Tag Configuration Editor (TCE) for Machine Control

[Doug_S]

Post your questions or feedback on the Tag Configuration Editor (TCE) for Machine Control here.

[Imaginatics]

Nice group of components! 

In the article on the TCE it says that it could/can be modified for other items/protocols, such as FieldPoint.  That would be very, very useful to the project I am on at the moment.  We have Excel spreadsheets that define our Taglists. These are sometimes defined by non LabVIEW/NI literate personnel.  These are then exported to tab delimited spreadsheets which we then use LabVIEW to make DAQmx tasks, channels, scales, etc for our PXI and SCXI RealTime channels, all without touching MAX.  Works fine.

But FieldPoint is a "whole nuther can 'O worms".  We'd really like to be able to configure cFP banks from our taglists without opening MAX and/or *.iak files.  Any chance that we could discuss this, either by opening up the source for the TCE or getting you to add cFP?  Our client (United Technologies) buys a ton (7 figures+) of NI hardware a year. This would go a long way with this group.

Thanks in advance!

[Christian_L]

Thank you for your comments and feedback. We definitiely anticipate the need to add other I/O options to the Tag Configuration Editor and to make it an open platform. We are currently updating and modularizing the code to make it easier to add your own I/O configuration options. We will share this code on DevZone with documentation when this update is competed.

In the mean time I would be glad to share the source code with interested developers so that they can customize it and add their own I/O options. Please contact your local NI sales representative to forward this request to the NI Systems Engineering group.

[Aui]

Just developing a Control & Monitoring Application with two new cRIO 9074 Chassis, several IO-cards including the newer 9485 and a 3rd party Touch Panel Computer I am wondering how to configure the TCE for this HW-config. Can I add not listed controllers and cRIO cards via editing a config file of the Tag Config Editor or  is there a newer version of the TCE available?

Does anyone have experience in applying the suggested Machine Control Patterns to mid-size systems (approx. 300-500 IOs)?

These patterns seem to fit fantasticly to my app(s). Looking forward to answers and more discussions here!

Franz

[Aui]

Sorr to ask, but is this forum still alive? Is there something better on the way?

Franz

[boyko]

I am developing a HMI application for TPC-2006 (using LV/ Touch Panel Module + 5 of the recomended HMI components). Most of the architecture components are now in place and working (TPD, CVT, TAE, HNE, TCE - but this with "Internal" protocol only). The challenge is to include "External" tags communicated to/from my (non-standard) PLC. I intend to use a RS232 communication protocol, similar to Modicon RTU (but simpler). The protocol reads or writes only one 16-bit register at a time (no other options). I need to communicate a fairly low number of PLC registers (up to 50). Some of these should be handled by the HMI as words, others bit-wise.

I assume I should use the CVT Client Communication, but I don't know how to "integrate" my custom-build protocol? Also, currently the TCE gives me only 2 protocol-options: "Internal" and PAC(CCC) - how to add another? A further query: Provided the protocol integration is achieved, can I run the same on 2 COM-ports simultaneously in order to communicate to 2 PLCs from the HMI?

Regards

Boyko

[bbean]

I noticed in the LabVIEW code there are flags exposed for creating arrays of each data type.  However, I can't figure out how to expose this option in the Tag Configuration Editor or if it is even available.  This design pattern looks really promising, but if I can't do arrays thats a terrible drawback.  If arrays are currently not supported, when will they?  If they won't then please make the source code available for the TCE.

[boyko]

Dear Christian

Can we expect the TCE update any time soon? I need just a simple upgrade - the option to add more protocols to the list. For the time being my HMI works fine - I've replaced the PAC(CCC) protocol with my custom-build PLC protocol. In future applications I would like to communicate from the HMI to various devices using different protocols and still have the convinience of tag configuration.

Regards

Boyko

[Christian_L]

We are planning to release an updated version of the TCE including the source code. This will likely occur after NIWeek. If you need access to the source code sooner, please send a message to systemseng  (at) ni (dot) com with subject : TCE and I will be in touch with you.

Message Edited by Support on 07-07-2008 02:29 PM

[bbean]

Hi Christian,

I tried the email address you mentioned, but it bounced back.

Brian