Using Picoface with SlimLine

[Armando]

I am using the combination for the first time SlimLine with Picoface HMI base, connected directly to the expansion output of the PLC, I don't have much documentation available and my question concerns the type of connection to be adopted to program the panel.

I did not understand the connection to be adopted and the programming method. Thanks in advance!

[Sergio Bertana]

There he is screenshot of an essential program of how to use the Picoface terminal connected to the SlimLine. The library must be included in the project eHMIBuiltInLib (Project menu -> Library manager), the example project in this topic contains the latest version.

To manage the Picoface terminal connected to the extension bus, as you can see, a pointer file is opened on the stream PCOM15.1 and then the variable is passed Fp to the FB for managing the Picoface terminal. In the section Resources it is possible to add an HMI with the definition of display messages (In the example project I called it Messages). In the Picoface management FB the variable must be passed Messages.HMIBuiltInID.

Here is what it looks like in the section Resources the definition of a display message (Screenshot). As you can see the texts to be displayed are set with the reference to the variables. During the display on the display the tags of the variables will be replaced by the real value. Only the variables allocated in the 100 DB can be managed on the terminal.

To input a variable from the keyboard, select it using the key FUN of the terminal (the value of the variable becomes flashing) then by pressing the key CLR a new value can be entered.

Pointing with the mouse on the message tree and acting on the right button it is possible to insert new messages (Screenshot). From the Picoface terminal it will be possible to navigate through the messages with the Up, Down, Right, Left arrow keys (Project download).

[Armando]

Good day, in the meantime congratulations for the excellent products and competence. On the use of the Picoface panel I ask if it is possible to force the display of a message.

I have this need: for example I give an “enter” on a text message, I collect the variable with the ID of the message (and so far everything OK) but then I should return the display to the initial message. The variable MsgID I believe is read only. Thanks a lot and regards.

[Sergio Bertana]

The question gives me the opportunity to resume the project ABCPicoface of the previous post and import it into the new LogicLab4 adapting it to the new management of the serial port. A new FB has been introduced in XTarget_12 SysSerialPort for managing the serial port. I remember that the Picoface terminal on the I2C bus is actually seen as connected via a virtual COM port PCOM15.1. As you can see in the new project (Project download) the serial port is parameterized with the default values ​​(115200, e, 8, 1) even if they are not actually used. However, this allows us to easily switch from a Picoface bus to one connected in serial (just change the definition of COM port).

Coming to the specific question, I added these two branches in LD (Screenshot) to achieve what is required. In practice there is an object in the project Messages (The name is arbitrary everyone chooses the name they want) which is the object in which the various display messages are defined. Referring to this object it is possible to know which message is currently displayed MsgID and you can force a message to be displayed by setting the message number to ViewMID.

Now as the message display is controlled on the variation of the ViewMID having to always force the same message number here I had to realize the support of MsgID su ViewMID to guarantee the variation.

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