Digital templates

$images\BTN_mini.gif$ How To $images\BTN_mini.gif$ See Also

Introduction

The most widely used template is the digital template, because it offers additional functions as compared to the standard digital object that has only two fixed states and commands, namely 0 and 1.

For a list of the advantages you gain by using templates in general and the specific ones for digital templates, click here.

It is recommended to define templates in the Global area to make them available in all areas.

States and commands

On the States and Commands tab of the digital template properties dialog box, you can define any number of states and commands and give them the names you like. The names you define are automatically added to the drop-down lists so that you can easily use existing names to achieve consistency in the configuration (if a digital object is not defined with a template, the state and command name are 0 and 1).

One object is used each time 20 names are defined.

On the Command/State Config tab, you can define a default command and which commands you want to be valid for each state.

On the Bit Map I/O tab, you define the state and command bits flowing to and from the PLC.

For further information, click any of the individual options below.

Alarm indication and acknowledge bits

On the Alarm In/Ack Bit tab, you can define the alarm indication bits flowing to the PC and the alarm acknowledgement bits flowing to and from the PC.

For further information, click any of the individual options below.

Normally, you can only have one active alarm on an object. For digital objects it is possible to have more than one. Click here for further information.

PLC addressing

When you define a template, it is recommended to enter as much information as possible on the Edit Mapping tab. Optimally, you should only leave the Bit Offset field empty. When you later define digital objects based on a template, you will then only need to type the specific bit offset.

Color and symbol selections

When a digital object is defined using a template, the check box with the text Copy symbols to template is available on the Symbol Definition tab. Checking this box means that the symbol selections made for the current object (that is, the symbol and color chosen for the individual states) are saved as part of the template. When another object is subsequently defined using the template, you can click the Copy Symbols from Template button and the object will automatically inherit all properties saved in the template. This means that

The user does not have to select color and symbol for the object
Should the user later want to alter the symbol display for the objects using the template, any change will have effect for all objects based on that template.

Also, the user saves descriptors as only one descriptor is used for each object using the template properties - regardless of the number of different states. Note, though, that using descriptor templates requires that the symbols representing the individual states are positioned on top of each other.

Create objects based on templates

Once you have created the template, you simply select the relevant item in the Objects menu, type a unique name for the new object and choose the template you want to base it on.

In the ensuing object properties dialog box, you need only type the specific PLC address, provided that all other properties are defined in the template.

Click here $images\CHICLET.gif$ for a step-by-step procedure.