Concatenating a tag

I am using FT view studio ME and have a sequence that is monitored in my plc. I have a buffer in my plc that allows the HMI to open the saved sequence step by step. I want to add some objects that will look at the information from a different model in the plc without having to add any code to the plc. If i could concatenate the model number from an input on the HMI to the tag it is grabbing information from It should work, I just can not figure out if the HMI can do this. Any help and advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
me

You want to dynamically create a tag from an input field on the screen?

Yes, i think. I have a tag such as: this[model].here[step] I need to change the model and step number with a button on the HMI

The closest thing I know of to that is using parameter files with a screen. The parameter file contains references for differing tags on each screen instance. You have to open a separate instance of a common using a different parameter file to achieve the change.

yes, i was thinking that aswell... i guess some things are just to advanced for a thousand dollar piece of equipment

If you have access to the PLC code and authorization to change it, this model selection and data display would be fairly straightforward. For example, the HMI objects could be connected to a set of fixed (non-dynamically named) PLC tags whose values are determined by a model ID entry at the HMI. This would require PLC logic to monitor the model ID tag written by the HMI, and then move the appropriate values into the statically named tags feeding the HMI objects. (Not sure if you just don't want to change PLC code, or cannot change it for some reason.)

Joshua,

I reread your post and I am not sure we fully understand your problem. I am not sure if you only want to display information from a different model or do you want to replace a step in your buffer from a different model?

It sounds like you want to able to create a custom Model using the HMI to pick individual steps from multiple Models. Then use that to modify your buffer.

But again I am not completely sure. Please give us a little more information and I think we can help you find a solution.

Mispled, I knew i could do it that way, but i am trying to keep this change only in the HMI for ease, but i am afraid that doing it in the plc is the only way.

cwal61, sorry for being hard to understand, I am trying to display the data of one model alongside the data of the model i have pulled up for editing. I just want to do this in the HMI only, if possible, but because it doesnt look like you can not nest variables into a tag then im not sure it can be done.

If you only want to display information then that should not be a problem. A Multistate Indicator along with a control list selector could display information up to 2000 different states.

Create a memory tag for control. Use a control list selector to write to control tag. Use Multistate Indicator to display data from control tag. Even if your data changes in the models you can still display current information by using the INSERT VARIABLE on the caption for each state. That way your caption is the tag you point it to This[Model].here[Step]

Once you add all the variable captions to the multistate indicator you can display any step in your process.

Okay I have tried what you said, but I am not sure i have explained my self will enough. So I have a group of models, and each model consists of a variable amount of steps. Currently the model is selected and one step which consists of a bunch of bits is displayed. there is a button to move through steps and see the bits on each. I Am wanting to make another group of multistate indicators that show another models bits on the same step that they are currently on. The PLC path to the bits i need to display is model[#].step[#].bit I need the # to be changed variably, and i know i could do it in plc, but want to do it in HMI only.

joshua.brown said:

...Currently the model is selected and one step which consists of a bunch of bits is displayed. there is a button to move through steps and see the bits on each.

Click to expand...

What is the design for this button to cycle through steps in the current model? For example, does it trigger the PLC to update/change the bit values in an underlying tag, or dynamically modify the step tag, or something else?

It tells the plc to load the next step of bits into a buffer, this way the bits can be edited and the program isnt changed until they write. so the models have an array of steps, which contain an array of bits, all the hmi does is move the ones currently being observed to a buffer that the screen can then grab visual information from.

Joshua,
Have you tried the Piloted List Selector?
It has 3 Connections that could be used to help control the additional Model Multistate indicators.
The Value connection is a read write connection. The Indicator connection is a read connection and the remote access is a control connection.

So you could use the Indicator connection to know what step your current model is in from an existing tag from the PLC(hopefully). That would be written to the Value Connection that your additional Multistate indicators could use to displays the same step as the current model.

The Remote Access could just be a 1 which means the indicator tag would be in control of the value written to the Value Connection. Place the Piloted List Selector on your screen and make it invisible at runtime. It's only purpose would be to populate the Value connection.