Siemens S7/TIA v18: Can I make a specific input field active on a screen?...

[Mas01]

Context: PLC= S7-1212C, HMI=KTP1200 Basic.

Hi again,

When the "REPORT" button is pressed (on a different screen), it takes the operator to the REPORT page. Works fine.

As it stands, on the REPORT page, the operator then has to press the "Part Number" field to enter the part number (either manually or via a bar-code scanner).

QUESTION: Is it possible, so that when you first enter the REPORT page, the user does not need to press the Part Number field, and can just enter the number/scan in the part number?

i.e. I want to make the Part Number field be the "active field" when you first navigate to the REPORT screen.

Attached is a screenshot of the Properties for the Part Number I/O field, if it helps.

Hope that makes sense. Happy to expand on the above.

Thanks

 

[Mas01]

p.s. I want to do the above, because at the moment, if the operator scans a bar-code WITHOUT having first activated the I/O field, the scanner does something weird...it logs the user out and returns to the login screen - which is really weird and/or very poor programming on my part!

 

[slp530]

Could you try.
On the Main Menu. Goto Edit =>Tab Sequence => Edit Tab Sequence.
Little Black boxes appear on the screen being edited, click on them and you can change the Tab sequence. setting the Input field you want to 1 may work.

 

[JesperMP]

When you use the system function ActivateScreen, you can specify an Object Number.
This is actually the tab order no of the element.
If you are already on the screen, I think you can just use ActivateScreen again.

I think that the scanner works as a keyboard entry, and if a string input field is not selected, the scanner keyboard is interpreted as random key presses.

 

[Mas01]

When you use the system function ActivateScreen, you can specify an Object Number.
This is actually the tab order no of the element.
If you are already on the screen, I think you can just use ActivateScreen again.

I think that the scanner works as a keyboard entry, and if a string input field is not selected, the scanner keyboard is interpreted as random key presses.

How do I find out the Order number associated with the I/O field of the Part Number?

 

[Mas01]

Could you try.
On the Main Menu. Goto Edit =>Tab Sequence => Edit Tab Sequence.
Little Black boxes appear on the screen being edited, click on them and you can change the Tab sequence. setting the Input field you want to 1 may work.

I tried that, but "Edit Tab Sequence" was greyed-out.
I reckon I had the wrong 'item' selected.
What do I need to click on first, so it's not greyed-out?

 

[JesperMP]

Have the screen open, but don't select any screen object.
Click on the screen background if you are in doubt that you have selected an object or not.
Then the edit tab order will be active.

 

[Mas01]

Have the screen open, but don't select any screen object.
Click on the screen background if you are in doubt that you have selected an object or not.
Then the edit tab order will be active.

Ah that worked.
Now I can see the little black boxes in the corner. Cheers.