Factory Talk pulse two tags with one button

Kevink · Jul 19, 2016

Hi everyone,

I am doing a project with Factorytalk,
I want to pulse two tags at the same time, but doesn't look like there is an easy way to do that.
if you use momentary push button it pulse 1 tag only and if you use Macros it only set the tags to the value entered in expression.

Is anyone know the solution?

Thanks

JeremyM · Jul 19, 2016

You should have the PLC handle this logic; it's fairly straightforward. The beginning of the first rung would be XIC HMI_PushButton ONS BST OTE NXB OTE BND.

Kevink · Jul 19, 2016

Thanks Jeremy,

The Problem is the client don't want we touch the PLC code and other SCADA softwares are connected to it. The main SCADA which is Citect can handle this function. I need a way to do it in Factorytallk

ASF · Jul 19, 2016

If you're using FactoryTalk View SE, you can probably do it with touch animation, or a button object.

If you're using FactoryTalk View ME, I don't know of any way to do it. If you can't touch the PLC code at all, you could be stuck

Kevink · Jul 19, 2016

I couldn't find anyway. I thought there might be a way that i'm not aware of

Thanks ASF for your reply

Jeev · Jul 20, 2016

I haven't tested this, but it may work. I take no responsibility for how ugly it is.

1)Open Tag Editor and create 2 memory tags (Not PLC tags). The first tag is for your button, and the second is a latch. I made xButton and xLatch.
2)Create your momentary button with xButton as the value and indicator.
3)Open Global Connections, and go to the Macro tab. You will need to change your Maximum Update Rate to something faster than your momentary button on/off time.
4) Use 2 Remote Macros. I used the first 2 with the conditions "xButton" for Remote Macro1 and "(NOT xButton) AND (xLatch)" for Remote Macro2.
5) Create Macro1 and enter all the PLC tags you want to activate for the tag. At the end enter xLatch, and put all the expressions to 1.
6) Create Macro2 and enter all the same tags, including xLatch, but this time set all the expressions to 0.

When you press the button, it will set xButton, and run Macro1. Macro1 will set all your PLC tags and your xLatch tag. When xButton goes low AND xLatch is set, it will run Macro2. Macro 2 will reset all your PLC tags and xLatch. You need xLatch, because you don't want Macro2 to be continually executing while xButton is low (Not pressed).

Tell me if it works...

Kevink · Jul 20, 2016

Jeev,
Smart, hope to find an easier way, but it's good to have one way to do it. Thank you very much
The initial way i did was use a macro that set tag 1 and then after a couple of times that set the tag 1 it reset it to 0. but didn't work, but i think this will work.
I will check and let you know

Thanks a lot

ASF · Jul 20, 2016

Jeev said:
I haven't tested this, but it may work. I take no responsibility for how ugly it is.

1)Open Tag Editor and create 2 memory tags (Not PLC tags). The first tag is for your button, and the second is a latch. I made xButton and xLatch.
2)Create your momentary button with xButton as the value and indicator.
3)Open Global Connections, and go to the Macro tab. You will need to change your Maximum Update Rate to something faster than your momentary button on/off time.
4) Use 2 Remote Macros. I used the first 2 with the conditions "xButton" for Remote Macro1 and "(NOT xButton) AND (xLatch)" for Remote Macro2.
5) Create Macro1 and enter all the PLC tags you want to activate for the tag. At the end enter xLatch, and put all the expressions to 1.
6) Create Macro2 and enter all the same tags, including xLatch, but this time set all the expressions to 0.

When you press the button, it will set xButton, and run Macro1. Macro1 will set all your PLC tags and your xLatch tag. When xButton goes low AND xLatch is set, it will run Macro2. Macro 2 will reset all your PLC tags and xLatch. You need xLatch, because you don't want Macro2 to be continually executing while xButton is low (Not pressed).

Tell me if it works...

I'm impressed. That IS ugly!

Jeev · Jul 20, 2016

ASF said:
I'm impressed. That IS ugly!

Here at Jeev's house of dodgy hacks; we specialise in "creative" solutions, and aim to meet your need to work-around AB's lack of functionality.

rdrast · Jul 20, 2016

Just saying, FTView is especially horrible at actually controlling things the way you are looking to do. I'd bet that at least 3 out of 10 times, it will fail to either set OR reset one or both tags. It has an amazing failure rate at just handling momentary buttons (they often end up as latched buttons, since FTView doesn't verify the release action).

You might be able to do this in VBA, where at least you can do some checking, but not with any specific or repeatable timing.

Honestly, I would put in a micro PLC, and use that to drive the two outputs to whatever if your customer is so adamantly against making a simple change in the PLC code.

Or I would no bid the job.

arlenjacobs · Jul 20, 2016

Jeev's idea is the only way in FTView ME.

Same here, I think this should be PLC code. An HMI is not designed to hold PLC tag values, like a real button would. If you lose comms or the PVP powers off when you are holding the button down, guess what? That tag is still high in the PLC.

Same problem if any PLC logic writes to that tag, or if another PVP writes to that tag.

Much better to have the PLC logic manage the inputs and hold the output tags high, and also have the PLC detect if you lose comms to the HMI. Have a timer reset to clear the output tags if you lose comms to the HMI.

... but sadly, nobody ever does that.

arlenjacobs · Jul 20, 2016

going down the ugly path, you could also try to use one of the activeX controls in FTView ME.

Drop an activeX object on the display and search in the "ME" area for
- MacroTen
- MacroMultiplexer
- CaseStatement Control

Jeev · Jul 20, 2016

arlenjacobs said:
going down the ugly path, you could also try to use one of the activeX controls in FTView ME.

Drop an activeX object on the display and search in the "ME" area for
- MacroTen
- MacroMultiplexer
- CaseStatement Control

This is what I was looking for. It doesn't even have anything that lets you run code snippets in VB or anything.

Factory Talk pulse two tags with one button

Kevink

Member

JeremyM

Lifetime Supporting Member

Kevink

Member

ASF

Lifetime Supporting Member

Kevink

Member

Jeev

Member

Kevink

Member

ASF

Lifetime Supporting Member

Jeev

Member

rdrast

Lifetime Supporting Member

arlenjacobs

Lifetime Supporting Member

arlenjacobs

Lifetime Supporting Member

Jeev

Member

Similar Topics