iSPCChart Editor

This editor is used to configure the multitude of properties for the iSPCChart object.  The iSPCChart object is a highly flexible and configurable Java applet, and as a result, there are a large number of configurable options and behaviors.

General

This tab is used to configure general chart parameters and behaviors.  It is used to select the chart type and overall chart colors and fonts.  It is also used to configure which elements of the chart will be displayed.  For details on the individual parameters configured by this page, refer to the iSPCChartComponent General Parameters tables.

Data Mapping

As discussed in the parameter reference above, using the iSPCChart object requires some data mapping to give the iSPCChart object "hints" as to how to link the columns returned from the query with the various elements in the chart (data values, unique id, attributes, etc.).  As an example, suppose that a SQL query returns the following data set:

First we want to link this chart to a specific query.  Use the browse button (...) to the right of the Query Template Name text box to select an existing query.  The query column names will appear in the Column Names list box once a query template is selected.

The value column that we wish to evaluate using statistical analysis is the SaleAmount column.  We will use that column as the Value column for the query.  Highlight the SaleAmount column in the Column Names list and press the < button next to the Value Columns List.  Most SPC charts can have only a single value column.

In general, the < button adds selected columns to the appropriate list, the > button removes highlighted columns from the appropriate list, and you can change the order of the columns by using the up (Up) and down (Dn) buttons.

Suppose we are also interested in seeing other columns while analyzing the chart.  Other data returned in the query can add context to the analysis, even though they are not part of the statistical calculations.  For instance, it may be interesting to see the company name that is purchasing the product while we are analyzing our sales figures.  We will add the OrderID, CompanyName, and ShippedDate as Attribute columns.  When you are viewing the chart, you can see the attribute values for each point. They are available in a mode-less window through the right-click menu at runtime.  (You may also use the mouseover parameter to see data as well - see below).  Highlight the columns that you wish to see, and add them to the Attribute Columns list with the < button.  You can order the attributes by using the up (Up) and down (Dn) buttons.

The Sample Size Column is used for attribute charts.  If this column is returned via the data query, and you wish to use it instead of a static value (see Parameters), this column should be identified here.

The Time Stamp column is used to identify the date-time column for time sensitive queries.  This will also be used to identify "break points" in the control limits - if you change control limits, and give them an effective date, this is the column that will be used to identify which limits to use. This is required for Limit Transactions in the chart.

Documenting SPC Data Points

In order to store comments or to document a specific subgroup point within the SPC chart, you must create a unique identifier for the point or subgroup so that if the same point is retrieved again, the documentation previously entered is available to the chart user.  To uniquely identify a point in this query, we will use the OrderID column, since that by definition in our datasource is unique.  In a tag datasource, using a HistoryEvent type query, you may need to use both the tag name and a timestamp column from the returning data.

Refer to the iSPCChartComponent Data Mapping Parameters table for more information.

Extended Data Mapping

The extended data mapping configuration tab is for additional, optional mapping parameters.  If you return the control and/or specification limits in the data query, you can identify them here.  This will override the queries identified on the Limits tab.  This can improve performance, because only one query is required to return both the data to be analyzed and the control and/or the specification limits.

The X-Axis label attribute will default to 1, 2, 3,...n.  If you add a column to this, the values in the returning columns will be used.  In this example, we are using the OrderID as the X-Axis label.

The Highlight Attribute Name is the default highlight attribute column that you wish to use for the chart.  When points are selected, those sharing the same value for this column will be highlighted.  This may be changed at runtime by the user.  The Highlight Attribute Value field will automatically highlight the points having the specified value in the Highlight Attribute Name column when the chart is refreshed, without the user needing to select a point.

The Mouseover Attribute identifies the column of data that will be shown in the upper left-hand corner of the chart when the mouse cursor is passed over a point (must be referenced in the Attribute Columns list).  This may also be set at runtime through Web page scripting.  For more information on setting applet parameters through script, see the Applet General Reference and the Applet Object Model sections.

Refer to the  iSPCChartComponent Data Mapping Parameters table for more information.

Parameters

This tab is used to configure the parameters that are specific to individual chart types.  For details on each chart type's specific parameters, refer to the relevant table in the Chart Specific Parameters table in the iSPCChart Reference.

Legend

This tab is used to configure the appearance and behavior of the chart legend.  For details on the individual parameters configured by this tab, refer to the iSPCChartComponent Legend Properties table.

SPC Axes

This tab is used to configure parameters associated with the X axis (horizontal axis) and Y axis (vertical axis).  For details on the individual parameters configured by this tab, refer to the iSPCChartComponent Axis Properties table.

Upper Chart

This tab is used to configure properties of the upper chart. See the iSPCChartComponent Upper Chart Parameters table for more information.

Lower Chart

The Lower Chart tab is virtually identical to the Upper Chart tab, except that the property changes affect the lower chart.  These properties are only used if a lower chart is appropriate for the chosen SPC Chart Type such as the Moving Range (MR) portion of an XBAR-MR chart type.

Refer to the iSPCChartComponent Lower Chart Parameters table for more information.

Limits

There are multiple ways to set both control limits and specification limits for a chart:

1. Specifying a query that returns the control limits and/or the specification limits from another data source (see UpperControlLimitSource, LowerControlLimitSource, and Upper Spec Source in the iSPC Chart Reference).

2. Directly entering the control limit and/or the specification limit values into the template (see Lower Control Limit, Centerline, Upper Control Limit, Lower Spec Limit, Target, and Upper Spec Limit in the iSPC Chart Reference).

3. Calculating the control limits on the fly based on the dataset (see the Calculate Control Limits in the iSPC Chart Reference).

4. You may also return the limits in the data query - see Extended Data Mapping.

You may choose to calculate control limits and make them available to the end user to view with the other calculated statistics, while still plotting the saved control limits on the chart.  The limits that are actually plotted on the chart follow an order of precedence. If limits are returned in the data query and are mapped into the template on the Ext Mapping tab, these have the highest priority.  If you define a query to retrieve the limits, those are the second highest priority, and will be used on the chart.  The third highest priority are the static values for Lower Control Limit, Centerline, and Upper Control Limit.  The same order of precedence is used for the specification limits.

The Upper CL Source is the query template that returns the control limits to be used for the upper chart.  Similarly, the Lower CL Source is the query template that returns the control limits to be used for the lower chart.

If you specify a query, but at runtime the query returns no results, then the chart will use the static limits from this tab.

If you choose to specify a query, you may make it a parameterized query.  The parameters may be set at runtime, as with any query. However, if they are static for a chart, you may type in the values on the Query Param entries on this tab.  The default values for Param.1 and Param.2 for each query are [CHARTNAME] and [CHARTTYPE] respectively.  By putting these values in square brackets [], the system recognizes them as keywords, and automatically substitutes chart parameter values that match the parameter names into the queries.  For example, an iSPCChart template has both a ChartName and a ChartType parameter, found on the "General" tab.  You define the chart name such as "SalesOrdersSPC," and the chart type is selected from a drop down list such as "XBAR." By using these parameters, you can write a parameterized query that returns control or specification limits for more than one chart or chart type. At runtime, the [CHARTNAME] and [CHARTTYPE] tokens are replaced with "SalesOrdersSPC" and "XBAR" and assigned to Param.1 and Param.2 in the associated CL Source template.

If you wish to establish control limits and store them within the system, you may do so.  The default storage mechanism saves the control and specification limits by chart name and chart type, so a single query can be used for all system control limits.

The control limit queries and the specification limit query must always return data in the following format:

Column 1:  Starting Effective Date

Column 2:  Lower Control Limit / Lower Specification Limit

Column 3:  Centerline Value / Target Value

Column 4:  Upper Control Limit / Upper Specification Limit

Refer to the iSPCChartComponent Upper Chart and Specification Limit Parameters table for more information.

Alarms

The Western Electric Company (WECO) rules may be applied to the chart in any combination to evaluate control chart run alarms.  You may also customize the default behavior of the alarm evaluation on a template-by-template basis.  The WECO rules are applied on a subgroup level and do not indicate trends of points within a subgroup.

The alarms may be enabled individually for upper and lower charts as appropriate.  The general setup for an alarm requires two integer values, the limit value and the length value.  These two values are used in tandem.  An alarm is considered active when x of y successive subgroup points have exceeded a threshold, where x = limit value, and y = length value.  The default values are shown below.

For example, if 2 (limit value) of 3 (length value) subgroup points are beyond Zone A, the Zone A alarm rule has been violated.  Zones A, B, and C represent the 3 sigma, 2 sigma, and 1 sigma widths beyond the centerline, respectively.

The Control Limit alarm rule is typically in violation if any point exceeds the control limit.  The same is true for the Specification Limit alarm.  Both their defaults are 1 point in violation.

The Alternating Limit alarm means x of y points have changed the side of the centerline that they are on.  The Run Limit alarm is activated when at least x of y consecutive points appear on the same side of the centerline (they may be above or below).  The Trend Limit alarm is activated if x of y points indicate the variable is headed in the same direction (either increasing or decreasing).

The Zone A and Zone B alarms indicate that x of y points are in or beyond the indicated zone (e.g., 2 of 3 in Zone A or Beyond).  There are two distinct alarms for Zone C: all x of y points inside the zone and all x of y points outside the zone.

The Sigma Different Limit alarm refers to an alarm which monitors the values of consecutive subgroup plot points. If they vary by 4 sigma, an alarm is generated.

Refer to the  iSPCChartComponent Alarm Parameters table for more information.

Behaviors

This tab is used to configure which functions will be enabled or disabled when the user right-clicks the mouse on an iSPCChart object at runtime.  For details on the individual parameters configured by this tab, refer to the iSPCChartComponent Behavior Parameters table.

Refresh Page

This page is used to control the automatic refresh behavior for the object.  For details on the individual parameters configured by this page, refer to the General Applet Common Properties/Methods table.

Security

See the Security information in the Query Editor topic.