Gateway Messaging Software User Manual - Alpha
Contents
1. 30 synchronizing your sign s date and time with a PC 30 Adding a date to a message sssseenR 31 Adding special characters from the extended character set 32 Adding time to a message ssseeenmm 33 Example 10 Creating and inserting variables 34 Example 11 Using the Remote Control eeeeeese 3 ADBDSnUICOS cocos Eoi opui opa binge a PLU a OPNS de biases 42 Appendix A Sending priority messages from a PLC 42 Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions eeennn 44 Table of Contents iii Gateway Messaging Software Manual iV Table of Contents Gateway Messaging Software Manual General information Purpose of the system An ALPHA Gateway interface connects Programmable Logic Controllers PLCs with ALPHA series signs that have the Industrial Gateway firmware upgrade It provides the ability to display user defined real time messages The Gateway Messaging Software allows you to create and edit messages on a computer and transfer them as a group to the ALPHA signs Messages can then be displayed on the signs when triggered by PLCs via the Gateway device Gateway Messaging Software up to version 1 5b has been Serial connected used with ALPHA Gateway devices configured for serial GATEWAY navies connection see2. Q12 A Q13 Q14 A Appendices Gateway Messaging Software Manual One of my siens only displays the No Network Activity message There may be a problem with the connection or wiring The sign may be set to RS232 communications instead of RS485 No information is being sent or routed to the sign The Gateway connection to the sign and or the ALPHA network may be disconnected All signs display a No Network Activity message The network PLC may not be in RUN mode or it may not be connected to the ALPHA Gateway II network interface module Check the documentation for your PLC network for other variables especially if you have more than one PLC connected to the network One of my sign s only displays No Background Message The sign detects some type of network activity but none of the information is for that particular sign This may be due to the wrong protocol being sent to the sign incorrect settings in the Gateway or the sign in question has never been sent information to trigger a message in that sign See Example 8 Setting the background message on page 28 How do I trigger messages in the sign Send the message number you want to trigger into register 101 in the sign You may also need to refer to the specific Installation manual for your Gateway network Additional installation documents information and examples for programming the PLC may be available on the Adaptive website www adaptivedi
3. Use the up down arrows for each message to set its message priority IH Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptivre Message Controllers File Edit Tools Modules Top Auto 0 sec Center 5 Pixel Red Standa Prinrihy com Middle Hold 1 secCenter Pixel Red cl Priority La ie Table 2 below illustrates sample messages with various priorities and Table 3 following illustrates the results of sending those messages to a sign in various combinations For a more elaborate example showing activation and deactivation registers for the PLC see Appendix A Sending priority messages from a PLC on page 42 Table 2 Sample priority messages Message number of message Highest priority Message queue displayed on sign message displayed 4 5 both messages toggle Low Background message Basic messaging 17 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 4 Deleting messages You can delete the contents of any one message or delete the entire set of messages already downloaded to a sign NOTE There is no undo capability in the Gateway Messaging Software Once a message is deleted from a file or a set of messages is deleted from a sign you can t get it back without recreating it Deleting the contents of a message File Edit Toole Modules Priority NAM EE Fil Hold sec Center f10 Pixel rellesElash on yj CALI TIONTFIash off t Priority 5 Fixe Red CONSE OR STAR m Medium 2 From th
4. Download Messages to the Sign IpA Each message is listed as it s being transferred Notification does not mean message was received See page 13 NOTE under Download messages This indicates that the message queue is cleared Cancel When the download is finished click OK to close that window The messages downloaded to the sign will be displayed on the sign and then No Background Message will appear on the sign The message queue will now be cleared 14 Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 2 Making a message flash You can make portions or all of a message flash on and off LINE MN This example will show how to make the first message flash iateway Messaging Editor 5 cenario4 ims Of x Edit Tools Modules Middle Hold sec Center 415 Fixe Red CONVEYOR JAMMED Message 1 Control Priority F2 Control F3 Fill Hald 1 sec Center H10 Pixel Green HComveeyor Moving Priority First highlight the text controls that are in the message currently iateway Messaging Editor C Scenarno4_ims Of x Edit Tools Modules Middle Hald 1 sec Center DONSEYOR JAMMED Message g Control Priority F2 Control F3 Fill Hald 1 sec Center H10 Pixel Green HComveeyaor Moving Priority Delete these text controls with the Delete or Backspace key iateway Messaging Editor C Scenarno4_ims Of x1 Edit Tools Modules Middle Hold 1 sec C
5. Files Adaptive Message Controller Messages File Edit Tools Modules Message Message Control F2 Text Control F3 Insert Object F4 Priority Message Mm Priority Medium Bo 2 Priority Insert Variable F Low Preview Message F5 Ja 4 Priority Mes sage ce Pnority Ligh a1 Sep 23th 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems V1 7 Modbus 4A M T ce e GoTo button This screen will appear Go to Lees 5 Type in the number of the message that you wish to review in this case 4095 Click on the OK button You will be taken to that message Click inside message 4095 to activate that message 7 Click on the Preview Message button to preview the background message on the sign 8 Click Send to complete the message previewing process Advanced messaging 29 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 9 Inserting objects date time or special characters You can synchronize the sign s time and date to those of your computer so that time and date included in a message are as accurate as possible and will also conform to your network settings Several online services www time gov the u s naval observatory are always available to verify the correct time The pull down menu used for this function also sets your preferences for time format AM PM or 24 hour military time Once set the time format chosen affects any previously programmed message that has included th
6. NOTE You cannot use any message number greater than the maximum number of messages as calculated above even though you can access them in the Gateway Messaging Software Doing so either will cause erratic and incorrect results on the sign or those messages will not show on the sign NOTE The table below shows the usage of the set of Gateway Messaging Software messages It indicates Basic software setup that while the total number of system messages is 4100 you can only use those in the 0 to 4000 range plus the background message 4095 Message 4095 is reserved for the background message regardless of the maximum number of messages See Example 8 Setting the background message on page 28 for use of the background message Table 1 Usage of messages 4000 User defined messages 4095 4095 Background message Gateway Messaging Software Manual Basic messaging Example 1 Creating a simple message NOTE Be sure your hardware is set up as in Step 1 of Setting up the ALPHA sign network on page 2 This example shows how to create a simple message and display it on a sign The basic format of any message is message controls text controls message body At least one set of message controls and one set of text controls are required The basic format may be repeated as many times as necessary Specify how to show the message on a sign The message controls determine certain settings for the entire message T
7. Tools Modules Priority Priority Medium Ms 2 Fil Hold sec Center Pixel Green PART PRODUCED 7 Fixe Red Hv Farts Priority Low ten 1 7 4100 This number indicates that this error is in the phrase within the braces File Edit Tools Modules Priority Advanced syntax check example An advanced syntax error is an error that appears somewhere other than in the brackets or braces However during the Message Syntax Check the error will still be shown in the beginning position of where the error is located Shown below is this error As another example say you again accidentally entered text controls twice but this time with the wrong set of controls embedded at the end of the other t Tools Modules Middle Hald 1 sec Center Hr Preel F JAMMED Priority Basic messaging 21 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Choose Jools gt Message Syntax Check The Message Syntax Check processing indicates the same starting position for the syntax error as in the example above Ib Message Syntax Check File Edit Toole Modules Priority TE 22 Basic messaging Example 6 Previewing the message Gateway Messaging Software Manual While you are developing a message if you want to see how it will actually look you can use the Preview function to display the message on a sign This function may also be necessary if you are using Gateway Messaging Software whi
8. and it is inserted in the message At message run time the selected date format is supplied through the sign s internal clock chip Priority Message Priority Message Contral F2 Text Contral F3 You can add the correct time to the same message or to any subsequent one to be displayed as shown below by typing in text and clicking on the nsert Object button See Adding time to a message page 33 Top Hold 3 sec Center H5 Fixe Red Standard On Today s date is MM DD YY 3 Priority Priority ATUM y Insert Object N F4 Insert Variable F5 Insert Object button 31 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Adding special characters from the extended character set To enter special symbols or characters go to nsert Object Miscellaneous and scroll through the list that is available li Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Message zo FIRE File Edit Tools Modules Message NA Top Hold 0 sec Center 10 Pixel Red Stande nbaforeverPixel Red Standard Off 495 Message Control Priority F Top Hold 2 sec Center H10 PixelYellow S Priority Message 3 i 31 EIE Priority i FEN Date Animation omm m be pec qe q qo 0 Qe Qe Qs ge mq Message 4 Priority Miscellaneous 3 Priority Sep 23th 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems V1 7 Modbus The cedilla high NM Ld lighted at left is the z first of 65 special W Gateway Messaging
9. for the te inserted and used in the window will appear Font Ib Gateway Messaging Editor C Scenario1 ims 5 7 10 or 16 pixel high Indicates the maximum number of pixels to use for the height of characters Font is sans serif Fancy 7 or 16 pixel high Indicates the maximum number of pixels to use for the height of characters Font is Serif Color Choose red green or yellow Width Height Standard Uses normal width characters Wide Number of pixels Standard 1 Double Wide Number of pixels Standard x 2 Double High Standard x 2 message are shown in this display box Control Code Not available following the control until changed by another Flash control Off Turns flashing off for the text following the control until changed by another Flash control gt Text controls are applied to the text when that attribute box is checked See the next step 11 Gateway Messaging Software Manual For now leave the choices as they are but use the check boxes to turn on Font Color and Width Click OK Text Control E Font 5 pixel high IAN 3 Text controls are Sub E s applied to the text only when that Width i standard attribute is checked Text controls that will be applied are automatically shown in this display box File Edit Tools Modules er Pixel Red Standard Priority Priority Place the cursor in the Message area for the first messag
10. in the Gateway Messaging Editor file to a sign If any messages had already been downloaded they are replaced if there is a replacement message Examples Messauen mbiel Initial set of messages in New set of messages Resulting set of messages the display downloaded to display in the display Q2 Why does my sign show only the message No Network Activity A There are several possible causes 1 Network wiring fault 2 PLC fault 3 Gateway device fault 4 ALPHA sign fault 5 ALPHA sign time out because of no network activity for at least 3 seconds O4 What s the difference between Center Justification and Left Justification when I m using the Rotate mode A None The Rotate mode starts the message on the right side of the sign and moves it to the left side across the sign Q5 What are the defaults for control codes A When the system is first installed and setup they are Message Controls Justification After you change settings they remain as set until you change them again So if you change the settings for Message 1 and then go to Message 2 the defaults will be the same settings as you had for Message 1 w Text Controls Width Standard Q6 When I download messages to the sign it responds with either No Background Message or No Network Activity Why aren t the messages displayed A The PC may not be connected to the Gateway Network or to the sign itself 44 Appendices Q10 A Q11 A
11. it s transferred Notification does not mean message was received See page 13 NOTE under Download messages This indicates that the message queue is cleared When the download is finished click OKto close that window The messages downloaded to the sign will be displayed on the sign and then No Background Message will appear on the sign The message queue will now be cleared 24 Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 7 Sending messages to a sign using Pass Through Mode Before sending any messages to the sign whether previewing or downloading messages the PLC network must be offline Temporarily pull the connector from the PLC off the Gateway interface module as shown in the illustration in step 1 below Remember to reconnect the PLC after you have completed message downloading LINE MN Before downloading messages to the PLC network put the Gateway ALPHA network in Pass Through Mode Disconnect PLC from the network interface module Messages are displayed briefly until the ALPHA network reverts to the programmed Background Message ALPHA sign w Gateway firmware ALPHA sign w Gateway firmware ZR m E ALPHA sign w Gateway firmware E Disconnect the PLC connection for Pass Through Mode Click on the Preview Message button NOTE System on and another message might be running at the same time Top Hold 5 sec
12. sign Display Message 0 to 5 seconds Refreshes and redisplays the message after the number of seconds specified Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual The message will look like this with the message controls inserted within brackets Ib Gateway Messaging Editor E Scenariol ims NOTE File Edit Toole Modules If message controls are not set ina message they default to those of the prior message in the sign Priority TE Priority Top Hold 0 sec Center Now we will add the Text Controls Text Controls determine settings for how the message text will appear on the sign font color width and flashing Basic messaging Description Place the cursor at the end of this message after the message controls The text controls are placed after the message controls and anywhere thereafter when you want to change the look of the text File Edit Tools Modules Priority You must put message controls at the beginning of the message to properly send the message to the sign Priority Click on the Text Control button The Text Control These are the defaults for the text controls the first time you use the Gateway Messaging Software After the first time the controls are set as you used them the last time in a message 4 Text Control Fant 5 pixel high zum 3 7 3 9 Color V iclth es Flash Text controls that will be On Turns flashing on
13. signs connected to the PC will receive the transmission and will be cleared NOTE This notification Delete all Messages from sign does not indicate that the sign actually received the Command Transmitted successfully command It simply means that the command Send Cancel was sent NOTE These messages on the sign means that the command was received and processed by the sign Basic messaging 19 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 5 Checking message syntax Syntax refers to the construction of words phrases sentences or messages according to established rules The construction must be correct for a message to be displayed correctly The Gateway Messaging Editor can check the syntax of messages for you Follow the steps to determine and fix any errors Basic syntax check example Edit Tools Modules Priority Choose Tools gt Message Syntax Check The syntax check will start automatically All messages in the file will be checked There is a status bar at the bottom of the window m Message 5yntax Check Status bar The Message Syntax Check processing indicates the message number the starting position in the message of any syntax error and when the process is complete Choose OK when the process is done I Message Syntax Check NOTE Only messages with errors will be shown c 7 P TTT OK 20 Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual dit
14. 2 p f i Variable Priority i E F5 LS EN Check the Time checkbox Click OK IH Insert Object Ea NOTE You can insert Time only one object at a time Therefore only Date one checkbox can be checked at a time Animation Miscellaneous F3 Top Hald 3 sec Center 5 Fixe Red Standard On Today s date is MMOD Insert Object F4 Top Hold 3 secCenter H5 Pixel Green Standard Onif The time is Time I Variable F5 33 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 10 Creating and inserting variables This example shows how to create and insert the values of real time data from other network devices such as PLC s sensors etc into messages on signs Description Type text such as Vat temperature in a message Then click the nsert Variable button or press F5 on the keyboard Priority Priority This window will appear m z Ib Insert Variable Variable Number Variable Name Type Format eizeNidth E 1 7 Top Hald 4 sec Center 5 Fixel rellow Standard Top Hald 3 sec Center 5 Pixel Green Standard The time is Time Insert Variable button Variable Number opecify a unique number 1 100 for the variable Must be the same as the number in the PLC Variable Name opecify any unique name for the variable Type Not available Size width Not available Variable controls Show the specifications for the variable as they will appear in the me
15. 30 Advanced messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Using the Remote Control to Set a sign s serial address The serial address is a number that you can assign to a sign Typically this feature is used for a sign that is connected to other signs on a network Giving a unique serial address to a sign allows you to send messages to that particular sign See the document Network Configurations part number 9708 8046 for more detailed information on networking signs Press PROGRAM SET SERIAL ADDRESS will appear on your n SET SERIAL sign ADDRESS Press ADV SERIAL ADDRESS 001 Type a number like 100 NOTE Valid address settings are from 001 to 254 Refer to Network Gateway data pathway in the connect and configure the ALPHA Gateway II interface document for your particular network for more info Press RUN twice to set the new serial address and return the sign to normal operation Advanced messaging 39 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Using the Remote Control to Set the Time and Day Date in a message 40 Once set a sign will remember the time and date unless the sign is unplugged or interrupted by a power loss NOTE Ifa sign is unplugged or interrupted by a power failure you will have to manually reprogram each sign To set the time and date into a message complete the following steps using a Remote Control 1 Press PROGRAM 2 Press BACK until SET TIME AND DAY or SET TIME appears 3 Pr
16. Center 7 Pixel Yellow SY STEM OK Preview Message button This window will appear to confirm that you really want to send the current message to a sign for preview Click on the Send button The message will appear on the sign Ig m Ee Preview Send Cancel If the sign does not return to normal running operation after previewing the message complete one of the following two options A Unplug the sign from the network for at least 3 seconds then reconnect it B Download all messages to the sign again For further information see the following step Downloading a number of messages at once to an ALPHA sign network on page 26 Basic messaging 25 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Downloading a number of messages at once to an ALPHA sign network You can send many messages at the same time so long as the message size is consistent as shown in step one below and the numbers of all the messages being sent are consecutive integers see step 3 below ele After you have completed your messages choose Modules gt ModBus gt Download Messages You can then select any sequence of messages to download The default is 1 through 4100 NOTE Be sure that any messages you send have the same message size as the messages already in the sign If the message size differs the message s sent may affect current messages either the current messages may be deleted or longer messages may be truncated See Setting messag
17. Editor C Program Files amp AdaptiveXMessage Controlle MY G Iof x u Fie Edit Tools Modules symbols in the extended character Message set MI Top Hold 0 sec Center 10 Pixel Red Stande Control nbaforeverPixel Red Standard Off 495 Priority Message 2 MTop Hold 2 sec Center 10 Pixel Yellow S Text Control F3 Priority a 2S 5 m E M NOTE Animation AEN M NE is not available m Date d with Gateway T Low Messaging Animation s Preview s pee 5 qme w o eO n e gu p m E icc Software Prio Miscellaneous 3 C Message 5 Sep 29th 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems V1 7 Modbus 0 4 00 D nd oe F3 7 R z FB Put a check mark in the box next to the Miscellaneous function to enter the selected symbol and click OK 2 02 Advanced messaging Advanced messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Adding time to a message Choose a format for the time 24 hour or AM PM using the Tools drop down list In the example below AM PM is selected Any programmed message that includes the object Time from now on is displayed in AM PM format V Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Message Controller Messages File Edit MEWS Modules Message Syntax Check Clear Sian Memory Message Send Time om Send Date A Text Synchronize the display s Time with the PC oa Message Priority Time format EW 24h A Am Pm Medium Bi
18. Gateway Messaging Software User Manual IH Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files amp amp daptiresMessage ControllerMessages File Edit Tools Modules Top Rotate Left sec Center 15 Pixel gt ellow Standard Of Message 9 Contral 16 Pixel ellow Standard Of ic 3 1 WIDGETS IN HOPPER P Contral F3 Priority Top Hold 0 sec Center Priori 10 Pixel Green standard Off ee ISION SYSTEM OK re Medium 7M Top Riotate Left sec Center Insert B 10 Pixel ellow Standard Ot Variable bs 72 Bulk Cartons in Loading Dock 4 FS Fis Preview Message FB Priority Priority Sep 29th 2000 Adaptive Micra Systems V1 7 Modbus o 4 4100 D ADAPTIVE Copyright 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems Form No 9711 8808A 11 03 00 NOTE Due to continuing product innovation specifications in this document are subject to change without notice Copyright 1999 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems Inc All rights reserved The distinctive appearance of this product is a Trade Dress of Adaptive Micro Systems Inc BetaBrite BETA BRITE BIG DOT and SMART ALEC are trademarks of Adaptive Micro Systems Inc registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office ADAPTIVE Alec ALPHA AlphaLert AlohaNET AlphaNET plus AlphaNET plus Il ALPHAVISION Automode BetaBrite Director EZ KEY Il EZ95 PagerNET PPD PrintPak Solar and TimeNet are trademarks of Adaptive Micro Systems Inc Visit our Inte
19. a for Gateway networks Tech Memo Advanced messaging Advanced messaging Description Type in the name of the variable Click OK HERE Insert Yariable Variable Number E variable Name Type Format Mo Padding slze yidth E EH ivVat demp 0 O O NOTE Do not skip this step Otherwise the variable will not reach the sign The variable is inserted into the message Top Hold 3 sec Center H5 Pixel Green Standard The time is Time Priority 4 Hald 4 sec Center 5 Fixel r ellew Standard Yat temperature fy Yatetemp Priority Variable Gateway Messaging Software Manual Insert Variable F5 Preview Message FE 35 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Description Optional This window shows how similar messages with different text controls can be used and triggered under differing circumstances Notice that the only difference between the messages is the text color When Vat Two temperature is Its PLC will be set to trigger IH Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Message ControllerMessages File Edit Tools Modules Top Rotate Left sec Center Piel Green pat Two temperature fV Message T Vatetemp Control Priority F2 Contral Top Rotate Left secCenter Pelellow bat Two temperature V e Yateterip Top Rotate Lett sec Center Piel Red at Two temperature Jv ee Vatetemp Variable Priority F5 After the varia
20. ble name is created and you change the name of the variable you must change all the variables in the program file Otherwise each message will be a reflection of the variable that you recently changed 36 Advanced messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 11 Using the Remote Control A Remote Control can be used for the following functions on your sign Turning a sign on off setting the sign s serial address setting the Time and Day Date in a sign Clearing the Message Activation Clearing the sign s memory special D option Transfers one sign s memory to another sign s memory Remote Control description A Remote Control is a hand held keyboard used to operate an ALPHA sign These units emit infrared light which can control many of the functions of an ALPHA sign The Remote Control operates on four AAA batteries Advanced messaging IMPORTANT The Remote Control can not be used while the Gateway network is operating and the Gateway interface is directly connected to the network PLC You must go to the Pass Through mode to access Remote control function Refer to page 25 for information on disconnecting the PLC from the Gateway interface module in order to use the Remote Control Point the front of the Remote Control at a sign Press PROGRAM to put e Press RUN twice to the sign into REMOTE CONTROL exit programming programming mode ON OFF SOUND mode This mode is used to PROGRAM Eh set
21. drawing left 2 25 pin Serial Gateway Messaging Software versions after 1 5b is used Connections with a different family of ALPHA Gateway interfaces see drawing below left that feature DIN rail mounting and several different 3 module configurations each specifically designed to interface with a single type of network DN3000 PD3000 NOTES or MB3000 needed DEVICENET These are marked DN 3000 1 When Gateway Messaging Software is used with one of clearly on the front the DIN rail mounted interfaces shown below left to posu trigger and display messages on an ALPHA sign network through the local PLC network you must follow a device specific install procedure NOTE Specific PLC interface such as e For specific network set up and installation procedures refer to the Table of Gateway Network Installation Instructions Page 3 NOTE Refer to Form Number 2 To use Gateway Messaging Software to program 97 3 7 4C if you have the serial messages that will be displayed on your ALPHA sign connected GATEWAY interface network you do not have to be connected to the local shown above the preceding edition PLC network Gateway Messaging Software can be used before your ALPHA network has been completely installed and fully integrated into the PLC network since all messages are created through the software and stored in each sign s memory whether or not the PLC network interface has been installed see step 1 above
22. e and type a message Text in a message will be shown in red when the cursor is in that message When the cursor is placed in a message that Fil Rotate Lett sec Center ut lected and 10 Pixelellow Standard Off message Is selected an This is atest message the contents of the message are shown in red Top Hold 0 sec Center 5 Pixel Red Standard This is atest message Save the message file In this section we will save the message that you just created 12 Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual NOTE You can choose any sub directory for your files The examples below are typical Choose File Save For a new file you ll see the Save As window The default in Gateway Messaging Software is to automatically save this message as a gtw gateway file NOTE Messages that use the older ims file format can also be imported and read although you may lose some formatting Save As EE Save in Cy Gateway Network ce J Fill Line Messages Save as type Custom Pattern gtw ims Cancel Fill in the name of the file that you want to use Choose Save Save As Save n E Gateway Network J Fill Line Messages L Paint Line Messages JOC Messages File name Specific ame Save as type Custom Pattern gtw ims Cancel Download messages For messages to be displayed on the sign s you need to Temporarily disconnect the PLC from the Gateway interface mod
23. e command display time 30 Synchronizing your sign s date and time with a PC NOTE You can use the hand held Remote Control to bring up for display the date and time currently stored in the sign Please refer to Using the Remote Control with a sign on page 38 The Remote Control can also be used to set date and time one sign at a time This isn t recommended since settings made with the remote are unsynchronized to those of your PC or any other sign NOTE You must reset the time twice a year to accommodate changes for Daylight Savings Time Message PT Control Time F2 synchronize the display s Time with the PC F3 Time format ECL gf Am Pm Priority mp If you are setting the date you are not prompted to select format Click Send 9 different date formats are available from the menu list shown in item 2 in the following section adding date to a message This allows setting different formats for different messages V Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files amp amp daptiveXMessage Controller Messages Message Syntax Check Clear Sign Memory Message Send Time i Date Control Send Date F2 Send Date Text Control F3 Message 2 Priority Medium liv 2 Transmission status is displayed in the screens shown below After this has been completed although ALPHA displays can only show time in hours and minutes no seconds after the synchronization signal has been programmed m
24. e menu bar choose Edit gt Clear Message Everything in that message will be deleted NOTE 1 There is no undo capability in the Gateway Messaging Software Once a message is deleted from a file you can t get it back without recreating it NOTE 2 See question 1 in Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions on page 44 for an understanding of what happens when this file of messages is downloaded to a sign File Edit Tools Modules Priority Medium 5 2 Eo Once a message has been deleted it s gone 18 Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Deleting all messages on a sign NOTE Before deleting messages be sure that all the hardware is properly connected as shown in Setting up the ALPHA sign network on page 2 Choose Tools gt Clear Sign Memory b Gateway Messaging Editor L5 cenario3 ims File Edit MISSE Modules Message Syntax Check Clear Sign Memory iddle Hald 1 secCenter Pixel Red Cot Send Time Send Date Fil Hold 1 sec Center H0 Pixel rellaw Flash 5 Fixe Red CONVEYOR STARTING Priority Eem EN The Memory prompt will ask for confirmation Choose Senato send the command to delete all messages from the sign NOTE There is no undo capability in the Gateway Messaging Software Once a set of messages is deleted from a sign you cant get it back without recreating it all Messages from sign Send Cancel You will receive a notification that the command was transmitted All
25. e size and maximum messages on page 8 Message editing must be completed first in every one of the messages that you are going to be sending click OK when you 3 are ready to download Sep zah 200 E Adapter Micio Subs VTL Modius 26 Basic messaging Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Each message will be listed as it s transferred Notification does not mean message was received See page 13 NOTE under Download messages This indicates that the message queue is cleared After the message queue is cleared the sign will revert to the background message see next section following for an explanation of background messages or the network activity indication if you are downloading messages through a direct RS232 connection from your PC see NOTE in Step 1 page 2 Setting up the ALPHA sign network NO BACKGROUND MESSAGE One of these two messages may appear on your sign once all the active messages have been downloaded into the sign I No Network Activity 2 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Advanced messaging NOTE Before you begin make sure you re familiar with the preceding examples in Basic messaging Example 8 Setting the background message The background message runs on a sign when there is network activity but none for that particular sign and there are no other messages In that case the background message is displayed on that sign U
26. eating a simple message on page 10 Q18 I downloaded my messages and one message did not show up A Your message may be longer than the message size selected Check the message Change the message size if needed Q19 I download messages to the sign and some of the message attributes are displayed A Check the message attributes within the message They may be missing a or Q20 Why is a question mark showing up in the middle of my message even though there s no question at all A The firmware in your sign may need to be upgraded Contact your authorized distributor for assistance Appendices
27. enter JCONVEYOR JAMMED Message 3 fay Contral Priority F2 Contral F3 Fill Hald 1 sec Center H10 Fixel Green HComveeyor Moving Priority Click on the Text Controls button Select and check the same options that were in the message before and also select and check Flash gt Enable E Text Control _ ES Fant z 16 pixel high I Color a 0 5 4 PITE HU Standard Control Code 16 Pixel Red On Basic messaging 19 Gateway Messaging Software Manual All the selected options including F ash will be included in the message Gateway Messaging Editor c le Edit Tools Modules Priority NAM Priority Medium ie 2 NOTE Flash will not work if Message Pause is set to seconds it has to be at least 1 second This message shows how to make the first part of a message flash while the second part does not Gateway Messaging Editor c ile Edit Tools Modules Middle Hald 1 sec Center 15 Pixel Red JAMMED Priority NA NOTE Its a good idea to turn Flash off where you want it to stop Otherwise the next message will assume the Flash Mode also 16 Basic messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Example 3 Setting message priorities The message priority specifies the importance of a message Messages of a lower priority in Step 1 below message 2 will not run if any message of a higher priority in Step 1 below message 1 is running ele
28. erial Port Select the appropriate serial port for your computer Setup is at the bottom of the window IH Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Message ControllerMessages File Edit Wie Modules Message Syntax Check Clear Sign Memory A check indicates the Send Time currently selected pee serial COM port Setup SeralPort p F COM ses When you change the COM port selection that setting is saved automatically Priority Basic software setup Gateway Messaging Software Manual setting message size and maximum messages Determining the number of characters available to use Your ALPHA sign with the Gateway upgrade has 256K memory You can specify how much of that memory to allocate for each message The default message size is 100 bytes You can change that to any size as needed The range for message size is 50 to 450 The range for maximum number of available user defined messages is 444 to 4000 Signs can only accept up to 4000 messages maximum NOTE If the message size is set too small messages may not be sent to the sign Step Description Choose Modules gt ModBus gt Message Size Set the value as desired TRI i Message Size This is the value in decimal for the size to be allocated for each message which includes text and all attributes Determine the number of bytes taken for sending controls add up the maximum bytes for each of the following if
29. ess ADV 4 Press D to set the day of the week Press H to set the hour Press M to set the minute 5 Press BACK until SET DATE appears 6 Press ADV 7 Press D to set the day of the month Press M to set the month Press Y to set the year 8 Press RUN twice to return the sign to normal operation Advanced messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Using the Remote Control to Clear Message Activation Clear Message Activation is a way to clear the messages that you currently have running in the message queue Your messages that are currently stored will not be lost when you do this provided the messages were previously downloaded to the sign or you have previously saved them in your computer For further information on downloading your messages to the sign see Example 6 Previewing the message on page 23 For further information on saving your messages in your PC see Save the message file on page 12 To clear the message activation using your Remote Control complete the following 1 Press PROGRAM on your Remote Control 2 Press Back until Clear Message Activation Y N appears on your sign 3 Press Y 4 Queue is cleared when Queue Cleared appears on the sign 5 Press RUN to return the sign to normal operation Clearing the Sign s memory Clearing the sign s memory is a way to completely erase all messages from your sign To clear your sign s memory complete the following 1 Press PROGRAM on you
30. ge Controllers File Edit Toole Modules arrow keys select pm Wessage 1 Top Auto 0 sec Center 5 Pixel Red Standa priority s i ca D Middle Hald 1 sec Center Pixel Red cl Priority Lo FEN The two tables that follow show some sample messages that have been assigned varying priorities and the results of sending those messages to a sign in various combinations Table 4 shows 3 sets of 3 messages of low medium and high priority and the message numbers that have been assigned to each Table 4 Sample priority messages Deme oem ome o ow we 42 Appendices Table 5 shows the effect of prioritization when the messages in the preceding table are combined in different Gateway Messaging Software Manual ways in the message queue of your Gateway device Appendices Table 5 Results of sending sample priority messages Message Message number in number in Activation Deactivation Register Register Message number Highest priority Message queue of message message displayed on sign displayed o ox quee oes quem o ox quee s 0 m 3 ox quee wo m 3 onem foe m x or eee qu o m o x os qme qs o m x os ome qu we x o qme qe wm xo m qe qw XX 3 Background message xx Doesn t matter 43 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Appendix B Frequently Asked Questions Q1 Why were my old messages deleted when I sent new messages A Downloading messages transfers all messages
31. his example introduces the message control defaults ep MM Place the cursor at the start of the first message File Edit Toole Modules Message controls are placed at the start of any message Priority High El b Gateway Messaging Editor C5 cenarin ims Click on the Message Control button The Message Control window will appear For now leave the settings as they are Click OK These are the defaults for the message controls the first time you use the Gateway Messaging Software After the first time the controls are set as you used them the last time in a message W Message Control Position Mode Message Pause Justification Message controls that will be inserted and used in the message are automatically shown in this display box 10 v Top Hold O sec Center o N Center Aligns the message in the center of the sign Left Aligns the message on the left side of the sign Position Top Places a message on the top line of a sign or above a prior message for the bottom of the sign Bottom Places a message on the bottom line of a sign or below a prior message for the top of the sign Middle Places a message in the middle of the sign regardless of the number of lines available Fill Uses all lines on a sign for the message Mode Hold Holds the message in one place on the sign Rotate Left Rotates a message from the right to the left horizontally across a
32. inute by minute changes to the time display are updated as the second hand in your PC s clock sweeps around from 59 to 60 seconds NOTE To bring up your PC clock go to the START gt Programs gt Accessories list EE NOTE This notification Synchronize the display s Time with the PC does not indicate that the sign actually Time format Bodh ER Am Pm received the command It simply means that CemmendTerente sees B D and Was seni Send You can verify the date time in the sign with the hand held Remote Control Commands from the Remote Control bring up the date and time currently programmed into the sign Please refer to Using the Remote Control with a sign on page 38 for more information Advanced messaging Advanced messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual Adding a date to a message Priority NAM Priority rs Insert Object ARR Time Date gt V MMIDD YY DD Animation hb DID r DD MM rn r hb DD r ODD Mhr MM DD Y IMM DDYY PENNY MMM ODO SY 4 OK Miscellaneous Message Control F2 Text Control F3 V4 Insert Object F4 NOTE You can insert only one object at a time If you try to check more than one box data will clear itself from the first as you mark the second NOTE This date format option lets you select common 3 character text abbreviations Jan Feb Mar etc for the month with the year written out all 4 digits Click OK to set the date format
33. ions RS485 black to BK screw JEE RS4B5 black to BK screw Shield wire to RD screw RS485 red to YL screw RS485 red to YL screw Shield wire to RD screw ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware ALPHA sign J with Gateway firmware In order to install the network specific ALPHA Gateway interface on the local network and complete required PLC programming for the Gateway network refer to the table below for your specific Gateway interface Table of Gateway Network Installation Instructions How to configure and connect the ALPHA Gateway II interface to a DeviceNet network NOTE Additional installation documents information and examples for programming the PLC may be available on the Adaptive website www adaptivedisplays com It is not necessary to complete the previous step in order to setup the ALPHA network and begin to create edit preview and store messages on the sign network using the Gateway Messaging Software Y you re setup of the ALPHA network is complete you can skip to the section on Basic messaging on page 10 and Advanced messaging on page 28 for more information NOTE Perform this step 6a after all signs in the network that will be receiving messages have been connected to the ALPHA network and to the computer through the ALPHA Gateway interface Once you have created your messages using the Gateway Messaging Software you are ready to tran
34. k a device is any point in the information pathway capable of sending or receiving a data signal In the most basic network configuration above one input one PLC one Gateway interface one sign the PLC Gateway interface and sign are all directly capable of both sending and receiving data signals NOTE Serial connected earlier Gateway interface see Page 1 top left lacks output capability back to the PLC NOTE Currently all ALPHA 4000 and ALPHA 7000 except models 4080 amp 7080 displays have the Gateway firmware option 4 General information Gateway Messaging Software Manual Basic software setup File usage The Gateway Messaging Software uses a file to hold a set of messages to be sent to signs Typically there is only one file for all messages but you can create files of different messages based on varying circumstances if you wish Each file has a user defined name When a file is downloaded to ALPHA signs all messages in that file are downloaded to any attached sign s By default each file is stored in the root directory of the computer If you change the location when you save a file the Gateway Messaging Software will remember that location and select it whenever you want to save again screen layout reference Whenever you start the Gateway Messaging Software your computer screen will appear as shown here Refer to the table below for descriptions NOTE Items or features that are grayed out in the s
35. le setting up an ALPHA network on a PLC network and full installation of the entire network messaging system has not been completed For more information refer to Setting up the ALPHA sign network on Page 2 Description Keep in mind that if all hardware installations have not been completed unshielded connections may be subject to interference For wiring connections to Network Module Adapter see step 3 page 3 ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware er 1 Shielded Display Output Recommended for Permanent Network Installations ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware 5 ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware 5 ALPHA sign ALI A with Gateway firmware di v ni i R POWER l SETTINGS STATUS 2 Unshielded RJ11 Ha HER isu T Output for Setup and Programming E rr J Lie N m f 7 l l 3 24 volts o as aja at hi 77M 4 ad Middle Hold 1 sec Center K7 Pixel Redi CAUTION Fixe Green CONYEYOR STARTINGI Top Hold 5 sec Center L7 Pixel Green ROBOT ARM PARKED Top Hold 5 sec Center Fixel rellow v8 TEM OK Basic messaging NOTES Gateway Messaging Software operates through an RS232 connection NOTE Supply input accepts 24VDC or 24VAC Message Contral F2 Text Contral Variable F5 Preview Message F5 29 Gateway Messaging Software Manual This window will appear to confirm that you really want to send the current mes
36. ng Software on a PC e Connect the PC to the RS232 jack in the ALPHA Gateway interface CPU module Refer to the Network Configurations manual 97 8 8046 for additional info on sign network installations and routing RS485 cable ALPHA Gateway R 485 serial network ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware ALPHA sign with Gateway firmware 5 Follow instructions NOTES Gateway with Gateway firmware for your specific Messaging Software PLC to Gateway operates through an Configuration see n5232 connection Installations Table EE 199 Gateway interface Sign Network or at least one test sign PC with Gateway Messaging Software in 24 volts DC or AC See Related Documents below and Table of Gateway Network Installation Instructions next page for more information CD with Gateway Messaging Software installed on PC Sitaram aah M NN 4331 0602 Modular network adapter s 1088 9107 End of line terminator for TTL plug of last sign in the network LEE LN Network Configurations 9708 8046A Explains how to network ALPHA signs NOTE For specific information on routing long distance RS 485 network connections see Appendix G of the Network Configurations manual 2 General information General information Gateway Messaging Software Manual Description Connect the same color wires from each RS485 cable to the same screws on the adapter Modular network adapter wiring connect
37. of this manual Communications Module Power Supply Module Network Interface Module DIN rail mounting RS 3R5 GND SHLD yes gas Typical 3 module ALPHA ania Gateway Interface tor Gateway Messaging Software versions after 7 50 Specific connections for the 3 individual modules left to right may vary according to network configuration and installation environment Refer to the Table of Gateway Network Installation Instructions on Page 3 for data on your particular network SETTINGS STATUS Network OQ P Module Input Voltage 18 36 VOC 24 VAC 254 424 NEG 24 24 424 V General information 1 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Setting up the ALPHA sign network The following briefly describes the first step in setting up and installing required hardware in the PLC network configuring the signs for the ALPHA network and making required connections to begin using Gateway Messaging Software Configurations and specific components required will vary according to the specific ALPHA Gateway Interface which will be specific to the local PLC network Step Description Although you do not need to complete full installation of the Gateway interface on the PLC network to begin to use Gateway Messaging Software you should connect the sign network or at least one starter sign through an RS485 connection to begin the process of creating storing and sending messages e Install Gateway Messagi
38. oftware are not available in the software A i Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Message Controller Messages ES SI File Edi Tools Modules N B Y m l Ne Message V Prontu C JEN L Message Priority D Medium x 2 Message 3 K gt Priority a Bi Message F Priority J EK Message Priority TN Sep 23th 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems V1 7 Modbus I H G Description Message area Area for message text variables etc as well as controls for the message and its contents PN B quete Opens a window for message options such as position on the sign display mode delay and justification 5 ironies memes RE ER Insert Variable button Opens a window for options to insert a variable Preview Message button Allows you to send the current message to the sign Basic software setup 2 Gateway Messaging Software Manual MM ee Reference Cont Indicates the current message number and the maximum number of messages Indicates the current message number and the maximum number of messages See Message statistics Setting message size and maximum messages on page 8 Column number Indicates the column number where the cursor is positioned in the current message Proprietary information opace available for copyright data version and name of the software Down button Advances the set of five messages shown in the window to the next set of five mes
39. r Remote Control 2 Press Back until Clear Memory appears on your sign 3 Press ADV on the Remote Control A warning will appear on the sign s screen 4 Press Y to clear the sign s memory Memory Cleared will appear and then No Network Activity will be displayed 5 Press RUN to return the sign to normal operation Remote Control Special D option Transferring messages from one sign to another You can transfer the messages from the memory of one sign to the memory of any another signs by completing the following steps NOTE To complete the transfer of memory from one sign to other signs all signs must be connected together and all must be set to either RS232 or R5485 jumper For further information on connecting signs and the RS232 and RS485 jumper see the Network Configurations Manual p n 9708 8046A 1 Pointthe Remote Control toward the infrared receptor of the sending sign 2 Press PROGRAM 3 Press SPECIAL 4 Press D 5 The sending sign will transmit all messages to the receiving sign s Advanced messaging 4 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Appendices Appendix A Sending priority messages from a PLC The message priority specifies the importance of a message Messages of a lower priority will not run if any message of a higher priority is running see toe OYO Use the up down arrows for each message to set its message priority iE Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Messa
40. rnet World Wide Web site http www adaptivedisplays com or e mail us at sales adaptivedisplays com Gateway Messaging Software Manual Table of Contents General information 1 Purpose Ol IMG SV STEIN cio om bt Dre Rosie UE EE ob Pera bed netos eoe cR P A 1 setting up the ALPHA sign network seem 2 Basic software Sell users ed el er desee nene edd n ulERsE p ev Edna i e E D CUN E duE DdE 5 Fie cro 10 S accel aes dicate cesar cv ps ERR E RRTETRER 5 Screen layout Teferenbe o o estes ticle aa e OR D Setting the seral POr seres dci eoo eene ostia eoo bee malas ete e tis ecd o Root od 7 setting message size and maximum messages ccecce 8 Basic Tlessaglllig csedshecveeritese ud stud usse Ee puse LO USES none Boul as tee LED Sue 10 Example 1 Creating a simple message ccnn 10 Example 2 Making a message flash eeeennne 15 Example 3 Setting message priorities enn 17 Example 4 Deleting messages eeeeen mn 18 Example 5 Checking message syntax 20 Example 6 Previewing the message eesmmRR IIR 23 Example 7 Sending messages to a sign using Pass Through Mode 25 Advanced messaging sseeeeeseeeeenmenn menn nnne nn 20 Example 8 Setting the background message ssss 28 Example 9 Inserting objects date time or special characters
41. sage to a sign for preview Click on the Send button Ee Preview Preview the current message Send Cancel When the message is sent to the sign you receive this notice The message is displayed directly on the sign Click Cancel if you decide notto display the message the message is deleted from the message queue qm NOTE This notification does not indicate that the sign actually received the command It simply means that the command Command Transmitted successtully Was sent Send Cancel Preview the current message After you have previewed the message s and assuming that you want to use these messages download messages to the sign as explained below and reconnect the sign to the network Choose Modules gt ModBus gt Download Messages You can then select any sequence of messages to download The default is 1 through 4100 NOTE Be sure that any messages you send have the same message size as the messages already in the sign If the message size differs the message s sent may affect current messages either the current messages may be deleted or longer messages may be truncated See Setting message size and maximum messages on page 8 Click OK Any valid messages in the sequence of messages will be transmitted to the attached sign The message size is m Download Messages to the Sign shown in hexadecimal 0064 H is the same as 100 bytes in decimal Each message will be listed as
42. sages Allows you to select a specific message number to start the set of five messages shown in Goto button the window Up button Advances the set of five messages shown in the window to the previous set of five p messages Priority level Indicates the priority of that message 1 2 or 3 1 High 2 Medium and 3 Low HEB Indicates the number of the message Ui Gateway Messaging Editor C Program Files Adaptive Message Controller Messages i rad N File Edit Tools Modules M 2 Message 1 Message B V Lm Priority C Tot pd L Message Priority Insert D Medium fe 2 ae Mess sage vei E ariable K Priority Preview F M Message Message 4 E F5 Priority C Message 5 Priority Sep 23th 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems V1 7 Modbus 00 23th 2000 Sep 23th 2000 Adaptive Micro Systems V1 7 Modbus 00 Adaptive Micro sc nl V1 7 Modbus 6 Basic software setup Gateway Messaging Software Manual setting the serial port You need to identify which serial port will be used to download messages from your computer to any sign s NOTE Whichever serial port is selected however you must make sure that all programs using serial communication are shut down before serial ports are set in Gateway Messaging Software since the software reserves for itself all of the serial ports on the PC to make them available eel In the Gateway Messaging Editor choose Tools gt Setup gt S
43. sing background messages is recommended since the sign displays NO BACKGROUND MESSAGE if you don t You can use the background message to display a welcome to your company motivational ideas the date or time safety data or anything you may want to emphasize when there is no network activity el Choose Edit gt Background Message Ife Gateway Messaging Editor C Scenaro3_ims File Tools Modules Middle Hold 1 secCenter Pixel Red CONVE Cut Message Ctrl Copy Message Ctrl D Paste Message Cirta Fill Hold 1 sec Center f1U Fixel rellow Flash on 5 Fixe Red CONVEYOR STARTING Clear Message Background Message This window for the background message will appear T Background Message Enter the background message below Message Control F2 Test Control F3 Insert Object F4 Insert Variable F5 OK Cancel Type your message and use the buttons as needed Click on OK to close this screen 5 Background Message Enter the background message below Message Control Fill Hold 5 sec Center 10 Pixel Green Standard F2 Welcome to ABC Company Text Control F3 Insert Object F4 Insert Variable F5 OK Cancel 20 Advanced messaging Gateway Messaging Software Manual You can also go directly to message 4095 the designated message number for the background message to make your changes by clicking on the GoTo button E Gateway Messaging Editor C Program
44. smit those messages to all of the Signs in your network If more than one sign is networked all signs will receive the messages Please refer to Example 1 Creating a simple message on page 10 for information on completing this step Gateway Messaging Software Manual Description NOTE Perform this step 6b only if a sign is added to the sign network after the initial setup Connect the new sign to the network Using a Remote Control transmit the messages from one of the signs in the ALPHA network to the newly connected sign Refer to page 41 Remote Control Special D option for more instructions a ALPHA sign w Gateway firmware MEN YS e Set Serial Address e Use Special D ALPHA sign command to transfer w Gateway firmware messages ALPHA sign e See page 41 Remote w Gateway firmware Control Special D option ALPHA sign w Gateway firmware NOTE Remote control will notwork if the Gateway network is PLC active Disconnect the PLC connection to the Gateway Il interface Gateway II temporarily Interface NOTE Once all components of the ALPHA network have been connected and installed the ALPHA Gateway interface has been installed on the PLC network and necessary setup programming for the PLC has been performed the messaging system is operational Sensors relays m interface switches other PLC s devices Network inputs ae Gateway INFORMATION FLOW In a Gateway networ
45. splays com under Support Technical Documentation or in the Gateway Forum section under Support Discussion Forums How many messages can be displayed at one time 64 They are stored in registers 103 166 which is the message queue Can the sign read information from another device that has Modbus protocol No The signs act as slaves on the network and cannot initiate communications What are the different types of networks that I can connect up to e DeviceNet e Profibus DP e Modbus Plus e Modbus ASCII e Data Highway Plus e Contact Adaptive or check our website see response to Question 10 above for more information What ASCII formats does your sign support This table shows the ASCII format Format Mode ASCII Baud Rate 9600 Data Bits 7 Parity Even Stop Bits 2 RTS Control None 45 Gateway Messaging Software Manual 46 Q15 I am sending variable data to the sign but it skips or misses data A You may be sending information too quickly to the sign Space out the time between transmissions to greater than 250 milliseconds ms A Change the Pause time in the message to O seconds Q16 How many variables does the sien allow A 100 These are in registers 001 100 in the sign Q17 What if I want to add or change a message that I have downloaded to the sign A You can add or change a message in the Gateway Messaging software then download the new information to the sign See Example 1 Cr
46. ssage No Padding Does not insert any leading characters in front of the variable in the message Leading 0 Inserts the appropriate number of zeros in front of the variable in a message to fill the complete size allocated for the variable Leading Space Inserts the appropriate number of spaces in front of the variable in a message to fill the complete size allocated for the variable No Padding Does not insert any leading characters in front of the variable in the message Includes positive and negative denotation Leading 0 Inserts the appropriate number of zeros in front of the variable in a message to fill the complete size allocated for the variable Includes positive and negative denotation Leading Space Inserts the appropriate number of spaces in front of the variable in a message to fill the complete size allocated for the variable Includes positive and negative denotation NOTE NOTE 34 Default for Variables is 7 and No Padding Left justification is recommended for using variables in a message Yat temperature Insert Variable F5 Preview Message FE IMPORTANT The Variable Name field can not be left blank You have to enter at least one character to complete the field For more information on variables sign read data refer to the ALPHA sign memory map section that is a part of the How to connect and configure document for your network and the Configuration dat
47. the date and time type in messages etc WIDTH COLOR AUTO SPEED TIME e oooo0 9g 000000 To turn the sign off or 0009 a on hold down SHIFT Cu w x and then press A PROGRAM 00 c C CD lt gt INSERT BACK ADV DELETE Infrared IR Remote Control keyboard 37 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Using the Remote Control with a sign To program a sign with a Remote Control e Stand at least 5 feet and no more than 30 feet from the sign e Make sure nothing reflective is in front of the sign Light from the sign s display that is reflected back can interfere with the Remote Control If nearby fluorescent lights interfere with the Remote Control you may have to relocate either the lights or the sign If a sign is this far from the floor then hold a Remote Control this far away 10 feet from 10 to 30 feet 15 feet from 19 to 30 feet 20 feet from 25 to 30 feet NOTE See page 25 Sending messages to a sign in Pass Through mode if your Gateway network is connected to an operating network You must disconnect the PLC before using the remote Turning a sign on off When you plug in the sign s power supply the sign starts up automatically and unplugging the power supply turns the sign off However instead of unplugging a sign there is another way to turn a sign off Using the Remote Control hold down SHIFT and then press PROGRAM to turn a sign off and on
48. ule to put the ALPHA network in Pass Through mode See page 25 Sending messages to a sign using Pass Through Mode e Download them to the sign NOTE Before downloading messages verify all hardware connections as shown in Setting up the ALPHA sign network on page 2 Gateway Messaging Software does not perform a checksum to verify that a message has actually been received the software will only tell you that it has been sent whether or not you are actually connected to a sign The screen display will always say Downloading messages completed to indicate the message was sent even when you are not connected to a sign Basic messaging 13 Gateway Messaging Software Manual Choose Modules gt MoaBus gt Download Messages You can then select any sequence of messages to download The default is 1 through 4100 NOTE Be sure that any messages you send have the NOTE For an same message size as the messages already example showing in the sign If the message size differs the how to send message s sent may affect current messages multiple messages either the current messages may be deleted or goto page 26 longer messages may be truncated See Downloading a NOTE page 13 under Download messages number of messages at once Click OK Any valid messages in the sequence of messages will be transmitted to the attached sign The message size is shown in hexadecimal 0064 H is the same as 100 bytes in decimal
49. you use them in a message Some examples are listed below Message controls maximum 6 bytes Text controls maximum 10 bytes Object controls maximum 3 bytes Variable controls maximum 9 bytes So if you use all of the above once in a message the total maximum size used for sending controls is 28 bytes Likewise if you only use one set of message controls and one set of text controls the total maximum size used for sending controls is 16 bytes Calculate the number of characters available to use in a message Message size set in Step 1 above the number you calculated in Step 2 above the number of alphanumeric characters available to use in a message Determining the number of messages available to use The formula for the maximum number of messages is 200 000 Message size Maximum number of user defined messages Example 1 The default message size is 100 therefore 200 000 100 2000 Example 2 If you change the message size to 50 bytes you can create twice the number of messages as if you had left it at the default of 100 bytes 200 000 50 4000 Example 3 If you change the message size to 200 bytes you can only create half the number of messages as if you had left it at the default of 100 bytes 200 000 200 1000 8 Basic software setup Gateway Messaging Software Manual Setting message size and maximum messages continued Determining the number of messages available to use Continued
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