Meaning
Recording functions for the communication between factory equipment and the host computer provide a chronological history of all transactions. The secs data logging process captures every message sent and received over the interface for later analysis. This log is the primary source for troubleshooting connectivity issues and verifying the behavior of the automation software.
Stream Definition
Categories of messages are organized into streams that represent different functional areas like clock set or remote control. The secs data logging system allows an engineer to filter the results by stream and function number to find specific events. This filtering is necessary because the volume of data generated by a single machine can be very high.
Message Retention
Storage policies determine how long the historical records are kept before they are archived or deleted. A detailed secs data logging strategy ensures that data is available for at least one full production cycle to support quality audits. Local storage on the machine often acts as a buffer before the data is moved to a central server where it is indexed for long term retrieval.
This secondary storage allows for cross machine analysis.
Diagnostic Utility
Analysis of the communication patterns can reveal hidden timing issues or protocol violations that lead to intermittent failures. The secs data logging files are used to compare the actual sequence of events against the expected state machine logic. This process is essential for certifying that a new piece of hardware is ready for integration into the factory net.