Value to Text Translation Now Available in Contrail®

Text translations allow administrators to define translation tables to map numeric values to text strings for Contrail® data display.  These translations are also supported in the Contrail® Data Exchange API.

Common examples of existing sensors that will make use of this feature are:

• Intrusion sensors on doors
• Float switches
• Road way sensors

 These sensor types usually send discreet integer values like 0 or 1 to express the state of the sensor.

• 0 on an intrusion sensor would translate to "Door Closed."
• 1 would be equivalent to "Door Open."

Overview

We still collect and store the numeric values, but Contrail can now display the translated text equivalents throughout the web application.

The text translation logic is a direct 1-to-1 relationship, there is not the capability to interpolate, or create unique text strings for ranges.

If the sensor is set with "Translation Enabled" in the Contrail administration interface, it will also need to have a text translation table loaded.

The text translation interface is very similar to loading rating tables. You upload a text file for the specific sensor with two columns separated by a comma (Value,Text). If the value does not translate the word UNKNOWN is displayed in Contrail.

Value to text translations are also supported in the Contrail Data Exchange API.  The GetSensorData method has an optional ‘translate’ parameter.   See the Data Exchange API documentation for more information.