Troubles with tags in RS View Studio ME 4.00

Hi everyone,

I'm actually migrating a Panel Builder 32 project (originally designed for a PV 550) to a RS View ME application for a PV 700 Plus.

The panel is connected to a MicroLogix 1200 that handles data in a curious form. In order to have more precision in the calculations and save a large amount of memory, the variables involved in the process are scaled by the HMI allowing to the PLC to operate only with integers for later being unscaled by the HMI and presented to the user.

As an example, I have a variable used as a setpoint for pH control, this variable is called PH_SP and stored in the N7:20 register of the data table in the PLC. This variable in the real format could be into the range of 5.00 pH to 7.00 pH, so in the PLC the N7:20 register contains a value from 500 to 700 (the value multiplied by 100).

In order to achieve this, I've created a HMI tag called PH_STP with the following parameters:

1) MAX VALUE: 700
2) MIN VALUE: 500
3) SCALE: 0.01
4) OFFSET: 0
5) DATA TYPE: INTEGER
6) CONNECTION: ::[ML1200]N7:20 (where ML1200 is my RS Linx Enterprise shortcut).

To access this tag, I'm using a NUMERIC INPUT CURSOR POINT with the following configuration:

1) NUMERIC POP UP: KEYPAD
2) MAX VALUE: 7
3) MIN VALUE: 5
4) RAMP VALUE: 0
5) DECIMAL POINT: FIXED POSITION
6) FIXED POS OUTPUT: DISPLAYED VALUE
7) DIGITS AFTER DECIMAL: 2

The display settings of this field are:

1) NUMBER OF DIGITS: 4
2) FILL LEFT WITH: NONE
3) DECIMAL PLACES: 2

So, according with the RS View help, and as far I could understood, the value that I can enter into the pop-up keypad are into the range of 5.00 to 7.00, this value is writed into the VALUE CONNECTION that in this case is PH_STP, after that is unscaled and compared with the tag's MAXIMUM and MINIMUM values and finally writed to the DATA CONNECTION (the register N7:20 in the MicroLogix 1200).

The RS View help also refer that the scaling procedure is:

1) RS VIEW VALUE = (DATA SOURCE VALUE x SCALE)
2) DATA SOURCE VALUE = (RS VIEW VALUE / SCALE)

So if I read "620" then the value displayed is 6.20 and if i write 6.20 the writed value must be 620.

Well, the real problem occurs when I write 6.20 to my input field, the HMI displays an error saying that is impossible to write 6.20 to PH_STP because is out of the 500 to 700 range. Looks like the value wasn't be scaled just before being writed to the PLC.

The curious thing about this, is that I've some other fields configured in a similar form (with the same scale factor and even other scalation factors 0.1, 0.001, etc) and are working fine.

I've tried to delete the HMI tags and create it again but the problem remains.

I'm a little desesperate about this, if you have any suggestion or answer to my problem, or if I'm missunderstanding the operation of the panel that I previously describe, please let me know, your replies will be very useful to me.

Thanks in advance for reading my post, I'll looking forward for your answers.

Regards.

AleksF said:

To access this tag, I'm using a NUMERIC INPUT CURSOR POINT with the following configuration:

1) NUMERIC POP UP: KEYPAD
2) MAX VALUE: 7
3) MIN VALUE: 5
4) RAMP VALUE: 0
5) DECIMAL POINT: FIXED POSITION
6) FIXED POS OUTPUT: DISPLAYED VALUE
7) DIGITS AFTER DECIMAL: 2

The display settings of this field are:

1) NUMBER OF DIGITS: 4
2) FILL LEFT WITH: NONE
3) DECIMAL PLACES: 2

...
Well, the real problem occurs when I write 6.20 to my input field, the HMI displays an error saying that is impossible to write 6.20 to PH_STP because is out of the 500 to 700 range....

Click to expand...

I believe the settings you have chosen will require you to enter your numbers without entering the decimal point. In order to get the integer into the write tag, I think you will want to select the STRIPPED DECIMAL POINT option.

Also, there may be an issue with the scaling of the numeric entry in both the HMI tag and in the numeric input itself. Since you are scaling the HMI tag, maybe you do not need to scale the "value connection" in the numeric input object.

I am a novice with RSViewME, so I could be wrong.

In the past, when confounded by ambiguity in the help files for panelview stuff, I generally use trial and error until I get the thing figured out.

Paul

You have hit upon one of the most frustrating things about using a Micrologix and RSView ME. There are a couple of ways I have done this. The easiest way is to use a Floating Point tag for both the value and the label. If you need to use an integer for the setpoint in the PLC you can do a multiplication instruction on your integer tag (ie multiply be .1 or .01) in the plc and use a floating point for your label tag. Either way you need to use floating point for the display/label tag. Okie is correct in that you need to use Stripped Value for your Fixed Output Position. This way when you need to enter a value such as 6.20 you enter it as 620 and the decimal point is automatically displayed.

In the numeric input enable object there is an 'Optional Exp' field under the connections tab. You can type in a formula there to apply to the entered value before it is written to the data point. In your case, your formula should be '? * 100' (? is the placeholder for the value entered). This should do exactly what you want.

Greetings everyone,

First I want to thank to every person who has the time and the will to help me with this problem.

Well, the solution that I use isn't so elegant from my perspective but it's totally functional. After read your posts I decide that the best way to give a solution was:

1) Put a scaling factor of 1 to every tag created in the RS View Studio.
2) In the numeric fields, I use the STRIPPED VALUE specifying the exact number of decimals that correspond to the previous scaling factor. (If the scale was 100, then I use 2 decimals and so on).
3) In the CONNECTIONS TAB, exactly in the INDICATOR field, I'm using an EXPRESSION instead of a TAG, here I divide the TAG / scale to have the decimal value in real format.

This method allow me to write the raw value of my variable, and read the raw value / scale to have a correct visualization of the value.

I say that this is not an elegant method because everybody expects that the scaling field in the tag editor will function exactly as the help describes but I've found with dissapoint that this platform (RS View Studio) could and must be improved.

Thanks again and I hope that this answer help to each person that came to this excellent forum.

Greetings