Panel Builder Tag Editor

[paulB]

This is about PanelBuilder32 Ver. 3.8. There are two columns in the Tag Editor Window, "Swap Bytes" and "Swap Word", for which I could not find anything in the Help. I have opened existing application, and some of the tags have check marks in these columns. Is anybody knows what these columns for, and how to use them.
Thank you
Paul Bronshteyn
[attachment]

 

[PhilipW]

I would guess that if you are using a PanelView driver to a device that has the upper and lower bytes/words in the opposite order to the normal AB processors, then these attributes would allow you to display them correctly.

 

[msinclair]

An interesting note - these columns are not available in the tag editor for all styles of PanelView. It appears that they are only used with the DeviceNet version . . .

 

[ndzied1]

I think there is a setting to show extended or advanced tag attributes. This may be why many have not seen these options.

I'm not at a machine w/ panelbuilder so I'll have to check later tonight.

 

[msinclair]

Norm:

There is a setting to show extended attributes in the tag editor (Paul has that button toggled on his graphic - the one that looks like an "insert column" icon). The columns that Paul refers to though are actually in the "standard" attributes for the DeviceNet PV (but only the DeviceNet version).

Marc

 

[Allen Nelson]

A never Endian problem....

These fields are only used for DeviceNet systems (and maybe Profibus and Modbus too - I haven't checked).

The reason that they are here is that not all DeviceNet devices are made by AB, and there is ALWAYS confusion with manufacturers if something should be Big Endian or Little Endian.

Seach on this site for the term Endian (especially the two "Worms" threads) for a more full explaination.

The upshot is - if you are getting communciation, but the data is really goofy, check the appropriate box and see if that helps.

 

[Ken Roach]

I often have to use the Swap functions when I'm working with DeviceNet products other than the PLC/PV connection.

What puzzles me about Paul's tag database is that all of those elements are part of the I/O connection, so they're all coming from the same controller (probably a SLC or Logix). It seems incongruous that one "count" should require byte swapping and the next one require word swapping when they come from the same controller.

 

[paulB]

These tags are coming from the same controller - SLC. Some of the tags have duplicate address, but different name. Which ever screen is active at that time, different data from controller copied to that address. But word swap/ byte swap happens on the tags with unique address also. Numeric displays shows same value that is in monitored file of RS LOGIX when you go online. This is production line and I am not allowed to experiment, uncheck one of the boxes and see what happen.
Paul Bronshteyn.