Your cart is currently empty!
Applicable Model(s)
HMI500 Series
Title
Creating a Message Box in EZware
Date
12/30/2003
Rev
00
P/N
0907-1083
Summary
Sometimes it is necessary to display a message based upon a value in a register. EasyBuilder allows you to do this by using a word lamp, or an indirect window. Both methods are explored below.
Solution
Using a Word Lamp to Display Pre-Defined Messages
You may create up to 32 pre-defined messages, and associate these with a word lamp which is monitoring a value in a specified PLC register. To do this follow the instructions below. If you have more than 32 pre-defined messages, skip to the Indirect Window Method portion of this document.
1.
Create a Word lamp by going to the Parts menu and selecting Word Lamp. In your read address, set the PLC register you have associated with your messages to display.
2.
Go to the Label tab and in the Content field, type in the message you would like to display when the value in the PLC register is 0. If you don’t want it to display any message, leave the Content field blank.
3.
Change the State 0 pull down box to read State 1. Type in the message you would like to display when the value in the PLC register is equal to 1.
4.
Continue with this process for State 2, State 3, etc.
5.
Check the box that says “Use Label.”
6.
Click OK to place the word lamp on your screen. If you would like these messages to be visible from any screen, place the word lamp on the Common Window (window 6) making sure that the space it takes up on the Common Window is not used in any other windows.
Using an Indirect Window to Display Pre-defined Messages
Indirect windows monitor a PLC register, and display a pop-up window when there is a non-zero value in that register. For example, if the PLC register has a value of 21, the indirect window will display window 21. Indirect windows may be any size and can be placed on any window.
1.
Create an Indirect Window by going to the Parts menu and selecting Indirect Window. In your read address, set the PLC register you have associated with your messages to display.
2.
Click OK to place the Indirect Window on your screen. Adjust the size of the window by dragging the frame. This is the area in which the pop-up windows will be displayed.
3.
Create your 1st pop-up window by creating a new window (window 20 for example). Set the height & width of the pop-up to be just large enough to fit your message. (Start with 170 x 170 and adjust from there). Go to the Draw menu and select Text. Type your message in the content field and place this on your pop-up window.
4.
At this point, if you were to run a simulation of the project and change the value in your PLC register to 20, your new pop-up (window 20) should pop-up in the frame of the indirect window.
5.
Likewise, you would create a pop-up window for each message you’d like to display (you may want to use the “win copy” feature under the Edit menu. The pop-up windows will display when their window number is the value in the PLC register associated with the indirect window.
6.
To close your pop-up window, create a set word object and place it on your pop-up window. Set the read address to your PLC register that you are using for your indirect window. Set the “style” to Set Constant and set the Value to 0.
More Information
To store a list of events/messages, you would create an event log, where each message would be associated with a PLC bit. More information on event logs can be found in the Operation Manual.
For more information regarding using word lamps and indirect windows, please refer to Chapter 7, Representing Data with Graphics Objects and Chapter 5, Creating Windows, in the HMI500 Series Installation and Operation Manual.