QUICK START GUIDE

OMNICOM Quick Start

Guide

July 2017

Revision B

OMNI Flow Computers, Inc.

12320 Cardinal Meadow Suite 180
Sugarland, TX 77478

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Document Revisions

Date Revision Document Changes

xx-Month-2015 A New Release

07-July-2017 B Security – Hide passwords from Administrators

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Table of Contents

1.0 Overview

2.0 Installing OMNICOM

3.0 Setting up Connection Definitions

4.0 User Log-In

5.0 Synchronizing OMNICOM with the OMNI Hardware

6.0 Menu and Toolbar Descriptions

7.0 Configuration

8.0 Report Template Editor

9.0 Operation

10.0 Diagnostics

11.0 Disconnection from the OMNI Hardware

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1.0 Overview
OMNICOM for Windows is an application used for configuring,
operating, and diagnosing the OMNI 3000 and 6000 flow computers.
The Quick Start Guide will instruct the user through the initial setup and
startup guiding users through its many functions and features.

2.0 Installing OMNICOM

• Insert the OMNI 3000/6000 distribution media into the computer.
• Go to the drive name where the media is located and run
“autorun.exe” software to download.
• The default installation folder is “C:\OmniFlow\OmniCom”.

3.0 Setting up Connection Definitions

Before communicating with the OMNI, connection sites should be defined

as follows:

• The sites describe which communication port of the PC to use and

other related communications parameters.

• Direct, Modem, Satellite and/or TCP/IP communications can be set

up.

OMNICOM has two (2) default direct connection sites defined at

installation time. To verify connection sites needed, the following must be
performed:

• Select Edit │Sites from the Menu Toolbar

• Highlight one (1) of the sites and double click or select Edit to view
the parameters.

NOTE: The parameters of an existing site can be changed or a new

site can be added if desired.

Each site is associated with one (1) or more units

• Configure at least one (1) unit for each site

• The unit configuration allows the user to set the details of the
connection to a particular OMNI unit

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• Some details include Modbus ID, protocol type, timing delays and
retries
4.0 Connecting to the OMNI
• Connect a Serial or Ethernet cable from the PC to a port on the
OMNI.
• Power on the OMNI unit.
• Select the from the Menu Toolbar or select Actions | Online
from the Menu Toolbar.
• Highlight the preferred site and expand it out by selecting + to the
left of the site name.
• Double click on the preferred unit or highlight it, then select
Connect.
5.0 User Log In
• After connecting to an OMNI, the user is required to log in with a
password:

Figure 1. Security Password

• Enter OMNI (case insensitive), then select OK.

6.0 Synchronizing OMNICOM and the OMNI

After connecting to an OMNI, OMNICOM needs to be synchronized with

the OMNI before any main configuration items can be changed.

• When the configuration tree item is expanded, a dialog box is

presented giving the user a choice of sending the current
OMNICOM configuration to the OMNI or reading the current OMNI
configuration into OMNICOM. The last option is to go offline and
cancel the operation.

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• Synchronization is not necessary when going to Operate,

Diagnostics or WinPanel.

• Once synchronized, the user can freely go between configuration

screens.

➢ When online with the OMNI, OMNICOM refreshes the data

as the user changes screens. This allows the most current
information to be visible.

• Synchronization can also be achieved by selecting Receive or

Actions │ Receive on the Menu Toolbar (Figure 2).

7.0 Menu Toolbar

Figure 2. Menu Toolbar

Any action performed by way of the icons on the toolbar can also be
performed by selecting from the Menu Toolbar (Figure 2).

Hovering the mouse pointer above a toolbar item for a moment displays a
toolbar tip exhibiting the action that the particular icon performs.

The information below explains the function and details of the icons on the
toolbar relating to the File menu:

• New - Initializes OMNICOM and creates an empty (new)

configuration with default settings.

• Open - Provides a File Open control dialog allowing user to

load an existing OMNICOM configuration from disk.
• Save - Saves the active configuration and report template
files to their current name and directory.

NOTE: When the user saves a document for the first time,
OMNICOM displays the Save As dialog box for the user to
name the file set.

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The following set of items found in the Actions menu:
• Connect - Connects OMNICOM to an OMNI unit via Direct,
Modem, Satellite or TCP/IP.
• Offline – Allows user to disconnect the OMNI unit from
OMNICOM and to work with files.
• Operate - Performs operations such as retrieving reports,
archiving data, prover control and batch operations.
• Reports - Modifies report templates.
• Configure – Configures the OMNI unit for operation.
• Receive - Reads the entire configuration from the OMNI
unit.
• Transmit – Sends the entire configuration to the OMNI unit.

The following icons are associated with Diagnostics:

• Diagnostics – Provides access to I/O Overview, System

Information, WINPANEL, and a Modbus communications test utility.
• WINPANEL – Provides access to the front panel and display
of the OMNI with the active connection.

The following icon is associated with Security:

• Security – Provides the Administrator access to set up the

users and passwords.

8.0 Screens / Tabs

• At the top of most tab displays are icons that read Apply and
Cancel (Figure 3)
• If any changes are made to a tab, the Apply and Cancel selections
become active
• Selecting Apply commits those changes while selecting Cancel
restores the previous values
• When online, selecting Apply causes the changes to be transmitted
to the active connected OMNI.

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Figure 3. Apply and Cancel

9.0 Configuration

OMNICOM opens in file mode with a new configuration file automatically

available. If this is the first attempt, the new file defaults to the latest
version of 20.75. If a file was previously saved, it opens a new file using
the Application, Version and Revision last used.

• To create a new configuration file of a different application and

version, select File │ Open.
• To open an existing configuration file, select File | Open.
• In general, the Configuration Tree is presented in the same order
that items are to be entered. As users progress down the tree
making entries, the tree items and tabs change to adapt to the
desired configuration. Only those items necessary for the
application will be visible.

➢ Operating modes, Configure, Operate, and Diagnostics, are

similar in appearance.
➢ On the left hand side there is a tree that divides the mode
specific information into sections
➢ Each has several screens or tabs that appear on the right when
selected

• OMNICOM enables or disables configuration screens based on

selections made through the configuration process.

➢ This hides parameters that are not relevant to the application for
what the OMNI is being programmed
➢ The General Setup – Equipment List tab allows the user to
indicate the equipment in the installation that interacts with the
OMNI.

• The OMNI can be configured for up to four (4) meter runs.

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➢ If in the Equipment List and there are only two (2) meter runs
selected, none of the configuration screens for Meter Run 3
or Meter Run 4 will be visible.
➢ This option can be turned on any time which will then
activate screens.

• The OMNI I/O section is used to group and define the I/O in the
system based on the boards or modules configured in the OMNI.

➢ The number and types of modules can be configured when

the unit in OMNICOM is offline.
➢ When the unit is online in OMNICOM, only the modules can
be viewed.
➢ Only the modules listed are configured in the tree. (For
example, if there is only one (1) digital I/O module installed,
then only one (1) digital board is visible (D-2) in the tree.)
➢ Choosing D-1 in the tree displays tabs on the right to
configure digitals 1 through 12.

• The Process I/O section contains the other I/O modules

➢ Each module has a Process Input and Analog Output

entry in the tree.
➢ The Process Input tabs allow the user to set up the input
type and associated parameters for each input.
➢ There is a tab for every input available in each module type
➢ There is an Analog Output tab for each output available in
each module type.
➢ The I/O points are numbered sequentially based on the type
and boards installed (see the Modules tab for summary of
the I/O points assigned to each module).

• The Current Assignments show a summary of the available

I/O points, their type, and which I/O points have been assigned
to equipment.

• The Ports section is for configuring the OMNI Serial and

Ethernet ports.

➢ There are two (2) ports for each Serial module and two (2)
ports for each Serial Ethernet module

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➢ Only one (1) of the two (2) Serial Ethernet module ports is
designated for an Ethernet and is indicated in the port name
on the tree

• OMNICOM has extensive online help that can be reached from

the Help menu. To access the Help menu:

➢ Select F1 on any screen to access the Help menu

➢ Select the icon with the combination arrow question mark
on the toolbar and then select entry item for which help
is needed

10.0 Report Template Editor

• OMNICOM’s Report Template Editor is used to create and edit

the report templates
• Templates can be created and edited while connected to an OMNI
in online or offline mode.
• Default templates included in the installation are located in the
“C:\OmniFlow\OmniCom\Templates” directory.

11.0 Operation

• If online, the Operate Tree allows the user to view current and
historical reports, and to retrieve and view archive data in the OMNI
unit. If offline, only the Site List report is available.
• If online, the archive data may be retrieved, viewed and maintained.
If offline, only the Archive Path may be set.
• The Prover and Batch Control tree items are only available if
online.

12.0 Diagnostics

• The diagnostic tree is available in the online mode and includes an

I/O Overview, WinPanel, and a communications test utility.
• The I/O Overview provides live information regarding the digital I/O,
the process inputs, and the analog outputs. For convenience, a list
of the currently installed modules is also displayed.

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• WinPanel is a means to access the front panel and display of the

OMNI with the active connection. Users may scroll through the
display and select tabs like when the panel itself.

• Test Communications option provides a means of sending raw

Modbus messages to the OMNI with the active connection. All of
the function codes and data types supported in the OMNI are
available.

13.0 Disconnection from the OMNI Hardware

• To disconnect from the OMNI with the active connection, select the
File Folders icon from the toolbar or Actions | Offline from the
menu.

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