HMI Setup with Data types

[Red 0]

Hi all and good day,

I'm working through my workflows with Sysmac studio.  I think I have a grasp on the PLC side, now I'm trying to foucs on the HMI side.  I have setup some data types on the PLC to store booleans, integers, etc.

I am trying to pull the data from those data structures into a value display on the HMI however it is being most difficult.  This brought me to two immediate questions.

1. Can you display the value of a local variable on the PLC from the HMI or does it need to be a Global variable?  I'm familiar with Java so I do understand the concept of public versus private variables.  I'm just not sure if that is what is going on here or if I am just not querying the variable correctly. 

2. How would you go about setting up a variable display of a variable that is part of a data structure?  I have my structure setup as well as the variable in the table to USE that data type however it is just giving me an error when trying to look at it from the HMI.

Any help would be very much appreciated.  My apologies in advance if this is a repetitive question.

Thanks,

Red

[Crossbow 295]

Global variables only.

When you make the HMI variable on the Variable Mapping screen, it inherits the data format of the PLC variable.  Make sure you go to the Variable Mapping tab in the HMI project and map an HMI variable to the controller variables.  The HMI is a separate device, and has its own variable table.

[pturmel 160]

9 minutes ago, Red said:

does it need to be a Global variable?

I can't say definitively, but I expect so, and have confirmed so for at least the EtherNet/IP protocol on these PLCs.  I know that Rockwell's Logix family allows access to program tags, subject only to the family's fine-grained tag permissions.  I don't know of any other brand that offers similar access.

[Red 0]

12 minutes ago, Crossbow said:

Global variables only.

When you make the HMI variable on the Variable Mapping screen, it inherits the data format of the PLC variable.  Make sure you go to the Variable Mapping tab in the HMI project and map an HMI variable to the controller variables.  The HMI is a separate device, and has its own variable table.

This worked great.  I was focused on the "Global Variables" section only.  I completely missed the Variable Mapping section.  

Added it there and you are correct.  It auto populated from the PLC.

Thank you both for your quick responses!  You have saved me hours of frustration.