Utilities: an Overview

Vision controllers offer a broad range of utilities.

Some utilities are internal to VisiLogic, some are provided by external software tools that may be freely downloaded from the Unitronics website.

VisiLogic Utilities

SD Cards

Enhanced Vision controllers support SD cards. The V570 supports standard-sized SD cards; V130, V350 and V1040/1210 support micro SD cards. In the V570 series, the slot is located at the top of the controller; in V130, V350 and V1040/1210 the slot is located on the right side.

What can I do with an SD card?

  • "Clone" a complete PLC, via Information mode or via SD Clone Ladder elements.

  • SD Ladder Functions enable you to read/write data between an SD Card and PLC memory operands, including blocks of file data, Data Tables, and Trend data.

  • Store Alarms History on SD.

  • Use Information Mode or SD Clone Ladder elements to upload/download OS firmware and compressed VisiLogic Applications, Data Tables, and operand values to/from an SD card, and to backup and even completely 'clone' a PLC.

  • Use Unitronics' SD Card Explorer, included in the SD Card Suite, to transfer SD files from PLC to PC--or, if the PLC comprises an Ethernet card, send files via email attachment.

  • View and execute files on the PLC display via the HMI element SD Browser.

  • Host complex Web pages using the program in the .zip file located at:
    http://www.unitronics.com/data/uploads/communication/WebServer.zip.

  • Use the tools in SD Card Suite to:
    - Format the SD Card.
    - Convert, view, and read/write the data to/from PC.
    - Export that data to Excel or as an .csv file.
    - Remotely view, open, copy, or delete SD card files via serial, CANbus, or Ethernet.
    This standalone software is available from: http://www.unitronics.com/Content.aspx?page=Downloads.

 

Data Tables

You can store data into the Data Table memory section of your controller, then access the data in accordance with program requirements.  They are useful in implementing Program Recipes, a collection of ingredients or values that are used to prepare a batch of product or to perform a specific task.

Data Tables can be used to contain parameters for pre-programmed recipes. Vision controllers can contain up to 120K of Data Tables (RAM); Data Tables (that are marked Part of Project) can take up to 192K (Flash) in V230/260/280/290.

You create tables in VisiLogic, define their structure, then download them to the controller. Data within the tables can be copied and pasted to and from third-party tools such as Excel.

You can also store Data Tables or log lines from them onto SD Cards.

Note

Data Tables are based on bytes, not on registers.

Data Table sections that are marked Part of Project: the data are downloaded with the project, and burned into the Flash memory. You can use this feature to preserve certain, unchanging data, such as lists of names or recipe data.

A Data Table marked as Part of Project cannot be copied to an SD card.

Data tables consist of columns and rows.

 

String Library

Use String Library to store text strings within the controller's FLASH memory, and then display them on the controller's LCD. You can, for example, organize text into different String Libraries—for example, separate libraries for Spanish, English and Italian—pull strings into HMI objects, and then switch libraries to change the display language.

These strings can be displayed in the following HMI elements:

String Libraries also provide the text for Alarms, and can be used in Trend Curve Properties.

There are:

The total memory capacity for all String Libraries is 64K.

This feature is not available in Standard Vision controllers.

How String Library works

Only one library is active at a time. This means that at any given time, all elements that pull text from a library are using the same library.

However, each HMI element may be linked to a different line ID # within that String Library.

In the following figure, the buttons are linked to different text lines. Each time a different String Library is called, the button text changes.

 

Alarms

An Alarm is an event that is reported to the machine operator via a set of built-in displays.

The event is a change in the Alarm’s Trigger condition, which may be linked to either a Boolean or a numeric value.

An Alarm can:

  • Show Alarm status

  • Report the event to the machine operator

  • Provide instructions

  • Require operator action

  • Play an active role in the conditions enabling the running of the process

In VisiLogic, you use the Alarm Configuration utility to create Alarms and set their features. The Ladder application determines when the Alarms are displayed on the controller’s screen.

Vision controllers support Alarms according to the following table:

Vision Type

Number of Alarms

Number of Alarms in History

ERROR: Variable (V570V1040V1210) is undefined.

128

254

V350

64

62

V130

16

14

 

Alarms may be divided into up to 16 groups, per application.

While the Alarms displays are on the screen, the PLC application continues to run. This includes both the Ladder, including subroutines, and the HMI application. This means that the current HMI display, the one on the screen when the PLC enters Alarms, may not be the same one displayed when the PLC exits Alarms.

Note

This feature is not available in Standard Vision controllers.

 

 

Unitronics' Software Utilities

These utilities can be freely downloaded from http://unitronics.com/Content.aspx?page=Downloads.

Remote Operator 

Remote Operator enables you to use a PC to view and work with a remote controller's HMI panel.

You can define any number of controllers, then open multiple sessions to view them simultaneously, while docking or cascading windows according to your preferences.

During a session, the remote controller is displayed, on-line, on your PC screen. You can ‘press’ keypad keys and touch-screen objects of:

This utility can be used with Vision, M90/91, and Jazz controllers

Remote Access: Stand alone Utility:

The stand-alone utility Remote Access runs independently of all other software, and can access Vision, M90/91, and Jazz controllers. In addition to using any supported communication channel to remotely access the controller and its HMI display, the Remote Access package includes additional utilities:

SD Suite

The SD Card Suite contains several applications that you need to work with SD cards:

 

DataXport

DataXport creates logs of run-time or stored data from Data Tables and operand regions within Unitronics PLCs.  DataXport saves the data logs in .ulp format. You can open these data logs using DataXport's companion application, DataXls, and then export the data to Excel files..

Via DataXport, you can: