Write to tag with goto display? FactoryTalk ME

rupej

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In FactoryTalk ME, is there a way to set a bit or write a value when someone presses a goto display? Or alternatively, have a momentary pushbutton that immediately changes to a different display?

Just trying to make one button do both without resorting to "remote display" tags with the PLC, which are clunky and don't work well with multiple PLCs.
 
In FactoryTalk ME, is there a way to set a bit or write a value when someone presses a goto display? Or alternatively, have a momentary pushbutton that immediately changes to a different display?

Just trying to make one button do both without resorting to "remote display" tags with the PLC, which are clunky and don't work well with multiple PLCs.

I don't have the software handy, but I'm pretty sure you can write to a tag on display open or goto display. I think you will need to create a macro (look for macros in the organizer), the macro will write a value to a tag. Then when you open up the properties of a screen, there is another tab (can't remember the name), it has a field for adding a "on open" and "on close" macro.

I don't use this often and it is totally off of memory, so hopefully it is enough to get you going. You will need to consider if you will need to change the value on close using another macro.
 
Thanks for the help- I'll dig into this!

I've been pretty old school about HMIs, having intentionally avoiding macros and such. I guess I need to roll up my sleeves and at least get up to speed with the '90s...
 
Thanks for the help- I'll dig into this!

I've been pretty old school about HMIs, having intentionally avoiding macros and such. I guess I need to roll up my sleeves and at least get up to speed with the '90s...

I did too, it's not always obvious that they are there. But sometimes, that is the solution to the problem. Since they added cross-referencing/searching, it's easier to discover.
 
The thread linked below discusses the piloted list hack, among other options to write a value to the PLC linked to a specific Goto Display button for opening that display. But, if it is only necessary to determine when a specific display opens, regardless of how it opened, you can uniquely number your displays and monitor the display number tag.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=109009
 
Thanks, I'll check the thread out.

Actually, slight clarification- I don't need to set a bit when a display first opens, I need to set a bit when someone presses the go-to display button.

A customer's HMI has a page with number of start and stop buttons for motors. I was asked to make a confirmation page pop up when a particular "start" button is pressed. So once they press "yes" on the confirmation page, I would like to set the bit that was the original "start" PB. This would then also send them back to the display they were just on.
 
Thanks, I'll check the thread out.

Actually, slight clarification- I don't need to set a bit when a display first opens, I need to set a bit when someone presses the go-to display button.

A customer's HMI has a page with number of start and stop buttons for motors. I was asked to make a confirmation page pop up when a particular "start" button is pressed. So once they press "yes" on the confirmation page, I would like to set the bit that was the original "start" PB. This would then also send them back to the display they were just on.

This is a lot easier when using the "REPLACE DISPLY NUMBER" and "REMOTE DISPLAY NUMBER" connections in Global Connections. Then the PLC can monitor and control what screen is displayed when needed. The PLC can call those pop-up confirmation dialogs, look for the appropriate input (button) and then close it. Lot easier in logic.
 
Thanks, I'll check the thread out.

Actually, slight clarification- I don't need to set a bit when a display first opens, I need to set a bit when someone presses the go-to display button.

A customer's HMI has a page with number of start and stop buttons for motors. I was asked to make a confirmation page pop up when a particular "start" button is pressed. So once they press "yes" on the confirmation page, I would like to set the bit that was the original "start" PB. This would then also send them back to the display they were just on.

This sounds like you want an "Are You Sure" type confirmation screen. I would change the Motor X Start Button to a GOTO Display button. That button will open an on top display confirmation Screen. On the confirmation screen you type in your question. "Are you sure you want to start Motor X." The NO button is a close screen button and the Yes button is the Motor start button. Add an additional Close Screen Button to the confirmation screen. If the YES button is pressed then the operator can use the CLOSE button to close the screen. Whether they hit NO or CLOSE it does the same thing, closes the screen. Only by pressing YES will allow the motor to start.
 
This sounds like you want an "Are You Sure" type confirmation screen. I would change the Motor X Start Button to a GOTO Display button. That button will open an on top display confirmation Screen. On the confirmation screen you type in your question. "Are you sure you want to start Motor X." The NO button is a close screen button and the Yes button is the Motor start button. Add an additional Close Screen Button to the confirmation screen. If the YES button is pressed then the operator can use the CLOSE button to close the screen. Whether they hit NO or CLOSE it does the same thing, closes the screen. Only by pressing YES will allow the motor to start.
Yes, that is exactly what was needed, except I wanted to close the confirmation screen when they hit YES. In a pinch, I ended up doing it with the remote display connection in PLC code to switch screens once the start button bit went high, but I'm asking about a different way because that is rather clunky and to me it's an HMI function rather than a PLC function.
 
You could use the Display Global Connection > Close an On Top Display <
Close On Top Display.jpg

You could write an expression

If {Motor X} then Display# Else 0

Where {Motor X} = Motor Starter Output or Run Input or Start Button.

This should will close the On Top Display once Motor X is true. You just need to identify the display with a unique number. Also make sure the Cannot Be Replaced option is not selected.
 
Yes, that is exactly what was needed, except I wanted to close the confirmation screen when they hit YES. In a pinch, I ended up doing it with the remote display connection in PLC code to switch screens once the start button bit went high, but I'm asking about a different way because that is rather clunky and to me it's an HMI function rather than a PLC function.

That's easy - just make both the "yes" and "no" buttons a close display button, and on the yes button, use the parameter for "write value on close". I do this (or variations of it) quite regularly.
 
That's easy - just make both the "yes" and "no" buttons a close display button, and on the yes button, use the parameter for "write value on close". I do this (or variations of it) quite regularly.
Ahhhh so it had to be a CLOSE display button to have that feature. Does that mean my confirmation page had to be an on-top display, and not a replace display?

I wonder why they couldn't add this feature to a normal goto display button?
 
That's easy - just make both the "yes" and "no" buttons a close display button, and on the yes button, use the parameter for "write value on close". I do this (or variations of it) quite regularly.

+1 for ASF's solution. Very Clean and Neat. The only thing you need to do is add a reset in your PLC to set the value back to zero. (y)
 
Ahhhh so it had to be a CLOSE display button to have that feature. Does that mean my confirmation page had to be an on-top display, and not a replace display?

I wonder why they couldn't add this feature to a normal goto display button?

Yes, that's correct. Typically an "are you sure" popup will be an on-top window - but even if you didn't have it that way, you could just change it to on-top and make it the full size of the display, and nobody would know any different!

FTView ME is quite...well, there are a lot of words you could use, rdrast has some good ones...but let's just use "restrictive" in what it can do in those sort of ways. FTView SE is far more powerful in that you can just drop in a button which can do anything you like - display management, tag changes, macro triggering, user login, scroll up/down, etc etc - instead of having different types of buttons for different types of features. You can add as many commands as you want to any button. But in ME, yeah, you often have to find creative ways of doing what you want.
 

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