Step Properties - General

Step Properties - General

Use
Step Properties - General
to configure the attributes of a step in a sequential function chart routine.
Parameter
Description
Type
Click
Initial
if this step is the first step in the routine, or
Normal
otherwise.
Preset
The Preset is used to specify the value, in one-millisecond units, that the ‘T’ value must reach before the Step’s DN bit is set. This time value can be entered as an expression, such that it is calculated at run time.
Use Expression
Check this box to specify an expression to calculate the value of the step’s preset. When this box is checked, the Define… button is enabled. Clicking on this button displays the expression editor to enter a preset expression.
Define
Click to define the expression whose result is the Preset value.
Timer
The Step Timer reflects in one-millisecond units how long the Step has been active during this Step activation. When a Step is first activated, this value is reset to 0. When a Step is no longer active, this attribute retains the elapsed time and reflects how long the Step was active the last time it activated.
Timer Max
The Timer Max reflects in one-millisecond units the highest value ever reached of the Step Timer. When a Step transitions from active to inactive, the Step’s Timer attribute value is compared to its Timer Max attribute value. If Timer is greater than Timer Max, Timer Max is set equal to the value of Timer.
Count
The Step Count keeps track of how many times the Step has been activated since the Step Count was last reset. If this counter reaches its upper limit, it rolls over to 0 and continues counting.
Pause Timer When Routine is Paused
This setting determines how the Step Timer reacts when the SFC routine resumes execution after being in a paused state. If this attribute is set when the SFC routine is paused then when the SFC routine resumes execution the timer picks up where it was at the point of the pause. If the Step Timer is not paused then the timer jumps forward when the SFC routine resumes execution after the pause. This is valuable for operations that consider the pause time as part of the process.
AlarmEnable
The AlarmEnable indicates whether the Step generates High and Low alarms (that is, set the AlarmLow and AlarmHigh attributes).
LimitHigh
The LimitHigh attribute specifies the maximum time in one-millisecond units that the Timer value can reach before the Step’s AlarmHigh bit is set. The AlarmHigh bit is only set if the AlarmEnable bit is set. Setting LimitHigh to 0 also disables this alarm checking regardless of the AlarmEnable bit setting. Once set, this bit remains on until it is reset. This time value can be entered as an expression such that it is calculated at run time.
LimitLow
The LimitLow attribute specifies the minimum time in one-millisecond units the Step must be active. If the Timer value is less than LimitLow when the Step deactivates, the AlarmLow bit is set. The AlarmLow bit is only set if the AlarmEnable bit is set. Setting LimitLow to 0 also disables this alarm checking regardless of the AlarmEnable bit setting. Once set, this bit remains on until it is reset. This time value can be entered as an expression because it is calculated at run time.
Show actions in routine
This setting defines whether the action list is shown next to the step. This setting is saved in the controller and in the offline project. To temporarily override this configuration, click
Hide/Show Action List
on the Step. Choose the
Edit > Edit SFC Element > Temporarily Hide Actions
menu option, or choose the
Temporarily Hide Actions
option from the right mouse menu.
Never display description in routine
Check this box to make sure the step's description is never displayed within the sequential function chart routine, even when the option on the Workstation Options dialog is set to show descriptions. If the Workstation Options item is set to show descriptions, this selection applies to the current step only. Description are shown for all other steps (unless turn off description display is turned off for each step individually).
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