In the Definition program, it is recommended to create a status object for each remote PLC defined in System Configuration. This is done by creating a digital object for each remote connection with a PLC address that matches the one defined on the Connection Misc tab for the remote connection.
Important: The DIALUP template is built into every new configuration you create. So, if you've created the configuration from scratch in version 5 or higher, you can skip this first part of the procedure to start creating the status object immediately. If the configuration was created in a previous version of IGSS, follow the procedure to create the template first.
Open Definition and create a digital template called DIALUP.
In the template properties dialog box, click the Bit Map I/O tab and set the state bits (7) and command bits (2) as shown below. Remember to check the States and Commands boxes under Single Bits.
Click the States and Commands tab to define these state and command names (bit number in brackets):
States: Invalid (0), Disconnected (1), Connecting (2), Historical scan (3), Normal scan (4), Disconnecting (5), Error (not used) (6), Send command (7).
Commands: Connect (0), Disconnect (1) and Fetch historical data (2).
Click the Command/State Config tab to enable the relevant command(s) for each state. Select each state and enable the relevant command(s). For example, for the Disconnected state, enable the Connect command.
On the Data Management Definitions tab, make sure that scanning, logging and data reduction are disabled.
Click the Edit Mapping tab to define the relevant driver and node number for the State and Command atoms. We do not specify the full PLC address in the template, this is done for the individual status objects.
Result: The template is now ready for use. Click OK to save it.
Note
No alarm bits are defined for this template and it is recommended to use a command field to display the status object on the process diagram. Therefore, you need not select a symbol on the Symbol Definition tab.
The next step is to create the status object:
Right-click at the position where you want the object and select New ® Command Field. This is the recommended way of showing the status object. The Object Browser dialog box appears.
Click the + sign beside the area in which you want to create the status object.
Click the + sign beside Digital to show all digital templates and objects.
Select the DIALUP template.
At the bottom of the dialog box in the Create new object area, type the name of the status object. In this example, we've used DialNode10.
Click Create. The properties dialog box for the status object appears with all the predefined properties from the DIALUP template.
Click the Edit Mapping tab to define the PLC addresses for the State and Command atoms.
Tip: The PLC address for the State and Command atoms must match the address defined on the Connection Misc tab in System Configuration. It is recommended to set the Data Group and Word Offset to “0” to collect this type of status objects in this address range.
Click the Set Command Layout tab to configure the command field as shown below. The status object is now ready to be placed on the process diagram.
Click OK. The command field and the object name and description now appear.
Resize the field and place the name and description, as required. See example below.
Result: When you start the IGSS configuration, the current status of the remote connection will be shown and the operator can connect, disconnect and fetch historical data using the command buttons.
Tips
To define more status objects, simply repeat the above procedure.
For
nodes that are directly connected via a serial port, you can create a
node status object in the Definition program.
Click here 
for details.