Ftvme help

HI EVERYONE
I have an FTVME application which consist of some screens. the main screen is a display list selector screen and operator scroll to the required display press enter and requested display opens up. I like to know if enter key associated with a tag in the plc program or is done within the terminal. I am rather confused and I need clarification.Please let me if it is then how to find the tag within FTVME program
Thank you all in advance.

Typically, the enter button is not associated to a PLC tag. It runs internally to the HMI and is bound to your display list selector as a linked object or an object with focus.

The Display List Selector is a navigation object in FactoryTalk View. It's functionally very similar to a stack of "Go To Display" buttons.

As you said, when the operator selects a Display from the list and presses Enter, then the application opens that Display.

It does not need to interact with a controller. There is not an "Enter has been pressed on the Display List Selector" tag that is written to the controller.

In general I give all of my Displays a Display Number and use the Global Connections feature to write the display number to the PLC whenever the user navigates to a new screen. But that's a separate function from the display navigation buttons.

Thank you for the response
Regards Perspolis

HI EVERYONE
I have a question in regards to COMM0 led flashing rate on Micrologix 1500 communicating with PV plus6 400 {DF-1 protocol}. Should the flashing be fast or slow or it should not matter as long COMM0 led is flashing,
Regards Perspolis

A quick look through the manual and this is all I saw in regards to Comm 0 LED.

I did not see anything about rate of flash for that LED.

BCS

Thanks BCS
You might wonder why I asked this question. Under the same setup when PV 300 connected to Mlogix 1500 then COMM0 led flashes very fast similarly when PV plus 6 400 is replaced with PV 300 under the same communication configuration then COMM0 flashes very slow.
Regards Perspolis

Hi M,

I'll deal with your original question first, if I may...

PERSPOLIS said:

HI EVERYONE
I have an FTVME application which consist of some screens. the main screen is a display list selector screen and operator scroll to the required display press enter and requested display opens up. I like to know if enter key associated with a tag in the plc program or is done within the terminal. I am rather confused and I need clarification.Please let me if it is then how to find the tag within FTVME program
Thank you all in advance.

Click to expand...

When using a Display List Selector, a user can scroll through the list and select Enter by using the terminal's keypad, if it has one, or by using an external keyboard. To allow this feature, you must have "Key navigation" selected under the "General" tab for the Display List Selector's properties. This feature is enabled by default when you add the object.

Another option for touch and keyboard, or touch only terminals is to use key button objects instead of a physical keyboard. You can add a "Move Up", "Move Down" and "Enter" key button object on top of your Display List Selector. For all three of these button objects you can assign their "Send press to" control to a "Linked Object" on the Display and then select the "DisplayListSelector", or whatever it is called. This will allow the directional button objects to navigate Up and Down the linked Display List Selector and the Enter button will execute the Display change.

Those are your options for navigating Up and Down and Entering the selection on a Display List Selector.

The Display List Selector has no direct way to update a tag or address of the state that was selected when Enter key or button is pressed, or that the Enter key or button itself was pressed.

Do you specifically want to know the state that was selected or just that the Enter key was pressed?

If you are just after the state that was selected then that is as good as knowing which screen you are currently on. The older PB32 application appears to have been using this feature already. Remember when you looked at your "Global Connections" in the project. I pointed this out to you recently in that other thread regarding Runtime Security and Display switching...

Geospark said:

...I also notice under "Global Connections/Display" tab there were tags assigned as follows...

Replace Display Number = {Current_screen} - HMI Tag points to >>> ::[PLC_shortcut]N7:8
Remote Display Number = {PLC_control_screen_no} - HMI Tag points to >>> ::[PLC_shortcut]N7:25

Have a look at what logic, if any, is written in the PLC for those addresses?...

...Have you had a chance to look at those PLC addresses assigned to the Global Connections Display tags?...

Click to expand...

PERSPOLIS said:

...N7:8 and N7:25 are in the plc program (Status tag and Control tag)...

Click to expand...

I kind of know or was expecting that they would be in the PLC, but what is the logic they are assigned to doing?

N7:8 holds the "Replace Display Number" which should indicate the "Current_screen" that the PanelView is displaying. So N7:8 would indicate which Display Number the Display List Selector navigated to when Enter is pressed.

However, it is also possible to navigate to many Displays that are in the list from other individual Displays. This is not an issue if you only wish to know which "Current_screen" is being displayed at any one time. But if you need to know they were navigated to from the Display List Selector specifically, then you would have to get a bit cleverer in the program.

What do you need here exactly?

That way the assistance can be narrowed down.

I'll reply the other thread tomorrow if I have time or you could merge it all here as the two topics are Display navigation based and related to the same application file.

Regards,
George

Now this...

PERSPOLIS said:

I have a question in regards to COMM0 led flashing rate on Micrologix 1500 communicating with PV plus6 400 {DF-1 protocol}. Should the flashing be fast or slow or it should not matter as long COMM0 led is flashing...

...Under the same setup when PV 300 connected to Mlogix 1500 then COMM0 led flashes very fast similarly when PV plus 6 400 is replaced with PV 300 under the same communication configuration then COMM0 flashes very slow...

Click to expand...

Good question.

Communications difference...

PanelView Plus running FactoryTalk View ME application

...Verses...

PanelView Standard running PanelBuilder32 application

With the communications cable plugged in, and successfully communicating, the COMM 0 LED will flash intermittently as data packets are being transmitted. The rate at which it may flash will depend on the volume, speed and frequency at which it is transmitting data.

Depending on the application, such as that for a HMI using DF1, the volume of data could be a little, or a lot. The speed of the data transmission would be dependant on the baud rate and the distance between the devices over the physical network. The frequency of the data transmitted would be determined by the rate that tags are updated, or refreshed on the HMI, and which type of application is in use.

For ME applications, the tag data is refreshed per Display that is currently loaded, using a Tag Update Rate, which is configurable per Display. The default Tag Update Rate for each Display is 1 second. Each time a new Display is loaded, the tag data for the Display's objects are refreshed with the controller. Only these tags are currently on scan out of the entire Tag Database, so the COMM 0 LED may appear to blink somewhat slower.

For PB32 applications, tag data is updated per tag and all tags are refreshed at their individual Update Frequency rate, regardless of whether their objects are on task or not. In other words, all tags are resolved against the Tag Database at their specified Update rate, each and every time. This means that all tags for the entire Tag Database are frequently being scanned, refreshed, or updated. This would be indicated by the COMM 0 LED blinking faster than you observed for the same project under FTVME.

In PB32, the default Update rate for each tag is 1 second, but can be changed from 1 up to 9 seconds. The default view for the Tag Editor in PB32 does not display the "Update Frequency" column. To view and edit this you can enable the "Extended Attributes" columns. This is done by clicking the 6th icon from the right above the Tag Editor columns. Five extra columns are added to the right...

Scale
Offset
Minimum
Maximum
Update Frequency

The Update Frequency will display a value of 1 for all tags still at default.

This parameter can also be accessed per tag via the "Tag Form" window which is opened when you select "Edit Tag" via a graphical object's properties window.

-----------------------------------------------

Note: For SLC or MicroLogix controllers...

With the Channel 0 Port configured for the DF1 protocol:

If you plug out the communications cable the COMM 0 LED will be OFF.

This indicates the port is configured for DF1, or disabled.

With the Channel 0 Port configured for the DH-485 protocol:

If you plug out the communications cable the COMM 0 LED will flash approximately once per second. This is because the controller is announcing itself to the DH-485 network.

The above is useful to know if unsure and you are trying to determine which of these two protocols the port may be using.

Regards,
George

Thank you George for the detailed reply in relation to communication and display list selector function.
I have traced N7:8 and N7:25 (being on line with plc and PV300).
N7:8 holds the value of current screen and value of N7:25 is the same value of current screen which immediately becomes clear (ZERO).

So far the converted application is not fully operational and Under test procedure with FTVME program running (pc to plc) Main display loads which consist of 15 display list selectors,I choose top of the list (LUBE display) press enter and this message is displayed:

Display list selector unable to open 2-lube. Display do not exist.

Restarted the test again this time main motor selected and message displayed:

Display list selector unable to open 3, main motor does not exist.
The above mentioned screens are part of converted application and I can not figure out what is the issue here. I have checked the application in FTVME and compared to PB 32 application and I have not noticed any error .Anyway make the story short PV300 was connected back and everything is running OK.
I hope whatever I have noted here is clear to you.
Thank you for your time
Regards Perspolis

When I have had a chance, I have been playing around with your converted application you sent me some time back. One thing I did, and would recommend you do, is to clean up the display names. Specifically the numbers that preceed the actual name and were used to list the screens in a particular order in PB32.

Small Note: In PanelBuilder they are called a "Screen". In View Studio they are called a "Display".

I'm only on my phone now and not in work so I can't give you any screenshots, which I would have liked to.

At the moment, when you look at your display list, the numbering is out of sync with its PB equivalent. This is because View Studio is handling the preceeding numbers differently to PanelBuilder. In PB, screen "1 - .... " is listed at the top, but in View Studio its converted display is down with the teen numbers "1x - ....". Similarly, display "2 - ...." is amongst the "2x - ....", and so on. It's because View Studio is "cleverer" at organising alphanumerical characters.

To correct this and get them back into their intended order, edit each display name from "1" - "9" so they all have a leading "0" (01 - 09). This will sort them back into the correct numerical order.

Once that is done, I'm afraid I've made a bit of work for you. Because some of the display names have changed, any references to them from graphical objects are now invalid. As it stands, without you having changed the names as I'm suggesting here, this is most likely what is wrong anyway.

If you go to the properties for your Display List Selector, and on the General tab, I think, you will see the States listed. Each state will have a Display assigned. Unfortunately, this assignment is not dynamically updated. If you change a display's name, that is used in this object, you must go back in and reassign the new display name to the state by selecting it from a drop down list. If these assigned displays are not correct or updated, then you will experience the type of error messages you are getting. The messages do not mean that those displays do not exist, but more, that those display names do not exist.

This will be the same for any Goto button objects on all the displays. For instance, the "Main" Goto display button, which is on just about every display, would have to have its configured Goto display updated so as to point to the new "01 - Main" display. One edit does not update them all. Each button object is separate, so you have to edit them all individually.

All references to the renamed 01 - 09 display names would have to be updated.

You do not have to rename/renumber the displays as I suggest. This is just a cleaner and better organised way to do it. But you still need to check those states for the Display List Selector. Even a space added or removed in the display name can catch you out. If you're not sure, just reassign the correct displays again to the states that are in error and test again.

They work for me, they will work for you.

Regards,
George

George thank you for the reply.
I have already re-number the displays along time ago and basically displays starts with 01 to 09 and so on.So as far as display numbering concerned all have been sorted out.I have also checked the display list selector properties and made sure that each state reference to intended display.However I will check again at the factory.
You also mentioned that I do not have to rename the displays but if required I can do so and consequently I have to make changes in the main display, display list selector ,states ,etc.
Regards Perspolis

Ah very good. You have already renamed them.

When you say...

PERSPOLIS said:

...I have also checked the display list selector properties and made sure that each state reference to intended display....

Click to expand...

Do you mean you looked and it appeared correct, or did you actually select the display for each state. I'm just not sure from the way you have worded it? If you only looked then the old display names might appear correct if you did not know to reselect them. If so, then any you are not sure of, just reselect them to be double sure.

Don't forget that all the Goto button objects on each display will have to be checked and updated. I did this after the renaming and there were quite a few. Maybe you already have this done.

Regards,
George

HI AGAIN
As I mentioned earlier I have re-numbered the displays starting from 01 to end.I am not clear yet do I have rename displays with new names or whatever FTVME produced after the migration . Do you mean you looked and it appeared correct, or did you actually select the display for each state. I'm just not sure from the way you have worded it? If you only looked then the old display names might appear correct if you did not know to reselect them. If so, then any you are not sure of, just reselect them to be double sure.I am not sure if I have done till tomorrow .
Thanks again
Regards Perspolis

Ok, I'm sorry if I'm confusing you. I'll try and fix that now.

Just to be clear, when I use "display list" I am referring to the list of displays on the left hand side window in View Studio, and not to the Display List Selector.

I was looking at your converted application a couple of weeks ago. I noticed that the numerical order that the displays were listed in was different. In View Studio the displays 1 - 9 were out of order. This is very common when converting PanelBuilder applications with single digit numbers at the beginning of screen names. While the order can get messed up, the conversion does not change the display names. They should be identical in View Studio, but just out of order numerically.

The order of the display list in View Studio does not really matter, but if the display names are using preceding numbering to place them in some kind of order, then it is good practice to sort them back into the correct order by adding the 0 before the 1 - 9 display names. This is just neater, better organised or good housekeeping.

It is not necessary to do this. If you leave the display list the way it was after converting, with them out of order, it should not matter to any of the graphical objects on the displays that reference them. A reference to a display does not care where it is in a list of displays, but just that it is there, somewhere, that it does exist. The references used in the Display List Selector do not change during the conversion. So if the display names are still the same after converting then the Display List Selector references will be correct.

I was advising you to add the 0 before the 1- 9 display names in View Studio, just for good housekeeping, but you had already done this. This is the only display name changes I was advising you to do, but you had done it already and that is fine.

However, the penalty for changing the display names, just to sort out the numerical order of the list of displays, is that any graphical objects that reference the old displays names 1 - 9 must now be manually updated to use the new 01 - 09 display names.

For the Display List Selector on the main page, any of its states that reference displays 1 - 9 must be manually updated by selecting the 01 - 09 displays for the relevant state. If not, you will get errors at Runtime. Any of the Goto Display button objects on the different displays, that reference the old 1 - 9 displays, must also be manually updated to reference the 01 - 09 displays, respectively. As I mentioned, you have a Goto Display button on just about every display that references display "1 - Main". All of these buttons must now reference "01 - Main". You would need to check all the Goto Display button references on all of the displays to be sure. That, of course, is if you have not already done this.

Now, my last post. What did I mean?

You said you had already checked and made sure that the Display List Selector states were referencing the correct displays. What I am saying is how sure? If, say, you only looked, and they appeared correct, then you could be mistaken. For instance, if you saw "2 - Lube..." for State 0 then this could appear correct to you, but it should be "02 - Lube...". That was what I meant. If you know that you have already manually updated the states to 01 - 09, and then double checked by looking, and seeing the 0 before those references, then yes, you can be sure. I could not tell from your statement whether you had just looked at the states or had actually changed them by selecting the newer display names.

These can be small details and can be easily overlooked. You are learning as you go, and have come a long way since we first met. So forgive me if ever I seem to be doubting you, or assuming you don't know or did not do something.

Like I said. It works for me using your converted application. It will work for you. You will get there.

Regards,
George