Changing a remote platform’s date, time and time zone

For a Windows host, you use Windows functions to specify the date, time and time zone . On a PC, views that include the time zone as well as TCP/IP configuration are read-only. Usually, you specify time zone in the controller when you run the Commissioning Wizard. You can change the time zone at any time using this procedure, which uses the PlatformAdministration object. You can also change the date, time and time zone using the PlatformServices view in the station.

You are working in Workbench and are connected to the remote controller platform.
  1. Expand the Platform node in the Nav tree or double-click Platform and double-click Platform Administration.
  2. Click Change Date/Time.
    The Set System Date/Time window opens.

  3. To set the date, do one of the following:
    • Click in a day-month-year position, then click the up and down controls or click and type in numerals directly.
    • Click the calendar icon for a popup window and select the date from a calendar.
  4. To set the time, do one of the following:
    • Click in a hour or minute position then click the up and down controls.
    • Click and type in numerals directly.
  5. To set the time zone, select it from the drop-down list and click Save.

    The time zones appear on a selection list with a format such as:
Zone ID (± hours UTC offset DST,± hours UTC offset UST).

    For example:

    America/Chicago (-6,-5)

    Europe/Berlin (+1,+2)

    Asia/Tokyo (+9)

    There is no DST observance in Japan, so the selection with zone ID Asia/Tokyo shows only the UTC offset of +9 hours. This selection list of time zones is from a historical time zone database.

    The system saves the updated date, time and time zone.
  6. To synchronize the remote host’s date, time and time zone with your Workbench PC, click the Use Local and click Save.
  7. To view the current platform’s date, time and time zone, expand Config > Services and double-click PlatformServices.
    The time, date and time zone are reported as rows in the Platform Service Container Plugin view.

    The platform-NtpPlatformServiceQnx component is the Niagara interface to the NTP (Network Time Protocol) daemon of the QNX OS running on a controller. If enabled, this component provides client and server support for NTP.

  8. To view NTP statistics, right-click the NtpPlatformServiceQnx node under the controller’s PlatformServices and select Views > SpyRemote.
    Keep in mind that the ntpd is a QNX process; thus Niagara has no control over what it reports.