How to create HMI pushbuttons in RSL5000

[StoneNewB]

Hey all,

I'm pretty new to programming, and I just started this great opportunity with a company that took me under their wing. I started a few weeks back, and I love it. I was given a task today to create a load cell calibration routine. I needed a little help from my teacher to start off. To finish it, I need to program pushbuttons into my RSL5000 routine, from our HMI. I want to see if I could finish this without asking for his help. A walk through of how to execute this would be great (I'll be taking notes from you).

 

[widelto]

is it clear for you when to use XIC and XIO instructions ?

 

[StoneNewB]

Yeah somewhat. For a pushbutton I would be using a XIC instruction. XIC is examine if closed. That means in order for that XIC instruction to be a true statement, the contacts would closed (normally open). XIO is examine if open, which means in order for that XIO instruction to be a true statement, it has to be open. That would make it a normally closed contact. Correct?

 

[bernie_carlton]

Of course you don't create the button in RSLogix5000, that is done in the HMI. Just like a physical pushbutton when wired up and pressed activates of of the physical (Local ....) bits, a pushbutton on an HMI activates the BOOLEAN tag which it is addressed to.

You must create that tag in your program, typically in the 'Controller' tag section. This can be an individual BOOLEAN tag if you wish to keep it simple at this point in your learning. Then a pushbutton object is added to the HMI program and it it is addressed to the tag which you have created in the PLC.

You haven't asked about the HMI program. We'll assume for the moment that you know how to handle that part of the task.

 

[widelto]

As bernie said. Create your tags and logix in the PLC. Then create buttons associated to those tags in your HMI software. You did not mention what hmi your going to use.

 

[StoneNewB]

I'm using Allen Bradley PV1000. Was my description of XIC and XIO instructions accurate?

 

[StoneNewB]

I would assign the Push Button to a BOOLEAN tag because the Push Button is only going to have 2 states, ON or OFF, is that right? It still isn't exactly clear to me yet on how BOOL, SINT, INT, DINT, and REAL works. I believe they are used to transfer data into a language where a processor or a PLC will understand. I still need to grasp the idea of how data is exchanged. I'm working with RSL5000 now.

 

[StoneNewB]

I would like to have an understanding of how data types work and where to assign them. This might turn into a 101 PLC basics thread shortly. Right now I'm almost at the breaking point to where it all makes sense, I just need some input on my threads!

 

[bernie_carlton]

The first ones indicate the size of the storage in CompactLogix an ControlLogix processors.

BOOL - 1 bit, can hold the values 0 and 1

SINT - 8 bits, can hold the values 0 - 255 (if interpreted as unsigned - which it usually is). The values are also often interpreted as representing ASCII (text) characters.

INT - 16 bits, can hold the values 0 - 65535 (again if unsigned)

DINT - 32 bits, can hold the values 0 - 4,294,967,295 (unsigned though usually it is interpreted as signed, in which case it holds the values -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647)

REAL - this is another usage of a 32 bit register (there are also 16 bit and 64 bit versions of Real or floating point but they are not applicable to these processors.) They can represent a wide range of numbers including those with fractional parts. Please 'Google' 'Floating Point' for better information. If you use REALs please understand their non-obvious limitations and save a lot of headaches.

When you get more advanced in your studies you may encounter the concepts of 'array' and 'UDT' (which is User Defined Type). The proper use of these require a basic understanding of the types detailed above.

For a good start download this listing of publications and start reading.

Also check out this thread from a few years back on the MrPLC forum.

 

[StoneNewB]

So data types define how many bits, bytes, or words of data a tag will use. Where do Decimal, Binary, octal, hex, and BCD come into play? What are they used for.

 

[StoneNewB]

Thanks for your reply's, Bernie_Carlton.

 

[bernie_carlton]

So data types define how many bits, bytes, or words of data a tag will use. Where do Decimal, Binary, octal, hex, and BCD come into play? What are they used for.

Ahh, those terms (except for BCD) define how the program package should show the contents of a register to YOU, the pesky human being in this system.

Binary, octal and hex define the method of grouping the bits (1, 3 and 4 respectively) and then showing a unique symbol for each possible grouped value (0-1, 0-7, 0-9 and a-f)

BCD groups the bits in groups of 4 (like hex) BUT ALSO restricts the groups to the values represented by 0-9 ONLY. Each group of 4 has a place value 10 times that of the group to the right (as opposed to hex where each group has a place value 16 times that of the group to the right.)

Decimal is not related to bit grouping. It just displays the value with our standard 'base 10' notation.

 

[StoneNewB]

Let me grasp this before I get ahead of myself. Decimal, binary, octal, and hex are formats for a human understandable representation of information in the processor. These are displayed through the HMI. No?

 

[bernie_carlton]

Through the HMI or if you are monitoring the program execution using RSLogix5000 and are observing register values. Thee selections of display type appear in the tag monitoring tables.

 

[StoneNewB]

In addition, where are the locations of the human digestible contents (represented by decimal, binary, octal, and hex from the processor) be displayed?