FTView ME: Can you set CurrentUserHasCode value from a PLC tag?

[ehhakeoiiijge]

I want to set user security level based on the value of a tag in my PLC called "ActiveUser". That tag will contain the A-P code which we use for access control in the HMI.

Is there a way to either:
1. Set that current user code value from the PLC?
2. Monitor that tag in the HMI and change our security code automatically based on its value?

I am using a CompactLogix PLC.

Thank you!

 

[Cheeseface]

Maybe there's a different way to accomplish what you're trying to do. Is your goal to have security centralized for multiple terminals?

 

[plvlce]

1. I'm not aware of a way to set that value other than using the built-in login in the PV.

If you're already tracking the active user PLC-side it's generally simpler to just handle most of the access on the PLC; you can easily control access to things on the HMI side in a similar fashion by setting visibility based on your tag's value.

2. If you insist on using the built-in login functionality, you can use login/logout macros to set your security code. This is less of an 'active monitor' and more a 'when login/logout happens, update code' though

 

[ehhakeoiiijge]

Maybe there's a different way to accomplish what you're trying to do. Is your goal to have security centralized for multiple terminals?

Yes, exactly. I have a PLC-managed security program that I use in some projects (sets an INT value for user code based on user ID/access code stored in the PLC and entered in HMI). I have a project now with so many security rules used in different ways (parameters, memory tags, global objects, screen level, hundreds of object animation expressions with complex logic) that there isn't an easy way to convert it to my security program approach. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[Cheeseface]

It sounds like an operator logon is treated as a logon to the PLC rather than to the HMI. If that is the case, then only one logon can be active at a time even though there may be multiple HMI.

This doesn't really mesh with how FactoryTalk View does security, so you'll have to handle it in the PLC. If you're using PanelViews, you'll probably wind up using the Remote Connection section to control which display is active on each terminal; perhaps pointing each terminal to a different tag.

 

[ehhakeoiiijge]

1. I'm not aware of a way to set that value other than using the built-in login in the PV.

If you're already tracking the active user PLC-side it's generally simpler to just handle most of the access on the PLC; you can easily control access to things on the HMI side in a similar fashion by setting visibility based on your tag's value.

2. If you insist on using the built-in login functionality, you can use login/logout macros to set your security code. This is less of an 'active monitor' and more a 'when login/logout happens, update code' though

1. I want to manage it in the PLC, but this specific HMI is using security codes in multiple ways that aren't easy to automatically convert to my typical PLC approach. I feel like it will make the HMI harder to manage over time since it will be so challenging to undo security changes. More info in my reply to the other post.

2. Can you think of any way I could "choose" the user code that the macro sets via my PLC user level INT value? eg. maybe have multiple buttons: 1 that's visible if user level INT is set to 5 and associated with the "Set Code A" macro, etc.

Thank you for your help and thoughts. I'm kind of stumped

 

[robertmee]

If it were SE you can login a user through an event macro. I don't think ME supports this.