WinCC Flex dynamic text lists

I know a few of us have talked about this and here is a way to do it.

http://support.automation.siemens.c...cslib.csinfo&lang=en&objid=33317203&caller=nl

Description:
You can create dynamic text lists as from WinCC flexible 2008. You make text lists dynamic by inserting tags or other text lists. The text lists may contain both static and dynamic entries that can be combined arbitrarily.

While Siemens did not include Discrete Alarms in their note, I tried this dynamic text technique on the Discrete Alarms and it appears to work too. One thing that does not work is that once the discrete alarm is displayed, changing the value of the tag does not get displayed in the discrete alarm until the alarm is redrawn.

Cool thats a good idea. In the past I have thought of adding values into the alarms. For example add the current temp into an over temp alarm.

I want to make a script and load the text list from an array in the script. Maybe load it up from a text file. This could be very useful.

Great!

Imi'ike said:

While Siemens did not include Discrete Alarms in their note, I tried this dynamic text technique on the Discrete Alarms and it appears to work too. One thing that does not work is that once the discrete alarm is displayed, changing the value of the tag does not get displayed in the discrete alarm until the alarm is redrawn.

Click to expand...

Thanska Charles and Mike for valuable info.

I tried declare the text for discrete alarms as String in a DB and it works fine.
For next project I will consider keep all alarms text in a DB instead, and predefine the alarm trigger tags and text in flexible.

I tried the ALARM_S function before, just to be able to save the alarm text in one location, and spread to multiple HMI's, now it seems that you can achieve same functionality with this solution.
ALARM_S SFC are quite heavy to execute.

Still this solution will cost you more tags in HMI of course.

However .. more testing need to be done to see if this is the way to go.

Imi'ike said:

While Siemens did not include Discrete Alarms in their note, I tried this dynamic text technique on the Discrete Alarms and it appears to work too. One thing that does not work is that once the discrete alarm is displayed, changing the value of the tag does not get displayed in the discrete alarm until the alarm is redrawn.

Click to expand...

They did not include it cause it's been available since.........well I guess since WinCC Flex 2004.
Well using tags in the alarms worked back then.
Dynamic texts in discrete alarms is something that works in 2007 also.

But just curious. Try to configure such an alarm or text list, type in '<tag' wait for selection pop-up, then click another alarm or text list. This will deselect the alarm/text you were configuring.
Now, does the selection pop-up keep re-appearing after u close it?
Can you reselect the alarm/text you have 'half configured'?

Jeebs,
"Now, does the selection pop-up keep re-appearing after u close it?"
-No, "<tag" has now become part of the text.
"Can you reselect the alarm/text you have 'half configured'?"
-Yes, I can reselect it and continue turning it into dynamic text.
Terrific, I never realized dynamic text worked with discrete alarms, let alone how to do it in versions before 2008. Nothing like discovering that which is already discovered.

Imi'ike said:

Jeebs,
"Now, does the selection pop-up keep re-appearing after u close it?"
-No, "<tag" has now become part of the text.
"Can you reselect the alarm/text you have 'half configured'?"
-Yes, I can reselect it and continue turning it into dynamic text.
Terrific, I never realized dynamic text worked with discrete alarms, let alone how to do it in versions before 2008. Nothing like discovering that which is already discovered.

Click to expand...

Good good, so they fixed that little bug.
Man that used to be irritating.