Do you need a real-time enterprise wide user interface with millisecond response that allows authorized users to view data while preventing them from controlling the data? P-Tech offers BlackBoard, a state-of-the-art visualization tool. Unlike other systems that profess to be real-time and yet have limitations of 5-minute intervals or longer, BlackBoard will process thousands of data points and has millisecond response rates allowing true real-time viewing of information. BlackBoard provides graphics, charts, trends, and symbols that appear 2-D or 3-D and can render displays from multiple systems on geographic maps, operational diagrams, network status and tabular diagrams. Performance is outstanding because of the caching features of BlackBoard with change by exception, allowing for vast amounts of data to be promptly updated and animated if alarm or alert conditions are present. The animation creates an eye catching method to show potential problems, outstanding problems, and escalating problems. And, being view-only, provides a great security feature. It prevents a remote user from having control capability in the case of administrative lapse in removing control functionality and in the case of software malfunction from a server performing both view and control functions.

The displays shown are available locally and remotely based upon user authorization to login and to review a set of displays. Users may monitor systems and review information without having to view 3 or 4 different user interfaces from each of the different systems. An embedded database driver retrieves data from multiple systems that is easily rendered on common hardware using standard web browsers. Furthermore, the data from different systems may be integrated onto one display allowing a more complete enterprise wide view of the company. Indeed the data from different systems may be displayed on one display or mixed and matched across multiple different displays. The accompanying editor allows users to view the data in the format preferred.

BlackBoard is not just for desktop viewing, it proves to be a great solution to retain functionality that is sometimes lost as control rooms move from static, tiled mapboards to electronic or soft display walls. On a static mapboard, operators use magnets and sticky notes to track grid conditions. Similarly, with BlackBoard’s sticky note feature, operators may track information on a dynamic display wall placing and removing sticky notes.

Users find that information is absorbed much faster and less training is required for staff since there is greater consistency of displaying information across multiple systems. It is a far more efficient way to relay information using the advanced animation and graphics from all sources instead of merely using words and values across multiple displays, systems and monitors.