Do any of you Studio5000 users use Parameter Connections?

Good Morning All,
Looking for some advice from any of you who use Parameter Connections in Studio5K.

I'm starting to write modular code for each device and wrapping it inside a Program, instead of a Routine or AOI. With that, I'd like to use the program's input parameter and output parameter options. I noticed that I can't alias a program's input parameter to a raw input like "Local:1:I.Pt00.Data", but I can make a connection to it. (See attached .png)

What's the difference?

What I'd like to do is let my program function similarly to an AOI, where an AOI's input parameters are exposed, and the input parameter expects a tag to be bound to it.

Is a parameter connection the method for achieving this?
Thanks for your input!

Do you have this manual?:
Rockwell Automation Publication 1756-PM021C-EN-P - February 2018

I would like to do more of this as well. I would like to see how others use this to get some ideas on the best practices.

Thanks. I didn't have that Publication yet, but it's very helpful. It shows that I can connect directly to the raw input.
Much appreciated!

Although this is definitely welcome from Rockwell, doesn't this sort of "hide" the code?

Originally posted by cardosocea:

Although this is definitely welcome from Rockwell, doesn't this sort of "hide" the code?

Click to expand...

To a certain degree it does. You would definitely need to know about this functionality and understand its use to have any hope of determining where any given piece of data is coming from.

In that way it is similar to SLC/PLC5 mapping or safety tag mapping. If you don't understand that those tools exist you can get lost in a hurry.

Keith

It does make logical sense!.
Because inputs are passed as value and therefore their values can not be changed during the execution of the program.

cardosocea said:

Although this is definitely welcome from Rockwell, doesn't this sort of "hide" the code?

Click to expand...

My thoughts as well, which is why I've never decided to use program parameters. All of my code eventually gets maintained by others and this would be very "non-standard," at least in my industry.

I've started using program parameters, which I find really useful for modular programming related to batch/process control phases. I am not using the connection feature however. I'm not sure where I would find it useful as aliasing seems to accomplish similar and having the \Program123.SomeTag notation in the logic makes it obvious when you're referencing a different program tag.

But I suppose a tag "SomeTag" with a connection to \Program123.SomeTag is useful for short hand?