AutoSPY is a powerful and versatile tool for monitoring and diagnosing automated installations. The software consists of the analyser module, which can be freely extended by various device drivers for recording process data from different sources like PLCs, OPC servers or fieldbuses.

How can you benefit from AutoSPY?

• Detect rare, sporadic errors using long-term recordings and trigger mechanisms. Isolate their causes with help of search functions and powerful analysis scripts.
• Minimize traversing times of transport systems, adjust control loops and speed up commissionings by using measuring and analysis functions.
• Create or update printed plant documentation. Mark and comment relevant events or sequences in recorded signal traces.
• Simplify learning of PLC programming: Comprehensibly visualize even complex event sequences, test and validate your PLC applications.

How does AutoSPY work?

The tool is easy to learn, intuitive to use and efficient to apply. Handling AutoSPY requires only these few simple steps:

1. Create a new, empty signal trace document. Existing documents can be used as templates to skip the second step.
2. Insert one or more data sources depending on what you wish to monitor. It is possible to use multiple device drivers at a time.
3. Edit the data source configuration: connection / communication parameters, signals to be recorded, trigger conditions, etc.
4. Some device drivers require the hardware or software target to be prepared before recording in a specific manner.
5. Start and stop the data recording manually or automatically by means of trigger conditions.
6. Finally view, analyze, mark, print or export the recorded signal data.

Key features of the analyser at a glance

• records multiple data sources (e. g. PLCs) per document simultaneously
• displays signal data in individual graphical or tabular form, even while recording
• shows video signals as a line of thumbnails or in a video toolbox with playback capability
• can overlay signals in graph view for easier comparing different measured variables
• special hierarchical navigation bar for easy trace scrolling even in long recordings
• flags for marking and describing important process events in the trace
• cursors for measuring times and amplitudes, functions for time span dimensioning
• concatenated search conditions for finding particular states, edges or thresholds
• user-defined Visual Basic Scripts for running automated, complex data analyses
• comfortable printing function for generating documentation from signal traces
• import and export filters for exchanging data with other applications, e. g. MS Excel
• free standalone viewer software for viewing, marking and measuring AutoSPY traces

More than 300 small to large enterprises from highly diverse industries already make use of this tool. See here a shortened list of our customers. Got curious, too? Download and try the demo version to experience the intuitive working with AutoSPY!

Device drivers enable AutoSPY to log process data from different hardware or software like PLCs, OPC servers, video cameras or fieldbuses. We try to extend the list of supported targets continuously. Currently available drivers are:

• Device driver SIMATIC S7-1200/1500 polling-precise
• Device driver SIMATIC S7-300/400 polling-precise
• Device driver SIMATIC S7-300/400 cycle-precise
• Device driver SIMATIC S5 cycle-precise
• Device driver LabJack U12
• Device driver OPC Data Access
• Device driver UNIGATE CL
• Device driver Video

This AutoSPY driver enables the polling-precise recording of signals from the Siemens PLC family SIMATIC S7-1200/1500 via TCP/IP and other inferfaces − without interrupting the running PLC and the need for altering the controlling application. Users have to specify only, which signals shall be recorded. AutoSPY polls the S7-CPU periodically for the selected signals to collect the process data. As polling does not require to alter the controlling application, up to 8192 signals can be read from a single PLC virtually at the same time by performing multiple data recordings in parallel. Moreover, the measuring resolution is flexibly adaptable to the dynamic characteristics of monitored signals and processes by simply adjusting the sampling interval. This can tremendously reduce the size of resulting data archives, particularly when monitoring slow-acting process parameters like temperatures.

Major features

• supported controllers: Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200/1500
• polling-precise recording of at most 512 signals per controller via TCP/IP and other communication interfaces
• polls periodically for selected signals without altering the controlling application, sampling interval is freely adjustable
• signals can be directly imported from STEP7 TIA Portal projects, dialog for signal selection provides a flexible layout
• supports access to optimized data blocks and complex data types like struct or array
• no PUT/GET communication between PLC and PC required

This AutoSPY driver enables the polling-precise recording of signals from the Siemens PLC family SIMATIC S7-300/400 via RS232 interface, MPI, PROFIBUS or Industrial Ethernet − without interrupting the running PLC and the need for altering the controlling application. Users have to specify only, which signals shall be recorded and whether the recording shall be started or stopped automatically by trigger conditions. AutoSPY polls the S7-CPU periodically for the selected signals in (larger) intervals to collect the process data. As polling does not require to alter the controlling application, up to 8192 signals can be read from a single PLC virtually at the same time by performing multiple data recordings in parallel. Moreover, the measuring resolution is flexibly adaptable to the dynamic characteristics of monitored signals and processes by simply adjusting the sampling interval. This can tremendously reduce the size of resulting data archives, particularly when monitoring slow-acting process parameters like temperatures.

Major features

• supported controllers: Siemens SIMATIC S7-300/400, S7-PLCSIM, WinAC, SINUMERIK 840D, VIPA SPEED7 CPUs
• polling-precise recording of at most 512 signals per controller via RS232 interface, MPI, PROFIBUS or Industrial Ethernet
• polls periodically for selected signals without altering the controlling application, sampling interval is freely adjustable
• signals can be easily specified by entering addresses manually or importing classic STEP7 projects and symbol files (no TIA Portal)
• records values for all kinds of readable internal and external PLC operands: I / Q / M / DB / T / C / PI
• powerful and comfortable trigger features for automatic starts and stops: temporal, logical and threshold conditions, pre- and posttriggering

This AutoSPY driver enables the simultaneous, cycle-precise recording of up to 512 signals from the Siemens PLC family SIMATIC S7-300/400 via RS232 interface, MPI, PROFIBUS or Industrial Ethernet − without interrupting the running PLC or the need for programming any line of code manually. Users have to specify only, which signals shall be recorded and whether the recording shall be started or stopped automatically by trigger conditions. Based on that input, AutoSPY generates a small STEP7 measuring application and downloads it into the controller after assuring that there is enough free memory and no existing program block is overwritten. To integrate this additional code into the PLC cycle we insert a call instruction in front of the actual controlling application in the cyclic interrupt handler OB1. During recording, signal data is temporarily stored in a circular buffer of data blocks and efficiently transferred to the PC. After measuring has stopped, all AutoSPY code is safely removed from the PLC automatically.

Major features

• supported controllers: Siemens SIMATIC S7-300/400, S7-PLCSIM, WinAC, SINUMERIK 840D, VIPA SPEED7 CPUs
• cycle-precise recording of at most 512 signals per controller via RS232 interface, MPI, PROFIBUS or Industrial Ethernet
• logs one record of selected signals per controller cycle, but requires (temporary and automated) code integration into CPU
• applicable in running plant mode without any interruption, no programming of any STEP7 source code (IL, LD, FBD) required
• safety function for predicting the additional real-time load and maximum signal count recordable without gaps in the trace
• cleanup wizard for removing a measuring application that remained in the PLC after disconnecting or loss of connection
• signals can be easily specified by entering addresses manually or importing STEP7 Classic projects and symbol files (no TIA Portal)
• records values for all kinds of readable internal and external PLC operands: I / Q / M / DB / T / C / PI
• records events for every occurrence of asynchronous cyclic and hardware interrupts
• powerful and comfortable trigger features for automatic starts and stops: temporal, logical and threshold conditions, pre- and posttriggering

This AutoSPY driver enables the simultaneous, cycle-precise recording of up to 512 signals from the Siemens PLC family SIMATIC S5 via the Siemens PG interface (AS511) − without interrupting the running PLC or the need for programming any line of code manually. Users have to specify only, which signals shall be recorded and whether the recording shall be started or stopped automatically by trigger conditions. Based on that input, AutoSPY generates a small STEP5 measuring application and downloads it into the controller after assuring that there is enough free memory and no existing program block is overwritten. To integrate this additional code into the PLC cycle we insert a call instruction in front of the actual controlling application in the cyclic interrupt handler OB1 / FB0. During recording, signal data is temporarily stored in a circular buffer of data blocks and efficiently transferred to the PC. After measuring has stopped, all AutoSPY code is safely removed from the PLC automatically.

Major features

• supported controllers: Siemens SIMATIC S5-95U, S5-100U with CPU 103, S5-115U, S5-135U, S5-155U
• cycle-precise recording of at most 512 signals per controller via COM port and Siemens PG interface (AS511)
• logs one record of selected signals per controller cycle, but requires (temporary and automated) code integration into CPU
• applicable in running plant mode without any interruption, no programming of any STEP5 source code (IL, LD, FBD) required
• signals can be easily specified by entering addresses manually or importing original STEP5 symbol files
• logs values for all kinds of readable internal and external PLC operands: I / Q / M / S / DB / DX / T / C / P / O / RS / RT / RI / RJ
• powerful and comfortable trigger features for automatic starts and stops: temporal, logical and threshold conditions

With the A/D measuring device LabJack U12 you can record up to 8 analog and 20 digital electric signals in AutoSPY, for instance from switches, light barriers, temperature or pressure sensors. That allows trouble shooting and optimization to cover electrical signals that are not available in a PLC directly or that shall be double-checked by independent measurements. The LabJack can easily be attached to the USB port of the analysis PC and does not require any additional power supply. Multiple LabJacks can be operated at different USB ports and recorded at the same time, if you need to measure more signals than a single unit can handle. The digital inputs are connectable to the typical PLC voltage level of 24 V without great effort. The LabJack also provides a 32 bit counter that can be used for counting piece numbers or revolutions, for instance. Signals are sampled in three different operating modes with sampling rates up to 8192 samples per second. For more information about connecting and measuring please refer to the LabJack quick guide in the download section.

Major features

• logs analog and digital electrical signals from up to 16 A/D measuring devices LabJack U12 simultaneously
• hardware provides up to 20 digital inputs, one 32 bit counter and 8 analog inputs with a resolution of 12 bit / 4.88 mV
• analog inputs can measure voltages up to ±10 V in single-ended mode or up to ±20 V in differential mode
• signals can be selected intuitively by clicking the desired screw terminals in a graphical LabJack representation
• provides the three recording modes Polling, Stream and Burst with possible sampling rates up to 8192 samples per second
• includes quick guide containing hints on connecting and measuring

This AutoSPY driver uses the OPC technology (Open Productivity & Connectivity) for data logging. OPC certainly is one of most important, vendor independent interoperability standard for data exchange in the field of automation. The implemented OPC client supports all servers that are compliant with the specificiations OPC DA or XML-DA. Such installations are widely spread as there exists a great number of appropriate OPC servers for highly diverse automation hardware and software from different vendors. Accessible servers can run on any PC within the local area network. The driver allows comfortably searching for available OPC servers within the network environment and has integrated a diagnosis function for handling the most common configuration problems. You can log up to 8192 signals (OPC items) virtually at the same time by performing multiple data recordings in parallel − where it makes no difference whether the OPC items were defined on client- or server-side. Sampling rates can be chosen freely, but depend on the server settings in most cases.

Major features

• supports OPC Data Access specifications starting with v1.0A and XML-DA
• not yet compatible to OPC UA (Unified Architecture) servers
• records up to 512 OPC items simultaneously with arbitrary sampling rates
• supports browsing the local PC and the network for available OPC servers
• mixed recording of server and client defined OPC items possible
• diagnosis function for troubleshooting configuration problems (DCOM, OPC, firewall)

UNIGATE CL protocol converters from Deutschmann Automation connect devices such as automation components via their serial interface to one of the popular fieldbuses or industrial Ethernet standards. The communication between the serial side and the bus is controlled by a script running on the protocol converter. Scripts can be created and debugged with the free tool Protocol Developer from Deutschmann. If debugging is not applicable or inappropriate to resolve problems arising from faulty scripts or disturbed data transmission on the bus, AutoSPY comes into play. We can access all UNIGATE CL devices via their on-board serial debugging interface to monitor arbitrary variables processed by the running script. All relevant variables need to be declared as so-called watchlists in the script code. You are free to declare multiple watchlists each including one or more variables. Signals are selected by simply importing script files, which are instrumented in this way. While recording, the UNIGATE device sends data of complete watchlists to AutoSPY as soon as one of its variables changes. The device driver has not to be purchased separately but is already included in the analyser license of AutoSPY.

Major features

• supports all UNIGATE CL protocol converters working with script language version 34 and above
• records up to 512 UNIGATE script variables per gateway via its serial debug interface
• simple signal selection by importing UNIGATE script files, created with Deutschmann Protocol Developer
• logs all kinds of data types, signal list can be changed during a running recording

This AutoSPY driver enables video capturing from DirectShow-compatible video sources like webcams and many industrial cameras. The recorded videos can be visualized as a trace of thumbnails next to other signal graphs or as a live image connected to the movement of the red cursor. They thereby provide documentation of a plants behavior and can help interpreting numeric signals. The driver can be configured to one of three quality levels to balance visual quality and drive space consumption according to specific scenarios. Multiple video sources can be recorded simultaneously by inserting multiple instances of this driver into one trace document.

Major features

• supports all industrial and consumer video cameras that come with a DirectShow driver
• records up to 16 cameras simultaneously and provides three different levels of quality for video capturing
• encodes video data with Windows Media Video 9 (WMV3) Codec, which is integral part of all supported operating systems
• saves video data in separate ASF files per recording segment and shows a live preview for one selectable video signal during recording

Working with AutoSPY mandatorily requires the analyser module to view and analyze existing documents. If you want to record new process data, you will additionally need one or more device drivers, which can be purchased separately − so you only pay for what you need. Please refer to our price list in the download section for the ordering data of all AutoSPY products. Software licenses are granted in different ways to flexibly meet your wishes:

• dongle-protected single licenses, particularly for mobile work stations with an individual set of drivers
• dongle-protected network licenses for at least two networked work stations with identical drivers
• dongle-free site licenses for equipping at least ten work stations with identical drivers

Both dongle-protected license types can be combined when purchasing multiple licenses. You will find more information on the proper choice and installation of the copy protection in the appropriate document inside the download section.

Hints for Placing Orders

Please address all purchase orders in written form to the contact of GWT–TUD GmbH stated below, preferably via e-mail or fax. If you purchase from an EU member state, please indicate your VAT Reg No on the order form. To enable a prompt execution of orders we kindly ask you to specify clearly, what AutoSPY products (name, order number, quantity) you want to use under which license (single, network or site license). If you are not sure about a license configuration that meets your requirements best, feel free to contact us before placing the order. All purchase orders are solely subject to the terms of delivery and payment of GWT.

In our download section you will find the AutoSPY demo version and some documentation for free download. For viewing and printing files in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader.