Creating a VCP Indicator Button

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simmonds
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:15 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: No
Allin1DC CNC Controller: Yes
Oak CNC controller: Yes
CNC Control System Serial Number: A900196
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No

Creating a VCP Indicator Button

Post by simmonds »

In the VCP 2.0 Users Manual there is a section describing how to create a button that indicated the state of a PLC memory location. I would like to have a VCP button that clearly states if my Fiber LASER in in a fault condition.

I mapped Acron's INPUT2 to "SpindleOK" using the Wizard and connected the LASER's fault output to that input. This works just as expected within the CNC12 program: input 2 going high generates SPINDLE FAULT!

But I cannot find any memory location that change with the state of that input. I have tried hooking the button state to MEM224 (SpindleOK IS MEM224) and also MEM536 (SpindleFault_M IS MEM536) buy these memory locatons are not affected by the state of the input.

One could argue that simply seeing the text SPINDLE FAULT! is a pretty clear indicator, and I can live with that. But I would like to understand what I am missing here. I would like to have this capability available for monitoring other things.

I have successfully created a number of "laser specific" VCP buttons that toggle relay outputs and this has all worked just as described in the VCP Manual.

A current report is attached.
Attachments
report_E062345D4517-0812215057_2021-09-14_14-22-43.zip
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Allin1Chris
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:53 pm
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CNC11: Yes
CPU10 or CPU7: Yes

Re: Creating a VCP Indicator Button

Post by Allin1Chris »

Hi Simmonds,

SpindleFault_M is effected by the Input state of SpindleOK. It will however latch to (ON) once the input is seen to be Off until the E-Stop is cycled. This Memory bit is to put the system into a fault state and requires a Cycle of the Reset or Estop to clear it, so it is not an echo of the input state.

The VCP also supports directly looking at the input as well as the memory and output. This may be closer to what you are looking for.

Code: Select all

<vcp_button>
   <plc_input> “use this tag to let the VCP know we are linking this button to input location”
      <number>2</number> “use this tag to let the VCP know which input location to watch”
      <image_on>laser_no_fault.svg</image_on> “use this tag to let the VCP know which images to use”
      <image_off>laser_faulted.svg</image_off>
   </plc_input>
</vcp_button>
Page 15 of the VCP 2.0 Manual covers this and seems to be almost exactly what you are looking for.
https://www.centroidcnc.com/centroid_di ... manual.pdf
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simmonds
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:15 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: No
Allin1DC CNC Controller: Yes
Oak CNC controller: Yes
CNC Control System Serial Number: A900196
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No

Re: Creating a VCP Indicator Button

Post by simmonds »

Thanks for your advice.
That will be much less confusing than trying to figure out what the vast PLC logic is doing with memory locations.
I had read page 15 but then forgot about using inputs and latched onto the example that discussed using memory locations instead. My error.
You also mentioned that one could link directly to outputs, presumably using <vcp_button><plc_output> .... Thanks for that information.
simmonds
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:15 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: No
Allin1DC CNC Controller: Yes
Oak CNC controller: Yes
CNC Control System Serial Number: A900196
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No

Re: Creating a VCP Indicator Button

Post by simmonds »

Just made the changes on two buttons to watch inputs instead of memory. Button images instantly followed inputs. Perfect!
Thanks again Allin1Chris.
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