Embedded Graphic Item.
  • Added new Select Above and Select Below tools to the Graphic Editor Menu.
• IEC 61131-3 Programs can now be protected with an additional password. After a password is applied, a user must enter the password to view or edit the program.
• Improved the Trend Plot Tag to use contrasting colors for text and axes when embedded on a Graphic Page with a dark background. Previously the Trend Tag always used dark colors, which would be difficult to see on a Graphic Page with a dark background.
• Improved the StandardTagMenu Function to support relative names in the TagName parameter.
• Extended the license key management to support 100,000 and 250,000 tag licenses.
• Extended the ClearSCADA Import Tool to translate ClearSCADA Mimics to Fernhill SCADA Graphic Pages.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a problem creating a Linked Folder directly from a template which contained one or more Graphic Pages. Previously the Graphic Page in the Linked Folder was only partially copied from the Template Folder. The Graphic Page in the Linked Folder would display correctly in the Graphic Editor, but not display correctly in the Operator Interface. The problem could be worked around by saving the Graphic Page in the Template Folder.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Configuration Tool when loading a Graphic Page if the following are all true:
  • The graphic page contains a polygon, and
  • A vertex of the polygon had a previous curve control point, and
  • The same vertex did not have a next curve control point.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Configuration Tool when reading Graphic Pages saved with Fernhill SCADA Version 3.0 to Version 3.9.
• Fixed the DNP3 Driver to not acknowledge data link frames for outstations configured as "Out of Service".
• Fixed gradient fills on Graphic Pages to draw correctly in all configurations. Previously a gradient fill with this configuration would display as a solid color:
  • The shape was two or more times wider than it was high, and
  • The FillGradientAngle property was non-zero.

Version 3.48

Released: 20-Dec-2019.

New Features

• Changes to the SNMP Client Driver:
  • Secure communications with SNMP Protocol Version 3 is now supported.
  • Browsing for Object Identifiers is now supported. Previously Object Identifiers had to be manually entered.
  • A new SNMP Autodetect Wizard has been added to the driver.
  • Tag values are read immediately after the driver starts. Previously the first read would be at the next time set by ScanInterval and ScanOffset.
• Added new 64-bit data point tags:
  • Internal Long Word Data Point Tag
  • I/O Long Word Data Point Tag
  • Calculated Long Word Data Point Tag
• Added a new EmbeddedBorder property to Graphic Page Canvas Properties. The EmbeddedBorder sets the width of the border drawn around a graphic page when embedded on another graphic page. This replaces a fixed border of 2 canvas units that was drawn around all embedded graphics. For backward compatibility, existing graphic pages will have an EmbeddedBorder value of 2. New graphic pages will be created with an EmbeddedBorder value of 0.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to support:
  • Calculation points
  • Advanced Modbus objects
  • Export files (.sde) up to version 2017-R3
• Changed the Java API to be a separate download. Previously the Java API was included in the Developer Version of Fernhill SCADA.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Configuration Tool importing DNP3 objects with the ClearSCADA Import Tool.
• Fixed the ClearSCADA Import Tool to import the limit values of DNP3 Analog Points in the correct order.

Version 3.47

Released: 30-Nov-2019.

New features:

• Added a new OutOfService configuration property to the PLC Device Tag. The new property allows PLC Devices or Outstations to be taken out of service.
• Added a new Fernhill SCADA Service Manager to make it easier to start and stop the Fernhill SCADA Server on Windows.
• Added a new ClearSCADA Import Tool.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Configuration Import Tool to correctly import Linked Folders. Previously when importing a file with linked folders, the folders would no longer be linked after the import.
• Fixed the Citect Import Tool to not set raw scale values on Internal Analog Data Point Tags.
• Fixed a low probability crash in all client programs when disconnecting from the Fernhill SCADA Server. This problem affected all supported platforms: Windows, Linux and Android.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if the following are all true:
  • An I/O Data Point Tag with an valid address is associated with a Register Block Tag.
  • The Register Block Tag has an invalid address.
  • The Register Block Tag is associated with a valid PLC Device.

Version 3.46

Released: 14-Nov-2019.

New features:

• Added a new DNP3 Driver.
• These configuration properties have been renamed to avoid confusion with DNP3 terms:
  • PollInterval has been renamed to CommCheckInterval
  • PollMethod has been renamed to CommCheckMethod
  • PollOffset has been renamed to CommCheckOffset
  • PollRegisterAddress has been renamed to CommCheckRegisterAddress
  • PollRegisterCount has been renamed to CommCheckRegisterCount
• Added new Time Series Tags to generate time series data from Data Point Tags. A time series is a set of values at an equal spaced time interval.
• Increased the maximum length of the ModelName field in the PLC Device Tag to 80 characters.
• Improved the Tag Window to open these windows when a tag is double-clicked:
  • Database Table Editor for a Database Table Tag.
  • Data Log Window for a Channel Tag.
• Improved the Check for New Version feature of the Configuration Tool to detect an upgrade from a Beta release to the actual release.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Send to Back and Bring to Front tools of the Graphic Editor to not break data bindings when all items are selected.
• Allow the Database Table Editor to save the table design while the table is open in the editor. Previously the table design could only be saved when closing the editor. Fixes an issue introduced in Version 3.39.
• Fixed the Database Table Editor to open the correct help topic when help is requested on a column property.
• Fixes to the Database Table Tag:
  • Prevent SQL INSERT INTO ... DEFAULT VALUES commands from creating a new record with NULL values when NULL values are not allowed.
  • Fixed SQL UPDATE commands to reliably save changes to the Database Table Tag.
• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 compiler to generate correct debug information for CASE statements with empty clauses. Previously when using the IEC 61131-3 Debugger to debug a CASE statement, the step over command could step to the wrong location.
• Fixed driver transaction diagnostic messages to be reported to the driver log files. A change in Version 3.45 caused these messages to be reported to the Fernhill SCADA Server log file.

Version 3.45

Released: 13-Oct-2019.

New features:

• Changed the Mitsubishi Melsec Driver to allow write commands to inputs (X).
• Changes to the Allen Bradley Driver:
  • Improved the Autodetect Wizard to recognize CompactLogix PLC Devices.
  • Allow the colon character (:) in identifier names to allow I/O Data Point Tags to map directly to I/O.
• Improved the Display Pen Data Values command on the Trend Plot to show the most recent values first. This matches the order of the data shown by the Display Historic Data command of the Standard Tag Menu.
• Added configuration samples to show:
  • How to implement a record and stop buttons for historic storage of a Data Point Tag.
  • How to display the current time on a Graphic Page.
• Implemented extra checks in the Tag Window to prevent creating tags with names longer than 254 characters. For example a tag rename will be rejected if the rename results in a full tag name longer than 254 characters.
• Added a new command line option --DriverLogDetail=N to the Fernhill SCADA Server. The new command line option provides finer control of the information stored in driver log files. The default value of this option reduces the size of driver log files compared to previous versions.
• Upgraded OpenSSL to Version 1.1.1d. This upgrade fixes the following security issues:
  • CVE-2019-1563
  • CVE-2019-1552
  • CVE-2019-1549
  • CVE-2019-1547

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Properties Window to not display an incorrect "Browse Request Failed" error when browsing for serial communication ports.
• Fixed the SQL Order By Clause to return the correct order when:
  • The ORDER BY clause is used with a UNION, INTERSECT or EXCEPT clause, and
  • One or more sort columns is a constant expression.
• Fixed successful write commands to PLC Devices to update the Data Timestamp to the time of the write. Previously only the Data Value was updated, which could result in a historical record with the wrong timestamp. In Version 3.42 a change was made to historic storage to improve how step changes are recorded in the history. The change in Version 3.42 combined with the wrong timestamp can cause two different values written to the history with the same timestamp. Two different values with the same timestamp can cause random spikes to appear on a trend. Updating write operations to use the correct timestamp fixes this issue.
• Fixed the Trend Window to not offer the Display Data List option when no pens are configured.
• Fixed minor layout issues with the Autodetect Wizard:
  • If a user selected back to retry a search, the failed search icon would remain visible.
  • When the new search completed, the success or failed search icon would move to the right.
• Fixed the Linux version of the Fernhill SCADA Service to start correctly on distributions that use systemd. In Version 3.44 the Fernhill SCADA Server command line was changed, but the fernhill-scada.service file was not updated to use the new command line.
• Fixed a memory leak in the Linux version of the Operator Interface.

Fernhill SCADA Version 4.1 (20231126.1). Copyright © 2012-2023 Fernhill Software Ltd: All rights reserved.