Course T300, Engineering an 800xA System

Chapter 19 Signal Objects

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 19 Signal Objects ........................................................................................................................................................ 19-1
19.1 General Information...................................................................................................................................................... 19-3
19.1.1 Description............................................................................................................................................................. 19-3
19.1.2 Objectives .............................................................................................................................................................. 19-3
19.1.3 Reference Documentation...................................................................................................................................... 19-3
19.1.4 Steps to go ............................................................................................................................................................. 19-3
19.2 Signal Objects............................................................................................................................................................... 19-4
19.2.1 General................................................................................................................................................................... 19-4
19.2.2 Engineering Workplace ......................................................................................................................................... 19-4
19.3 Create Signal Objects ................................................................................................................................................... 19-5
19.4 Parameterize the Signal Object..................................................................................................................................... 19-7
19.5 I/O Allocation ............................................................................................................................................................... 19-9
19.5.1 General................................................................................................................................................................... 19-9
19.5.2 Allocate signal to board channel............................................................................................................................ 19-9
19.5.3 Allocate multiple signals ..................................................................................................................................... 19-11
19.6 Load Allocation Data to the controller ....................................................................................................................... 19-12
19.6.1 General................................................................................................................................................................. 19-12
19.6.2 Load allocation data to the Control Builder......................................................................................................... 19-12
19.7 De-Allocation ............................................................................................................................................................. 19-14
19.8 Error handling I/O Allocation..................................................................................................................................... 19-16

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19.1 General Information

19.1.1 Description
Signal objects are used to allow IO allocation and IO Parameterization in the Process
Portal.

19.1.2 Objectives
After completion of this chapter you will be able to

Create signals in the Functional Structure

Parameterize the signals

Allocate signals to board channels

Load allocation data to the Control Builder

19.1.3 Reference Documentation

OperateIT Process Portal A, Basic Engineering Functions Reference, Users Guide

19.1.4 Steps to go
1. Creation of signals
2. Parameterize the signals (Min, Max, Unit, )
3. Allocate the signals to the channels of the board
4. Write the allocation data to the Control Builder
5. Download the values to the controller

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Chapter 19 Signal Objects

19.2 Signal Objects

19.2.1 General
Signal Objects in the Process Portal contains a set of parameters. This allows project
engineering by entering signal data at an early stage without the necessity to create the
specific I/O boards at that time. The allocation of signals to boards can be done in a
later step.

19.2.2 Engineering Workplace

To get the advanced context menu and therefore the item for the

IO Allocation

Write/Read IO Allocation into/from CBM

you need to open the Engineering Workplace for this.

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19.3 Create Signal Objects

Create your signals in the Functional Structure, using the object types CBM_AIS,
CBM_AOS, CBM_DIS, CBM_DOS, or by using the Function Designer. You may as
well use the Bulk Data Manager to create the Signals with all the
CBM_SignalParameter settings you already know about.
Create a new Signal Object to a measuring function object:
1. Right mouse click onto FIC1002_AIN in the Functional Structure

Left
click

Right
click

2. The New Object window is displayed.

3. Type in the signal name ( FIC1002_SIG ) in the name field.
4. Continue with left mouse click onto the Create button.

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Chapter 19 Signal Objects

5. The signal object FIC1002_SIG is displayed in the functional structure below

FIC1002_AIN measuring object.

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19.4 Parameterize the Signal Object

1. Select the signal object ( FIC1002_SIG ) via left mouse click.
2. Double left mouse click onto the CBM_SignalParameter aspect.

3. The FIC1002_SIG: CBM_SignalParameter dialog box is displayed.

4. Type in the application name Appl_Tank1 to generate a variable in this
application. To create valid channel allocations in Control Builder M it is
necessary to create variables, where the channels reference to. If needed, the
function creates Global Variables in Control Builder M Applications (if they
do not exist). For this, the Application must be defined in the
CBM_SignalParameter.
5. Type in some parameters:
Filtertime:

0.1s

SignalRange:

0-20mA

Min:

10

Max:

80

Unit:

Bar

6. Left mouse click onto the Apply button.

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19.5 I/O Allocation

19.5.1 General
IO Allocation is a view, which gives effective support for doing IO allocation. It has a
common user interface, which displays all allocation relevant data. Typically all
operations can be done via drag and drop It displays the objects (boards, channel, and
signals) controller independent, only focusing on the IO allocation data.

19.5.2 Allocate signal to board channel

1. Right mouse click onto a board of type AI810 in controller Cont1.
2. In the context menu left mouse click onto Advanced command and then left
mouse click onto IO Allocation command. If you start IO Allocation on a
node or network object. All boards, channels, and allocated signals below the
starting object will be displayed at startup. Basically you can start IO
Allocation from any object in any structure.

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3. The IO-Allocation window with the selected board is displayed.

4. Left mouse click onto the board ==Cont1.0.11.3 to open the folder. All
channels are visible.
5. Open in Plant explorer the Functional Structure.
6. Via drag & drop, import the signal object ( FIC1002_SIG ) onto the right side
of the IO Allocation window. If you import via drag & drop a Area or plant
object. All signals below the starting object will be imported.

Drag
&Drop

7. Allocate your signal to channel 3 via drag & drop.

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19.5.3 Allocate multiple signals

To allocate multiple signals to multiple channels, select the signal in the signal view
and drop them onto a channel, a board or the root object Boards in the board view. In
this case the smart function works and finds automatically suitable channels for the
signals.
Alternatively you can do this operation without drag and drop. After selecting the
signal(s) in the signal view, select a target object in the board view, press the right
mouse button and select menu item Allocate.

Drag
&Drop

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19.6 Load Allocation Data to the controller

19.6.1 General
Use this function to pass your engineered allocation data and related parameter from
Engineering Workplace into Control Builder M.

19.6.2 Load allocation data to the Control Builder

1. Right mouse click onto a signal or board in IO Allocation window.
2. Left mouse click onto the Write Allocation into CBM.

3. The Write Allocation into CBM window is displayed.

4. Continue via left mouse click onto the Close button.

5. The Write Allocation into CBM window is displayed.

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6. Check the parameter in Control Builder via double left mouse click onto the
board.
7. Left mouse click onto the Properties tap card.

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19.7 De-Allocation
De-Allocate a signal on a board:
1. Right mouse click onto the board.
2. In the context menu left mouse click onto Advanced command and then left
mouse click onto IO Allocation command.

1. The IO-Allocation window with the selected board is displayed.

2. Left mouse click onto the board ==Cont1.0.11.3 to open the folder. All
channels are visible.
3. Right mouse click onto a channel with an allocated signal.
4. Left mouse click onto De-allocate command.

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8. Right mouse click onto a signal ( board ) in IO Allocation window.

9. Left mouse click onto the Write Allocation into CBM command.

The variable is deleted and removed from the channel. The parameters are set to
default values in control builder.

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19.8 Error handling I/O Allocation

If there is an invalid signal/channel allocation the icons of the affected objects (signal,
channel and related board) in the view are marked red. If you want to know what
makes a channel invalid, just select the channel in the board view. The reason is
displayed in the status bar. Possible reasons are:

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invalid signal type Signal type does not fit to the channel type. For instance
an AI signal is allocated to an DO channel. You can correct this only by
deallocating.

invalid channel number There is a channel number defined, which is not

valid for the related board. You can correct this only by de-allocating.

channel is multiple allocated There are two or more signals allocated to the
same channel. You can correct this only by de-allocating.

signal is multiple allocated one signal allocated to two or more channels.

You can correct this only by de-allocating.

no application defined Only relevant on AC800M, AC800C, and AC250

controller. The Application property of signal is not defined. You can correct
this by filling in the property (see section Moving from channel to signal
below).