System tags used for timers/counters?

[rkoski]

My application requires a one-hour timer triggered by an event performed by my controller (Galil). Can I use the 'minute component of the current time' system tag to create such a timer on the T7A? I can easily display this tag in an analog numeric, but I'm not sure how to use it from there. I need to create 8 such timers.

I was planning to use the Galil internal clock to do the timing, but it rolls over to a negative value. It would seem much cleaner if I could do it on the T7A. I read the posts on using scripting to generate timers, but I'm not a C# guy.

thanks much,
Bob

[mark.monroe]

You could use a iX Scheduler to do that.

Snap 2013-04-04 at 10.49.05.jpg (30.82 KiB) Viewed 11479 times

[rkoski]

Mark,

That looks promising! However, I don't want to start my timer at a set date/time, I need to start it with a controller tag trigger. Also, it's not a fixed hour timer, that's our current default time. A user enters a desired process time on the T7A.

Here's what I need:

- machine performs two processes, A and B
- user enters process B duration, from 1 - 90 minutes
- machine runs and sets a controller tag to start the timer when process B begins
- timer times out and sets a tag to have machine complete the process
- I have 8 such staggered processes running simultaneously, each needs a timer.

Can this be done with a scheduler?

thanks,
Bob

[mark.monroe]

You will need to create your own timer in script then. Here is an example of how to do that.

[PeterWashington]

Hi Mark and everybody else on this forum.

I have a lot of experience in software, but I'm a newbie to the world of PLC's and their HMI's and my C# leaves quite a bit to be desired, (I'm a long term ANSI C man, with a bit of C++ experience).

I've just seen this post thread and came to the last comment thinking, "YES !, this is JUST what I want".

I tried to use the link to the example, only to be told that I "wasn't authorised to use this forum".

This seems somewhat strange since it would appear that this example would be a great help to any number of people like myself who need to make use of Timers, is there a glitch on the website, or has the example been marked as private to the original poster in some way ?

I would REALLY love to see it if that is possible !!

Hopefully yours,

Peter Washington.

[rkoski]

Hi Peter,

The link opened for me. It's in the Scripting FAQ forum...

[PeterWashington]

Yes, it opens for me now too, go figure

Anyway, I've got the code snippet I was after, so I'm happy.

Thank you !