Release Notes

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Version 4.37

Released: 30-Aug-2026

New features:

• Added new tools to the Graphic Editor:
  • Add Calendar Tool
  • Add Check Box Tool
  • Add Combo Box Tool
  • Add Slider Tool
  Use these tools to add widgets directly to a Graphic Page.
• Added a new DialogAddSlider Function. Use the new function to add a slider to a dialog layout.
• Added new Graphic Item Functions to get and set the "value" of a graphic widget:
  • GraphicItemGetValue
  • GraphicItemSetValue
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • Expat 2.8.3
  • mpg123 1.33.7
  • OpenSSL 3.5.8

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if:
  • A web client views a Graphic Page, and
  • A shape is positioned over the left edge of the Graphic Page.
  The problem only affected 64-bit versions of the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Fixed the error and warning indicators on text editors to appear in the correct column location. Fixes a problem made more obvious in Version 4.36.

Version 4.36

Released: 31-Jul-2026

New features:

• Improved the Configuration Tool to respond to a change in Text Size in Windows.
• Improved the OPC UA Server to support retrieval of events using a subscription.
• Extended the HideSelf() Function to close any dialog that contains the Graphic Page that called the function.
• Document the range of parameters allowed in Graphic Editor Multiple Views. The minimum Width and Height of a custom view has been reduced to 50. Previously, this was 100.
• Added a new TagRestartConnectionFB Function Block. Use the new function block to restart the connection associated with a tag from a Program Tag.
• Improved the log files generated by Active Channel Tags to record the resolved IP Address.
• Changed alarms to no longer generate event log records when the alarm is disabled.
• Changed the AckRequired property of the Alarm Status Properties to be False when an alarm is disabled. Previously, the AckRequired property was True if an active alarm was disabled.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when:
  • The Configuration Tool is connected to server version 4.34, or earlier, and
  • The user right-clicks the Database Root Folder.
  Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.35.
• Fixed the AckRequired property of the Alarm Status Properties to correctly reflect whether an alarm can be acknowledged. Previously, certain sequences of alarm state transitions could result in the wrong value in the AckRequired property. For example, after the sequence of Disable, Set, and Enable, the AckRequired previously would be False.
• Fixed the Display Data List command on the Trend Plot and the Value Duration Plot to show data from the correct time interval. Since Version 4.25, the start and end times were not correctly adjusted for the local time zone.
• Fixed dialog boxes on the Windows version to not show very wide text entry fields. For example, when writing a value to a Internal String Tag. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.35.

Version 4.35

Released: 17-Jul-2026

New features:

• Added a new Server Certificate Menu to:
  • The Server Notification Icon.
  • The Tag Window.
  The new menu provides commands for managing public certificates for the Web Server and OPC UA Server.
• Improved the SVG Import Tool to apply the optional "transform" attribute to text items. Previously, a "transform" attribute associated with a text item was ignored.
• Improved the DialogOpen() Function to support a "No Buttons" option. Provide constant values for the Buttons parameter and the return value.
• Added a new --Resolve option to help support testing a connection to a URL.
• Improved the List Filter to support editing the WHERE clause in a UNION or EXCEPT SQL Command. Previously an attempt to use the List Filter to on this type of SQL Command would report an error.
• Extended the information available to the Fernhill SCADA Telemetry Driver to include:
  • The status of the Event Log.
  • The status of the Data Historian.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • Curl 8.21.0
  • Expat 2.8.2
  • mpg123 1.33.6
  • OpenSSL 3.5.7

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential server crash caused by a memory allocation failure when:
  • A Text Report Tag generates a large report output. For example, more than 1MB.
  • The generated report is uploaded to a URL.
  • The report is generated on a schedule and the report output increases in size over time.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Configuration Tool after importing a PNG image that contains a "tRNS Transparency" chunk.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface if the saved state file "WindowState.fhbin" is truncated.
• Fixed the SQL List filter commands to work correctly when the SQL Command contains an ORDER BY clause with a numeric column index. Previously, the error Column 'n' not found would be reported after editing the list filter.
• Fixed the OpenFile Function to work in the Operator Interface. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.34.
• Fixed the Data File Driver to support browsing to items when the source is a JSON array. For example: [...]
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to not show a "ghost" rectangle after editing an item using a double-click.

Version 4.34

Released: 29-May-2026

New features:

• Improved the DialogAddGraphicPage() function to support Operator Actions on the Graphic Page.
• Improvements to the Trend Plot and the Value Duration Plot:
  • When the DataScaleType is Automatic, the DisplayFormat property from the data source is used to format data values.
  • Added a new property DataScaleDisplayFormat to the Pen Properties of the Plot Editor. This allows a Number Format to apply to data values associated with a pen when the DataScaleType is Fixed Analog.
  • Modified the function PlotPenSetFixedAnalogScale() to accept a Number Format to control how data values are formatted.
• Added an "Insert Color..." command to the context menu of code and data binding editors in the Configuration Tool.
• Improved the error message shown in the Operator Interface when the default graphic page does not load. The error message now includes the name of the default graphic page.
• Added a new Time Series Rate of Change Tag to calculate the rate of change of a Data Point Tag over time.
• Added a new RestartConnection tag command to the MQTT Connection Tag.
• Added two new Tag Command Functions:
  • TagCommCheck
  • TagRestartConnection
• Restricted the value allowed in DisplayDigits property to between 2 and 10. Previously, this property would accept any value in the range 0 to 255. Using values less than 2, or greater than 10, could lead analog values not displaying correctly.
• Improvements to the DNP3 Driver:
  • Added a new DNP3 Control Relay Output Block Tag to support pulse controls to binary outputs of a DNP3 Outstation.
  • Added a new RetrieveDeviceAttributes property to the DNP3 Outstation Tag.
• Extended the information available to the Fernhill SCADA Telemetry Driver to include:
  • The status of the tag database data file.
  • The status of the tag database configuration file.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • Expat 2.8.1
  • mpg123 1.33.5

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when attempting to read an alarm condition property using an incorrect node format.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when debugging an Operator Action that opens a menu. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.29.
• Fixed a potential stall transferring changes from an active server to a standby server following certain sequences of changes to a Database Table Tag. For example:
  • Column structure changes
  • Record additions
  • Record deletions
• Fixed a potential stall transferring changes from an active server to a standby server following this sequence of events:
  1. Disconnect the network between a synchronized pair of servers. Wait for both servers to become active.
  2. On the active server, create an Internal Analog Data Point Tag with the name "Test Tag".
  3. Enable historical storage on the tag created in step #2 and write one or more historical data records to the tag.
  4. On the standby server, create an Internal Word Data Point Tag with the name "Test Tag".
  5. Enable historical storage on the tag created in step #4.
  6. Reconnect the network between the two servers.
• Fixed the Database Table Tag to transfer correctly from an active server to a standby server following a tag rename or move.
• Fixed the Time Series Tags to not cause a long startup delay when used with the Modbus Driver.
• Fixed the OPC UA Connection Tag to not transfer the Client Certificate from an active to a standby server.
• Fixed the Show Historical Data... command of the Standard Tag Menu to work correctly when the client is Version 4.24 and earlier. Previously, an invalid SQL Command would be provided to older clients.
• Fixed an Embedded Graphic configured in "Pop-up Mode" to move when dynamic position Data Bindings are configured. For example, when DataBindOffsetX or DataBindOffsetY are configured.
• Fixed Tag Command Functions to continue execution if an error occurs and ENO is assigned to a variable.
• Corrected the documentation for the return value of the DialogOpen Function. Previously, the values documented for the Abort, Retry, Ignore, Yes and No buttons were incorrect.

Version 4.33

Released: 21-Apr-2026

New features:

• Extended the Register String Format to support new termination types: CRTerm and LFTerm. Strings terminated by a carriage return or line feed are now supported.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • libpng 1.6.58

Bug fixes:

• IMPORTANT: Fixed the Graphic Editor to correctly generate Embedded Graphic Bindings. A bug fix in Version 4.32 causes the graphic editor generating incorrect Embedded Graphic Bindings. This could result in incorrect information displayed on graphic pages.
• Fixed Operator Actions on an Embedded Graphic to follow the dynamic position of the Embedded Graphic. For example, when the Embedded Graphic has DataBindOffsetX or DataBindOffsetY configured. Previously, the Operator Actions would be active at the original position of the Embedded Graphic.

Version 4.32

Released: 14-Apr-2026

New features:

• Added a new Import and Merge Configuration command. Use the new command to update configuration in a Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Added a new Fernhill SCADA Telemetry Driver to retrieve status information from components of Fernhill SCADA.
• Added new Graphic Item Functions to get and set the Y-Axis scale of a pen on an Embedded Plot:
  • GraphicItemGetPlotPenYAxisScale
  • GraphicItemSetPlotPenYAxisScale
• Improved the print quality when printing from the Linux version of the Operator Interface.
• Due to recent development tool upgrades:
  • The minimum supported version of Windows is now Windows 10.
  • The minimum supported version of Windows Server is now Windows Server 2016.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • Expat 2.7.5
  • FreeType 2.14.3
  • OpenSSL 3.5.6

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Web Server to not reject an external public certificate.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool after editing Global Bindings. The crash would occur if an Operator Action referred to type information in the Global Bindings.
• Fixed the "Embed Plot" command to work correctly. Note: The "Embed Plot" command is available when a Plot Tag is dragged from the Tag Window to the Graphic Editor. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.22.

Version 4.31

Released: 28-Feb-2026

New features:

• Added a "Duration" field to the filter dialog in the SQL List when editing a timestamp filter. Previously, the filter dialog only provided a calendar to select a single date. The filter dialog now provides a way of entering a start date and a duration.
• Added a new --ListAttributes=LATTR command line parameter to the Operator Interface. The ListAttributes parameter sets the default visual attributes for lists.
• Added a new Time Series Arithmetic Mean Tag to calculate the average value of a Data Point Tag over time.
• Improved these drivers to support writing string values to registers from an I/O String Data Point Tag:
  • Idec Micro
  • GE Fanuc
  • Modbus
  • Mitsubishi Melsec
  • Omron
• Added three new data properties to the Active Channel Tag:
  • PendingTransactions to show how many transactions are waiting to be processed.
  • MaxPendingTransactions to show how the maximum number of transactions waiting to be processed.
  • CompletedTransactions to show how many transactions have been completed.
  These statistics are shown in the tag status report under the entry "Transactions".
• Changed channel tags that initiate a TCP connection to wait no longer than 30 seconds for a connection to complete. Previously, these types of tag waited for the operating system to complete or fail the TCP connect request. Depending on the situation, this can take over an hour. The upper limit prevents TCP Channel Tags from waiting too long for a TCP connection attempt.
• Changes to the Web Server:
  • Tooltips are now displayed in the Web Client.
  • The cursor now changes shape to indicate active areas in the Web Client.
  • Images returned to the Web Client no longer include an Alpha channel. This reduces the size of images returned to the Web Client and improves performance.
  • The server parameter WebServerImageFormat is now obsolete. The format and compression of images returned to the Web Client is now decided by the Web Client. Immediately after a user logs in, the Web Client goes through a learning process. Different formats and compression levels are tried to find the fastest based on current conditions.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • Curl 8.18.0
  • Expat 2.7.4
  • libpng 1.6.55
  • OpenSSL 3.5.5
  • ZLib 1.3.2

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a low probability crash in the Operator Interface when navigating from one view to another.
• Fixed Data Point Alarm Tags to show the correct quality when:
  1. The alarm condition is configured with a non-zero DelayIntoAlarm.
  2. The alarm condition is inactive but has a bad quality value.
  3. An alarm condition becomes active with good quality.
  4. The alarm condition becomes inactive before the DelayIntoAlarm completes.
  Previously, the alarm condition would still show bad quality, even though good quality data had been received.
• Fixed the Configuration Tool to not allow editing of read-only text documents. Previously, is was possible to open a read-only text document and edit its contents.

Version 4.30

Released: 30-Jan-2026

New features:

• Changes to the SMTP Connector Tag:
  • Added a new configuration property ConnectionSecurity to provide more control over the security of the connection.
  • LOGIN authentication is now supported.
• Added two new Operator Action functions:
  • OpenAlarmListEx2()
  • OpenSqlListEx()
  These functions open lists with custom display attributes.
• Added two new server parameters:
  • WebServerImageFormat to choose how the server generates images for web clients.
  • WebServerMaxSessions to limit the number of users accessing the Web Server.
• Improvements to the Web Client:
  • Added an input gesture queue to optimize the delivery of input gestures to the Web Server.
  • Added a render request queue to optimize drawing requests sent to the Web Server.
  • Mouse move events are now sent to the Web Server only when the left button is pressed. Previously, mouse move events were sent when no buttons were pressed.
  • Mouse wheel events are now sent to the Web Server.
  • Shift, Ctrl and Alt modifiers are now included in key events sent to the Web Server.
• Added a new table to the SQL Schema ServerInfo:
  • Table ServerInfo.OpcUASessions provides information about OPC UA Sessions created by OPC UA Client Applications.
• Added a new shortcut to show the Web Server Sessions in the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • mpg123 1.33.4
  • libpng 1.6.54

Bug fixes:

• Bug fixes to the Web Server:
  • Fixed the login page to work correctly when the username or password contain special characters.
  • Fixed connections from web clients to not randomly stall when sending back a large reply.
  • Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if the server is shutdown with active Web Server Sessions.
  • Fixed the Web Server to start reliably following an upgrade on Windows.
  • Fixed the Windows Setup Programs to add the default web server port 20297 to the Windows Firewall.
  • Fixed various memory leaks.
• Fixed the Allen Bradley Driver to recover correctly after a communication failure to a Micro8XX PLC. Other PLC types were not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the "Fit all Columns on 1 Page" print option to work when there are a large number of columns.
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA ODBC Driver to reject attempts to turn "Auto Commit" off. The ODBC Driver does not currently support manual commit mode.
• Fixed the OPC UA Server to allow any number of sessions if OpcUAServerMaxSessions is set to 0 (zero).

Version 4.29

Released: 02-Jan-2026

New features:

• Added a new Web Server to the Fernhill SCADA Server. The Web Server provides an Operator Interface using a standard Web Browser.
• Improved the print tool of the Alarm List and the SQL List to offer a "Fit all Columns on 1 Page" option.
• Added two new server parameters:
  • OpcUAServerMaxSessions to limit the number of OPC UA Sessions.
  • OpcUAServerMaxSubscriptions to limit the number of OPC UA Subscriptions.
  These parameters have been added to protect the SCADA server from OPC UA Clients that create resources but do not delete them.
• Added a new table to the SQL Schema ServerInfo:
  • Table ServerInfo.OpcUASubscriptions provides information about OPC UA Subscriptions created by OPC UA Client Applications.
• Reduced the CPU used by the Operator Interface when drawing Graphic Pages that contain:
  • Embedded Lists
  • Bitmap Images
  The CPU reduction is around 50%.
• Improved a "Program Main" declared in the Operator Toolbar Editor to continue execution after running a Tag Command Function. Previously, the "Program Main" would halt after calling a Tag Command Function.
• Improved Redundant Fernhill SCADA Servers to support Alarm Commands via the standby server. Alarm Commands were added in Version 4.12.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • libpng 1.6.53

Bug fixes:

• Fixed two potential crashes in the Fernhill SCADA Server related to I/O Data Point Tags:
  • When the IODataSource property of was set incorrectly. For example, when the IODataSource property of a tag refers to itself.
  • When a user clicks the browse button for the IOItemName property when the IODataSource is a Program Tag with a syntax or semantic error.
• Fixed a crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface when printing an alarm list in OpenGL mode. A bug fix in Version 4.27 only partially fixed this problem.
• Fixed a Graphic Page connected to a Standby SCADA Server to display the correct values after this sequence of events:
  1. Communication is lost between the Active and Standby servers.
  2. The Standby server becomes Active.
  3. Communication is restored between the servers.
  4. The server that changed to Active in step #2 goes back to Standby.
• Fixed the "Check for new version" command in the Configuration Tool to work correctly. In Version 4.27 & Version 4.28, the tool would report the error: SSL certificate problem: unable to get local issuer certificate.
• Fixed the "Program Main", declared in the Operator Toolbar Editor, to start running only after tag references have been resolved. Previously, the "Program Main" could run before tag references were resolved. This could result in:
  • An error dialog displayed to the Operator.
  • The "Program Main" halting.

Version 4.28

Released: 30-Nov-2025

New features:

• Added a new Analog Single-Level Alarm Tag. The new tag compares a data point tag with a single limit value.
• Added three properties to the Database Root Folder:
  • DisabledAlarmColor: The color of disabled alarms.
  • ShelvedAlarmColor: The color of shelved alarms.
  • SuppressedAlarmColor: The color of automatically suppressed alarms.
• Extended the logic that defines the color of alarms to include: Bad Quality, Disabled, Shelved, and Suppressed alarm states. For more information see Alarm Color in the Alarm Conditions concepts page.
• Added a "Quality" expression to Calculated Data Point Tags. This allows a Calculated Data Point Tag to reflect the quality of the data source.
• Added a new --AutoRetryConnection=X command line option to the Operator Interface. When used, the Operator Interface will automatically retry a lost connection after X seconds.
• Added a new PlayAlarmBellSound function to play the alarm bell sound to the Operator.
• Support the declaration of a "Program Main" in the Operator Toolbar Editor.
• Improved the SQL List in the Configuration Tool to allow changes to the layout. Use the context menu of the SQL List to change the layout to one of: Auto, Single-Line, or Multi-Line.
• Improvements to the BACnet Driver:
  • An error is now reported when an I/O Data Point Tag mapped to "constructed value" property.
  • New read requests for I/O Data Point Tags are no longer attempted if a read request is in progress. The MissedEvents counter of the ScanTimer is incremented for each read request dropped.
• Changes to the OPC UA Connection Tag:
  • Reduced the default value of the MaxNodesPerRequest property to 32. Previously the default value was 256.
  • The requested session timeout is now twice the value of the CommCheckInterval property. Previously, the requested session timeout was set to 10 minutes.
  These changes are intended to improve compatibility with OPC UA Servers with limited resources.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the transfer of selected tag state information in Redundant Fernhill SCADA Server configurations. Previously, some state information of some tag types could be lost when a Standby Server becomes the Active Server. For example:
  • Alarm acknowledgement information could be lost.
  • The initial value of Internal Data Point Tags could be incorrectly applied when ApplyInitialValue is set to "If no value written".
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to correctly time out a "who is" request when a device does not respond. Previously, any received message would incorrectly reset the "who is" request timeout. This could lead to very long delays when trying to discover BACnet devices.
• Fixed the Tag Window to make sure the selected entry is visible when using the keyboard to select a new entry.
• Fixed the Windows version of Fernhill SCADA to correctly handle a file path length that exceeds 260 characters.

Version 4.27

Released: 31-Oct-2025

New features:

• Added two new command line options to the Operator Interface:
  • --RemoveUserRights=X: Use this option to restrict the rights of Operators using an Operator Interface.
  • --OperatorIFLocation=L: Use this option to set the location of the Operator Interface.
• Added new Operator Action functions:
  • GetOperatorIFBrightness Function to return the current brightness of the Operator Interface.
  • GetOperatorIFLocation Function to return the value set by the --OperatorIFLocation=L command line parameter.
  • LogoutCurrentUser Function to logout the current user.
  • SetOperatorIFBrightness Function to set the current brightness of the Operator Interface.
• Added a new user right ViewAlarm. The ViewAlarm user right allows an Operator to view alarms without having the permission to Acknowledge alarms.
• In the OPC UA Connection Tag: renamed the MaxItemsPerRead property to MaxNodesPerRequest . The new property MaxNodesPerRequest now applies to all requests sent from the OPC UA Connection Tag. This helps to improve compatibility with OPC UA Servers with limited resources.
• Improved the accuracy of the session diagnostic counters in the OPC UA Server. Previously:
  • Counters for some services were not incremented.
  • Error counters for all services were not incremented.
• Improved the Import Configuration and Restore Backup tools to provide an option to configure password properties that cannot be imported. For security reasons, a password property stored on one Fernhill SCADA Server to be exported and used on another Fernhill SCADA Server. The new option is provided as a convenience when transferring configuration from one Fernhill SCADA Server to another.
• Added a new table to the SQL Schema ServerInfo:
  • Table ServerInfo.FHSAlarmEventSubscriptions provides information about client subscriptions to alarms and events.
• Improved the DNP3 Driver to provide more context when reporting errors from Internal Indications. Previously, errors like "Unknown object" were reported with no indication of origin.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • Curl 8.16.0
  • Expat 2.7.3
  • mpg123 1.33.3
  • OpenSSL 3.5.4

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface after this sequence of events:
  1. The Operator Interface is connected to a Fernhill SCADA Server.
  2. The connection to the Fernhill SCADA Server is lost.
  3. The connection to the Fernhill SCADA Server recovers.
  4. The Operator clicks the Retry connection button.
  This problem only occurred when using Cairo graphics mode.
• Fixed a crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface when printing in OpenGL mode.
• Fixed the transfer of password properties in Redundant Fernhill SCADA Server configurations. Previously, configuration that needed passwords stored in tag properties would not work following a change of active server.
• Fixed the Alarm and Event Subscription to send the correct alarm changes when an active alarm is cleared for a very brief moment. An Alarm and Event Subscription is a resource in the Fernhill SCADA Server used to track the alarms currently displayed in an Alarm List. Previously, some alarms in the Alarm List might not show the correct active time after this type of event.
• Fixed the Alarm List to release its Alarm and Event Subscription after closing. Previously, the Alarm and Event Subscription would remain open in the Fernhill SCADA Server until the connection closed. Over time this could cause increasing resource usage in the Fernhill SCADA Server until the connection was closed. Alarm Lists embedded on Graphic Pages were not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the Data Point Alarm Tag to have the correct Quality when:
  • The Data Point Alarm Tag is associated with an I/O Data Point Tag.
  • The I/O Data Point Tag is associated with an offline data source.
  • The SCADA Server has just been restarted.
  Previously the Quality property was set to Good, when it should have been a Bad quality code to indicate an offline data source.
• Fixed the SQL List to recover correctly after any of these events:
  • A break in communication with the Fernhill SCADA Server.
  • The Operator Interface resuming after a paused state. Note: This only applies to the iOS and Android versions of the Operator Interface.
  Previously, the SQL List could stop automatically updating after one of these events.
• Fixed the Restore Backup tool to correctly set the default graphic page. Previously:
  • A restart of the SCADA Server was required to set the correct default graphic page.
  • Between the Restore Backup command and the first SCADA Server restart, the Operator Interface could show the wrong default graphic page.
  • But only if the Restore Backup command changed the DefaultGraphic or DefaultGraphicRules properties of the Database Root Tag.
• Fixes to the integrated menu:
  • Fixed the highlight to work correctly. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.21.
  • Fixed submenus to be drawn using the correct font. Previously, submenus could be drawn using an incorrect font. Which font was used depended on the last text item drawn before opening the submenu.
• Fixed the Operator Interface to update a Dynamic Image Item when the graphics mode is Direct3D. Other graphic modes were not affected by this issue.
• Fixed the Operator Toolbar Editor to work correctly when editing the default toolbar. In Version 4.24 and Version 4.25 editing the default toolbar would result in a blank editor screen. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.24.

Version 4.26

Released: 30-Sep-2025

New features:

• Improvements to the OPC UA Connection Tag:
  • Client authentication using a Public Certificate and a Private Key is now supported.
  • Following a successful Open Secure Channel request, the active security policy is now stored in the Encryption property of the tag. The "Encryption" line in the tag status report now correctly reflects the active security policy.
  • If a communication check with the OPC UA Server returns an error code, the connection to the OPC UA Server is now disconnected. Previously, the connection would remain open.
  • Make sure the actual Communication Check timeout is less than the Session Timeout negotiated with the OPC UA Server. This avoids any unexpected session timeout.
• Improved the filter dialog in the SQL List to support a "Contains" operator.
• Improved the accuracy of printed graphic pages on Windows and Linux.
• Added a new command line option --NoGraphicPanZoom to the Operator Interface.
• Improvements to the VDR Talker Driver:
  • Added a new tag VDR Talker Alarm Tag to send ALR messages to the Voyage Data Recorder.
  • Added a new property SendAllInterval to the VDR Talker Id Tag to configure when all data is sent to the Voyage Data Recorder.
• Upgraded these third-party libraries to the latest and most secure versions:
  • OpenSSL 3.5.2
  • FreeType 2.14.1
  • Expat 2.7.1
  • LibPNG 1.6.50
  • LibJPEG 9f
  • LibFLAC 1.5.0
• The minimum version of Linux supported is now:
  • Debian 11 (Bullseye)
  • Ubuntu 20 (Focal Fossa)
• Installing Fernhill SCADA on Raspberry PI 5 hardware no longer requires a 4KB memory page size. This simplifies the installation procedure on Raspberry PI 5 hardware.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if an OPC UA Connection Tag is configured in subscription mode.
• Fixed a potential hang in the Fernhill SCADA Server if a Text Report Tag contains an SQL Command that queries the Tag Database. The hang is more likely if the SQL Command is long running. This bug fix has introduced some changes in behavior:
  • The Text Report output is now generated asynchronously after the Run Tag Command. Previously the Text Report was generated during the execution of the Run Tag Command.
  • Runtime errors in the Text Report are no longer reported by the Run Tag Command. Runtime errors are still shown in the Tag Status Window.
  • SQL Commands are no longer allowed in the message template of the Alarm Router Tag.
• Fixed the Poll Timers of the DNP3 Outstation Tag to be correctly configured on start. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.24.
• Fixed a possible temporary display glitch in a Graphic Page after the window is resized. Previously, some shapes could be drawn very briefly in black after the resize. This would only happen if the Graphic Page had multiple views and the resize caused an automatic switch between views.
• Fixed three memory leaks in the OPC UA Server when:
  • A session is activated.
  • A client connection is deleted with pending publish requests.
  • The OPC UA Connection list is queried using an SQL Command.
• Fixed a memory leak when printing an SQL List, or an Alarm List.
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to correctly ignore broadcast messages while waiting for a response to a unicast message. This was only partially fixed in Version 4.25.
• Fixed the error location links in the runtime error dialog of a Macro to work correctly. Previously, clicking an error location link in the runtime error dialog did not work.
• Fixed another potential crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface after printing a Graphic Page.

Version 4.25

Released: 30-Aug-2025

New features:

• Added new Historical Data Tools to the Tag Window of the Configuration Tool.
• Added a new property MaxYAxisScales to the Plot Properties. This property controls the maximum number of Y Axis scales displayed in the plot.
• Improved the Analog Level Alarm Tag to report an error if a property override is applied to a disabled alarm limit.
• Improved the AlarmEventAreas Property so that changes take immediate effect. Previously, a server restart was required for changes to take effect.
• Improved the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag to log a simple event when there is an event buffer overflow.
• Improved the Linux and macOS versions of the Fernhill SCADA Server to generate a core dump on a crash. This may help diagnose unexpected server stops.
• Add menu options to the SQL List to set the following SQL Command options:
  • OFFSET X ROWS
  • FETCH FIRST Y ROWS ONLY
• Improved SQL Date and Time Literals to support an optional time zone.
• Improved the scroll bars to support direct navigation. To scroll directly to a location, hold the shift key down and click the scroll bar track.
• Changes to the BACnet Driver:
  • The BACnet decoder now supports ISO 8859-1 encoded strings.
  • A BACnet decode failure now raises a "Reply Format Error" alarm in the BACnet Device Tag. Previously, the driver would try to continue without reporting an alarm. This would make it difficult to diagnose the cause of the error.
• Changed the built-in "Historical Data List" commands to use an INNER JOIN using the full tag name to select the data source. This provides a more portable SQL command that should still work following an Import Command, or a Restore Command.
• Added a new help page Text Report with Upload. A guide to create a text report that runs hourly and exports the results to a URL.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a small memory leak in the Fernhill SCADA Server when a client changes the filter of an SQL List.
• Fixed SQL Date and Time Literals to represent local time when no time zone is included.
• Fixed drag actions on scroll bars on the SQL List and Alarm List to work when the list is large. Previously, it was difficult to drag the scroll bar if the list was very large.
• Fixed the SQL List to reset the scroll position following a change to the current filter. Previously, the SQL List might not display the records matching the new filter. The following sequence of events could cause this issue:
  1. Display a list that is at least 2 pages long.
  2. Scroll down to near the bottom of the list.
  3. Apply a filter to show less than 1 page of records.
• Fixed the Analog Level Alarm Tag to apply alarm level property overrides when the SourceTag is invalid.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface when printing a Graphic Page.
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to ignore unsolicited requests while waiting for a response to a request.

Version 4.24

Released: 31-Jul-2025

New features:

• Improvements to the OPC UA Connection Tag:
  • The OPC UA Connection Tag now supports a subscription mode. Use the ReadMode property to switch between Direct Read and Subscription modes.
  • Added a new data property SubscriptionId to show the subscription identifier assigned by the OPC UA Server.
  • When configuring the IOItemName property, an array index can be added to select an element of an array.
  • When configuring the IOItemName property, a bit index can be added to select a bit from a scalar integer value.
• Changes to the Database Root Tag:
  • Added a new InactiveAlarmColor property to define the color of inactive alarms.
  • Changes to the color properties are now immediately propagated to tags.
• Added a Source Tag entry to the Alarm Summary dialog. For alarms derived from Data Point Tags, the Source Tag shows the full name of the Data Point Tag.
• Improvements to the Alarm Properties dialog:
  • If an override is active, the configured value is now shown below the override value.
  • Analog level limits that are disabled are no longer included.
• Improved the OPC UA Server to translate Quality Values into the equivalent OPC UA Status Code.
• Changes to the BACnet Driver:
  • The BACnet Reliability property is now translated into an equivalent Quality value.
  • Direct connections over BACnet/IP now use two UDP Ports. One port is the shared broadcast port. For example: 47808. The additional port is allocated dynamically and used for unicast messages. This improves interoperability when multiple BACnet clients are present on the same node.
  • Improved the log file diagnostics of the BACnet/IP Channel Tag to show the device address for device related transactions.
• Changes to the DNP3 Outstation Tag:
  • A new device state "Initial Integrity Poll" has been added. This state indicates the first poll, or communication check, after a previous disconnection.
  • The Tag Status Report now shows the DNP3 Master State and the time taken to complete the initial integrity poll.
  • The diagnostic log file now shows the Internal Indications (IIN) received from unsolicited messages.
  • The Poll Timers are now disabled if a DNP3 Outstation is associated with a listening end point communication channel.
• Added a new command line option --NoOperatorMenu to the Operator Interface.
• Added an alarm command to acknowledge an alarm without requiring a comment.
• Improved the Tag Status Report of Data Point Tags and Time Series Tags to show the database table used for historical data storage.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA Server to provide the correct default graphic page when running in standby mode. Previously, the Operator Interface connected to a standby Fernhill SCADA Server would not display the correct default graphic page.
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA Server to correctly transfer renamed files from the active server to the standby server. Previously, it was possible to lose configuration stored in tag files following a name change.
• Fixes to the Alarm Properties Dialog:
  • New property overrides for DelayIntoAlarm and DelayOutOfAlarm now show the correct default value. Previously, the default value for a new property override was "0s", even if the configured value was not "0s".
  • A new property override is now applied even if it is the same value as the configured value for the property. Previously, a new property override would be ignored if it was the same as the configured value of the property.
• Fixed Alarm Conditions configured with alarm delays to use the current timestamp when the alarm delay completes. Previously, a delayed alarm would use the timestamp of the original event. This would cause the Event Log to indicate the alarm delays did not happen.
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to not send requests that exceed the Maximum APDU Length of the device.

Version 4.23

Released: 30-Jun-2025

New features:

• Improved the SQL List Page to:
  • Provide the Operator with commands to manage the current filter.
  • Indicate when an OFFSET clause, or a FETCH FIRST clause, has restricted the result set.
• Changes to the Alarm List:
  • The selection is now cancelled after alarms are acknowledged. This gives better feedback the action has completed.
  • Added a command to view suppressed alarms.
• Improved the OPC UA Connection Tag to support nodes that provide array values.
• Improved the "Edit SQL" dialog of the Configuration Tool to remember its last size and position.
• Added a new WritePriority configuration property to the BACnet Device Tag. The new property defines the priority of write operations from Fernhill SCADA.
• Improved the Linux version of the Advanced Connection Dialog to support configuration of the server link log level.
• Improvements to the DXF Import Tool:
  • Support binary DXF files that contain Long group codes.
  • Correctly import blocks that have both scale and rotation.
  • Support LWPOLYLINE entities that include Bulge parameters.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential hang in the Configuration Tool after the following sequence of actions:
  1. Open an SQL List.
  2. Right click the SQL List.
  3. Select Edit SQL....
  4. Click OK or Cancel.
  This problem only occurred on some versions of Windows 11.
• Fixed the Database Table Editor to allow changes to column properties. In Version 4.22, it was not possible to change any of the properties of a column. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.22.
• Fixed the File Browser in the Windows version of the Operator Dialog to work correctly. Previously any selected file name would not be copied into the associated text entry field. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.16.
• Fixed the Linux version of the Operator Interface to run without a --GraphicMode parameter. In Version 4.22, the Linux version of the Operator would not run without a --GraphicMode parameter. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.22.

Version 4.22

Released: 31-May-2025

New features:

• Improved the Graphic Editor when editing complex Graphic Pages:
  • Limit the size of the undo list to 25 MB. Previously, there was no limit, which would cause increasing memory usage during an editing session.
  • Reduced the memory required to edit a graphic page by 30%.
  • Reduced the CPU usage required to refresh tag references.
  • The vertices of items in a selected group are no longer shown as selected if the group contains more than 32 items.
• Improvements to the DXF Import Tool:
  • Support unicode escape sequences in TEXT and MTEXT entities. For example: \U+2300.
  • Support legacy escape sequences in TEXT and MTEXT entities. For example: %%p and %%d.
  • Support control codes in MTEXT entities. For example: \P and \H.
  • Support rotated text in MTEXT entities. Note: rotation is rounded to one of: 0°, 90° and 270°.
  • Support rotation angles when importing a block using an INSERT command.
  • Support DIMENSION, ELLIPSE, and SPLINE entities.
  • Changed LEADER, LWPOLYLINE and POLYLINE entities to import with a line width of 0.
  • POLYLINE and LWPOLYLINE entities are no longer imported if the vertex count is less than 2.
  • The DXF color index 7 (black or white) is now converted to the equivalent Auto color in Fernhill SCADA.
• Added a new ClientID configuration property to the MQTT Connection Tag. The new property allows the ClientID in the connection request to be configured. Previously, the MQTT Connection Tag would generate a random 22-character string for the ClientID.
• Changes to the OPC UA Connection Tag:
  • Read item status codes are now translated to quality values.
  • Added a new configuration property TimestampMode to control how timestamps are derived.
• Added a new --AllowSelectAllAlarms server parameter to the Fernhill SCADA Server Parameters. Starting with Version 4.22, an operator cannot select all alarms unless this option is available.
• The DelayIntoAlarm and DelayOutOfAlarm configuration properties can now be modified by the Operator.
• Alarm properties that have been modified by the Operator are now shown in the Tag Status Window.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Operator Interface when the Operator clicks Abort on the Connection Failed Dialog. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.16.
• Fixed an Operator Action started by a Long Press to continue after opening a dialog box. In Version 4.21, the Operator Action would not continue execution after the dialog box closed. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.21.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when editing a Graphic Page Tag with more than 65535 vertices.
• Fixed the OPC UA Connection Tag to connect to an OPC UA Server that sends a Null Security Policy in the User Identity Token.
• Fixed the Modbus Device Tag to correctly respond to a change in the WordOrder property. Previously, a change in the WordOrder property would not update the values of these tags to match the new word order:
  • I/O Analog Data Point Tag with an IOItemType set to multiple words.
  • I/O Double Word Data Point Tag
  • I/O Long Word Data Point Tag
• Fixed the Embedded Graphic Binding Editor to not require two presses of the Cancel button. Previously, if an in-place text editor was active, two presses of the Cancel button were required to close the dialog. The first press closed the in-place editor. The second press closed the dialog.

Version 4.21

Released: 30-Apr-2025

New features:

• Improved the Alarm List to support a selection menu with two options:
  • Select All
  • Cancel Selection
  To open the selection menu, right click the selection marker column. When supported, a long press will open the selection menu.
• Changed the Alarm List opened in the Configuration Tool to use the left button to open the alarm menu. This is more consistent with the Alarm List in the Operator Interface. Previously, a right click was needed to open the alarm menu.
• Improved the Standard Tag Menu to offer more options when used with an alarm tag. For example:
  • The View Alarm Summary command.
  • Add Comment, Shelve and Unshelve commands.
  • The Alarm Properties... command.
• Improved the display of alarms in the Tag Status Window to show:
  • The shelve status
  • Last action by an operator
• Added a new command line option --InactivityTimeout to the Operator Interface.
• Provide better diagnostic information when a user runs an Operator Action that contains compilation errors. Previously, the error "Code block X was not found" was displayed.
• Added a new "Find Code Block" command to the Graphic Editor Menu.
• Improved the recovery of the Fernhill SCADA Server running on Linux after an unexpected power loss. Previously, the saved data state of database tags could be lost.
• Improved the ClientPropertySet Function to request a data binding refresh. This improves user feedback when the Client Property is used in data bindings.
• Added two new methods to the fhs.TagWindowEntry Class:
  • LinkToTemplateFolder
  • UnlinkFromTemplateFolder
• Improved the examples in help page of the ConfigureTag Function.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a stall in the TextDocFromUrl Function Block. When a stall occurred, the BUSY output would remain TRUE permanently.
• Fixed the DBAlarmSignalFB to work correctly when the REQ input is TRUE on the first run. Previously, in this scenario, the OUTPUTCHANGED output would be set to TRUE too early resulting in the wrong output.
• Fixes a potential memory leak if a Program Tag is deleted while executing a TextDocFromUrl Function Block
• Fixed the Operator Interface to display bitmaps correctly when the following conditions are true:
  • The graphics mode is OpenGL.
  • A graphic page is displayed that contains bitmaps and many different sizes of text.
  • The graphic page is zoomed in and out.
  Previously, at certain zoom levels, the bitmaps could be replaced by a random collection of red characters.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Configuration Tool when using the ClearSCADA Import Tool. Previously, importing a project with a VBScript pick action that calls the Dim statement, the import tool could crash.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to copy and paste bitmap images correctly when the image is part of a group. Previously, if a group containing a bitmap was copied from one graphic page to another, the bitmap would be missing in target graphic page.
• Fixed the Tag Window to open the "Unsaved Documents" dialog once when a tag is renamed. Previously, this dialog would be shown two times.
• Fixed the Embedded Graphic Binding Editor to not require two presses of the OK button. Previously, if an in-place text editor was active, two presses of the OK button were required to close the dialog. The first press closed the in-place editor. The second press closed the dialog.
• Fixed the BACnet Driver to use a UDP shared socket with direct connections. Previously, if Fernhill SCADA opened the BACnet port first, other applications would be blocked.
• Fixed the Configuration Macro to correctly report an error when writing to a read-only configuration property. Previously, no error would be reported if a Configuration Macro changed the value of a read-only configuration property.
• Fixed overlapping menus to draw correctly when the graphics mode is OpenGL or Direct3D.

Version 4.20

Released: 30-Mar-2025

New features:

• Added a new function block DBAlarmCountFB to calculate the number of alarms matching an Alarm Filter.
• Added a new function block DBAlarmSignalFB to provide a signal when there is a new alarm.
• Improved the Alarm List to support alarm tuning.
• Improved the SVG Import Tool to not import shapes with opacity values less than 0.5.
• Added a new property LogFileDetail to the Channel Tag. The new property allows a communication channel to have a different level of diagnostic logging to the server wide default.
• Improved the telemetry information in diagnostic log files created by the Fernhill SCADA Server.
• Improved the reporting of the Quality and State properties of the PLC Device Tag to be more consistent. Previously, some drivers would report a communication failure as State 3, 5, or 6 and Quality 4 (Bad Configuration Error). Now, all drivers report a communication failure as State 2 and Quality 24 (Bad Communication Error).
• Changed the I/O Analog Data Point Tag to ignore the IOItemType property when associated with a DNP3 Outstation Tag. This change avoids potential data loss when the DNP3 Slave reports analog values using 32-bit integer or floating point variations.
• Changes to the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag:
  • Class 0 binary input data is now sent as "Value with Flags". This change ensures quality flags are consistent between static and event data. Previously, class 0 binary input data was sent in packed format, which did not include quality information.
  • The Event Queue is now saved to a tag file. When the Fernhill SCADA Server is started, the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag initializes the event queue from the last saved file. This change reduces the events lost when the Fernhill SCADA Server is restarted.
• Added the command line option --NoHelp. This option removes the Help command from the operator menu.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag to not send an application fragment that exceeded the maximum application fragment length. Previously this could happen if:
  • The DNP3 Master requested a poll of class 0 (static) data, and
  • The DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag was configured with a large number of consecutive data points of the same data type.
• Fixed the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag to not report an incorrect static value following:
  • A configuration change.
  • A communication break.
• Fixed I/O Data Point Tags associated with an OPC UA Connection Tag to reliably store Time Samples. Previously, the OPC UA Connection Tag requested node values with source timestamps. The source timestamp was then used to update the I/O Data Point Tag. This prevented Time Samples from being stored. Now, the OPC UA Connection Tag requests node values without source timestamps and uses the current timestamp to update the I/O Data Point Tag.

Version 4.19

Released: 28-Feb-2025

New features:

• Added a new AlarmID configuration property to each Alarm Condition. Use the AlarmID property to assign a custom identity to each alarm.
• Improved the DNP3 TCP/IP Channel Tag to show the client connections in the Tag Views Window. Note: Client connections when the DNP3 TCP/IP Channel Tag is configured in Listening End Point Mode.
• Improved the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag:
  • Unsolicited event reporting is now supported.
  • Write commands to string points are now supported.
  • For a point address mapped to a tag, the quality of the tag is now reported in the object flags.
  • Internal Indications now respond more quickly to changes in the outstation status.
  • Added a diagnostic to show the state of the application fragment state machine.
  • Added a diagnostic to show the numbers of application messages sent.
• Improved the DNP3 Outstation Tag to support write commands to string points.
• Improved the Modbus Slave TCP Channel Tag to show the current connections in the Tag Views Window.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server if an MQTT Connection Tag receives:
  • An empty unsolicited publish message.
  • A incorrectly formed unsolicited publish message.
• Fixed the DNP3 Outstation Tag to recover when a network failure occurs but the TCP/IP socket remains open.
• Fixed the function DialogAddComboBox() to return a string value when:
  • The result variable is a string type, and
  • The initial value does not match any entry in the combo box options list.
  Previously, the function would return the selected option index converted to a string. Note: This change may break existing operator action code that assumed the option index would be returned as a string.
• Fixed the addition of a Data Point Tag in a Template Folder to a Trend Plot in the same Template Folder to work correctly. Previously, this was not possible after certain sequences of edit operations. For example:
  1. Create a new Data Point Tag in a template.
  2. Set HistoricEnable to true to enable historical storage.
• Fixed the DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag to:
  • Request application confirmation when sending events to the DNP3 Master.
  • Start recording events from startup. Previously events started recording after the initial connection from the DNP3 Master.

Version 4.18

Released: 31-Jan-2025

New features:

• Added new Client Property Functions to manage a new client property environment. Use Client Properties in:
  • Data Bindings
  • Operator Actions
  The value of Client Properties persist between Graphic Pages and Client Sessions.
• On the Alarm List, moved the Shelve Alarm and Disable Alarm commands to a new Other Commands submenu.
• Improved the Embedded Alarm List to update immediately after an alarm command.
• Improved the Text Report Tag to support multiple SQL Commands.
• Added a new property HideFromDataAccess to all tag types. When set to True, the tag is hidden from the data access interfaces.
• Improved the ClearSCADA Import Tool to support:
  • Radial gradients on mimic objects.
  • REGISTRY Pick Actions.
  • Client expression REGISTRY Functions.
  • Scripting global functions GetRegistry() and SetRegistry().
  • Forward references to script functions.
  • Case independent matching of global namespace items in scripts.
  • ReDim statement in scripts.
• Allow a Data Point Tag in a Template Folder to be added to a Trend Plot in the same Template Folder. Previously this was not possible.
• Improvements to the IEC 61131-3 Debug Window:
  • The value of function parameters declared as a VARIANT type are now shown. Previously, this type of variable was not shown.
  • When there a problem showing the value of a variable, a more detailed error message is provided. Previously, the same error message "Evaluation Error" was displayed for all types of error.
• Improved the reporting of "CIP General Status" errors in the Allen Bradley Driver. Previously this type of error was reported as a generic "Status" error.
• Improved the Tag Window to highlight the expand and collapse icons when the mouse pointer is over an icon. Increased the width of the "hot" area to make it easier to expand, or collapse, folders.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server on Linux if a certain pattern of DNP3 Data Bindings are configured. This problem did not affect the Windows version.
• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server after this sequence of events:
  1. Create a Text Report Tag that references Data Point Tags through the SEL() function.
  2. Delete one of the Data Point Tags.
  3. Restart the Fernhill SCADA Server.
  4. Wait for the report to run.
• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when copying a Graphic Page Tag using drag and drop. Previously this sequence of actions would cause a crash:
  1. Select a single Graphic Page Tag.
  2. Press the CTRL key down.
  3. Drag the selected tag to a new folder.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to display bitmaps correctly after a Transform, Reflect Horizontal command. Previously, the bitmap would not change orientation in the Graphic Editor but would display correctly in the Operator Interface.
• Fixed the Acknowledge Multiple Alarm command to work in the Embedded Alarm List.
• Fixed the alarm list summary to show the correct number of active alarms. Previously the active alarm count included suppressed alarms, shelved alarms, and alarms with a severity of 0 (zero).
• Fixed the Data Point Alarm Tag from generating an alarm with a zero value timestamp (1601-01-01 00:00:00). Previously an Alarm Tag could generate an alarm with a zero value timestamp if:
  1. The Alarm Tag was associated with an offline data source.
  2. The Alarm Tag was configured to generate an alarm from the default value of the I/O data point tag.
• Fixed functions like DialogAddLabel() to work correctly, when a VARIANT type containing a numeric value is used for the Label parameter.
• Fixed the IEC 61131-3 Debug Window to show the correct value of temporary variables. Previously the value of temporary variables would be shown as "Evaluation Error".

Version 4.17

Released: 31-Dec-2024

New features:

• Added a new DNP3 Slave Outstation Tag. The new tag allows a DNP3 Master to access Fernhill SCADA using the DNP3 protocol.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the OPC UA Connection Tag to reliably renew the security token. Previously, if the security token was renewed during another transaction, the connection to the OPC UA Server could fail.

Version 4.16

Released: 30-Nov-2024

New features:

• Added a new DrawAllTextAbove property to the Graphic Editor. When set to true, all text items are drawn above other items. Added a new drawing command Draw All Text Above to toggle the value of the DrawAllTextAbove property.
• Improved dialogs created with the DialogOpen Function to arrange fields in two columns if:
  • There are two or more data entry fields in the dialog, and
  • The dialog does not fit in the available screen height, and
  • The dialog width is less than half of the screen width.
  This change improves the readability of dialogs opened in the Operator Interface in landscape mode with touch screen mode enabled.
• Improved dialogs shown in the Operator Interface to:
  • Use a smaller font for field labels.
  • Move the field label closer to the associated data entry field.
• The Operator Interface now uses a larger font for the operator menu when in touch screen mode.
• Improved the Alarm List to allow multiple alarms to be selected in touch screen mode.
• Improved the Tag Window to select a parent tag after a child tag is deleted. Previously, no tag was selected after a tag was deleted.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the OPC UA Connection Tag to safely decode string values with:
  • Embedded nulls
  • Invalid UTF-8 code points
  Previously, an invalid UTF-8 code point could cause the OPC Decoder to lose synchronization with the input stream. This could cause random errors and failures decoding items that follow the string value.
• Fixed Version 4 license keys with very a long Issued To string to validate correctly. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.79.

Version 4.15

Released: 15-Nov-2024

New features:

• Improved serial ports on the Linux version of Fernhill SCADA to support RTS Toggle. To use this feature, the driver for the serial port needs to support the TIOCSRS485 ioctl. Unsupported RTS Control modes will now result in an channel configuration error.
• Improved client applications to search additional folders for available fonts. On Windows, the user fonts folder is now searched in addition to the system fonts folder. On Linux, the file /etc/fonts/fonts.conf is queried to work out the font folders to search.
• Added FreeMono, FreeSans, and FreeSerif to the list of fall back fonts. This change fixes text to display correctly on the REVOLUTION PI, or RevPi. Previously, no text would be visible on this hardware.
  Note: A fall back font is used when a required font is not available. For example, if the font Arial is required but not available, the fall back font FreeSans will be substituted.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Windows version of the Fernhill SCADA Server to load the ODBC Client Driver. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.13. The Linux and macOS versions were not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the Parity field of the Serial Port Mode Editor to offer one "Odd" and one "Even" option.

Version 4.14

Released: 31-Oct-2024

New features:

• Improved the Allen Bradley Driver to reduce network requests to the Micro850 and Micro870 PLC. Previously the driver would read all symbol names every time there was a communication check. Now the symbol names are read from the PLC only when a change is detected.
• Improved these Dialog and Menu Functions to limit the length of text in text editor fields to match the associated variable:
  • DialogAddTextEditor()
  • DialogAddValue()
  • ValueDialog()
  Previously, entering more text in the dialog than the capacity of the associated variable would result in a "String Truncation" error.
• Improved the layout of dialog boxes in the Windows version when a user changes the text size under Accessibility Settings. Previously, if a user selected larger text some dialog boxes would not display correctly.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool caused by this sequence of actions:
  1. Create a new Trend Plot Tag.
  2. Embed the Trend Plot onto a Graphic Page.
  3. Change the Graphic Page to run mode.
  4. Click on the Trend Plot embedded on the Graphic Page.
  This change also fixed a similar crash in the Operator Interface.
• Fixed the significant change filtering of the following data point tags to work correctly:
  • Double Word Data Point Tag
  • Long Word Data Point Tag
  Previously, if the value was less than HistoricSignificantChange, all values would be stored in the historian with no filtering.
• Fixed the Recent Connection List on Windows to reliably edit existing connections. In some situations editing a connection would lose information about the connection.

Version 4.13

Released: 30-Sep-2024

New features:

• Improved these dialogs in the Configuration Tool to remember their layout:
  • Data Binding Editor
  • Embedded Graphic Binding Editor
  • Global Variables Dialog
  • Color Editor
  • Color Gradient Editor

Version 4.12

Released: 2-Sep-2024

New features:

• Support alarm shelving of an Alarm Condition. A shelved alarm is temporarily removed from the alarm list for a duration of time.
• Extended the Alarm Filter to support shelved alarms.
• Added a new user right ShelveAlarm.
• Improvements to the Allen Bradley Driver:
  • Communication to a file based PLC routed through a Logix PLC is now supported. For example: an SLC 5/03 connected to a serial port on a CompactLogix PLC.
  • Ethernet/IP extended status errors are now translated to text.
• Added a new TrackTemplate method to the fhs.TagWindowEntry class. The new method allows a Configuration Macro to change the Track Template status of a property in a linked folder.
• Added documentation the for Alarm Status Properties.
• Added a new concepts page Timestamps and Time Zones to describe how Fernhill SCADA works with timestamp values.
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to translate discrete alarm inhibit configuration.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed SQL Commands to reliably return the correct results when the SQL Command:
  • Is prepared once and executed many times, and
  • Queries historical data with a comparison clause on the timestamp, and
  • Uses terms such as CURRENT_DATE or '?' in the comparison clause on the timestamp.
  At first, the query would return the correct results. But after a period of time the query would return an empty result set.
• Fixed the Android and iOS versions of the Operator Interface to reliably remember the first connection on clean install.
• Fixed the Standard Tag Menu to not offer a combo box when a Digital Data Point Tag has blank or duplicated state descriptions.
• Fixed the Combo Box Control to use the correct background color when it does not have focus.
• Fixed the Trend Plot to move the ruler during a pan gesture. Previously, the ruler would not change position until the pan gesture completed.
• Fixed the configuration sample "Show Current Time.fhscfg" to show the correct time.

Version 4.11

Released: 28-Jul-2024

New features:

• Added an AlarmSuppression property to each Alarm Condition. The AlarmSuppression property is an IEC 61131-3 Expression to automatically suppress the Alarm Condition. A suppressed alarm condition is hidden from the operator. For more information see Alarm Conditions in Fernhill SCADA Concepts
• Extended the Alarm Filter to support filtering by suppressed alarms.
• More properties of an Alarm Condition can now be accessed from the OPC UA Server.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Graphic Editor caused by this sequence of actions:
  1. Open a password protected Graphic Page.
  2. Click Cancel on the password entry dialog.
  3. Click OK to close the incorrect password error dialog.
  4. Select the Run button from the toolbar.
• Fixed all instances of an Embedded Alarm List on a Graphic Page to update correctly. Previously, only one instance of an Embedded Alarm List on a Graphic Page would respond to changes in alarms.
• Fixed a Trend Plot embedded on a graphic page, which is then embedded on another graphic page, to show the correct data. Previously, this type of plot would not show any data. The same problem also affected the Value Duration Plot.
• Fixed messages stored in the Event Log to use the correct value for the EventType column. Since Version 4.2, all messages were stored with EventType equal to "Condition".
• Fixed the Show Events command to include the Source column when showing events from a folder. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.67.
• Fixed the Calendar Control created by the DialogAddCalendar function to not show dates before 1-Jan-1601. In Fernhill SCADA, dates earlier than 1-Jan-1601 are not supported.
• Fixed the Tag Window to automatically scroll the selected tag into view. Previously, a command such as "Show in Tag Window;" would select the tag but not guarantee the selected tag would be visible. Fixes an issue introduced in Version 3.94.

Version 4.10

Released: 29-Jun-2024

New features:

• Added a new Go to Date... command to the following:
  • The Plot Editor
  • The Trend Plot
  • The Value Duration Plot
• Improved the DNP3 Driver to support reading a file from an offline outstation. The read file request is completed when the outstation goes online.
• Improved the Tag Window to support a Save to File command for these tag files:
  • The Report Output of the Text Report Tag.
  • The Image of the I/O Bitmap Image Tag.
  • The Uploaded File of the DNP3 Outstation Tag.
• Added a new function DialogAddCalendar. The new function adds a calendar to the current dialog allowing the operator to select a date.
• Added a new property DefaultGraphicRules to show different default graphic pages for different users
• Added a new property MaxScanGroupGap to the Modbus Device Tag.
• Added a new Operator Action ActionRulerChange. ActionRulerChange is called when the Operator changes the ruler of the plot.
• Added new Graphic Item Functions to get and set the ruler position of an Embedded Plot:
  • GraphicItemGetPlotRulerOffset
  • GraphicItemSetPlotRulerOffset
• Improved the PlaySound() Function to accept a relative tag name.
• Added these options to the Operator Interface Command Line:
  • --NoSaveAs to remove the "Save As..." option from the operator menu.
  • --NoPrint to remove the "Print" option from the operator menu.
  • --NoTooltips to disable all tooltips.
• Added a new option "Text File with Header" to the Save As menu of the Operator Interface.
• Changed the diagnostic logging of drivers to not create separate channel log files when DriverLogDetail is 0 (zero).
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to import sound (.wav) files.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when:
  • An Operator Action calls the PlaySound() Function, and
  • The Operator Sound Tag does not exist, or does not contain a sound.
• Fixed a crash in the Graphic Editor following this sequence of edits:
  1. Open a Graphic Page that contains an Operator Action that reports a runtime error.
  2. Switch to run mode and run the Operator Action that reports a runtime error.
  3. Close the error dialog.
  4. Edit the Global Bindings.
  5. Move the mouse pointer over the Graphic Page.
• Fixed the Graphic Editor to not show tooltips in run mode when a dialog is open.
• Fixed the Linux version of the Operator Interface to support the "--NoAlarmBellSound" command line option.

Version 4.9

Released: 30-May-2024

New features:

• Added a new Operator Sound Tag. The Operator Sound Tag stores a sound clip that can be played to the Operator.
• Added a new PlaySound Function. The PlaySound Function plays an Operator Sound Tag to the Operator.
• Added a new Operator Action ActionXAxisChange. ActionXAxisChange is called when the Operator changes the X-Axis of the plot.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when the OutOfService property of an orphan tag is changed. An orphan tag is:
  • A tag without a parent reference.
  • A tag with an invalid parent reference.
  For example, a Modbus Channel Tag with an invalid Channel property.
• Fixed the Linux version of the Operator Interface to show chinese characters correctly. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.4.
• Fixed the installation package for the Embedded Linux Server Runtime to include the SCADA Server Command Line Tool.
• Fixed the Java API to include all required classes.
• Fixed the driver log files to not log driver activity when DriverLogDetail is set to 0 (none). Previously the DriverLogDetail parameter would be ignored for some types of information.
• Fixed the SQLCommandFromODBC Function Block to always update the CONNSTR member variable. Previously, the CONNSTR member variable was updated only when the ODBC Command started.

Version 4.8

Released: 29-Apr-2024

New features:

• Changes to the Alarm Router Tag:
  • Support a custom message format. Previously the message format was hard coded.
  • Added a new property EmailMaximumAlarms to limit the maximum number of alarms sent in a single email.
• Improved the Data Point Alarm Tag to no longer raise an alarm for a configuration error. Previously a configuration error would raise an alarm, which would persist until a new alarm condition replaced the configuration alarm. Now configuration errors are reported in the tag status window.
• Added a new DigitalWriteFormat configuration property to the MQTT Connection Tag. The new property controls the format of digital data written to MQTT topics.
• Improved the Graphic Editor to generate more accurate curved shapes.
• Enabled anti-aliasing in the following versions of the Operator Interface:
  • Windows using OpenGL rendering.
  • Android

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the Date and Time of Day Format to produce the correct output for the 'h' and 'k' hour of day pattern letters. Previously, the output was 1 hour greater than expected.
• Fixed the function SysDateTimeToUTC to work correctly in these versions:
  • Android App
  • iOS App
  Previously, the function returned the input parameter with no adjustment. Other versions of Fernhill SCADA were not affected.

Version 4.7

Released: 31-Mar-2024

New features:

• Improved the Operator Toolbar Editor to support import and export to files.
• Added a new command line option --DiagnosticMode to the Operator Interface.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed the macOS, Android and iOS versions of the Operator Interface to not use 100% CPU when displaying certain graphic pages.
• Fixed the OPC Classic Connection Tag to write the correct variant type for an I/O Analog Data Point Tag when the IOItemType is:
  • Signed 16-bit integer
  • Signed 32-bit integer
  • 32-bit floating point
• Fixed the Fernhill SCADA ODBC Driver to return the correct value for the descriptor attribute SQL_DESC_UPDATABLE.
• Changed external links in the Fernhill SCADA Help Window to open the target page in a new browser session. Previously an external link would open in the Fernhill SCADA Help Window, which could result in:
  • Unsupported browser errors
  • Script errors
• Fixed the Restore defaults command of the Operator Toolbar Editor to use the correct icon for the Forwards button. Previously, an icon without an alpha channel was used, which did not display correctly in dark mode.

Version 4.6

Released: 17-Mar-2024

New features:

• Improved the following drivers to support reading string values from registers:
  • GE Fanuc
  • Idec Micro
  • Mitsubishi Melsec
  • Modbus
  • Omron
• Improved the error information reported by the Security Camera Driver when a fault response does not contain any reason text.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Linux version of the Operator Interface when printing graphic pages that contain bitmap images.
• Fixed the Siemens S7 Driver to correctly respond to an S7-1200 or S7-1500 PLC that has PUT/GET access disabled. Previously, the driver would continuously read the same information from the PLC.

Version 4.5

Released: 29-Feb-2024

New features:

• Improved how narrow lines are drawn on a Graphic Page. Previously, lines less than 1 canvas unit wide were drawn as single pixel lines.
• Changed the Fernhill SCADA Server to reject connections from the Configuration Tool if the user does not have configuration rights.
• Added a new parameter AllowConfigToolWithNoAuth to the Fernhill SCADA Server Parameters.
• Improved the Color Gradient Editor to automatically select the first gradient stop.
• Improved Data Point Tags to respond immediately to changes in color and blink attributes. Previously, a change to a color or blink attribute would not take effect until the next data update.
• Moved the DelayIntoAlarm and DelayOutOfAlarm properties from the Data Point Alarm Tag to the Common Alarm Tag. This change allows delays to be configured for all alarm types, not just alarms associated with Data Point Tags.
• Increased the default InactivityTimeout of the SMTP Connector Tag to 10 seconds. The previous default value was 2.5 seconds.
• Improved the InTouch Import Tool to:
  • Read Access Name configured with a Secondary Source.
  • Translate Allen Bradley data addresses.
• Improved the Allen Bradley PLC File Data Address to support bit file addresses with only a bit offset. For example: B/4095, which equivalent to B:255/15.
• Improved the printing of a Graphic Page to print the background color.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a low probability crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when:
  • An SMTP Connector Tag is configured.
  • The SMTP Server takes longer than the idle timeout to respond to a request.
• Fixed the ParentFolder property of the Common Core Tag to show the correct value for a new Folder Tag. Previously, after creating a new Folder Tag, the ParentFolder property would be blank.
• Fixed the Embedded Alarm List to show the correct alarms when:
  1. A graphic page with an Embedded Alarm List is displayed in the Operator Interface.
  2. An operator action on the Graphic Page changes to a filtered alarm list.
  3. The back button is pressed to return to the Graphic Page.
  Previously, after step 3, the Embedded Alarm List would show the same alarms as the filtered alarm list.
• Fixed printing of Programs and Calculations from the Configuration Tool to use an appropriate text size. Previously, text was printed too small to read.
• Fixed a random and low probability error when running an Operator Action from the Graphic Editor. Previously, tag references in an Operator Action could contain the wrong value for a short period of time. This could cause unexpected errors in the Operator Action. This problem did not affect a Graphic Page shown in the Operator Interface.

Version 4.4

Released: 31-Jan-2024

New features:

• Improved the performance of graphics on Linux platforms when using Cairo mode.
• Improved printing in the Linux version of the Operator Interface:
  • Reduced the time taken to print a Graphic Page.
  • Support printing of the Alarm List Page.
  • Support printing of the List Page.
  • Support printing of the Text Page.
• Improved the OPC UA Connection Tag to correctly handle an unexpected response to a hello request. Previously, a response other than acknowledge could cause the OPC UA Connection Tag to not recover correctly.
• Improved the Import File Tool of the Graphic Editor to import very large and very small text correctly. This change only affects DXF and SVG files. Previously, imported text that was smaller than 6 points, or larger than 72 points would import as 20 points. This would result in very small text appearing larger than expected, and very large text appearing smaller than expected.
• Improved the Import File Tool of the Graphic Editor to offer a choice of import modes:
  • Scale the import to the contents.
  • Scale the import to the View Box or Extents.
  This choice is offered when:
  • Some of the contents lies outside of the View Box or Extents.
  • The contents occupies less than 50% of the area of the View Box or Extents.
  This change only applies to importing SVG and DXF files.
• Added a new SQL Schema ServerInfo to provide information about the Fernhill SCADA Server. The new schema provides these tables:
  • Table ServerInfo.FHSConnections provides information about the client applications connected to the server.
  • Table ServerInfo.OpcUAConnections provides information about the OPC UA Clients connected to the server.
  • Table ServerInfo.Threads provides information about the threads running in the server.
• Add documentation for the Fernhill SCADA Server Command Line Tool. Previously this tool was not documented.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Configuration Tool when:
  • A graphic page is open in an editor.
  • A tag is renamed in the tag window that is referenced by the graphic page.
• Fixed the help page Fernhill SCADA User Rights and Privileges to show the correct privilege names. Previously DisableAlarm and TuneAlarm were not documented correctly.
• Fixed trend plots and historical data lists to show the correct value when:
  1. A Word Data Point Tag is created.
  2. Historical storage is enabled on the Word Data Point Tag.
  3. The Word Data Point Tag is deleted.
  4. An Analog Data Point Tag is created with the same name as the Word Data Point Tag.
  5. Historical storage is enabled on the Analog Data Point Tag.
  Previously, a trend plot or historical data list would show the value zero for all data records.

Version 4.3

Released: 05-Jan-2024

New features:

• Documented the setup requirements of the 64-bit Raspberry PI OS when running Fernhill SCADA on Raspberry PI 5 hardware. For more information see Setup Instructions for Raspberry Pi OS.
• Improved the dropped event count to show the percentage of events that were dropped.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server after creating a new OPC UA Connection Tag. Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.2.
• Fixed a crash in the Windows version of the Operator Interface using the Save As option in the Operator Menu. The Linux, macOS, Android and iOS versions of the Operator Interface were not affected by this problem.
• Fixed the ActionContextMenu to complete when the operator action:
  • Was started using a long press, and
  • Opened a dialog or menu.
  Fixes a problem introduced in Version 4.2.
• Fixed the OPC UA Connection Tag to follow browse continuation points returned by the target OPC UA Server. Previously, when browsing for IOItemName properties, not all possible nodes would be shown.
• Corrected the documentation for the ValueDialog() Function to show the correct return type.

Version 4.2

Released: 31-Dec-2023

New features:

• Added a new operator interface function OpenAlarmListEx(). The new function provides finer control over the columns and alarms shown in an Alarm List.
• Improved the Embedded Alarm List to provide more control over:
  • The title displayed at the top of the list.
  • The columns displayed in the list.
  • The alarms displayed in the list.
• Added a new command line option --TouchScreen to the Operator Interface. When used:
  • An on-screen keyboard will open when a text input box has focus.
  • A long press, or touch, will open a context menu.
• Added a new AlarmEventAreas property to each database tag. The new tag allows you to configure additional alarm and event areas for a tag.
• Added a Communication Check to the OPC UA Connection Tag. The Communication Check reads the State of the OPC UA Server at a regular interval. This change is to avoid a session timeout when there are no I/O Data Point Tags associated with an OPC UA Connection Tag.
• Renamed the Show Historic Data menu option to Show Historical Data.
• Changed the default alarm colors to provide better contrast when using dark mode.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed a potential crash in the Fernhill SCADA Server when an unexpected application layer confirm message is received from a DNP3 outstation.
• Fixed the Show Alarms command of the menu in the Tag Window to work reliably. Previously, the Show Alarms command would not work after executing a Tag Command.
• Fixed the Color Mixer Dialog to show the correct hexadecimal value in the sample area.
• Fixed these data bindings to work correctly when the Operator Interface is using OpenGL or Direct3D mode:
  • DataBindClipHorizontal
  • DataBindClipVertical
  Fixes a problem introduced in Version 3.89.

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 TuneAlarm.
• 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 historical 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
  • An 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 historical 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 historical 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 historical 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 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
  • Data File
  • MQTT
  • 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 historical 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 Historical 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.

Fernhill SCADA Version 4.37 (20260901.1). Copyright © 2012-2026 Fernhill Software Ltd: All rights reserved.