String Input Enable in ME

PLC Pie Guy

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Jun 2013
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Hey All.

RSL5K V20.18, L45

Little issue been getting me. I haven't noticed this before but I'm using a String Input Enable button on FTV.ME. V10. When I enter the string data. Say it is Recipe123, the PLC will show this as Recipe123$00.

In the PLC I am using an EQU instruction to look at this string and another to see if they match, however "Recipe123" that is already in the PLC doesn't match "Recipe123$00", FTV seems to wants to only enter it with the $00 on the end.

Any thoughts on this???

Thanks
 
If I change the FILL character to FF, Zeros or Spaces I get just that with the same $00 preceding the string.
I thought that NULL would be simply the String with nothing after it.
 
Last edited:
I just found this knowledgeable article.

1072763

I am not sure If I'm allowed to post the whole document here. It is access level everyone but......
 
The entry length could be different. Thats an example. Im looking at 150 different SKU numbers, some are 3 and some a re 6 characters long and any in between.
 
The solution suggests that I have to install some kind of patch or roll up to make this work properly.
IS that the only you you folks see the solution as well?
I hate installing stuff like that for something so silly.
 
just read it. Sounds like you found your issue. The only other thing is to modify entry in the PLC. If you copy OperatorEntry.Data[0] to ModifiedEntry.Data[0] for length of 9 it would strip the $00 and should only get Recipe123 in the modified entry. If your Recipe length changes then you would use your OperatorEntry.LEN to determine Modified length.
 
Im wondering, what if I were to simply make the page I want and run it on the PanelViewapplication, would it still behave the same way as described in the technote?

Im doing this now simply with the Test Display function within the software.

I already have string input entries all through the project that don't act this way on the running application. Could this be just because of the Test Display function?
 
I am not sure. Maybe? You think it could be a V10 issue and if you save the .mer as ver 8 for panelview you may not see it. I would try first before modifying the logic. definitely.
 
No, I don't think its a runtime version issue as I am still in the development environment using the Test Display Function. Im thinking its an issue of the way the Laptop and the PLC are communicating the String value.

I'm just saying that I have several other instances of writing string tags to the same PLC from the same application while in Runtime with no issues. Why should this new String Input Enable be any different than the rest.
Im just thinking that I didn't test each string display with the Test Display Function before I put them into the .MER and downloaded to the PV. They may behave the same way from the test display function. I can't test them now as its a running process but...
 
It's definitely a v10 issue, factory talk linx specifically so it impacts both the development environment and the panelview itself. Assuming that the panelview has the buggy version of v10. There is a patch for both your PC and the panelview.
 
Right you are.
I just realized that I'm still creating the Run time as 8.10. Is this the reason that the existing run time file works but the development environment doesn't?

I'm just not understanding how over 2 dozen previously configured string entries on 3 panelviews with the same project work but this one does not.

I'm really not crazy about the idea of installing patches on PanelViews that are running in production. This particular project will get downloaded to 3 separate PVs, So I have to install this patch on all 3.....

Will Rockwell ever just give me some working software? This "bug" has already cost me too many hours. It seems on every project I do there is always one of these stupid gotchas. Do they not test the software before release, If I were doing work that was substandard or"buggy" I wouldn't be here very long! They been doing this for decades... Cmon Rockwell, get your **** together!


Thanks
 
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What if I were to install the roll up patch on my computer but leave the PV as version 8.1.....

Would this allow the string tag to function as desired or does the CE patch need to be applied to the Panel View(s) as well.

Thanks
 

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