Calculation Channel Setup

Overview:

The Calculation feature in the Settings menu allows users to create custom computed channels using mathematical expressions and existing data sources. This is ideal for generating real-time analytics, ratios, and condition-based outputs within dashboards.

1. Navigation

I. Settings Menu (Left Sidebar)

• The left panel provides access to key settings, including:
  • Click the gear icon (⚙️) on the left navigation bar to access Settings.
  • Select Calculation from the settings dropdown list.
  • The Create Channel screen will open, allowing you to define and configure your new calculated channel.
• Below is the layout for accessing the Calculation page:

2. Create Channel Interface Overview

• Below is how the interface looks like:

• Below is a description of all the features in this page.

Section	Purpose
Channel Name	Name for the new calculated channel (e.g., “Pump Efficiency”).
Description	Optional text to describe the purpose or logic of the channel.
Unit of Measure	Set the resulting unit (e.g., psi, %, RPM).
Default Range Low/High	Define suggested min/max values for axis scaling in widgets.
Category	Assign a category for grouping or filtering channels.
Sharing Setting	Set channel visibility as Private or shared with other users.

 

3. Expression Editor

• This is where you define the logic using mathematical expressions or functions.

  • Type expressions in the Expression field (e.g., auger_1_rpm + auger_2_rpm).

  • Use syntax highlighting and autocomplete to assist in formula building.

  • Use channels and functions from the right-hand panel:

    • Channels Tab – Drag & drop real-time inputs from connected devices.

    • Functions Tab – Apply built-in functions (e.g., IF, AVG, MAX).

  • Clicking on the "+" adds the calculations to the expression window and updates the result with the latest value.

• Below is a screenshot of the Expression Editor with Built in Functions Tab listing all the available functions to choose from:

• Clicking the link to the function documentation opens up the document library containing all the functions and syntaxes that are possible to choose from.
• Click this link for directly accessing the function documentation.

4. Add Data Source

• Click "Add Data Source" to pull in data channels from available assets.
• You’ll see sources like “NOV Demo Blender”.
• Click ➕ to add a channel to your expression.

• Use the gear icon to rename or configure, and 🗑 (trash icon) to remove.
• Once the data source is added and the channel is selected, the output window shows the status" Calculation in progress" and displays the latest value as fetched by the data as below:

• Live Output Preview is shown in the Output section:

• Displays the latest values and how the expression is resolved.

• Includes a JSON preview for troubleshooting.

5. Plot Result

• Once the expression is complete:

  • Click Plot Result (bottom right) to validate the expression over time.

  • Select the time range (e.g., “Last 2 hours”) to preview calculations in real-time.

  • Below is a screenshot of how it looks like once the result is plotted:

6. Example Use Cases

• Combine sensor values (e.g., total flow = flow_1 + flow_2)

• Convert units or derive new ones (e.g., pressure drop, power calculation)

• Trigger conditional logic using IF statements

• Combine live RPM values to calculate total rotational speed.

• Use replay data to test load balancing logic before deployment.

• Derive new metrics like flow differential or temperature delta.

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