Using Factory Talk View ME for 2 identicle machines

[Breadman]

Hi all
I have an application where i have 2 identicle machines which have an SLC in each.
I would like to build a panelview application and be able to just press a button to connect the panelview to each machine one at a time.
As each machine is identicle the PLC code and tags are the same.
Is there a simple way to add a button to "toggle" the ip address of the plc in the panelview application between each machine? so that the user can select to view and operate either machine 1 or machine 2?
or is there another way that would be simple?
Im quite new to all this still.

 

[Basti504]

I do not know a way to change the IP address of the connection that is declared in FactoryTalk.

But using screen parameters I am pretty sure you can manage this as well. You can add two connections in your HMI project, "PLC1" and "PLC2", and point them to the correct controller. On the main screen you have two buttons for opening machine 1 and machine 2, using parameters of the display button you put either "PLC1" or "PLC2" in #1 for that page that you are opening. In this page you use the #1 to look at the correct PLC. For example {[#1]Sometag} That way you maintain only one copy of all HMI screens, but they can work for many (identical!) PLC's. Just make sure that every page you open also has the "PLC1" or "PLC2" stored in #1.

For reference: https://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/um/viewme-um004_-en-e.pdf page 465

Though I am not sure this is still simple.

 

[Dayvieboy]

Probably need to duplicate every page, rename them
Machine 1 & Machine 2 then redirect all of the new screens to the 2nd machine.

If you had a master plant PLC you could point to it and have it consume the tags for one machine or the other.

The big issue we had when we did this, is that operators would constantly push buttons for the wrong machine causing all kinds of down time.
(Even though back ground colors were different)

We moved away from this & visualized the HMI's & put all 3 of them in the main plant PLC SCADA server.
Now the plant floor VNC's to all 3 on one 40" monitor.

Much cheaper that owning & maintaining 3 PanelView +'s that one seems to fail every year or so.
(PanelView +'s do seem to have gotten more stable over the years)

The windows open and go to their correct location on the monitor left to right
The window title bars Left to right say "# 1", "# 2", "# 3"
We have not had this issue since

Long term we will move the all to Ignition
It is a rather involved OEM supplied program or we would have already done it