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CX-Server Lite User Manual Guide to using CX-Server Lite

1. CxsLiteCtrll InitCXServer False The unitialise example should only be used when no further CX Server functionality is required within a thread B 33 GetNumErrors This property is a count of the number of errors that have occurred since the control was first run C Example int n cxsLiteCtrll GetNumErrors VB Net Example Dim intNumberOfErrors As Integer intNumberOfErrors CxsLiteCtrll GetNumErrors B 34 IsActive This property returns the connection status of a specified PLC C example bool IsConnected Commst1 I sActive MyPLC Page 47 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net VB example Dim IsConnected As Boolean IsConnected Comms1 IsActive MyPLC In this example the connected status would be read from MyPLC and stored in IsConnected If MyPLC is connected the PLC is open or has any active data connection Is Connected would be set to true Page 48 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Appendix C Visual Studio Net Limitations and Workarounds C 1 Issues To Be Aware Of When Upgrading Although Visual Studio is a powerful development environment it is not perfect and does contain oddities and outright bugs If you encounter an unexpected problem while using Visual Studio or with a program produced by it it is very important to check on the Internet to see if it is a known issue It is also very often worthwhile
2. ref Success if Success textBoxl Text config VB Net Example Dim strDevice As String Dim strSection As String Dim strEntry As String Dim strResult As String Dim bSuccess As Boolean Page 40 OMRON strDevice comboListDevices Text strSection ADDRESS strEntry DNA strResult CxsLiteCtrll1l GetDeviceConfig strDevice strEntry bSuccess Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net strSection Currently supported parameter values are as described for the SetDeviceConfig method B 29 UploadProgram Advanced function This function is for advanced users only The UploadProgram functi on can be used to reada program or other file from a PLC The program is read in binary form and stored in a user specified file This function should not be used at the same time as any other DEVICE communications The project and PLC will automatically be opened if required C Example bool Success cxsLiteCtrll UploadProgram devicel d testl prg false true VB Net Example Dim strUploadDestination As String strUploadDevice As String strUploadSource As String bUploadWait As Boolean bUploadReportProgress As Boolean bUploadSuccess As Boolean Dim Dim Dim Dim Dim REC Cole A loadDevice strUploadSource strUploadDestination bUploadWait True bUploadReportProgress True bUploadSuccess CxsLiteCtrll UploadProgram strup strup C Common Test PLC1 U
3. 6 0 and later and Visual C 6 0 as well as Omron CX Supervisor From version 1 21 onwards CX Server Lite also supported use in Windows applications created using the Microsoft Visual Studio Net environment use in an ASP Net environment is not currently supported using a development tool such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 In all of these applications CX Server Lite allows existing process data to be collected and analysed via the CX Server runtime system 1 2 About this Manual This manual helps a new user get started with CX Server Lite in a Microsoft Net environment by leading the user through the basics of CX Server Lite operation For the most up to date information see the on line help or the release notes in the installed directory Separate OMRON manuals describe the related CX Automation Suite products CX Server CX Programmer and CX Supervisor Throughout this manual it is assumed that the user has a working knowledge of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Net development environments e g Visual Studio 2008 If Visual Studio Net has not been used before it is recommended that some time working with the Microsoft documentation is spent before using CX Server Lite Similarly familiarity with the key Microsoft Net concepts is also assumed 1 3 The Help system and How to Access it CX Server Lite comes with a detailed help system At any time while using the software it is possible to get help on a particular point t
4. As String Dim strEntry As String Dim strText As String Dim bSuccess As Boolean Page 39 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net strText 10 0 0 1 strDevice comboListDevices Text strSection ADDRESS strEntry IPADDR bSuccess CxsLiteCtrll SetDeviceConfig strDevice strSection strEntry strText This function is primarily intended for future use Only the following Section Entry and Setting parameter value combinations are currently supported Section ADDRESS Entry DNA Setting O Setting 255 this can be used to set the network number Section ADDRESS Entry DA1 Setting 0 Setting 255 this can be used to set the node number Section ADDRESS Entry UNIT Setting O Setting 255 this can be used to set the unit number Section ADDRESS Entry PADDR Setting 0 0 0 0 Setting 255 255 255 255 this can be used to set the Ethernet IP address Other parameter values may work but should only be used on Omron advice B 28 GetDeviceConfig Advanced function This function is for advanced users only This is a function that can be used to read any element of the CX Server device configuration All the data is passed and received in textual form C Example bool Success false string config cxsLiteCtrll GetDeviceConfig devicel ADDRESS TPADDR
5. Communications control in your WinApp C or VB Net application A solution to this problem is the use of late binding to invoke the Value property This way the application does not need to make direct reference to the assembly and there is no need to insert the ActiveX control into the application it can be done via program code To insert a control dynamically it is necessary to first get the class type associated with the specified program identifier and then to create an instance of the class The program identifier for the CX Server Lite ActiveX Communications control is CXServerCommunicationControl CXServerCommunicationControl 1 An instance of the control can be created by the following code public static Type comms Type GetTypeFromProg D CXServerCommunicationControl CXServerCommunicationControl 1 public static object target Activator Createlnstance comms When an instance of the Lite control has been created it is necessary before calling the Value property to initialise the instance of the control This is done by calling ProjectName and OpenProject methods using the function InvokeMember The InvokeMember method takes an array of COM VARIANT types that represent the parameters passed to the function In the case of the ProjectName method this array contains one string parameter the path where the CX Server CDM file is located object path C test cdm comms InvokeMember ProjectNam
6. aaa Aaaa te Aa a Aaaa Aaaa aaa a 7 1 3 The Help system and How to ACCESS it e eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaeeeeeaaeeeees 7 1 4 About CX Server Lite cece cece ee eeeeeeceeeeeeeeeaaeeeeceaaeeeeaeaaeeeeaaaaeeeeaeaaeeeeaaaa ees 9 1 5 Technical Support Issues with old applications when upgrading 10e 9 2 Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Overview 10 2 1 CX Server Lite Communications Control ActiveX version 10 2 2 CX Server Lite ActiveX Graphical Objects Overview eeeeeeseeeeeeeneeeeeeee 10 2 3 CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version n se 12 3 Using the CX Server Lite Active X controls in Microsoft Net ApplicatiohS sic cod ecdesvacSeecedessicedssossansdaetetsnsosscesccesvosscsusbueesectosseseiweea LO 4 CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version 15 5 Creating a CX Server Lite Application in VS Net 17 5 1 Example Viewing PLC Data using an Omron Graphical Control 0 17 5 1 1 Adding the Controls to the Toolbox ececeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenaeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeees 17 5 1 2 Adding the Communications Control c ceceeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaaeees 17 5 1 3 Connecting the Communications Control to a PLC cccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 18 5 1 4 Adding a 7 Segment display ccceeececeneeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeeaaaaeees 19 5 1 5 Running the Applica
7. allows you to toggle a Boolean bit between its On and Off state This is as a switch that can be clicked to change its state The current state is shown by the position of the switch The switch position also reflects the current value e g on start up and will change position in response to an external influence Timer The timer enables you to run a set of instructions repeatedly at regular intervals This control is not required within a Net environment Thumbwheel The Thumbwheel provides a set of input controls similar to a hardware Thumbwheel Switch By clicking minus and plus buttons the various input digits can be set There are two modes of operation Commit and Direct When the optional Commit button is enabled digit values may be edited freely The PLC will not receive an updated value until the Commit button is pressed In direct mode without the optional Commit button changes to digit values are sent direct to Page 11 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net the PLC as they occur Floating point is supported and integer values can be represented in both decimal and hexadecimal 2 3 CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version This control provides a seamless interface between the CX Server Lite host application Visual Studio Net Windows application and Omron s communication software CX Server Note that the control is only visible when the host application is in the Design mode
8. event connections see below Page 49 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net C 1 2 Data events are not received typically after a new version of software is installed On occasions Visual Studio seems to lose the mapping between events and the event handler routines As a result data values are not returned by asynchronous read or GetData events This happens in both C and VB NET typically after a new version of a control is installed but may happen at other times In C the event properties for the handler become blank and need to be reselected In VB Net it may be necessary to delete the event handler and recreate it After this is done the application should resume working C 2 Active X Compatibility Although Visual Studio Net ActiveX compatibility is very good it is not perfect This section will explain how to make workarounds to solve compatibility problems which arise when using the CX Server Lite ActiveX control in C or VB Net This section assumes that the reader has a high level of technical expertise and is familiar with terms such as Dispatch Interface Dispatch interfaces in unmanaged COM that have a default property with more than one parameter are not always currently referenced correctly by Visual Studio Net when a wrapper is automatically created for ActiveX components The effect of this is that the Value property will not be exposed when inserting or referencing the CX Server Lite ActiveX
9. installing the latest Microsoft patch Examples of common known potential issues include e Control stops working after a new version of software is installed e Data events are not received typically after a new version of software is installed These two issues are discussed below C 1 1 Control stops working after a new version of software is installed Microsoft Visual Studio keeps track of which version of controls an application was created with and may refuse to work with other versions This is deliberate functionality introduced by Microsoft to reduce the risk of errors preventing an application from running with any version of the control other than the one it was created with This problem can affect applications whenever a new version of CX Server Lite OPC is installed In these cases it is necessary to delete the control re add it and recompile the application The recommended procedure to replace the control is as follows 1 Ensure that you have a complete backup of your application 2 Delete the control from the toolbox 3 Remove the reference to the control CXSLite from the references section of your application in the Solution Explorer window It may also be safer to delete the references to CXLicence and CXProvider 4 Use the toolbox Choose Items method to add the new version of the control to your toolbox 5 Drag and drop the control onto your form 6 It may also be necessary to replace the OnData and other
10. istoire n niiata eaei at ea E 30 BRUON OGO Aa EEE EE A hate E an E AA E E EAN ae 31 Bid O SOtMOde airan a AE RE E a A A a AR 31 Bill TypeName ariii eria aoea Hiv r eraai T EEE ae N ea 32 B2B DEVOO n ean pee eee caress pelea es oh pelos eo oe eee 32 Bal S ISP OU a e t ei ia E Ae Varaa E aT EA E A AN ENA 32 B T4 TBII i E A E S EEE EA E A R AAS 33 BAS LISIDOVICES a i e at e IEAA EEEE E e AEE EE TAE NAIAREN 33 B46 ListPONMIS aena i a a re a E AE ENA 33 BIROA aa E E AS RE ae E A E AAA 34 BASEen a A E E E e E KEE i 34 B19 ROAGASYNC e erai cotvvese shiv iid FEAA sete ie dd Eaa E oe Na i ESN ENA 35 B20 WOAS YIO a tele EA E E EE ER EEA E A EE NAAS 35 B 21 OnReadComplete Event ccceceeeeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeceaeeeeeeeaaeeeeaeaaeeeeaaaa ness 36 B 22 ClockKRead eeu raia eds ceveees a a ae ra E Se cetevesh O E ds cues 37 BZS OCN sess EE E A EE R E EEES 37 Bi2AdRaw INS text a a aad a e a A E E daly 37 B25 GLISE NO e E E S AE AE E AAR atin 38 B 26 SetDeviceAddress Advanced function ceeeeeeeeeee ee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeaeees 38 B 27 SetDeviceConfig Advanced function cceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeaaeeeees 39 B 28 GetDeviceConfig Advanced function ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaaeeees 40 B 29 UploadProgram Advanced function cc ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeceeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeaeees 41 B 30 DownloadProgram Advanced function ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeees
11. may occur after the method returns but before the operation is complete and must be detected via the OnData routine see below If progress reporting is set then the progress updates will be provided via the OnData callback The format of this is in C private void cxsLiteCtrll_OnDataChange object sender CXSLite CxXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs e bool BadQuality e BadQuality string Device e Device string Point e Point object Value e Value and in VB Private Sub CxsLiteCtrll_OnDataChange ByVal sender As Object ByVal e As CXSLite CxSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs Handles CxsLiteCtrll OnDataChange Dim Devicename As String Dim PointName As String Dim BadQuality As Boolean Devicename Devic PointName e Point BadQuality e BadQuality End Sub When used with program upload reporting the parameters are used as follows Device Name of PLC Point UPLOAD START or UPLOAD RECEIVED or UPLOAD COMPLETE or UPLOAD ERROR or UPLOAD CANCELLED Value For UPLOAD START this is the total number of bytes to upload i e file size Page 42 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net For UPLOAD RECEIVED and UPLOAD COMPLETE and UPLOAD CANCELLED this is the total bytes uploaded so far For UPLOAD ERROR this is a CX Server error code e g 35339 which is 8A0B in hexadecimal indicates the PLC is in the wrong mode B 30 Dow
12. 43 B 31 Protect Advanced TUNCHON s sises cece es a EE ARE AA AS 45 B 32 InitCXServer Advanced function ceeeceeeee cece eeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaeeeeeaaaaeees 47 B33 GGN ENOS a oa A E RE E EERTE 47 B34 BAVO a a EE EN AE A E A ENA 47 Appendix C Visual Studio Net Limitations and Workarounds 49 C 1 Issues To Be Aware Of When Upgrading ccceeeceeeneeeeeeaaeeeeeeaneeeeeeaaee eres 49 C 2 Active X Compatibility cece cece cette ee cena tere essa a AREATA ap ALETA TRE C 50 Glossary OF Tenis sdsissisvestorseusiciessoreaousiisstiniaienni Geminids De VON E eines ousiseeiescvedececotanve cs sease donee siuseeschianesao een eters o Page 6 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 1 Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net This book introduces the use of CX Server Lite within a Microsoft Net e g Visual Studio 2008 environment to a new user It is assumed that the reader is already familiar with CX Server Lite in general terms and is proficient at using Microsoft Net technology Important See the Getting Started section of the main user manual for a general introduction to CX Server Lite for important system requirements and installation information and for details of use in other non Net applications 1 1 Welcome to CX Server Lite CX Server Lite allows PLC data collected by the OMRON CX Server communications software to be accessed from Microsoft Excel 97 andlater Visual Basic
13. Examples in C bool IsValid cxsLiteCtrl1 lsDevice Valid MyDevice Example in VB Net Dim IsValid as Boolean IsValid CxsLiteCtrl1 lsDevice Valid MyDevice The boolean variable IsValid is set True if the device MyDevice exists B 13 IsPoint Checks if a point exists this will depend on the currently loaded project file Examples in C bool IsValid cxsLiteCtrl1 lsPointValid MyDevice MyPoint Example in VB Net Dim IsValid as Boolean IsValid CxsLiteCtrl1 lsPointValid MyDevice MyPoint The boolean variable IsValid is set True if the point MyPoint exists Page 32 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net B 14 IsBadQuality Checks whether a point is currently indicating Bad Quality Example in C bool IsBad cxsLiteCirl1 lsBadQuality MyDevice MyPoint Example in VB Net Dim IsBad as Boolean IsBad CxsLiteCtrl1 lsBadQuality MyDevice MyPoint The boolean variable IsBad is set true if the point MyPoint is indicating Bad Quality e g the associated PLC is disconnected Note In order to return a valid value the point must have previously been read B 15 ListDevices Returns an array of devices in a project Example in C string Names null cxsLiteCtrl1 ListDevices out Names Example in VB Net Dim Names as Array CxsLiteCtrl1 ListDevices Names B 16 ListPoints Returns an array of points in a projec
14. OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net CX Server Lite User Manual Guide to using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Page 1 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Notice OMRON products are manufactured for use according to proper procedures by a qualified operator and only for the purposes described in this manual The following conventions are used to indicate and classify precautions in this manual Always heed the information provided in them Failure to heed precautions can result in injury to people or damage to the product DANGER Indicates information that if not heeded is likely to result in loss of life or serious injury WARNING Indicates information that if not heeded could possibly result in loss of life or serious injury Caution Indicates information that if not heeded could result in relatively serious or minor injury damage to the product or faulty operation OMRON Product References All OMRON products are capitalised in this manual The word Unit is also capitalised when it refers to an OMRON product regardless of whether or not it appears in the proper name of the product The abbreviation PLC means Programmable Logic Controller and is not used as an abbreviation for anything else Page 2 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Visual Aids The following headings appear in the left column of the manual to help you locate different ty
15. See section 4 for more details on using this control Note This control is a Net Windows Control intended for use within Windowsapplications It is not a Web control and is therefore not designed for use within a web server e g IIS ASP NET environment If a web page is selected while the control is present on the Visual Studio toolbox the control will appear greyed out Page 12 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 3 Using the CX Server Lite Active X controls in Microsoft Net Applications Visual Studio provides excellent support for legacy ActiveX objects In many ways operation is similar to in previous development environments such as Visual Basic 6 0 As a result of this excellent support it often makes sense to use the ActiveX controls even within a Net environment and even though a Net Communications Control is available Users familiar with the ActiveX controls or who just wish to construct simple Windows based applications that provide a graphical display of data should consider using the CX Server Lite Active X controls in preference to the CX Server Lite Net Communications Control as they provide quick and simple automatic linking to the graphical controls In addition some less commonly used functionality e g interfacing to Temperature Controllers rather than PLCs is only available in the CX Server Lite ActiveX Communications Control To add one of the Omron ActiveX controls to
16. Unlike the Activex version it does not include direct automatic support for interfacing to the graphical controls although they can of course be driven directly from the application if desired i e the value obtained from the Net Communications Control and used to set the ActiveX graphical control or vice versa Important Please note that this version of the Net control has been developed using and is primarily intended for use in the Visual Studio 2008 and later development environment The ActiveX controls described earlier can however still be used with earlier versions of the Visual Studio development environment It makes sense to use the CX Server Lite Net Communications Control in Windows applications that do not require the use of the Omron ActiveX graphical controls or where there may be advantages to using a native Net control within an application created using Visual Studio 2008 The CX Server Lite Net Communications Control includes all commonly used functionality available in the ActiveX Control except for the Temperature Controller support For a full description of all design mode and run mode functionality supported by this control please see Appendices A and B Please consult Appendix C for details of some common problems encountered when using Visual Studio e g data events stopping working after a new version of software is installed Wherever practical the same method and parameter names have been use
17. and concise description of the problem is required together with the exact text of any error messages Note Use the About dialog of one of the ActiveX controls to obtain the version number of the application Page 9 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 2 Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Overview 2 1 CX Server Lite Communications Control ActiveX version CX Server Lite includes a standard ActiveX communications control that acts as an interface to CX Server within Excel Visual Basic and C applications This control can also be used ina Net environment using the standard Net ActiveX interoperability support All functionality is available including automatic linking to the Omron Graphical Controls meaning that itis ideal for many Net Windows applications e g Windows Form based applications The functionality of this control is described in the main CX Server Lite user manual See section 3 for more details on using this control within Visual Studio Net 2 2 CX Server Lite ActiveX Graphical Objects Overview CX Server Lite includes a set of ActiveX Graphical Controls which like other ActiveX objects can be used within a Net environment This section contains a brief overview of the available components For full details of these objects see the main CX Server Lite User Manual For full details of ActiveX compatibility in a Microsoft Net environment see the Microsoft documentation See sectio
18. available Example in C Private void cxsLiteCtrl1_OnReadComplete object sender CXSLite CXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs e string PointName e Point string DeviceName e Device txtVal Text e Value ToString displays value as text Example in VB Net Private Sub CxsLiteCtrl1_OnDataChange ByVal sender As Object ByVal e As CX_SLite CXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs Handles CxsLiteCtrl1 OnReadComplete txtVal Text e Value ToString End Sub Page 36 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net B 22 ClockRead Function that reads the PLC clock Example in C DateTime PLCTime new DateTime cxsLiteCtrl1 ClockRead MyDevice out PLCTime Example in VB Net Dim PLCTime As Date CxsLiteCtrl1 ClockRead MyDevice PLCTime B 23 ClockWrite Function that sets the PLC clock Example in C DateTime ClockTime new DateTime ClockTime DateTime Now bool WrittenOK cxsLiteCtrl1 ClockWrite MyDevice ClockTime Example in VB Net Dim ClockTime as Date Dim WrittenOK as Boolean ClockTime Date Now WrittenOK CxsLiteCtrl1 ClockWrite MyDevice ClockTime B 24 RawFINS Function that enables raw FINS commands to be sent to a specified PLC Note This is an advanced command suitable for use only by those familiar with the Omron FINS protocol Example in C String FINSResponse bool bReadOK cxsLiteCtrl1 RawFINS 0501 MyPLC CXSLite UnitNumber PLC_CPU tru
19. crosoft Net bDownloadSuccess CxsLiteCtrll DownloadProgram strDownloadDevice strDownloadSource strDownloadDestination bDownloadWait bDownloadReportProgress Note The parameters in order are the PLC name the source file the destination see below whether to wait until complete and whether to report on progress Possible values for the destination parameter are as follows i e an empty string will download the source file as a PLC program object file only This clears the function block area if the program references any function blocks then these must be downloaded using the FBL parameter before the PLC is run or a PLC error condition will occur PRG same as above will download the source file as a PLC program object file only This clears the function block area if the program references any function blocks then these must be downloaded using the FBL parameter before the PLC is run or a PLC error condition will occur FBL will download the source file as a Function Block Library file The Function Blocks associated with a program Note The PLC must support function blocks and the downloaded function blocks must match the PLC program or an error will occur when downloading ALL will download the program file and then any associated Function Block file The Function Block file will be downloaded from a file with the same name as the source file except that a FBL extensi
20. ct OK The selected component will now be added to the Toolbox window To use the CX Server Lite Net Communications Control 1 Drag the CX Server Lite Control CXSLiteCtrl from the Toolbox window and drop onto the form To configure the component use the standard Visual Studio Property Editor Window Clicking the button alongside the ProjectName property will open the Open Project dialog allowing you to navigate to the appropriate file Clicking the button alongside the Groups property opens the CX Server Project Editor dialog This dialog is supported by CX Server and follows the standard Windows Explorer format The left pane shows the tree structure for the project By expanding the tree the associated PLCs and Points etc can be reviewed and edited as necessary New PLCs and points can be added by right clicking in the right hand pane and selecting New from the menu Consult the associated help file for more detailed information on editing To add events use the standard Visual Studio Net technique e g when creating a C Windows Application use the event editor accessed via the lightning flash symbol at the top of the properties window In VB Net the events can be accessed by using the class name and method name drop down list boxes which are displayed at the top of the code window just below the tab for the VB source file Page 16 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 5 Creating a CX Server L
21. d in the Open Project dialog navigate to the file you wish to open When you click the Open button the full path name of the Page 21 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net selected file will be entered into the Project field Caution When sharing a CDM file with other applications it is important to realise that any changes that are made to the CDM file may affect the other applications ii To create anew CX Server project CDM file Need to implement this functionality it s missing 7 Projects can be edited by clicking the Points button and then making the required changes from the Project Edit Dialog This is a CX Server runtime utility invoke help from within it for details of how to add and configure PLCs and Points 8 If only editing of device configuration is required then the Devices button can be used rather than the Points button 9 Click the OK button to complete the configuration 5 3 4 Accessing the Communications Control Runtime Interface The Communications Control can be driven in the runtime via methods and events although properties are also available these are normally set in design mode and not changed in runtime For a full description of all design mode and run mode functionality supported by this control please see Appendices A and B The following example provides a simple illustration of using the Net version of the Communications Control to connect t
22. d as were used in the ActiveX control However in some cases even where the functionality is quite similar a different name has been chosen This has been done for one or more of the following reasons a To follow standard Microsoft Net naming conventions b To better reflect use in a programming language rather than script language based environment the Net component will be used with C and VB Net which have a very different syntax from VBScript VBA and even VB6 c To standardise on a name used by the OPC Net Communications Control d As with OPC to use device rather than PLC because in future devices other than PLCs will be available for use with CX Server To add the CX Server Lite Net Communications Control to the Visual Studio Net Toolbox 1 Click on the Toolbox on the left side of the Visual Studio window 2 Click on the Toolbox Components tab 3 Right click on the background of the Toolbox window and select Add Remove Items from the popup menu Page 15 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 4 Scroll the list box down in the Net Framework Components Tab and select the CXSLiteCtrl Note if for some reason the control is not visible then use the Browse button on the dialog to browse to the directory where the control was installed the filename is CXSLite dll and select it The default installation directory is c program files common files Omron Components 5 Sele
23. e BindingFlags SetProperty null target path Page 50 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net comms InvokeMember OpenProject BindingFlags InvokeMethod null targ et null Finally using again the function InvokeMember the Value property can be called To read a value from the PLC passing the point name object point MyPoint comms InvokeMember Value BindingFlags GetProperty null target point To write a value to the PLC passing the point name and the new value object args MyPoint newValue comms InvokeMember Value BindingFlags SetProperty null target args Note1 The System Reflection namespace must be added to the application in order to use the methods defined in BindingFlags class Note2 VB NET will prefix ActiveX property names with either get_ or set_ As an example ListPoints will become get_ListPoints Note3 Developers using Net should be aware of garbage collection issues memory is under the control of the Net framework and may not be reclaimed for some time after an application has finished running Where deleted or out of scope objects contain references to COM components e g parts of CX Server itis possible that these applications will also remain open for some time until garbage collection occurs Garbage collection can be forced by using the GC Collect method for further details of recommended garbage collection techniques consult th
24. e out FINSResponse Page 37 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Example in VB NET Dim FINSResponse As String Dim OK as Boolean OK CxsLiteCtrl1 RawFINS 0501 MyPLC CXSLite UnitNumber PLC_CPU True FINSResponse B 25 GetLastError Function that returns the last error as a string blank if no error has occurred or no suitable error message is available Example in C String LastError cxsLiteCtrl1 GetLastError Example in VB Net Dim LastError as String LastError cxsLiteCtrl1 GetLastError B 26 SetDeviceAddress Advanced function This function is for advanced users only This function can be used to set key elements of a device address the network number node number unit number and Ethernet IP address The numbers are in the range 0 to 255 with 1 being used to denote ignore this parameter Note this method does not interpret the data passed and it is possible to pass invalid data that will prevent a device communicating Care should be taken to ensure that all data passed is valid This method should not be used while a device is open and communicating C Example String NetworkNum 1 String NodeNum 2 String UnitNum 1 String iPAddress 10 0 0 1 Bool Valid Comms1 SetDeviceAdadress DEVICE1 NetworkNum NodeNum UnitNum IPAddress VB Net Example Dim strDevice As String Page 38 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsof
25. e Microsoft Net documentation Page 51 OMRON Glossary of Terms ActiveX Application Communications Driver Event GUI 1 O type Microsoft Excel Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word OLE PC PLC Point Windows Desktop Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net A component technology developed by Microsoft allowing components to communicate with applications A software program that accomplishes a specific task Examples of applications are CX Supervisor CX Programmer CX Server Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel The relevant communications management system for OMRON PLCs in conjunction with Microsoft Windows providing facilities for other CX Automation Suite software to maintain PLC device and address information and to communicate with OMRON PLCs and their supported network types User action e g mouse click or System action e g timer tick which may cause a script to execute Graphical User Interface Part of a program that interacts with the user and takes full advantage of the graphics displays of computers A GUI employs pull down menus and dialog boxes for ease of use Input Output type An attribute of a point that defines the origin and destination of the data for that point The data for a point can originate be input from and is destined is output to to the internal computer memory a PLC or a target application A spreadsheet application The most common operating system used by Per
26. e no effect If neither force or clearforce are used then any existing force status or lack of force status will remain unaffected B 4 CloseDevice Closes a previously opened device Please note that device names should not have any spaces within them Example in C bool Closed cxsLiteCtrl1 CloseDevice MyDevice Example in VB Net Dim Closed As Boolean Closed CxsLiteCtrl1 CloseDevice MyDevice Note if the device was already closed this method returns True Optional parameter The name of the device being closed can be followed by force or clearforce e g Comms1 ClosePLC MyPLC force or Comms1 ClosePLC MyPLC clearforce If force is used then the PLC will not be opened until the OpenPLC method is called with the force parameter or the application exits Note that the force status will be set even if the PLC was already closed The clearforce switch can be used to simply clear the forcing status so that it is no longer forced closed If the PLC is currently not being forced then the clearforce will have no effect If neither force or clearforce are used then any existing force status or lack of force status will remain unaffected Page 28 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net B 5 GetData Starts asynchronous data reading of the specified point at the requested update rate The returned values are returned in OnDataChange events Example 1 in C cxsLiteCt
27. ete bar There is also a configurable scale enabling intermediate values to be estimated The Linear gauge will only display a value you cannot set a value with this gauge Linker This control gives the ability to link COTS commercial off the shelf ActiveX components to any of the Omron communications controls e g the CX Server communications control The control is configured in design mode to select the ActiveX component e g a Microsoft Forms V2 0 check box control to which the control will link at runtime In runtime mode data will be read from and written to the selected PLC item and the selected ActiveX component Note In this version the linker cannot link text points or array points only single element points Rotational Gauge The Rotational Gauge displays an analogue value similar to a speedometer An indicator needle rotates according to the value There is a configurable scale enabling intermediate values to be estimated The Rotational gauge will only displays a value you cannot set a value with this gauge Rotary Knob The Rotary Knob allows you to set an analogue value similar to a volume knob You can rotate the knob e g by clicking and dragging the mouse to set the pointer to a new position There is a configurable scale enabling intermediate values to be estimated The pointer always reflects the current value e g on start up and will change position in response to an external influence Toggle The Toggle
28. ft Net R Run Mode Interface 25 Run Mode Interface Functions ClockRead 37 ClockWrite 37 CloseDevice 28 Connect 26 Disconnect 27 GetData 29 GetLastError 38 IsBadQuality 33 IsDataGathered 30 IsDevice 32 IsPoint 32 ListDevices 33 ListPoints 33 OnDataChange Event 30 OnReadComplete Event 36 OpenDevice 27 RawFINS 37 Read 34 ReadAsync 35 RunMode 31 StopData 29 TypeName 32 Write 34 WriteAsynce 35 S Script Interface Functions DownloadProgram 43 GetDeviceConfig 40 InitCXServer 47 NumErrors 47 Protect 45 SetDeviceAddress 38 SetDeviceConfig 39 UploadProgram 41 Page 53 OMRON T Technical Support 9 The Help System and How to access it 7 U Using CX Server Lite Controls with C and VB NET 20 Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Overview 10 Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 7 Using the CX Server Lite ActiveX Controls in Microsoft Net Applications 13 Using the CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version 20 W Welcome to CX Server Lite 7 Page 54
29. g CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net The communications control is now ready to connect to CX Server and retrieve data from PLCs This data can be accessed using programming commands see Appendix B or by adding a Graphical Component 5 1 4 Adding a 7 Segment display 1 2 3 1 With the target form in design mode drag and drop a 7 Segment control El onto it 2 Right click on the graphical component and from the popup menu select the Active X Properties option 3 In the component properties dialog select the Data Source tab and enter the following information Server Select the name of the communications control to be used If only one has been added it is selected automatically If the list is empty then you need to add one first PLC Select the required PLC If the appropriate PLC is not in the list click the gt button and select Add PLC The Add PLC dialog is part of the CX Server runtime For further information on adding PLCs refer to the CX Server User Manual or the online help Item Select the point Item If the appropriate item is not in the list click the gt button and select Add Item The Point Editor dalog is part of the CX Server runtime For further information on adding Points refer to the CX Server User Manual or the online help The Item field will also accept physical addresses e g DM100 instead of defining logical addresses Update Rate Enter the rate in seconds a
30. hange Event for receiving notification of a change in data RunMode Function for reading the current mode of the PLC SetMode Function for setting the current mode of the PLC TypeName Function for reading the PLC type e g CQM1H IsDevice Checks whether a specified device exists Page 25 IsPoint IsBadQuality ListDevices ListPoints Read Write ReadAsync WriteAsync OnReadComplete ClockRead ClockWrite RawFins GetLastError SetDeviceAddress SetDeviceConfig GetDeviceConfig DownloadProgram UploadProgram Protect InitCXServer GetNumErrors IsActive B 1 Connect Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Checks whether a specified point exists Checks whether a point is currently indicating bad quality Returns a list of the devices e g PLCs in a project Returns the list of points in a project or in a device Reads a value Writes a value Reads a value asynchronously Writes a value asynchronously Event that returns data read asynchronously Reads the PLC Clock Sets the PLC Clock Enables raw FINS commands to be sent to a specified PLC Returns the last error message if any Sets PLC Network Node and Unit number and IP address Sets any element of device configuration Gets any element of device configuration Downloads a program to a PLC Uploads a program from a PLC Protects or releases protection on program memory Initialises CX Server for advanced usage only Count of all errors occurred si
31. hat is currently being worked on or on general aspects of CX Server Lite This system is intended to complement the manual by providing on line reference to specific software functions and how to use them This manual is designed to provide tutorial information and discuss the various facilities offered by CX Server Lite Page 7 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Help Topics There are several ways to access the help system from within the Visual Studio Net development environment One of the simplest is to right click on the object and then select the relevant help option from the popup menu In the case of the CX Server Lite ActiveX controls this is the ActiveX Help option The configuration dialogs for many of the controls also include a Help button and ActiveX Help can also be accessed from below the properties window The help system provides a standard look up dialog under the Contents tab showing the contents of the CX Server Lite Help file Double click on an item to read the associated information Index Use the following procedure to retrieve on line help from the Index tab of the Help dialog 1 2 3 1 Select the Help option from the Object Properties Menu 2 Select the ndex tab 3 Enter a text query into the first step field The second step field is refreshed according the to query entered in the first step field 4 Select an entry in the second step field and select Displa
32. he value 1234 in decimal is the equivalent to 04d2 as a hexadecimal password string Additional C Series PLC notes For C series the PLC program needs code the first line of the application in the PLC to enable password setting release and this fixes the password value e g LD AR10 01 FUN49 0 0 1234 1234 password value in Hex When setting the password this value is used rather than the value passed i e the password string or number is ignored The correct password must be provided however when disabling the password protection Page 46 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net B 32 InitCXServer Advanced function This function is for advanced users only The InitCXServer function is not normally required It is intended for use only in certain specialised situations e g it may be of use in a multithreading environment to initialise worker threads before the first CX Server function in that thread is called It should not be used in the main thread and in general it should only be used on advice from Omron An appropriate Microsoft COM initialisation method e g Colnitialize or ColnitializeEx may also need to be called within the thread before this method is called C examples exsLiteCtrll InitCxServer true Initialises CXServer within a thread exsLiteCtrll InitCXxServer false Uninitialises CX Server within a thread VB examples CxsLiteCtrll InitCXServer True
33. ite Application in VS Net The following sections take you through the steps required to create a simple Windows form based application in Visual Studio Net Two applications will be created The first application will use the CX Server Lite Active X Controls showing automatic linking between the graphical controls and the communications control The second will show simple connection to an Omron PLC using the CX Server Lite Net interface component For a full description of all design mode and run mode functionality supported by this control please see Appendices A and B 5 1 Example Viewing PLC Data using an Omron Graphical Control The following sections take you through the steps required to open your selected application and create a working area using Windows Forms within Visual Studio Net Using the short tutorial you can then continue and load a number of ActiveX objects link them together and run a simulation As you became more practised in using CX Server Lite you will find there is usually more then one way to perform an operation The following procedures may not always be the quickest but have been written to show how the application works using the basic features 5 1 1 Adding the Controls to the Toolbox Start the Windows Form application and ensure the form is in design mode If the Activex objects are not visible in the Toolbox they can be added as follows 1 2 3 1 Right click in the Components tab of the Toolbox a
34. just press backspace then retype the dot and it will reappear Now type the character and then a number e g 10 followed by a semi colon to terminate the line The line of C code now reads something like axGauge1 Value 10 e Torun the application click the select Start on the Debug menu e To test your code press the command button The gauge will change to display the value that you have set 5 2 2 Step by Step example in VB Net One of the many benefits of Microsoft Net is that the process for creating C and VB Net applications is almost identical Follow exactly the same steps as in the previous example but use VB syntax rather than C syntax for the line of code sometimes this is as simple as leaving off the semi colon at the end of the line 5 3 Using the CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version The process for using the Net version of the CX Server Lite Communications control is very similar to that for the ActiveX version Page 20 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 5 3 1 Adding the Control to the Toolbox Start the Windows Form application and ensure the form is in design mode If the control is not visible in the Toolbox it can be added as follows 1 2 3 1 Right click in the Components tab of the Toolbox and select the Add Remove Items option This will open the components selection dialog 2 Find the CX Server Lite controls in the Net Framework Components Tab and se
35. lect the CX Server Lite Control CXSLiteCtrl by ticking the box alongside the name 3 Click the OK button The objects are now displayed in the Toolbox 5 3 2 Adding the Communications Control To add the Communications Control to the form 1 2 3 1 Ensure the relevant form is active in design mode e g by clicking on the relevant tab at the top of the screen or by right clicking on the name of the form in the solution explorer and selecting View Designer 2 Select the CX Server Communication Control component from the Toolbox and draw a rectangle at the desired position 3 Using Drag and Drop the object can now be repositioned in the work area Note that the object will not be visible in run mode 5 3 3 Connecting the Communications Control to a PLC The first step is to create a CX Server project file CDM file or select one which has been created by another application e g CX Programmer or CX Supervisor This file contains PLC configuration data and symbolic definitions The following procedure takes you through the steps required to load an existing CDM file or create a new one 1 2 3 5 Right click on the CX Server communications control In the popup menu select the Properties option Server 6 Inthe Properties window Project Name field enter or select the following i To open an existing CX Server project CDM file e Click the ellipsis button alongside the ProjectName field an
36. n 3 for more details on using these controls within Visual Studio Net 7 Segment The 7 Segment control displays a value in Binary Decimal or Hexadecimal format Leading zeros and unused segments can be hidden The colour of the segments and the display background can be set independently The 7 Segment control cannot be used to set a value Data Logging The Data Logging control provides logging and trending functionality through use of the Data Log Viewer components currently used by other Omron software packages including CxX Supervisor and SYS Config The control is configured in design mode to log data items and is controlled in runtime mode using script commands See the on line help for further details regarding the Run Mode Interface Display The Display displays an analogue or text value The Display only displays a value i e you cannot set a value using this display LED Indicator The LED functions as a coloured on off indicator The colour of the indicator and the display background can be set independently while its shape can be round or square In the off state the chosen indicator colour is dimmed Page 10 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Linear Gauge The Linear Gauge displays an analogue value by filling a rectangle to represent the actual value as a proportion of its expected maximum The rectangle can be filled from bottom to top like a thermometer or from left to right like a progress compl
37. nce control was first run Returns if a device is active i e open or active comms occurring Connects to CX Server using current project file or optionally specified project name Generally it is not necessary to call this explicitly because any attempt to communicate with will cause a connection to CX Server to automatically be started using current project name Note If a project name other than that of the currently connected project is used then the existing connection will be disconnected and a new one made using the newly specified project name The current project name property ProjectName will also be updated to the new name Examples in C bool ConnectedOK cxsLiteCtrl1 Connect uses current project name bool ConnectedOK cxsLiteCtrl1 Connect Project1 cdm uses specified CX Server project name Examples in VB Net Page 26 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Dim ConnectedOK as Boolean ConnectedOK CxsLiteCtrl1 Connect uses current project name Dim ConnectedOK as Boolean ConnectedOK CxsLiteCtrl1 Connect Project1 cdm uses specified project name B 2 Disconnect Closes a connection to CX Server Example in C bool DisconnectedOK cxsLiteCtrl1 Disconnect Example in VB Net Dim DisconnectedOK as Boolean DisconnectedOK CxsLiteCtrl1 Disconnect B 3 OpenDevice Opens a device for communications While it is generally not strictly necessary t
38. nd select the Add Remove items option This will open the components selection dialog 2 Find the CX Server Lite controls in the COM Components list all of which start with OMRON CX and tick each box 3 Click the OK button The objects are now displayed in the Toolbox 5 1 2 Adding the Communications Control Before the Graphical Controls objects of CX Server Lite can communicate with a PLC the correct data source connections have to be set up for it This is not necessary if the Graphical Control will be used stand alone and driven from script To add a Communications Control 1 2 3 1 Ensure the relevant form is active in design mode e g by clicking on the relevant tab at the top of the screen or by right clicking on the name of the form in the solution explorer and selecting View Designer Page 17 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 2 Select the CX Server Communication Control component from the Toolbox and draw a rectangle at the desired position 3 Using Drag and Drop the object can now be repositioned in the work area Note that the object will not be visible in run mode 5 1 3 Connecting the Communications Control to a PLC The first step is to create a CX Server project file CDM file or select one which has been created by another application e g CX Programmer or CX Supervisor This file contains PLC configuration data and symbolic definitions The following proced
39. ng applications are discussed here those properties normally only used in design mode are discussed in Appendix B Note Methods and events have generally been named in the same way as the ActiveX Lite Communications Control However in some cases even where the functionality is quite similar a different name has been chosen This has been done for one or more of the following reasons a To follow standard Microsoft Net naming conventions b To better reflect use in a programming language rather than script language based environment the Net component will be used with C and VB Net which have a very different syntax from VBScript VBA and even VB6 c To standardise on a name used by the OPC Net Communications Control d As with OPC to use device rather than PLC because in future devices other than PLCs will be available for use with CX Server e By the addition of device parameters where not previously required This is necessary because in the future point names may not always be unique e g the same point name could be used in different devices Connect Connects to CX Server project file Disconnect Disconnects from CX Server OpenDevice Opens the specific device for communications CloseDevice Closes the specific device GetData Function for starting OnDataChange events StopData Function for stopping OnDataChange events IsDataGathered Indicates whether OnDataChange events are occurring for a point OnDataC
40. nloadProgram Advanced function This function is for advanced users only The DownloadProgram function can be used to write a program to a PLC The PLC must be in program mode before DownloadProgram is used Care should be taken with this function to ensure that the program written is valid for the PLC to which it is downloaded In addition users should be aware that downloading the program object code on its own clears the associated function block area If a program uses function blocks then the associated function block file must be downloaded to the PLC before the PLC program is run or a PLC error condition will occur Any attempt to download a function block to a PLC that does not support FBs will result in an error on download This function should not be used at the same time as any other PLC communications The project and PLC will automatically be opened if required C Example bool Success cxsLiteCtrll DownloadProgram devicel Yds upl prg TT true true VB Net Example Dim strDownloadDestination As String Dim strDownloadDevice As String Dim strDownloadSource As String Dim bDownloadWait As Boolean Dim bDownloadReportProgress As Boolean Dim bDownloadSuccess As Boolean strDownloadDevice PLC1_CJ1G_H strDownloadSource C Common Test PLC1 DownloadCJ bin strDownloadDestination PRG bDownloadWait True bDownloadReportProgress True Page 43 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Mi
41. nt Mode 0 bool bOK cxsLiteCtrl1 RunMode MyDevice out Mode Example in VB Net Dim Mode as Integer Dim bOK as Boolean bOK CxsLiteCtrl1 RunMode MyDevice Mode In this example the operating mode would be read from MyDevice and stored in Mode If MyDevice was in Monitor mode then Mode would be set to the value 2 B 10 SetMode Sets the current operating mode of a PLC Stop Program Debug Monitor Run where 0 Stop Program mode 1 Run 2 Monitor mode Example in C int Mode 2 bool bOK cxsLiteCtrl1 SetMode My PLC Mode Example in VB Net Dim Mode as Integer Dim bOK as Boolean Mode 2 bOK CxsLiteCtrl1 SetMode My PLC Mode In this example the operating mode of MyPLC would be set to the value 2 monitor mode Page 31 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net B 11 TypeName Returns from the CX Server project file a PLC model name e g C200H CQM1H CVM1 etc Example in C string PLC Type null bool bOK cxsLiteCtrl1 TypeName MyDevice out PLC Type Example in VB Net Dim PLCType as String Dim bOK as Boolean PLCType Nothing bOK CxsLiteCtrl1 TypeName MyDevice PLC Type In this example the PLC model type of MyDevice will be read from the CX Server CDM project file and stored in PLCType B 12 IsDevice Checks if a device exists this will depend on the currently loaded project file
42. o a PLC For a much fuller example see the separate Tutorial e Start a C Visual Studio Net Windows Form application and using the steps outlined in the previous example add a Communications Control to a form e Add a standard command button e g double click on the icon in the Visual Studio toolbox and then double click on it to bring up the Editor e Add the following C code changing the name of the control device and point name if required Page 22 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net object Value null bool BadQualityFlag false bool ReadOK cxsLiteCtrl1 Read MyDevice MyPoint out Value out BadQualityFlag if ReadOk txtReadVal Text Value ToString displaying the value read in text box e Torun the application click the select Start on the Debug menu e To test your code press the command button Page 23 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Appendix A Design Mode Properties Note For details of the ActiveX design mode properties see the main CX Server Lite User Manual The following CX Server Lite Communications Control configuration properties available are in design mode within Visual Studio To edit them use the Visual Studio Properties Editor Property Tile Example Values Devices This is a string array that contains the list of devices PLCs in the CXServer Project File To edit the list of devices click on the ellipsis button t
43. o invoke the CXServer Device Editor Points This is a string array that contains the list of points in the CXServer Project File To edit the list of points click on the ellipsis button to invoke the CX Server Project Editor ProjectName C CS1H CDM CXServer Project File Name To select a project file click on the ellipsis button to invoke the Windows file open dialog The following is a list of some of the most useful standard properties available in design mode within Visual Studio To edit them use the Visual Studio Properties Editor For more information on these and other standard properties consult the Microsoft Visual Studio documentation Property Title Example Values Description exsLiteCtrl1 This is the name used for the Lite control Enabled Enables or disables control in runtime 64 64 Gets and sets the height and width of the control Visible true Switches the object between visible and invisible in run mode false True Visible False Invisible Page 24 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Appendix B Run Mode Interface Note For details of the ActiveX design mode properties see the main CX Server Lite User Manual The CX Server Lite Interface defines the methods and properties made available by the Net version of the CX Server communications control These methods can be used in any Microsoft Net language e g C VB NET Only the most important properties for runni
44. o open a device because any attempt to communicate with it will cause the device to automatically be opened it is often more efficient to do so otherwise the device may be repeatedly automatically opened and closed each time any communications occurs Please note that device names should not have any spaces within them Example in C bool OpenedOK cxsLiteCtrl1 0penDevice MyDevice will open the device If OpenedOk cxsLiteCtrl1 Write MyDevice MyPoint 10 MyPoint is within MyDevice Example in VB Net Dim OpenedOK As Boolean OpenedOK CxsLiteCtrl1 OpenDevice MyDevice 1 will open the device If OpenedOK True Then CxsLiteCtrl1 Write MyDevice MyPoint 99 MyPoint is within MyDevice End If Optional parameter The name of the device being opened can be followed by force or clearforce switch e g Page 27 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net bool OpenedOK cxsLiteCtrl1 OpenDevice MyDevice force or bool OpenedOK cxsLiteCtrl1 OpenDevice MyDevice clearforce If force is used then the device will not be closed until the CloseDevice method is called with the force parameter or the application exits Note that the force status will be set even if the device was already open The clearforce switch can be used to simply clear the forcing status so that it is no longer forced open If the PLC is currently not being forced then the clearforce will hav
45. oint In this example the reading of MyPoint in MyDevice would be stopped B 7 IsDataGathered Indicates whether data is currently being obtained for the specified point i e whether GetData has been called and StopData had not been called for that specified point Example in C bool Gathered cxsLiteCtrl1 lsDataGathered MyDevice MyPoint Example in VB Net Dim Gathered As Boolean Gathered CxsLiteCtrl1 lsDataGathered MyDevice MyPoint B 8 OnDataChange Event This event is sent back to the application when GetData has been called and new data is available Example in C Private void cxsLiteCtrl1_OnDataChange object sender CXSLite CXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs e string PointName e Point string DeviceName e Device txtVal Text e Value ToString Example in VB Net Private Sub CxsLiteCtrl1_OnDataChange ByVal sender As Object ByVal e As CXSLite CXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs Handles CxsLiteCtrl1 OnDataChange Dim DeviceName As String Dim PointName As String Dim BadQuality As Boolean DeviceName e Device Page 30 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net PointName e Point BadQuality e BadQuality TextBox 1 Text Convert ToString e Value TextBox is a text box End Sub B 9 RunMode Reads the current operating mode of a PLC Stop Program Debug Monitor Run where 0 Stop Program mode 1 Run 2 Monitor mode Example in C i
46. on will be used If the FBL file does not exist then only the program file will be downloaded If a suitably named FBL file is found then the PLC must support function blocks and the downloaded function blocks must match the PLC program or an error will occur when downloading CANCEL will cancel abort any current download Care should be taken to ensure that a valid program is downloaded after using this command otherwise the contents of the PLC are likely to be invalid The program is downloaded on a block by block basis and the cancel status is checked after each block is downloaded so it is possible that a download will complete before the cancel takes effect In that case the cancel command will be ignored Any other value will be interpreted as the name of a file e g Example obj in which case a file of that name will be created or overwritten in the root directory of a memory card The example shows that this method returns a Boolean value which is set to true if no errors are detected but note that if the command is used without waiting for completion then an error may occur after the method returns but before the operation is complete and must be detected via the OnData routine see below If progress reporting is set then the progress updates will be provided via the OnData callback The format of this is in C Page 44 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net private void cxsLiteC
47. pes of information Note Indicates information of particular interest for efficient and convenient operation of the product 1 2 3 Indicates lists of one sort or another such as procedures checklists etc B Represents a shortcut on the Toolbar to one of the options available on the menu of the same window MStar Indicates a program must be started usually by clicking the appropriate option under the standard Windows Start button Note Indicates procedures that are specific to Visual Basic s a OMRON 2009 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means mechanical electronic photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of OMRON All copyright and trademarks acknowledged No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein Moreover because OMRON is constantly striving to improve its high quality products the information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice Every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual Nevertheless OMRON assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained in this publication Page 3 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net About this Manual This manual describes the CX Se
48. ploadcJ bin loadDevice strUploadSource strUploadDestination bUploadWait bUpl LloadReportProgress Note The parameters in order are the PLC name the source see below the destination file whether to wait until complete and whether to report on progress Possible values for the source parameter are as follows i e an empty string will upload the program object file only PRG same as above will upload the program object file only FBL will upload the Function Block Library file The Function Blocks associated with a program Page 41 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net ALL will upload both the program file and the Function Block file The Function Block file will be given the same name as the destination file except that a FBL extension will be used CANCEL will cancel abort any current upload The program is uploaded on a block by block basis and the cancel status is checked after each block is uploaded so it is possible that an upload will complete before the cancel takes effect In that case the cancel command will be ignored Any other value will be interpreted as the name of a file in the root directory of a memory card e g Example obj The example shows that this method returns a Boolean value which is set to true if no errors are detected but note that if the command is used without waiting for completion then an error
49. re the Data Source tab in the same way as for Excel and Visual Basic applications i e Page 13 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net use the combo boxes to select the communications control a device and a point If necessary use the gt buttons to add new devices or points or edit existing ones To drive the control from C or Visual Basic Net code 1 Access the properties in the runtime in the usual way e g the C code to set a Knob control to the value 10 in C is Knob1 value 10 Note VB NET will prefix ActiveX property names with either get_ or set_ As an example ListPoints will become get_ListPoints Access the events either by double clicking on the control e g for the ClickOn event or if using C by using the standard Visual Studio Event Editor selected by clicking on the lightning icon in the Properties window In VB Net the events can be accessed by using the class name and method name drop down list boxes which are displayed at the top of the code window just below the tab for the VB source file Page 14 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 4 CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version The Net version of the CX Server Lite Communications Control is a lightweight object intended for use in any environment where Net Windows Controls are supported Note it is a Windows Control not a Web Control so is not intended for use in a web application
50. rl1 GetData MyDevice MyPoint UpdateRate in VB Net CxsLiteCtrl1 GetData MyDevice MyPoint UpdateRate In this example MyPoint in MyDevice would be read at the rate of UpdateRate seconds Data is then sent to the OnDataChange event handler An individual element of a point defined as an array in a CX Server file can be accessed for reading or writing values Example 2 in C int UpdateRate 2 every 2 seconds cxsLiteCtrl1 GetData MyDevice MyPoint 2 UpdateRate in VB Net Dim UpdateRate As Integer UpdateRate 2 every 2 seconds CxsLiteCtrl1 GetData MyDevice MyPoint 2 UpdateRate In this example the third element of the point MyPoint defined in CX Server as plc1 DM500 10 USH can now be accessed as MyPoint 2 By default if the array element is not specified then the whole point whole array of elements is manipulated Example 3 in C cxsLiteCtrl1 GetData MyDevice MyPoint 0 5 in VB Net CxsLiteCtrl1 GetData MyDevice MyPoint 0 5 In this example the point MyPoint in MyDevice will be read every 0 5 seconds and data returned in the OnDataChange routine B 6 StopData Stops asynchronous data reading of the specified point Example in C Page 29 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net cxsLiteCtrl1 StopData MyDevice MyPoint Example in VB Net CxsLiteCtrl1 StopData MyDevice MyP
51. rver Lite application and its ability to interface with OMRON CS CV and C PLCs It does not provide detailed information concerning the PLCs themselves for this information the commercial manual for the device must be consulted This manual contains the following information e Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net This describes the use of the CX Server Lite software within the Net environment e g Visual Studio 2008 in general terms e Tutorial This is a quick tutorial for use in Visual Studio host applications e Appendix A Design Mode Properties This appendix summarises the component properties available within Visual Studio Net e Appendix B Run Mode Interface The Microsoft Net interface for the CX Server communications control A Glossary of Termsand Index are also provided Warning Failure to read and understand the information provided in this manual may result in personal injury or death damage to the product or product failure Please read each chapter in its entirety and be sure you understand the information provided in the chapter and related chapters before attempting any of the procedures or operations given Page 4 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Table of Contents 1 Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net scscccccsssssssssccceeee 7 1 1 Welcome to CX Server Lite eee e eee ceeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeaaeeeeceaeeeeeaeaaeeeeaeaaeeeeaaaaeees 7 122 About this Manual faei aeaa a aaa
52. series PLC Page 45 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net bool Success cxsLiteCtrll Protect devicel true 12345678 2468 VB Net example Dim bProtectOnSuccess As Boolean Dim strProtectOnDevice As String Dim strProtectOn_Password_String As String Dim strProtectOn_Password_Number As Long strProtectOnDevice comboListDevices Text strProtectOn_Password_String txtPassword_String Text strProtectOn_Password_Number txtPassword_Number Text bProtectOnSuccess CxsLiteCtrll Protect strProtectOnDevice True strProtectOn_Password_String strProtectOn_Password_Number Note The parameters of this command are in order Device Name of device EnableProtection true to set password protection false to unset it PasswordString Password as a string For CS series PLCs this should be a string of up to 8 characters For CV PLCs this should be a string of up to 8 characters containing a hexadecimal number e g 12345678 For C series PLCs this should be a string of up to 4 characters containing a hexadecimal number e g 1234 PasswordNumber currently this is only used for C and CV series PLCs and only when the password string is empty In those circumstances it is simply a number representing the value of the 4 or 8 digit password Please note that the password is entered in CX Programmer as a hexadecimal string as with the PasswordString parameter above and that for example t
53. sonal Computers CX Server Lite will run only under Microsoft Windows A word processing application Object Linking and Embedding Used to transfer and share information between Microsoft Windowsbased applications and accessories Abbreviation for Personal Computer Abbreviation for Programmable Logic Controller A point is used to hold a value of a predefined type Boolean Integer Text etc The contents of a point may be controlled by an object or I O mechanism such as DDE The contents of a point may control the action or appearance of an object or be used for output via an I O mechanism An integral part of Microsoft Windowsthat allows Microsoft Windows based applications to be started from icons and for all applications to be organised Page 52 OMRON Index A About CX Server Lite 9 About this Manual 7 ActiveX Objects 7 Segment 10 Data Logging 10 Display 10 LED Indicator 10 Linear Gauge 11 Linker 11 Rotary Knob 11 Rotational Gauge 11 Thumbwheel 11 Time 11 Toggle 11 C Creating a CX Server Lite Application in VS Net 17 CX Server Lite ActiveX Graphical Objects Overview 10 CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version 12 15 CX Server Lite Communications Control ActiveX Version 10 D Design Mode Properties 24 E Example Viewing PLC Data using an Omron Graphical Control 17 G Glossary of Terms 52 Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microso
54. t Net Dim NetworkNum As Integer Dim NodeNum As Integer Dim UnitNum As Integer Dim striIPAddress As String Dim bSDASuccess As Boolean strDevice comboListDevices Text NetworkNum 4 NodeNum 4 UnitNum 0 striIPAddress txtSetDeviceAddress_IPAddress Text bSDASuccess CxsLiteCtrll SetDeviceAddress strDevice NetworkNum NodeNum UnitNum striIPAddress Note The return Boolean value is set to true if no errors were detected However this does not necessarily mean that all the parameters used were valid or appropriate for the device being used B 27 SetDeviceConfig Advanced function This function is for advanced users only This is a function that can be used to set any element of CX Server device configuration All the data is passed in textual form Note this method does not interpret the data passed and it is possible to pass invalid data that will prevent a device communicating Care should be taken to ensure that all data passed is valid This method should not be used while a device is open and communicating C Example string config 10 0 0 1 bool Success cxsLiteCtrl1ll SetDeviceConfig devicel ADDRESS IPADDR config Note The return Boolean value Success is set to true if no errors were detected However this does not necessarily mean that all the parameters used were valid or appropriate for the device being used VB Net Example Dim strDevice As String Dim strSection
55. t or device To specify all points in the project use Example 1 in C string Names null cxsLiteCtr 1 ListPoints MyDevice out Names Example 1 in VB Net Dim Names as Array CxsLiteCtrl1 ListPoints MyDevice Names Page 33 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Example 2 in C string Names null cxsLiteCtr 1 ListPoints out Names return complete list of all points in project Example 2 in VB Net Dim Names as Array CxsLiteCtrl1 ListPoints Names return complete list of all points in project B 17 Read Function that reads a value from a device Example in C object Value null bool BadQualityFlag false bool ReadOK cxsLiteCtrl1 Read MyDevice MyPoint out Value out BadQuality Flag if ReadOK txtReadVal Text Value ToString displaying the value read in text box Example in VB Net Dim BadQualityFlag as Boolean Dim ReadOK as Boolean Dim Value as Object Value Nothing BadQualityFlag False ReadOK CxsLiteCtrl1 Read MyDevice MyPoint Value BadQualityFlag If ReadOK True Then TxtReadValue Text Value ToString End If B 18 Write Function that writes a value to a device Example in C Page 34 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net bool WrittenOK cxsLiteCtrl1 Write MyDevice MyPoint Value Example in VB Net Dim WrittenOK as Boolean WrittenOK CxsLi
56. t which the data is updated Note This value should be chosen carefully If the update rate is set low it will increase the volume of data being transferred and may cause the system to slow down or stop responding 4 Click OK to complete the connection 5 1 5 Running the Application From the Debug Menu select the Start option The project will be compiled and run provided that there are no errors The form will appear and the invisible communications control will connect to the PLC After a short delay depending on the PLC communications medium the 7 Segment display will show the PLC value Page 19 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net 5 2 Using CX Server Lite Controls with C and VB NET 5 2 1 Step by Step example in C e Start a Visual Studio Windows Form application and using the steps outlined in the previous example add an Omron CX Graphical Control to a form e Add a standard command button e g double click on the icon in the Visual Studio toolbox and then double click on it to bring up the Editor e Type the name of the CX Graphical Control e g axGauge1 followed by a dot If you have typed the name correctly then a list box will appear Scroll down this list box to find the Value command note you can also just type v and the list box will change selection to the correct item if the list box disappears e g because you have switched back to your web browser to read these instructions then
57. teCtrl1 Write MyDevice MyPoint Value B 19 ReadAsync Function that reads a value from a device asynchronously The value will be returned in the ReadComplete event Example in C bool ReadOK cxsLiteCtrl1 ReadAsync MyDevice MyPoint Example in VB Net Dim ReadOK as Boolean ReadOK CxsLiteCtrl1 ReadAsync MyDevice MyPoint Example of callback event processing in C private void cxsLiteCtrll_OnReadComplete object sender CXSLite CxXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs e bool BadQuality e BadQuality string Device e Device string Point e Point object Value e Value labell Text Device label2 Text Point label3 Text Value ToString B 20 WriteAsync Function that writes a value to a device asynchronously Example in C int Value 12 bool WritingOK cxsLiteCtrl1 WriteAsync MyDevice MyPoint Value Example in VB Net Page 35 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net Dim WritingOK as Boolean Dim Value as Integer Value 12 WritingOK CxsLiteCtrl1 WriteAsync MyDevice MyPoint Value Note The return flag indicates that the value has been successfully placed on the write queue it does not indicate that the write has yet taken place or that it has been successful B 21 OnReadComplete Event This event is sent back to the application when ReadDataAsync has been called and new data is
58. the Visual Studio Toolbox do the following 1 Click on the Toolbox on the left side of the Visual Studio window 2 Click on the Toolbox Components tab 3 Right click on the background of the Toolbox window and select Add Remove Items from the popup menu 4 Scroll the list box down in the Com Components Tab and select the components beginning with Omron CX e g the Omron CX 7 Segment Control 5 Select OK The selected components will now be added to the Toolbox window To use one of the components 1 Drag from the Toolbox window and drop onto the form Resize as desired 2 To configure the component right click on the component and select Properties This will bring up the properties dialog The properties can then be configured using the properties dialog in the same way as in Excel or Visual Basic By default the ActiveX component names will be prefixed by ax e g axKnob1 To edit this select the name property to change the name e g to Knob1 3 Alternatively most properties of the selected control can be edited using the standard Visual Studio Property Editor Window It is recommended however that editing of the project file name i e selection of a project file is done from the properties dialog To connect a graphical control to a communications control 1 Add both controls to the form using the steps outlined above 2 Invoke the graphical control communications properties dialog and configu
59. tion ccceeeeeeeaeeeeeee ne n a a a a 19 5 2 Using CX Server Lite Controls with C and VB NET 20 5 2 1 Step by Step example in CH cece cece ee nneeeeeeaeeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeesaaaaeees 20 5 2 2 Step by Step example in VB Net cc ceceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeaaeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaaeeees 20 5 3 Using the CX Server Lite Communications Control Net version 008 20 5 3 1 Adding the Control to the TOOlDOX eeceecceeeeeeeneeeeeeseeeeeeeaaeeeeeeaaeeeeeaaaaeees 21 5 3 2 Adding the Communications Control c ceeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeaaeeeeeaaaeeees 21 5 3 3 Connecting the Communications Control to a PLC c cceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 21 5 3 4 Accessing the Communications Control Runtime Interface 2 e 22 Appendix A Design Mode Properties sscscssssssssscsseeeee 24 Appendix B Run Mode Interface cccccccsscssssssssssscsceeeee LO BT 0 ca 1c kaa ee ne I ee a a 26 Bi2 DISCONNG CEs wctssisserccinsetoctinatoxdnsntrcecdensdckdetateboednna E E ET E 27 BiB OpenDeviCe ao EEE EE ASE EAA AA ES ETEA EAA 27 B 4 CloseDEVi Esnia aaae a aaa a aaa a anaa 28 B5 GetD ataiscac cece cares e e a aE ataa Caa ada eae a ote E naaa Oe latak 29 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net BiG Stop Data saciisesie eet tenia hae E Aksar se ate wi kalt utd Maa AAA 29 B 7 lsDataGathered oi aA RAA the sideaes aan a A 30 B 8 OnDataChange Event
60. trll_OnDataChange object sender CXSLite CxXSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs e bool BadQuality e BadQuality string Device e Device string Point e Point object Value e Value and in VB Private Sub CxsLiteCtrll_OnDataChange ByVal sender As Object ByVal e As CXSLite CxSLiteCtrl DataChangeArgs Handles CxsLiteCtrll OnDataChange Dim Devicename As String Dim PointName As String Dim BadQuality As Boolean Devicename Devic PointName e Point BadQuality e BadQuality Ena Sub When used with program download reporting the parameters are used as follows Device Name of PLC Point DOWNLOAD START or DOWNLOAD SENT or DOWNLOAD COMPLETE q DOWNLOAD ERRORPR or DOWNLOAD CANCELLED Value For DOWNLOAD START this is the total number of bytes to upload i e file size For DOWNLOAD SENT and DOWNLOAD COMPLETE and DOWNLOAD CANCELLED this is the total bytes downloaded so far For DOWNLOAD ERROR this is a CX Server error code e g 35339 which is 8A0B in hexadecimal indicates the PLC is in the wrong mode B 31 Protect Advanced function This function is for advanced users only The Protect unction can be used to protect or remove protection from PLC program memory This function should not be used at the same time as any other PLC communications The project and PLC will automatically be opened if required C Example sets protection for CS
61. ure takes you through the steps required to load an existing CDM file or create a new one 1 2 3 1 Server 2 3 4 Right click on the CX Server communications control In the popup menu select the ActiveX Properties option In the Communication Control Properties dialog Project File field enter or select the following i To open an existing CX Server project CDM file e Click the Open button and in the Open Project dialog navigate to the file you wish to open When you click the Open button the full path name of the selected file will be entered into the Project field Caution When sharing a CDM file with other applications it is important to realise that any changes that are made to the CDM file may affect the other applications ii To create a new CX Server project CDM file e Click the New button and in the Create Project dialog navigate to the directory in which you wish to create the new file Inthe File Name field enter the desired file name When you click the Save button the full path name of the new file will be entered into the Project field Projects can be edited by clicking the Edit Project button and then making the required changes from the Project Edit Dialog This is a CX Server runtime utility invoke help from within it for details of how to add and configure PLCs and Points Click the OK button to complete the configuration Page 18 OMRON Guide to Usin
62. ws documentation for further information 1 4 About CX Server Lite The CX Server Lite ActiveX Components include an About dialog accessible from the object right button menu select the ActiveX About option The About dialog supplies technical reference information about the application such as version and copyright information It also contains essential version number information that is required for obtaining technical support The CX Server Communications Control also includes details of the version of CX Server installed In addition a brief description of CX Server Lite and the CX Automation Suite can be accessed from the main help contents dialog 1 5 Technical Support Issues with old applications when upgrading If the installation instructions for this application have been followed no difficulties should be encountered If the problem occurred with an old application when upgrading to use a newer version of CX Server Lite please see Appendix C1 Issues to be aware of when upgrading If a problem occurs check that it does not relate to a fault outside CX Server Lite for instance with external components Check the following The PC is working correctly The external system or application is working correctly The communications system is set up correctly fet gt Any errors are cleared in the associated PLCs When Customer Services need to be contacted keep the following details to hand A clear
63. y pushbutton or double click on the index entry 5 If an entry is linked to two or more topics the names of the topics are displayed in the Topics Found dialog Select a topic and choose the Display pushbutton or double click in the topic Find Use the following procedure to retrieve on line help from the Find tab of the Help Topics dialog 1 2 3 1 Select the Help option from the Object Properties Menu 2 Select the Find tab 3 Enter a text query into the first step field The second step field is refreshed according the to query entered in the first step field Previous text queries can be retrieved by selecting from the drop down list in the first step field 4 Select a word that matches the query some words may be automatically selected More than one word can be selected by pressing Shift and selecting another word to extend the selection or by pressing Ctrl and selecting another word to add to the selection The third step field is refreshed according to the word or words selected The number of topics found is shown at the bottom of the dialog 5 Select a topic from the third step field and select the Display pushbutton or double click on the topic from the third step field Select the Clear pushbutton to restart the find operation Page 8 OMRON Guide to Using CX Server Lite in Microsoft Net The Find operation can be enhanced by the use of the Options pushbutton and Rebuild pushbutton Refer to Microsoft Windo

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