Arena 16 Features

AVAILABLE NOW!

Why Arena 16?

  • NEW: Arena Multi-Computing Utility
  • No more USB Dongle! The CodeMeter Dongle is no longer required
  • New System Variables (Conveyor & Flow)
  • New SMARTs Files
  • Module Updates (Access, Exit & Adjustable Batch)
  • Export Tool Support
  • Windows 10 Compatible

What's New?

grid computing

Arena Multi-Computing Utility

Get results faster! The Arena Multi-Computing Utility has been added to the collection of Arena support tools.  This utility can be used to run multiple replications of a given model across several different computers.  The report databases are then merged into one report.

Factory Talk Activation Manager

NO MORE DONGLES! Arena was modified to take advantage of the CodeMeter Universal licensing.  CodeMeter Universal licensing allows both 64 and 32 bit Arena licenses to be tied to a computer.  The latest version of the FactoryTalk Activation Manager no longer requires a dongle for 64 bit Arena.  You will need to update to the latest version of the Factory Talk Activation Manager, included with Arena, to get this enhancement.  

 

Module Updates

  • Adjustable Batch Module
    • The Optimum Batch Size field has been renamed to Preferred Batch Size to better indicate its meaning.  The Preferred Batch Size can now be entered as an expression which will be truncated to an integer.
  • Access Module
    • The Conveyor Name field can now be entered as an expression.
  • Exit Module
    • The Conveyor Name field can now be entered as an expression.

New System Variables

New Conveyor Variables

  • CD(Conveyor ID, Station ID)
    • The CD variable is used to get the distance, in the models distance units, from the location of the entity to the specified station for a stated conveyor. 
  • ICSL(Conveyor ID, from Station ID, to Station ID)
    • The ICSL variable is used to return the length, in the models distance units, of a specific segment of a conveyor.

A new smart illustrating the meaning of the new conveyor variables has been added.  To access this file from Arena, use the File menu, select “Browse SMARTS….” And select the model located in the Conveyors folder:  Conveyors Variables.doe

New Flow Variables

Four new Flow variables have been added to Arena.  These variables mirror current existing variables except that these are not cleared after the warm-up period if one is specified.

  • TotalTankQtyAdded
    • Returns the total quantity of material added to the tank.  This variable is not cleared at the end of the warm-up period (if specified.)  It will return the same value as TankQtyAdded if no warm-up period is defined. 
  • TotalTankQtyRemoved
    • Returns the total quantity of material removed from the tank.  This variable is not cleared at the end of the warm-up period (if specified.)  It will return the same value as TankQtyRemoved if no warm-up period is defined. 
  • TotalRegulatorQtyAdded
    • Returns the total quantity of material added using the regulator.  This variable is not cleared at the end of the warm-up period (if specified.)  It will return the same value as RegulatorQtyAdded if no warm-up period is defined. 
  • TotalRegulatorQtyRemoved
    • Returns the total quantity of material removed using the regulator.  This variable is not cleared at the end of the warm-up period (if specified.)  It will return the same value as RegulatorQtyRemoved if no warm-up period is defined. 

A new smart illustrating the meaning of the new tank variables has been added.  To access this file from Arena, use the File menu, select “Browse SMARTS….” And select the model located in the FlowProcess folder:  FlowProcess Tank and Regulator Variables.doe

New Smarts

The following models have been added to the Smarts file library:

  • SIMAN Using FINDJ with Group Variables.doe:Illustrates how the FINDJ block can be used to search a batch/group of entities for the member that has the desired attribute.
  • Animation Using Storage and Unstore.doe:Illustrates how storages can be used to animate entities undergoing a delay.
  • External Data Files Reading in Part Routing from CSV File.doe:Illustrates reading in an external data file to define part routes.

 

Export Tool Support

The 'Export Summary Statistics to CSV File' tool has been updated to allow the selection of .accdb Access database files created by Arena.  This tool is now included in the 64 bit version of Arena.

OptQuest

The OptQuest Solution Log property no longer requires a full path to the log.

Crystal Reports

The Crystal Reports Runtime Engine has been updated to version 23.  Memory errors when using Crystal Reports under certain conditions were resolved.

3rd Party Components

The Microsoft Database Engine has been updated to version 16.

.NET Framework has been updated to 4.6

Design for Security

Security requirements outline in IEC/ISA 62443-4-2 were made.

Inter-Process Communications (IPC)

New methods and algorithm changes were made to the IPC communications feature.

In case you missed it, you can check out the full list of new features from v15.1.