InTouch Standalone - Segregating tag names

[dalporto]

This is kind of a beginner question.


Let say I have 2 Rockwell PLC talking to an InTouch standalone installation. Let call them G1_PLC and G2_PLC.


With the exception of the IP address, it's the same same program. When I'm done with G1, I make a copy, change the IP and dump it in the other PLC.


Which mean that they have the same tags. Let take GX_PLC_52Ga for the example.


When these 2 tags comes into InTouch, I cannot have 2 tags with the same name, it needs to be G1_PLC_52Ga and G2_PLC_52Ga.


Where do I do the switch?


I could give the right names right into the PLC but that defeats a bit the idea to have the same program and just copy it quickly.


What are my other options? Do the remap in SMC (that I don't have to do right now in SMC because it's ABCIP tag based)? Would it even work? Like the name would be G1_PLC_52Ga and Item Reference would be GX_PLC_52Ga? It seem easier/quicker to copy/paste the SMC config and change G1 to G2 than to do it in PLC.


Is there a third or a 4th option?


Thanks.

 

[Bit_Bucket_07]

Make one HMI the IO Server and let the second HMI receive it's data from the Server HMI, rather than from the PLC.

Just enter the IP address (or node name) of the Server in your application's Node Name entry for the PLC's Access Name. If you leave this entry blank, then each machine will attempt to read data locally from the IO Server software.

You only need the IO Server software running on one machine, but you have to specify which one in your Access Name configuration. Of course, both HMIs must be on the same network for this to work.

 

[lostcontrol]

Doing what you suggest in the SMC won’t solve yr issue

Make the tags unique in the InTouch application.
They are different machines after all, so need to be identified as such…

You can export the tags, copy/paste etc & import them back in.

 

[NetNathan]

Edit the tag names to show different sources.
For example...
In my field I deal with heat treat furnaces. They all have furnace numbers.
So for Furnace #10 control thermocouple, I use tagname "F10-ControlTC". Furnace #11 is "F11-Control TC... and so on..". (tip...use 2 number sequencing..so Furnace #2 is F02, this makes it easier to work in the database when you arrange tags by name..)
This gives a lot of power using this tag naming structure.
It makes setting up a master computer that shows all the furnaces very easy to load the tag databases.
If you want to use Indirect tags in common windows, building the scripts is very easy with this tag name structure.

 

[Bit_Bucket_07]

Make one HMI the IO Server and let the second HMI receive it's data from the Server HMI, rather than from the PLC.

Just enter the IP address (or node name) of the Server in your application's Node Name entry for the PLC's Access Name. If you leave this entry blank, then each machine will attempt to read data locally from the IO Server software.

You only need the IO Server software running on one machine, but you have to specify which one in your Access Name configuration. Of course, both HMIs must be on the same network for this to work.

I misunderstood your question. I should have read it more carefully, or just gone to bed. I think I'm coming down with a case of the flu.

 

[dalporto]

Doing what you suggest in the SMC won’t solve yr issue

Make the tags unique in the InTouch application.
They are different machines after all, so need to be identified as such…

You can export the tags, copy/paste etc & import them back in.

[I'll leave it here for reference, but you can now just to my next post when I finally woke up]



Ok, now I'm confused. I though I was clear but it was maybe lost in translation.



Let start over.


This is a rehab. When I look at both RSLogix backups they sent us, it's the same tags on both PLC, different IPs.


Both ends up in the same InTouch application, with tags labeled completely differently. Example:


PLC: GEN_74DC_F =



InTouch: G1_ALM_GEN_Alarm_23 and G2_ALM_GEN_Alarm_23.


I hate those tags which means nothing but that's not the point; they were able to segregate G1 and G2 tags outside the PLC and remap it before InTouch. I though the way to do it was to remap the tags in SMC Device Items table since it's the only way I see that could be done.


Now you're telling me that won't work, I could see why but I'm not sure.


Right now I only have one CPU available so I cannot test it and see it for myself.


But let say I would load the same program on 2 PLC with different IP addresses. Then I configure the comm in SMC and I leave the tables blank (I'm actually working like that, you can pull the tags directly from PLC to InTouch that way).


Then I create Access Names in InTouch for both.


Then I create let say GX_52Ga and assign it the G1_PLC access name. That would probably work since the path points to only one of the PLC. But then I cannot use that same tag to get to the other one so it needs to be already segregated before it comes to that, right?


So the way to go is of course to use G1_52Ga and G2_52Ga, I was already aware of that. But how can I remap the tag names outside of InTouch and outside of the PLCs if it's not in SMC? I'm clearly not the first person that needs to do that. I don't thing anyone would want to to it in the PLC if they'd have 2-3-4-5-6 of the same program on different units.


Thanks.

 

[dalporto]

Ahhh, I think I just got what you meant.




Remap in InTouch:


Tagname: G1_52Ga


Item: 52Ga
Access Name: G1_PLC





But would it work just doing it in SMC? I did it with one tag doing the same way as I would do in InTouch and that table seems easier to manage that to change tags in InTouch which is a living hell. I picked the wrong type for a tag yesterday, there is no fun in there to change that.

 

[Bit_Bucket_07]

Ahhh, I think I just got what you meant.




Remap in InTouch:


Tagname: G1_52Ga


Item: 52Ga
Access Name: G1_PLC



But would it work just doing it in SMC? I did it with one tag doing the same way as I would do in InTouch and that table seems easier to manage that to change tags in InTouch which is a living hell. I picked the wrong type for a tag yesterday, there is no fun in there to change that.

The easiest way to make bulk tagname changes in InTouch is to dump the database to a .csv file, edit it with Excel and then re-load the DB from Application Manager.

 

[lostcontrol]

When I look at both RSLogix backups they sent us, it's the same tags on both PLC, different IPs.

Yes, understood. Identical machines, so identical tags.

Both ends up in the same InTouch application, with tags labeled completely differently. Example:
PLC: GEN_74DC_F =
InTouch: G1_ALM_GEN_Alarm_23 and G2_ALM_GEN_Alarm_23.

This looks like you have archestra graphics.


This is pointing to G1_ALM_GEN_Alarm_23 in the InTouch application, as highlighted by the InTouch: reference.
PLC could be the same OR a remote application or the SMC perhaps.
Without seeing the system, is hard to assume.

I hate those tags which means nothing

The tags mean nothing?

but that's not the point; they were able to segregate G1 and G2 tags outside the PLC and remap it before InTouch. I though the way to do it was to remap the tags in SMC Device Items table since it's the only way I see that could be done.

This definitely sounds like archestra graphics vs InTouch tags.
Creating an alias with the PLC prefix could help with that, but is a backwards way of doing it when not actually required.
The only benefit of using the SMC for this IMHO, is if there is a tag structure in the InTouch/App Server application & the end points are different ( CLX vs SLC etc)

Now you're telling me that won't work, I could see why but I'm not sure.

This was because we thought you were using InTouch tags, but perhaps not. You cannot have duplicated InTouch tags in an application.
But, you could embed an archestra graphic multiple times & reference different sources (which it appears might be the case here)

But let say I would load the same program on 2 PLC with different IP addresses. Then I configure the comm in SMC and I leave the tables blank (I'm actually working like that, you can pull the tags directly from PLC to InTouch that way).

Yes

Then I create Access Names in InTouch for both.

yes again.

So the way to go is of course to use G1_52Ga and G2_52Ga, I was already aware of that. But how can I remap the tag names outside of InTouch and outside of the PLCs if it's not in SMC? I'm clearly not the first person that needs to do that. I don't thing anyone would want to to it in the PLC if they'd have 2-3-4-5-6 of the same program on different units.

Creates tags that match the access names.
G1_TagPressure, G2_TagPressure etc

There should be no need to 'map tags' outside of inTouch unless there is a reason like I stated above...


Did you mention at one stage you might of had Application Server?

 

[dalporto]

See screenshot of how they remap it, which kind make of sense now. If I do it the same way, I won't have to keep a remap alive in SMC.


What they also did was remapping the original tags to a WORD / INT (you can see Alarm.11 in the screenshot). There is another tag that says more about that alarm somewhere in the PLC (probably 74DC something) which is more representative that just assign a number to an alarm). Yes, that "saves room" a bit to use an INT instead of a bunch of BOOL but you always need a table open to match the tag with the actual alarm. Most of the time I can just type a tag and I know what it is. If I want to change the color of the power meter when it loses comm with the PLC? PM_COM_F, not Sus_ALM_0047 or whatever.


When you say Application Server, you're talking Archestra / IDE / the Galaxy and all of it? I'm not sure about all the WW lingo. Then no, it's a standalone application of InTouch. Otherwise I'd subscribe for the 4 days class, I haven't touched that since 2012 and even back then it was a mystery to me.
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