Visualize, analyze, act: Connecting AVEVA™ InTouch HMI to AVEVA™ Reports for Operations

Posted: August 13, 2025

In the realm of industrial automation, cohesive integration between reporting tools and HMI/SCADA systems is essential for driving operational efficiency. AVEVA Reports for Operations delivers robust capabilities for generating insightful, data-driven reports that empower informed decision-making. It includes over 100 built-in drivers, enabling seamless connectivity to a wide range of data sources—including I/Os, PLCs, DCS, SCADA, RTUs, MES platforms, data archives, and even manual data entry using many built-in open communication protocols drivers. These drivers require minimal configuration, allowing users to quickly begin collecting and reporting on operational data. All AVEVA HMI/SCADA products, including AVEVA InTouch HMI, offer native integration with AVEVA Reports for Operations, ensuring a unified and efficient reporting experience.

Why this integration matters

Connecting AVEVA Reports for Operations to AVEVA InTouch HMI enables you to:

• Enhance operational efficiency: Streamline data flow and reduce manual reporting efforts.
• Empower decision-making: Provide stakeholders with timely, accurate information.
• Boost productivity: Automate report generation and distribution, freeing up valuable time.

AVEVA Reports for Operations includes three different InTouch HMI drivers because each one is designed to access a specific type of data stored or generated by AVEVA InTouch HMI. The names of these drivers are quite descriptive and give insight into their function, scope and connectivity method. Here's a breakdown of each and how they differ:

1. InTouch HMI (Historical alarms/events - .ALG files)

This driver retrieves alarm and event data from AVEVA InTouch HMI by reading the proprietary .ALG files, which are generated when alarm logging is enabled in the AVEVA InTouch HMI application.

• Purpose: To extract alarm and event history
• Data source: .ALG files generated by AVEVA InTouch HMI
• Use case: When you need to create reports or dashboards showing alarm frequency, duration, acknowledgment times, etc.

2. InTouch HMI (Real-time values - Local or remote via Gateway OPC)

This driver retrieves data exposed by the OPC Gateway from AVEVA InTouch HMI to an external OPC client. The Gateway OPC Server is a middleware component that allows external OPC clients (like AVEVA Reports for Operations) to access real-time data from AVEVA InTouch HMI applications. It acts as a bridge between AVEVA InTouch HMI and third-party tools and is managed and configured through OCMC (Operations Control Management Console).

• Purpose: To access live, real-time tag values
• Data source: AVEVA InTouch HMI runtime via OPC DA (local or through a remote gateway)
• Use case: For dashboards or reports that reflect the current state of the system (e.g., current temperatures, pressures, statuses)

3. InTouch HMI (Historical values - .LGH files)

This driver retrieves historical process data from AVEVA InTouch HMI .LGH files. The .LGH files have log history and are a proprietary file format used by AVEVA InTouch HMI. Each .LGH file typically represents a day of logged data, and they are stored in the AVEVA InTouch HMI application’s directory.

• Purpose: To retrieve historical process data
• Data source: .LGH files, which are AVEVA InTouch HMI’s native historical logging files
• Use case: When you want to trend or analyze past process values (e.g., temperature over the last 24 hours)

Summary table

Driver setup

Setting up drivers in AVEVA Reports for Operations is a straightforward process designed to enable rapid connectivity. Users begin by selecting the appropriate driver from the Driver Configuration ”select data source type” list. Once you give your driver a logical name, the configuration involves specifying connection parameters like file paths, OPC server names, or database credentials.

To set up the Historical alarms/events (.ALG) driver in AVEVA Reports for Operations, simply select the folder containing the .ALG files, define the field separator (default is a comma), confirm the file extension, and specify the date and time formats. You can customize which alarm columns to include and enable compatibility for AVEVA™ System Platform 2023 or later if needed. For advanced filtering, create named filters with specific alarm conditions, which can then be applied to alarm tables in your reports for targeted analysis.

To set up the InTouch HMI (Real-time values - Local or remote via Gateway OPC) driver, in the settings window, define the main or backup OPC servers. Specify the computer name (e.g., \\localhost), and select the appropriate OPC server from the list. If the server requires authentication, enter the login credentials. Use the “Test Connection” button to verify communication. Once connected, the driver will browse and save the list of OPC items to a local file, enabling tag browsing without having to re-establish a live connection during design time. This setup ensures stable communication while project editing without interrupting runtime operations. The driver supports OPC DA 1.0 and 2.0 standards, and includes options for configuring primary and backup servers, secure login credentials, and hot-backup switching. However, retrieving data from AVEVA™ Historian for accessing historical data from InTouch is a more robust approach for reliability, performance, and future-proofing.

To configure the InTouch (Historical values - LGH files) driver, in the configuration window, specify the path to the folder containing the .LGH files—this can be entered manually or selected via the browse dialog. Upon setup, AVEVA Reports for Operations creates a local configuration directory to store optimized access files, which mirror the size of the original LGH archive. The driver also builds a static tag list during the first browse, enabling faster access in future sessions. When extracting data, it retrieves values in batches of 100, up to a maximum of 200,000 values per request.

After configuration, these drivers automatically begin collecting data, which can then be used to build dynamic reports, dashboards, and analytics. This modular and flexible approach ensures that users can quickly integrate data from multiple systems without complex scripting or custom development.

By integrating AVEVA Reports for Operations with AVEVA InTouch HMI, you unlock the full potential of your data in a few simple steps. This powerful combination not only enhances operational efficiency but also empowers your team with the insights needed to drive informed decisions. Embrace the future of industrial automation with AVEVA’s cutting-edge solutions.

Stay tuned for our upcoming blog post detailing the step-by-step configuration of AVEVA InTouch HMI driver setup.