Crimson V3 (RedLion) Question

Good day all. I have a RedLion HMI that is connected via ethernet to a compactlogix PLC. I am trying to create a 2-position selector switch that will change a system from automatic to manual. The two tags I am using (from RSLogix5000) are HMI.ManualSelectPB and HMI.semiautoSelectPB. I would like a selector switch that will write a 0 to the tag when it is not used and write a 1 when it is used. This is probably simple but I have not had any success yet. Thank you

I should probably also add this; when the toggle switch changes the value from one number at one tag, I need it also change the number of the other tag to the opposite value.

99% of toggle applications use just one tag, because inverting the current state of one boolean tag is a simple task.

The conventional solution to this would be to use a Crimson 3 pushbutton or 2-state Toggle object addressed to the Manual tag. In the RSLogix 5000 ladder logic, you'll put a rung to set the Auto tag to the opposite state of the Manual tag.

If you have two tags that do not have ladder logic manipulating them, what happens when the Red Lion application starts up and both tags are True, or both Tags are false ? Which state should it go to when you press the button ? Which state should it display ?

The easy thing to do would be to put in a startup expression for the Red Lion that set Manual = 1 and SemiAuto = 0. Then you could use logic that sets the two values opposite to one another each time the button is pressed.

The logic I came up with was a Complex Code expression that executes when a button is released. It uses the " ? :" selector operator in Crimson 3.


The "? :" selector looks a little unusual if you're not familiar with it, but it's essentially an "if / then / else" statement.

In plain English, the first line is "If Manual = True, set value of Manual to 0, else set value of Manual to 1"

I recommend using an ordinary one-tag toggle feature, and doing the rest in ladder logic.

But if you're set on using two tags and setting them to opposite states, the attached *.CD3 (zipped for posting) illustrates one way to do so.

Thank you Ken for the reply. Yes, I have a function block in the PLC program that will not allow for both to be true, at the same time. I tried latching pb's on the redlion and NO pb's and it tries to make both true, at the same time. I have read the book to the crimson software and am getting no where fast.

Got it Ken, thank you. I am setting my sights on learning how to use the complex code feature as I am wrestling with another HMI program (Crimson) where many tags were created using them. I am looking for how to write the expressions. It reminds me of many moons ago when BASIC and GWBASIC were "hot-rods" in the computer world.

I forgot, there is also a third "mode" and that is auto. So I have manual, semi auto, and auto. The PLC will only execute one mode. What happens is that when I push any of the buttons, it will hold that value (0 or 1) and will not change it to a "0", when I select another mode.