Rockwell Automation 2706-ND1 DL40 OFFLINE PROGRAMMING SFTWR.USER MANUAL User Manual
Page 57
Chapter 5
The Develop Menu
5 – 12
More about variables
You can send variables to the DL40 from a PLC or via the Parallel Input
Port. Variables can be sent to message only in the Message/Variable/Slave or
Message/Variable Run Modes. You can insert variables by using the
[CTRL]
key in combination with a letter. Commands to add or modify variables
include:
Command
Function
[CTRL][V]
Insert a BCD or binary variable
[CTRL][F]
Change the formatting parameters of a variable
[CTRL]W]
Insert ASCII or BCD variable data
[CTRL][X]
Insert request for ASCII input data
[CTRL][T]
Insert the system time into a message
[CTRL][Y]
Insert the system date into a message
The number of variables you can insert in any one message depends upon
your hardware and the Run Mode you have chosen.
Insert Formatted Variable With
[CTRL][V]
Use
[CTRL][V]
to insert a BCD or binary variable into a message. Specify
the variable type.
When you press
[CTRL][V]
, the software will ask you to enter 3 parameters:
Parameter
Acceptable values
Variable Size
1 to 7 (including decimal point)
Decimal Point Position
(number of placed after the
decimal point)
0 to 6 (the maximum value is one less than the
variable size selected above)
Suppress Zeroes
(appearing in front of the
first significant digit)
Yes or No
The variable symbol _____
S____ will appear in your message at the
variable’s location.
The difference between a formatted variable entered with
[CTRL][V]
and an
unformatted variable entered with
[CTRL][W]
lies in the flexibility provided
by the ability to modify the parameters shown above.
Note that neither AutoRun Messages or Background Messages support
inserted variable data.
Change Formatted Variable With
[CTRL][F]
Use
[CTRL][F]
to change the formatting parameters of a variable. To do so,
place the cursor under the symbol for the variable you want to change, then