iX Developer

User’s Guide
MAEN832F, 2013-12 English
 Foreword

iX Developer User’s Guide

Foreword
The iX Developer software is used to configure iX Panels and PC operated control
applications, including applications for IPCs (Industrial PCs).
iX Developer makes it easy to create logical, flexible and effective HMI
applications that provide the right information on the right occasion to operators
and to other systems.
This manual is based on an example project that describes a step-by-step design
of a project for iX Developer.
For more detailed information, please refer to the iX Developer help file.

Order no: MAEN832F

Copyright © 2013-12 Beijer Electronics AB. All rights reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and is provided as available at the
time of printing. Beijer Electronics AB reserves the right to change any information without updating this
publication. Beijer Electronics AB assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
All examples in this document are only intended to improve understanding of the functionality and
handling of the software. Beijer Electronics AB cannot assume any liability if these examples are used in real
applications.
In view of the wide range of applications for this software, users must acquire sufficient knowledge themselves
in order to ensure that it is correctly used in their specific application. Persons responsible for the application
and the equipment must themselves ensure that each application is in compliance with all relevant
requirements, standards, and legislation in respect to configuration and safety. Beijer Electronics AB will
accept no liability for any damage incurred during the installation or use of this software. Beijer Electronics
AB prohibits all modification, changes, or conversion of the software.

Beijer Electronics, MAEN832F

 Contents

Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................. 6
1.1 Controller ........................................................ 6
1.1.1 Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2 Manual Structure ................................................ 6
2 Installation and Start .................................................... 7
2.1 System Requirements ............................................ 7
2.1.1 iX Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1.2 iX Runtime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1.3 Special Requirements for Some Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1.4 Starting iX Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1.5 Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 New Project .............................................................. 10
3.1 Creating a New Project .......................................... 10
3.2 Desktop Area ..................................................... 11
3.2.1 Project Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.2 Ribbon Groups and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.3 Quick Access Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.4 MiniToolBar and ContextMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 Controller Tags .......................................................... 13
4.1 Adding Tags ...................................................... 13
4.2 Saving the Project ................................................ 14
5 Editing Objects .......................................................... 15
5.1 Adding Objects .................................................. 15
5.1.1 Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.1.2 Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5.1.3 Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.1.4 Resize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.1.5 Changing Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5.2 Running Project Test ............................................ 16
6 Navigation and Screen Jumps .......................................... 17
6.1 Screen Navigation ............................................... 17
6.1.1 Navigation Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6.1.2 Adding a Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6.1.3 Screen Jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2 Background Screen .............................................. 18
6.2.1 Adding a Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.2.2 Background Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6.3 Running Screen Navigation Test ................................ 20
7 Trend Viewer ............................................................ 21
7.1 Adding a Real-Time Trend Viewer .............................. 21
7.1.1 Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
7.2 Running Real-Time Trend Viewer Test ........................ 22
7.3 Trend Viewer History ............................................ 22
7.3.1 Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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 Contents

7.4 Running Historical Trend Viewer Test ......................... 22

8 Alarm Management ..................................................... 23
8.1 Alarm Indicator .................................................. 23
8.2 Alarm Server ...................................................... 24
8.2.1 Alarm Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8.2.2 Alarm Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
8.3 Alarm Viewer ..................................................... 25
8.4 Running Alarm Test ............................................. 25
9 Recipes ................................................................... 26
9.1 Creating Recipe Tags ............................................ 26
9.1.1 Adding a Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9.1.2 Adjusting Navigation Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9.2 New Objects ..................................................... 28
9.2.1 Show Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
9.3 Recipe Items ...................................................... 28
9.4 Saving a Recipe ................................................... 29
9.5 Loading a Recipe ................................................. 29
9.6 Recipe Data ...................................................... 29
9.7 Running Recipe Test ............................................. 29
10 Dynamics ................................................................ 30
10.1 Creating an Object ............................................... 30
10.2 Resizing an Object ............................................... 31
10.3 Coloring an Object .............................................. 32
10.4 Running Dynamics Test ......................................... 32
11 Script ..................................................................... 33
11.1 Adding Objects .................................................. 33
11.2 Script Tab ......................................................... 33
11.3 Running Script ................................................... 34
12 Internal Tags ............................................................. 35
12.1 Adding Internal Tags ............................................ 35
12.1.1 Area Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12.1.2 Calculation Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12.2 Creating an Analog Numeric .................................... 36
12.2.1 Calculation Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
12.3 Running Internal Tags Test ...................................... 37
13 Object Browser .......................................................... 38
13.1 Adding a Graphical Element .................................... 38
13.2 Using the Object Browser ....................................... 38
14 Multiple Texts ........................................................... 39
14.1 Configuring Texts ................................................ 39
14.2 Running Multiple Texts Test .................................... 40
15 Security .................................................................. 41
15.1 Security Configuration .......................................... 41
15.1.1 Security Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
15.1.2 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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 Contents

15.2 Login Behavior on Access Denied .............................. 42

15.3 Creating a Logout Button ....................................... 42
15.4 Object Security .................................................. 43
15.4.1 Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
15.4.2 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
15.5 Running Security Test ........................................... 43
16 Function Keys ........................................................... 44
16.1 Defining Function Key Actions ................................. 44
16.1.1 Show Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
16.1.2 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
16.1.3 Setting Controller Tag Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
16.1.4 Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
16.1.5 Setting Time Zone, Region and Daylight Saving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
16.2 Defining Function Key Scripts .................................. 46
16.2.1 Area Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
16.2.2 Acknowledge All Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
16.3 Running Function Key Test ..................................... 47
17 Cross Reference .......................................................... 48
17.1 Using the Cross Reference Tool ................................. 48

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 Introduction

1 Introduction
The iX Developer software is used to configure iX Panels and PC operated control
applications, including applications for IPCs (Industrial PCs) from Beijer
Electronics.
iX Developer contains all basic functions needed in an application. The functions
are tested and developed with customer needs and preferences in focus.
Pre-defined objects in iX Developer can be used to create complete process
images, providing an overview of a complex application. You can customize the
pre-defined objects or create objects of your own.
Communication drivers for a large number of controllers and automation
equipment are available.

1.1 Controller
Operator panels can be connected to many types of automation equipment, such
as PLCs, servos, and drives. Further on, the expression controller is used as a general
term for the connected equipment.

1.1.1 Tags
Data values in a controller are referred to as tags. Tags may also belong to the
system or be internal. A tag has a symbolic name and can be of different data types.
Objects connected to tags can change values in the controller, and tag values can be
reflected by changing object appearance in various ways. Objects in a screen will
remain static until connected to a tag.

1.2 Manual Structure

The USERS GUIDE is based on an example project that makes it easier to start
using iX Developer. If the instructions in the example are followed carefully, this
should result in a functional project that can be further developed, or used for
inspiration. The target of the example is a PC, but all functions works similarly for
all supported operator panels.
Detailed information about iX Developer is available in the help file, displayed by
pressing F1 while using the software.
The instructions in the USERS GUIDE are more detailed in the beginning. As the
example progresses and you become familiar with iX Developer, instructions for
tasks that are of a repetitive nature may be brief or omitted.

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 Installation and Start

2 Installation and Start

iX Developer is installed on a DEV PC, where projects are developed, designed
and compiled. The project is then run in an OPERATOR PANEL, PC or PC
TARGET to observe and control a controller (or a group of controllers).

2.1 System Requirements

2.1.1 iX Developer
Parameter Recommendation
RAM 2 GB
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Operating Microsoft Windows 7
system
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP SP3
Graphics Tier 2:
card
DirectX version Must be greater than or equal to
9.0.
Video RAM
Pixel shader Version level must be greater
than or equal to 2.0.
Vertex shader Version level must be greater
than or equal to 2.0.
Multitexture units Number of units must be greater
than or equal to 4.

Updates
Software, drivers and protocols may have been updated since the USB stick was
produced. Therefore, it is recommended that you use the built-in update function
in iX Developer before creating a project.
Therefore, it is recommended that the built-in update function in iX Developer is
used before creating a project

2.1.2 iX Runtime
Parameter Recommendation
RAM 1 GB
Processor 1.3 GHz or higher

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 Installation and Start

Parameter Recommendation
Operating Microsoft Windows 7
system
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP SP3
Graphics Tier 2:
card
DirectX version Must be greater than or equal to
9.0.
Video RAM Must be greater than or equal to
120 MB.
Pixel shader Version level must be greater
than or equal to 2.0.

Vertex shader Version level must be greater

than or equal to 2.0.
Multitexture units Number of units must be greater
than or equal to 4.

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 Installation and Start

2.1.3 Special Requirements for Some

Objects
For some objects to be included in the iX Developer project, specific software
versions are required. Simulation of the project on the DEV PC may also be
limited for some targets.

Object Minimum Simulation on Simulation on

requirement PC target panel target
Media Player Windows Media Player Supported Not supported
10
PDF Viewer Acrobat Reader 9 Supported Not supported
Web Browser Internet Explorer 7 Supported Not supported

2.1.4 Starting iX Developer

The installation creates an icon for the configuration tool in the group named iX
Developer in Windows Start menu.
Click on Start/All Programs/ iX Developer/ iX Developer to start the
configuration tool.

2.1.5 Help
Help topics are provided when pressing F1 while iX Developer is running.

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 New Project

3 New Project
Objective:
• Creating a new project.
• Getting familiar with the tool windows and the layout of the desktop area.

3.1 Creating a New Project

1. Start iX Developer and select Create New Project.
This starts a wizard that will guide you through creating the project.
2. Choose a PC with a 1024 × 768 resolution as target for the application. Click
Next.
3. Select DEMO in the list of controllers. Click Next.
The demo controller, including regular tags (data containers) and counters, is
used to design and test a project directly on the DEV PC without connection
to an external controller.
4. Give the project a name. For this tutorial use DEMO_TEST. Check that
the suggested location is appropriate. If not, click Browse to select another
location.
5. Click Finish.
Project files can be stored anywhere in the computer environment where you have
write access rights.
The project opens automatically.

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 New Project

3.2 Desktop Area

The desktop area displays screens and configuration pages for project components
such as controllers and functions. The desktop area shows only one screen or
component at a time. When multiple screens or components are opened a row of
tabs are shown in the upper part of the desktop area. Clicking on a tab activates
its contents for editing.
If there are more tabs open than can be displayed, navigation arrows in the upper
part of the desktop area can be used to scroll between them.

Indication in
picture Desktop area component Described in section
A Project Explorer Project Explorer
B Ribbon tabs Ribbon Groups and Controls
C Control groups
D Controls
E Quick Access Toolbar Quick Access Toolbar
F MiniToolBar MiniToolBar and ContextMenu
G ContextMenu

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 New Project

3.2.1 Project Explorer

When a new project is opened, an empty screen is active in the desktop area. The
Project Explorer is docked to the left.

3.2.2 Ribbon Groups and Controls

Ribbon tabs are located in the top section of the tool window. Each ribbon tab
holds one or several control groups. Each group contains a set of related controls.
You use the controls to design screens, and to make settings for objects and
controls in the project.
If you are not used to software with ribbon tabs, please spend a minute to get
familiar with the ribbon concept.

3.2.3 Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar is always visible at the top of the desktop area. It
contains the commands Save, Undo, Redo, Run and Simulate as iX Developer is
started.

3.2.4 MiniToolBar and ContextMenu

When right-clicking objects in iX Developer, a MiniToolBar and a ContextMenu
are displayed. The MiniToolBar contains commands that are specific for iX
Developer, to for example connect objects to controller tags. The ContextMenu
contains regular Microsoft application commands such as Copy, Paste etc.

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 Controller Tags

4 Controller Tags
Objective:
• Defining a tag list for the project.
• Saving the project.

4.1 Adding Tags

Objects connected to tags can change values in the controller, and tag values can be
reflected by changing object appearance in various ways. Objects in a screen will
remain static until connected to a tag.
1. Click on Tags in the Project Explorer.
The tags configuration page opens on the desktop. There is one elements in
the tags list by default.
2. Click on the first field (Name) in the first row.
A highlighted row is added and the text Tag1 appears.
3. Press [TAB] on the keyboard.
The selection moves to next field (Data Type for Tags). You do not need to
change the data type.

Note:
The data type for the tag can be used as a presentation format in some situations; for
example to show the correct engineering unit when using scaling. DEFAULT follows
selection made for the Controller data type.

4. Press [TAB] on the keyboard again.

The selection moves to next field (Access Right). You do not need to change
the access rights now.
5. Press [TAB] on the keyboard again.
The selection moves to next field (Controller Data Type). You do not need
to change the data type now.
6. Press [TAB] on the keyboard again.
The selection moves to next field (Controller 1).
7. Type “D0” in the Controller 1 field.
The entries in the Controllers column correspond to tags in the selected
controller. There are predefined tags in the DEMO controller that can be
accessed by their respective tag address, e.g. D0 denotes an integer tag field.
8. Press [TAB] until the two first rows are completely filled in. Type “D1” for the
second controller tag.
Some fields are automatically filled and when needed, incremented. The data
type is automatically changed depending on what you type in the Controllers
column.
The Name of a tag is an identifier for the tag and can be any alphanumeric
string, beginning with a letter (a-z, A-Z).

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 Controller Tags

9. Rename Tag1 to “MeterAndSlider”.

The D0 tag will be used in the next section to control and observe a controller tag
value in a screen.

4.2 Saving the Project

1. Click on the Save symbol in the Quick Access Toolbar.
The project will be saved in the location that you selected when creating the
project.

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 Editing Objects

5 Editing Objects
Objective:
• Inserting a slider and a meter.
• Learning how to format and align objects.
• Testing the project; controlling and observing a controller tag value with objects
in a screen.

5.1 Adding Objects

5.1.1 Meter
1. Click on the Screen1 tab in the desktop area and make sure that the Home tab
in the ribbon area is selected. Select a circular meter from the Objects group.
Place it somewhere in the upper left section of the screen.
2. Drag a corner handle to resize the meter to a suitable size where the meter
needle and the scale are clearly visible.
3. Right-click on the meter. Click on Select Tag... in the MiniToolBar. Select
the MeterAndSlider tag by clicking on it in the drop-down menu, and then
click OK.

5.1.2 Slider
1. Select a slider from the Objects group. You may need to expand the Objects
group by clicking the small arrow at the lower right in order to select the slider.
Place it just below the circular meter on the screen.
2. Right-click on the slider. Click on Select Tag... in the MiniToolBar. Select
the MeterAndSlider tag by clicking on it in the drop-down menu, and then
click OK.

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 Editing Objects

5.1.3 Align
An object that is dragged snaps into position relative to other objects.
1. Slowly drag the slider up and down.
Notice that the slider snaps into position at a short distance below the meter.
2. Slowly drag the slider to the left and to the right.
Notice that the slider snaps into position and that snap lines appear when the
slider is aligned with the meter.
3. Arrange the slider in a position closely below the meter and with its left edge
aligned with the left edge of the meter.

5.1.4 Resize
1. Make a multiple selection of the two objects (point at an empty area in the
screen and drag diagonally across the objects).
A multiple selection (group) has one primary object. The primary object has
an orange frame; the other objects have blue frames. When enforcing format
commands on the group the primary object is used as a template.
If the meter is not the primary object then:
2. Click on it to change the primary selection of the group to the meter.
Now adjust the width of the objects in the group:
3. Click on the Arrange control, located in the Format group of the Home tab,
and select Make Same Width.

5.1.5 Changing Appearance

1. Select the slider on Screen1.
2. Click on the Quick Styles control in the Format group and select a new color
style.
3. Click the small arrow at the lower right of the Format group in order to make
additional settings for outline, shadow/fill effects etc.
4. Select the meter on Screen1.
5. Select the General ribbon tab and locate the Style group. Try the different
pre-defined styles and evaluate which style suits your preferences the best.

5.2 Running Project Test

The project can be compiled and run at almost any time. This allows you to test
your design continuously in an iterative manner.
1. Click on the Run icon in the Quick Access Toolbar.
The project is now validated, and when no errors are found, the project will be
compiled and executes in the development environment.
2. Drag the slider handle back and forth.
Since both objects are connected to the same tag, the meter needle follows as
you change the value of the slider control.
3. Close the Run window.

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 Navigation and Screen Jumps

6 Navigation and Screen Jumps

An iX Developer project consists of screens with objects, usually connected to
controller tags. All screens have the same basic functions. A screen can be given
specific properties to specialize its behavior in the project:
• Startup Screen: The Startup Screen is the first screen that is displayed in
runtime. By default, Screen1 is used as Startup Screen, but any screen can be
designated Startup Screen by right-clicking on the screen and selecting Set as
Startup Screen.
• Background Screen: Any screen, except screens with Aliases, can be used as a
Background Screen by the other screens in the project. For more information
about Aliases, please refer to the iX Developer help file.
• Screen Template: A screen that is saved as a Screen Template can be used not
only in the current iX Developer project, but also in all future projects.
Screen jumps are made with actions that can be assigned to e.g. buttons. When
using the Navigation Manager to add screens and create links between screens,
buttons are added automatically in the upper left corner of the screen that the link
originates from.

Objective:
• Adding new screens and setting up screen jumps with buttons.

6.1 Screen Navigation

6.1.1 Navigation Manager
• Click on the View tab in the ribbon area. Click on Navigation Manager.
The Navigation Manager opens in the desktop.

6.1.2 Adding a Screen

• Point at Screen1. Click and drag a connection from Screen1 to anywhere in
the Navigation Manager area.
A new screen appears (Screen2). A button labeled Screen2 appears in the
upper left corner of Screen1.

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 Navigation and Screen Jumps

6.1.3 Screen Jump

• Click and drag a connection from Screen2 to Screen1 in the Navigation
Manager.
A button labeled Screen1 appears in the upper left corner of Screen2.

6.2 Background Screen

6.2.1 Adding a Screen
• Click on Screen on the Insert ribbon tab.
A new screen (Screen3) is created in the project, and opens for editing.

6.2.2 Background Screen

1. Make sure that Screen3 is open for editing on the desktop.
2. Select a Button from the Objects group (located on the Home tab), and place
it in the lower left area of Screen3. Label the button “Start Screen”.

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 Navigation and Screen Jumps

3. Keep the button selected and click on the Actions tab. Select Show Start
Screen, located in the Screen group, from the drop-down list for the Click
action.

4. Open Screen2 for editing by clicking on it in the Project Explorer.

5. Select the Home tab. Select Screen3 in the Background Screen drop-down list
in the Screen group.
6. Try to change location of the Start Screen button in Screen2. This is not
possible. Notice that changes made to Screen3 are reflected in Screen2.
There are now two navigation facilities from Screen2 to Screen1 (the Start Screen).

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 Navigation and Screen Jumps

6.3 Running Screen Navigation Test

1. Run the project.
2. Verify that each of the buttons in Screen2 performs a jump to Screen1.
Since no screen has been set to be Startup Screen, Screen1 remains Startup
Screen for this project.
3. Close the Run window.

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 Trend Viewer

7 Trend Viewer
The trend viewer function stores register information from the controller in
the operator panel. Real-time trend viewer as well as historical trend viewer is
available.

Objective:
• Adding a trend viewer object with two curves.

7.1 Adding a Real-Time Trend Viewer

1. Open Screen1 for editing in the desktop.
2. Select the Trend Viewer object from the Objects group and place it on the
screen.

7.1.1 Curves
1. Click on Tags in the Project Explorer and add a tag. Type “Counter” in the
Name field and connect it to C0 in Controller1.
C0 is a counter that counts from 0 to 100 and back to 0 with a frequency of 1
Hz.
2. Open Screen1, make sure that the trend viewer object is selected, and click
Edit Curves on the General tab.
3. Add a curve and connect it to the same tag that you used for the slider in
Screen1.
4. Add a second curve and connect it to the Counter tag you just added, and
select another color for this curve.

5. Click OK.

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 Trend Viewer

7.2 Running Real-Time Trend Viewer

Test
• Run the project and check that both curves are visible in the trend viewer. Test
that Curve 1 changes with the slider.

7.3 Trend Viewer History

7.3.1 Actions
1. Open Screen1 for editing in the desktop.
2. Place a button to the left of the trend viewer object. Label the button “Trend
Viewer History”.
3. Keep the button selected and click on the Actions tab. Select Trend Viewer
History, located in the Trend Viewer group, from the drop-down list for the
Click action. Select TrendViewer1 from the Select Trend Viewer drop-down
list, and On-mode.
4. Select the trend viewer object and click on the Actions tab. Select Trend
Viewer History for the MouseDown action. Select TrendViewer1 from the
Select Trend Viewer drop-down list, and Off-mode.

7.4 Running Historical Trend Viewer

Test
1. Run the project.

2. Test that you can switch to the historical trend viewer with the Trend Viewer
History button.
3. Go back to real-time trend viewer by clicking on the trend viewer object.

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 Alarm Management

8 Alarm Management
Alarms are used to make the operator aware of events that require immediate
action. An alarm is set when a certain condition is met. An alarm condition is
designed as a logical evaluation of a tag value. Alarms can be divided into groups
to create an order of priority.

Objective:
• Configuring the alarm list and designing an alarm object.

8.1 Alarm Indicator

When an alarm goes active, the Alarm Indicator becomes visible to alert the
operator, regardless of which screen is active.
The appearance of the alarm indicator depends on the current alarm status.
Select General settings in alarm server properties page to decide for which alarm
statuses to show the alarm indicator.
The Alarm Indicator will show the most severe alarm in the alarm list with the
following indications:
• Flashing red when there is any active, unacknowledged alarm.
• Flashing green when no active alarms exist, but inactive unacknowledged
alarms exist.
• Flashing green when there are only active acknowledged alarms.
The Alarm Indicator disappears when all alarms are both acknowledged and have
returned to inactive status.

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 Alarm Management

8.2 Alarm Server

• Click on Alarm Server in the Project Explorer to open the Alarm Server
configuration page.

8.2.1 Alarm Groups

The Alarm Groups tab is used to set up multiple alarm groups, e.g. when a project
needs separate management of alarms for independent functions. In this example,
the default alarm group is used.

8.2.2 Alarm Items

1. Select the Alarm Items tab. Add alarms based on tags in the controller tag list.
2. Define a digital tag (named BoolAlarmTag) directly in the alarm list by
clicking Add in the tag selection list.
This tag will be internal unless connected to a controller on the Tags
configuration page, and using an internal tag works just fine for this example
project. See chapter Internal Tags for information.

3. Leave the columns for Acknowledge Required and History checked. Leave
the other fields empty.
4. Make sure that all alarm tags can be controlled from the project screens or
that they will be triggered by other mechanisms (the counter will trigger
AlarmItem2 and AlarmItem3 after 10 and 20 seconds respectively).
5. Place a button to the left of the trend viewer object. Label the button “Set
Alarm”.
6. Keep the button selected. On the Actions tab, select Toggle Tag, located in
the Controller group, from the drop-down list for the Click action. Select
BoolAlarmTag in the Select Tag field.

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 Alarm Management

8.3 Alarm Viewer

1. Open Screen2 for editing in the desktop.
2. Select the AlarmViewer from the Objects group and place it in the screen.
The columns and button placement can be customized in an alarm object.
3. Select the alarm object on the screen, and click on the General tab. In the
Buttons group, click on Position and select to place the buttons against the
Top border.
4. Adjust the size so that all button controls in the alarm object are visible.
5. Use Show Columns in the Settings group to customize the alarm information
and the order of the columns in the Alarm Viewer.

8.4 Running Alarm Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test to trigger the alarms.

3. Press the Ack All button and observe the Alarm Indicator.
4. Make sure that all alarm tags are inactive. Press the Ack All button to
acknowledge all alarms.
5. Press Clear to remove all alarms of normal status (acknowledged and inactive).

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 Recipes

9 Recipes
Recipes are used to set or save a predefined group of tags in one operation.

Objective:
• Creating and using recipes to change multiple values.

9.1 Creating Recipe Tags

• Create a group of controller tags that the recipe should affect. Use three integer
values to set weight, length and width of an imaginary item.

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 Recipes

9.1.1 Adding a Screen

1. Open the Navigation Manager. Point to Screen1 and drag a connection to an
empty spot in the screen navigation area.

A new screen (Screen4) is created in the project.

2. Open Screen4 and select the Home tab. In the Screen group, select Screen3 in
the Background Screen drop-down list.
This enables navigation from Screen4 to Screen1.

9.1.2 Adjusting Navigation Buttons

• Open Screen1. Select the button labeled Screen4 (in the upper left corner)
and move it so the button placed under it (Screen2) becomes fully visible.

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 Recipes

9.2 New Objects

1. Open Screen4 for editing in the desktop, and add a slider.
2. Right-click on the slider and point to Select Tag... to open the controller
drop-down list in the MiniToolBar. Select Weight.
This connects the Weight tag to the object and the list closes.
3. Press Ctrl, then drag the slider across the screen to make a copy of it. Position
the new slider and connect it to Length. Repeat for the Width tag.

9.2.1 Show Info

It is possible to show information about which tag each object is connected to, and
if dynamics or actions are configured for the object, by clicking on the Show/Hide
Info button in the desktop area, or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D.
• Press Ctrl + D on the keyboard to check that the tags are correctly bound to
the sliders in the screen.

9.3 Recipe Items

1. Click on Recipe on the Insert tab to add a new recipe.
The recipe configuration page opens in the desktop. The new recipe is also
available from the Project Explorer.
2. Enter a group of tags to set in the recipe on the Tag Configuration tab.

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 Recipes

9.4 Saving a Recipe

1. Open Screen4 for editing in the desktop and place a button next to the set of
sliders for the recipe tags. Label the button “Save Recipe”.
2. Click on the Actions tab and select Save Recipe, located in the Recipe group,
from the drop-down list for the Click action. Make sure that Recipe1 is
selected.
3. Leave Recipe data empty.

9.5 Loading a Recipe

1. Open Screen4 for editing in the desktop, make a copy of the Save Recipe
button.
2. Change the label to “Load Recipe”, and to load Recipe1 by selecting it for the
Click action Load Recipe.
3. Leave Recipe data empty.

9.6 Recipe Data

Create a predefined recipe by defining values on the Runtime Data tab of the
recipe configuration page.
1. Open the recipe configuration page by clicking on Recipe1 in the Project
Explorer.
2. Click on the Runtime Data tab. Enter tag values to set in a recipe. Enter a
name (Runtime Recipe Title) for the recipe.

3. Open Screen4 for editing. Place a new button next to the set of sliders. Label
the button “Load Book”.
4. Select Load Recipe in the Click drop-down list.
5. Select Recipe1, and select Book for recipe data.

9.7 Running Recipe Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test to set the sliders to various values and save the values in recipes.
3. Test to load the recipes.
Check that the sliders change according to the recipe values.

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 Dynamics

10 Dynamics
Dynamic object properties are used to move and resize objects based on controller
tag values.

Objective:
• Changing size and color of an object based on tag value changes.

10.1 Creating an Object

• Open Screen4 for editing. Select the Rectangle in the Objects group of the
Home tab and place a small square below the set of sliders for the recipe tags.

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 Dynamics

10.2 Resizing an Object

1. Select the square. Click on Size on the Dynamics tab. Select the Width tag for
Width and the Length tag for Height.
2. Adjust the enlarged size of the square directly on the screen and note the
change of values in the Resize Dynamics Editor window.
3. Set the fields for Tag Start Value to the start size values of the square (Start
Width, Start Height). Set both fields for Tag End Value to “100”.

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 Dynamics

10.3 Coloring an Object

1. Select the square. Click on Fill in the Color group of the Dynamics tab.
Assign the Weight tag in the Select Tag drop-down list.
2. Adjust the tag values to change the color of the square depending on
the Weight tag value. The example in the picture below uses fill color in
combination with a gradient.

10.4 Running Dynamics Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test to change the tag values with the sliders and by loading recipes. Observe
what happens with the size and color of the small square.

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 Script

11 Script
Scripts are used to manage functionality for objects. Scripts are written in C#.

Objective:
• Inserting a button and text box.
• Writing a script for the button to affect the text in the text box.

11.1 Adding Objects

1. Open Screen2 for editing and add a TextBox from the Objects group (located
under Windows Controls) to the screen.
2. Place a button on the screen and label it “Write Test”.

11.2 Script Tab

1. Select the Write Test button.
2. Click on the Script tab located in the lower left the desktop area. This will
change from Layout view mode to Script view mode.
3. Click on the Button2 node.

4. Double-click on the Click node to start typing script code for the Click event
for Button2.
A context sensitive name completion feature (IntelliSense) can be activated
during typing with Ctrl + [Spacebar] and it triggers automatically when a
period (‘.’) is typed after a code element.

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 Script

5. Type the following as the click event code:

C# code on the Script tab:

11.3 Running Script

1. Run the project.
2. Click on the Write Test button and check that the text string assigned with the
script code now appears in the text box.

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 Internal Tags

12 Internal Tags
Internal tags can be used to calculate values that need not be represented in the
controller, for example information only for the operator.

Objective:
• Writing a script to perform a calculation of the area using the length and width
tags.
• Showing the result with an internal tag.

12.1 Adding Internal Tags

• Click on Tags in the Project Explorer.
The tags configuration page opens on the desktop.

12.1.1 Area Tag

• Add a tag and label it “Area”. Change the data type to FLOAT. The data type
for this tag and the following tag is set for the tag; not for the controller.

12.1.2 Calculation Tag

• Add a tag and label it “Calc” and select the data type BIT.

Leaving the Controllers column empty keeps the tag internal, not connected
to a controller.
• Switch to the Script view mode and locate the Calc tag. Click on the Calc tag
node and double-click to open the Value Change node.
To access data and methods in C# control code the keyword “Globals” is used.
The example uses explicit type casting (“(double)”), which is necessary for an
overloaded operator (multiplication).

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 Internal Tags

• Calculate the area in the Value Change node:

12.2 Creating an Analog Numeric

1. Open Screen4 for editing. Place an Analog Numeric object below the set of
sliders for the recipe tags, clear from the rectangle object.
2. Right-click on the analog numeric and connect it to the Area tag.
3. Keep the object selected, select Decimal for Display Format and set Number
of Decimals to 2 on the General ribbon tab.

4. Use a Text object to place an explaining text (e.g. “Area:”) in connection with
the analog numeric object.

12.2.1 Calculation Trigger

1. Open Screen4 for editing. Select the Rectangle object.
2. Go to the Actions tab and select Toggle Tag, located in the Controller group,
from the drop-down list for the MouseDown action. Select the Calc tag.

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 Internal Tags

12.3 Running Internal Tags Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test to set the sliders to various values. Click on the dynamic rectangle area
and observe the change of the Analog Numeric control.

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 Object Browser

13 Object Browser
An overview of all objects included in a screen can be displayed in the Object
Browser.

Objective:
• Positioning objects in depth
• Locking objects
• Making objects invisible

13.1 Adding a Graphical Element

1. Open Screen4 for editing.
2. Select the Rectangle from the Objects group of the Home ribbon tab.
3. Resize the rectangle to fit as background of the group of sliders and buttons.
The rectangle now totally obscures the other objects.

13.2 Using the Object Browser

1. Select Object Browser from the View ribbon tab.
2. Click the Send object backward button while the rectangle is selected until
all the buttons and sliders are visible.

3. Click the Lock button while the rectangle is selected.

4. Try to move the rectangle on the screen by dragging it.
The object is locked and cannot be moved. It cannot be selected in any way.
5. Select one of the buttons and click the Visibility button.
The button is hidden. But if the project is run in iX Runtime, the object will
show as normal.

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 Multiple Texts

14 Multiple Texts
Text objects can be used to display textual information, and can also reflect
changes in controller tags.

Objective:
• Presenting a variant text message that reflects the changes of the calculated area.

14.1 Configuring Texts

1. Open Screen4 for editing. Select the Text object labeled “Area:” and click on
the General tab.
2. Click on Configure Texts in the Text group. Connect the text to the Area tag.
3. Add text strings and edit the intervals according to the example below.

With the default setting for the text object, Autosize, there is no need to adjust
the object in order to make the longest string fit in runtime.

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 Multiple Texts

14.2 Running Multiple Texts Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test to set the sliders to various values. Click on the dynamic rectangle and
observe the change of the analog numeric control. Check that the text is
updated as well.

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 Security

15 Security
Access to objects and actions in the project can be limited using security groups
and user passwords.

Objective:
• Adding user names and setting passwords.
• Setting up login and logout control.
• Restricting access of recipe handling.

15.1 Security Configuration

• Click on Security in the Project Explorer to open the configuration page.

15.1.1 Security Groups

Security is handled by dividing users into security groups. These are configured on
the Groups tab. In this example, the two default security groups, Administrators
and Operators, are used.

15.1.2 Users
1. Select the Users tab on the Security configuration page.
2. Add a user that belongs to both security groups; Administrators and
Operators.
3. Add another user that belongs to Operators group only.

Note:
The password is converted to asterisks as you leave the password input cell.

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 Security

15.2 Login Behavior on Access Denied

A login dialog can be displayed whenever a user tries to access an object that is
restricted for the user group that the user belongs to.
1. Select the Users tab, and click the Settings button.
2. Select Show Login Dialog for action on access denied, and Normal for
visibility.

15.3 Creating a Logout Button

1. Open Screen3 (the background screen) for editing.
2. Place a button next to the “Start Screen” button. Label the button “Logout”.
3. Select Logout, located in the Security group, from the drop-down list for the
Click action.

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 Security

15.4 Object Security

1. Open Screen4 for editing.

15.4.1 Administrators
1. Right-click on the Save Recipe button and select Administrators for Select
Security Groups.

15.4.2 Users
1. Right-click on the Load Recipe button and select Operators for Select
Security Groups.

15.5 Running Security Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test to make sure that it is no longer possible to load or save recipes without
logging in, and that the login dialog opens when any of the buttons are
pressed.
3. Login as Administrator and save a recipe.
4. Test to load a recipe.
The login dialog opens.
5. Login as User1 and load a recipe.
6. Test to save a recipe.
The login dialog opens.
7. Login as SuperUser. Test to save and load recipes.

8. Log out.
9. Test that it is no longer possible to load or save recipes.

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 Function Keys

16 Function Keys
Function keys can be used to perform actions and execute scripts. This allows
operator control of data and screen functionality independent of which screen
is active.
Function keys can also be configured as local function keys, which means that they
are applicable individual screens. In this example, global function keys are used.

Objective:
• Programming actions for function keys to change screen, set controller tag values,
recipe management and display the login dialog.
• Programming function keys to execute scripts.

16.1 Defining Function Key Actions

1. Click on Function Keys on the Insert ribbon tab.

16.1.1 Show Screen

1. Click on ... under Action on the row for function key F1 to open the
Properties dialog. Click Add and select Show Start Screen, located in the
Screen group, from the New Action dialog.

2. Click on the row for function key F2. Select Show Screen as action, and
Screen2 from the screen drop-down list.

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 Function Keys

3. Set up function key F3 to show Screen4.

16.1.2 Security
• Click on the row for function key F4. Select Login, located in the Security
group, as action.

16.1.3 Setting Controller Tag Values

1. Click on the row for function key F5. Select Set Analog as action, located in
the Controller group, and the Weight tag from the Select Tag drop-down list.
Specify the analog value 50.
2. Set up function keys F6 and F7 to control the Length and Width tags.

16.1.4 Recipe
• Set up function key F8 to load Recipe1, and function key F9 to save Recipe1.
Leave Recipe data empty.

16.1.5 Setting Time Zone, Region and

Daylight Saving
• Set up function keys F10 to set time zone, region and daylight saving. The
action is located in the Other group.

Show Start Screen

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 Function Keys

16.2 Defining Function Key Scripts

Function keys can also be used to trigger scripts.

16.2.1 Area Calculation

Program a function key with the area calculation for the rectangle object:
1. Click on the row for function key F11. Select Script view mode by clicking on
the Script tab at the bottom of the screen.
2. Click on the F11 node, and double-click on its KeyDown node.
3. Calculate the area on the KeyDown event with this code:

Using a function key script eliminates the need for the separate trigger tag
(Calc).

16.2.2 Acknowledge All Alarms

Program a function key with an “Acknowledge All” for alarms:
1. Select the KeyDown node for function key F12.
2. Type the following KeyDown event code:

C# code in the script tab:

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 Function Keys

16.3 Running Function Key Test

1. Run the project.
2. Test that the defined functions keys (on the PC keyboard) perform the defined
actions.

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 Cross Reference

17 Cross Reference
The Cross Reference tool provides an overview of where a specific tag is used in
the current project.

Objective:
• Locating all occurrences of a specific tag quickly.

17.1 Using the Cross Reference Tool

1. Select the MeterAndSlider tag in the Tags configuration page, and click the
Cross Reference button.
The Cross Reference tool is displayed.

2. Double-click on the first item in the list.

The Alarm Server configuration page opens on the desktop.
3. Double-click on the third item in the list.
Screen1 opens on the desktop, and Slider1 is selected.

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