FactoryTalk View Animation

[plcgrasshopper]

Hello,

I am trying to update an HMI screen and am currently working on an Alarm Pop-Up. The animation was originally tied to an alarm bit that is no longer there; all the alarms are now in an ALARM array.

My question is, I only want certain DINTs in the array to trigger a visibility animation. I'm wondering if there's a way to say if ALARM[3] and ALARM[4] != 0 then true? I see the expression option, but I only have a small amount of experience in Python and am not quite familiar with the Syntax.

 

[mylespetro]

The syntax is similar to:

IF NOT {[PLC]ALARM[3]} & NOT {[PLC]ALARM[4]} THEN == 1

That code is definitely wrong, but if you google "Factorytalk View expression syntax" there's lots of good examples on different websites

 

[chavak]

You don't have to type in the expression all by yourself. In the expression window, click tag, browse to the actual tag, either in Online or offline to your 5K project and select the right tag from the list. You may join multiple tags using the logic buttons given below the expression window.

 

[I_Automation]

For me this is what a PLC is designed for.


Check the conditions in the PLC routine, set an animation tag when wanted, and use that tag to display the object.


In the future adding one more condition to display the animation is edit one rung in the PLC

 

[mylespetro]

For me this is what a PLC is designed for.


Check the conditions in the PLC routine, set an animation tag when wanted, and use that tag to display the object.


In the future adding one more condition to display the animation is edit one rung in the PLC

Yes, I also prefer to have logic in the PLC that handles this as well, and based on the status of the equipment/bits/alarms, move a number into a DINT (or INT) and set the colour/visibility based on that. Would recommend that to OP over trying to do it in the expression field, didn't think to say that in my answer I guess

 

[I_Automation]

I heard it best here on this forum, credit here to G.I.T. for this:

A HMI should be a window into the PLC.


No calculating, no scaling, no logic in the HMI - just display what the PLC says and send new values and bit changes to the PLC for it to act upon IF the PLC determines the operating conditions and the new value are correct and allowable at that time.


I have one customer that wants an electroplating line they purchased used updated, but the -L65 CLX PLC is programmed as a dumb terminal with all the cycle parameters, timing and operation ordered by a proprietary HMI that the OEM won't release the source code or make any changes to unless the customer issues them an order for a complete new HMI package they want $18,000 to do.