Help on Single screen for multiple controls

Hi
Iam working on RSView32 design to control an ammonia cooling plant. I have to design a PID control screen for some of the pumps and to monitor some variables. There are almost 40 points for which the PID monitoring has to be setup. Should i make 40 screens for each of the devices? All the screens have the same data in them like SP,CV and Output.
Is it possible to use only one screen and call the screen for the different control points similar to calling a function with required input parameters? If so can anyone explain to me how to proceed with it?
Thanks a lot
Nirmal

What you describe is one of the fundamental functions of RSView, called "Parameter Passing". You can create one screen that has tag placeholders that are replaced by specific tags based on the way the screen was invoked.

Parameter Files are described extensively in the RSView32 User Guide, and Knowledgebase document A9543 has a quick example of how to use them.

PARAMETERS is the key word

Yes, you can create just one screeen for the 40 PID loops. Let's call it "PID_FACEPLATE"

What you are going to do on this screen is, instead of linking the animation to a real tag (using the pulldown lists), you are going to use the replaceable parameters, such as #1, #2, and so on.

It's going to depend a little bit on how you set up your tags. If you were organinzed, and grouped tags in their own folders, so that you have tags like:

  +-[+]Loop1 -+- Loop1/SP

  |           |

  |           +- Loop1/PV  

  |           |

  |           +- Loop1/CV

  |

  +-[+]Loop2 -+- Loop2/SP

  |           |

  |           +- Loop2/PV  

  |           |

  |           +- Loop2/CV

  |

   ..and so on...

then it will be real easy. Every animation will use the replaceable parameter #1 (for example, #1/SP). Then, to call this screen up, instead of the command DISPLAY PID_FACEPLATE, you would have DISPLAY PID_FACEPLATE /TLoop1, and everywhere you have #1, RSView will use the string "Loop1". Thus #1/SP will display Loop1/SP values and so on. If the same screen had been displayed with the command DISPLAY PID_FACEPLATE /TLoop2, then the same object would be using Loop2/SP's values.

If your tag database isn't quite so well organized, you can use #1 to represent the Setpoint, #2 for the Process variable, #3 for the control varaiable. Then you will make a set of 40 parameter files. These are straight ASCII text files, editable in Notepad, and contain the following information (my syntax may not be right - this is all from memory. See the help files for details)


.etc.

You would call the screen up using the /P switch, such as DISPLAY PID_FACEPLATE /PTemper1.

Again, the help files on Parameters should clarify anything I've missed.

Thanks a lot guys. This is exactly what I wanted.

nirmal,

Yes, you can set it up Parameter Passing and replacable parameters and use one screen, BUT ... (that is a big BUT) if you have a typing error somewhere, or some other malfunction in the PLC program, practical experience in the field has shown me that it is much easier to troubleshoot if every variable has a separate name on each screen.

So you could also create one screen, and get it exactly like you want, and then use the File, Save As command, and make 40 copies of it, then open each file and edit it to put in the Tag Names that you need. So What You See is What you Get when you call up any particular screen.

On the other hand, if unlike most of us real-world humans, you never make any mistakes in your PLC and Operator Interface programs, then use the One-Screen-Fits-All method!

So you could also create one screen, and get it exactly like you want, and then use the File, Save As command, and make 40 copies of it, then open each file and edit it to put in the Tag Names that you need

Click to expand...

And then a couple weeks down the line some butthead decides he wants an extra alarm on the faceplate, or that they want something to be a different colour, then you get to do it 40 times instead of once. banghead

That has always been my problem. I agree with only using one screen.