Control Expert (ex Unity Pro) allows to manage several application versions. Opening a STA file keeps the build state of the application with exactly the same signature than the project running in the PLC. the binary created during the build is embedded in the STA file to provide this feature, unlike the XEF or ZEF files which contain only the source. After opening an STA file you can connect to the PLC and do online modification. Control expert will work with the same library used for the application. For example if you use Control expert V14.1 you can open an STA V6 application. The library used will be the V6, ensuring the compatibility with the running project.To open the program with an older version of Unity Pro you will have to archive it (STA), it will keep the application version, the customer will be able to open it in its old version of Unity Pro.  it may happen, in exceptional rare circumstances , that the status of the application is not build after opening the STA, but even in that case you can connect to the PLC and perform an online build, without stopping the PLC.     ... View more

Hello, There is a communication control on Modbus, the ATV controls that there are requests sent periodically. Normally if you read the status of the ATV periodically, it is enough to maintain the control of the communication. Here after an extract from the documentation:   ... View more

Yes SPD is the deviation setpoint. but there are other parameters to fill: HYSTSP, TONSP, TOFFSP and SP. Here the functional schema :     To enable the alarm you also need to set: AALARM_CFG.CFGW.2 and DWATCH  ... View more

 You could use the AALARM function block from the General Purpose Library (GPL) downloadable from this site. The function embed a deviation alarm which is I think what you need.   ... View more

Are you sure that you DFB is executed at each cycle ? you can check by setting a watch point on the DFB and look at the counter, if it remains to the same value that means the DFB is not executed. When the DFB is executed all the variables connected to it are exchanged. The EN pin on the DFB may be also the cause, if it is set to 0 the DFB is not executed. Another possibility is that the variables change their state after the DFB execution, so in the program animation, you see the last state. The watch point removes this ambiguity. Here an example of a watch point on a FBD section. Select the DFB and set the watch point on it. The state of the variables are also refreshed when the DFB is executed, so you can see the real state of your data. ... View more

I just forgot something, There is a warning message that can be triggered in case of mapping compatibility. this message is displayed if Control Expert needs to align the 32 bits variable:   ... View more

Hello, The problem comes from the 32 bits alignment in the M580 platforms. If you map a structure on %MW, due to the 32 bits alignment some holes can be created to align the 32 bits variable on even addresses. (DWORD, REAL...) this is not the case when you use the simulator which is based on 16bits alignment. this is due to the legacy platforms which are all 16 bits, when the simulator was developed. This is explained in the online help in the topic: DDT: Mapping Rules.   KR   ... View more