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8.5 — Cimplicity

CIMPLICITY 8.5: A Deep Dive into GE Digital’s Legacy HMI/SCADA Milestone

In the world of industrial automation, few platforms carry the weight and legacy of GE Digital’s Proficy HMI/SCADA CIMPLICITY. When version 8.5 was released, it marked a significant turning point in how operators interacted with plant-floor data, moving away from static displays toward more dynamic, integrated, and secure environments.

Whether you are maintaining a legacy system or researching the evolution of SCADA technology, understanding the core pillars of CIMPLICITY 8.5 is essential. The Core Philosophy of CIMPLICITY 8.5

CIMPLICITY 8.5 was engineered with a focus on lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increased operational efficiency. During its era, industrial environments were beginning to shift toward "Digital Transformation," requiring software that could handle larger data sets without sacrificing speed or security. 1. Enhanced Visualization with Proficy Portal Analysis

One of the standout features of the 8.5 release was its deep integration with Proficy Portal. This allowed for:

Web-based Analysis: Operators could view real-time data trends through a browser, reducing the need for heavy client installations on every workstation.

Unified Dashboards: It allowed for the merging of HMI screens with high-level KPI dashboards, bridging the gap between the shop floor and the front office. 2. Digital Graphic Object Improvement

CIMPLICITY 8.5 introduced more robust graphic capabilities. This wasn't just about "looking better"—it was about situational awareness. By using enhanced vector graphics and improved object libraries, developers could create screens that highlighted anomalies more effectively, allowing operators to react to alarms faster. 3. Security and Windows Compatibility

Released during the era of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, version 8.5 brought critical updates to security protocols. It introduced:

Microsoft User Account Control (UAC) Support: This allowed the software to run with "least privilege" settings, a massive step forward in protecting industrial networks from malware and unauthorized changes. cimplicity 8.5

Native 64-bit OS Support: This allowed the software to leverage more RAM, significantly improving performance for high-point-count systems. Key Features at a Glance

Object-Oriented Design: Using "Classes and Objects" allowed engineers to build a template for a motor or valve once and deploy it thousands of times, ensuring consistency and saving hundreds of programming hours.

Robust Alarm Management: Version 8.5 refined alarm filtering, helping to prevent "alarm fatigue" where operators are overwhelmed by non-critical notifications.

Open Standards: True to its name, CIMPLICITY remained highly extensible, supporting OPC, ActiveX, and .NET components, ensuring it could talk to almost any PLC or hardware device on the market. Why Is Version 8.5 Still Relevant Today?

While GE Digital has since released much newer versions (like CIMPLICITY 2023 or 2024), version 8.5 remains a "workhorse" in many stable industrial environments. Many facilities operate on a "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" mentality, especially in highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals or water treatment.

However, if you are still running 8.5, it is important to consider:

Security Gaps: Modern cyber threats are far more sophisticated than those in the early 2010s.

Hardware Aging: Version 8.5 is tied to older operating systems that may no longer receive security patches from Microsoft. Conclusion

CIMPLICITY 8.5 was a definitive leap forward for HMI/SCADA technology, prioritizing security, scalability, and ease of use. It laid the groundwork for the high-performance HMI standards we see today, proving that a well-built industrial platform can stand the test of time. CIMPLICITY 8

5 feature, or are you planning an upgrade path to a more current version?

Mastering Industrial Automation: A Deep Dive into CIMPLICITY 8.5

In the world of HMI (Human Machine Interface) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), few names carry as much weight as GE Digital’s CIMPLICITY. Known for its client-server architecture and robust scalability, the release of CIMPLICITY 8.5 marked a significant milestone in how industrial facilities manage data and visualize operations.

While newer versions have since hit the market, CIMPLICITY 8.5 remains a workhorse in many manufacturing plants and infrastructure projects due to its stability and specific feature set. Here is a comprehensive look at what makes this version a cornerstone of industrial automation. What is CIMPLICITY 8.5?

CIMPLICITY 8.5 is a high-performance automation platform designed to provide real-time visibility into operations. It acts as the "brain" of a facility, gathering data from various hardware devices (PLCs, sensors, and controllers) and transforming that raw data into actionable insights through high-quality graphical displays. Key Innovations in Version 8.5

The 8.5 release focused heavily on enhancing the developer experience and streamlining the way operators interact with complex systems. Key highlights included:

Action Calendar: One of the standout features of 8.5, the Action Calendar allows users to schedule events and actions based on time or specific conditions. This is vital for automating shift changes, maintenance routines, and daily start-up procedures.

Enhanced Graphics Engine: This version introduced more sophisticated drawing tools and support for .NET controls, allowing for more intuitive and aesthetically pleasing dashboards.

Object-Oriented Design: CIMPLICITY 8.5 leaned heavily into "Classes and Objects." This allows engineers to create a template for a piece of equipment (like a motor or pump) once and deploy it hundreds of times across a project, significantly reducing engineering time. Core Benefits for Modern Operations 1. Massive Scalability Common Use Cases Even today

CIMPLICITY 8.5 is designed to grow. Whether you are managing a single production line or a massive global enterprise with multiple sites, the software’s architecture supports seamless expansion. Its "View Node" system allows remote users to access the server from anywhere on the network. 2. High Availability and Redundancy

In industrial settings, downtime is the enemy. Version 8.5 offers robust redundancy options. If a primary server fails, a secondary server can take over immediately, ensuring that data logging and operational control are never interrupted. 3. Open Connectivity

One of the reasons for the longevity of 8.5 is its "open" nature. It supports a vast array of communication protocols, including OPC UA, which is the gold standard for secure, reliable industrial data exchange. It plays well with hardware from GE, Rockwell, Siemens, and many others. Security and Reliability

CIMPLICITY 8.5 was developed with a "Secure by Design" philosophy. At a time when industrial cybersecurity was becoming a top priority, 8.5 introduced improved user authentication and authorization protocols. It integrates tightly with Microsoft Windows security, ensuring that only qualified personnel have the power to change critical setpoints or stop production lines. Why Is It Still Used Today?

You might wonder why many firms haven't upgraded to the latest version. The answer usually lies in validation and stability. In highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals or food and beverage, changing software versions requires extensive re-validation. Because CIMPLICITY 8.5 is incredibly stable and supports legacy Windows environments (like Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2), many facilities continue to rely on it for their daily operations. Conclusion

CIMPLICITY 8.5 represents a perfect balance between "old school" reliability and "new school" features like object-oriented configuration and advanced scheduling. It remains a powerful tool for any organization looking to gain a competitive edge through better data visualization and operational control.

D. Enhanced Alarm Subsystem

The alarm server in 8.5 introduced:

  • Shelving: Temporary suppression of nuisance alarms during maintenance windows.
  • Priority-based filtering: Ensured operators saw critical alarms first.
  • ODBC logging: Alarms could be written directly to Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle for compliance reporting (e.g., FDA 21 CFR Part 11).

5. Installation Steps (High-Level)

  1. Prepare OS: Disable UAC, firewall (or open ports 5010, 5015, 5020 TCP), and antivirus real-time scanning.
  2. Install prerequisites: .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, SQL Server Express (for event logging/recipes).
  3. Run Setup.exe from CIMPLICITY 8.5 media.
    • Choose Complete for development + runtime.
    • Choose Runtime for deployed stations.
  4. License: Apply license file via License Manager (Node-locked or floating network license).
  5. Reboot and configure shared memory (SEMA) for inter-process communication.

2. Lower Hardware Costs

While CIMPLICITY 2023 requires high-end SSDs and modern multi-core CPUs, 8.5 runs comfortably on refurbished industrial PCs (IPC). This is a financial advantage for small water districts or machine builders.

Key Features of Version 8.5

CIMPLICITY 8.5 solidified several core functionalities that industrial users still rely on today:

  • Native 64-bit Architecture: Unlike its predecessors, 8.5 offered true 64-bit server support, allowing for larger point counts and improved memory management for extensive plant-floor data.
  • WebHMI (Thin Client): This version introduced more reliable web-based visualization, allowing operators to view and control processes via Internet Explorer (standard for the era) without installing the full client.
  • Redundancy Enhancements: Hot backup and failover capabilities were refined, ensuring minimal downtime for critical infrastructure, power generation, and water treatment facilities.
  • Historian Integration: Seamless out-of-the-box connectivity with Proficy Historian allowed for high-speed data logging and trend analysis without custom scripting.
  • Screen Navigation: The "Smart Symbol" library was expanded, enabling reusable, parameterized objects that reduced development time for large projects.

Common Use Cases

Even today, you will find CIMPLICITY 8.5 running in:

  • Legacy Oil & Gas pipelines (where certification for older hardware is required).
  • Pharmaceutical batch processing (validated systems that cannot be upgraded due to FDA recertification costs).
  • Water/Wastewater treatment plants with long-lifecycle GE PLCs.
  • Manufacturing lines running Windows XP Embedded thin clients.


8.5 — Cimplicity


Difficulty: Medium
Download: database_tutorials.zip

In this tutorial we are going to be adding data to the Guestbook database made in the tutorial Part: 1 Connecting to an Access Database.

To make the Microsoft Access database tutorials on Connecting, Adding, Deleting, and Updating, more interesting we are going to use these tutorials to make a simple Guestbook.

In the first database tutorial, Part: 1 Connecting to an Access Database, we learned how to connect to a database and display the contents of a database table in a web page.

In this tutorial we use an HTML form to take a site visitors name and comments and add these to the database. We will then use the page 'guestbook.asp' made in the first database tutorial to display the contents of the database (don't worry if you didn't do the first database tutorial, the 'Guestbook database' and the 'guestbook.asp' page are included in the zip file for this tutorial).


8.5 — Cimplicity

First we need to quickly create an HTML page with a form on it to take the input from the user.

In this page we will have two text boxes, one called 'name' and the other called, 'comments', we will then use the post method to send the page to the file, 'add_to_guestbook.asp' that we are going to be creating later in this tutorial, which will add the user input into the database.

<html>
<head>
<title>Guestbook Form</title>
</head>
<body bgcolor="white" text="black">
<!-- Begin form code -->
 <form name="form" method="post" action="add_to_guestbook.asp">
     Name: <input type="text" name="name" maxlength="20">
     <br>
     Comments: <input type="text" name="comments" maxlength="50">
     <input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit">
 </form>
<!-- End form code -->
</body>
</html>

Save the page as 'guestbook_form.htm' in the same folder as the Guestbook database.

8.5 — Cimplicity

Now we've got the form, to input the data through, out of the way we can make the the page that does all the work, adding the data to the database.

This page contains no HTML so we can start writing the asp straight away, still don't forget the server side script tags, <% .... %>.

First we need to dimension the variables used in the script, so open your favourite text editor and enter the following code.

<%
'Dimension variables
Dim adoCon          'Holds the Database Connection Object
Dim rsAddComments   'Holds the recordset for the new record to be added
Dim strSQL          'Holds the SQL query to query the database

Next we need to create a database connection object on the server using the ADO Database connection object.

'Create an ADO connection object
Set adoCon = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")

Now we need to open a connection to the database. There are a couple of ways of doing this either by using a system DSN or a DSN-less connection. First I am going to show you how to make a DSN-less connection as this is faster and simpler to set up than a DSN connection.

To create a DSN-less connection to an Access database we need tell the connection object we created above to open the database by telling the connection object to use the 'Microsoft Access Driver' to open the database 'guestbook.mdb'.

You'll notice the ASP method 'Server.MapPath' in font of the name of the database. This is used as we need to get the physical path to the database. Server.MapPath returns the physical path to the script, e.g. 'c:\website\', as long as the database is in the same folder as the script it now has the physical path to the database and the database name.

'Set an active connection to the Connection object using a DSN-less connection
adoCon.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; Data Source=" & Server.MapPath("guestbook.mdb")

Next create an ADO recordset object which will hold the records from the database and the new record to be added to the database.

'Create an ADO recordset object
Set rsAddComments = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")

To query a database we need to use SQL (Structured Query Language). In the next line we initialise the variable 'strSQL' with an SQL query to read in the fields 'Name' and 'Comments' form the 'tblComments' table.

'Initialise the strSQL variable with an SQL statement to query the database
strSQL = "SELECT tblComments.Name, tblComments.Comments FROM tblComments;"

Set the cursor type we are using to 'adOpenDynamic' so we can move through the recrord set. The integer value for this is 2.

'Set the cursor type we are using so we can navigate through the recordset
rsAddComments.CursorType = 2

Because we are going to be saving an updated recordset back to the database we need to set the LockType of the recordset to 'adoLockOptimistic' so that the recordset is locked, but only when it is updated. The integer value for this lock type is 3.

'Set the lock type so that the record is locked by ADO when it is updated
rsAddComments.LockType = 3

Now we can open the recordset and run the SQL query on the database returning the results of the query to the recordset.

'Open the recordset with the SQL query
rsAddComments.Open strSQL, adoCon

Once the recordset is open we can add a new record onto the end of the recordset. In the next line we let the recordset know we are adding a new record to it.

'Tell the recordset we are adding a new record to it
rsAddComments.AddNew

Now we can add a new record to the recordset. The details taken from the form we created at the start of this tutorial are entered into there relevant fields in the recordset. To get the data entered by the user from the form we use the 'Form' method of the ASP 'Request' object to request the data entered into the text boxes, 'name' and 'comments'.

'Add a new record to the recordset
rsAddComments.Fields("Name") = Request.Form("name")
rsAddComments.Fields("Comments") = Request.Form("comments")

The data has been entered into the recordset we can save the recordset to the database using the 'Update' method of the recordset object.

'Write the updated recordset to the database
rsAddComments.Update

We have finished using the database in this script so we can now close the recordset and reset the server objects.

'Reset server objects
rsAddComments.Close
Set rsAddComments = Nothing
Set adoCon = Nothing

Now that the database is updated we are going to use the 'Redirect' method of the ASP response object to redirect to the 'guestbook.asp' page we created in the first database tutorial, Connecting to an Access Database, so we can display the updated database. Note that if you are going to use the 'Response.Redirect' method you must remember to redirect before any HTML is written.

'Redirect to the guestbook.asp page
Response.Redirect "guestbook.asp"
%>

Now call the file 'add_to_guestbook.asp' and save it to the same directory as the database and the 'guestbook.asp' page, don't forget the '.asp' extension.

And that's about it, you have now created a simple Guestbook for your website, to find out how to delete any of the comments from the Guestbook database read the next tutorial on, Deleting Data from an Access Database.

If you find that you are getting errors connecting to the database then please read through the Access Database Errors FAQ's, practically make sure you have the correct 'ODBC Drivers' installed on your system and if you are using the, 'NTFS file system', make sure the permissions are correct for the database and the directory the database in.

Part 3: Deleting Data from an Access Database (Guestbook Pt.3) >>


Accompanying Tutorials in this Series

Now that you have completed this part you should look at the accompanying Tutorials in this series





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