GE’s Version 7.x drivers take advantage of a Windows feature known as the Event Viewer. This feature allows software to write messages and data to the Windows Event Log. These messages can then be viewed using the Windows Event Viewer application. Version 7.x drivers use this ability primarily to log information about problems that arise during execution, particularly in the lowest layers of the driver where reporting the problem to users is more difficult. It also allows the messages logged to include specific information about the error. For instance, if the memory object encounters a problem while mapping an area of global memory via the "CreateFileMapping()" Win32 function, it not only reports that the error happened, but it can also translate the error code returned by Windows and include that text as well.
The Windows Event Viewer contains three different categories of messages: System, Security, and Application. The OPC Client writes its messages to the Application log.
To view messages that might
be generated by the driver:
- Start the Windows Event Viewer.
- Select the Application log from the Log menu. All the log messages associated with the Application log appear. Any message specific to your driver contains the driver’s acronym (OPC) in the Source column.
- Select a message and press the Enter key;
- Or -
Highlight a message and choose Detail from the View menu;
- Or -
Double-click the message.
Information that may be helpful for troubleshooting your I/O driver includes:
- Time – The time that the message was logged.
- Computer – The name of the computer that the message was logged on.
- Type – The severity of the message. Options include: Error, Information, and Warning.
- Description – The actual message logged.
- Data – The specific data associated with the message. The OPC Client rarely uses this information.
