Productivity PID Loop - Part 9 - Programming C-more Touch Panel

In this video I will show you how to use the C-more Touch Panel’s PID Faceplate from the library once we start a new project and have our Tagnames imported. Let’s get started. One of the benefits in using the C-more Touch Panel in our application is the built-in PID Faceplate that can be used, which will save time. Start by opening the C-more programming software and click on the ‘Start a Project’ button. Once the ‘Step 1’ dialog box is open, select the top button labeled ‘Make a New Project’, if it isn’t already selected. Type in a new ‘Project Name’. In my case I used ‘P3K PID Demo’. The C-more Touch Panel I am using for my application is a C-more part number EA7-T6CL, the newer 6” color TFT touch panel with LED backlight, and 64 thousand colors, so under ‘HMI Type’ I select EA7-T6C/T6CL. Next select the PLC Protocol to be used. Since for my project I am using the Productivity 3000 via an Ethernet connection, I choose the ‘AutomationDirect Productivity 3000 Ethernet, for a P3-550 CPU’ protocol. I then click the ‘OK’ button. I can now import my Tagnames from the CSV file that I exported earlier from the Productivity 3000 programming software. I click on ‘Import’ under the ‘File’ pull down menu and slide my pointer to ‘Tag Name Database…’. This will open the ‘Import Tag name Database from Excel/CSV File’ dialog box. I click on the ‘Browse’ icon to the right of the ‘File Path:’ drop down box and select the CSV file that I exported earlier from the Productivity 3000 software. In my case, the file is named ‘P3K_PID_Demo_08172011TEE.CSV’. I next click the ‘Open’ button. You will notice I have not checked ‘Overwrite Existing Tags’, since this is the first time I am importing to my C-more project, but I do have ‘My file contains a Header Row’ checked because the exported CSV file from the Productivity 3000 project does have header rows. For my needs I have kept the defaults for the ‘CSV/XLS Import Option’. I can now click the ‘Import’ button and will see a progress window showing that I am importing 232 Tagnames, which include all of the Productivity 3000 System Tagnames, and all of those that I created while programming my ladder logic into the Productivity 3000. When the importing is complete, a message will pop up saying ‘Import Completed’. I click OK and I am now ready to add objects to my C-more screens. I will now add the C-more’s PID Faceplate object. As seen in the software, I locate the PID Faceplate Bar Graph object form the Meter/Graph category in the object list, and drag and drop it on our first screen. The PID Faceplate dialog window opens and I am ready to add my Tagnames and other parameters. I can name the PID Faceplate, but decide to leave it as ‘PID Face Bar Meter 1’. I also have the ability to see the changes to the faceplate as I make them. I can have a frame displayed around the faceplate or not. I decide to use a frame so I leave the ‘Frame Display’ checked. I can have different languages displayed if required. I can give the faceplate a description for future reference. I can bring up the Tag Name Database if needed to add or make corrections to my Tagnames. I can give the faceplate a label. In our application I chose to show ‘PID – Volume in Gallons’ with an ‘Output shown as Gallons per Minute’. We position the label at the ‘Top’. I’ll use the default ‘Text Color’ of black, but use a ‘Background Color’ that is a little more vivid. I decide to keep the defaults for the Text Size, Alignment and Font style. I also will use the defaults for the ‘Legends’ that include ‘Auto’, ‘Manual’, ‘Alarm’, and ‘Output’. For our Process Variable I type in ‘T’ which brings up ‘Tank Volume’, and at this point I can either accept this, or use the pull down to see a list of the imported Tagnames. The same goes for my Set Point, which is ‘Tank Volume Set Point’. I’ll use the defaults for the Fill and Background colors. I know my ‘Tank Volume’ and ‘Tank Volume Set Point’ Tagnames are data type 32 Bit Floating Point, so I need to determine how many digits and fractions I want displayed on the C-more as numeric values. I choose a Total of ‘3’ digits, a Fractional decimal placement of ‘2’, a range of ‘1’ to ‘7’ Gallons, and use a total of ‘6’ divisions on the Process Variable and Set Point Bar Graphs. I use the calculated ‘C-more underscore PID underscore Output’ Tagname for my displayed ‘Output’, accept the ‘Foreground’ and ‘Background’ colors, use a Total of ‘4’ digits with ‘3’ Fractional places, and a Range of ‘0’ to ‘1,000’. This goes back to the Scaling Instruction we did earlier in the Productivity 3000 that produced a diaphragm pump rate of ‘0’ to ‘1.000’ Gallons per Minute, maybe a little more decimal places than we really need, but it does show how we can use both the capabilities of the Productivity 3000 and C-more to manage how our data is used and displayed. Finally I type in the ‘Mode Bit’ and ‘Alarm Bit’ Tagnames that we control in our ladder logic to show if the PID Loop is either in Auto or Manual mode, and if there is an Alarm condition, such as ‘Overflow’. Next I press the OK button and position the PID Faceplate to the right hand side of the screen grid. As seen here, I added additional push buttons to enable the PID Loop control and the ability to select Auto or Manual operation. I also created a Numeric Entry to allow the operator to enter the Set Point value, and a Screen Change button to allow access to our PID Parameters screen. I’ll explain more on this in a second. In summary, using the faceplate makes our PID Loop setup, control, monitoring and tuning easier to accomplish. And the PID Faceplate uses bar graphs for the Set Point, Process Variable, and Process Output that allow us to see at a glance the status of our process. It also displays our operation mode as either in Auto or Manual, and can alert us to Alarm conditions. I’ve added a second C-more screen to allow manually adjusting the Proportional, Integral and Derivative term values as required. This screen also includes status indicators for the main control power, overflow float switch condition, and the health of the Productivity 3000 optional battery used to retain the Time and Date, and retentive Tagname values. The Stack Light Tower indicators that show the Process Tank’s volume condition are also on this screen. The use of this second screen and the first screen is ideal for remote access to the C-more over the internet. Finally a Screen Change push button is available on this screen to get us back to the main PID Loop monitoring screen. In Part 10 of this video series I discuss tuning our PID Loop, and also cover the importance of safety during operation and tuning of any PID Process Loop.