FactoryTalk View ME w/Multiple PLCs - Communications Monitoring

Hi,

I would like some help in figuring out (1) how to monitor communications between a PanelView and multiple PLCs, and (2) what to do, if a PLC is down, to avoid bogging down the rest of the PanelView's operation (especially Macros' execution).

Setup:

• FactoryTalk View ME 11.00.
• PanelView Plus 2711P-T12C4D9.
• (5) MicroLogix 1400 PLCs connected via Ethernet to the HMI.
• Each PLC configured in FactoryTalk Linx with its own shortcut.
• Everything is working normally.
• HMI tags have been created which addresses in the corresponding PLCs.

Now, there are Displays that contain just tags from a single PLC, and other Displays that contain tags from multiple PLCs.

There are Macros with expressions that contain tags from multiple PLCs.

If the user decides to shut down one of the machines, and therefore the corresponding PLC stops communicating, I noticed that Macro execution slows down to a crawl.

How can I monitor each PLC's communication status? I was unable to find a system tags for it.

If a PLC goes down, is there a way to tell the HMI "hey, don't worry about the tags associated with this shortcut, don't waste time asking for them over and over, wait until the communication is restored"?

Thank you

Just have an AlwaysOn bit in the plc and read it on the HMI - If it's disconnected / not running / stolen / On Fire - then it wont be on.