GFK1868E
GFK1868E
CIMPLICITY®
Machine Edition
Version 4.00
May 2003
GFK-1868E
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying and recording,
without permission in writing from GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc.
Disclaimer of Warranties and Liability
The information contained in this manual is believed to be accurate and reliable.
However, GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. assumes no responsibilities for
any errors, omissions or inaccuracies whatsoever. Without limiting the forgoing, GE
Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. disclaims any and all warranties, expressed
or implied, including the warranty of merchantability and fitness for a particular
purpose, with respect to the information contained in this manual and the software
described herein. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of such
information and software is upon the buyer or user. GE Fanuc Automation North
America, Inc. shall not be liable for any damages, including special or
consequential damages, arising out of the use of such information or software, even
if GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. has been advised in advance of the
possibility of such damages. The use of the information contained in the manual and
software described herein is subject to GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc.
standard license agreement, which must be executed by the buyer or user before the
use of such information or software.
Notice
GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. reserves the right to make improvements
to the product described in this publication at any time and without notice.
© 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. All rights
reserved. CIMPLICITY is a registered trademark of GE Fanuc Automation. Any other
trademarks referenced herein are used solely for purposes of identifying
compatibility with the products of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc.
We want to hear from you. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions
about our documentation, send them to the following e-mail address:
doc@gefanuc.com
Contents
1 Welcome 1
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Product Authorization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
South America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
2 Machine Edition 7
Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
The Machine Edition Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Getting to Know Machine Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Right-click, right-click, right-click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Accessing the Right Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Projects and the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Properties and the Inspector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Data Watch Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Smart Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
The Toolchest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
The Feedback Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Managing Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Machine Edition Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Running a Sample Project (View/Logic Developer - PC) . . . . .23
Developing a Machine Edition Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Validating and Downloading a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Testing a View Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
3 Logic Developer - PC 33
SFC Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
4 View 61
Panel Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Working with the Panel Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Message Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Script Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Scripting Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
VBScript Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Active Scripting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Working with the Script Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Grid Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Alarm Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Alarm Display Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Logging data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
PLC Access I/O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
OPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
OPC Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Machine Edition OPC Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
View Web Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Languages folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Working with the Languages editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
View Runtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
QuickPanel Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
External Keypad Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Scripts on QuickPanel Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
QPScript Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
5 Motion Developer 87
About Motion Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Supported motion control devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Motion Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Motion targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Motion configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Motion programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Motion blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Motion Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
GFK-1868E
GFK-1868E Getting Started iii
Motion wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Special Wizards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Application Builder flowchart editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Motion Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
CAM Profile Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Remote I/O
I/O Modules
Motors/Drives
Internet/Intranet
Web Access
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
To use Machine Edition and its tools, you require the following:
Development Environment ■
Windows® NT version 4.0 with service pack 6 or later OR
Windows 2000 Professional OR
Windows XP Professional OR
Windows ME OR
Windows 98 SE OR.
■ Internet Explorer version 5.5 Service Pack 2 or later.
■
500 MHz Pentium-based workstation (1 GHz recommended).
■
128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended).
■ TCP/IP network protocol-based workstation.
■
150-750 MB hard disk space, depending on the selected products.
■
200 MB hard disk space for sample projects (optional).
■ Additional hard disk space for projects and temporary files.
Windows ® NT Runtime ■
Windows® NT version 4.0 with service pack 4 or later OR
Windows 2000 Professional OR
Windows XP Professional.
■
233 MHz Pentium-based workstation; 300 MHz on Windows 2000 or XP
(500 MHz recommended in both cases).
■
64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended).
■ 200 MB free hard disk space.
HRT Runtime ■
Windows® NT version 4.0 with service pack 4 or later.
■
VentureCom RTX version 4.3 or 5.0.
■ 200 MHz Pentium-based workstation .
■
64 MB RAM .
■
200 MB free hard disk space.
Windows ® CE Runtime ■
For HMI and Logic components: GE Fanuc ControlStation CE, ControlStation CE
II, or ControlStation CE IIx.
■
For HMI only: GE Fanuc ViewStation CE, ViewStation CE II, or ViewStation CE
IIx.
INSTALLATION
For last-minute information, release notes, and supported hardware lists for
Machine Edition products, see the Important Product Information (IPI) document
on the CD. There are several ways to view this document
■
When installing Machine Edition, select Important Product Information on the
initial Launcher screen.
■
From the Machine Editioh Help menu, choose Important Product Information.
■
When running Machine Edition, click the InfoView tab in the Navigator, then
double-click the Important Product Information page under Getting Started in
the Table of Contents.
■
When running Machine Edition, click the Home button on the InfoViewer
toolbar, then click the What’s New link under Get Started on the left hand side.
If a previous version of Machine Edition is installed on your workstation, you must
uninstall it before installating the latest version. You can do so by selecting the
“Uninstall CIMPLICITY Machine Edition” option from the CIMPLICITY Machine
Edition Start menu group. All projects, settings, and authorizations will remain
intact during an uninstall operation.
If you have any problems installing CIMPLICITY Machine Edition, please call
Customer Support.
T o i n s ta ll t h e f u l l C I M P L I C IT Y M a c h i n e E d i t i o n d e v el o p m ent e n v i r o n me n t f r o m a C D
1. Insert the CIMPLICITY Machine Edition CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Windows will automatically start the setup program. If the setup program does not
automatically start, run Setup.exe in the root directory of the CD.
2. Click Install to start the install process.
3. Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen.
T o i n s ta ll o n ly t h e C IM P L IC I TY V i e w a n d L o g i c D e v el o p e r - P C r u n ti me s f r o m a C D
1. Insert the CIMPLICITY Machine Edition CD into your CD-ROM drive.
If Windows automatically starts the setup program, cancel it by clicking Exit.
2. In a Windows Explorer window, navigate to the Install\CIMPLICITY Machine Edition Runtime Install\Disk1 folder on
the CIMPLICITY Machine Edition CD.
3. Double-click the “Setup.exe” file in that folder.
4. Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen.
PRODUCT AUTHORIZATION
Before you can start developing projects in Machine Edition, you must authorize
the software with a program called Product Authorization. If you don’t authorize
the software, you will only be able to use it for a four-day trial period. This
procedure will take only a few moments and will allow you to take advantage of
any product support for which you qualify. You will need to contact us by
telephone, fax, or e-mail as part of the authorization process.
Product Authorization is complete once you enter the new key code and it has
been accepted. Depending on the product you have purchased, you may need to
run the Product Authorization program a number of times. For example, if you
bought ControlStation NT, you will need to authorize both Runtime and
Development.
T o m o v e the a u t h o ri z a t i o n t o a n o th e r co m p u t er
You can run the software only on the computer that the Product Authorization was
run on. If you want to develop your projects on a different computer, you will need
to complete the following steps to move the authorization from one computer to
another.
1. Install Machine Edition on the computer that the authorization will be moved to. Run the Product Authorization
program from the Start menu/Programs/CIMPLICITY Machine Edition/Product Authorization.
The Product Authorization dialog box appears.
2. Click Move and then click OK.
There is a Target Site Code on the top right hand side of the screen. Write down
this site code carefully. It must be accurate for the move to work. You will need the
Target Site Code when you move the authorized software from the source
computer.
3. Click Authorize by disk.
At this point, you need to go to the source computer that has the authorized
software, and move the authorization to a disk.
4. From the source computer, run the Product Authorization program.
5. Click Move, and then click OK. Enter the Target Site Code that you wrote down from Step 3 and click Next. Verify that
the site code is correct and click OK.
6. Insert a blank formatted floppy disk into the floppy drive and click Next. The authorization code will be moved to
the disk and a dialog box should appear telling you it was successful. Click OK.
7. Go back to the computer to which you are moving the authorization and insert the floppy disk. (The screen that is
asking for an authorization disk should be displayed.) Click Next.
8. Click Finish. A screen should appear telling you the move was successful. Click OK.
The authorization has now been moved to the new computer.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Support is available to registered users at no charge for 90 days after purchase. A
Support and Free Enhancements (SaFE) subscription can be purchased from your
local GE Fanuc distributor if extended support is required.
If problems arise that can’t be solved using the information in your product
manual, online Help system, or the GE Fanuc Technical Advisor knowledge base,
contact us by telephone, fax, or mail.
When contacting us, call from a telephone near your computer and have your
CIMPLICITY Machine Edition software running. Have the following information
handy to help us assist you as quickly as possible:
■
The serial number from your installation CD case, and the Product name and
version number from the Help>About dialog box.
■
The brand and model of any hardware in your system.
■ Operating system and version number.
■
The steps you performed prior to the problem occurring.
North America
Support Hotline: 1-800-GEFANUC (1-800-433-2682) Fax: (780) 420-2049
Internet: http://www.gefanuc.com Email: support@gefanuc.com
Comments about our manuals and help: doc@gefanuc.com
Mailing Address: GE Fanuc
2700 Oxford Tower, 10235 - 101 St.
Edmonton, AB, Canada, T5J 3G1
South America
Telephone: +58 (261) 760 2862 Fax: +58 (261) 765 0909
Internet: http://www.gefanuc.com (visit our Portuguese web site at www.gefanuc.com.br)
E-Mail: luis.wilhelm@gefanuc.com
Mailing Address: GE Fanuc Automation Latin America
Calle 120 con Av. 17, Los Haticos -GE Turbimeca
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Europe
Internet: For up-to-date contact information, visit www.gefanuc-europe.com and click on “Offices and Services”.
For up-to-date technical information visit www.gefanuc.com/support.
E-mail: plc_europe@gefanuceur.ge.com
QUICK START
Machine Edition makes it easy to get started developing a project.
To s t ar t Mac hin e Ed it io n
1. Click Start, point to Programs, then CIMPLICITY Machine Edition and then click CIMPLICITY Machine Edition.
(See also page 23.)
When Machine Edition initializes for the first time following installation, the
Environment Themes dialog box appears.
You can open the Environment Themes dialog box later to choose a different theme
by clicking the Window menu and choosing Apply Theme.
2. Choose the environment theme you want to work in.
3. Click OK.
When you open a project the appearance of your Machine Edition screen will
match the preview in the Environment Themes dialog box. As you work you will
probably modify the environment, open and close windows, change the selected
toolbars and so on. Any changes you make will be retained in your default
environment setup.
Select this option to select from Select this option to select from all
those projects that have been existing projects
used recently.
4. Select the appropriate option to open a project. The Open an existing project option is selected by default.
Notes:
■
If you select either the Empty project option or the Machine Edition template
option, the New Project dialog box appears to let you create a new project.
■
If you select the Open an existing project option, you can also choose from
Recent Projects or All Projects. Recent Projects is selected by default.
5. If you selected the Open an existing project option, select the project that you want to open from the list.
Existing projects include samples and tutorials that you can open and use to
familiarize yourself with Machine Edition.
6. If desired, select the Don’t show this dialog box on startup option.
7. Click OK.
Your project opens in the Machine Edition environment that you specified in the
Environment Themes dialog box. See also, Machine Edition Projects page 23.
Toolchest:
Navigator:
organizes and displays contains
project information in preconfigured objects
a tree structure. that can be dragged
into Machine Edition
projects.
Getting Help
There are many ways to access the Machine Edition online help system.
■
Press F1 on any selected item for context-sensitive help.
■
Browse through the table of contents in the InfoView tab of the Navigator.
■ Search for keywords using the index: on the Help menu, select Index.
■
Use the Companion to dynamically display a brief description about
whatever item you have selected.
You can also access additional help on the web. In Machine Edition on the Help
menu, point to GE Fanuc on the Web, and then choose:
■ Technical Advisor.
■
GE Fanuc Home Page.
Machine Edition provides two kinds of Help windows to display help information:
the Companion and the InfoViewer.
For detailed context-sensitive help, select any item (in this
case, a button on a graphical panel) and press F1.
The Companion is a
dynamic help window
that displays snippets
of information on
any selected item.
Getting Help
Companion The Companion window displays brief information about whatever item you
happen to be working with, anywhere in Machine Edition. Whether you need the
meaning of a property, the purpose of a node in the Navigator, or an explanation of
errors generated during validation, the Companion is always there for you.
By default, the Companion is open while editing projects. If it’s been turned off,
click on the Tools toolbar to open it again.
InfoViewer The InfoViewer window is an embedded HTML browser that provides more
detailed and procedural help. It is launched whenever you access help topics from
the InfoView Tab, the help index, or by pressing F1 on a selected item.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up Help and choose “Finding information in the
Help”.
InfoViewer
Navigator Companion
Control I/O Toolchest
Feedback Zone Data Watch
Inspector
Tools Toolbar
If you are not sure of the name of a tool within a toolbar, hover the mouse pointer
over the tool’s button to display its name in a tool tip.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Toolbars: an Overview”.
T o o p e n a p r oj e ct i n th e N a vi g a t or
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click an existing project listed under My Computer and choose
Open.
The project is opened in Machine Edition. The Variables and Project tabs are
added to the Navigator and the nodes change to reflect those components that
make up the project you just opened.
The Project tab organizes your project. Use it The Variables tab contains all the variables
to navigate around your project, and add, in your project. Use it to add, delete, move,
delete, and configure the items that make up and otherwise manipulate variables.
your project.
Inspector In Machine Edition, practically every object has properties. Properties are simply
attributes and information about that object. For example, the properties of a box
on an HMI graphical panel include Height, Width, Fill Color, and Outline Color.
The properties of an object are edited in the Inspector window:
■
To edit an object’s properties, select it with the Inspector open. The Inspector
will show all those properties associated with the selected object.
■
When a property changes an object’s appearance, you’ll see the results of the
change immediately in the object’s editor.
■ To see more properties for an object, select a tab at the bottom of the Inspector.
The Static tab contains The Auto tab displays variables A Watch_List tab contains all variables in your
variables that you add to the associated with the item currently project which have been added to the currently-
Data Watch tool. selected in an editor or tool. selected Watch list.
Smart Lists
While working in Machine Edition editors, you are frequently required to input
variable names, instruction mnemonics and other data items. In many cases, when
text entry is required, a Smart List will appear to speed your progress.
Smart List Display For example, if you typed “fill” in the Smart
List, the FillLevel variable would be
highlighted. If you want to use an existing
variable (in this case, “FillLevel”), use the
Down arrow to select the highlighted item,
then press ENTER. To create a new variable
called “fill”, simply press ENTER without using
the Down arrow.
The Toolchest
Toolchest Window
Definitions of all preconfigured objects within the Toolchest are displayed in the
Companion.
Feedback Zone The Feedback Zone (only available while editing a project) is an interactive
window that displays output information generated by Machine Edition-enabled
components. Using the Feedback Zone, you can keep track of project information,
locate validity errors within your project, display generated reports, and more. It is
organized into several tabs. Click on a message to display more information about
the error in the Companion Window.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up Feedback and choose “Feedback Zone Tool
Window”.
The Import tab displays a list of errors and warnings The Reports tab displays a list of all reports
from an import operation (eg., errors/warnings will generated during the current session. Double-click
be listed when you import variables from a PLC into a a report in the list to redisplay it in the InfoViewer.
Machine Edition project).
Feedback Zone
Managing Variables
Variables are named storage spaces for data values defined in Machine Edition
projects. A variable could store the current velocity of a motion controller motor,
the height of a robotic arm, or any other value that an application needs to keep
track of. Most variables in a project can be shared among various components and
targets, such as View panels and Logic Developer - PC’s ladder logic.
You manage variables in the Variables tab of the Navigator, also called the
Variable List. Like most items in Machine Edition, you configure variables by
editing their properties in the Inspector.
The values a variable can store depends on its data type. For example, a DINT data
type indicates that the variable can store “Double Integers”, 32-bit values. The
location where a variable’s value is stored is indicated by its data source. Typically,
a variable’s value is either stored internally in the target’s memory or is retrieved
(and sent) to external PLC hardware, via an I/O terminal or other connection.
Available data types and data sources depend on the target type and (if applicable)
components added to the target.
You can also use arrays and structure data types in Machine Edition projects. An
array is a series of variable elements with identical data types, referenced by a 0-
based index (as in “MyArray[3]”). A structure data type is a group of variable
elements that may or may not have the same data type, referenced by the name of
each element (as in “MyStructure.MyElement”). Custom structure data types are
created with fxClasses in the Toolchest.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Arrays” and “STRUCTURE data types”.
Property Columns In addition to the Inspector, the three buttons at the top of the Navigator let you
edit variable properties in a spreadsheet-like column view.
Click to open and close the property column display. This button is only available in the Variables tab.
Click to dock and undock the Navigator window. Undocking the Navigator (that is, making it work like
an Editor window) can make it easier to work with properties in the column view.
Click to display a list of available property columns. Double-click a property to add it to the current set.
When opened, the Navigator’s property columns view consists of a grid of cells:
Variable Reports While you can generate reports on many things in Machine Edition, they are
especially useful for the Variable List. Among the available reports are:
■
All variables by name, filtered or unfiltered.
■
Cross-references to variables (that is, the places they are used in the project).
■
All forced variables (Logic Developer - PC only).
■
Unused variables (that is, variables with no references anywhere in the project).
The unused variables report also has a link that lets you delete all unused
variables from the project at once.
Reports are displayed as HTML pages in the InfoViewer. To generate a report, click
anywhere in the Variables tab then, on the File menu, select Report.
Want to know more about Variables? Look up the following in the Help Index.
■
For information on variables in general, choose “Variables: an Overview”.
■ For information on variables in View, choose “Variables in View”.
■
For information on variables in QuickPanel projects, choose “Variable support in
QuickPanel applications”.
■ For information on variables in Logic Developer - PC, choose “Variables in Logic
Developer - PC”.
■
For information on variables in Logic Developer - PLC, choose “Variable support for GE
Fanuc PLC targets”.
■
For information on variables in Motion Developer, choose “Variables in Motion
Developer”.
■ For information on importing variables from other applications or database files, choose
one of the “Importing Variables...” topics.
To r un a sa mp le pr oject
1. Run CIMPLICITY Machine Edition from the Start menu/Programs/CIMPLICITY Machine Edition.
2. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, double-click one of the sample applications listed under the
My Computer folder.
Sample applications include
■
Alarm Trends: an HMI application that demonstrates alarms and charts.
■
Animation Features: an HMI application that depicts the various types of
animation available in View.
■
Brewery: an HMI and logic brewery application that runs on a Windows NT
target.
■
Car Wash: an HMI and logic application that runs on a Windows NT target.
This application is built in an SFC document.
■
ControlStation HMI Features: an HMI and logic application that runs on a
Windows NT target. This application also shows some web documents.
■
FC2000 Brewery: an HMI and logic brewery application that runs on a
ControlStation/ViewStation CE. (Projects containing a logic component cannot
be downloaded to a ViewStation, as ViewStation CEs do not support logic.)
■
FC2000 Zone Control: an HMI and logic application that runs on a
ControlStation/ViewStation CE. This application runs a four-zone ventilation
logic system. It is to be used with the ControlStation/ViewStation CE Tutorial.
(Projects containing a logic component cannot be downloaded to a
ViewStation, as ViewStation CEs do not support logic.)
■ ST - Lunar Lander: an HMI and logic application that runs on a Windows NT
target. This project demonstrates the Structured Text (ST) language and its
interaction with UDFBs (User Defined Function Blocks).
Tutorials include
■
Animation: an HMI application that illustrates and provides details on the
various animations that you can use in your HMI.
■ AppExec: an HMI application that demonstrates the AppExec Script function.
■
Keystrokes: an HMI application that displays the analog values associated with
the keys on your keyboard.
■
Logging: an HMI application that demonstrates how to log production data to
an ASCII text file.
■
Recipes: an HMI application that shows how one would load and modify
recipes.
■
Scripting: an HMI application that demonstrates some of View Developer’s
scripting capabilities.
3. Browse through the project in Machine Edition.
Open the project’s graphical panels, ladder logic, and SFCs (if they exist) in their
respective editors. To open an editor, right-click the appropriate node in the
Project tab of the Navigator and select Open.
Also, take a look at the properties of the various nodes and objects. To view an
object’s properties, open the Inspector window, and then select an object.
4. In the newly opened project, press F9 to validate, download, and run the sample application.
The F9 key is a shortcut for the Run command which automatically starts View
Runtime and the Controller.
The sample application should now be running in both View Runtime and the
Controller. View Runtime appears, displaying the first panel of the project’s HMI.
You can see the real-time status of the logic by going online to the Controller. For
information about going online to the Controller, see “To go online to the
Controller” on page 25.
T o g o o n li n e t o the C o n tr o ll er
If you have chosen a project that contains ladder logic and/or an SFC document,
you can go online to the application and watch the logic being executed.
1. Minimize the Runtime window (but don’t close it) and return to Machine Edition.
2. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the Target node and choose Go Online.
You are now online to the Controller (that is, you are working with the application
while it is running). The Controller is the part of the Runtime that solves ladder
logic and SFCs.
3. In the Project tab of the Navigator, open the Ladder Editor by double-clicking the Ladder Program node or
open the SFC Editor by double-clicking the SFC node.
In the editor, you can watch the logic being solved as the Controller operates. You
can start and stop Runtime and the Controller by right-clicking the target,
pointing to Online Commands, and selecting Start/Stop Runtimes from the
submenu. To go offline from the Controller, right-click the target and select Go
Offline.
For Logic Developer - PLC and Logic Developer - State, your target is a GE Fanuc
PLC. You can also configure remote I/O targets that represent a variety of remote
I/O adapters and their associated I/O modules.
If you’re using Motion Developer, the choice is easy—simply determine whether
your motion hardware is a motion controller/drive or a drive-only device (see page
89).
After you’ve decided on the target, you need to determine which components your
project will include: HMI (with View), and/or Logic (with Logic Developer - PC).
Note that ViewStations do not support Logic components. A project can have
multiple targets of different types with various components running on each target.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Targets: an Overview”.
To c r ea te and develop a pr oj ec t
The following procedure introduces the general steps involved in creating a project
using a template, and downloading a project to a target computer.
1. Start CIMPLICITY Machine Edition from the Start menu/Programs/CIMPLICITY Machine Edition.
2. Create a project using a template.
In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click My Computer (if using
Manager—right-click Machine Edition) and select New. The New Project dialog
box appears.
3. In the New Project dialog box, type a name for the new project, select a template, and click OK.
A description of the template appears below your selection. You can click
hypertext links in the description for details on the template components.
At this point, you need to know the type of target hardware to which your project
will download, as this will determine which template you choose. In some project
templates (such as the “View/Control” template), you can select this as one of
several parameters within an HTML page on the template dialog box.
The project is opened in Machine Edition and the Navigator changes to reflect
those components that make up the project you just created.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up templates and choose “Creating a New
Machine Edition Project” or “Creating a Project with CIMPLICITY Manager”.
With View, create the graphical panels and animation for your project. If the
template you chose did not include an HMI component, then add one now—right-
click the target, select Add Component, and choose HMI. (If a target has both an
HMI and a Logic component, you’ll typically create the Logic component first.)
■
In the Project tab of the Navigator, open the Panel Editor by double-clicking
a panel node.
■ Use the Graphical Panel toolbar to create your HMI and/or drag graphical
objects from the Toolchest onto a panel. You can find a set of fully-configured
objects (complete with animation) in various Toolchest Expert Objects drawers.
With Motion Developer, begin by running the Motion Expert wizard.
■ If necessary, open the “Main Wizard” home page by right-clicking the target
and selecting Main Wizard.
■
In the wizard page, click Motion Expert and follow the instructions on screen.
For more information on using wizards, see page 93.
■
For View, set up PLC Access I/O in the PLC Access Drivers folder. To add a
driver, right-click the PLC Access Drivers folder and select New Driver.
Configure the drivers in the Inspector window. On NT targets, you might want
to set up OPC I/O in the OPC Client folder.
7. When your project is complete; validate, download, and run your project by pressing the F9 function key.
Machine Edition saves the project, performs a validation, builds the run time files,
and attempts to establish a connection to the target computer.
■
To download a QuickPanel project, ensure the target property Computer
Download Port is set to the applicable COM port.
Additional basic information on setting up Windows NT and CE targets follows.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up downloading and choose “Preparing
Windows NT Targets for Downloading”.
3 Logic Developer - PC
Logic Developer - PC is the PC control section of Machine Edition providing the
logic component of a project. With Logic Developer - PC you create control
programs using standard IEC 61131-3 editors in a graphical environment. The
programs you create are downloaded to the PC Logic Controller and executed.
You interface to a plant or process through the I/O system of your choice; Logic
Developer - PC supports a wide range of industry standard hardware.
Logic Developer - PC supports Windows NT, Windows CE, and QuickPanel CE
targets.
All user-defined logic programs are contained in the Logic folder, including
the following:
■ Sequential Function Chart (SFC) editor (see page 35)
■ Ladder Program (see page 39)
■ Instruction List Blocks (see page 43)
■ Structured Text Blocks (see page 46)
The following runtime elements are included with Logic Developer - PC:
Navigator: Project tab
■
Logic Developer - PC Web Access (see page 49)
Logic component nodes
■
Control I/O Drivers (see page 52)
■
PC Logic Controller (on target computer) (see page 55)
Note: User-defined folders can be added to the Logic folder or to another user-
defined folder to organize your logic. A user-defined folder can contain any type of
logic block except ladder, of which there is only one, contained in the logic folder.
T o a dd a l og ic c o mpo n e n t to a n e xi s ti n g pr oj ec t
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a target, point to Add Component and choose Logic.
The Logic folder with an empty ladder program and SFC component is added to
your project.
T o a d d a u s er - d e f i n e d f o l d e r to y o ur p ro j e c t
1. Ensure that your project contains a logic component (see above).
2. Right-click the Logic folder or a user-defined folder, point to New, and then choose Folder.
The new folder appears in the Project tab of the Navigator in alphabetical
order.
3. (Optional) Enter a name for the new folder.
SFC EDITOR
SFC logic is a graphical language for organizing the sequential execution of
control logic. The SFC editor is an easy-to-use graphical tool for editing sequential
function charts in the Machine Edition environment. With the SFC editor, you can
work on a disk copy of a sequential function chart (offline) or monitor the
execution of an SFC running in the Controller (online). You can also configure the
appearance and behavior of the SFC editor.
To a dd a new SFC
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the Logic folder or a user-defined folder, point to New,
and then choose SFC.
The new SFC appears under the Logic folder or a user-defined folder in
alphabetical order.
2. (Optional) Enter a unique name for the new SFC.
T o c r ea te a n ew S F C m a cr o
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, under the Logic folder or under a user-defined folder, right-click an
SFC or macro node and choose New.
2. (Optional) Enter a unique name for the new macro.
Your new macro appears as a child node of the SFC or macro node you started
with.
Insert instructions,
Configure instructions rows, and columns
and their associated with the SFC toolbar.
variables in the
Inspector.
T o i n s er t a n S F C ins t ruc ti on
1. In the SFC editor, right-click a blank cell and choose Place Instruction.
2. Choose an instruction mnemonic from the smart list that appears and press ENTER to finish.
You can set the SFC editor options to automatically assign default variables to
instructions or to allow you to choose and create your own.
To Q ui ck Edit a n SFC
• In the SFC editor, click a blank cell and type instruction mnemonics separated by operators (see the following table).
Press ENTER to finish.
Each mnemonic specifies one or more instructions. Each operator moves the
location of the currently selected cell. Default variables are assigned when Quick
Editing an SFC.
SFC Operators
To ... Use ...
move right one cell +
move left one cell -
move down one cell ;
stay on current cell /
LADDER EDITOR
Ladder logic is likely the most popular language in use today for creating control
programs. The ladder editor is a graphical tool for editing ladder programs in
Machine Edition. With the ladder editor, you can work on a disk copy of a ladder
program (offline) or with a live program as it runs in the Controller (online). You
can also configure the appearance and behavior of the editor under the Options
tab of the Navigator.
Ladder Program
A ladder program is composed of rungs of ladder logic instructions that execute
sequentially from left to right, top to bottom. The instruction set includes standard
IEC 61131-3 functions supplemented by a large library of advanced and I/O
specific functions. Along with rungs and instructions, a ladder program contains:
■ Labels: Each default (START and END) or user-defined label is a rung
Navigator: Project tab providing an entry point for program execution.
ladder logic nodes ■ Subroutines: Each user-defined subroutine is a separate, reusable
section of logic that can be called from anywhere in a ladder program.
■ Actions: Each action is a separate block of logic that can be referenced
in a Sequential Function Chart.
Note: You can also use User-Defined Function Blocks (UDFBs). Each UDFB is a
callable subroutine that you can pass parameters to/from.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up ladder and choose “Ladder Program: an
Overview” or “UDFB”.
T o l o ca te a lab el
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, under the Logic folder, under the Ladder Program folder, double-
click a label node.
Your ladder program, subroutine or action opens in a ladder editor window with
the label selected.
T o c r ea te a n ew sub ro u ti n e o r a ct io n
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, under the Logic folder, under the Ladder Program folder, right-click
the Subroutines or Actions node and choose New.
2. (Optional) Enter a unique name for the new subroutine or action.
An empty subroutine or action, labeled with the name you entered, is
created. Double-click the node to open it for editing. You can add ladder logic to
the subroutine or action as required.
T o i n s er t a r u n g
• In the ladder logic, right-click a rung, shunt, label or description and choose Insert Rung.
An empty rung is inserted. You can set the editing options for the ladder editor so
that rungs are inserted either before or after the current selection.
To Q ui ck Edit l add er l o gi c
• In the ladder logic, click on a rung and type instruction mnemonics separated by semicolons, and then press ENTER.
The instructions specified by the mnemonic string you entered will be inserted, in
order, on the rung. You can enter mnemonics followed by variable names if you
want to assign instruction parameters while Quick Editing.
Example: Add a Normally Open Contact (NO) instruction followed by a Coil
(OUT) instruction and assign the variables MySwitch and MyCoil to these
instructions respectively.
NO MySwitch; OUT MyCoil
Instruction List
IL is a low-level language composed of basic and advanced Math instructions that
execute sequentially from top to bottom. IL blocks can also contain labels
providing entry points for program execution. In its simplest form an IL can:
1. Load a data value (operand) into the accumulator.
Navigator: Project tab
2. Perform an operation on the accumulator, saving the result in the accumulator.
IL block nodes
3. Store the accumulator’s value to memory (a variable).
4. Do another accumulator load or operation, etc.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “IL Editor: an Overview”.
T o c r ea te a n ew IL b l oc k
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the Logic folder or a user-defined folder and choose New.
2. (Optional) Enter a name for the new IL block then press ENTER.
Your new IL block appears as a child node of the Logic folder or a user-defined
folder.
Note: IL blocks can be executed only when called as Actions from an SFC.
Drag variables to
the IL editor to
complete IL
statements. Multiple-line block
comments to
document your IL
block.
T o i n s er t an I L i n s tr u ct io n
1. In the IL editor, just begin typing. A smart list will appear containing any items (labels, mnemonics or variables) that
are applicable at the current cursor position.
2. Enter or choose from the list the mnemonic you want.
T o c o n ve r t a n a me t o a v a r i a b le
1. In the IL editor, right-click a name and point to Create “name” as.
2. Choose a data type from the list that appears.
T o g o o n li n e t o the C o n tr o ll er ’ s IL
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, for each of the following right-click the target and choose:
2. Validate (F7).
3. Download (F8).
4. Run (F9)
5. Go Online (CTRL+F11).
The Controller’s IL block appears in the IL editor as read-only and with a grey
background. In the IL editor, you can monitor the values of a variable, by clicking
on the variable. You can also change and/or force BOOL variable states.
Structured Text
ST is a high-level language composed of basic and advanced Math instructions. ST
blocks can be executed as Actions called from SFC Steps, or when called as a
subroutine from other ST blocks or ladder programs.
If an ST block is named 'MAIN', after downloading, the execution of every scan
will begin the ladder program, then the SFC program(s), then the named 'MAIN' ST
block.
Navigator: Project tab
ST block nodes
Some of the features in ST are: timers, arrays, bitwise access, strings and User
Defined Function Blocks (UDFBs). The Return keyword causes an early exit from a
subroutine.
Note: Each UDFB is a callable subroutine to and from which you can pass
parameters.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “ST Editor” or “UDFB”.
T o c r ea te a n ew S T b l oc k
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the Logic folder or a user-defined folder, point to New,
and then choose ST Block.
2. (Optional) Enter a name for the new ST block.
Your new ST block appears under the Logic folder or under the user-defined
folder.
Multiple-line block
Drag variables to the comments to
ST editor to complete document your ST
ST statements.
block.
Hover over a
variable with the
mouse cursor to see
its data type.
T o i n s er t a n S T ins tr u ct i on
1. In the ST editor, just begin typing. To see a list of valid variables, right-click anywhere and choose Insert Variable.
Choose a variable from the list that appears, then press ENTER.
2. To obtain a list of valid mnemonics, right-click anywhere and choose Insert Keyword. Choose a keyword from the
list that appears, then press ENTER.
PC WEB ACCESS
Machine Edition enables you to view a target’s PC logic data with a web browser,
such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. When a Machine Edition project is
downloaded, it automatically launches an integrated web server. Users who
connect to this web site are presented with the Site Index, which contains the
following Logic Developer items:
Logic: Click Logic Navigator, Back to Main, or Help.
When you click Logic Navigator, an index (tree diagram) appears, which contains
the following PC logic:
■
Published SFCs and SFC macros.
■
Ladder program.
■
Ladder subroutines.
■
Actions.
■
ST blocks.
■
IL blocks.
From this list, you can open dynamic, remote views of specific PC logic blocks.
Want to know more? Select "PC Web Access features" under the Web Access
library in the Help tab of the Navigator.
T o a ll o w re m ot e a c ce s s to y o u r p ro j e c t
1. For each target that you want to allow access to, set the
target’s Publish Logic property to True.
This enables all PC logic except SFCs and SFC macros to be remotely viewable.
2. For each SFC and SFC macro in those targets that you want users to access, set its Publish property to True.
For example, to allow users to view an SFC remotely, set the SFC’s Publish property
to True.
Note: The target containing the PC logic to be published must be set as the active
target and a successful project download must occur.
4. If you’re testing the project on the local computer, enter “localhost” (without the quotation marks) as the Address.
This connects Internet Explorer with the local computer.
When you connect to the Runtime computer, the Site Index appears with a list of
links to possible ways to view your process data.
T o v i ew PC l og i c r e mo t el y
I/O Drivers
Logic Developer - PC comes complete with a constantly growing library of drivers.
Some of these drivers require no additional equipment to be installed on the target
computer including the following:
T o a dd a C on t r ol I /O dri v er t o a t ar ge t
• Right-click the Control I/O Drivers node, point to New Driver then choose a driver from the list.
The new driver appears as a child node under the Control I/O node. A
default configuration of the driver is also added to the Control I/O tool. You can
add up to nine drivers to a target.
Control I/O The Control I/O tool is a special editor used to graphically model the I/O
equipment driven by Control I/O drivers. Each I/O system is portrayed as a tree
structure starting with a driver node branching down to terminals that
represent physical field connections. Between the driver and terminals are nodes
representing any cards, racks or modules included in the system. Field
data is shared with the components of your project by mapping variables to each
I/O terminal.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up Control I/O Tool and choose “Control I/O
Tool”.
T o c o n fi gu r e an I /O sy s t em w i th the C o n tr o l I / O to o l
1. Right-click a driver, card, rack, or slot and choose Add xxx to build an I/O tree.
2. Double-click a driver, card, rack, or slot node to configure it.
3. Map variables to I/O terminals.
CONTROLLER
The Controller is a run time engine, hosted on a target, that performs the
following operations in a repeated scan cycle:
■
Solves logic in a ladder program, including any called subroutines.
■
Solves logic in an SFC, including any called actions.
■
Solves ST block named ‘MAIN’ (if it exists), including any called subroutines.
■ Interfaces with Control I/O drivers.
■
Updates the target’s runtime database, which is shared with the View Runtime
(see page 81).
The following diagram illustrates the Controller’s scan cycle.
You specify a target when creating a project. The Hard Real-time Controller is a
special add-on configured only on Windows NT targets. In all cases, the Controller
automatically starts when the target operating system is started.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up Controller and choose “Controller: an
Overview”.
T o c o n f i gu r e t h e Co n t ro l le r
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a target and choose Properties.
2. In the Inspector, adjust the properties.
If your project includes an HMI component, properties of the View Runtime can
also be set at this time. You can also configure the Controller’s properties by
selecting Properties from the Controller menu. In this case, the Controller
Properties dialog box opens. The information in the dialog box is the same as in
the Inspector—just represented differently.
The logic component of a project must be downloaded to the Controller before the
project can be run.
T o d ow n l o ad a l og ic c om po n e n t to t h e C on tr ol l er
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a target and choose Download.
All components on the selected target are validated then downloaded to the
specified computer, if no errors exist. Errors listed in the Build tab of the Feedback
Zone must be corrected before a download can be completed. Logic components
are downloaded to the Controller, while HMI components are downloaded to the
View Runtime.
Although the Controller service is always running, you still have control over the
execution of your control programs. Offline, you can start, stop and reset
execution. When online to the Controller additional commands are available to
pause, single-scan or enable forces.
T o r u n t h e C on t r ol le r
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a target, point to Online or Offline Commands, and choose
Start Runtime.
The ladder program, SFC program(s) and the ST block named ‘MAIN’ begin
executing on the target computer or unit. If the target also has an HMI component
(see page 81), the View Runtime is started at the same time as the Controller.
To validate, download and run a project, right-click a target and choose
Download and Start “targetname”.
T o c o n fi gu r e an H R T C o n tr ol l er
Follow these steps if you’ve purchased the optional VenturCom RTX (HRT
Controller).
1. Right-click a target and choose Properties.
2. In the Inspector, set the Hard Real Time property to True.
Any Controller operations carried out will now attempt to use an HRT Controller
on the target computer. In order to use the HRT Controller, the VenturCom RTX
software must also be installed on the target.
T o a ll o w an H R T C on t r ol l er t o run f o ll owi n g a W in do w s N T fa il ur e
1. Right-click a target and choose Properties.
2. In the Inspector, set the Delay Controller Shutdown property to True.
Any control programs (ladder, IL, ST or SFC) that are running in the specified HRT
Controller will continue to run in the event of a Windows NT or hard drive failure.
If the Delay Controller Shutdown property is set to False, the Controller will
execute a graceful shutdown if Windows NT fails.
Warm Standby
The Warm Standby feature provides an extra level of reliability for critical
Windows NT and Windows CE applications. It consists of two Controllers running
the Logic Developer - PC Controller (a primary and secondary or warm standby
Controller), and an I/O switch that determines which Controller is currently
connected to the physical I/O.
When a system using warm standby is started, the primary Controller is connected
to the I/O, solves logic, and updates the secondary Controller with critical data.
The secondary Controller receives the data and monitors the status of the primary
Controller. When a fault is detected in the primary Controller, or when the
secondary Controller can’t communicate with the primary Controller, the I/O
connection is automatically switched to the secondary Controller and the
secondary Controller takes over operations.
Hot Standby
The Hot Standby feature provides a high level of reliability for critical Windows
NT applications. It consists of two Controllers running the Logic Developer - PC
Controller (a primary and secondary or hot standby Controller) over a GE Genius
I/O network. The GE Genius driver automatically handles the switching between
the Controllers.
To download to a target with hot standby, the primary and secondary Controllers
must be synchronized, that is, they must both be downloaded.
By default, the primary Controller is active and the secondary Controller is the
backup. The backup Controller sets itself to active when:
■ A fault occurs.
■ A loss of communication occurs with the active Controller via the VMIPCI-
5565 reflective memory cards.
■ The target's Secondary Switch Time has elapsed.
Both Controllers can read from the network, however, only the active Controller
can write to the network.
T o c o n f i gu r e Ho t S t a n d b y
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a Windows NT target and choose Properties.
2. In the Inspector, scroll to the +Redundant System group of properties and double-click it to expand the
group.
3. Click the Redundant Mode property and choose Hot Standby.
4. Click the Secondary Address property and enter the IP address (Controller name) of the secondary Controller.
5. Click the Secondary Switch Fault property and choose the type of fault the secondary Controller will become active
on.
6. Click the Secondary Node ID property and assign a unique node ID to the VMIPCI-5565 card of the secondary
Controller.
7. Click the Secondary Switch Time (ms) property and enter the number of milliseconds the secondary Controller is to
wait for communication from the primary Controller.
8. Click the Primary Node ID property and assign a unique node ID to the VMIPCI-5565 card of the primary Controller.
9. Click the Primary Wait Time (ms) property and enter the number of milliseconds the primary Controller is to wait for
communication from the secondary Controller.
PANEL EDITOR
The Panel Editor is used to develop the layout of each panel in your HMI
application. Each panel is a single screen or window of the HMI. You draw and
configure graphical objects on the panel to create each screen.
Graphical objects are the various graphical elements of the HMI screen, such as
rectangles, polygons, buttons, and alarm displays. All objects area available from
the Drawing Tools toolbar. Many items perform actions when you tap them at run
time.
The Panel Editor displays the current panel as it will appear on the target unit’s
screen. In addition, the Panel Editor adds a drawing grid of dots to assist you in
lining up a series of graphical objects with each other.
■ On NT/CE targets, many graphical objects can be configured with up to nine
different types of Animation to move, change color, display data, trigger scripts,
and receive input during Runtime.
Navigator: Project tab ■ On QuickPanel targets, the Panel Editor also has a tiling grid. The tiles let you
Panel Nodes align graphical objects with the touch-sensitive cells on the surface of a
QuickPanel unit’s display.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up panels and choose “Graphical Panels”.
To a dd a new pa nel to an H MI
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the Graphical Panels folder and choose New Panel.
A new panel is added beneath the Graphical Panels folder in the Navigator. If
you’ve created a project using a template, the Graphical Panels folder most likely
already contains some default panels.
T o c o n f i gu r e a p a n e l
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a panel and choose Properties. The Inspector will open, if it
wasn’t already.
2. Set the panel’s properties in the Inspector.
For a description of the panel properties, select a property and have a look at the
Companion. Click in the Tools toolbar to open the Companion window if it
isn’t already open.
Message Displays
The Local Message Display, Triggered Message Display, and Local Image
Display graphical objects display different messages or images based on the values
or states of associated variables. Each of these three objects is associated with a
message group of an appropriate type under the Message Groups folder—an
IMD Group, TMD Group, or IID Group.
Each graphical object can be associated with only a single message group, but that
message group may be associated with many graphical objects. (On QuickPanel
targets, the size of all graphical objects associated with the same message group
must be the same; this size is set in properties of that message group.) You can
open the grid for an associated message group by clicking the button in the
object’s “IMD/TMD/IID Group” property.
Entries in a message group are edited in an appropriate grid editor.
■
An Indexed Message Display graphical object shows text messages that
change depending on the value or state of a single associated variable. The
Navigator: Project tab colors and appearance of the display can also change. The values and related
Message Group Nodes appearances are set by the display’s associated IMD Group.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up IMD and choose “IMD (Local Message
Display) group” and “IMD (Local Message Display) grid”.
■
A Triggered Message Display graphical object shows text messages that
change depending on the results of boolean expressions. The colors and
appearance of the display can also change. The values and related appearances
are set by the display’s associated TMD Group.
Unlike a Local Message Display, you do not associate a variable with a
Triggered Message Display. Instead, you specify a series of boolean expressions
in the TMD Group grid editor.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up TMD and choose “TMD (Triggered Message
Display) group”, “TMD (Triggered Message Display) grid”, and “Trigger Expression dialog box (TMD
grids)”.
■
An Indexed Image Display shows different images depending on the value
or state of a single associated variable. The values and related images are set by
the display’s associated IID Group. An image in an IID Group is typically a
bitmap, imported from a BMP file. Images can also be sets of simple graphical
objects (Arcs, Bitmaps, Circles, Lines, Pie Wedges, Polygons, Polylines,
Rectangles, Round Rectangles, and Text).
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up IID and choose “IID (Local Image Display)
group” and “IID (Local Image Display) grid”.
SCRIPT EDITOR
The Script Editor is a text editor that supports various scripting languages,
functions, keywords, and math operators. On Windows NT targets, you can also
use Structured Query Language (SQL) in a script to access a database for which an
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver exists.
Scripts
Scripts are short executable programs comprised of a sequence of instructions that
tell a project, panel, or touch-animated object how to react to events during run-
time. There are four types of scripts:
■
Application Scripts: An application script is associated with an entire target,
and can be configured to execute when the application is started (in View Run-
time), when the application is shut down, or based on a frequency or condition
while the application is running.
■ Panel Scripts: A panel script is associated with a specific panel in a target, and
Navigator: Project tab can be configured to execute when the panel opens, when the panel closes, or
Script nodes based on a frequency or condition while the panel is open.
■
Touch Animation Scripts: (Windows NT/CE targets only.) Touch animation
scripts are activated during Run-time by keystrokes and on-screen buttons. They
are written directly in configuration dialog boxes of graphical objects.
■
Global Function Library Scripts: (Windows NT targets only.) Global Function
Library scripts are associated with an entire target. By default, they are executed
before any other scripts. However, they can be configured to run periodically or
conditionally, based on the state of the application. Global Function scripts
only work with scripts in Active Scripting languages, like VBScript.
To c r ea te, open, and edi t an a ppl ic ation scr ip t
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the Application Scripts node, point to New Script, and choose
either VBScript or ViewScript. (For more information on scripting, see page 66.)
2. Type a name for the new application script and press ENTER.
A new script is added to the Application Scripts node.
3. Double-click the script to open it in the Script Editor and begin editing the script.
4. In the Inspector, edit the application script properties, in other words, the activation type.
T o c r ea te , o p e n , a n d e d i t a p a n e l s c ri p t
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a panel node, point to New Script, and choose either VBScript
or ViewScript. (For more information on scripting, see page 66.)
2. Type a name for the new panel script and press ENTER.
A new script is added to the panel node.
3. Double-click the script to open it in the Script Editor and begin editing the script.
4. In the Inspector, edit the panel script properties, in other words, the activation type.
To c r ea te a touch ani mati on sc ri pt
1. In the Panel Editor, double-click the object you want to animate. The Configure Animation dialog box appears.
2. Click the Touch tab.
3. Select the Enable Touch Action Animation check box and choose a touch action command that will execute a script.
4. In the large edit box, type the script that will run when the object is touched.
Scripting Languages
On Windows NT targets, Machine Edition supports two types of scripting
languages: the proprietary ViewScript language and VBScript Active Scripting
languages (using Microsoft’s Active Scripting engine). On Windows CE targets,
Machine Edition supports only proprietary ViewScript language.
On QuickPanel targets, Machine Edition uses the proprietary QPScript language
(see page 84).
ViewScript scripting language
The ViewScript scripting language consists of the following:
■
Keywords: View script keywords are a basic set of commands that are used to
control the flow of a script and to create local variables.
■
Operators: View operators are used to assign variable values and to perform
mathematical operations
■
Script Functions: View script functions are commands that can be written into
the body of your script to monitor and react to changes in variable values.
Functions are grouped in the following categories: ActiveX, Alarm
Management, Animation, Application Access, CSV, File Management,
Initialization File Management, List and Combo Box, Logging, Miscellaneous,
Network, Panel Management, Screen Navigation, Security, Serial
Communication, Statistical Process Control, SQL, String, System, Trend
Management, Video/Sound, and Web.
■
Comments: Placing comments in, or between, the lines of your script is useful
for debugging your script and for future reference.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up Viewscript and choose “ViewScript HMI
scripting language”.
Active Scripting
Active Scripting lets Machine Edition use external scripting languages through a
COM interface. Active Scripting languages are supported only on Windows NT
targets. Currently, only the VBScript Active Scripting language is supported.
By default, new projects will use VBScript. This default may be overridden by
setting a user-preference.
Note: A target can contain both scripts written in ViewScript and scripts written in
VBScript. However, troubleshooting such a project can be quite difficult, so this
practice is not recommended.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up scripts and choose “View Scripts: an
Overview”, or look up scripting and choose “Active Scripting in View: an Overview”.
VBScript Syntax
A detailed explanation of VBScript syntax is beyond the scope of this manual. For
detailed information on the VBScript language usage, syntax and examples, look
up VBScript at Microsoft’s website (www.microsoft.com).
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up VBScript and choose “VBScript language: an
Overview”.
There are many ways in which you can insert script words when writing scripts.
■
If you are very familiar with the operators, functions, and keywords used in the
Script Editor, simply start typing your script directly in the Script Editor.
■
If you are not familiar with the scripting languages of the Script Editor, right-
click where you want to insert a function, operator, or keyword and select
Insert. Then point to the appropriate submenu for the item you want to insert
and select it from the list that appears. Submenus are also available for names of
the project’s variables, panels, scripts, alarm groups and logging groups. For a
description of a script function, keyword, or math operator, while in the Script
Editor, move the cursor on the word and press F1.
■
All the math operators, script functions, and script keywords are also listed in
the Toolchest and can be dragged into your script. The Companion provides a
description of each item.
GRID EDITORS
Various grid editors let you create and edit several items in your HMI targets within
a spreadsheet-like table. Among the features that use grid editors are:
■ Word Alarm groups
■
Bit Alarm groups
■
IMD (Local Message Display) groups
■ TMD (Triggered Message Display) groups
■
Selector Switches
■
Bar Graphs
■ Language translations
■
Trend displays (QuickPanel targets only)
■
Passwords list (QuickPanel targets only)
■
External Keypad assignment configuration (QuickPanel targets only)
The exact functionality depends on the specific editor, but in general, you can:
■
Double-click a cell to edit its contents.
■
Right-click a cell to perform various operations on the cell.
■ Select an entire row (by clicking the grey button row headers on the left), then
right-clicking the selection to perform operations on the row
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Working with QuickPanel grid editors”.
You can also press F1 while working in the grid for a description of that editor.
ALARMS
Alarms are messages that appear on a display in response to specified conditions
in the system. These messages typically inform the operator of a situation that
requires immediate attention. When a variable satisfies one of its alarm conditions,
it goes into an alarm state.
The alarm system for a HMI application consists of several different elements.
Alarm Groups
There are three general types of alarms, organized into three subfolders under the
Alarm Groups folder:
■ Word Alarm Groups and Bit Alarm Groups are tables of variables,
variable values, and associated alarm messages. When the value of a variable
matches an entry in one of these tables, it goes into an alarm state and the
appropriate message is added to any Alarm Display objects on the target.
■ Variable Alarms (NT/CE targets only) are sets of variables for which alarm
limits have been configured. Unlike Bit or Word Alarms, you assign a variable
to an alarm group in properties of the variable itself. Variable alarm groups help
Navigator: Project tab you organize related alarmed variables. Also, using more than one variable
Alarm nodes alarm group makes it easier to manipulate and view alarm data at run time. A
history of alarm group data can be logged daily for future analysis. You can also
configure e-mail notification if any of a variable alarm group’s variables go into
an alarm state.
LOGGING DATA
(Windows NT/CE targets only)
Logging keeps a history of data changes in your project so the data can later be
analyzed. Logging groups and strategies are used to sort and manage logged data.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up logging and choose “Data Logging”.
Logging Groups
Logging groups help sort and organize your project data. If you want to log all data
using the same logging strategy, you can leave variables in the default logging
group. Otherwise, if you want some variables to have different logging strategies,
you can create a hierarchy of logging groups.
Logging Strategies define when data gets logged for a group of variables. A group
Navigator: Project tab can be configured to log data periodically, on data changes, or on a condition. For
Logging Group nodes example, one logging group might log data every minute, whereas another might
log data every five minutes.
Drivers
PLC Access I/O is organized into Drivers and Devices:
■
Drivers are located in a target's PLC Access Drivers folder and represent the
drivers the target uses to communicate with devices. Windows NT and CE
targets can have many drivers; QuickPanel targets can have only one.
■
Devices represent the individual devices that a driver communicates with.
Navigator: Project tab All devices that a driver communicates with are located in that driver folder. A
PLC Access I/O Nodes driver can have several devices. This allows you to talk to multiple PLCs, or (on
Windows NT and CE targets) to get pieces of data from the same PLC at
different rates.
To access data values from devices of a PLC Access driver, you must also create
variables with a PLC Access data source. The configuration of these variables is
unique for each kind of PLC Access driver; see the online help for more details.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “PLC Access I/O: an Overview” and
“Supported PLC Access Drivers”.
T o a d d a PL C A cc es s d r i v e r to a ta rg e t
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the PLC Access Drivers node and choose New Driver.
2. Select a driver from the list provided and click OK.
The driver (and a single device) are added to your project.
3. In the Inspector, configure the driver. If applicable, click the button in the driver’s Configuration property and
enter values in the dialog box.
OPC
(Windows NT/CE targets only)
OPC (OLE for Process Control) is an industry-standard protocol that lets software
applications transmit I/O data to each other. The two applications have a client and
server relationship. You can think of OPC Servers as being producers of
information and OPC Clients as being consumers:
■ The OPC Server has data that it makes available to other OPC Clients.
■
The OPC Client connects to an OPC Server to gain access to the server’s data.
Since OPC is an industry standard, any OPC Client can access data from any OPC
Server, regardless of the manufacturer. Machine Edition implements both the client
and the server side of OPC communications.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “OPC: an Overview”.
Since an OPC Server and Client are simply programs or applications, they can run
on the same computer. For example, in your factory, you could have another
Navigator: Project tab application that supports an OPC Client and a Machine Edition application
OPC Client Nodes running on the same computer. To allow them to share data, you’d set up one of
them as an OPC Server and the other as an OPC Client, then have the client
application establish a connection to the server.
OPC communications rely heavily on Microsoft’s OLE and DCOM technology. If
an OPC Client is running on a different computer than the Server, you will have to
edit the DCOM Security settings on one or both computers. For details, see the
online help.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up DCOM and choose “Configuring DCOM
Security for OPC Communications”.
The OPC specifications are set and maintained by the OPC Foundation, a non-
profit organization. You can find detailed technical information about OPC on the
OPC Foundation web site at www.opcfoundation.org.
OPC Client
The OPC Client driver lets your Machine Edition application communicate with
OPC Servers. This lets Machine Edition act as a client in the OPC Client/Server
relationship. The View OPC Client driver supports all interfaces required under the
OPC 1.0a specifications.
The OPC Client folder is added to a target when you add an HMI component. Each
OPC Server that the application communicates with is located under the OPC
Client folder, much like devices of a PLC Access driver.
To access data values from an OPC Server, you must also create and configure
variables with an OPC data source.
T o a d d a n O P C S e rv e r l i n k t o the O P C C li en t f ol d e r
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the OPC Client and choose New Server Link.
2. Type a name for the OPC Server Link and click OK.
The OPC Server link is added to your project. You can now edit its properties in the
Inspector.
Location Syntax
local <variable name>
remote <remote machine name>\ <variable name> or
<remote machine IP address>\ <variable name>
■
Local indicates that the appropriate Runtime is located on the same computer
as the Machine Edition OPC Server. Remote indicates that it is located on a
different computer.
■
The Machine Edition OPC Servers do not use access paths. Instead, as
described above, the path for remote access is included as part of each OPC
Item address.
T o e n ab le r e mo t e acc e ss t o y ou r H MI pr o je ct
1. For each target that you want to allow remote access to, set the target’s Publish HMI property to True.
2. For each panel and variable in the target that you want users to be able to access, set its Publish property to True.
For example, to allow users to view a graphical panel remotely, set the panel’s
Publish property to True.
If you’re testing the project on the local computer, enter “localhost” (without the
quotation marks) as the Address. This connects the browser to the local computer.
■
When you connect to the run time computer, the Site Index appears with a list
of links to possible ways to view your process data.
■
The Site Index also includes a link to a page where you can download the Web
Documents Browser. With it, you can configure graphs, tables, and ticker tapes
to report on variables from several Machine Edition applications
simultaneously.
LANGUAGES FOLDER
The Languages item opens a grid that lets you configure multi-language support
for an HMI. You set up simple translations between an original piece of text (called
the “Source”) and one or more languages. If the target’s Language Translation
property to Enabled, all text on the HMI’s graphical panels is then translated based
on one of the language columns in the grid—the “Current Language”. That is,
every occurrence in the original text is replaced with its corresponding item in the
Current Language.
During a validation or download, Machine Edition also checks the Source column
against all graphical panels to which you’ve made changes. Any text entries (in text
objects and button objects) that do not appear in the Source column are
Navigator: Project tab automatically added to the grid as rows with empty translations for all languages.
Languages node The default language column used for translation is typically indicated with yellow
shading. You can also specify the Source language as the default language, in
which case the shading will not appear. How language translation works depends
on the target type.
Windows NT/CE targets: Machine Edition includes the entire language table when
downloading the project to the target. Translation occurs dynamically at run time.
The first language used for translation is the default language. Within HMI scripts,
you can change the current language used for translation by calling the
SetLanguage script function.
QuickPanel targets: Translation occurs only during the download operation, based
on the currently-specified default language. You cannot dynamically change the
current language at run time.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Languages folder”.
The “Source” column contains the original This column’s shaded yellow background
words and phrases to be used during the indicates that it is the default language. If no
translation process, as they appear in the column has yellow shading, then the Source
target’s graphical panels. language is the default.
To enter a value into a cell, If both the development and run time computers support
double-click it (or select the cell UniCode, you can use non-English character sets in the
and start typing). grid (such as Japanese, pictured). For example, In
Windows 2000 you can use the IME, configured in the
Regional Settings setup in the Control Panel.
T o r e n am e a l an g u ag e co l u mn
• Right-click in the Languages Grid and select Set Column Name (or double-click the column header).
Enter the new name for the language in the column's header text box.
T o m o v e a l a n g u a g e co l um n
• In the Languages Grid click and hold the header of the column you want to move.
Drag the mouse to the place where you want to move the column, then release the
mouse button.
T o u p d a t e en tr i e s i n the S ou r ce c ol u m n w i t h n e w t e xt e n t ri e s i n g r a p h i ca l p a n e ls
• In the Navigator, under the target whose Languages grid you want to update, right-click the Languages node and
select Update Source Column.
View searches every graphical panel in the HMI (regardless of whether or not the
panel changed since the last validation) and makes sure that all text entries can be
found in the Languages grid.
T o c h a n g e t h e d i spl a y f on t f o r a la n g ua g e:
1. Right-click in the Languages grid, and select Set Column Font.
A Font dialog box appears.
2. In the Font dialog box, select the font you want to use to display the entries in the Languages grid, along with the
font style and other attributes.
The grid’s cells automatically resize to fit the height of the largest font used in the
grid
3. Click OK when you're done.
The selected font set is used to display the translated text both in the Languages
grid and (in Windows NT/CE targets) the downloaded HMI. Other font attributes—
such as font sizes and styles—only affect how the text appears in the grid at
development time.
T o d el e te a la ng uag e co lum n f ro m th e gr id :
• In the Languages grid, right-click the column you want to remove and select Delete Column.
The column and all its translations are deleted.
This operation cannot be undone. Before deleting a language, make sure you no
longer need information on translated words.
VIEW RUNTIME
(Windows NT/CE and QuickPanel CE targets only)
View Runtime is the program that runs your project’s completed HMI (human
machine interface) on a target computer. It uses the files downloaded to the target
during the download process. It is a separate application from Machine Edition;
while you can start View Runtime from within Machine Edition, you do not need
to be running Machine Edition to use it.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up runtime and choose “View Runtime: an
Overview”.
Networking
View Networking provides you with the flexibility to exchange data between run
time stations. Based on client-server relationships, and supporting a distributed
database system, View Networking allows access to any variable or alarm group
running on any other target on the computer network.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up networking and choose “View Networking: an
Overview”.
To r un a pr oj ec t fr o m Mac hi ne Ed it io n
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click a target and choose Download and Start.
All components on the selected target are validated, downloaded to the specified
computer, and View Runtime is started. Errors listed in the Build tab of the
Feedback Zone must be corrected before a download can be completed. HMI
components are downloaded to View Runtime while logic components are
downloaded to the Controller.
T o r u n a n HM I p r oj e ct o u ts i d e of M a ch i n e E d i ti on
• Click the Start menu, then go to Programs/CIMPLICITY Machine Edition. Click View Runtime.
Runtime starts with the last project that was downloaded to that computer. View
Runtime opens with all graphical panels configured to appear at startup (that is, all
graphical panels whose Visible at Startup property is True).
T o i n t er ac t w it h View Runtime
Graphical objects can be configured to allow you to change variable values,
trigger graphical animations, and execute custom scripts with a simple touch or
click.
You can monitor variable values, scripts, drivers, and the integrated web server in
Runtime through interfaces that can be opened using the following shortcut keys:
log in CTRL+L
log out CTRL+U
close Runtime CTRL+Z
inspect and change variable values CTRL+I
view and debug scripts CTRL+G
view driver diagnostic information CTRL+D
open a panel CTRL+O
monitor the Web Documents server CTRL+W
display version information CTRL+B
QUICKPANEL APPLICATIONS
QuickPanel applications are HMI (human-machine interface) applications for
QuickPanel units. CIMPLICITY View supports development of HMI applications
using standard View and Machine Edition tools.
Development of an HMI for QuickPanel units is nearly identical to that of NT, CE,
and QuickPanel CE units. Some of the differences are as follows:
■ Graphical Objects: QuickPanel units support a slightly different set of graphical
objects than NT/CE targets. Also, QuickPanel units do not support Animation
beyond that inherent in each type of graphical object.
that will activate that graphical object just as if an operator tapped it on the
display.
■
Actions not associated with a graphical object that appears in the panel are
configured in the Keypad Assignment grid. Each panel has a separate Keypad
Assignment grid.
To open the Keypad Assignment grid for a panel, select the panel’s Keypad
Assignment property and click its button. Each row of the grid specifies the
action to perform when the user presses the indicated key while that panel (and
only that panel) is open.
Want to know more? In the Help Index look up keypad and choose “Keypad Assignment Grid”
and look up QuickPanel and choose “Working with QuickPanel grid editors”.
QPScript Language
The QPScript language is composed of the following elements.
Statements: There are three general kinds of statements in a QPScript script:
■
Assignment statements set a variable’s value to the result of an expression.
■ Function calls execute one of the QPScript functions to perform a specific
operation.
■
Branching statements change the flow of script execution.
Keywords: The elements that make up these statements can be broken down into
the following categories:
■
Operators are used in mathematical expressions and conditional expressions.
■
Functions are predefined routines that perform various operations in the
QuickPanel application.
■
Keywords are other reserved words used in the QPScript language.
Expressions: There are two general kinds of expressions in QPScript:
■
Mathematical expressions produce numerical results.
■
Conditional expressions produce boolean results and are used in if-then-else
clauses.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up QPScript and choose “QPScript Language
Reference”.
The Motion Expert wizard will take you through these items step by step.
MOTION APPLICATIONS
A typical Motion application consists of a single target. Your project can have as
many targets as you want, however.
Motion targets
A Motion target represents a run-time destination motion device that you
program and configure from Machine Edition. You’ll need a separate target for
each physical motion device you’ll be configuring, whether it’s a controller or a
drive-only device.
When adding a Motion target, you specify either a Controller or a Drive target. This
determines the models of controller you can select in its Controller Type property.
■
Drive targets represent drive-only motion devices. This includes GE Fanuc S2K
drive-only devices and Whedco SMJ devices. These targets have only a
Configuration script (page 90).
■
Controller targets represent controller/drive motion devices. This includes GE
Fanuc S2K controller/drive devices and Whedco IMC and IMCjr (IMJ) devices.
These targets have a Configuration script (page 90), Motion Programs (page 90),
and can have several Motion Blocks (page 91). In addition, they can make use
of a CAM Profile. (see page 99).
T o e d i t co n f i g u ra ti on sc ri p t s, m ot i o n p ro g ram s , a n d m ot i on b lo c k s
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, under the motion target, right-click Configuration, or the motion
program or motion block you want to edit and select Open.
2. Create or edit the program in the appropriate editor.
3. After editing an item, make sure you download the program or project to the target hardware.
T o s wi tc h be t wee n a wiza rd ed it or a nd t he mo t io n s cr ip t ed it or
Motion blocks and Motion programs can be edited either in a graphical wizard or
(for advanced users) in the motion script editor.
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, under the motion controller target’s Programs folder, right-click the
motion program or motion block whose editing method you want to change.
■
If the item is set up to be edited in a wizard and you want to edit its script
directly, select Text View.
■
If the item is set up to be edited in scripts directly and you want to return to
using the wizards, select Flowchart View or Calculator View, as appropriate.
When switching back to the wizard, changes you made in the script editor will be
lost. The item will return to the state it was in when last edited in the wizard.
Motion configuration
The motion controller configuration node represents a script used to configure
the motion controller when the application is downloaded. This script is used
every time the application is downloaded to the motion controller. Typically, it sets
default values for registers and performs any necessary initialization commands.
■
You can create and edit a configuration script with the Motion Configuration
wizard (right-click Configuration and select Wizard). This takes you through
motion controller configuration step by step, creating a script based on selected
Navigator: Project tab motor and axis parameters.
Configuration node
■ If you need more complexity, you’ll need to edit the script manually. You can
do so in the motion script editor (right-click Configuration and select Open).
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Motion Controller Configuration”.
Motion programs
A program represents one of the motion controller’s programs. Programs are
scripts that control the operation of a motion controller. With programs, you can
create complex behaviors for the controller.
Motion controller targets have four programs. These are added to the target when
you first create it. The last program ( Program 4) is the fault-handling program,
which determines the behavior of the controller when an exception or fault occurs.
All programs for a target are located in its Programs folder.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Fault-handing motion program”.
Navigator: Project tab
Motion Program nodes
You can edit programs either in the Application Builder (by default) or the Motion
Script Editor.
■
The Application Builder is a wizard that lets you visually specify the program
flow as a flowchart. For details, see page 95.
■
The Motion Script Editor lets you edit the script for a motion program manually.
For details, see page 92.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Motion Programs”.
Motion blocks
A Motion node represents a motion block for the motion controller target.
Motion blocks are defined motions (that is, motion scripts) that can be called by
motion programs. With motion blocks, you can create complex motions—such as
blended moves—without the need for conditional or WAIT statements.
■ You can run motion blocks separately with the Controller Functions wizard (see
page 94).
You can create a motion block with the New Motion Block wizard (right-click the
Navigator: Project tab
Motions folder and select Wizard). This creates a complete motion block based on
your motion system.
Motion block nodes
■ Advanced users can create an empty motion block by right-clicking the
Motions folder and selecting Add.
Once a motion block is created, you can edit it by right-clicking the Motion and
selecting Open. You edit motion blocks and motion programs either with the
Motion Calculator (see page 97) or in the Motion Developer Script Editor (see page
92).
Motion blocks have the following characteristics and restrictions.
■
Motion blocks complete executing one line of code before proceeding to the
next line of code.
■ Only one motion block per axis can run at the same time as the executing
program or programs.
■ When a motion block is executed, it overrides the currently executing motion
block.
■
You cannot use labels in a motion block.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Motion blocks”.
MOTION SCRIPTS
The Motion Script Editor interacts with other Machine Edition tools to provide the
most flexibility when editing a script. The following diagram illustrates some of the
operations you can perform.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “editor” and choose “Working in the Motion
Script Editor”.
There are many ways to insert items when writing motion scripts.
■
If you are very familiar with the registers, commands, and operators used in
Motion scripts, simply start typing your script directly in the Script Editor.
■ If you need help with script keywords, you can add items with right-click
menus. Right-click where you want to insert an item and select Insert. Then,
point to what you want to include in your script and make a selection from the
list that appears. For a description of a register or command in the Script Editor,
move the cursor on the word for which you need help and press F1.
■
The Motion drawer in the Toolchest contains items that can be dragged into
your script. Leave the Companion window open for a description of each item.
■
You can also drag variables directly from the Variables tab of the Navigator
into your script.
MOTION WIZARDS
Wizards are a series of screens that take you, step by step, through the creation and
configuration of your motion controller application. In Motion Developer, wizards
appear in separate windows, so you can switch back and forth between them.
The most commonly used Motion Developer wizards are as follows.
Main Wizard Provides access to several other wizards and tools for a motion
controller target. Especially useful is the Motion Expert wizard,
which takes you through the creation of a complete application step
by step.
Application Builder Lets you create motion programs as a visual flowchart. See page 95.
Motion Calculator Lets you define simple, incremental motions for motion blocks. See
page 97.
Controller Functions Provides access to several tools and online operations for the motion
controller.
Click to go to the previous page in the wizard. Click to go to the next page in the wizard.
Buttons may be disabled depending on the situation. For example, if you need to
make selections or enter parameters before continuing, the “next” button will be
disabled.
Depending on the page, two additional buttons may be enabled in the top right
corner:
Click for more specific help on the current wizard or the current step.
Many wizard pages contain tables of parameters. Edit the parameters based on
your system needs, then click Next.
■
When editing parameters, click Use Last Saved Values to revert back to the last
values saved for this wizard page. Click Use Default Values to fill in parameters
with default or calculated values.
■
Click a parameter’s button (to the right of its entry text box) for a short
description, including its minimum, maximum, and default values. Click the
button for a more detailed description of that parameter.
Wizards for different targets, motions, and programs open in separate windows.
You can switch between windows by clicking the tabs at the bottom of the editor
window display.
Two of the most important wizards are the Main Wizard and the Controller
Functions wizard.
■
The Main Wizard page provides access to most other major Motion Developer
wizards and tools. This includes the Motion Expert wizard, which takes you
through the creation of a complete Motion Developer project step by step. To
open the Main Wizard page for a target, right-click the target and select
Main Wizard.
■ The Controller Functions and Drive Functions wizards let you perform
diagnostic and other operations on the motion controller. Functions on these
wizards have no effect if the local computer is not connected to a motion
controller. To access these wizards, double-click the target you want to perform
the functions on or, while working with a target, click the Controller/Drive
Functions button.
Want to know more?
■ For a description of the wizards available from the Main Wizard page, in the Help Index, look
up “Main Wizard page”.
■
For a description of features available from the Controller Functions wizard page, in the Help
Index, look up “Controller Functions wizard”.
SPECIAL WIZARDS
Two of the wizards in Motion Developer—specifically, the Application Builder and
the Motion Calculator—let you edit parts of your motion application in graphical
editors and deserve special mention.
A Motion step. You can select from any of the target’s Motion
blocks. To add new motion blocks to a target, click the Add
Homing Motion or Add Motion buttons.
Use the scroll bar to scroll up and down through the flowchart.
In the page itself, two buttons to the right of the flowchart open wizards that let you
add new motion blocks to the target.
■
Click Add Homing Motion to add one of many predefined homing motions.
■
Click Add Motion to add a predefined non-homing motion, or to use the
Motion Calculator (see page 97).
After adding the desired motion blocks, click Finish to return to the flowchart
editor.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Motion Application Builder”.
Basic flowchart step types The flowchart is composed of the following basic step types.
■
Start and End steps: Flowchart execution begins at the Start step. When
execution reaches the End step, the program stops.
■
Logic steps: Performs a logic-oriented action, such as setting or resetting a
particular register.
■
Motion Program steps: Performs a motion program action, such as starting or
stopping a program.
■
Motion block steps: Runs a motion block.
■
Delay steps: Pauses program execution.
■ Conditional and Connector steps: Evaluates a given condition and branches
execution depending on the results. For more details, see Conditional Steps on
page 96 (or look up “Connecting and disconnecting conditional steps” in the
online help).
■
User-defined steps: Performs a piece of motion script entered by you.
■
Remark steps: Lets you insert a comment into the flowchart. Remarks are
included in the script downloaded to the motion controller.
■ Comment steps: Lets you insert a comment into the flowchart. Comments are
not included in the script downloaded to the motion controller.
Conditional steps are described in greater detail below.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Application Builder step types”.
Conditional steps Conditional steps represent a simple conditional statement. When program
execution reaches a conditional step, it branches depending on a specified
expression:
■
If the expression is True, execution branches to the right (indicated by a “T”).
■
If the expression in the statement is False, execution branches downward.
You can choose from several conditional expressions, including several that refer
to fault registers. Selecting a conditional step or connector highlights the line
connecting it to its partner.
Motion Calculator
The Motion Calculator is the default editor for motion blocks. With it, you can
create simple incremental motion blocks based on mathematical calculations,
viewing the results of changes as you make them.
You can open the Add Motion wizard by right-clicking the Motions folder in the
Navigator and selecting Wizard. Unless you configure a motion block to be edited
as text, the Motion Calculator also opens when you right-click a motion block and
select Open.
Click the arrows to pan around the graph of the plotted motion,
You can enter values for two of these three parameters. (The
third is calculated.)
Click here to fill in the Calc column and view (or update) a velocity/time graph of the calculated motion.
Typically, you’d enter desired values in the Data column and click Calculate. The
Motion Calculator updates the appropriate values in the Calc column and draws a
velocity/time graph of the calculated motion. Units in this graph are based on
those in the Units column.
When entering values into the calculator, keep in mind the following:
■
You can fill in two (and only two) of Velocity, Total Time, and Distance. That is,
one of these parameters must be left at 0 and the other two filled in with non-
zero values. The Motion Calculator automatically calculates the missing
parameter in the Calc column.
■
If you leave Acceleration time (Acc. Time) or Deceleration time (Dec. Time) as
0, they are set to one-third the total time for the motion. You can override this
by filling in the appropriate parameter.
When the motion is configured the way you want, click Add Motion (above the
calculator in the wizard page) to add the motion block to your application.
You can adjust the curves of your CAM profile to suit the specific needs of your
project. With the CAM editor you create profiles by defining points on a
master/slave position curve. Groups of adjoining points are allocated to sectors.
Each sector is assigned a polynomial curve fit order (1,2,3) that specifies how the
curve will be interpolated between points.
To include CAM Profile data when downloading your project, ensure that the
target’s Include CAM Points property is True. When downloading a project to a
target with a defined CAM Profile, Motion Developer automatically converts the
curve to a series of CAMx=value commands. These commands are added to the
target’s configuration script.
The number of CAMx commands added to the configuration script depends on the
target’s CAM Point Resolution property.
■
If CAM point Resolution is 1 degree, 360 CAM commands are added to the
script.
■
If CAM point Resolution is 0.1 degrees, 3600 CAM commands are added to the
script.
Downloading 3600 CAM commands can be very time-consuming. It is therefore
recommended that you use a Resolution of 1 degree, at least during the initial
development stages.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Motion Developer CAM Editor: an
Overview”.
T o a dd a n e w C A M Pr of il e to a mo t io n c on tr ol l er t ar ge t
1. In the Project tab of the Navigator, right-click the motion controller target’s CAM Profiles folder and
choose New Profile.
A new Profile appears under the CAM Profiles folder.
2. Enter a new name for the Profile.
You can now open the profile in the CAM Editor. Note that only one CAM profile
can be downloaded to a motion controller at a time.
T o e d i t a C A M p r of i l e o n a m o ti on co n t ro ll e r ta rg e t
• In the Project tab of the Navigator, under the motion controller target’s CAM Profiles folder, right-click
the Profile you want to edit and choose Open Profile (or just double-click the Profile).
The CAM editor opens with the target’s CAM profile.
For more details on using the profile editor, look up “Editing a Motion CAM
Profile” in the online help.
LOCAL MANAGER
The Local Manager refers to Machine Edition’s project and systems management
features. Local Manager features let you:
■
Keep track of changes made to projects and settings, and keep a history of
previous versions of projects (see Version Control, page 103).
■
Control access to projects and settings under CIMPLICITY Manager (see Access
Control, page 108).
■ Monitor and record actions performed by users (see Audit Trails, page 111).
The Local Manager must be enabled before you can use its features. While
enabled, users of Machine Edition on the local computer will have to log on to the
Manager system. As the name implies, the Local Manager only works with projects
stored on the local computer.
Want more? Additional system management features—such as scheduled events and a centralized
Server for project and database storage—are available with the CIMPLICITY Manager product.
T o e n a b le L oc a l M a n a g e r
1. On the File menu, point to CIMPLICITY Manager, then select Enable Local Manager.
If Disable Local Manager appears instead, then the Local Manager is already
enabled.
If Enable Local Manager is grayed out, then the Local Manager components
weren't included when installing CIMPLICITY Machine Edition. You will have to
reinstall Machine Edition from the installation CD, making sure to enable the Local
Manager component.
2. Exit and restart Machine Edition.
3. Log on to the Manager system.
Since this is the very first time the Local Manager has been enabled on this
computer, you will have to log in as the Administrator user. Type "Administrator"
for the user name, and leave the password blank.
Several new folders are now available. These are Access Control, Audit Trail,
and Local Manager (under the Projects folder).
4. Set up your Access Control system.
Create Users and Groups for people who need access to items on the
computer (for details, see chapter 7). You can work with other new features (adding
existing projects to Local Manager or setting up Audit Trails) later.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up project history and choose “Setting up a Local
Manager system”.
VERSION CONTROL
Version Control is probably Local Manager’s most important feature. With Version
Control, all your data is stored in a central location. It also allows you to:
■
ensure that only one user can make changes to an item or project at a time;
■
keep track of who is currently working on an item or project;
■
safely store previous versions of projects; and
■ return a project to a previously-archived version.
Note: With Local Manager, only the previous ten versions are retained.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up version and choose “How Version Control works
under Local Manager”.
All Local Manager projects and settings are stored in a separate database. When
you want to work on something under a Local Manager system—whether it’s a
project, Access Control settings, or something else—you go through the following
steps:
1. Check out the project or item.
Local Manager copies the item to a separate working directory and marks the item
as being “checked out”. As long as the item is checked out, no other user can
make changes to that item.
2. Make changes to the item.
Changes are made in the working directory only. At this point, the version stored
by the Local Manager system is unchanged.
3. When you are finished, check in the item.
Local Manager copies the updated version from the working directory and
removes the “checked out” flag. Other users can now check the item out to make
more changes later.
Security for Version Control Security in Local Manager is called Access Control and is explained in detail on
page 108. Briefly, each user that is created in Local Manager is a member of one or
more groups that have security permissions assigned to them. These permissions
let users of that group perform certain actions. In addition, each project has one or
more groups assigned to it. Users can only work with a project if they are a
member of a group assigned to that project.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up “Access Control Permissions”.
Project his tory When you check in a project to the system, Local Manager automatically archives
the old version. (Old versions of other items, such as Access Control user/group
lists, are not archived.) You can get a report of all archived versions of a project by
right-clicking it and selecting History Report. History reports appear in the Reports
tab of the Feedback Zone.
In the Feedback Zone, right-clicking a previous version of a project gives you the
following commands:
■
Get: Get a copy of the selected version onto the local computer.
■
Label: Assign a label to the selected version.
■
Make Latest Version: Make the selected version the current version.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up project history and choose “Project History
Reports”.
Checking out other items Projects aren’t the only things you can check out. Local Manager also places the
following under Version Control:
■
The Access Control database (see page 108)
■ Audit Trail settings (see page 111)
For example, to edit a user’s security permissions, the Administrator would check
out the Access Control database, make the desired changes, then check it back
in.
T o o p e n a p r oj e ct w h e n u s i n g L oc a l M a n a g e r
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, under the Projects folder, right-click the project you want to open and select
Open.
The Projects folder is divided into two folders.
■
My Computer contains Machine Edition projects that have not been added
to the Local Manager system.
■
The Local Manager folder contains all projects managed by the Local
Manager system. Under this folder, you must have a project checked out to be
able to open it.
T o c r ea te a n ew p r oj ec t
You must have the proper Access Control permissions to perform this task.
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, under the Projects folder, right-click the Local Manager folder and
select New. The New Project dialog box appears.
You cannot create a new Machine Edition project if a project is already open.
2. Type a unique project name (maximum 32 characters).
3. Select a project template.
A sample of the project appears in the Project Template dialog box.
4. Click OK.
The project is created on the Server. If you’re creating a new Machine Edition
project, it is automatically checked out and opened.
Once you create a new project on the Server, it is recommended that you also add
groups to the project, to allow users access to it. For more information, see “Access
Control” on page 108.
T o a d d a p r e vi ou s l y- c r ea te d p ro j e c t to L o c a l Ma n a g er
You must have the proper Access Control permissions to perform this task.
• In the Manager tab of the Navigator, under the My Computer folder, right-click the project you want to add and
select Add.
The project moves from the My Computer folder to the Local Manager folder. It
is also automatically checked out by you.
Once you create a new project on the Server, it is recommended that you also add
groups to the project, to allow users access to it. For more information, see “Access
Control” on page 108.
T o c h e ck out a p r oj ec t o r i te m f ro m the S er v er
• In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the project you want to check out, and select Check Out.
To check out a project, the project must not be already checked out by anyone.
You must also be logged onto the Local Manager system and have the CIMPLICITY
Manager CheckInOut permission.
Local Manager copies the item to the user’s local computer (the “client”
computer), and marks the item as being “checked out”. As long as the item is
checked out, no other user can make changes to that item.
T o c h e ck i n a p r o j e ct o r i t e m t o t h e S e rv e r
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the project you want to check in, and select Check In.
The project must be closed and checked out by the current user on the current
client computer. You must also be logged on to the Local Manager and have the
CheckInOut permission.
2. Select from the available options.
■ Remove local copy: Removes the copy of the project from the working
directory after the check in is complete.
■ Keep local copy: Keeps a copy of the project in the working directory after the
check in is complete. If the project is not a Machine Edition project, it is marked
as read-only.
■ Keep checked out: Updates the version in Local Manager with your changes,
but keeps the project checked out.
3. (Optional) Include a comment (maximum 256 characters) of the changes made while the project was checked out.
4. Click OK.
Local Manager copies the updated version from the working directory to the Local
Manager system.
T o u n d o a c h ec k o u t o f a p r oj ec t o r i t em
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the project you checked out, and select Undo Check Out.
Normally, to undo a check out, the item must be checked out by you on the
current computer. You must also be logged on to Local Manager, and have the
CheckInOut permission.
If the item is checked out by someone else (or by you on a different computer), you
can still undo the check out if you have the OverrideCheckOut permission.
2. If you’re undoing a check out of a project, in the Undo Check Out dialog box, select one of the following option(s),
and then click OK.
■
Remove local copy: Deletes the working copy of the project.
■
Replace local copy: Overwrites the working copy with the version in Local
Manager.
■
Keep checked out: Keeps the project checked out so you can continue working
on it, but cancels the changes you made since you last checked it out. This
option is only available with the Replace local copy option.
■
Leave local copy as is: Keeps a read-only copy of the project with the changes
you made while it was checked out.
ACCESS CONTROL
The Access Control folder in the Navigator’s Manager tab contains these items:
■
Users represent individual users. When you log on to a Manager system, you
must identify which User you are.
■
Groups are groups of Users. Each group is assigned a set of permissions.
Users in a group inherit its permissions.
■ Permissions are security settings assigned to groups. In general, a permission
allows or disallows a particular action or set of actions.
Casually, we say that a user “has” a permission if they’re a member of a group for
which that permission is set to True. Most permissions are True/False settings;
exceptions are documented in the online help.
Administrators do not assign permissions to individual users. Instead, they assign
permissions to groups, then add users to those groups. This lets an administrator
assign permissions to a set of users with similar roles and responsibilities.
Under a group node, permissions are organized based on the feature or
application they’re associated with. You configure the actual permissions in the
Inspector. For example, selecting a group’s CIMPLICITY Manager permissions
node makes permissions that control access to Manager features appear in the
Inspector. By setting the appropriate permission in the Inspector, you allow or
disallow access to specific Manager features for that group.
■
For more details on specific permissions, select its permissions node in the
Navigator and press F1. Or, for a short description, ensure the Companion
window is open and select the permission in the Inspector.
Users can be members of more than one group. If this is the case, they get the most
advantageous set of permissions for all groups they are a member of.
System Groups and Users The following groups and users cannot be deleted:
■ Administrators group: This group has every available permission and is
automatically assigned to every project managed by CIMPLICITY Manager.
■
Everyone group: All users on a Server are members of the Everyone group, and
have minimal permissions. By assigning a permission to the Everyone group,
you can assign that permission to every user in the Access Control database.
■
Administrator user: The Administrator user is a member of the Administrators
group. When you start Local Manager for the very first time, you must log in as
the Administrator.
■ Guest user: The Guest user can be assigned to any group and inherits that
group’s permissions.
T o c r ea te a n ew u se r
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the Access Control folder, and select Check Out Access Control.
2. Under the Access Control folder, right-click the Users folder and select New User.
3. Type a name for the user.
User names can only use the characters 0-9, a-z, A-Z, and _. Spaces are not
allowed in the user name, and the maximum number of characters is 20.
4. Configure the user’s properties in the Inspector.
T o c r ea te a n ew gr o u p
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the Access Control folder, and select Check Out Access Control.
2. Under the Access Control folder, right-click the Groups folder and select New Group.
3. Type a name for the group.
Group names can only include the characters 0-9, a-z, A-Z, and _. Spaces are not
allowed in a group name, and the maximum number of characters is 20.
4. Type a description for the group in its Description property in the Inspector.
T o a ss ig n p e rm is s io n s to a g ro u p
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the Access Control folder, and select Check Out Access Control.
2. Under the Access Control folder, in the Permissions section of the Group folder, right-click the type of
permissions you want to set, and select Properties.
Except for custom project permissions, you cannot edit permissions for the
Administrator group.
3. Configure the properties in the Inspector window.
For more details on specific permissions, select its permissions node in the
Navigator and press F1. For a short description, ensure the Companion window is
open and select the permission in the Inspector.
Want to know more? In the Help Index, look up permissions and choose the appropriate
permissions topic.
To a dd a user to a gr oup
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the Access Control folder, and select Check Out Access Control.
2. Under the Groups folder, right-click the Users folder of an individual Group and select Add User. Select a
user from the list that appears.
- or -
In the Users folder (directly under Access Control), right-click the User you want to assign to a group and
select Add to Group. Select a group from the list that appears.
AUDIT TRAILS
CIMPLICITY Manager can track and record actions performed by its users. If a user
performs an action and the administrator has flagged that type of action to be
audited, a record is logged in the audit trail database.
You specify which actions to track by configuring the Server’s audit trail settings.
Located under the Audit Trail folder in the Navigator, audit trail settings are
grouped by feature or product type.
The settings are configured in the Inspector. If an audit trail setting is set to True,
Local Manager tracks and records all actions of that type. For example, if the
CIMPLICITY Manager audit trail setting PasswordChange is set to True, Local
Manager logs a record every time a user’s password is changed.
T o e d i t A u d i t T r a i l s et t i n g s
1. In the Manager tab of the Navigator, right-click the Audit Trail folder, and select Check Out Audit Trail.
2. Under the Settings folder, right-click on CIMPLICITY Manager, Scheduler or the project type whose audit trail
settings you want to edit, and select Properties.
3. Edit the settings for your selection in the Inspector window.
For a description of a particular audit trail setting, ensure the Companion
window is open, and click the audit trial setting in the Inspector.
T o a rc h i v e t h e A u d i t T r a i l d a ta b a s e
1. In Windows Explorer, move the Audit Trail database file (*.mdb) from the Server computer to the computer you
want to archive the database to.
The audit trail database file is located on the CIMPLICITY Manager Server
computer under “...\CIMPLICITY Machine Edition\fxServer\Audit
Database\Audit.mdb”, where “...\CIMPLICITY Machine Edition” is the Machine
Edition installation directory.
2. Rename the moved file so that the next time you archive the database, you won’t overwrite the previously archived
file.
Include the current date in the new file name to make it easier to find in the future.
Local Manager will create a new audit trail database file the next time an audit trail
action is recorded. The file will have the same name, and will be created in the
same directory you moved the database from.
You can view records in an archived database by opening the archived file in any
database or report application capable of reading Microsoft Access™ databases.
T o g e n e ra te an A u dit T ra il r ep or t
1. In the Reports folder, right-click Audit Trail Report Manager and select Open. The Audit Trail Report Manager
dialog box appears.
The very first time you open the Audit Trail Report Manager you will be asked to
locate the audit trail database file (*.mdb) on the Server computer.
The audit trail database file is located on the CIMPLICITY Manager Server
computer under “...\CIMPLICITY Machine Edition\fxServer\Audit
Database\Audit.mdb”, where “...\CIMPLICITY Machine Edition” is the Machine
Edition installation directory.
2. Select the Report Template you want to create.
3. Configure the following settings for the report.
■
Select a Date range.
■
Set the Filters you want to use.
■
Select how you want the report sorted (by date, user, computer name, or
project name).
■
Select the page size.
4. (Optional) If you want to print the report, select a printer.
Select Default to print the report on the printer configured as the Windows default.
5. Click Print Preview.
The Report Viewer dialog box displays the report you requested. You can then print
or save the report to a file.