3BSE069489-602 - en Panel 800 Version 6 Panel Builder Programming and Installation 6.0-2

Compact Product Suite
Panel 800 Version 6

Panel Builder
Programming and Installation
Version 6.0-2
Panel 800 Version 6 - Panel Builder
Version 6.0-2
Programming and Installation

NOTICE
This document contains information about one or more ABB products and may include a
description of or a reference to one or more standards that may be generally relevant to the
ABB products. ABB may have one or more patents or pending patent applications protecting
the intellectual property in the ABB product(s) described in this publication. The presence of
any such description of a standard or reference to a standard is not a representation that all of
the ABB products referenced in this document support all of the features of the described or
referenced standard. In order to determine the specific features supported by a particular ABB
product, the reader should consult the product specifications for the particular ABB product.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be
construed as a commitment by ABB. ABB assumes no responsibility for any errors that may
appear in this document.
In no event shall ABB be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential
damages of any nature or kind arising from the use of this document, nor shall ABB be
liable for incidental or consequential damages arising from use of any software or hardware
described in this document.
This document and parts thereof must not be reproduced or copied without written permission
from ABB, and the contents thereof must not be imparted to a third party nor used for any
unauthorized purpose.
The software or hardware described in this document is furnished under a license and may be
used, copied, or disclosed only in accordance with the terms of such license.
This product meets the requirements specified in EMC Directive 2004/108/EC and in Low
Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC.
TRADEMARKS
All rights to copyrights, registered trademarks, and trademarks reside with their respective
owners.
Copyright © 2012–2014 ABB.

All rights reserved.
Release: October 2014

Document number: 3BSE069489-602
Contents
CONTENTS
Section 1 - The Configuration Tool

Introduction ........................................................................... 17
Warning, Caution, Information, and Tip Icons ............................... 18
Controller ......................................................................... 19
Tags ............................................................................... 19
System Requirements and Limitations ........................................ 20
Getting Started ................................................................... 22
Installation ....................................................................... 25
Configured Features ............................................................. 25
Project ............................................................................ 25
File Structure ..................................................................... 26
Section 2 - Working with Projects

Creating a Project ..................................................................... 29
Connecting to a Controller ..................................................... 29
Designing a Screen Set ......................................................... 30
Designing Additional Functions ............................................... 30
Importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5 Project ................................ 33
Optimizing Performance ............................................................. 34
Communication Performance .................................................. 34
Communication Design ......................................................... 35
Performance in the operator panel ............................................. 36
Moving Objects with the Touch Screen ............................................ 38
Operate Objects .................................................................. 39
Peripherals ............................................................................. 40
USB ............................................................................... 40
Ethernet ........................................................................... 40
Memory Card .................................................................... 40
Section 3 - Development Environment

Starting Panel Builder ................................................................ 41
3BSE069489-602 5
Contents
Creating a New Project ......................................................... 42

Opening a Project ............................................................... 45
Getting Familiar with Panel Builder .......................................... 46
Starting Panel Builder from the Command Line ............................. 49
File Menu ......................................................................... 49
Quick Access Toolbar ........................................................... 56
Ribbon Tabs ...................................................................... 57
Additional Properties ........................................................... 57
Desktop Area .......................................................................... 58
Screen View in Desktop Area .................................................. 58
Desktop View Modes ........................................................... 61
Positioning Windows ........................................................... 66
Configuration Pages ............................................................. 68
Screens ................................................................................. 71
Screen Name and Screen Title ................................................. 72
Background Screen .............................................................. 72
Startup Screen ................................................................... 75
Screen Template ................................................................. 75
Screen Security .................................................................. 75
Popup Screen .................................................................... 76
Preloading Screens .............................................................. 77
Importing Screens ............................................................... 77
Grid ............................................................................... 78
Objects ................................................................................. 79
Handling Objects ................................................................ 79
Navigation Manager .................................................................. 85
Screen Relations ................................................................. 85
Add Screen ....................................................................... 86
Links in the Navigation Manager .............................................. 86
Navigation Overview ........................................................... 86
Project Explorer ....................................................................... 87
Project Explorer Groups ........................................................ 88
Component Library ................................................................... 93
Components ...................................................................... 93
Add and Use Components ...................................................... 94
Component Library Window ................................................... 95
Property Grid .......................................................................... 100
Search ............................................................................. 100
Toggling views ................................................................... 101
Favorites .......................................................................... 101
Copy Properties .................................................................. 101
6 3BSE069489-602
Contents
Object Browser ....................................................................... 102

Output .................................................................................. 103
Error List .............................................................................. 103
Help .................................................................................... 103
Section 4 - Tags
Adding Tags ........................................................................... 105
Removing Unused Tags ......................................................... 106
Basic Settings .................................................................... 110
Scaling ............................................................................ 112
Data Exchange ................................................................... 112
Others ............................................................................. 112
Adding Tags during Editing .................................................... 114
Selecting Multiple Tags ......................................................... 114
Tag Actions ............................................................................ 115
Internal Tags ........................................................................... 116
System Tags ........................................................................... 117
Array Tags ............................................................................. 119
Array Tag Set Up ................................................................ 120
Cross Reference ....................................................................... 121
Triggers ................................................................................ 121
Poll Groups ............................................................................ 122
Station Handling ...................................................................... 123
Index Registers ........................................................................ 125
Index Addressing Example ..................................................... 126
Using Index Registers for Station Handling .................................. 130
Expressions ............................................................................ 132
Definition ......................................................................... 132
Using Expressions ............................................................... 132
Library Expressions ............................................................. 134
Limitations ....................................................................... 134
Data Exchange ........................................................................ 135
Importing and Exporting Tags ....................................................... 139
Handling Columns .............................................................. 139
Saving the Import Configuration .............................................. 140
Tag Import Example ............................................................ 140
Importing Tags from the Command Line ..................................... 144
Filtering Tags .......................................................................... 145
Tag Format ............................................................................ 146
Aliases ................................................................................. 148
3BSE069489-602 7
Contents
Creating Aliases ................................................................. 148

Instances .......................................................................... 149
Section 5 - Controller
Adding a Controller .................................................................. 153
Notify Window .................................................................. 155
DEMO Controller ..................................................................... 155
External OPC Server ................................................................. 155
OPC Classic Client .............................................................. 156
OPC UA Client .................................................................. 156
Updating Drivers ...................................................................... 159
Updating Drivers from Internet ................................................ 159
Updating Drivers from File .................................................... 160
Synchronizing the Controller Clock ................................................ 161
Section 6 - Web Server

Web Server Configuration ........................................................... 163
Web Site Configuration ......................................................... 163
Login Form ....................................................................... 163
Javascript SDK ........................................................................ 165
Javascript SDK Overview ...................................................... 165
Web Service API ...................................................................... 177
RESTful Web Service API ..................................................... 177
General ........................................................................... 177
REST API ........................................................................ 178
Section 7 - Objects
Blinking Objects ...................................................................... 185
Limitations for operator panel Targets ........................................ 186
Shapes .................................................................................. 186
HMI Controls ......................................................................... 187
Action Menu Object ............................................................. 188
Alarm Viewer Object ........................................................... 190
Analog Numeric Object ........................................................ 190
Animated GIF .................................................................... 193
Animated Label Object ......................................................... 194
Audit Trail Viewer Object ...................................................... 195
Button Object .................................................................... 195
8 3BSE069489-602
Contents
Circular Meter Object .......................................................... 199

Chart Object ...................................................................... 202
Database Viewer Object ....................................................... 206
Digital Clock Object ............................................................ 207
Linear Meter Object ............................................................. 207
Multi Picture Object ............................................................. 210
Picture Object .................................................................... 210
Roller Panel Object .............................................................. 211
Slider Object ..................................................................... 213
Text Object ....................................................................... 215
Touch Combo Box Object ...................................................... 215
Touch List Box Object .......................................................... 217
Trend Viewer Object ............................................................ 218
Media Controls ........................................................................ 218
Media Player Object ............................................................ 219
PDF Viewer Object .............................................................. 220
Web Browser Object ............................................................ 221
Special Controls ....................................................................... 222
Navigation List Box Object .................................................... 223
Screen Carousel Object ......................................................... 224
Debug Tools ........................................................................... 226
Alarm Distributor Viewer Object .............................................. 227
Windows Controls .................................................................... 227
Check Box Object ............................................................... 227
Combo Box Object .............................................................. 228
Group Box Object ............................................................... 230
List Box Object .................................................................. 230
Progress Bar Object ............................................................. 231
Radio Button Object ............................................................ 231
Text Box Object ................................................................. 234
Additional Controls ................................................................... 234
Target Platform .................................................................. 235
Adding Controls to the Panel Builder Toolbox .............................. 236
Default Controls and Installed Controls ...................................... 238
WPF Controls ......................................................................... 239
WPF User Controls .............................................................. 239
WPF Custom Controls .......................................................... 239
Creating a WPF User Control with Tag Connection ........................ 240
Creating a Windows Forms User Control for a PC Target .................. 243
Creating a Windows Forms User Control for a CE Target .................. 246
3BSE069489-602 9
Contents
Section 8 - Ribbon Tabs

Home Ribbon Tab .................................................................... 250
Clipboard Group ................................................................. 250
Screen Group .................................................................... 251
Objects Group ................................................................... 253
Object Variations ................................................................ 253
Font Group ....................................................................... 256
Format Group .................................................................... 257
Tag/Security Group ............................................................. 261
Name Group ..................................................................... 262
Project Ribbon Tab ................................................................... 263
Run Group ........................................................................ 263
Transfer Group ................................................................... 265
Project Group .................................................................... 270
System Ribbon Tab ................................................................... 281
Date, Time, and Region Group ................................................ 282
Buzzer Group .................................................................... 283
Backlight Group ................................................................. 283
Serial Ports Group ............................................................... 284
Servers Group .................................................................... 284
Output Devices Group .......................................................... 288
Service Menu Group ............................................................ 293
Insert Ribbon Tab ..................................................................... 294
Functions Group ................................................................. 294
View Ribbon Tab ..................................................................... 295
Windows Group ................................................................. 295
Dynamics Ribbon Tab ................................................................ 296
Layout Group .................................................................... 297
Color Group ...................................................................... 300
General Group ................................................................... 301
General Ribbon Tab .................................................................. 310
Actions Ribbon Tab .................................................................. 311
Click Action Trigger ............................................................ 312
Mouse Button Action Triggers ................................................. 312
Function Key Action Triggers ................................................. 313
Value Changed Action Triggers ................................................ 313
Focus Action Triggers .......................................................... 313
Navigation Action Triggers .................................................... 313
Data Logger Action Triggers ................................................... 314
Alarm Server Action Triggers ................................................. 314
Action Groups ................................................................... 314
10 3BSE069489-602
Contents
Script Action ..................................................................... 320

Multiple Actions ................................................................. 321
Section 9 - Trend Viewer

Defining Trend Viewer Objects ..................................................... 323
Adding a Trend Viewer Object ................................................ 323
Trend Viewer Legend ........................................................... 326
Historical Mode in Trend Viewer ................................................... 327
Section 10 - Data Logger

Data Logging Strategies ............................................................. 330
Logging Based on Time Interval .............................................. 330
Logging Based on Changed Tag Value ....................................... 330
Adding a Data Logger ................................................................ 330
General Settings ................................................................. 332
Actions ............................................................................ 333
Section 11 - Scheduler
Scheduler Set Up ..................................................................... 335
Adding a Scheduler ............................................................. 335
Section 12 - Reports
Reports Template Set up ............................................................. 337
Limitations ....................................................................... 337
Database Driven Reports ....................................................... 338
Reports Set Up ........................................................................ 339
Adding a Report ...................................................................... 339
Section 13 - Recipe Management

Recipe Setup .......................................................................... 341
Adding a Recipe Manager ...................................................... 341
Recipes in the Panel 800 Version 6 ................................................. 343
Loading Recipes ................................................................. 343
Saving Recipes ................................................................... 343
Creating Recipes in the Panel 800 Version 6 ................................. 344
Editing Recipes Offline ......................................................... 344
3BSE069489-602 11
Contents
Recipe Export ......................................................................... 345

Recipe Export from an operator panel Target ................................ 346
Recipe Export from a PC Target ............................................... 347
Recipe Import ......................................................................... 348
Recipe Import to an Panel 800 Version 6 Target ............................. 349
Recipe Import to a PC Target .................................................. 350
Section 14 - Function Keys

Definitions ............................................................................. 351
Keyboard Operated Panels ..................................................... 351
Configuring Function Keys .......................................................... 356
Function Key Actions ........................................................... 356
Function Key Scripts ............................................................ 358
Momentary Function ............................................................ 359
Section 15 - Alarm Management

Alarm Conditions ..................................................................... 361
Alarm Server .......................................................................... 362
General Settings ................................................................. 363
Alarm Server Events and Actions ............................................. 364
Alarm Distribution Settings .................................................... 366
Alarm Indicator ....................................................................... 367
Alarm Items ........................................................................... 368
Exporting and Importing Alarm Items ........................................ 370
Alarm Groups ......................................................................... 370
Defining Alarm Groups ......................................................... 370
Actions and Events for Alarm Items and Alarm Groups ......................... 371
Actions and Events .............................................................. 372
Example .......................................................................... 372
Remote Alarm Server ................................................................ 373
Remote Alarm Server Limitations ............................................. 373
Remote Alarm Server Properties .............................................. 374
Remote Alarm Client ........................................................... 374
Alarm Distributor ..................................................................... 375
Alarm Distribution Roles ....................................................... 376
Adding an Alarm Distributor ................................................... 377
Configure Distribution Devices ................................................ 382
Alarm Distributor Viewer ............................................................ 386
Alarm Viewer ......................................................................... 386
12 3BSE069489-602
Contents
Buttons Group ................................................................... 387

Display Settings Group ......................................................... 387
Alarm Viewer Commands ...................................................... 388
Alarm Management in Runtime ..................................................... 388
Alarm Acknowledgement ...................................................... 388
Sorting ............................................................................ 389
Filtering ........................................................................... 389
Play/Pause Button ............................................................... 389
Info Button ....................................................................... 390
Alarm Viewer in Keyboard Operated Panels ................................. 390
Modifying Alarm Distribution Settings in Runtime ......................... 391
Section 16 - Security Management

General Security Settings ............................................................ 393
Password Rules Properties ..................................................... 394
Security Groups ....................................................................... 395
Creating Security Groups ....................................................... 395
Users ................................................................................... 396
Logging In and Logging Out ................................................... 397
Object Security and Visibility ....................................................... 398
Section 17 - Language Management

Setting Up Multiple Languages ..................................................... 399
Adding Languages .............................................................. 399
System Texts .......................................................................... 401
User Texts ............................................................................. 403
Text ID ................................................................................. 403
Text ID Browser ................................................................. 404
Automatic Translation ................................................................ 408
Exporting Languages ................................................................. 409
Importing Languages ................................................................. 410
Hebrew Language .................................................................... 412
Section 18 - Audit Trail

Logging Strategies .................................................................... 413
Using the Audit Trail Function ...................................................... 413
Audit Trail Description ......................................................... 415
Audit Trail Viewer .................................................................... 415
3BSE069489-602 13
Contents
Audit Trail Export .................................................................... 416

Audit Trail Export from an Panel 800 Version 6 Target ..................... 416
Audit Trail Export from a PC Target .......................................... 417
Section 19 - Text Library

Connecting Objects to Text Library Texts ......................................... 420
Exporting and Importing Text Library Texts ...................................... 421
Section 20 - Database Export

Setting up Database Export .......................................................... 423
Database Export from operator panel Target ................................. 424
Database Export from PC Target .............................................. 424
Section 21 - Panel 800 Version 6 System Software

Welcome Screen ...................................................................... 427
Service Menu .......................................................................... 428
Service Menu in an Empty Panel .............................................. 428
Service Menu in PP87x/PP88x Panels ........................................ 428
Service Menu Options .......................................................... 428
Panel 800 Version 6 Upgrade ........................................................ 430
Requirements .................................................................... 430
Transfer Image ................................................................... 430
Section 22 - Multiple Controllers

Adding a Controller .................................................................. 433
Addressing ....................................................................... 434
Examples ......................................................................... 435
Section 23 - Troubleshooting
Project Build Failure ................................................................. 437
Backup Project Issues ................................................................ 437
Invalid Names ......................................................................... 437
Adobe Reader not Recognized ...................................................... 438
Expression Cannot Be Found ........................................................ 438
Performance Issue Related to Graphics Card ...................................... 438
Error Related to Third Party Controls .............................................. 439
14 3BSE069489-602
Contents
Performance Issue When Navigating in Script Tree View ...................... 439
3BSE069489-602 15
Contents
16 3BSE069489-602
Section 1 The Configuration Tool
Introduction
The Panel Builder software is used to configure operator panels PP871, PP874/874K
PP877/877K, PP882, PP885, PP893, and PP896 from ABB.
Panel Builder 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 Panel Builder 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.
The help file assumes that the most recent versions of the system program (image)
and Panel Builder are used.
Version Description User Documentation

6.0-0 Initial release of the Panel 800 Version 6 3BSE069489-600
6.0-1 — Added support for panels PP882 and PP885 3BSE069489-601
— Added Alarm MMS driver
— Bugfixes
6.0-2 — Added support for panels PP893 and PP896 3BSE069489-602
— Added support for keyboard operated panels
PP874K and PP877K
— Added support for PC dongles
— Bugfixes
3BSE069489-602 17
Introduction Section 1 The Configuration Tool
Warning, Caution, Information, and Tip Icons

This publication includes Warning, Caution, and Information where appropriate to
point out safety related or other important information. It also includes Tip to point
out useful hints to the reader. The corresponding symbols should be interpreted as
follows:
Electrical warning icon indicates the presence of a hazard which could

result in electrical shock.
Warning icon indicates the presence of a hazard which could result in

personal injury.
Caution icon indicates important information or warning related to

the concept discussed in the text. It might indicate the presence of
a hazard which could result in corruption of software or damage to
equipment/property.
Information icon alerts the reader to pertinent facts and conditions.
Tip icon indicates advice on, for example, how to design your project
or how to use a certain function.
Although Warning hazards are related to personal injury, and Caution hazards
are associated with equipment or property damage, it should be understood that
operation of damaged equipment could, under certain operational conditions, result
in degraded process performance leading to personal injury or death. Therefore,
fully comply with all Warning and Caution notices.
18 3BSE069489-602
Section 1 The Configuration Tool Introduction
Controller
Panel 800 Version 6 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.
Related information
Controller
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.
Related information
Tags
3BSE069489-602 19
System Requirements and Limitations
Panel Builder
Panel Builder System Requirements
Parameter Recommendation
RAM 2 GB
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Operating system Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP SP3 1
Graphics card Tier 2:

DirectX version: 9.0 or higher
Video RAM: 120MB or higher
Pixel shader: version level 2.0 or higher
Vertex shader: version level 2.0 or higher
Multitexture units: 4 or more
(1)From 2014 Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows XP. This might result in limited support in Panel Builder.
It is recommended to always install the latest .NET Framework update.
Updates
Software, drivers and protocols may have been updated since the DVD was
produced. Therefore, it is recommended that you use the built-in update function in
Panel Builder before creating a project.
Related information
Update Software
Updating Drivers
20 3BSE069489-602
Panel 800 Runtime

Panel 800 Runtime System Requirements
Parameter Recommendation
RAM 1 GB
Processor 1.3 GHz or higher
Operating system Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP SP3 1
Graphics card Tier 2:

DirectX version: 9.0 or higher
Video RAM: 120MB or higher
Pixel shader: version level 2.0 or higher
Vertex shader: version level 2.0 or higher
Multitexture units: 4 or more
(1) From 2014 Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows XP. This might result in limited support in Panel 800
Runtime.
Updating Panel 800 Runtime in an operator panel

Panel 800 Runtime is pre-loaded in every operator panel on delivery. If necessary,
this could be upgraded to a newer version using the Image Loader application.
Related information
Panel 800 Version 6 System Software
Special Requirements for Some Objects

For some objects to be included in the Panel Builder project, specific software
versions are required. Simulation of the project on the engineering PC may also be
limited for some targets.
3BSE069489-602 21
Object Minimum Simulation on Simulation on

requirement PC target panel target
Media Player Windows Media Supported Not supported
Player 10
PDF Viewer Acrobat Reader 9 Supported Not supported
Web Browser Microsoft Internet Supported Not supported
Explorer 7
Limitations for Keyboard Operated Panels

Some functions and objects are not supported for keyboard operated panels:
Limitations for keyboard operated panels

Action Menu object PDF Viewer object
Address Book actions Roller Panel object
Alarm Distributor Server actions Trend Viewer Legend tool
Database Viewer object Touch Combo Box object
Filter dialog in Alarm Viewer object Touch List Box object
Media Player object Web Browser object
Output Devices actions -
Getting Started
Panel Builder is installed on a engineering PC, where projects are developed,
designed and compiled. The project is then run in an operator panel or PC to observe
and control a controller (or a group of controllers).
Target
Panel Builder projects can be targeted for
• An operator panel from ABB
• A keyboard operated panel from ABB.
• A PC (Industrial PC) from ABB
22 3BSE069489-602
• A standard PC with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3, Microsoft Windows

Vista or Microsoft Windows 7
To enhance readability, only operator panel will be mentioned sometimes, when all
different targets actually could be included.
In the manual Panel Builder is described as if this was intended specifically for
development of touch panel projects. However, the information is applicable also for
configuration of keyboard operated panels, unless stated otherwise.
The functions in Panel Builder depend on the model of operator panel used.
Some differences exist between the targets, for example:
Support on operator
Item Support on PC target panel target
Media Player Supported
Not supported on PP87x
PDF Viewer Supported
panels
Web Browser Supported
Navigation List Box Supported
Screen Carousel Supported
Drop down shadow Supported
Not supported on PP87x /
effect
PP88x panels
Rounded corners Supported
on rectangle
Opacity Supported
Report Supported Reports containing charts
and pictures can not be
printed from an operator
panel target
Dynamics All dynamic settings are Some dynamic settings
supported are not supported on
PP87x / PP88x panels,
e.g. background color for
button, trend viewer and
3BSE069489-602 23
Support on operator
Item Support on PC target panel target
meter, and min/max values
for meter
The models PP874K and PP877K are keyboard operated panel versions based on PP87x, and the same Panel Builder
items as for PP87x are supported, unless stated otherwise.
License
A project for an operator panel can be used without any restrictions imposed by
licensing.
A limited number of controller tags are available for a standard PC project. The
number of tags is controlled by a USB hardware dongle.
The number of used controller tags (including DEMO controller tags) is shown in
the lower right of the desktop. The figures will turn red if the number of used tags
becomes greater than the number of available tags.
There are no license restrictions for internal tags.
Related information
Internal Tags
DEMO Controller
Product Registration
The first time Panel Builder is started, a registration dialog is displayed. Entering
the registration key provides unlimited access to all program functionality and
software updates.
Alternatively, select to continue using a trial version of the software. You may
evaluate Panel Builder with full functionality for 30 days. When the evaluation
period has expired, it will still be possible to use the software, but the functions in
the Run and Transfer groups will be disabled.
Project Size
The project size is shown in the lower right of the desktop area when designing an
operator panel project. The size was calculated at the latest validation.
24 3BSE069489-602
Installation
The Panel Builder software is supplied on a DVD. Double click on the file setup.exe
found on the DVD, and follow the instructions to install Panel Builder.
The installation creates an icon for Panel Builder in the group named Panel Builder.
Click on Start/All Programs/ABB Industrial IT/Panel 800/Panel Builder to
start Panel Builder.
Installation of Panel 800 Runtime

To install Panel 800 Runtime on a PC, insert the Panel Builder DVD and select to
install Panel 800 Runtime. To run the program, a dongle is required that is supplied
by ABB.
Panel Builder can not be run on the same PC as Panel 800 Runtime.
Configured Features
Panel Builder offers the possibility to add customer-specific features in the program.
This is done through the use of registration keys that are entered after the Panel
Builder software installation has been done.
Related information
About
Project
The top folder for a specific application designed with Panel Builder is referred
to as the project folder.
During runtime, project database files can be updated, for example with new recipes.
This means that to completely reproduce a project that has been in operation, it may
be necessary to combine source files with files retrieved from the operator panel.
3BSE069489-602 25
File Structure
A project contains a set of files related to the functional and graphical design and
a set of files related to the runtime operation of the project, where the latter is
compiled from the design files.
Project Folder
When a new project is created, a folder with the project name is created as the
top-level container, the Project folder. The files that define the functional and
graphical design reside in the top level of the project folder. Other folders are created
as a result of validation and build.
Symbols
Pictures that are used in projects are converted to .png files when the project is
validated.
Pictures are resized to the largest static usage in any of the project screens, in order to
save memory space in the panel. If a picture is enlarged in runtime using dynamics,
the enlarged picture will have a lower effective resolution.
Project pictures are stored in the Symbols folder as a compressed folder named
Symbols.zip.
Temp
The Temp folder contains intermediate build files from project compilation.
The Temp folder also includes the Output folder. The Output folder contains all
files needed to run the project in the target. These files are copied to an operator
panel when the Transfer command is used. For a PC, the Transfer to folder
command is used to copy the necessary files to a USB stick to the runtime PC via
a network connection.
It is necessary to open ports in the firewall for the runtime PC application.
Moving Design Files

To move the project files needed for the design:
1. Create a new folder for the project design files.
26 3BSE069489-602
2. Copy all single files (files not included in any folders) as well as all folders,
except the Temp folder, in the project folder.
3. Paste the files in the new folder.
Moving Application Project

The runtime project can be downloaded to the operator panel using the transfer or
export commands, but can also be moved manually:
1. Create the new folder for the project files.
2. Copy the Output folder.
3. Paste it in the new folder.
Database
The database used for Panel Builder projects is of SQL Server Compact Edition type.
The contents of the database can be managed with third-party database management
tools. Panel Builder includes a database viewer object that can be used to display
database contents in runtime.
The database is initially transferred to the operator panel using the transfer command.
The database will only be updated if there are changes made in the project that
affects the database contents, for example:
• Changed or added recipes
• Changed or added data loggers
• Changes to alarm handling
• Changed or added trend viewers
A copy of the database can be made with the Upload Database command. Some of
the databases can be exported individually in csv, comma separated values, format
using the Database Export action. If possible, it is recommended to use the database
export action rather than the backup database action.
Related information
Database Viewer Object
Download
3BSE069489-602 27
Related information
Export
Upload Database
Database Export
28 3BSE069489-602
Section 2 Working with Projects
This section describes Panel Builder and explains how to work with a project for
an operator panel.
In Panel Builder, ribbons tabs are used instead of menu commands. This reduces
the number of steps needed to design complex components, and also supplies an
attractive user interface.
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.
Controls are made to design screens, and to make settings for objects and controls
in the project.
Creating a Project
A project can be created according to the following sections, but the work process
can be adapted and rearranged if needed.
Connecting to a Controller
Establishing communication between an operator panel and controller is necessary to
allow operator observation and control. The larger the project is, the more important
it is to ensure that there is a suitable communication design.
There is a built-in DEMO controller in Panel Builder. It can be used for test and
simulation purposes.
Related information
Creating a New Project
Select Controller
Communication Design
DEMO Controller
3BSE069489-602 29
Creating a Project Section 2 Working with Projects
Designing a Screen Set

It is important to organize the application well and to consider which functions are
necessary. Start with an overall view and then work down to a detailed level.
A project contains a number of screens with objects that can exchange data with the
controller. Screens can be arranged in hierarchies to achieve a structured application,
or organized as sequence controls. When deciding which structure to use, consider
how to best describe the process at hand and how to simplify procedures for the
machine operator.
The complete application, or parts of it, can be tested in the development
environment before downloading it to the operator panel.
Related information
Screens
Designing Additional Functions
Alarms
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.
Related information
Alarm Management
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.
Related information
Function Keys
30 3BSE069489-602
Section 2 Working with Projects Creating a Project
Multiple Languages
Translation of texts and system texts can be performed directly in the application, or
via export to a text file to be translated in other software. The file is imported to the
application after translation. The application language can be changed in runtime,
for example based on a tag value.
Pre-translated system texts are provided with Panel Builder. These texts are
adapted for a PC, which means that they contain more strings than what is
available for panel targets. This results in warnings when importing the system
texts to projects created for a panel, but these warnings can safely be ignored.
Related information
Language Management
Security
Access to objects and actions in the project can be limited using security groups
and user passwords.
Related information
Security Management
Text Library
With the text library function, text tables can be created, where values are linked
to texts.
Related information
Text Library
Audit Trail
The Audit Trail function allows tracking of operator actions.
Related information
Audit Trail
3BSE069489-602 31
Creating a Project Section 2 Working with Projects
Data Logger
Data can be logged and saved to file. Bit, 16-bit, 32-bit and Real (Float) values can
be logged. Be aware that logging of data consumes system resources and memory.
Related information
Data Logger
Scheduler
Setting and resetting digital tags in relation to the real-time clock can be performed
using a scheduler, in order to control events in the process at special calendar times.
Related information
Scheduler
Recipes
Recipes are used to set or save a predefined group of tags in one operation.
Values can be predefined or collected from the controller, and then saved to a
recipe in the operator panel. The operator can download the recipe at any time to
the controller, which will start working with the recipe values. Recipe handling
makes it possible to reuse large parameter sets, to improve efficiency of time critical
production where a change of products must be made quickly. Recipe files can be
created in the development project or with the operator panel.
Related information
Recipe Management
Reports
The reports function allows adding excel report templates to the project.
Related information
Reports
32 3BSE069489-602
Section 2 Working with Projects Importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5 Project
Importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5 Project

Existing Panel Builder 800 Version 5 projects can be imported to Panel Builder.
Panel Builder 800 Version 5 is the previous software used to design projects for
Panel 800 Version 5 operator panels.
The import function is accessed from the Welcome page, displayed when starting
Panel Builder.
1. Select the Panel Builder 800 Version 5 project file.
2. Select a name and location for the imported project.
3. Click Finish.
The project will be imported to the corresponding Panel 800 Version 6 target. All
screens will be imported and graphical objects in the Panel Builder 800 Version 5
project will be converted to corresponding Panel Builder objects. Some objects
may not be supported.
Functions such as recipes and data logging work differently in Panel Builder, and
will have to be reconfigured in the imported project.
During the import, a log file of unsupported objects and functions is created. It
can be saved to disk for future reference.
3BSE069489-602 33
Optimizing Performance Section 2 Working with Projects
If there is a crash when importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5

project, the problem could be solved by installing a hotfix from
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2461678.
Optimizing Performance
The following section presents a couple of issues to consider in order to optimize the
Panel Builder project. Some parts are related to the communication driver; other
parts concern CPU load and flash operations.
Communication Performance
Signal Types
Tags used for driver communication can be static or dynamic. These are updated in
different manners.
Static Tags
Static tags are updated continuously, even if they are not currently shown on the
panel display.
Additionally, the operator panel reads the following items continuously:
• Alarm tags
• Data logger tags
• Multiple languages tags
• Controller tags with value change events
The communication time is not affected by the following:
• Alarm messages
• Schedulers
• Tags linked to function keys
34 3BSE069489-602
Section 2 Working with Projects Optimizing Performance
Dynamic Tags
Dynamic tags are updated only when they are presented on the display. An analog
numeric object serves as an example of when a dynamic tag is used.
Communication Design
This section describes how tags are read and how the reading can be optimized to
make the communication between the operator panel and the controller fast and
efficient.
Keeping Tags in Consecutive Order

Define controller tags consecutively, for example M0.0-M11.7. If the tags are spread
(e.g. I0.4, Q30.0, M45.3 etc.) a complete update will take longer time. The number
of tags in each package depends on the used driver and information about this can
be found in the driver help file.
Tag Packages
Tags to be transferred are not all transferred at the same time, but are grouped
into packages. The number of tags in each package depends on the driver for the
controller.
To make communication as fast as possible the number of packages should be
minimized. Consecutive tags require a minimum number of packages, but it is
perhaps not always possible to program it this way. In such cases there is a “waste”
between two tags.
Waste is the maximum distance between two tags that can be kept in the same
package. The size of the waste depends on the driver used, and is included in the
driver help file, e.g as in the table below:
3BSE069489-602 35
Optimizing Performance Section 2 Working with Projects
Driver x Analog signals Digital signals

Number of signals/package 29 124
Waste 20 0
Bit-Addressed Words vs. Regular Bit Devices

In most drivers it is better to use bit-addressed words than regular bit devices, since
you can fit more digital devices in one telegram when using bit-addressed words,
than when using bit devices.
Example
Driver x Analog signals Digital signals
Number of signals/package 29 124
Waste 20 0
This specific driver can have 29 analog devices or 124 digital devices in one
telegram. If you use bit-addressed words in the selected driver, you can fit 464
(29 × 16) digital devices in one package. This is almost four times as many devices.
ASCII Strings
ASCII strings are transmitted in separate telegrams, and having a large number of
strings will affect the communication performance negatively. If an ASCII string
only has a small number of different string values, it may be a good idea to use the
Text Library function in Panel Builder with predetermined contents, thus minimizing
impact on driver performance.
Related information
Text Library
Performance in the operator panel

It is important to understand that due to the complex nature of a running system,
there are several things that affects the overall performance. The following list gives
some examples of things to consider, when it is necessary improve the performance
of the operator panel:
36 3BSE069489-602
Section 2 Working with Projects Optimizing Performance
• Number of tags
• Number of sampled tags in trend viewers and data logger
• Number of alarms
• Driver performance
• Multiple drivers
• Type of panel
• Alarm list size
• Size of pictures
• Scripts
Poll Groups
The default setting in Panel Builder updates all tags every 500 ms. If some tags may
be updated less often, it is possible to assign them to a poll group with a lower update
interval. Poll groups are configured in the Tags configuration page.
Screens
Optimizing screen update time minimizes CPU load and flash operations. This can
make a significant difference in graphic-intense projects that approach the limits of
the panel’s capabilities.
3BSE069489-602 37
Moving Objects with the Touch Screen Section 2 Working with Projects
Screen changes are carried out most efficiently through a show screen action, either
on a function key or an object.
Trend Viewers and Data Loggers

Several trend viewers can show data from the same log item.
In order to improve performance in the panel, it is strongly recommended to place
all log items logged on the same frequency/event in the same data logger or at least
reduce the amount of data loggers.
Try to avoid having one data logger for each trend viewer.
Gradients
Using objects with gradients creates a slightly higher load on the CPU. If a large
number of objects use gradients, this will make the screen update time significantly
slower. Pay special attention to objects with gradients that are updated frequently,
e.g. a bar graph with a style with gradients connected to a tag that changes at short
intervals.
Reports
Using the reports function in a project will result in an increased panel startup time.
Related information
Action Groups
Trend Viewer
Reports
Data Logging Strategies
Symbols
Moving Objects with the Touch Screen

Panel 800 Version 6 operator panels with touch screens do not have a built-in
keyboard. All maneuvering is done with the touch screen by pressing distinctly with
a finger. Because of the resistive touch technology, the screen can only apprehend
pressing on one place on the panel at the time. Pressing two points at the same time
is interpreted by the panel as a point midway between the two pressed points.
38 3BSE069489-602
Section 2 Working with Projects Moving Objects with the Touch Screen
Operate Objects
For an object to react, it is necessary to specify the behavior, typically by assigning
a tag and defining an action. All objects can have actions linked to mouse down,
mouse up, mouse enter and mouse leave events. Some objects have a predefined
behavior, like sliders setting values, but can also have actions linked to mouse down
and mouse up events.
Button
Pressing a button triggers a click- and mouse button event.
Text Box
Pressing on a text box object displays a virtual alpha-numeric keyboard on the panel
screen. Type a text using this keyboard and finish by pressing [ENTER].
Analog Numeric
Pressing on an analog numeric object displays a virtual keyboard on the panel
screen. The keyboard type depends on the format chosen for the Analog Numeric
— String, Integer, Decimal, Hex or Binary. Enter a value using this keyboard and
finish by pressing [ENTER].
In runtime a validation of the value is done. If the value entered is out of bounds, the
corresponding limit value for the object will be shown.
Slider
Pressing on the desired value position of a slider object sets it to the pressed position.
Related information
Actions Ribbon Tab
Mouse Button Action Triggers
Click Action Trigger
Virtual Keyboard
Validation Group
3BSE069489-602 39
Peripherals Section 2 Working with Projects
Peripherals
USB
External devices such as a USB hub, flash drive, mouse, or keyboard can be
connected to the USB host port.
Ethernet
The operator panel has built-in Ethernet port(s) for connection to controllers via
TCP/IP. The number of ports varies by model.
Related information
IP Settings
Memory Card
An external memory card can be used as storage of e.g. pdf files and media files,
to reduce used internal memory. Access to the files on the external memory card is
available via scripting.
Related information
Project Group
40 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment
This section describes how to work with Panel Builder.

Clicking the Options button in the File menu allows adapting the tool behavior.
Related information
File Menu
Options
Starting Panel Builder

Click on Start/All Programs/ABB Industrial IT/Panel 800/Panel Builder to
start Panel Builder.
Panel Builder can also be started from the command line.
When Panel Builder is started, it is possible to:
• Create a new project using a wizard
• Open an existing project - a list of recently opened projects is displayed
• Open a sample project
• Upload a project from a target
• Import a project created in Panel Builder 800 Version 5
• View the Getting Started, based on an example project that serves as an
instructive introduction to Panel Builder
3BSE069489-602 41
Starting Panel Builder Section 3 Development Environment
Projects can also be created or opened later from the File menu.
Related information
Importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5 Project
Starting Panel Builder from the Command Line
Upload from Target

To create a new project using the wizard includes the following steps:
1. Start Panel Builder.
2. Select to create a new project.
3. Select target for the project.
4. Select controller brand and model.
5. Name the project and define where files are to be saved in the PC environment.
42 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Starting Panel Builder
Select operator panel

Select the appropriate target from the presented set of operator panel/PC.
The target can be changed later, from the Settings group on the Project ribbon tab.
When working with a project for panel PP874, PP877 or PP88x, it is possible to
select the rotation of the panel from a drop-down list.
When working with a project for a standard PC, it is possible to select resolution
from a drop-down list. The PC resolution can be changed later, by entering the
Settings group on the Project ribbon tab.
Related information
Changing Project Target
Select Controller
Select the appropriate controller for the project.
3BSE069489-602 43
The demo controller, including regular tags (data containers) and counters, is used
to design and test a project directly on the engineering PC without connection to
an external controller.
Internal tags that work like controller tags, but are independent of an external
controller, can be defined.
It is also possible to connect to an external OPC server.
The controller can be changed later by clicking the Controller button on the
Controllers tab of the tags configuration page.
A project can connect to more than one controller. To set up multiple controllers:
Related information
Controller
DEMO Controller
Internal Tags
External OPC Server
Multiple Controllers
44 3BSE069489-602
Select Location
The Select Location dialog controls naming of the project and where project files
are saved in the computer environment.
1. Change the project name, if desired.
2. Select where to store the project files by clicking Browse, or accept the
suggested location.
3. Click Finish to create the new project.
Opening a Project
To open an existing project using the wizard includes the following steps:
1. Start Panel Builder.
2. Select to open a project.
3. Browse to the project file in the appearing “open project” dialog.
It is possible to open a compressed ZIP file of the Panel Builder project. The user
will be prompted for a path where the ZIP file can be decompressed.
3BSE069489-602 45
Related information
Compress Project
Download
Getting Familiar with Panel Builder

The ribbon tabs (e.g. Home, System and Insert) are located in the top of the window
when Panel Builder is started. The control groups (e.g. Clipboard, Screen, Objects
on the Home ribbon tab) are available in the ribbon area.
The Project Explorer contains a folder area, and is managed as a docked window.
The desktop area is where screens are drawn and where tags and functions are
handled.
46 3BSE069489-602
Configuration of objects on a screen is mainly performed using the controls in the

Home and General tabs. Selecting an object on the screen displays the Home ribbon
tab; double-clicking displays the General tab, except for the Button object, for which
the Actions tab is displayed instead. Several common commands are also available
by right-clicking on an object in a screen.
Related information
Project Explorer
Positioning Windows
3BSE069489-602 47
Related information
Screens
Tags
Keyboard Navigation
Pressing Alt on the keyboard displays which keyboard shortcut commands can be
used to execute a command or to enter a control group, e.g. Alt + F opens the File
menu, and Alt + I displays the Insert ribbon tab control groups.
Keyboard Shortcuts and Function Key Commands

The list below includes some of the keyboard shortcuts and function key commands
that are available in Panel Builder:
Keyboard shortcut /
function key Description
Ctrl + P, Switch between screens according to their order on the
[number of the desktop
screen]
Ctrl + E, L Lock selected elements on active screen (E indicates
active editor)
Ctrl + E, H Hide selected elements on active screen (E indicates
active editor)
Ctrl + Z Undo
Ctrl + Y Redo
Ctrl + A Select all
Ctrl + X Cut
48 3BSE069489-602
Keyboard shortcut /
function key Description
Ctrl + C Copy
Ctrl + V Paste
Ctrl + N New project
Ctrl + O Open project
Ctrl + S Save project
Ctrl + B Bold style
Ctrl + I Italic style
Ctrl + U Underline
F1 Display help file. Pressing F1 from within the Script Editor
displays scripting help.
F5 Validate project
F6 Run
Starting Panel Builder from the Command Line

"[Path to the NeoIDE.exe file]" "[Project location]\[Project name].ppbproj"
Example
To start Panel Builder, and open the project named Test1 in the directory
C:\MyProjects, select Run from Windows start menu, and type:
• "C:\Program Files (x86)\ABB Industrial IT\Operate IT\Panel 800\Panel
Builder 800 Version 6\Bin\NeoIDE.exe" "C:\MyProjects\Test1\Test1.ppbproj"
File Menu
The File menu contains commands for creating, opening, closing saving and
compressing projects. It also offers the possibility to upload a project from a target
and to update drivers and Panel Builder software via Internet or from file. The File
menu is accessed by clicking on the top left button.
3BSE069489-602 49
New
When you start Panel Builder and select to create a new project, a wizard guides you
through the creation of a new project, in the same way as having selected Create
New Project from the Welcome page.
Related information
Open
Selecting Open displays a dialog that allows selection of an existing project file
by browsing.
Save
Selecting Save saves the project to the current project folder.
50 3BSE069489-602
Save As
Selecting Save As allows saving the project with a different name and/or in a
different location.
To ensure that the original project remains unchanged, the new project file must be
created with the Save As command before modifying its contents.
Creating a new folder when using the Save as command helps keeping the large
number of project files neatly collected and easy to overview.
Selecting Save as cannot be used in order to make modifications of an existing
project, keeping the original project unchanged, and saving the new version
with another name. Changes will affect the original project anyway. It is
recommended to make a backup copy of the original project, for example by
using Windows Explorer, prior to modifying it.
Compress Project
Selecting Compress Project compresses the project and saves it as a ZIP file. The
user will be prompted for a path where to save the ZIP file and will also be offered
the possibility to password protect the ZIP file.
Related information
Compress Project
Upload from Target

Selecting Upload from Target allows uploading a compressed ZIP file of a project
from a connected target.
To be able to use the “Upload from target” function, the checkbox “Download
all source code” on the “Download” dialog must have been clicked before
downloading the project to an operator panel. See the “Download” chapter for
more information.
3BSE069489-602 51
Parameter Description
Connected targets Choose the target type to transfer the project from.
Upload Starts the transfer of the ZIP file from the selected target.
The user will be prompted for a path where to decompress
the ZIP file. If the ZIP file is password protected, the
user must enter the password to be able to upload and
decompress the ZIP file.
Upload is supported for PP87x, PP87xK, PP88x, PP89x
and PC targets. If greyed out, please update to latest
“System program”.
Verify The verify function enables the user to check if a
target platform configuration is identical to the project
configuration.
Verify is supported for PP87x, PP87xK, PP88x, PP89x
and PC targets. If greyed out, please update to latest
“System program”.
Log Show the data being logged during the upload and verify
process.
52 3BSE069489-602
Related information
Download
Panel 800 Version 6 Upgrade
Close Project
Selecting Close Project closes the current project and activates the start wizard.
Update Software
The latest updates and patches for Panel Builder can be downloaded directly via
an Internet connection.
Update Drivers
Drivers can be updated via Internet or from file.
Related information
Updating Drivers
About
Clicking the About button displays information about the current version of Panel
Builder including the product registration key.
The active project needs to be saved in order to access the list of features.
Options
Clicking the Options button allows making settings that control the behavior and
appearance of Panel Builder.
3BSE069489-602 53
Language Options
Select in which language to run Panel Builder. A restart of the application is required
for the new language selection to have an effect.
Build Options
Select whether the CheckForUnusedTags function should be activated or not.
When building a project, the function checks for unused tags and presents a dialog
in which it is possible to remove these.
Related information
Removing Unused Tags
Script Debugger Options

• Arguments: The “%1” argument is where the file name will be inserted. This
option is applicable only when Custom is selected for DebuggerType.
• Debugger: Full path to the current debugger application.
• DebuggerType: Select Default or Custom. With the Default setting, the
system will automatically provide the path to the debugger, if found. Custom
allows the user to provide the path to a specific debugger.
Tags Editor Options

Selections under Tags Editor Options makes it possible to customize which
columns to show by default in the tags configuration window.
Ribbon Options
• GoToDefaultRibbonStrategy: This option changes the active ribbon based on
the context of the selection in the desktop. When an object is created or selected,
the General tab tabs becomes active in the ribbon area.
• SimpleRibbonStrategy: This is the default setting, and does not swap the active
ribbon when the context of the current desktop selection changes. Clicking on an
object opens the Home ribbon, and double-clicking opens the General ribbon
for most objects, but for buttons the Actions ribbon is activated.
54 3BSE069489-602
Screen Editor Options

• EnableInPlaceEditing: This option allows editing an object directly when
selecting it on the screen without having to access its properties on e.g. the
General ribbon tab.
• ShowPanelAround: This option displays an outline of the selected panel model
around the desktop area.
• ShowSizeAndDistanceInformation: The size of an object is displayed while
resizing it. Distance to the edges of the desktop area is displayed when moving
an object. The indication can be turned off, if desired, by setting this option
to False.
• ShowToolTips: Useful tool tips are automatically displayed in Panel Builder.
These can be turned off, if desired, by setting this option to False.
The screen editor options can also be modified using buttons in the lower part of
the desktop area.
Related information
Screen View in Desktop Area
Mini Toolbar Options

The mini toolbar is a context menu addition with a subset of common controls from
the Format, Tag/Security and Name groups.
• ShowMinitoolbarAutomatic: When this option is set to True the mini toolbar
part of the context menu is displayed already when an object is selected. The
mini toolbar will always show in combination with the context menu. The mini
toolbar will remain active for a selected object, also after it has disappeared,
until the selection or the pointer moves away. To show the mini toolbar again
move the mouse pointer to the upper right of the object. With the default setting,
False, the mini toolbar will only show in combination with the context menu
for an object.
Exit
Clicking the Exit button closes the application. If there are unsaved changes, you are
asked if you want to save them before exiting.
3BSE069489-602 55
Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar contains controls, expected to be used frequently. The
toolbar can be customized to include other buttons.
Save
Saves the current project to the location specified when the project was created.
Undo
Executed commands can be undone using the Undo button. Clicking the small
arrow at the right of the Undo button lists recently made changes for selection of
the undo operation.
The keyboard shortcut for Undo is Ctrl + Z.
Redo
A command that has been undone with Undo can be redone with Redo. The
keyboard shortcut for Redo is Ctrl + Y.
Run
Performs a validation of script code and compiles the project. If the project is
valid, a simulation is started on the engineering PC with connection to the selected
controller. Also available from the Transfer/Test group on the Project ribbon tab.
56 3BSE069489-602
Simulate
Performs a validation of script code and compiles the project. If the project is valid,
a simulation is started on the engineering PC without connection to the selected
controller. Also available from the Transfer/Test group on the Project ribbon tab.
Related information
Project Ribbon Tab
Customizing Quick Access Toolbar

Some of the ribbon controls can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar. Right-click
on the desired control and select Add to Quick Access Toolbar or Remove from
Quick Access Toolbar.
Ribbon Tabs
The ribbon tabs contain grouped controls for editing and maintaining a project,
screens and objects. Click on any ribbon tab to display the ribbon.
Use Minimize the Ribbon and Maximize the Ribbon to collapse and expand the
ribbon control tabs, or double-click on a ribbon tab. This can also be done from the
Quick Access toolbar.
Related information
Home Ribbon Tab
Project Ribbon Tab
System Ribbon Tab
Insert Ribbon Tab
View Ribbon Tab
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
General Ribbon Tab
Actions Ribbon Tab
Additional Properties
Some ribbon groups include additional properties that can be configured by clicking
the small arrow in the lower right corner of the current group.
3BSE069489-602 57
Desktop Area Section 3 Development Environment
The properties window displays available property groups available for selection at
the left. The property groups available differ depending on which object is selected.
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.
Screen View in Desktop Area

Object appearance as well as size and appearance of the current screen can be
managed by controls in the lower part of the desktop area. It is also possible to turn
58 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Desktop Area
on and off the in-place editing function that allows editing text in an object directly
when selecting it on the screen.
Show/Hide Size and Distance Information

The size of an object is displayed while resizing it. Distance to the edges of the
desktop area is displayed when moving an object.
Figure 1. Show Size and Distance Information is activated
Show/Hide 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.
Figure 2. Show Info is activated
3BSE069489-602 59
Show/Hide Screen Tooltips

A semi-transparent tooltip is displayed for each object when the cursor is rested on
it, if Show Screen Tooltips is selected. Tooltips for e.g. menu commands are not
affected by this setting; only tooltips for objects on the screen.
Figure 3. Show Screen Tooltips is activated
Enable/Disable In-place Editing

This option allows editing an object directly when selecting it on the screen without
having to access its properties on e.g. the General ribbon tab.
Figure 4. In-place Editing is enabled
Show/Hide Panel Frame

Show/Hide Panel Frame displays or hides a virtual panel frame surrounding the
screen, when an operator panel is selected as target.
Fit to Screen
Click on Fit to Screen to make the screen the maximum size that will fit in the
desktop area.
Zoom
The following methods can be used to zoom in to or out from the desktop area:
• Selecting a set zoom value from the Zoom drop-down list.
• Setting the Zoom Slider to a desired zoom level.
60 3BSE069489-602
• Clicking the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons.

• Placing the mouse pointer anywhere in the screen and using the scroll wheel.
Pan
Panning of the current screen is possible in Layout mode, if the screen is larger
than the desktop area.
• Press and hold [Spacebar] (the mouse pointer will change its appearance from
an arrow shape to an open hand).
• Drag to pan the screen (the mouse pointer hand closes in panning mode).
Desktop View Modes

Screens and functions have different view modes. The default setting is Layout view
mode, but screens and functions can be partly viewed and edited directly in code.
The desired mode is selected from the lower left part of the desktop area. The code
for screens is in xaml and in C# for script.
Figure 5. Desktop view mode tabs
Incorrect code entered in text mode (Xaml and Script) may result in errors that
are not possible to recognize during analysis and build.
Erroneous code may result in unpredictable behavior and loss of data.
Layout
Screens and objects are usually edited in Layout view mode.
XAML
A screen layout is defined in XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language)
code. The .xaml files are stored in the project folder.
XAML code can be added and changed in the Xaml view mode. Any changes done
in the XAML code will affect the screen layout.
3BSE069489-602 61
Script
In Script view mode scripted actions can be configured for screens, objects, tags,
function keys etc.
To display a script guide that describes Panel Builder scripting possibilities in
detail, select Script view mode, click anywhere in the code, and press F1.
ABB only offers support for scripting for the included examples in Panel Builder
Objects that can trigger events will show with expandable nodes in the Script view.
Clicking the [+] of such a node expands it and shows the trigger events for the
object. Double-clicking on an event inserts its method heading with an empty code
body. Scripts are written in C# syntax.
When actions are defined for an object, this will have precedence over script code.
Avoid using multiple trigger methods as this may lead to undesired behavior.
Use either a script or define actions with the controls on the Actions
tab. Avoid using Click Action Trigger actions in combination with
Mouse Button Action Triggers.
Creating scripts that block execution, waiting for other resources or user input,
is not supported.
The ValueOff and ValueOn events for internal variables are available for
selection in script mode, but they are not executed when running the project.
The ValueChangeOrError event is available in script mode, but it should only

be used with controller tags. It does not support internal variables or system tags.
If an external editor, e.g. Visual Studio, is used for editing a script, the
cross-reference will not be updated when building the project in Panel Builder.
The Remove Unused Tags function will report tags used in these scripts as
unused.
For Panel Builder to recognize a change made with an external editor, the script
file needs to be opened in Panel Builder and provided with just any small change
using the script editor in Panel Builder. Save the project once more before build.
62 3BSE069489-602
Avoid static state when using script since this might cause memory leaks.
Always remember to unsubscribe events previously subscribed to, in order to
avoid memory leaks.
Complex behavior can be created using script code.

Selections made in Layout view mode are kept when switching to Script view
mode and vice versa.
Nodes with edited script code are highlighted in the expanded tree view.
Figure 6. Highlight of an edited node in the tree view
It is possible to disable a script without deleting it, by right-clicking on a node with

script, and selecting Unhook event handler. This excludes the script from being
run, even though there is code, and the node will no longer be highlighted.
Some objects, such as text boxes, list boxes and combo boxes, rely on script code
for advanced behavior.
3BSE069489-602 63
Name Completion
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. Using items outside the current scope is defined
with the keyword Globals, but it is not possible to script to other screens than the
currently selected.
Methods are completed without argument lists. Add parenthesis and arguments
to complete a selection.
Incorrect script code may result in errors that are not possible to recognize during
analysis and build. Erroneous code may result in unpredictable behavior and
loss of data.
Not all tags available in Tags are visible in IntelliSense when scripting. The name
completion function will not show tags and objects that have names similar to
script command names.
If there are errors in script code during validation of a project, it is possible to

navigate to the erroneous position by double-clicking the error in the error list.
Press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [Spacebar] while editing to get a tool tip with the allowed
variants of an overloaded method. Use [Up arrow] or [Down arrow] to scroll.
Make a new selection or press [Esc] to close the tool tip.
It is necessary to do an explicit type casting of the tag format for operands of
an overloaded method.
Script code can be used to format objects. If an object attribute is selected a tool tip
with allowed methods will appear. Methods not part of the default C# API is either
addressed with the full path or the library can be included.
Related information
Error List
Tag Format
Format Group
Example:
Filling a rectangle object using a color gradient from one color to another color.
64 3BSE069489-602
The following code implements a gradient from red to purple in the rectangle. The
library with the “BrushCF()” method is added with “using” in the beginning of the
example, together with the default libraries.
When a timer is used in script code, it is important to close the timer in the code.
Renaming objects and screens included in scripts in Layout mode will cause the
scripts not to function.
Referenced Assemblies
Third-part components and objects that are added to the project via Referenced
Assemblies will be made available when scripting. Their methods and properties
will be included by the name completion function, in the same way as for built-in
components.
3BSE069489-602 65
Related information
Name Completion
Aliases
Aliases can be configured in the Aliases view mode.
Related information
Aliases
Positioning Windows
The behavior of many windows can be adapted in order to suit the user; for example
shown or hidden, or moved to another position on the desktop.
Docked windows representing control tools can be converted to floating windows.
Control tools can be docked separately or be managed as a tabbed group in a
window. A docked tool window supports auto-hide.
When a window is dockable, a guide diamond appears when the window is moved
on the desktop. Extended position arrows appear at the desktop edges. The guide
diamond makes it possible to dock a tool window to one of the four sides of the
desktop area. When a tool window is undocked, it floats on top of the desktop.
Dropping a tool at the center of a guide diamond creates a tabbed group of the tools
inside the window that the guide diamond belongs to.
Docking a Tool
Drag the window heading to any position on the screen. If the tool is not docked
it will become floating.
To re-dock a tool:
1. If the tool is docked already, double-click on its heading to change to floating.
2. Drag the tool to the center of the desktop. A guide diamond appears, pointing
towards the four edges of the desktop. Release the window to the desired
direction. When the mouse pointer is in position, an outline of the window
appears in the designated area.
66 3BSE069489-602
Docking a Tabbed Group

It is possible to dock a tool to an existing group of tools, creating a grouped window
with tabs:
1. If the tool is docked already, double-click on its heading to change to floating.
2. Drag the tool to the center of the existing group. A guide diamond appears.
3. Drop the tool at the guide diamond center.
Releasing a Tool from a Tabbed Group

When a window contains multiple tools, they will appear as tabs in the lower part
of the window. To release a tool that resides in a tabbed group, drag the tab for the
tool and drop it on the desktop.
Auto-Hide
Auto-Hide enables a maximized view of the desktop area by minimizing tool
windows along the edges of the desktop area when not in use. Auto-Hide is turned
on and off by clicking the Auto-Hide pushpin icon on the window title bar.
Tool windows will expand to original size when the pointer hovers over them. When
a hidden tool window looses focus, it slides back to its tab on the edge of the desktop
area. While a tool window is hidden, its name and icon are visible on a tab at the
edge of the desktop area.
The Auto-Hide function has to be turned off before a tool can be moved.
3BSE069489-602 67
Configuration Pages
Many functions, such as Alarm Server and Data Logger, are configured via table
style configuration pages.
In some cases there are multiple configuration pages for a feature. When applicable,
the configuration page for a feature can be opened to allow direct access. For
example, it is possible not only to select a tag, but also to declare new tags, directly
through the Select Tag field for an object.
Home
In a configuration page, the Home tab is used to add and remove items in a function
or controller.
Edit Table Cells

Use the Add button to append a new item in the table view of the configuration page.
Use the Delete button in the Home tab or the Delete button on the keyboard to
remove the active row in the table. Multiple rows can be selected using the [Ctrl] or
[Shift] keys.
68 3BSE069489-602
Keyboard Navigation
Navigation in configuration pages can be made using arrow keys or with [Tab].
Pressing F4 inside a table cell will in some cases open selection list.
Pressing [Enter] acknowledges a selection, and pressing [Esc] cancels a selection.
Press [Delete] to remove a value when editing in a field. If a row is selected when
pressing [Delete], the entire row will be removed from the table.
Use [Spacebar] to toggle a value in a check box.
Press [Ctrl] + [Tab] to shift focus from the table.
Navigation in Layered Pages

A layered configuration page (for example the alarm items page) has some specific
navigation functions.
Keyboard navigation down is made by pressing [Ctrl] + [Down Arrow]. This will
navigate into an expanded group, and out again when at the last of the expanded rows.
Keyboard navigation up and out of a group is done by pressing [Up Arrow].
Expand a group with [Ctrl] + [+], collapse with [Ctrl] + [-].
Keyboard navigation between fields inside a group is made with [Right Arrow]
or [Left Arrow].
Pressing [Enter] acknowledges a selection, and pressing [Esc] cancels a selection.
Auto Fill
Fields in the configuration tables are when possible automatically filled in when
[Down Arrow] is pressed when at the last table row. When needed, names and
tag identifiers are incremented to avoid exact copies of symbolic names and tag
identifiers. Incrementing is done if the last part of the string is an integer number. A
“1” will be appended to the string if no numeral character ends the string. This is
useful when there are consecutive tags of the same type in the controller data.
Filtering Items
Items in configuration pages can be filtered by selecting Show Selection from the
Show Selection/Show All button.
3BSE069489-602 69
Clicking the button opens the Filter Builder.
Several conditions can be used, and the different values/operators that can be used
for making conditions are displayed when clicking on the condition building blocks.
Operands and operator nodes are context sensitive. Name strings are not case
sensitive. Values in the filter builder are saved individually for each function during
an edit session. A filter is built as a logical expression tree. A filter typically has
operations on individual column values as leaf nodes and logical operators serve
as main nodes.
The following color scheme is used:
70 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Screens
Color Function
Red Logical operator
Blue Column operand
Green Value operator
Grey Value operand
An indication that a filter is used is displayed at the lower part of the configuration
page.
Selecting Show All from the Show Selection/Show All button in the configuration
page displays the complete, unfiltered list.
Screens
Screens contain objects that can be displayed for the operator in runtime. A screen
can contain predefined objects, such as buttons or an alarm list. Pictures of physical
objects, such a pump, connected to controller data, can also be included to be used
for control and monitoring of the physical object.
Properties are defined for each screen.
Screens are edited in the desktop area and can be managed from:
Location Used for

The Navigation Adding new screens, managing links between screens,
Manager deleting screens
The Screens list in the Adding new screens, importing screens from other
Project Explorer projects, renaming screens, setting screen as startup
screen, saving screens as templates, deleting screens,
editing screen scripts
3BSE069489-602 71
Screens Section 3 Development Environment
Location Used for

The Screen group of Adding new screens, selection of screen template
the Home ribbon tab and background screen, deleting screens, language
selection, screen security
The Screen group of Managing popup screen properties and selecting
the General ribbon tab screens for preloading
Screen Name and Screen Title

All screens have unique names, visible e.g. in the Project Explorer and the
Navigation Manager. Names of all open screens are shown as tabs in the desktop
area. The name of the current screen is displayed and can be changed in the Name
group of the Home tab.
In runtime, the screen name is displayed together with the project title in the title bar
as default. To display something other than the screen name, a screen title may be
added in the Screen group on the General tab when the screen is selected.
The screen name in Panel Builder is not updated when the screen title (for display
in runtime) is renamed.
If the project title on the Project tab is left empty, only the screen name or screen
title is displayed.
Background Screen
It is possible to use another screen as background screen, to, for example, create a
uniform design of the screens in the project and avoid repetitive configuration.
72 3BSE069489-602
Background screens belong to the current project.
Example
Follow the steps below to use a background screen:
1. Create a background screen with some reusable elements, such as navigation
buttons, and rename it to a suitable name.
3BSE069489-602 73
2. Create a new screen.
3. Keep the new screen open on the desktop, and select the background screen
from the Screen group of the Home ribbon tab.
74 3BSE069489-602
The background screen is now used for the screen.

Any modification made to the background screen will be reflected in all screens
using it.
Startup Screen
The startup screen is the first screen that opens when a project is executed. By
default, Screen1 is set as startup screen.
Another startup screen can be set at any time by right-clicking on the screen on the
desktop or in the Project Explorer and selecting Set as Startup Screen.
The selected startup screen is easily distinguished from the other screens in the
Project Explorer by a blue outline when in focus.
Screen Template
The installation of Panel Builder includes a number of screen templates with basic
functionality. It is also possible to save your own screens as screen templates, by
right-clicking on the current screen and selecting Save Screen as Template.
The screen template can be used in the current or other Panel Builder projects.
If a selected screen template contains tags that were not previously included in the
project, you can select to automatically add these to the Tags list.
To use a template screen, click the lower part of the Add Screen button in the Screen
group of the Home ribbon tab. A preview of screen templates is displayed.
User-created as well as predefined screen templates may be deleted by right-clicking
on the template in the preview and selecting Delete Screen Template. The folder of
the selected screen is then permanently deleted from disk.
Screen Security
Using security settings for screens makes it possible to restrict access to screens
based on user security groups, similarly to object security.
It is not possible to set security for the Startup screen.
When using a background screen, the security settings of the top level screen are
applied.
3BSE069489-602 75
When screens are imported from other Panel Builder projects or from
Panel Builder 800 Version 5, security settings are included and will be used in the
current project.
Related information
Object Security and Visibility
Popup Screen
Normally, only one screen is visible in the operator panel in runtime. Sometimes, a
popup screen that behaves like as a floating window may be useful. Any screen can
be configured as a popup screen:
1. Check Popup screen in the Screen group of the General tab.
2. Set the start position coordinates (X, Y) to determine where the screen will
open. The position (1,1) corresponds to the upper left corner of the screen.
3. Set the desired width and height in pixels of the screen resolution.
Clicking Modify Screen Size/Position allows changing the popup screen size and
position by dragging it with the cursor. The coordinates are updated automatically.
Modal Popup Screen

Checking the Modal option makes the selected popup screen modal, which means
that the user cannot interact with other screens while this screen is visible. All other
screens will still be updated.
It is not recommended to have more than two parallel modal popup screens open
at the same time.
Do not use multiple modal popups triggered by background events such as

alarms, tag value changes, etc.
Style
Different styles can be selected for popup screens for PC targets.
When using a web browser or pdf viewer object in a popup screen, only the
default style for the popup screen is supported.
76 3BSE069489-602
Open Popup Screen

A popup screen is opened in runtime by a Show Screen action on an object.
When configuring a Show Screen action for a popup screen, position of the
screen can be selected. These settings override the settings made in the Screen
group of the General tab.
Close Popup Screen

A popup screen is closed in runtime by a Close Screen action on an object.
If the Close Screen action is triggered from a tag, this will close both the popup
screen and the parent screen.
Preloading Screens
The first time a screen is opened in a running project, some time elapses while
compiling it. In order to minimize this time, it is possible to preload a maximum of
10 screens from the Screen group on the General tab while the screen is selected.
The selected screens will then be loaded at application startup instead of when
opening the screen.
The time saved at screen opening is instead added to the application startup time.
Events related to screen actions (Screen Opened, Screen Closed and Screen Closing)
will not be carried out when a screen is preloaded.
Preloading the startup screen (or its background screen) has no effect. Popup screens
cannot be preloaded.
The preload function is available for operator panel targets only.
Importing Screens
Screens from other projects can be imported, by right-clicking in Screens area of the
Project Explorer and selecting Import.
If the selected screen has a name identical to one of the existing screens, a new
screen name is proposed.
If the imported screen includes tags that do not already exist in projects, you are
asked if you want to add these.
3BSE069489-602 77
No tag information, other than tag names, will be added by the import function.
Grid
There are different methods to align objects in screens; Snap objects to other
objects and Snap objects to grid. Grid properties are managed by right-clicking on
the current screen and selecting Grid from the context menu. It is also possible to
select not to snap objects.
Grid settings are global and will affect all screens.
Snap Objects to Other Objects

To help position objects in a screen snap lines will appear when an object is moved
across the screen. The snap lines are used to align the dragged object with other
objects on the screen.
Blue snap lines appear whenever the right, left, top, or bottom boundaries coincide
with other object boundaries. A horizontal red snap line indicates that the center of
the object is aligned with the center of another object. For vertical center alignment,
select the objects and use Align Center in the Arrange control of the Format group.
Snap Objects to Grid

Use the context menu and select Snap to Grid to enable binding to grid points for a
moved object. Snap to Grid mode disables Snap Lines for dragged objects.
78 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Objects
Grid
The different grid styles can be used as a help pattern when doing the layout of
the objects on the screen.
Grid setting Description

Spacing Number of pixels between grid lines
Show grid on screen Displays the grid on the screen
Grid style Selection between dots and lines as grid style
Objects
Objects that can be created in a screen are available from the Objects group and
the Component Library.
Snap lines are used to position objects in a screen and align a moved object with
other objects.
Information about tag connections as well as size and distance information for
objects on the current screen can be displayed by using the buttons in the lower
part of the desktop area.
Related information
Objects
Handling Objects
Create
To insert a default-sized object, click the position on the screen where you want
to place the object.
To give the object a specific size and shape, press the mouse button and drag to
create the object on the screen. Press and hold [Shift] while creating an object to
retain the aspect ratio of the object.
When creating a line object, press and hold [Shift] to constrain the line at 45 degrees
angles.
3BSE069489-602 79
Objects Section 3 Development Environment
Select
The Select tool is available at top left in the Objects group when the group is not
expanded. The Select tool is the default tool when editing screens. After applying
any other object control, the mouse pointer will return to the Select tool. When
the Select tool hovers over a selected object the mouse pointer changes to a cross
with arrowheads.
Move
The position of an object is part of the properties for the object. The position of an
object can be changed in different ways:
• Click and drag an object to move it to the desired position.
• Open the property grid and edit the Left and Top coordinates.
To move the selected object one pixel at the time, select the object and use the arrow
keys on the keyboard.
Copy and Move

Use [Ctrl] + drag to make a copy of the selected object, and to move it to the desired
position.
Resize
The size of an object is part of the properties for the object. To change the size
of an object:
• When the Select tool hovers over the resize handles of a selected object, the
mouse pointer changes to an arrow. Resize the object to the desired size.
• Open the property grid and edit the Height and Width values.
To resize the selected object one pixel at the time, select the object, press [Shift]
and use the arrow keys on the keyboard.
Rotate
Rotate is only supported for projects designed for PC targets, and not for all objects.
80 3BSE069489-602
Angle and rotation center is part of the properties for an object. The rotation center
for an object is shown as a small white circle which by default is located in the center
of the selected object.
When the Select tool hovers over the rotation center of a selected object the mouse
pointer changes to a circle inside a square with arrow sides. This indicates that it
is possible to move the rotation center.
To change the rotation center of an object:
1. Point to an object to select it. When an object is selected a red frame with
handles is shown around the object.
2. Drag-and-drop the rotation center circle to the position that is to be the center of
the rotation.
When the Select tool hovers next to a corner of the selection frame for a selected
object the mouse pointer changes to a circular arrow. This indicates that the object is
possible to rotate by the frame handle around the rotation center.
To change the rotation angle of an object:
1. Drag to rotate the object around its center position.
2. Use [Ctrl] + drag to rotate in steps of 15 degrees.
Figure 7. Cursor appearance for Resize, Rotation centre, and Rotate.
3BSE069489-602 81
Selecting Multiple Objects

Multiple objects on the current screen can be selected at the same time, with the use
of the mouse pointer to draw a frame that touches the objects. Alternatively, select
one object and then use [Ctrl] + click to select or de-select other objects.
A multiple selection can be used to arrange objects, by using the Arrange control on
the Format ribbon tab. The object with the primary selection is used as guide object.
When multiple objects are selected, the primary selection is shown with a red frame,
while all other objects in the group have blue frames.
Click on any object in the group to change this to the primary selection. A click or
double-click on any object will make it the primary selection, and, if applicable,
change the ribbon focus according to the selected ribbon behavior.
The groups shown in the General and the Actions tabs are dependent on the selection.
When multiple objects are selected the tabs will show only the properties that are
common for the objects in the selection. Property changes will affect all selected
objects.
Hiding and Locking Objects

Objects can easily be hidden and locked using the Object Browser, but the commands
are also available from the context menu. To make a hidden object visible again, or
to unlock a locked object, the Object Browser can be used.
Related information
Object Browser
Property Grid
Creating Series
The Create series function facilitates creating a number of identical objects. The
function handles adding graphic elements as well as controller connections.
The following example creates a series of analog numeric objects quickly and easily:
1. Create an analog numeric object and connect it to a tag (in this example; D0).
2. Right-click on the object and select Create series from the context menu.
82 3BSE069489-602
3. Fill in the number of objects to add and make settings for the address
incrementation, and click OK.
Number of copies Enter the number of columns and rows to create
Spacing Specify the number of pixels between the added objects
Address Select how to increment addresses for the added objects.
incrementation Only addresses available in the driver will be added.
Increment direction Select if addresses are to be incremented in horizontal or
vertical direction
Graphical objects are added on the screen according to the settings made:
3BSE069489-602 83
Tags are added to the project according to the settings made:
Right-clicking in the Tags configuration page and selecting Create series makes it
possible to create a series of tags quickly and easily, without adding graphic objects.
84 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Navigation Manager
Navigation Manager
The Navigation Manager is used to manage screens and their relations with respect
to project navigation in runtime. It can be activated/deactivated from the View tab. It
provides an overview of all screens in the current project.
Screen Relations
The Navigation Manager is used to create relationships between screens.
Dragging the mouse pointer from one screen to another screen creates a relation. A
button with a Click action is defined in the first screen. This Show Screen action
has the second screen as target, and when clicking it in runtime, the second screen is
opened.
Double-click on a screen to open the screen for editing in the desktop area.
3BSE069489-602 85
Navigation Manager Section 3 Development Environment
Add Screen
New screens can be added directly in the Navigation Manager.
Dragging the mouse pointer from an existing screen to an empty location in the
Navigation Manager area creates a new screen, with a relation to the original screen.
A button with a Click action is defined in the first screen. This Show Screen action
has the second screen as target, and when clicking it in runtime, the second screen
is opened. The button must be removed or changed manually if the new screen is
deleted later.
Links in the Navigation Manager

A structure of screens and their relations to other screens will be imposed and shown
in the Navigation Manager. The Navigation Manager will provide an overview to
help add screens and manage the link relations between project screens.
Right-click anywhere in the Navigation Manager to change link appearance.
Link setting Description

Show Same Level Filters out links to screens on the same hierarchical level.
References
Show Back References Shows navigation links to higher hierarchical levels.
When not selected, only links to screens on lower levels
and links between screens on the same level are shown.
Directed Links Draws straight link lines between screens, using the
shortest way.
Orthogonal Links Draws link lines in an orthogonal pattern.
Changing the setting or the type affects the appearance in the Navigation Manager
only.
Navigation Overview
It is also possible to display the Navigation Overview by selecting it from the
View ribbon tab. It provides an overview of all screens included in the project,
with zooming facilities.
86 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Project Explorer
Project Explorer
The Project Explorer shows all screens and components included in the application.
It can be activated/deactivated from the View tab.
The Project Explorer is divided into five groups; . Screens, Functions, Data
Loggers, Script Modules and Recipes.
3BSE069489-602 87
Project Explorer Section 3 Development Environment
Project Explorer Groups

Click on the group heading to expand/collapse the groups. The number of
components in each folder is apparent from the group headings. Right-clicking on a
group opens a subset of the commands from the File menu and Insert tab.
Right-clicking on a component in a Project Explorer group opens a context menu
with a selection of common operations. Not all commands are available for all
components.
Context menu Description

command
Show Opens the selected project component for editing in the
desktop area
Rename Renames the selected project component
Add Adds a new project component to the project
Import Imports a project component via browsing the hard disk; e.g.
a screen from another project
Delete Deletes the selected component from the project
Screens
The Screens explorer lists the screens included in the application. Clicking on a
screen opens it for editing in the desktop area.
Screen Context Menu

Right-clicking a screen opens a context menu with a selection of available operations:
• Show
• Rename
• Import
• Delete
• Set as startup screen
• Save screen as template screen
88 3BSE069489-602
• Add to screen group

• Remove from screen group
The screen set to be the startup screen is marked with a green frame in the screens
explorer.
Groups
The Screens explorer offers a possibility to assign screens to groups.
• Right-click on the All screens heading in the Screens explorer and select Add
group followed by entering a unique name for the group in the appearing dialog.
• To assign a screen to a group, simply right-click a screen in the Screens explorer
and select “Add to Screen Group” from the context menu. Select a group to add
the screen to from the appearing “Select Screen group” dialog.
• To show available groups, double-click the All screens heading in the Screens
explorer. Screens not assigned to a group will be listed as ungrouped screens.
• Right-clicking a group enables a context menu from which you can choose to
rename or delete the group.
Deleting a Screen group also deletes all of its assigned screens.
It is also possible to assign a screen to a group by a simple drag and drop operation.
Drag the screen symbol and release it on the group.
Zoom Slider
The Zoom slider is found in the Screens explorer and provides a way to quickly
zoom in and out of your screens explorer.
Search
The search function provides the option to search for screens using the screen name
or screen-id.
The search is only performed within the selected group.
3BSE069489-602 89
Functions
The Alarm Server, Multiple Languages and Security functions are predefined, as
well as Tags, and cannot be deleted from the Functions folder. The other functions
can be added from the Insert menu. Most functions will be available from the
Functions folder after having added them to the project, but some functions are
assigned folders of their own.
Clicking on the function in the Functions folder opens its configuration pages for
editing in the desktop area.
Alarm Distributor
Alarms can be distributed between operator panels, with notification via printer,
SMS or e-mail using the alarm distributor.
Related information
Alarm Distributor
Alarm Server
The Alarm Server handles alarm groups and alarm items.
Related information
Alarm Server
Alarm Groups
Alarm Items
Audit Trail
The Audit Trail function enables tracking of operator actions.
Related information
Audit Trail
Function Keys
Function keys for operator panels as well as for the regular PC keyboard can be
configured.
90 3BSE069489-602
Related information
Function Keys
Multiple Languages
Configuring multiple languages for user texts and system texts are supported. The
texts can be exported, edited and reimported to the project. A tool for automatic
translations is also included.
Related information
Language Management
Reports
The reports function allows adding excel report templates to the project.
Related information
Reports
Scheduler
A scheduler can be used to control events in the process at special times.
Related information
Scheduler
Security
Users and groups of users can be set up for security purposes.
Related information
Security Management
Tags
Clicking on Tags in the Functions folder displays the tags configuration page in the
desktop with all the tags that are used in the application. Tags are added by clicking
on the Add Tag/Add System Tag button.
3BSE069489-602 91
Tags can belong to a connected controller, or be internal. Internal tags can be used
and selected in the same way as a regular controller tags.
System tags are used to monitor or access variables from the system, for example
Used RAM or DateTime. System tags are indicated by blue color in the tag list.
Related information
Tags
Internal Tags
System Tags
Text Library
to texts.
Related information
Text Library
Recipes
Several recipes can be inserted in the project. Each recipe function handles a
pre-defined set of recipe items.
Related information
Recipe Management
Script Modules
Clicking on a script module in the Script Modules folder opens the script editor in the
desktop area. A script module can be included to program features not covered by
included functions and actions, or to be used to share functionality among functions.
There is also a script action function that can be used to apply script modules to an
object in the same way as with other trigger actions.
Related information
Script
Script Action
92 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Component Library
Data Loggers
Data can be logged and saved to a database on time intervals or depending on
changed values.
Related information
Data Logger
Component Library
The Component Library contains reusable components for a project.
Components
The Component Library includes a large number of predefined graphical objects,
categorized into groups. User-defined graphical objects and other files may also be
saved in the component library. All components in a sub folder must have unique
names.
Examples of components that may be included in the library:
• predefined components
• objects
• text objects configured with multiple texts
• symbol objects configured with multiple symbols
• grouped objects
• external pictures
• text
• folders (file folders)
• HTM/HTML files
• media files
• PDF files
3BSE069489-602 93
Component Library Section 3 Development Environment
Since plain text can be saved as a component, it is possible to save reusable script
components by dragging a section of script code from the Script view into the
Component Library.
A component is displayed with its name and a thumbnail representation in the
Component Library window.
Grouped objects are displayed as a thumbnail representing the primary selection of
the object. Text files and folders are represented by operating system thumbnails.
Only static graphical objects are supported in Panel Builder.
Project Pictures
The Project Pictures folder is project specific, and contains pictures that are used in
the current project. The components in Project Pictures are stored in the project’s
Symbols folder.
Project Files
The Project Files folder is project specific, and contains files that have been added
when creating the project.
Project files and folders can be added and deleted from the Project Files folder before
downloading the project to an operator panel. The Project Files folder is located in
the Project folder.
For instance, “C:\MyProjects\ProjectFolder\Project Files”.
It is also possible to access the operator panel via FTP to add and delete files and
folders after the download, provided that the FTP service is enabled in the project.
Related information
FTP
Download
Add and Use Components

Drag-and-drop any component from the library to the current screen, or use copy
[Ctrl + C] and paste [Ctrl + V] commands.
Objects can be copied or moved to the Component Library.
94 3BSE069489-602
A text file, that is saved in the Component Library will be converted to a text box
object when pasted into a screen.
A component (picture or group) that is originally copied from an object with a tag
connection will keep its tag connection and any dynamic properties when used from
the Component Library.
If a component with a tag association is reused in another project then all
referenced tags must be present in the new project.
Component Library Window

The component library is available as a tab at the right-hand side of the desktop. The
window is configured with auto-hide functions, and can also be activated/deactivated
from the View ribbon tab. Its appearance can be managed just as other tools; as
docked or floating windows.
The Component Library is also accessible when selecting and placing the Picture
object from the Home ribbon tab.
3BSE069489-602 95
User-Defined Categories
Right-click on an empty space of the Component Library window and select Add
Component to add a component to the library. To create a new category, select
Add Category and choose a name of your preference. A category could also be
renamed or deleted.
User-defined categories are not project specific. This means that all objects saved in
a user-defined category will be available in all Panel Builder projects.
Exporting and Importing Components

By using the Import and Export functions in the Component Library, categories of
components can easily be copied and moved between projects. Right-click on the
category folder and select Import or Export. Find the location in the project file
from where the components should be imported or to where they should be exported.
The program will not indicate where the component files are located.
Single objects can not be exported or imported.
Expand and Collapse Folders

The top area is a contents frame that is used to navigate through the folders of
the Component Library. The contents heading displays the name of the currently
selected folder. The folder view can be expanded and collapsed with the control to
the left of the displayed folder name.
The display of the components is filtered through the selection of the folders, i.e. all
components are displayed if the top folder is selected.
Search
The Search feature provides a case-insensitive and alphabetical search, based on the
component label, in the current folder and in all sub folders.
Zoom
The Zoom slider at the bottom area of the tool window can be used to change the
size of the displayed components. Resting the mouse pointer over a component
displays a full-size picture of the component.
96 3BSE069489-602
Figure 8. Component Library window, displaying full size of a selected component
XAML Guidelines
All information, including the image, must be contained within the XAML-file.
Links to external objects will result in missing objects. Furthermore, the appearance
of the XAML-file may not be dependent of external inputs, like for example a
parameter controlling a multi-picture based on internal logic within the XAML-file.
The following restrictions apply:
3BSE069489-602 97
Do Not Name Controls in XAML

Not supported:
Supported:
Specify Width and Height

The root control must specify a width and a height.
Not supported:
Supported:
98 3BSE069489-602
Bindings
These are the only properties that are supported for XAML-binding within
components:
• ISymbolViewboxSignature.Fill is presented as “Fill” within the property grid
• ISymbolViewboxSignature.Stroke is presented as “Outline” within the property
grid
• ISymbolViewboxSignature.StrokeThickness is presented as “Outline Thickness”
within the property grid
It is not supported to bind to anything outside of the component.
Supported:
3BSE069489-602 99
Property Grid Section 3 Development Environment
Property Grid
Most properties and settings for an
object or screen are defined from its
General and Home tabs.
A detailed overview of object properties
is available by selecting Property Grid
from the View ribbon tab or by selecting
Properties from the context menu.
The property grid includes more
properties and settings than the ribbon
tabs, for example size and position of
objects, and delay of mouse and touch
screen input in runtime.
Property groups can be
collapsed/expanded.
The window is configured with auto-hide
functions. Its appearance can be
managed just as other tools; as docked
or floating windows.
Search
The Search feature provides a case-insensitive and alphabetical search, that makes
it easy to reduce the number of displayed properties.
100 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Property Grid
Toggling views
The different views in the Property grid can be selected by using the menu on the
top of the window.
Show only the properties marked as favorites
Show all properties in the Property Grid
Show all properties that do not have their default value
Select whether Favorites are editable or not
Show or hide the Copy Properties functions in the Property Grid
Favorites
The properties most commonly used can be added to a Favorites-category for easier
access. The favorites are saved per object type, i.e. Button has one set of favorites,
Analog Numeric has one set of favorites, Chart has one set and so on.
A yellow star indicates that the property is added as a favorite. By clicking the
star, the property is deselected and removed from the Favorites-category
When clicking on a greyed out star, the corresponding property is added to
the Favorites-category
Copy Properties
Multiple properties can be copied from one object to one or more
targets. The properties can be selected either one by one by clicking
the checkbox next to each property, or all at once by clicking the button
for Select all, followed by a click on the Copy Propertiesbutton. The
values are then pasted onto the target object(s) when selecting the
target(s) and clicking on Paste.
3BSE069489-602 101
Object Browser Section 3 Development Environment
Only the properties that are shared by both source and target objects are
transferred.
Selects all properties for the object
Deselects all properties for the object
Copies the selected properties to the clipboard
Clicking Paste pastes the copied properties

onto the selected object(s)
Object Browser
An overview of all objects included in a screen can be displayed in the Object
Browser.
It is easy to bring objects that may have been obscured by other objects up front, by
using the arrows at the top left.
Clicking the buttons at the right side of each object enables simply hiding/showing
and locking/unlocking objects.
102 3BSE069489-602
Section 3 Development Environment Help
Note that the top-to-bottom order in the Object browser corresponds to the
front-to-back order on the screen.
Output
The Output window contains messages concerning the project validation and build.
Created project files with folder paths and any found errors will be listed in Output.
Incorrect code entered in text mode (Xaml and Script) may result in errors that
are not possible to recognize during analysis and build.
Error List
The Error List contains information about problems and errors detected in Panel
Builder for the current project. Build errors are reported in the Output window.
Help
The Help file for Panel Builder can be opened by pressing F1 on the keyboard or
using the Help button in the ribbon tab heading.
3BSE069489-602 103
Help Section 3 Development Environment
104 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags
Objects connected to tags can change values in a controller, and controller values
can be reflected by changing object appearance in various ways. Objects in a screen
will remain static until connected to a tag.
A tag has a symbolic name and can be of different data types.
Tags can belong to a connected controller, be internal or belong to the system.
Internal tags are used to handle local data values, and can be viewed and treated in
screens just like regular controller tags.
The global tag list provides an overview of all used tags, regardless of controller.
This makes it easy to develop projects that can be used with a variety of controllers.
It is also possible to connect a tag to more than one controller simultaneously.
Adding Tags
Tags are handled by clicking on Tags in the Functions folder in the Project Explorer.
3BSE069489-602 105
Adding Tags Section 4 Tags
Clicking the Add Tag/Add System Tag button adds a new tag to the list. Make
settings for each added tag. When predefined values are available, these can be
selected by clicking the arrow at the right of the table cell.

The Delete button in Tags can be used to detect unused tags for immediate removal
via the Remove Unused Tags dialog.
106 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Adding Tags
Similarly, when building the project, a notification of any unused tags will
automatically be done by displaying the Remove Unused Tags dialog. To disable or
enable pop-up of this dialog, go to Options in the File menu. Select Build options
in the list and then select CheckForUnusedTags under Misc. Change the status of
the function to True or False.
3BSE069489-602 107
Always review the candidates for removal prior to removing unused tags, since
removing tags that are used in e.g. a script can result in a corrupt project.
To be able to detect tags used in scripts, a certain syntax must be used. It is

recommended to use the IScriptTag interface within the arguments list for the
ScriptModule, thus enabling the ScriptModule to be used and reused without being
locked to a specific tag setup. Use the syntax Globals.Tags.TagName for direct tag
references within scripts and expressions.
If an external editor, e.g. Visual Studio, is used for editing a script, the
cross-reference will not be updated when building the project in Panel Builder. The
Remove Unused Tags function will report tags used in these scripts as unused.
For Panel Builder to recognize a change made with an external editor, the script file
needs to be opened in Panel Builder and provided with just any small change using
the script editor in Panel Builder. Save the project once more before build.
108 3BSE069489-602
The Sum method inside the script can be utilized in many different contexts. The
following picture shows how Tag3 will contain the sum of Tag1 and Tag2 when the
button is clicked. Notice that the tags used in scripts must be activated to work
as expected.
3BSE069489-602 109
Related information
Tags Editor Options
Options
Basic Settings
To reduce complexity in the tags configuration page, some columns can be made
hidden/visible. The basic settings are always displayed. It is possible to customize
which columns to show by default using Tags Editor Options.
Enter name, data type and access rights for the tag. Select if the tag is to belong to
a controller entered on the Controllers tab. If no controller tag address is entered,
the tag will be treated as an internal tag.
110 3BSE069489-602
Name Symbolic name. The name can be any alphanumeric
string, beginning with a letter (a-z, A-Z).
Data Type (Tag) Selection of presentation format; for example used
to show the correct engineering unit when using
scaling. DEFAULT follows selection made for Data Type
(Controller).
Access Rights Defines access rights to the tag
Controller Controller address
Data Type (Controller) Selection of data type
To rename a tag it is necessary to enter the Rename dialog for the change to take
place. The dialog appears when clicking on the three dots to the right of the name in
the tags list.
3BSE069489-602 111
Related information
Scaling
Scaling
Scaling affects only tags connected to a controller.
Checking the Scaling box displays the Offset and Gain columns. These parameters
are used to change the scale of the controller value to a value shown in accordance
with the following equation:
Panel value = Offset + (Gain × Register value)
When the value for an object is changed from the operator panel, the scale is changed
to the value shown in accordance with the following equation:
Register value = (Panel value - Offset)/Gain
Scaling does not affect the defined maximum and minimum values, or the number
of decimals.
Data Exchange
Checking the Data Exchange box displays the Direction and When columns. Data
exchange supports real time data exchange between different controllers; also of
different brands. The data exchange can be performed when a digital tag is set or at a
certain time interval, set up on the Triggers tab. Data exchange can be selected for
individual tags, array tags or for the complete range of tags.
Related information
Data Exchange
Others
Checking the Others box makes it possible to configure a number of additional
tag properties.
112 3BSE069489-602
Description An optional description of the tag. Description of system tags
is added automatically.
Please note that the description can not be more than 200
characters long. Descriptions longer than that will cause build
errors.
Poll Group Makes it possible to poll groups of tags at different intervals.
Always Active Prevents the tag from becoming inactive. This may be useful
for actions and scripting purposes. Note: The Active setting
for the controller on the Controllers tab is predominant over
the Always Active setting for a particular tag.
Non Volatile Keeps the last tag value in memory even when the panel or
PC is powered off. Only available for internal tags.
Initial Value Makes it possible to assign a tag an initial value at system
startup. Only available for internal tags.
Index Register Makes it possible to select a register from which an object
is to collect the shown value.
Action Makes it possible to configure actions based on a condition of
a tag.
Log to Audit Trail Logs operator actions on the tag. Only available if the Audit
Trail function is activated in the project.
Audit Trail Optional static or dynamic descriptions for operator tag
Description actions, that are saved in the Audit Trail database and visible
in the Audit Trail Viewer. If Dynamic Description is selected,
value before change can be included in the description by
using {0}; value after change by using {1}. Only available if the
Audit Trail function is activated in the project.
3BSE069489-602 113
Adding Tags during Editing

Tags can be added directly when editing objects. When an object is selected, the tag
association can be managed from the Tag/Security group in the Home or General
ribbon tabs, or by right-clicking on the object and using the Mini Toolbar. In both
cases, tags are added by clicking the Add button.
Tags added during editing will stay internal until connected to a controller on
the tags configuration page.
Related information
Tag/Security Group
Mini Toolbar Options
Selecting Multiple Tags

Multiple rows of tags can be selected using the [Ctrl] or [Shift] keys. This makes it
easy to, for example, delete a number of tags quickly.
114 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Tag Actions
Tag Actions
One or multiple actions can be configured depending on a changed value of a tag.
The Action column is displayed when the Others box is checked in the Tags
configuration page.
Clicking ... in the Actions column for the selected tag brings up the Action properties
window. First, a condition is configured by clicking Add under Condition. Select a
condition, enter a value and click OK.
3BSE069489-602 115
Internal Tags Section 4 Tags
Then, configure actions to be executed when the condition is met.
Related information
Actions Ribbon Tab
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. Internal tags are selected
in the same way as an external controller tags. Any number of volatile user defined
tags can be created.
116 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags System Tags
Internal tag values will not be saved in the operator panel when the project is
restarted, unless the Non Volatile option is used.
Unlike the regular drivers, it does not matter if internal tags are used in consecutive
order or not.
System Tags
System tags are used to monitor or access variables from the system. System tags are
handled as regular controller tags, i.e. can be used in screens, logged, included in
scripts etc. The Date and Time system tags can be used when you want to use the
controller clock in the panel project. The following system tags are available:
System tag System tag Description

group
Communi- Communication Error Latest communication error message
cation Message
Communication Number of active communication errors on
Errors all controllers
Remote Alarm Server Number of remote alarm servers with
Connection Errors connection errors, e.g. disconnected
servers.
Date and DateTime Current date and time
Time
Day Day component of current date
Day of Week Day of current week (1-7 where 1 is
Sunday)
Hour Hour component of current time
Minute Minute component of current time
Month Month component of current date
Second Second component of current time
Year Year component of current date
3BSE069489-602 117
System Tags Section 4 Tags

group
Project Current Screen Id The ID of the current screen.
The data type of this tag is int16 and
it only has read access. This tag gets
updated every time you open a screen,
with the exception on pop up screens.
When opening a pop up screen the current
screen id tag will not be updated. When
entering a screen without a screen id the
tag value of the current screen id will be set
to -1. Note that 0 is a valid screen id.
Current Screen Name Name of the current screen
Latest Loaded Recipe Name of the latest loaded recipe
New Screen Id The ID of the new screen.
The data type of this tag is int16 and it has
read/write access. The tag is always active.
When the new screen id tag changes value
a screen jump is made to the screen with
corresponding screen id. If no such screen
exists a notification message will show.
If the new screen contains configured
screen instances (alias), the default
instance is always displayed.
System Project Name Name of the current project
Runtime Version Runtime version of framework
Screen Update Time Screen update time (in ms)
Available RAM Amount of available RAM memory (in kB)
Available Storage Amount of available storage memory (in
MB)
Backlight Brightness Backlight brightness level (in percent)
Level When approaching 0% backlight, changes
in brightness level may no longer be
noticeable in the panel.
CPU Load Amount of used CPU capacity (in percent)
118 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Array Tags

group
Current User The user name of the currently logged in
user
Debug Logging Indicates if debug logging is enabled.
Enabled
Internal Temperature Internal panel temperature (in °C)
Physical RAM RAM memory installed (in kB)
Power LED Blink Blink frequency of the power LED (1–10
Frequency Hz,
0 = always on)
Power LED Blue Intensity of the blue power LED (0–100)
Intensity
Power LED Red Intensity of the red power LED (0–100)
Intensity
Storage Memory Storage memory installed in computer (in
MB)
Used RAM Amount of used RAM memory (in kB)
Used RAM Percent Amount of used RAM memory (in percent
of physical)
Used Storage Amount of used storage memory (in MB)
Used Storage Percent Amount of used storage memory (in
percent of all storage)
Windows CE Image Windows CE Image Version
Version
System tags are indicated by blue color in the tag list.

System tags are added by clicking the Add Tag/Add System Tag button in the
tags configuration page.
Array Tags
An array tag is a tag containing multiple values.
3BSE069489-602 119
Array Tags Section 4 Tags
If the array size is >1, the tag is considered as an array tag.

Array tags are only supported by controllers which use addresses that can be
numerically increased.
Array Tag Set Up

Clicking the Add button adds a tag to the list. Make settings for each added tag.
When predefined values are available, these can be selected by clicking the arrow at
the right of the table cell.
Clicking the Data Type cell in the Controller column brings up the data type
configuration page. An array tag is configured by setting the array size to a value >1.
Data type Description

Data Type Selection of presentation format.
Size Set the array size.
Array Size If the array size is >1, the tag is considered as an array
tag.
120 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Triggers
Limitation
When using controllers with named variables and accessing individual bits with the
syntax VariableName.BitNo, array tags of data type BOOL with bit addressing, are
only supported for 16-bits tags.
Related information
Tags
Chart Object
Data Exchange
Cross Reference
The Cross Reference tool provides an overview of where a specific tag is used in
the current project.
All occurrences of the tag in the current project are listed. Double-clicking on an
occurrence in the list automatically brings you to the object or function where the
tag is used.
The cross reference tool can be accessed by clicking the cross reference button on
the Tags tab or on the View ribbon. It can also be accessed from the context menu.
Triggers
Triggers are used to determine when data exchange is to be performed; based on
tag or a certain interval.
3BSE069489-602 121
Poll Groups Section 4 Tags
Tag Selection of a tag, which when changed to a value other
than 0, triggers data exchange
Time Time interval between data exchange operations in the
format HH:MM:SS
Poll Groups
Poll groups allow grouping tags for polling at 5 different intervals. The groups
defined on the Poll Groups tab are available for selection from the Tags tab after
checking the Others box.
122 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Station Handling
Interval Polling interval in ms
Station Handling
For some controllers, it is possible for the operator to define from which controller
station to read or write values. The station number is given as a prefix to the
controller address.
The station number for each controller is defined on the Controllers tab of the Tags
configuration page, by clicking the Settings button.
The default station is set on the Settings tab, and the stations are defined on the
Stations tab.
3BSE069489-602 123
Station Handling Section 4 Tags
Figure 9. In this example, from an Ethernet driver, Station 0 is the default station.
The default station is the station addressed without using a prefix. The other stations
can be addressed either as a fixed number or as an index register. With fixed station
numbers, an object is always connected to the same controller address, and only the
value of this controller address can be used in the object.
When addressing for example D10 in station 2, the following syntax is used: 2:D10
124 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Index Registers
Related information
Using Index Registers for Station Handling
Index Registers
With index addressing, it is possible for the operator to select from which tag an
object is to collect the shown value. Without index addressing an object is always
connected to the same controller address, and only the value of this address can
be shown in the object.
3BSE069489-602 125
Index Registers Section 4 Tags
Which tags to use for indexing are defined on the Index Registers tab of the tags
configuration page. Up to eight different index registers can be used for each
controller, and each index register can be used for more than one object. Index
registers can be connected to any tag in the global tag list, but the tag has to be
selected for each controller.
Tags are connected to index registers on the Tags tab.
In general index addressing can be formulated as:
Display value = the content in tag (the object’s address + the content in the index
register)
If the content in the index register is 2, and the address of the tag specified in the
object is 100, the value shown in the object will be collected from address 102. If the
value in the index register is changed to 3, the value in the object will be collected
from address 103 instead.
Index Addressing Example

Using index registers may be convenient when for example controlling torque and
speed of a number of connected motors from the same screen, without having to
configure and display maneuverable objects for each motor.
126 3BSE069489-602
The following example is based upon the presumption of three motors, and the
torque and speed of each motor is held in a different tag:
Motor 1 Motor 2 Motor 3

Torque Speed Torque Speed Torque Speed
D11 D21 D12 D22 D13 D23
1. Create a project where the Demo Controller is selected as controller.
2. Add tags and labels and connect them to Demo Controller tags according to
below:
3BSE069489-602 127
3. Select the Index Registers tab and connect Index 1 to the MotorIndex tag (D0).
4. Select the Tags tab again and check the Others box in order to display the
Index Registers column.
5. Connect the Torque and Speed tags to Index Register 1.
6. Now, create a ComboBox object for selection of motor, and two analog numeric
objects that will display (or set) the Torque and Speed tags for each motor.
Also add explaining labels.
128 3BSE069489-602
7. Click Configure Texts for the ComboBox object, connect the object to the
MotorIndex tag, and add three texts and values according to below.
8. Connect the analog numeric objects to the Torque and Speed tags.
9. In order to test that the index addressing works even though no controller is
connected, add maneuverable objects, e.g. sliders, and connect them to the
D11–D13 and D21–D23 tags.
3BSE069489-602 129
10. Run the project, enter values for the objects connected to D11–D13 and
D21–D23, and select the different motors using the ComboBox.
Using Index Registers for Station Handling

For some controllers, it is possible for the operator to define from which controller
station to read or write values. The station number is given as a prefix to the
controller address.
This is stated either as a fixed number or as an index register. The default station
is the station addressed without using a prefix. The other stations can be addressed
either as a fixed number or as an index register. With fixed station numbers, an
object is always connected to the same controller address, and only the value of this
controller address can be used in the object.
Index addressing reduces the number of tags needed as well as the number of objects
to be configured in the Panel Builder project when showing values from / writing
to multiple controller stations.
The syntax when using index registers for station handling is for example I1:D10.
130 3BSE069489-602
This means that the value in the controller address connected to Index 1 will point
out which controller station number to read or write values.
3BSE069489-602 131
Expressions Section 4 Tags
Related information
Station Handling
Expressions
The Expressions functionality is used when connecting an object to a tag and the
purpose is not to use the tag value as it is. Expressions enable the user to e.g.
extract a bit from a tag, add a dynamic offset or gain, and then to use this value for
a specific object.
Static offset and gain for a tag is set in the tags configuration page.
The same expression can be connected to more than one object in the project.
Definition
An expression is a one line return statement in C#. The default expression code is
“value”.
Using Expressions
Right-click on an object and then click the button next to Select Tag. The
Expressions dialog is displayed.
132 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Expressions
Click New to create an expression and expression group (optional). Existing

expressions are available from the Select Expression drop-down menu. Use the
Edit and Delete buttons to edit or delete existing expressions.
Select among the tags, operators and functions to insert. It is also possible to type the
expression manually, but without assistance from IntelliSense (auto completion). If
an expression is not valid, an error message is given when validating the project.
The expression is run, when the value of the original tag that is connected to the
object is changed.
Expressions added to an object in a project are available only in the current project.
If an object with a local expression is saved into the Component Library, the object
can be used in an other project, but the expression is not included. In order to reuse
expressions, they have to be saved in the expressions library.
Related information
Library Expressions
3BSE069489-602 133
Expressions Section 4 Tags
Library Expressions
Examples of expressions (how to extract bits from an int) are included when
installing Panel Builder and can be added to the project by clicking Load.
Expressions can be reused in other projects by saving them in the expression library.
Select the expression in the drop-down list and click Save. The expression is saved
to a file in the PC. To load the expression in another project, click Load. A selection
dialog is displayed. Select the expression in the drop-down list and click OK.
If you have saved expressions to the library that you want to remove, click Delete
and select among the saved expressions in a dialog. Expressions included when
installing Panel Builder are not listed, since these cannot be deleted.
Limitations
An expression is executed only on read, i.e. when the value is changed in the
controller.
When writing a value (from e.g. an analog numeric tag), the expression is not
executed.
If another tag than the original tag is used in the expression, the expression is not
triggered on its value change.
If an expression that is used in more than one location is either renamed or deleted,
references will not be updated. A build error will be given.
Expressions can be used for all data connections except for
• actions
• the Property grid
• recipe item tags
• current language tag in Multiple languages configuration
• trigger tags
• index tags
• scheduler tags
• dynamic text for alarm items
134 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Data Exchange
Data Exchange
Data exchange between different controllers is supported; also between controllers
of different brands. The data exchange can be performed when a digital tag is set, or
at a certain time interval. Data exchange can be selected for individual tags, array
tags or for the complete range of tags.
The data exchange function is isolated from general tag/controller settings. For
example, a tag assigned read access only for the operator, may still be read and
written by the data exchange function.
Follow the steps below to set up data exchange with three different controllers
involved:
1. Select the Controllers tab of the tags configuration page and enter short names
for the controllers in the ID column, and make sure that all controllers are active.
2. Select the Tags tab and check Data Exchange to display the Direction and
When columns.
3BSE069489-602 135
Data Exchange Section 4 Tags
3. Select an address that is represented in all of the controllers.
If an array tag is selected, the complete address range corresponding to the

array size will be exchanged:
136 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Data Exchange
4. Click ... in the Direction column to set up the direction of the data exchange.
3BSE069489-602 137
Data Exchange Section 4 Tags
5. Add a trigger tag on the Triggers tab with time interval for data exchange or use
a tag, which when greater than 0, will trigger the data exchange. Alternatively,
set up a trigger that includes both value change and a time interval.
138 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Importing and Exporting Tags
6. Return to the Tags tab and select which trigger to use.
If the poll group contains many tag values that change frequently, the time
required for them to be handled could exceed the set poll time. This could lead
to problems updating the data exchange between the controllers. Set the Poll
Group Interval to a higher value or use a time trigger to control the data exchange
operations.
Related information
Triggers
Importing and Exporting Tags

Tags can be imported to and exported from a Panel Builder project, to, for example,
be edited in Excel or a text editor, or to be transferred to another project. The
complete tag list may be imported and exported, or the actions can be based on
connected controllers.
The import function also allows selecting individual tags for import.
Handling Columns
The import function allows skipping columns, or binding columns in the import file
to any column in the Tags configuration page.
The Name and DataType columns must always be bound.
A column may only be bound once.
3BSE069489-602 139
Importing and Exporting Tags Section 4 Tags
Saving the Import Configuration

For repetitive import actions the import configuration, e.g. how columns are bound
and from which row to start the import, can be saved and reused. The import
configuration is saved by clicking the Save mapping as import module button
prior to performing the import. Next time the Import Tags dialog is opened, the
configuration is available from the Import module drop-down list. Saving import
configurations is valid only for files in text or Excel format.
In order to import or export .xls-files Microsoft Excel must be installed.
Tag Import Example

If the controller in the project is changed to a system with other names for the tags
used, these must be changed:
1. Click on Tags in the Project Explorer.
2. Click on the arrow to the right of the Import/Export button to display the
available options of import and export operations.
140 3BSE069489-602
3. Select Export tags from the desired controller to export the list to a text file or
an Excel sheet. Enter a file name and browse to a location. Define how the to
separate the columns and which columns to export. Use the arrows if you want
to change position of the columns.
4. Click Export.
5. Open the text file in a text editor or a spread sheet application.
3BSE069489-602 141
6. Change all current tags to corresponding tags used in the new controller, and
save the file.
7. Select Import tags to the desired controller and browse to the updated file. If
desired, select a row from which to start the import. It is possible to rebind
columns before importing to the project, and to exclude columns. These settings
can be saved by clicking the Save mapping as import module button, and
will then be made available for selection from the Import module drop-down
list at next import.
142 3BSE069489-602
8. Click Import. It is now possible to deselect import of some tags.
3BSE069489-602 143
9. In case there are name conflicts, these can be handled by changing the name,
overwriting, merging or skipping conflicting items. The actions taken are saved
to a log file for future reference.
If you select Overwrite, all settings for the existing tag will be overwritten.
If you select Merge, existing actions for the tag will be kept.
The imported tags are now added to the current project.
Related information
Basic Settings
Importing Tags from the Command Line

Tags can also be added to the current Panel Builder project using a command line
switch, by entering the following:
144 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Filtering Tags
[Executable file] “Project location]\[Project name].ppbproj”/ImportTags=”[Tag

file location]\Tag file”
In this case, no application window is displayed, as long as the import is successful.
Example in Windows XP
To open the project named Test1 with the tag file VarFile.txt in the directory
C:\MyProjects, run Panel Builder from the command line with the following
arguments:
NeoIDE.exe “C:\MyProjects\Test1\Test1.ppbproj” /ImportTags=“C:\MyPro-
jects\VarFile.txt”
In Windows Vista, the complete path (within quotes) to the executable file has to
be included.
Removing Existing Controller Tags at Import

The /ImportTags command line switch may be used together with the switch
/RemoveTagsNotInFile. This will remove all existing tags in the controller that are
not included in the import file.
Filtering Tags
A selection of tags can be displayed using the Filter Builder. Several conditions can
be used, and the different values/operators that can be used for making conditions
are displayed when clicking on the condition building blocks.
Operands and operator nodes are context sensitive. Name strings are not case
sensitive. Values in the filter builder are saved individually for each function during
an edit session. A filter is built as a logical expression tree. A filter typically has
operations on individual column values as leaf nodes and logical operators serve
as main nodes.
Perform the following steps to create a filter:
1. Click on Tags in the Project Explorer.
The tag list is displayed in the desktop area.
2. Select Show Selection from the Show Selection/Show All button to build a
filter.
3BSE069489-602 145
Tag Format Section 4 Tags
It is also possible to filter tags depending on tag name by typing in the Filter box.
The filtering affects the tags list directly as letters are entered in the box.
Figure 10. Only tags including “te” in their names are displayed
Figure 11. The filter indication when having entered “te” in the Filter box
Related information
Filtering Items
Tag Format
The following tag formats (data types) are available in the dialog for a tag, provided
that the selected driver or OPC server supports the tag format.
Format Data type Range

DEFAULT Treated as INT16
Bit BIT 0 and 1
Bit BOOL Values can be “false” (0) or “true” (1)(1)
Signed 16-bit INT16 -32,768 – +32,767
Unsigned 16-bit UINT16 0 – +65,535
Signed 32-bit INT32 -2,147,483,648 – +2,147,483,647(2)
Unsigned 32-bit UINT32 0– +4,294,967,295(2)
146 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Tag Format
Format Data type Range

Float with DOUBLE 1.7 × 10308 (1)
exponent, 64-bit
Float with FLOAT ±3.4 × 1038 (1)
exponent, 32-bit
7 × Signed DATE- An Analog Numeric object can present the time
16-bit TIME format(1)
Syntax(3): <yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss> 7
consecutive registers are used to store a time:
Dx, seconds, 0–59
Dx+1, minutes, 0–59
Dx+2, hours, 0–23
Dx+3, day, 1–31
Dx+4, month, 1–12
Dx+5, year, 100–9999
Dx+6, weekday, 1–7
String STRING Storing character strings in tags. For this data
type, size can be selected.
(1)Controller representation for this type is dependent on the driver software.
(2)Regarding resolution of values in 32-bit format: both Panel Builder and the operator panel can handle up to six
decimal digits of an integer 32-bit value. Remaining digits will be truncated or changed into zeros.
(3)yyyy=year, MM=month, dd=date, hh=hour, mm=minute, ss=second.
For use in script code, the following table shows the type representation in C#. This
is used when there is a need to do a type casting, for example in calculations that
are using overloaded operators.
C# type Data type Description

– DEFAULT Treated as INT16
uint BIT C# does not have a “bit” type. In the controller this
is a bit.
3BSE069489-602 147
Aliases Section 4 Tags
C# type Data type Description

bool BOOL C# bool type that can have the values “false” (0)
and “true” (1)
int INT16 16 bit, -32,768 – +32,767
uint UINT16 16 bit, 0–+65,535
int INT32 32 bit, -2,147,483,648 – +2,147,483,647
uint UINT32 32 bit, 0 – +4,294,967,295
float FLOAT 32 bit, ±3.4 × 1038
double DOUBLE 64 bit, ±1.7 × 10308
DateTime DATE- 7 elements are used to store a time
TIME
string STRING Storing character strings in tags
Related information
Script
Aliases
An alias should be treated as a property of a screen and can act as a stand-in for a
tag. The alias can be used to reference a tag wherever that tag can be referenced
directly. When used, Panel Builder will act the same as if the original tag had been
used. Each screen using aliases can be configured with a different instance different
tag references.
Using aliases will enable reuse of screens without having to create a new duplicated
screen.
Creating Aliases
Aliases are handled by clicking Aliases on the desktop view mode tab.
Figure 12. Desktop view mode tabs
148 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Aliases
Clicking the Add button adds an alias to the list. Make settings for each added
alias. When predefined values are available, these can be selected by clicking the
arrow at the right of the table cell.
Basic Settings
Enter Alias name and Default value for the alias. If no default value is entered, the
alias will be treated as a local screen variable.
Alias Name Symbolic name. The name can be any alphanumeric
Default Value Selection of tags to create aliases of. If no tag is selected
the alias will be treated as a local screen variable.
The default value will be the default value for the alias
in the created instances. It will also be the reference for
the default instance. See Instances.
Data Type Selection of data type. This setting is enabled by first
clicking the Data Type checkbox.
The data type will by default reflect the data type of the
selected Default Value.
Instances
The aliases created in the project are presented in a table on the instances tab. It is
possible to change the value for the aliases in this tab, in order to override the default
value configured in the aliases tab.
3BSE069489-602 149
If a value for an alias is changed in the instances tab, the new value is displayed with
bold text to indicate that it differs from the alias’ default value.
To revert back to the default value, delete the value followed by pressing [Enter].
The default value can be changed in the aliases tab.
Instance Symbolic name. The name can be any alphanumeric
Aliases The names of all aliases created in the project will be
displayed in the columns headers. The values connected
to the aliases will be listed in each columns.
Using the “Show Screen” Action with Instances

The "Show Screen” action can be used to display a specific screen. For screens that
have aliases, it is also possible to select which instance of the screen to use, and
thereby also which set of tags to assign to the screen’s aliases.
The Default option is a virtual instance configured with the alias’ default values.
150 3BSE069489-602
Section 4 Tags Aliases
Figure 13. “Show Screen” Action Parameters.
Related information
Action Groups
Limitations
• Aliases do not support array tags.
• Aliases can not be used in connection with expressions.
• Aliases can not be used with the Trend Viewer object.
• No scripting support for value changed event on an alias.
3BSE069489-602 151
152 3BSE069489-602
Section 5 Controller
Panel 800 Version 6 operator panels can be connected to many types of automation
equipment, such as PLCs, servos, and drives.
The expression controller is used as a general term for the connected equipment.
It is possible to connect a tag to more than one controller simultaneously. This
makes it possible to use the same application with different controllers. Controllers
can be enabled and disabled in runtime. A project can contain multiple controller
connections.
A project can also be connected to an external OPC server.
Related information
Multiple Controllers
External OPC Server
Internal Tags
Adding a Controller
When a new project is created, one of the steps is to choose which controller brand
and model to connect to. Clicking on Tags in the Project Explorer, selecting the
Controller tab displays the Controller configuration page.
3BSE069489-602 153
Adding a Controller Section 5 Controller
ID Optional short name for controller; displayed in functions
such as Data exchange.
Active Selection of which controllers are to be active in runtime.
Change of active controllers can also be performed in
runtime using an action or script.
Controllers are added and deleted using the Add and Delete buttons.
Clicking Controller allows selecting another controller, and Settings displays
settings for the selected driver.
Clicking Help in the driver settings dialog opens the help file for the driver.
Related information
Select Controller
154 3BSE069489-602
Section 5 Controller External OPC Server
Notify Window
If a communication error between the application and the controller is detected in
runtime, this will result in a communication error, and a Notify Window will be
displayed in the operator panel. The Notify Window is a floating window that starts
in the upper left corner of the screen. It is also used to display the alarm indicator.
The Notify Window can be moved to any position on the current screen.
DEMO Controller
The DEMO controller is used and selected in the same way as a regular controller
driver, to design and test a project directly on the engineering PC without connection
to an external controller.
A number of predefined tags can be selected:
Data type Tag ID Description

BIT, BOOL M0 - M99 Digital tags
INT16, UINT16 D0 - D99 Analog tags
The DEMO controller also includes counters and digital tags with predefined
functions:
Data type Tag ID Description

BIT M100 - M104 Toggles OFF and ON every 1,000 ms
INT16 C0 - C4 Counts from 0 to 100 with 1,000 ms interval
by default; min/max values can be defined
External OPC Server

OPC is an industrial standard created in a collaboration of automation hardware
and software suppliers. The standard defines methods for exchanging real-time
automation data between PC-based clients using Microsoft operating systems.
An OPC server acts as a controller towards an operator panel.
3BSE069489-602 155
External OPC Server Section 5 Controller
OPC Classic Client

Settings for the OPC Classic client is made in the Choose Controller dialog.
Select Localhost when accessing an OPC server running in your local PC.
Select Remote Server when accessing an OPC server in the network environment,
and click Browse to select the OPC server. Clicking Refresh makes it possible to
select the OPC server from the OPC Server drop-down list next time.
Add OPC server tags by clicking the small arrow at the right-hand side of the Add
button on the Tags tab:
To validate tags from a remote OPC server in the Panel Builder project, return to the
Controllers tab and select the remote OPC server once more, and click OK.
This procedure is necessary as the tags in the remote OPC server may have been
changed since they were selected on the Tags tab.
OPC UA Client
Settings for the OPC UA client can be made in the Choose Controller dialog. Open
the dialog by clicking the Add button on the Controllers tab.
Enter the URL to the OPC UA server.
Controller Settings Dialog

The settings dialog for the OPC UA Server is available by clicking the Settings
button on the Controllers tab.
156 3BSE069489-602
Section 5 Controller External OPC Server
URL Enter URL to the OPC UA server.
Only UA TCP Binary is supported which means the URL
must start with “opc.tcp://”
Authentication Choose whether to use anonymous login or enter a user
settings name and password to enable a secured login.
Namespace settings This setting offers a possibility to declare a namespace
URI and bind it to a prefix.
Tag View settings Namespace separator character: Enter a character to
be used to separate the namespace URI prefix from the
tag ID when presented on the tag tab.
Default namespace: Select the default namespace URI
prefix to be used when entering a tag on the tag tab.
3BSE069489-602 157
External OPC Server Section 5 Controller
Subscription Max subscriptions: Enter the maximum number of
settings subscriptions supported by the server(1)
Max items per subscription: Enter the maximum
number of items per subscription supported by the
server(1)
(1) Please refer to the server manual for limitations
Add Tags from OPC UA Server

Add OPC UA server tags by clicking the Add button on the Tags tab.
Enter the Tag ID along with the preferred namespace URI prefix, defined in the
controller settings dialog. Make sure to separate the values with the separator
character.
Example: “NS3:tag” .
The Tag ID, in the example above, corresponds with BrowseName in the OPC
UA server.
If no namespace URI prefix is entered, the default namespace URI prefix as defined
in the controller settings dialog will be used.
158 3BSE069489-602
Section 5 Controller Updating Drivers
Array tags are not supported by OPC UA controllers.
Supported Functions
Data Access (UA part 8) is supported.
All variables of data types that are used in Panel Builder is supported. Read / write
of objects, structs and arrays is not supported.
Limitations
Limitation Description
Browsing Browsing of servers / nodes is not supported.
Address input in GUI NameSpace and BrowseName is used to identify a
variable in the server.
If this combination is not unique, the client cannot identify
the variable.
Related information
OPC UA Server
Updating Drivers
Drivers can be updated via Internet or from file.
Each driver takes up approximately 500 kB. To use the downloaded drivers, Panel
Builder must be restarted.
Updating Drivers from Internet

A web browser is not required to update drivers via an Internet connection. A list
of drivers that can be downloaded via Internet is displayed when the connection
is established.
3BSE069489-602 159
Updating Drivers Section 5 Controller
1. Click on the Panel Builder button and select Update Drivers /From Internet
to update available drivers to the latest version, or to install new drivers.
The list shows the version number for the available drivers and the version
number for the installed drivers.
2. Select the driver(s) to install in Panel Builder.

The command Mark Newer selects all drivers available in newer versions than
the ones installed, including all drivers that are not installed.
3. Click Download.
Related information
File Menu
Updating Drivers from File

When updating drivers from file only one driver at the time is updated. This can for
example be used to revert to an older driver.
To install a new driver from file:
1. Click on the top left button and select Update Drivers /From File to update
available drivers to the latest version.
160 3BSE069489-602
Section 5 Controller Synchronizing the Controller Clock
2. Browse to the folder where the driver files are located.

A list of all drivers that can be installed is now shown.
3. Select the driver to install in Panel Builder.

Mark Newer selects the driver when there is a newer version than the currently
installed.
4. Click Install.
Related information
File Menu
Synchronizing the Controller Clock

In order to synchronize the controller clock with the Panel Builder project, the
system tags hour, minute, second, need to be added to the project from the Tags
configuration page. These are then connected to addresses in the controller.
3BSE069489-602 161
Synchronizing the Controller Clock Section 5 Controller
When the value is changed in any of the system tags, they will be written to the
controller.
Related information
System Tags
162 3BSE069489-602
Section 6 Web Server
The Web Server adds the possibility to use a server-side Application Programming
Interface (API) to interact with a running project. The API operates over the
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and can be accessed from any compatible
device. In addition, the web server can host web pages and related media to be
consumed by web browsers.
The bundled Javascript Software Development Kit (SDK) makes it easy to build
interactive web pages that utilize the API.
Login settings for the web server are available from Server group on the System
ribbon tab.
ABB only offers support for the examples described in this chapter.
Web Server Configuration

Web Site Configuration
For the web server to be able to host web pages, the content of the web site must be
transferred using FTP to a folder named “WebSite” residing in the FTP root directory.
The FTP server must be enabled and the web content can only be transferred after
the application has been deployed and started on the panel.
Login Form
The web server provides a default login form that is used for clients to authenticate.
It is also possible to override the default and provide a custom web page that
matches your overall design.
To override the login form, create an HTML file called “login.html” and place it in a
folder named “Website” in the root of the FTP root directory.
3BSE069489-602 163
Web Server Configuration Section 6 Web Server
This file will be used instead of the default when clients access the address “/login”.
The Javascript SDK provides tools for creating the form using a few conventions.
Note that this only applies if you have authentication enabled in the web server
settings.
Authentication Script
Reference the authentication script
Username and Password Field

Mark the username and password field with the predefined id’s “ix-username“
and “ix-password”:
Login Button
Mark a login button with the predefined id “ix-login”. Any element can be used.
Invalid Credentials
Optionally add an element with the predefined id “ix-invalid-credentials” that will
be shown if the login fails.
164 3BSE069489-602
Section 6 Web Server Javascript SDK
Javascript SDK
Javascript SDK Overview
The JavaScript SDK provides a rich set of client-side functionality for accessing the
server-side API calls. This enables the possibility to build highly interactive web
pages that uses tags defined in the project.
1. The first step to build an interactive web page is to reference the SDK by
inserting the following script into to the header of the html.
The SDK is bundled with jQuery 1.7 (http://jquery.com/).
2. Next, the SDK needs to be initialized. In its simples form the following lines
need to be added after the reference to the SDK:
This will make it possible to use the defined tag metadata attributes to incorporate
the project tags into the web page.
The following line will, for example, insert the value of Tag1 into the HTML
document:
Tag Value or Properties

To insert the current value of a tag or tag property into a HTML element, the
data-ix-tag attribute can be used. The value of the attribute should be the name of
the tag as defined in the project and the property of a tag. Separate the names with
a dot “.”.
If no property is provided, the value of the tag is used.
3BSE069489-602 165
Javascript SDK Section 6 Web Server
Formatting
Formatting of a tag value can be applied to a tag of numeric type or a datetime. The
format is defined using the data-ix-format attribute.
The following table describes the custom date and time format specifiers and
displays a result string produced by each format specifier.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012 12:27:24 PM is used as input.
Tag value Description Result

d The day of the month, from 01 through 31. 07
D The abbreviated name of the day of the week (in Tue
english)
j The day of the month, from 1 through 31 7
l The full name of the day of the week Tuesday
S Ordinal number for the date of the month (eg -st, th
-nd, -rd, -th etc)
w Day of the week as a number. 2
z Day of the year 37
W Week of the year 05
F The full name of the month. February
m Gets the day of the month from 00 to 31 02
M The abbreviated name of the month. Feb
n The month of the year 1 to 12 2
t Number of days in the month 29
166 3BSE069489-602
Tag value Description Result

L Is leap year, 1 if true, otherwise 0 1
Y The year as a four-digit number. 2012
y The year, from 00 to 99 12
a The AM/PM designator lower case. pm
A The AM/PM designator upper case. PM
g The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 1 to 12. 12
G The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 0 to 23. 12
h The hour, using a 12-hour clock from 01 to 12. 12
H The hour, using a 24-hour clock from 00 to 23. 12
i The minute, from 00 through 59 27
s The second, from 00 through 59. 24
X The milliseconds, from 000 through 999. 000
O Hours offset from GMT, with a leading zero for a +0100
single-digit value.
Z Timezone offset, in seconds 3600
q Quarter 1
3BSE069489-602 167
The following table describes the custom numeric format specifiers and displays
sample output produced by each format specifier:
Result
Tag Description
Value Value Format
0 Digit 4 00 → 04
4.5 0.00 → 4.50
.1 0.00 × 1000 → 1.00 × 10-01
# Digit, zero shows as absent 4 ## → 4
. Decimal separator or monetary 4.5 0.00 → 4.50
decimal separator
E Separates mantissa and 5.55 0.0 × 1000 → 5.6 × 1000
exponent in scientific notation
1000000 0.0 × 1000 → 1.0 × 1006
, Grouping separator 1000 0,0 → 1,000
1000 0,# → 1,000
; Separates positive and negative -5 plus;minus → minus
subpatterns
5 plus;minus → plus
0 plus;minus;zero → zero
-5 0;(0.0);0.000 → (5.0)
[] Custom subpatterns 700 [>500]###.##;[<1000]###;#
##.# → 700.00
400 [>500]medium;[>1000]###;
###.# → 400
1001 [>2000]high;[>1000]nor-
mal;[>500]low → normal
Setting Tag Value

To set the value of a tag, two elements must be defined.
The first element have the data-ix-setter attribute on the position where the tag
value can be entered.
168 3BSE069489-602
The second element has the data-ix-submitbutton attribute used to submit the
new tag value.
The data-ix-submitbutton attribute takes the tag names, separated by comma “,”,
to be submitted when the button is clicked. To submit all tags an asterisk “*” can
be used.
iX-invalid Style
Basic validation is done on input values. If the value cannot be assigned to the Tag
then the value will not be set. To indicate an invalid value the framework will set
the CSS class “ix-invalid” on the element. This can then be used to provide the user
with visual cues of the invalid state. For example, the following CSS snippet adds a
red border around the input when the input is incorrect:
Refresh Modes
To control how tag values are refreshed, the data-ix-refresh attribute can be used
with elements defined with data-ix-tag or data-ix-setter.
It is recommended to use the least frequent interval that is required by your project.
3BSE069489-602 169
Advanced
iX.setup
After loading the JavaScript SDK, call iX.setup to initialize the framework. This
will wire the tag metadata attributes that you have defined in HTML and will start
periodical polling if this is needed.
Parameters:
Name Type Description

options Object See the “Options” table below.
Options
De-
Property Type Description Argument fault
refreshInterval Int The refresh interval of tag values Optional 5000
in ms. For performance reasons
it is recommended not to use low
values for this setting.
refreshMode String Overrides the default refresh Optional one-
mode of tag values. time
Accepted modes are: none,
onetime, interval.
refreshMode- String Overrides the default refresh Optional one-
Setter mode of tag setters. time
Accepted modes are: none,
onetime, interval.
Example:
This example will set periodical refresh interval to 10 seconds, set the refresh mode
of HTML elements marked with the data-ix-tag attribute to interval and set the
refresh mode of HTML elements marked with the data-ix-setter attribute to refresh
only once.
170 3BSE069489-602
iX.refreshElements
Refreshes the tag values of the provided elements manually. The attribute
data-ix-refreshbutton can be used to achieve the same function.
Only an element that have been marked with a valid data-ix-tag or data-ix-setter
can be refreshed. The value will be refreshed regardless of the refresh mode
set on the element.
Parameters:

elementIds Array A list of strings containing the HTML element
ids. If not provided all tag elements are
updated.
Example:
This example show how you programmatically can achieve the same behavior
as marking an element with data-ix-refreshbutton. In the example, the HTML
element with id "tag1Id" will be updated when the element with id "refreshButton" is
clicked. This example uses jQuery (bundled with iX.js) to bind to the click event
of the "refreshButton"
In HTML:
In Javascript:
3BSE069489-602 171
iX.refreshTags
Refreshes the tag values of the provided tag names manually.
Only tags used in conjunction with data-ix-tag or data-ix-setter or created by
iX.createTag can be refreshed.
Parameters:

tagName String (Optional) A list of strings containing the
names of the tags to refresh. If not provided
all defined tags are refreshed.
Example:
This example show how to programmatically refresh the tag values of "tag1" and
"tag2". When refreshButton is clicked the "tag1" and "tag2" will be refreshed even if
the refresh mode was set to 'none' when creating the tag.
iX.createTag
Creates a representation of a server-side tag on the client-side.
Parameters:
172 3BSE069489-602

tagName String The name of the tag in the project to
create a connection to.
valueRefreshedCall- Function Optional: Function that is called when
back the tag value has changed. The function
is not called when the tag value is the
same as last checked.
Function may take two optional
parameters. The first parameter is
the tag that changed the value, the
second the old values of the tag before
it changed.
refreshMode String Optional: Overrides the default refresh
mode of tag. Accepted modes are:
none, onetime, interval.
Note that the more frequent
refreshMode is always used. For
example, if the tag is created with
onetime but an element defines
data-ix-refreshmode=”interval” for
the same tag then the tag will have a
refreshMode of interval.
Returns:
Type Description
iX.Tag An instance of iX.Tag. See Tag Class for a complete
description.
Example:
This example show how to display a warning if the value of "tag1" exceeds 70. The
example is using jQuery (bundled with iX.js) to hide and show the warning box.
3BSE069489-602 173
iX.getTag
Retrieves a tag by name.
Parameters:

tagName String The name of the tag to retrieve.
Returns:
Type Description
iX.Tag An instance of iX.Tag. See Tag Class for a complete
description.
Example:
This example shows how to retrieve an instance of a tag after it has been created.
"tag1" and "tag1Again" will refer to the same tag instance.
iX.commitTagValue
Commits any unsaved tag values that was changed using iX.Tag.setValue for the
provided tag names.
174 3BSE069489-602
Parameters:

tagNames Array (Optional) A list of strings containing the
names of the tags to commit. If not provided
all defined tags are committed.
Example:
This example show how to commit changes to tag values on the server in a batch.
Note that the value must match the data type of the tag on the server.
Tag Class
iX.Tag is a class representing a Tag. The methods and properties of a Tag must be
accessed through an instance of iX.Tag and not the class itself. Typically a Tag
instance obtained using iX.createTag or iX.getTag methods.
iX.Tag Properties
isDirty Bool Flag indicating if the local value has been
changed.
tagProperties Object An object with data retrieved from the server.
See tag metadata below. Note that these are
only available after the first refresh. Also, only
value is refreshed not all of the metadata.
value Flexible The value of the tag. The type of the value
depends on the data type in the project.
Never use this property to set the value.
3BSE069489-602 175
Tag Properties:

controllers Array An array of controller names that the tag is
connected to.
description String The tag description, null if not defined.
dataType String The tag dataType, e.g int16, datetime,
default
initialValue Flexible The initial value of the tag, null if not defined.
readonly Bool True if the tag is read only, otherwise false
quality String Indicates the quality of the tag value:
Unknown, Good, Bad
iX.Tag.setValue
Set the tag value manually. To commit the value to the server side call iX.commit.
It’s vital that the value that is set corresponds to the data type of the tag.
Parameter:

newValue Flexible The new value. Must match the data type of
the tag.
iX.Tag.subscribeToChange
Adds a callback that is called when the server-side value has changed.
Parameter:

fn Function The callback to register
176 3BSE069489-602
Section 6 Web Server Web Service API
iX.Tag.unsubscribeToChange
Unsubscribe from changes.

fn Function The same callback that was used with
iX.Tag.subscribeToChange
iX.Tag.refresh
Refreshes this tag. It is recommended to refresh tags in batch (using iX.refresh)
instead of refreshing individual tags.
iX.Tag.commit
Commit this tags value if the value has been changed. It is recommended to commit
tags in batch (using iX.commit) instead of refreshing individual tags.
Web Service API

RESTful Web Service API
Panel Builder provides an API for interacting with tags. The tags can be read or
written to using the HTTP verbs GET, PUT and POST. GET to read tags, PUT to
set the value of a tag or POST to perform batch operation.
General
Accepted Types
It is possible to negotiate which media type that will be returned as a representation
of the resource being retrieved. Use the Accept header in the request to specify the
desired media type. text/html and application/json media types are understood as
response formats for tag related resources.
A client request providing an unsupported media type will be responded with the
following message: “406 - Not understood”.
3BSE069489-602 177
Web Service API Section 6 Web Server
REST API
Tags Resource
Lists tags available in the project.
Tags Resource
Verbs: GET
Uri: /Tags
Tags Resource Example
Tag Resource
Resource for interacting with individual tags. To perform multiple operations on tags
it is recommended to use TagBatch resource instead.
Tag Resource
Verbs: GET, PUT
Uri: /tags/:name
GET params: Name: The name of the tag, e.g., Tag1 SystemTagDateTime
PUT params: Name: The name of the tag, e.g., Tag1 SystemTagDateTime
Value: The value to set the tag to, e.g., 12, "foo"
178 3BSE069489-602
Tag Resource Example
TagBatch Resource
The TagBatch resource is a resource used to perform batch operations on tags.
TagBatch Resource
Verbs: POST
Uri: /tagbatch
POST includeMetadata: boolean indicating if only the tag value or the
params: full tag metadata should be fetched
getTags: List of tag names to return
setTags: List name, value pairs representing new tag values.
3BSE069489-602 179
TagBatch Resource Example
180 3BSE069489-602
The returned value (initialValue) for tags of datetime type is presented in the
ISO8601 format.
Example: "2008-09-22T14:01:54.9571247Z".
Dates are always returned in UTC, Coordinated Universal Time.
3BSE069489-602 181
182 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects
Static and dynamic objects that can be included in screens are available for selection
from the Objects control group of the Home ribbon tab.
Not all objects are visible in the normal view, but are made available by scrolling.
Clicking the expand button displays all the objects, categorized into groups.
3BSE069489-602 183
Section 7 Objects
An object can be created by clicking on it in the Objects group and then clicking on
the screen, or by dragging it from the Objects group and dropping it on the screen.
This creates the object with default size and appearance.
Dragging the object handles resizes it. Object appearance can be modified using
the commands in the Format and Font control groups, but also by the controls on
the Dynamics ribbon tab.
Settings for a selected object can be managed with the control groups on the General
ribbon tab, and actions can be configured from the Actions ribbon tab.
An object style that is to be used frequently can be saved as an Object Variation, in
order to immediately apply a predefined appearance to the object when creating it.
Related information
Object Variations
184 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Blinking Objects
Blinking Objects
Some objects can be displayed as blinking objects. Blinking is enabled for each
object individually using the Property Grid.
The blink settings can be entered either from the General group under the Dynamics
tab, or from the Property Grid, under Animations. In both cases selecting Blink will
open the Edit Blink Dynamics dialog.
Blink Interval Constant blink intervals:
Time in ms from when the object gets invisible one
time until it gets invisible the next time. For operator
panel projects, the minimum value is 400 ms, and it is
recommended to use a blink interval of a multiple of
400 ms to ensure a harmonic blink experience (400 ms,
800 ms, 1200 ms, 1600 ms etc.). For PC targets, the
minimum value is 200 ms. The default value is 1200 ms
for all targets, and the maximum value is 10,000 ms for
all targets.
Blink intervals bound to a tag:
Select Tag for Blink Interval changes blink frequency
based on the selected tag value.
3BSE069489-602 185
Shapes Section 7 Objects
Blink Enabled Select Tag for Blink Enable makes it possible to enable
and disable blinking depending on the selected tag value:
When the tag value is equal to the given value (=True),
blink is enabled. When the tag value is not equal to the
given value (=False), blink is disabled.
Security has higher priority than blink, and an object hidden by security cannot
be made visible through blink.
Related information
General Group
Limitations for operator panel Targets

Blink is not supported for the following objects in operator panel targets:
Alarm Distributor Alarm Viewer Audit Trail Viewer

Viewer
Check Box Combo Box Database Viewer
Group Box List Box Media Player
Pdf Viewer Progress Bar Radio Button
Web Browser - -
Related information
General Group
Shapes
Static shapes such as Line, Rectangle and Poly Line can be used to draw background
graphics. Tags can be linked to shapes under Dynamics, to change their appearance
(e.g. color and position) depending on value changes of controller tags.
Points for an existing Poly Line object can be adjusted by selecting Edit Points
from the context menu.
186 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects HMI Controls
Ellipse Line Polyline Rectangle
Bevel for Poly Line and Ellipse is only supported for projects designed for PC
targets.
HMI Controls
Dynamic objects such as buttons, analog numerics, sliders, meters and trend viewers
are linked to tags in order to create control and monitoring functions.
The tag associated with an object can be selected and changed from the Tag/Security
group on the Home or General ribbon tabs, or from the context menu. Links to tags
(controller tags, internal tags or system tags) are selected in the Tag drop-down list.
Objects containing text can be edited directly from the keyboard, either when just
created, or when a single selection is done on the text area of the object.
It is also possible to use script code to control the text contents of buttons, texts
or text boxes.
Use of braces around digits, such as ‘{0}’, is not allowed in text objects. This
will result in an error when opening the screen.
The following HMI controls are described:
Action Menu Alarm Viewer Analog Numeric Animated GIF

Object Object Object
Animated Label Audit Trail Viewer Button Object Circular Meter

Object Object
3BSE069489-602 187
HMI Controls Section 7 Objects
Chart Object Database Viewer Digital Clock Linear Meter

Multi Picture Picture Object Roller Panel Slider Object

Object Object
Text Object Touch Combo Box Touch List Box Trend Viewer
Action Menu Object

The Action menu object is used to display multiple menu groups, each containing its
own sets of actions which can be triggered in Panel 800 Runtime from the action
menu object.
This function is not supported in keyboard operated panels.
Settings for the Action Menu object are available from the General ribbon tab while
the object is selected:
Settings Group
Edit Actions Opens the Edit Actions dialog
View type Choose between Bar, Expand and Tab
Item Width Set the width of the items. This is only available for the
Bar and Expand View types.
Item Height Set the height of the items
Orientation Set the orientation of the items. This is only available
for the Bar View type.
Picture Width Set the width of the pictures for the items
188 3BSE069489-602
Picture Height Set the height of the pictures for the items
ScrollBar Width Set the width of the scroll bar.
Touch Settings Group

Scroll Sensitivity Set the sensitivity of the scroll. Minimum value is 1,
maximum value is 10.
Edit Actions Dialog

The Actions tab in the Edit Actions dialog contains the following properties:
Text The text to be displayed for the item
Picture The picture to be displayed for the item
Make Transparent Set transparency on the item
Action Configure the action when the item is clicked
The Menu Groups tab in the Edit Actions dialog contains the following properties:
Menu Group Name The name of the menu group
Picture The picture to be displayed for the menu group
Make Transparent Set transparency on the menu group
Make sure not to use semi-transparent pictures in projects targeted for operator
panel. Since these targets do not fully support opacity, semi-transparent pictures
may turn out unclear.
3BSE069489-602 189
Adding a New Action

In the Edit Actions dialog select the Actions tab. Click the Add button. A new item
will be added and placed last in the list. To configure the actions for the item, click
the “…” button in the Action column.
Adding a New Menu Group

In the Edit Actions dialog select the Menu Groups tab. Click the Add button. A
new menu group will be added and placed last in the list. The menu group will be
displayed in the Actions tab as a new menu group tab.
Action Menu Dynamics

It is also possible to set dynamics, i.e. tag dependent values for the Action Menu
properties. These can be found in the Dynamics tab in the ribbon bar.
Related information
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
Alarm Viewer Object

The Alarm Viewer is used to display and manage alarm items, for example indication
of out-of-bounds tag values. The viewer consists of a list area and a button area.
Related information
Alarm Management
Alarm Viewer
Analog Numeric Object

The Analog Numeric object displays a box with a numeric or alphanumeric value.
The value can be connected to a tag.
Settings for the analog numeric object are available from the General ribbon tab
while the object is selected:
190 3BSE069489-602
Display Format Group

Type Selection of Integer, Decimal, String, Hex or Binary
display format
Number of Decimals Maximum number of decimals to display in the object.
Only available when Type = Decimal. The number of
decimals will be represented by a “#” symbol on the
analog numeric object.
Limit Characters to Makes it possible to maximize the number of displayed
characters. The number of characters will be represented
by a “#” symbol on the analog numeric object.
Zero Fill Fills empty character positions with zeros, to let the
maximum number of characters always be displayed
The “Limit Characters to” function, in combination with the string format type
is not supported for the Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Simplified
Chinese (Compact) languages.
Prefix/Suffix Group
Prefix/Suffix Text value that will precede/follow the object value
Tag/Security Group
Select Tag Connection to a tag from the tags configuration page
Select Security Allows limiting access of the object based on security
Groups groups. If left empty, the object can be accessed by
anyone.
Select Visibility Configuration of visibility:
Default: The visibility specified on the General tab of the
Security Manager is used.
3BSE069489-602 191
Disabled: The object is disabled for users with insufficient
access rights
Hidden: The object is invisible for users with insufficient
access rights
Normal: The object looks normal also for users with
insufficient access rights
Format Group
Auto Stretch Font Resizes the font to fit the height of the object. Default
setting for the analog numeric object.
Disable Operator Input Disables input in runtime
Transparent Makes the object transparent, i.e. makes the frame and
background color invisible
Text Alignment Group

Horizontal / Vertical Adjusts the object horizontally or vertically
Validation Group
On Input Input values are validated, based on Lower Limit and
Upper Limit, when the box is checked
On Display Background color changes according to Other Colors on
the Format tab if upper or lower limit are violated, when
the box is checked
Lower Limit/Upper Minimum/maximum value that can be entered in runtime
Limit when On Input is checked, or that will change the
background color of the object when On Display is
checked
192 3BSE069489-602
The font size of the analog numeric object is auto-sized when resizing the object
frame by default, and is not adjusted in the Font control of the Home ribbon tab.
Uncheck Auto Stretch Font in the Text group first, and then change the font
size on the Home ribbon tab.
Animated GIF
The Animated GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) object allows including a moving
graphic picture in the Panel Builder project. Animated GIFs can be imported to the
project by browsing the PC environment for graphic files. Imported animated GIFs
are added to the Project Picture folder in the Component Library.
The Animated GIF can be connected to a tag which controls animation. When
the value of the connected tag is 0, then animation is turned off and the picture is
displayed static in its initial design. An Animated GIF not connected to a tag runs
animated continuously.
Settings for the Animated GIF object are available from the General ribbon tab
Settings Group
Change Picture Opens a browse dialog for selection of picture
Reset Picture Restores original height and width to picture
Stretch Adapts height and width to the selection frame when
resizing the picture
3BSE069489-602 193
Tag/Security Group
anyone.
access rights
access rights
Animated Label Object

The Animated Label object is used to display an animated text label in Panel 800
Runtime.
Settings for the Animated Label object are available from the General ribbon tab
Using the animated label object creates a slightly higher load on the CPU.
Text The text to be displayed in the animated label
Animated If enabled, the text starts to animate
194 3BSE069489-602
Animation speed Set the speed for the animation. Minimum value is 1,
maximum value is 32,767.
Animation Direction Set the animation direction:
From right to left
From left to right
From right to left to right
From left to right to left
From down to up
From up to down
From down to up to down
From up to down to up
Animated Label Dynamics

It is possible to set dynamics, i.e. tag dependent values for the Animated Label
Related information
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
Audit Trail Viewer Object

The Audit Trail Viewer displays information about operator changes that have been
logged with the audit trail function.
Related information
Audit Trail
Audit Trail Viewer
Button Object
The Button tool draws a button with a text and/or picture. The button can be
configured to perform a specific task in runtime via the Actions ribbon tab or using
script. The text on the button object can also be set to depend directly on a tag value
3BSE069489-602 195
using the General control on the Dynamics ribbon tab. If a picture is used, the picture
file is added to the Project Pictures folder in the Component Library.
Settings for the button object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Picture Group
Picture Selects a picture to display on the button. Pictures
from the Project Pictures folder is available for selection
directly. It is also possible to browse the PC environment
for a picture.
Select No Picture to remove a previously selected
picture.
Checking the Multi Picture checkbox will make
it possible to display different pictures based on
the value of a connected tag according to section
Configure Multi Pictures.
Multi Picture Multi Picture or single picture displayed on button.
Transparent Makes the picture transparent
Configure Multi Pictures

Different pictures can be displayed on the button based on the value of a connected
tag, following the steps below:
1. Check the Multi Picture checkbox.
2. Click on the Picture control on the Picture group of the General tab.
3. Select a tag to control which picture to display.
196 3BSE069489-602
4. Click Add to add pictures and configure start and end values for each picture.
You can browse the PC for pictures, or select pictures from the current project.
5. Click OK.
The picture on the button will now change according to the value of the selected
tag. When the value is out of limits, no picture is displayed.
Picture Alignment Group

Vertical Alignment/ Set alignment for the picture
Horizontal Alignment
Clicking the small arrow in the lower right corner of the Picture Alignment group
displays the picture properties with a number of additional picture settings.
Style Group
Style Predefined graphical styles for the button
Appearance The appearance of the button, including possibility to
make the button rounded and settings for each corner
of the button.
3BSE069489-602 197
Additional predefined styles for this object are found in the Object Variations group.
When editing default button style properties, for example corner radius,
appearance in runtime may sometimes differ from when designing the project
in Panel Builder.
Related information
Object Variations
Text Group
Text Text displayed on the button
Multiline Lets the text run over more than one line, using [Enter].
Confirm the text entry by pressing [Ctrl] + [Enter].
Word Wrap Wraps the text to fit the width of the button
Configure Texts Links the displayed text to a tag. The Text field value is
shown if the selected tag is not within the set limits

Horizontal / Vertical Adjusts the text on the button horizontally or vertically
Visibility Group
Transparent Makes the object transparent
Creating a Button with Momentary Function

In order to create a button with a momentary function, you need to combine a Set
Tag action for Mouse Down with a Reset Tag action for Mouse Up .
198 3BSE069489-602
Related information
Actions Ribbon Tab
Script
Component Library
Circular Meter Object

The Circular Meter represents a numeric value, and displays the value of a connected
tag.
Different styles can be used to change the graphical profile of the meter, and also if
the meter is to be full, half or quarter.
Figure 14. Circular meters in Black Full style, Chrome Half style and Vintage
Quarter style
Settings for the meter object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
3BSE069489-602 199
Angular Settings Group

Start Angle / End Determines the placement of the scale on the meter. The
Angle angular value is based on a start (0 degrees) at three
o’clock, in a counter clockwise direction from there. The
Start Angle must differ from the End Angle.
Text Rotation Select Parallel to let the numbers follow the outline
of the meter, or None to display the numbers aligned
horizontally.
Clockwise Determines rotation orientation, clockwise or counter
clockwise.
Region Settings Group

Low Region / Medium Define colors for up to 3 regions, and at which values to
Region / High Region start and stop each region. Entering 0 for both minimum
Min/Max and maximum values displays no region color.
Value Scale Group

Min Value / Max Value Start/end value of scale.
These values can consist of one decimal digit.
Major Ticks Number of labeled scale marks on the meter
Minor Ticks Number of scale ticks between two adjacent major ticks
Style Group
Style Predefined graphical styles for the meter. The smaller
styles are intended in particular to allow full visibility in
the smaller operator panels.
Appearance The appearance of the meter; full, half or quarter
200 3BSE069489-602
Additional predefined styles for this object are found in the Object Variations group.
Related information
Object Variations
Needle Settings Group

Analog Animation Animation that creates a smooth movement of the needle
at value change.
Oscillation Animation of needle initially oscillating around the new
value. The function is only available in combination with
Analog Animation.
When Analog Animation is selected, it is possible to activate Shortest Path in the

property grid under Appearance. The setting affects the direction of the animated
needle, resulting in a counter clockwise movement if this is the shortest path between
two indicated values.
The Shortest Path property is not available for PC targets.
Using animation on the circular meter objects creates a higher load on the CPU.
Therefore it is recommended to limit the use of the needle animation to only a
few circular meters per screen, especially for the smaller panel models.
Tag/Security Group
anyone.
3BSE069489-602 201
access rights
access rights
Visibility Group
Scale When unchecked, the scale color of the meter is made
transparent. Scale color is set from Other Colors on the
Format tab.
Chart Object
The chart object is used to display values of connected array tags.
Settings for the chart object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Chart Settings Group

Edit Series Add, remove and edit the current series for this chart
Chart Types Choose chart type. Available types are:
Area
Area Horizontal
Bar
Bar Join
Donut
Histogram
Kagi
Line
202 3BSE069489-602
Line Fast
Line Horizontal
Line Point
Pie
Points
Radar
Header Set the name that is displayed above the chart
3D View Set a 3D look and feel for the chart
X Axis Settings Group

Visible Set the visibility of the X axis
Grid Visible Set the visibility of the X axis grid lines.
Automatic Automatically calculates the minimum and maximum
X axis values. Overrides the Minimum and Maximum
properties
Minimum Set the minimum value of the X axis. If automatic is set,
this value is ignored
Maximum Set the maximum value of the X axis. If automatic is set,
this value is ignored
Y1 Axis Settings Group

Visible Set the visibility of the Y1 axis
Grid Visible Set the visibility of the Y1 axis grid lines.
Y1 axis values. Overrides the Minimum and Maximum
properties.
3BSE069489-602 203
Minimum Set the minimum value of the Y1 axis. If automatic is
set, this value is ignored.
Maximum Set the maximum value of the Y1 axis. If automatic is
set, this value is ignored. When using charts with visible
labels on curves the maximum value is extended to make
room for label.
Y2 Axis Settings Group

Visible Set the visibility of the Y2 axis
Grid Visible Set the visibility of the Y2 axis grid lines.
Y2 axis values. Overrides the Minimum and Maximum
properties.
Minimum Set the minimum value of the Y2 axis. If automatic is
set, this value is ignored.
Maximum Set the maximum value of the Y2 axis. If automatic is
set, this value is ignored. When using charts with visible
labels on curves the maximum value is extended to make
room for label.
Style Group
Style Set the style of the chart
Visibility Group
Scale Set the visibility of the scale
Transparent Make the chart transparent
204 3BSE069489-602
Header Set the header visibility
Legend Set the legend visibility
The Edit Series Dialog

Clicking the Edit Series control in the Chart Settings Group will open the Edit
Series Dialog. The Edit Series Dialog contains the following settings:
Name The name of the Series, as shown in the legend in the chart.
X Tag The X Tag values.
The tag must be an array tag.
The number of elements shown will be the lowest common
denominator of the X Tag array size and the Y Tag array size.
Y Tag Optional: The Y Tag values for the chart.
The tag must be an array tag.
If this value is not chosen, the X Tag Values will still be visible
and the Y Axis will be set automatically. The number of elements
shown will be the lowest common denominator of the X Tag
array size and the Y Tag array size.
Size Optional: The number of elements in the tag arrays. This
property overrides the sizes of the X Tag array size and Y
Tag array size. If this value is not set, the lowest common
denominator of the X Tags array size and the Y Tags array size
will be chosen as size.
Labels Set a label for each point in the chart. There is one label for
each available tag value.
Color Choose the color of the series.
Thickness Set the thickness of the series. This applies for the chart types
Line, Line Fast, Line Horizontal and Line Point.
Axis Type Select the Y Axis that this series will use.
3BSE069489-602 205
Chart objects with large arrays where values are frequently changing may affect
performance.
Related information
Array Tags
Database Viewer Object

The Database Viewer can be used to display database contents in runtime.
For operator panel projects, only databases included in the current project are
available. For PC targets, it is possible to access databases from anywhere in the
network environment.
Settings for the database viewer object are available from the General ribbon tab
Settings Group
Show Controls When the box is checked, the user is able to select
database and database table in runtime
Database Path to database to be loaded automatically in runtime(1)
Table Name The table in the selected database to be loaded
automatically in runtime(1)
Browse Data Table Opens a browse dialog for selection of database and
database table in design time. The path and table name
will be added to the Database and Table Name fields.
(1) If the entered database or table does not exist or is not valid, an empty database viewer is displayed in runtime.
Simulation of the object on the engineering PC is supported only for PC targets.
Related information
Database
206 3BSE069489-602
Digital Clock Object

The digital clock displays date, time and/or day of week.
The time zone is selected on the System ribbon tab and is transferred to the target
when the project is downloaded to it. If no time zone is selected, the time zone that
has been selected for the panel or PC will be retained.
The date and time display format (for example using AM/PM for time) is based on
the operating system settings. For operator panel projects, this format may be altered
by selecting another region on the System ribbon tab.
For PC projects the region settings need to be changed in the system account
to take place.
Related information
Date, Time, and Region Group
Display Format Group

DateAndTime / Date / Time Selection of date and time components
Show Day of Week When checked, day of week is displayed
Show Seconds When checked, seconds are displayed
Linear Meter Object

The Linear Meter represents a numeric value, and displays the value of a connected
tag.
Different styles can be used to change the graphical profile of the meter, and also if
the meter is to be horizontal or vertical.
3BSE069489-602 207
Figure 15. Linear meters in Classic Horizontal style and Eclipse Vertical style
Settings for the meter object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Value Scale Group

Min Value / Max Value Start/end value of scale
Major Ticks Number of labeled scale marks on the meter
208 3BSE069489-602
Style Group
Style Predefined graphical styles for the meter. The smaller

Appearance The appearance of the meter; horizontal or vertical
Tag/Security Group
anyone.
access rights
access rights
Visibility Group
Transparent Makes the object transparent; only indicator bar and
scale will be visible
Scale When unchecked, the scale color of the meter is made
transparent. Scale color and indicator color are set from
Other Colors on the Format tab.
3BSE069489-602 209
Multi Picture Object

The Multi Picture object allows using a set of pictures as an object. The pictures
change in runtime depending on intervals of a tag value.
Pictures can be imported to the project by browsing the hard disk for graphic files.
Imported pictures are added to the Project Pictures folder in the Component Library.
Settings for the Multi Picture object are available from the General ribbon tab while
Settings Group
Configure Pictures Configuration of start/end values of intervals and
selection of pictures for each interval. Pictures can be
selected from the Project Pictures folder or from the hard
disk. Transparency can also be set. Original picture size
is displayed. The Add/Delete buttons are used to add
and remove items to/from the object.
Reset Picture Restores original height and width to picture.
resizing the picture.
Lock Aspect Ratio Maintains the height/width ratio of the object.
Related information
Component Library
Picture Object
The Picture object allows using a picture as an object. Pictures can be imported to
the project by browsing the PC environment for graphic files. Imported pictures are
added to the Project Pictures folder in the Component Library.
210 3BSE069489-602
The displayed picture can also be dynamic; depending of a set of pictures that have
been linked to intervals in a tag value.
Settings for the picture object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Settings Group
Change Picture Opens a browse dialog for selection of picture
Reset Picture Restores original height and width to picture
resizing the picture
Related information
Component Library
Roller Panel Object

The Roller Panel object is used to display predefined texts for certain tag values.
Settings for the Roller Panel object are available from the General ribbon tab while
Settings Group
Title Set the title for the Roller Panel
Title Visible Determines if the title is visible or not
3BSE069489-602 211
Loop Scroll Determines if the values will loop around or not
Disable Operator Input Determines if the Roller Panel is editable or not

Scroll Sensitivity Set the sensitivity of the scroll
Scroll Friction Set the friction of the scroll
Text Group
Configure Texts Opens the Configure Texts dialog
Configure Text Dialog

The Configure Texts dialog contains the following properties:
Start Value The starting value for when this item should be selected
End Value The ending value for when this item should be selected
Roller Panel Dynamics

It is also possible to set dynamics, i.e. tag dependent values for the Roller Panel
Related information
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
212 3BSE069489-602
Slider Object
The Slider can be used to adjust a numeric value. The slider sets a value to a
connected tag. If the tag value changes for other reasons, the slider control handle
will show the actual value in runtime.
Figure 16. Sliders in Chrome and Eclipse Horizontal styles, and Vintage Vertical
style
Settings for the slider object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Value Scale Group

Min Value/Max Value Start/end value of scale
Major Ticks Number of labeled scale marks on the slider
3BSE069489-602 213
Style Group
Style Predefined graphical styles for the slider. The smaller
Appearance The appearance of the slider; horizontal or vertical
Tag/Security Group
anyone.
access rights
access rights
Visibility Group
Scale When unchecked, the scale color of the slider is made
transparent. Scale color and indicator color (color of the
handle) are set from Other Colors on the Format tab.
214 3BSE069489-602
Text Object
The Text object is used to display read-only information for the operator. The
displayed text can be static, or linked to intervals in a tag value that contain different
strings. The text object can also be set to depend directly on a tag value using the
General control on the Dynamics ribbon tab.
Settings for the text object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Text Group
Text Text that the object displays
Word Wrap Wraps the text to fit the width of the object. Not available
if Autosize is selected.
Configure Texts Links the displayed text to a tag. The Text field value is
shown if the selected tag is not within the set limits.
Auto Stretch Font Resizes the font to fit the height of the object. Not
available if Autosize is selected.
Auto Size Resizes the object according to the size of the default
text string length and font size. Default setting for the
text object.

Horizontal / Vertical Adjusts the text in the object horizontally or vertically. Not
Touch Combo Box Object

The Touch Combo Box object is used to create text selections from a drop-down list.
3BSE069489-602 215
Settings for the Touch Combo Box object are available from the General ribbon
tab while the object is selected:
Settings Group
Auto Size Item Height The Touch Combo Box will ignore the Item Height value
and size the values automatically
Item Height Set the height of the individual items in the Touch Combo
Box
ArrowBox Width Set the width of the Arrow Box
ScrollBar Width Set the width of the scroll bar
Text Group
Configure Text Dialog


Scroll Sensitivity Set the sensitivity of the scrolling
216 3BSE069489-602
Touch Combo Box Dynamics

It is also possible to set dynamics, i.e. tag dependent values for the Touch Combo
Box properties. These can be found in the Dynamics tab in the ribbon bar.
Related information
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
Touch List Box Object

The Touch List Box object is used to handle a list of predefined texts.
Settings for the Touch List Box object are available from the General ribbon tab
Settings Group
Separator Visible Show or hide a separator between the items in the Touch
List Box
Item Height Set the height of the individual items in the Touch List Box
ScrollBar Width Set the width of the scroll bar

Scroll Sensitivity Set the sensitivity of the scrolling
Text Group
Configure Texts Dialog

3BSE069489-602 217
Media Controls Section 7 Objects
Touch List Box dynamics

It is also possible to set dynamics, i.e. tag dependent values for the Touch List Box
Related information
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
Trend Viewer Object

Trend viewers are used to display values of connected tags. Trend viewer curves
represent tag values over time. A trend viewer object can show any number of
trend viewer curves.
A large number of trend viewer pens and short sampling intervals may affect
communication performance.
Related information
Trend Viewer
Curves Group
Media Controls
The media controls are used to display media files, pdf files and web pages in
runtime. The following media controls are described:
Media Player Object PDF Viewer Object Web Browser Object
218 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Media Controls
Media Player Object

Media files can be added to the media player object, which allows selecting, starting
and stopping the files in runtime. For operator panels, files in .mpeg1 and .wmv
format are supported. The added files are added to the Component Library.
Windows Media Player 10 or later is required.
Browse Folders Group

Project Files Default option for browsing. The project files are listed in
the Component Library. At least one of the folders has
to be chosen.
External Memory Card Select this option for browsing if project files are placed
on an external memory card. At least one of the folders
has to be chosen.
Settings Group
Media Source Select a media file to add to the media player, from the
project files folder or by browsing the PC
The object is not supported on PP87x/PP87xK targets. Simulation of the object

on the engineering PC is supported only for PC targets.
Connecting a tag to a Media Player Object will cause the media player to try to
play a media clip with a name that corresponds to the tag’s value, ignoring the
configured Media Source parameter.
Scripting to the Media Player Object

When scripting to the Media Player object, the name of the current media file has to
be stated, for example:
MediaPlayer1.Source = “Bear.wmv”;
3BSE069489-602 219
Media Controls Section 7 Objects
Prior to running the script, the media file has to be added manually to the Project Files
folder. When the script is executed, the file will be copied to the output directory.
Events for the media player can be used, for example:
MediaPlayer1.Play();
Related information
Component Library
PDF Viewer Object

PDF files can be displayed in runtime using the PDF viewer object. The added files
are available from the Component Library.
Adobe Reader 9 or 9.5 is required.
Browse Folders Group

Project Files Default option for browsing. The project files are listed in
the Component Library. At least one of the folders has
to be chosen.
External Memory Card Select this option for browsing if project files are placed
on an external memory card. At least one of the folders
has to be chosen.
Settings Group
PDF File Select a PDF file to add to the PDF viewer, from the
project files folder or by browsing the PC
Buttons Select which buttons to make available in runtime
In an operator panel, all PDF files in the project files folder will be available for
selection in runtime, if the Open button is checked.
220 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Media Controls
When using a PDF viewer object in a popup screen, only the default style for
the popup screen is supported.
The object is not supported on PP87x/PP87xK targets. Simulation of the object

on the engineering PC is supported only for PC targets.
Related information
Component Library
Popup Screen
Adobe Reader not Recognized
Web Browser Object

Web pages can be displayed using the web browser. It is possible to set up the web
browser with regular web browsing functionality, with selection of web addresses in
a list or input via the virtual keyboard. It is also possible to allow showing certain
defined web pages only, or a local HTM/HTML file.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 or later is required.
Settings Group
Settings for the Web Browser object are available from the General ribbon tab while
the Web Browser object is selected:
Address The default web page of the web browser object.
Home The web page that will be displayed when the Home
button is pressed.
Favorites Addition of web pages that will be available for selection
from the drop-down address field in runtime.
Address Read Only Checking the box disables entering text in the address
field
Address Field Unchecking the box removes the address field in runtime
Go Button Unchecking the box removes the Go button in runtime
3BSE069489-602 221
Special Controls Section 7 Objects
Home Button Unchecking the box removes the Home button in runtime
Back Button/Forward Unchecking the box removes the navigation buttons in
Buttons runtime
Referring to a local HTM/HTML file can be useful for example when the operator
panel is not connected to Internet. The local file — a .HTM- or .HTML-file — has
to be located in the Project Files folder of the current project, and is addressed in
the following format: “File://filename.html” where “filename.html” represents the
actual file”, e.g. File://ReadMe.html.
Web Browser Limitations

The web browser object functionality is limited under some circumstances:
Function Limitation description PC targets operator panel targets

Web browser Supported Not supported on
object PP87x/PP87xK targets
Popup Opening popup Not supported Not supported
windows windows from the web
browser in runtime
Web browser Other styles than the Not supported Not supported
in a popup default style for the
screen popup screen
Simulation Simulation on the Supported Not supported
of the web engineering PC
browser
Related information
Popup Screen
Special Controls
The special controls are used to create attractive navigation facilities in runtime.
222 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Special Controls
Navigation List Box Object Screen Carousel Object
Navigation List Box Object

Screen navigation using the Navigation List Box object is performed via thumbnails,
and scripting can be used for advanced functionality.
The object is supported only for PP89x and PC targets.
General Group
Orientation Select horizontal or vertical orientation for runtime scrolling.
Scroll Tolerance Defines tolerance of pressing the touch screen (or scrolling
with the cursor) slightly outside of a navigation list box item
in runtime before the navigation is actually carried out.
Item Settings Group

Configure Items Definition of items included in the navigation list box object;
see below.
Height/Width Size of the items in the navigation list box.
Margin Margin between navigation list box items.
Border Width Width of navigation list box item borders.
Corner Radius Corner radius of navigation list box items.
Show Text Selection of whether to show text below navigation list box
items.
The individual items in the navigation list box object are handled by clicking
Configure Items. Use the Add and Delete buttons to add and remove items to/from
the navigation list box.
3BSE069489-602 223
Special Controls Section 7 Objects
Picture Selection of picture by browsing the PC environment or
among the project files.
Screen Selection of screen to navigate to.
Script Info Optional text to serve as a reminder if scripts are used.
Text Text displayed under each navigation list box item.
Only visible if Show Text is checked under Item Settings.
Use the up and down arrows to facilitate reorganizing of navigation list box items.
Related information
Script
Screen Carousel Object

Screen navigation using the Screen Carousel object is performed via thumbnails in a
3D view. The screen carousel can be configured to rotate automatically, or actions
can be configured to control screen carousel behavior.
The object is supported only for PP89x and PC targets.
224 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Special Controls
If the Panel Builder system requirements for the graphic card are not fulfilled,
the visualization of the object will have limitations. Hardware acceleration is
required.
General Group
Number of Visible Maximum number of visible items.
Items
Scroll Duration (ms) Time used for an item to move to the next position in the
carousel.
Use Reflection Adds a reflecting layout to the object.
Auto Scroll Makes the object rotate automatically.
Item Settings Group

Configure Items Definition of items included in the screen carousel object;
see below.
Height/Width Size of the items in the screen carousel.
Margin Margin between screen carousel items.
Border Width Width of screen carousel item borders.
Corner Radius Corner radius of screen carousel items.
Show Text Selection of whether to show text below screen carousel
items.
The individual items in the screen carousel object are handled by clicking Configure
Items. Use the Add and Delete buttons to add and remove items to/from the screen
carousel.
3BSE069489-602 225
Debug Tools Section 7 Objects
Picture Selection of picture by browsing the PC environment or
among the project files.
Screen Selection of screen to navigate to.
Script Info Optional text to serve as a reminder if scripts are used.
Text Text displayed under each screen carousel item.
Only visible if Show Text is checked under Item Settings.
Use the up and down arrows to facilitate reorganizing of screen carousel items.
Related information
Actions Ribbon Tab
Debug Tools
Debug tools are used for troubleshooting and monitoring.
Alarm Distributor Viewer Object

–
226 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Windows Controls
Alarm Distributor Viewer Object

The Alarm Distributor Viewer is a debug tool, used to display information from
the Alarm Distributor function.
Related information
Alarm Management
Alarm Distributor Viewer
Windows Controls
The following Windows controls are described:
Check Box Object Combo Box Object Group Box Object List Box Object
Progress Bar Radio Button Text Box Object

Object Object
–
Check Box Object

The Check Box object controls a digital tag value. The connected tag gets the value
1 when the box is checked and the value 0 when the box is unchecked.
The appearance of the text can be adjusted in the Font group of the Home ribbon tab.
Changing font family is only supported for projects designed for PP89x and
PC targets.
Settings for the check box are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
3BSE069489-602 227
Windows Controls Section 7 Objects
Text Group
Word Wrap Wraps the text to fit the width of the object. Not available
Auto Stretch Font Resizes the font to fit the height of the object. Not available
Auto Size Resizes the object according to the size of the default text
string length and font size.

Horizontal / Adjusts the text in the text box horizontally or vertically. Not
Vertical available if Autosize is selected.
Combo Box Object

A Combo Box can be used to create selections from a drop-down list. When a
keyboard is connected to the operator panel it is also possible to make selections
from the list by typing.
Settings for the combo box are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Text Group
Click Configure Texts to enter texts for different values.
228 3BSE069489-602
Select a tag, and then click Add until there are enough rows in the table. Enter
texts and start values.
It is also possible to use script code to control the contents of a combo box.
Example
The following script code relies on the existence of a combo box (ComboBox1) and
a set of predefined recipes (“Book” and “TV”).
When the screen opens, the script clears the box and writes the recipe name strings
in the box. Selection from the combo box triggers loading of a recipe.
Related information
Script
Recipe Management
3BSE069489-602 229
Group Box Object

The Group Box is used to draw a labeled frame around a group of objects.
List Box Object

The List Box handles a list of predefined texts.
Text Group
Click Configure Texts to enter texts for different values.
Select a tag, and then click Add until there are enough rows in the table. Enter
texts and start values.
It is also possible to use script code to control the contents of a list box.
Example
The following script code includes two objects on Screen1, a button (Button1) and a
list box (ListBox1).
230 3BSE069489-602
When the button is clicked, the script is triggered and a string is written to the list
box and the value of an internal counter (count) is incremented.
Related information
Script
Progress Bar Object

The Progress Bar displays a meter without numeric scaling, representing an analog
value. The value can be connected to a tag.
The other properties, such as orientation, minimum and maximum values, and meter
color (foreground property) are set in the Property grid.
Related information
Property Grid
Radio Button Object

A Radio Button controls the value of a connected digital tag.
The appearance of the text can be adjusted in the Font group of the Home ribbon tab.
Settings for the radio button are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
3BSE069489-602 231
Text Group
Word Wrap Wraps the text to fit the width of the object. Not available if
Autosize is selected.
Auto Stretch Font Resizes the font to fit the height of the object. Not available
Auto Size Resizes the object according to the size of the default text

Horizontal / Vertical Adjusts the radio button text horizontally or vertically. Not
It is possible to use script code to make a group of radio buttons enable combined
control of a tag value. Exactly one of the radio buttons is active (set to 1) at any time.
The following example includes 3 radio buttons and a tag of int16 type.
232 3BSE069489-602
Radio buttons are grouped based on which screen they belong to.
Related information
Script
3BSE069489-602 233
Additional Controls Section 7 Objects
Text Box Object

The Text Box is used to include a box with multiple rows of text.
By default, the text can be modified when clicking on the box in runtime. The
entered text is not saved in runtime; when the screen changes the value will be reset.
The text box can also be configured as read-only.
Settings for the text box object are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Text Group
Word Wrap Wraps the text to fit the width of the object
Read Only Disables input in runtime

Horizontal / Vertical Adjusts the radio button text horizontally or vertically
Visibility Group
Transparent Makes the object transparent, i.e. everything but the text
will be invisible
Additional Controls
Panel Builder allows using and creating third party controls in order to enhance
application functionality and additional customization. This section describes
different technologies and includes configuration examples.
234 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Additional Controls
To understand and use all the information in this document, .Net development skills
are required.
Related information
Error Related to Third Party Controls
Target Platform
Different technologies are used for third party controls depending on the target
platform for the Panel Builder application. The target can be either PC or Windows
CE.
Windows CE has no support for vector graphic (WPF) and only uses .Net Compact
Framework which is a subset or the .Net Framework used on a PC. Windows CE
does not natively support GDI+, so GDI+ related functionality was removed from
.Net Compact Framework.
PC Target
Two different technologies can be used for a PC target:
• Standard Windows forms and GDI+
• WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation)
WPF uses vector graphics, and the appearance of the control is described in XAML.
Since Panel Builder is a WPF application, it is recommended to use WPF when
developing customized controls or user controls for a PC target. Controls developed
in WPF can bind to a tag value in Panel Builder, in opposite to Windows forms
controls, that cannot be bound to tag values.
Windows CE Target
Windows CE only uses the .Net Compact Framework (a subset or the .Net
Framework used on a PC), and does not support vector graphics (WPF). Windows
CE does not natively support GDI+, so GDI+ related functionality was removed
from the .Net Compact Framework.
3BSE069489-602 235
Limitations
Some of the limitations regarding third party controls are listed below:
• Control Designers (a designer class that can extend design time support) are
currently not supported.
• Type Converters in a separate design dll are not supported.
• Complex property editing in the property grid is not supported. All complex
properties have to be set up in script.
• .Net Compact Framework controls can include design dll and so called
AssmetaData dll to handle attributes that are not supported in Windows CE.
Currently this is not supported by Panel Builder. Because of this, it is important
to always test the code on the target platform.
• The Script Editor allows scripting against properties and methods that are not
supported in Windows CE. Because of this, it is important to always test the
code on the target platform.
Adding Controls to the Panel Builder Toolbox

Third party controls can be added to the Objects toolbox in Panel Builder, following
the steps below:
ABB only offers limited support for thirdparty controls.
1. Select the Objects group on the Home ribbon tab, and fully expand the Objects
toolbox by clicking the lower right arrow.
236 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects Additional Controls
2. Click Add Control.
3BSE069489-602 237
3. Select controls to add among the default controls, or click Browse to add
customized controls.
4. Click OK.
The added controls are now available under Additional Controls in the Objects
toolbox.
Default Controls and Installed Controls

Default controls include controls added by the user and the .Net 4 controls installed
with the .Net Framework.
Installed controls include all controls that are installed in the GAC (Global Assembly
Cache) on your computer.
238 3BSE069489-602
Section 7 Objects WPF Controls
Third party controls that are used in a project are not copied to the project folder.
This means that it is not possible to open a project with third party controls on
another engineering PC without installing the controls. But the application will
work in runtime on another target, since references are copied to the output folder
when building the project.
WPF Controls
WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) uses vector graphics, and the appearance
of the control is described in XAML. Since Panel Builder is a WPF application, it is
recommended to use WPF when developing customized controls or user controls for
a PC target. Controls developed in WPF can bind to a tag value in Panel Builder.
User controls and custom controls are supported in WPF.
WPF User Controls

A WPF user control can be described as a composition of different user interface
controls. Creating a WPF user control is similar to creating a window:
• You have a XAML file and C# class file for a user control.
• The class file extends the user control class, adding additional behavior and
properties.
• The XAML file encapsulates the composing controls; styles, templates,
animations and whatever necessary for “Look & Feel”.
Since the WPF user control is a just composition, it is really easy to create. It does
not require a lot of WPF UI model knowledge.
WPF Custom Controls

WPF custom controls are more flexible, but are more complicated than a user
control, and require a profound understanding of the WPF user interface model.
• A number of certain user interface controls, such as button, progress bar or
speedometer has to be extended.
3BSE069489-602 239
WPF Controls Section 7 Objects
• The appearance of the custom control has to be defined in XAML, as the custom
control itself has no look.
Most of the controls in Panel Builder are custom controls, which makes it possible
to restyle them to various different layouts without changing the code files; just the
XAML.
Figure 17. A rounded meter in different styles
Creating a WPF User Control with Tag Connection

The following example describes how to create a WPF user control that can be
connected to a tag.
The complete code is included at the end of the example.
240 3BSE069489-602
1. Start Visual Studio to create a new project, and select WPF User Control
Library.
2. Add [DefaultProperty("Value")] to the class, to define which property the tag

should set when then value is set.
3. Add a dependency property with same name as the attribute above:

static readonly DependencyProperty ValueProperty;
4. Add a static constructor and register to the dependency property.
5. Create a Value property of type object.
6. Add a TextBox to the user control.
7. Set the name of your control.
3BSE069489-602 241
8. Add a binding to the TextProperty and bind to the Value Property.
9. Remember to change ElementName to the name of your control.
10. Compile and test by adding the control to the Panel Builder toolbox.
When an update is made, the existing control must be updated under

C:\Users\Public\Documents\ABB\Panel Builder 800 Version 6\Thirdparty\
Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\ABB\Panel Builder 800
Version 6\Thirdparty\
242 3BSE069489-602
Example Code
Creating a Windows Forms User Control for a PC Target

The following example describes how to create a Windows Forms user control
designated for a PC target.
Windows Forms control objects are placed on top of WPF control objects in
PC targets.
3BSE069489-602 243
1. Start Visual Studio to create a new project, and select Windows Forms
Control Library.
2. Add a TextBox and a Button to the design surface.

3. Add Event Handler for Button click.
4. Add Event Handler for TextBox lost focus.
244 3BSE069489-602
5. Add a Value Property and INotifyPropertyChanged implementation:
3BSE069489-602 245
6. Use the following code to connect the control to a tag value in Panel Builder:
The code shows how the value is set on the user control when the tag changes its
value, and how the tag value is changed when the user control changes its value.
Creating a Windows Forms User Control for a CE Target

The following example describes how to create a Windows Forms user control
designated for a CE target (a PP87x/PP87xK or PP88x operator panel).
246 3BSE069489-602
Windows Forms control objects are placed on top of control objects created
with the Panel Builder software.
1. Start Visual Studio 2005 or 2008 to create a new Smart Device Project.
2. Select Windows CE for Target platform.
3BSE069489-602 247
3. Select Control Library.
4. Use the same code as in the Creating a Windows Forms User Control for a PC
Target example.
Always test your code on the target platform, as properties/methods currently not
supported may be included in the code. See Limitations for details.
248 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs
Each of the ribbon tabs holds a set of one or more groups. Each group holds a set of
one or more controls that are used to manage screens and functions in a project.
The behavior of the ribbon tabs can be configured to be context dependent using the
Options button in the File menu.
Double-click on any of the ribbon tab headings to collapse the ribbon area. A
double-click on a ribbon tab, when the ribbon is collapsed, brings back the original
style. This can also be changed from the context menu of the Quick Access toolbar.
Tooltips are displayed for all controls on the ribbon tabs. The tooltip offers a brief
description of the selected control.
Panel Builder contains the following ribbon tabs:
Home Ribbon Tab

Project Ribbon Tab
System Ribbon Tab
Insert Ribbon Tab
View Ribbon Tab
Dynamics Ribbon Tab
General Ribbon Tab
Actions Ribbon Tab
3BSE069489-602 249
Home Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs
Related information
Options
Home Ribbon Tab

The Home ribbon tab contains groups of controls for editing screens in the project:
Clipboard Group
Screen Group
Objects Group
Font Group
Format Group
Tag/Security Group
Name Group
Clipboard Group
The Clipboard group contains the paste, cut, copy and format painter controls.
Cut
Cuts the selection to the clipboard. Also available from the keyboard with [Ctrl] + x
or from the context menu.
Copy
Copies the selection to the clipboard. Also available from the keyboard with
[Ctrl] + c or from the context menu.
250 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs Home Ribbon Tab
Paste
Copies the clipboard to the current screen. Also available from the keyboard with
[Ctrl] + v or from the context menu.
Text from a compatible source, e.g. clipboard text, will be converted to a Text
Box object when pasted into a screen.
Format Painter
The Format Painter control is used to copy formatting from one object to another.
This is useful when creating a uniform appearance for objects.
To apply formatting to another object:
1. Click on an object with the desired format and font properties. Click on the
Format Painter control. The mouse pointer changes to a paintbrush.
2. Click on the object to format.
The format properties from the first object is applied to the selected object.
Format and font properties can be copied between objects of different types, for
example from a rectangle to an HMI control.
Modification to an object using the Other Colors control is not applied when
using the Format Painter.
Related information
Other Colors
Screen Group
The Screen control group contains the add screen, background screen, delete screen
and current language commands. Screens can also be added and deleted from other
controls, such as the Navigation Manager and the context menu of the Project
Explorer.
3BSE069489-602 251
Add Screen
The Add Screen command creates a new empty screen that opens for editing.
Clicking the lower part of the Add Screen button shows a selection of screen
templates that are available for selection.
Delete Screen
The Delete Screen command removes the current screen from the project, and also
disconnects any associations from other screens to the removed screen.
A deleted screen cannot be restored with the Undo command.
Background Screen
Any screen can be used as background to the current screen.

All objects in a background screen will work as designed in the project application.
Objects in a background screen must be edited in the screen that they reside
in. Objects in a background screen will be dimmed in the current screen in the
development environment.
Current Language
Current language is the language that is being used at the particular moment that
the project is designed. If multiple languages are not used in the project, only
Default is available.
Related information
Screens
Language Management
252 3BSE069489-602
Objects Group
The Objects control group contains static and dynamic objects that can be added to
a screen.
Related information
Objects
Object Variations
For many of the objects it is possible to apply a preset style, using the Object
Variations feature. For the Button object and the Circular Meter object there is a
large number of different styles available as default, whereas for most other objects
it is possible to save user-defined styles.
To display the Object Variations menu, click on one of the objects in the Objects
menu. The Object Variations menu appears to the right of the Objects menu,
provided that there are some styles available for the selected object.
To add user-defined styles in the Object Variations menu:
1. Select an object to start from.
2. Modify the object, using the tools under the Home ribbon tab or the Property
Grid.
3. Select the designed object and right-click to open the context menu.
4. Select Save Variations to save the modification.
3BSE069489-602 253
The new variation will appear in the Object Variations menu when clicking on the
object type it originated from.
Objects supporting Save Variation

Rectangle Ellipse Analog Numeric Button
Text Linear Meter Slider Circular Meter
Trend Viewer Chart Action Menu Animated Label
Digital Clock Alarm Viewer - -
254 3BSE069489-602
The object properties are shown in the Property Grid. When saving the variation
the following properties are saved (when applicable):
Variations saved (where applicable)

Color Font Rotation Size
Visibility Security groups Audit trail Delay Mouse/
required description Touch Input
Visibility on access Opacity Horizontal and Picture horizontal
denied vertical alignment and vertical
alignment
In addition to the general properties listed above, a number of object specific

properties are saved:
Object Property
Action Menu Object View type
Orientation
Alarm Viewer Object Button position
Analog Numeric Object Limit number of characters
Number of characters
Number of decimals
Prefix
Suffix
Animated Label Object Animation direction
View type
Chart Object Chart type
3D view
Show header
Show legend
Show scale
Digital Clock Object Display format
Show seconds
3BSE069489-602 255
Linear Meter Object Orientation

Scale
Transparency
Slider Object Orientation
Scale
Transparency
Text Object Horizontal alignment
Vertical alignment
Trend Viewer Object Major value ticks
Minor value ticks
Rectangle Radius
Effects
Features only supported in PC environment might not work on other platforms.
Related information
Objects
Font Group
All fonts available in the engineering PC is available for selection when designing
the project. All fonts used in the project will be included when downloading the
project to the target.
The number of fonts needs to be considered when calculating the total size of a
project.
The default font Tahoma does not support Chinese characters in operator panel
projects in runtime. The font has to be changed to a font that supports Chinese
characters, e.g. MS Song. Keep in mind that some fonts require a lot of project
memory.
The Font group is used to change text style. The text style is defined for the
currently selected object.
256 3BSE069489-602
Font and Font Size

Select font from the drop-down list. Use the increase/decrease font size buttons or
set a specific font size.
Objects, for which Auto Stretch Font is selected, will not be affected by these
settings. The font size will be autosized when resizing the object height.
Style and Color

An italic, underlined or bold style can be selected for the text. The style stays regular
if all the boxes are left unchecked. Use the Font Color drop-down list to set the
color of the text.
Format Group
The Format group controls the color and position of a selected object. Predefined
quick styles offer selection of uniform appearance for different objects. Selection
of multiple objects makes it possible to easily affect more than one object at the
same time.
Clicking the small arrow in the lower right corner of the Format group displays the
shadow, fill and outline properties with a number of additional format settings.
It is possible to use the Format Painter (in the Clipboard group) to copy color and
font properties from one object and paste it to another object.
Related information
Selecting Multiple Objects
3BSE069489-602 257
Arrange
The Arrange control can be used to order, group, resize, align and distribute screen
objects.
258 3BSE069489-602
Order Objects
The commands in the Order Objects group are used to send objects to the front
or back of each other.
Command Description
Bring to Front Positions the selected object on top of any overlapping
objects
Send to Back Positions the selected object behind any overlapping objects
Bring Forward Makes the selected object swap place with the nearest
overlapping object
Send Backward Makes the selected object swap place with the nearest
obscured object
The Object Browser offers an easy way of arranging objects to the front or back
of each other.
Related information
Object Browser
Group Objects
The Group Objects commands are used to manage selections of multiple objects. A
grouped object is moved and treated as one object with respect to formatting and
resizing, and can also be stored in the Component Library for reuse.
Any selection of objects on the screen can be grouped.
When multiple objects are selected, one object is the primary selection. This is
shown with an orange frame, while other objects in the group have blue frames.
Click on any object in the group to change this to the primary selection.
A grouped object can be resolved into individual objects using the Ungroup
command. A property that was given to the group will be kept by each of the object,
provided that the property is applicable.
3BSE069489-602 259
Make Same Size

The Make Same Size commands are used to adjust the size of a group of selected
objects. The size will be determined by the primary selection (the guide object).
Position Objects
The Position Objects commands can be used to align and distribute multiple objects
neatly. Objects can be aligned vertically and horizontally using the primary selection
for the group as guide object. Objects can be aligned with respect to their center
(center/ middle) or their edges (top/bottom/right/left).
Related information
Component Library
Snap Objects to Other Objects
Grid
Quick Styles
The Quick Styles control contains a number of preset visual object color schemes
that can be applied to screen objects.
The predefined graphical styles make it possible to achieve a uniform appearance on
items like meters and trend viewers. An object that has a style applied can be further
customized, for example with font settings.
It is also possible to customize the predefined styles to styles of your own preference.
The quick styles are not specific to the current project. They will be available for all
Panel Builder projects.
Controls in the Style group on the General tab can be used to reshape objects
such as meter, slider and trend viewer to predefined styles. These styles are not
the same as the quick styles.
Related information
Font Group
260 3BSE069489-602
Other Colors
Color settings for special properties of an object, for example scale color for a
meter or out-of-range validation of an analog numeric object, are available from the
Other Colors control.
Shape Fill
The Shape Fill control is used to alter the fill color and gradient of the selected
shape. A preview of the colors in the Shape Fill selection window is displayed
directly on the object on the screen as the pointer hovers over the different colors.
Shape Outline
The Shape Outline control is used to alter the outline color and outline width of
the selected shape.
Shape Effects
Shape Effects makes it possible to add bevel style and shadow effects.
Bevel in combination with fill color “no fill” is only supported for PP89x and PC
targets. The bevel will not be visible in runtime on other operator panel targets.
Tag/Security Group
Connection to controller tags as well as object access (based on security groups) and
visibility are configured from the Tag/Security group.
Figure 18. Tag/Security group without and with selections
3BSE069489-602 261
Select Tag Connection to a tag from the tags configuration page.
Tags may also be added directly, but will be remain
internal until connected to a controller tag. Click ... to
configure expressions.
anyone.
Security Manager is used
access rights
access rights
When access rights are not fulfilled, showing an access denied message or
opening a login dialog can be configured using the security function.
Related information
Expressions
Adding Tags during Editing
Security Management
Name Group
All objects and screens are automatically named when they are created. The name is
displayed and can be edited in the Name group. Screen names can also be edited
in the Project Explorer.
The name of an object is a symbolic identifier and is an alphanumeric string,
beginning with a letter. Name strings can contain letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9),
and underscore (‘_’) characters.
262 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs Project Ribbon Tab
Renaming objects and screens included in scripts will cause the scripts not to
function.
Related information
Project Explorer
Invalid Names
Project Ribbon Tab

The Project ribbon tab contains a number of project related functions, divided into
the following groups:
Run Group
Transfer Group
Project Group
Run Group
The Run group enables validation, rebuilding, simulation and debugging of the
project.
Build
The build control validates the script code and compiles the current project.
3BSE069489-602 263
Project Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs
Recompiling the project using the Build control will result in only the changes
being made to project to be recompiled. To fully recompile the project, instead
use the Rebuild control.
Rebuild
The rebuild control validates the script code and recompiles the complete project.
Run
A test of the project can be executed directly on the PC. Clicking Run will perform a
validation and start a simulation, if the project can be built. If errors are found during
validation, an error message will be displayed.
During simulation, the project will communicate directly with the configured
controllers, provided that the controllers are correctly connected to the development
environment.
If there are unused tags in the project, the Run, Build, and Rebuild commands
will result in a notification about this. The CheckForUnusedTags function can be
disabled or enabled under Options in the File menu.
If project build fails, check that the absolute path to the project, including its
components, does not exceed 260 characters.
Projects must be stored on the local hard drive for Panel Builder to be able to
run or simulate them.
Simulate
It is also possible to test and run the application on the engineering PC without
connection to the selected controller, by clicking Simulate. If the project is valid,
the simulation is started.
For keyboard operated panels, the simulation of the F1 - F12 keys can be done with
the corresponding F keys on the PC keyboard. Keys F13 - F22 are simulated by
pressing Shift + F1 and so forth on the PC keyboard.
Debug
The Debug command will allow the user to debug scripts in a real c# debugger with
the possibility to set breakpoints etc. The command builds and checks the current
264 3BSE069489-602
project, and launches the application associated with the generated file. The function
scans the engineering PC for an installed debugger. If no debugger is found, a link
for downloading debugger is presented. User preferences for the script debugger
may be entered under Options, available from the File menu.
Visual Studio 2008 requires SP1 in order for associated files to be opened
automatically (i.e. using the Debug command).
Debugging of a project with Script module included is not supported using Visual
Studio 2010.
Debugging of a CE project is not supported using Visual Studio 2010.
Related information
Output
Database
Options
Transfer Group
The Transfer group enables download to operator panel, upload database and export
to folder functions.
Time zone, region or daylight saving settings will not be transferred if these
settings have been changed manually in the panel.
Download
The Download control sends the project to an operator panel or a PC with an Panel
800 Runtime installation, in the network environment.
3BSE069489-602 265
Connected targets Choose a target type to transfer the project to.
Download Start the project transfer.
Click the “Download all source code ( for later upload)
” checkbox to compress the project and save it as a ZIP
file on target.
Click the “Password protected” checkbox and enter a
password to protect the ZIP file.
Download is supported for PP87x, PP87xK, PP88x, and
PP89x targets, and for PC targets with a Panel 800 Runtime
installation.
Click the “Copy downloaded project to Memory Card”
checkbox to copy the downloaded project and the targets
266 3BSE069489-602
IP settings to the memory card. When project is copied to
memory card, it can be used for restoring the project(1).
Verify The verify function enables the user to check if a target
platform configuration is identical to the project configuration.
Verify is supported for PP87x, PP87xK, PP88x and PP89x
targets. If greyed out, please update to latest “System
program”.
Log Show the data being logged during the download and verify
process.
An automatic check is done for mismatch between the Panel Builder version and
the target system versions. All version parameters are considered. If the target is
indicated as being incompatible with the version of the Panel Builder that hosts
the project, please update the target with the latest Panel 800 Runtime and system
program versions.
If the target for the download contains newer files or files that don’t exist in the
project, a dialog will appear prompting for which files to be kept, overwritten or
deleted.
If the same project is to be downloaded to a panel again, the original datalogger in

the panel will be replaced if any settings have been changed in the datalogger since
the last download.
Related information
3BSE069489-602 267
Downloading a Project to an operator panel or a PC with an Panel 800 Runtime

installation
1. Connect the operator panel to the engineering PC via an Ethernet connection.
2. Click Download.
3. The download dialog opens and all panels connected in the network are listed
with information about IP address and panel type. Select the panel to download
to in the list.
4. Check that the IP address is correct and click Download.

a. Optional: Click the “Include compressed project” checkbox to compress
the project and save it as a ZIP file.
b. Optional: Click the “Password protected” checkbox and enter a password
to protect the ZIP file.
c. Optional: Click the “Copy downloaded project to Memory card”
checkbox to enable SD-card backup of operator panel project and settings.
The panel will respond to a download request by stopping any current project. The
panel will display that it is ready for project download. When the download is
completed, the new project will automatically start running.
The panel settings can be controlled from the panel’s Service menu.
It is necessary to open TCP port 9999 and UDP port 9999 in the firewall for the
runtime PC application.
If Chinese or Korean languages are to be used in the operator panel, then firewalls
in Windows must be configured to allow TransferClient.exe full access on all
ports, otherwise project transfer might fail.
Related information
Service Menu
Starting a Panel 800 Runtime project on a PC
Upload Database
The Upload Database command will collect the database from an operator panel in
the network environment to a file on the engineering PC. The panel will pause during
the upload, and will be started automatically afterwards.
268 3BSE069489-602
The database may only be collected from a panel running the same project (i.e. a
project with the same name and of the same size) as the current Panel Builder project.
Collecting a Database from an operator panel

1. Connect the operator panel to the engineering PC via an Ethernet connection.
2. Click Upload Database.
3. The Upload Database dialog opens and all panels connected in the network are
listed with information about IP address and panel type. Select the panel to
collect from in the list.
4. Check that the IP address is correct and click Backup.
5. Select location of the saved database.
Export
Exports the project to a folder. The export dialog allows creating a new folder.
Assigning IP Settings is only supported for PP87x, PP87xK, PP88x targets.
Exporting a Project to an operator panel or a PC with an Panel 800 Runtime

Installation
A project can be exported to an operator panel or a PC with an Panel 800 Runtime
installation via the Export command. The project can be exported to an USB stick
or, on the condition that a network connection is configured, directly to a folder
in the runtime PC.
The project in the runtime PC is started by running the .exe file located in the project
folder.
There will also be created a TransferClient .exe file, a binaries folder and a
configuration file. The TransferClient is a standalone application for downloading
the exported project to a target. It works in the same way as the Download control
from inside Panel Builder. It is possible to view a log for the export by clicking the
Log button on the TransferClient dialog.
It is not recommended to handle further project transfers from a PC already used
as a target for export. If additional transfers are to be done, then keep using the
same export method for all.
3BSE069489-602 269
Related information
Download

The different methods of transfer will have an impact on how the projects are started
and stopped in the runtime PC. It is recommended to keep to one of the selected
transfer methods to avoid problems.
When a project has been transferred to a PC using the Download command, the
project normally starts automatically when the computer is started. However if the
project is stopped and needs to be restarted, this should be done via the Target
Control Service in Windows. This will ensure that the status of the project is fully
recognized for all functions that depend on this.
To manually open or close a project in Panel 800 Runtime for a PC target, go to the
Services tab in Windows Task Manager. Click on the item Target Control Service
and the available commands are shown on the top left of the list. Double-clicking the
Target Control Service item opens a dialog box that displays Service Status along
with other additional settings. Start or stop the project from here.
A running project will then be visible when entering the Panel Builder transfer dialog.
If a runtime PC project is started using the project .exe file, the Target Control
Service will not recognize that the project is running. This will lead to problems
using the Panel Builder transfer functions.
A project that has been transferred using the Export command must be started by
opening the .exe-file in the project folder. A running project is not detected by any
of the transfer or service status dialogs in the runtime PC. This means that it is up
to the user to keep track of the status.
Project Group
The project target as well as name and title are available for editing in the Project
Group. The project title is displayed in the title bar in runtime by default. Leaving
the title empty displays the screen name/screen title only in runtime.
The Project Group also contains the Compress Project command, a Project Settings
control and the possibility to refer to other assemblies using the Referenced
Assemblies control.
270 3BSE069489-602
Related information
Compress Project
Settings
Compress Project
The project source files can be compressed into a Zip file using the Compress
Project command. The Zip file can be saved to an USB stick or, on the condition
that a network connection is configured, directly to a folder in the runtime PC.
Path to Zip file Browse to the location to save the Zip file.
Password protected Optional password protection of the Zip file.
Related information
Opening a Project
3BSE069489-602 271
Settings
Properties such as application behavior in runtime, system font and settings for
mouse and keyboard can be edited by clicking Settings in the Project group.
Related information
Alarm Button
Deployment
Display Panel
Mouse/Touch Input Delay
System Font
Virtual Keyboard
Screen Name and Screen Title
Alarm Button
Show Screen Selection of screen to be displayed when the predefined
Alarm key on a keyboard operated panel is pressed.
272 3BSE069489-602
Deployment
Overwrite Files on This setting can be used to determine the default
Target behavior when transferring projects and the transfer finds
critical files already present on the target.
Pre Transfer Add commands to be executed before the file transfer.
Only available for standard PC targets.
Post Transfer Add commands to be executed after the file transfer.
Only available for standard PC targets.
Related information
Pre Transfer
Post Transfer
Pre Transfer
The following commands can be executed before the file transfer:
3BSE069489-602 273
Command Description
Reboot Reboots the target. Possible arguments: True and False.
Using True, the target tries to start any project present.
The argument False, or no argument, prevents the target
from starting the project automatically.
Wait Pauses the execution of the commands. This can be
useful if the user runs commands that takes time for the
target to recover from. Possible arguments: a number,
indicating how many whole seconds to wait.
Run Starts any given process. The first argument must always
be the path to the executable to be run. Keep it inside
quotes if it contains spaces.
Other arguments:
/p: or -p: are parameters for the process to start. The
parameters must be inside quotes and separated by
spaces.
/noshell or -noshell means that the process should be
run outside of the command shell.
/wd: or -wd: means working directory for the process to
run. If left empty will default to active projects directory.
The parameters must be inside quotes.
/wait: or -wait: means that the TargetControlService
should wait until the process has exited before continuing.
If the process does not exit by itself, this argument should
be left out.
It is possible to use the following macros in conjunction with the Run commands:
274 3BSE069489-602
Macro Description
$projectpath$ Replaced by target project folder. If the user has
downloaded an executable together with the project and
wants to run it, this macro represents the destination folder.
Example: "$projectpath$\dbbackup.exe"
/p:"backup.bak" -noshell -wait
This will run the dbbackup.exe with the startup argument
backup.bak, it will run outside the command shell due
to -noshell, and the transfer will not continue until the
process has exited due to -wait.
$startproject$ Registers and starts the project. The transfer will continue.
$finished$ Tells the system that the transfer is finished and closes
connections. The project will not start. Should only be
used in Post Transfer.
Only available for PP89x and PC targets.
Post Transfer
The same commands and macros as for the Pre Transfer can be used, but are
executed after the file transfer.
Only available for PC targets.
Related information
Pre Transfer
3BSE069489-602 275
Display Panel
No Title Bar Displays the project without title bar in runtime.
Title Bar Displays the project with its title and a set of minimize,
maximize and close buttons in the title bar.
Close Button Displays the project with its title and a close button in
the title bar.
Topmost Makes the project the topmost application in runtime.
Only available for PP89x and PC targets.
Maximize On Startup Makes the project maximized in runtime.
Screen Size Screen resolution.
276 3BSE069489-602
Panel Rotate Displays selected rotation. It is possible to change the
rotation of the panel and panel content by 0, 90, 180
or 270 degrees. Only available for PP874, PP877, and
PP88x targets.
Panel Type Displays selected target. It is possible to select another
target.
Related information

When changing to another target, you can select to automatically resize objects to
the new target size. Different scale factors are used horizontally and vertically, to
optimize conversion to and from wide screen targets. In this case, the aspect ratio
of objects will change.
The following items are resized with the same factor when having selected automatic
resizing:
Item
Graphical objects
Popup screens
Font(1)
Dynamics size and move
(1)A minimum scaled font of 10 pixels ensures readability in the smaller operator panels
Not all objects and styles are supported for all project targets. When changing to
another project target, objects and styles that are not supported in the new target
will be deleted and will not possible to restore. Removed objects are logged, and
displayed in a window after the transformation. The log may be saved to file. Build
files are always cleaned and project saved after transformation.
3BSE069489-602 277
Changing back to the previous target will not restore removed objects.
Mouse/Touch Input Delay

It is possible to configure a delay of mouse and touch screen input in runtime. This
setting is global and will affect all objects for which Delay Mouse/Touch Input has
been selected. The Property grid is used to enable delay of mouse and touch screen
input for individual objects.
Related information
Property Grid
278 3BSE069489-602
System Font
Font Select a system font that will be used as the default font.
Font Size Use the increase/decrease font size buttons or set a
specific default font size.
3BSE069489-602 279
Virtual Keyboard
Enable Virtual Select whether a virtual keyboard is to be displayed when
Keyboard alphanumerical input is needed.
Keyboard Layout The layout of the virtual keyboard.
The virtual keyboard that is displayed in runtime depends on settings made for
the Multiple Languages function. If only the default language is used, the project
settings (above) are used.
Related information
Language Management
The Referenced Assemblies command makes it possible to refer to your own or
third-party .Net assemblies (.dll). Their methods and properties will be made
available when scripting and will be included by the name completion function, in
the same way as for built-in components.
1. Click on Referenced Assemblies.
2. Click Add.
280 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs System Ribbon Tab
3. Browse to the desired dll file in your PC environment and click Open.
The methods and properties of the added dll file are now available for scripting.
When referencing your own third-party assembly (.dll file) make sure not to have
two files with the same fully qualified assembly name in the same folder:
Example:
You have the files "Iocomp.Instrumentation.CF2005.Ultra.dll" and
"Iocomp.Instrumentation.CF2005.Ultra.WindowsCE.asmmeta.dll" in the
same folder. Both have the same fully qualified assembly name (but different
file names). Trying to add a control from the first assembly will seem to work.
However when the application uses namespaces in the XAML to locate the
correct assembly it will pick one of them, and it might be either of them. If it is the
wrong assembly you will get a message saying that there is an error in the XAML.
System Ribbon Tab

The System ribbon tab controls system settings. These settings are divided into the
following groups:

Buzzer Group
Backlight Group
Serial Ports Group
Servers Group
3BSE069489-602 281
System Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs
Output Devices Group

Service Menu Group

National settings are made in the Date, Time and Region group.
Select time zone, whether to adjust for daylight saving, and region. If no time zone
is selected, the time zone that has been selected for the panel or PC will be retained.
Choose SNTP time synchronization if the panel clock is to be synchronized against
an external SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) server. Enter the name of the
SNTP server and the time interval for the synchronization.
The SNTP time synchronization is supported from PP87x/PP87xK version 917
and PP88x version 244.
The date and time display format (for example using AM/PM for time) is based
on the operating system settings. For operator panel projects, this format may be
altered by selecting another region.
For a PC the regional settings for date and time display need to be changed in the
system account to be carried out correctly.
1. Go to the Control Panel and select Clock, Language and Region, then
Region and Language.
2. Make the regional settings in the dialog box under the Formats tab.
3. Then go to the Administrative tab and click Copy settings.

4. In the dialog box that appears, check Copy current settings to: Welcome
screen and system accounts, and click OK.
5. Reboot the system to apply the new settings.
282 3BSE069489-602
PP89x targets only:

If the regional settings are changed only for the user account without copying
them to the system account, the new settings will not be applied when
downloading a project, even after a reboot.
Buzzer Group
Select whether to let a key beep sound when making keyboard input in runtime.
Only available when an operator panel is selected as target.
Backlight Group
Select to automatically turn off the backlight after a certain number of seconds,
and whether to keep the backlight on if a notifier window (e.g. alarm indicator or
communication error message) is visible.
The backlight settings for a project are saved in the operator panel. Consequently,
changes of the backlight settings for the present project will revert to the operator
panel values. However downloading another project will overwrite the settings.
Backlight settings are supported only for operator panel targets. For other targets,
the Microsoft Windows screen saver may be used.
3BSE069489-602 283
Serial Ports Group
For each of the COM ports, select if it is to be configured as an RS232, RS422 or

RS485 port. Only available when an operator panel is selected as target.
The number of available ports and possible configuration differ depending on
selected target.
For Panel PP87x/PP87xK, PP88x, PP89x and IPC, four COM ports can be
configured:
Port Description Label on back of panel

COM1 RS232 incl. CTS Port 1
COM2 RS422 or RS485
COM3 RS232 excl. CTS Port 2
COM4 RS422 incl. RTS or RS485
Servers Group
The Servers group contains the FTP, Web Server, OPC UA Server and Remote
Access commands. The FTP and Remote Access commands are only available when
an operator panel is selected as target.
284 3BSE069489-602
FTP
When enabled, it is possible to upload/download files to/from the operator panel
provided that there is an FTP client program in the PC, e.g. Internet Explorer,
Windows Commander or some other standard FTP program.
It is possible to set up access to the FTP server with login requirements and/or as
anonymous. An anonymous user has read-only access rights. A user that logs in with
the correct user name and password gets read/write access rights.
FTP is not supported for PP89x.
Remote Access
The Remote Access function makes it possible to access, reflect and control an
operator panel from a PC by using the free VNC client program Remote Access
Viewer together with the built-in VNC server in the operator panel.
It is possible to set up Remote Access with a view only password and/or a full access
password. The view only password allows reflecting the panel remotely; the full
access password allows also control of maneuverable objects in the panel.
Only one VNC client can connect to the VNC server.
To protect secrecy when entering a password via Remote Access Viewer, it is
recommended to use the PC keyboard. Otherwise it is possible that the cursor on
the remote operator panel displays which keys are pressed on the alphanumeric
keyboard.
For more information about Remote Access, refer to the documentation for Remote
Access and Remote Access Viewer.
Web Server
Enables the possibility to host project files for a web client.
3BSE069489-602 285
Enable Web Server Click this checkbox to enable the web server.
Port Enter a server port number.
Enable forms Click this checkbox to enable forms authentication and
authentication enter user name and password.
The password can be any alphanumeric string. The
passwords minimum length is four characters and the
maximum length is 20 characters.
Related information
Web Server
OPC UA Server
Enables the possibility to publish tags with an OPC UA Server.
286 3BSE069489-602
Enable OPC UA Click this checkbox to enable the OPC UA server.
Server
Port Enter a server port number.
Allow anonymous Click this checkbox to enable anonymous login. For a
login secured login enter user name and password and leave
the checkbox unchecked.
Address space
All tags, except array tags, defined in project will be shown.
The tags will be put in a folder named Tags in Namespace TagProvider on the server.
The NodeClass of all tags will be Variable.
All tag values will be published scaled with the offset and gain of the tag.
Tag Properties Mapping

Tag property UA Server Attribute
Name DisplayName /
BrowseName
Data Type DataType
3BSE069489-602 287
Access Right AccessLevel /
UserAccessLevel
Description Description
Poll Group Interval MinimumSamplingInterval
Certificate
A certificate will be auto generated and self-signed when the server first starts up.
The certificate will be valid for 20 years.
The certificate contains no IP address since this could change after the certificate
has been generated.
Limitations
Limitation Description
Discovery Not supported
Encoding / Transport Only UA TCP Binary
User authentication Only user name / password
Only one account
Security No encryption support
Related information
OPC UA Client

Printer devices can be set up by clicking the Settings control in the Output Devices
group.
288 3BSE069489-602
Printer Device
USB Printer Connection
Printer Connector Select USB
Printer Type Select printer type. Selection possibilities: PCLINKJET
and PCLLASERJET.
Printer supports PCL Click this checkbox if the printer supports the PCL 5c color
5c printer protocol.
This option is only available if the printer type is set to
PCLLASERJET.
Network settings Not available
Serial settings Not available
Page Orientation Portrait or landscape orientation of the printout
3BSE069489-602 289
Ethernet Printer Connection
Printer Connector Select Ethernet
Printer Type Select printer type. Selection possibilities: PCLINKJET
and PCLLASERJET.
Printer supports PCL Click this checkbox if the printer supports the PCL 5c color
5c printer protocol.
This option is only available if the printer type is set to
PCLLASERJET.
Network settings Enter Printer name / path
Enter user name
Enter password
Serial settings Not available
Page Orientation Portrait or landscape orientation of the printout
290 3BSE069489-602
Serial Printer Connection
Printer Connector Select Serial
Printer Type Not available
Printer supports PCL 5c Not available
Network settings Not available
3BSE069489-602 291
Serial Settings Port Name: Select which COM-port the printer is
connected to
Baud Rate: Select the baud rate for transmission of
data.
Data Bits: Select the number of data bits in each
character.
Parity: Set the parity bit. The parity bit in each character
can be set to none , odd, even, mark or space.
Stop Bits: Select the number of stop bits to be sent
at the end of every character. Selection possibilities:
None, One, Two or TwoPointFive.
Hand Shake: Select which handshaking protocol to be
used. Selection possibilities: XON/XOFF, CTS/RTS.
New Line Character: Select end of line character.
Selection possibilities: None, CR/LF, CR or LF.
Serial Settings Page Length (lines): Select the number of lines to be
printed out before form feed. Form feed will not take
place if the page length is set to 0.
Page Width (characters): Set the page width specified
as the maximum characters in a single line of text.
Code page: The code page consists of a table of
values that describes the character set for a particular
language. The default code page in Panel Builder is
850.
Page Orientation Not available
Printouts via operator panel

When printing to a serial printer from an operator panel, the printer must support
IBM character set (850).
When printing to a USB printer from an operator panel, the printer must support the
printer classes according to the table below:
292 3BSE069489-602
Printer class Recommended

Printer type requirement printer model
Color laser printer USB + PCL 5c HP LaserJet 2700
Monochrome laser printer USB + PCL 5e HP LaserJet 1320
Color ink-jet printer USB + PCL 3e HP Deskjet 5652
When printing via Ethernet from an operator panel, the network printer must be a
shared resource in the Windows network.
Connecting a printer via Ethernet requires that a PC is connected between the
operator panel and the printer.
Printing to a color laser printer via Ethernet is not supported for operator panels.
The printer class PCL 6 is not supported at all for connection to operator panels.
Service Menu Group

The Service Menu group provides a possibility to protect the service menu with a
pin code.
Pincode Enter a pincode for the service menu. No pincode
enables the service menu for all users. Only numbers
(0–9) are allowed.
Related information
Service Menu
3BSE069489-602 293
Insert Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs
Insert Ribbon Tab

The Functions group, available from the Insert ribbon tab, contains functions and
screen that can be added to the project.
Functions Group
Functions Group
All added components are available from Project Explorer folders. The Project
Explorer already includes alarm server, multiple languages, security functions and
tags. All functions are managed through their configuration pages.
Text Library With the text library function, text tables can be created,
where values are linked to texts.
Data Logger Data can be logged and saved to a database on time
intervals or depending on changed values.
Alarm Distributor Alarms can be distributed between operator panels, with
notification via printer, SMS or e-mail using the alarm
distributor.
Script A script module can be included to program features not
covered by included functions and actions, or to be used
to share functionality among functions.
Recipe Management Several recipes can be inserted in the project. Each
recipe function handles a pre-defined set of recipe items.
Function Keys Function keys for operator panels as well as for the
regular PC keyboard can be configured.
Scheduler A scheduler can be used to control events in the process
at special times.
294 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs View Ribbon Tab
Audit Trail The Audit Trail function enables tracking of operator
actions.
Reports The reports function allows adding Excel report templates
to the project.
Screens The Screen control adds new screens to the current
project.
Related information
Project Explorer
Configuration Pages
View Ribbon Tab

The Windows group, available from the View ribbon tab, contains controls to toggle
visibility of the tool windows:
Windows Group
Windows Group
The tool controls in the Windows group are highlighted when active.
Tool window Description Default Position

Project Shows all screens and components Docked to the left part of
Explorer included in the application the application window
Output Displays detailed information Docks to the lower part of
concerning the project validation and the application window
build
3BSE069489-602 295
Dynamics Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs
Tool window Description Default Position

Cross Provides an overview of where a Docks to the right part of
Reference specific tag is used the application window
Error List Displays information about problems Docks to the lower part of
and errors detected during build the application window
Navigation Provides an overview of all screens Floating window
Overview included in the project, with zooming
facilities.
Navigation Manages screens and screen Desktop area
Manager navigation
Property Grid Shows detailed properties of a Docks to the right part of
selected screen or object the application window
as a tab
Object Displays an overview of all objects in Floating window
Browser the current screen and enables setting
visibility and locking objects easily, as
well as placing objects in front or back
of each other.
Component Contains predefined as well as Docks to the right part of
Library user-defined graphical components the application window
as a tab
Dynamics Ribbon Tab

The Dynamics ribbon tab includes the following groups:
Layout Group
Color Group
General Group
The controls on the Dynamics tab are used to change the properties of an object
depending on a changed tag value.
296 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs Dynamics Ribbon Tab
A lock icon resembling a chain indicates that a specific dynamic setting is made
for the selected object.
If, for example, dynamic fill settings are made, it is not possible to make fill settings
for the object from the Format group on the Home tab.
Security has higher priority than dynamics.
Visibility has higher priority than blink.
Scripting to a property for which Dynamics has been configured disables the
dynamic settings.
To release an object from a dynamic control, click the control with the lock icon and
click Clear Dynamics in the appearing dialog.
Layout Group
Move
The Move control in the Position group changes an object’s position, based on a
tag value.
Position coordinates on the screen are given in pixels of the screen resolution. The
position 0,0 corresponds to the upper left corner of the screen.
To move an object vertically when a tag value changes:
1. Draw and position the object at the start position. Keep the object selected.
3BSE069489-602 297
2. Click on Move on the Dynamics tab to open the Move Dynamics Editor.
3. Select the tag to control the movement.
4. Enter a start and end value for the tag.

Start and end positions are suggested based on the current start position. A
ghost object will appear at the suggested finish position. A guide line that
connects the center of the original object with the ghost object appears.
5. Move the ghost object in the screen to its final position.

The coordinates for the object is updated. An animation of the move appears
on the screen. Coordinate values can also be updated directly in the numerical
fields (End Top, End Left). The coordinates for start and finish will limit the
movement of the object irrespective if the tag value is outside its start and
end value.
6. Click OK to save and close the Move Dynamics Editor.
298 3BSE069489-602
When Position or Size dynamics is applied, moving or resizing of the object will
be disabled. A lock icon resembling a chain in the upper left corner of the object
(when selected) indicates that the object has a dynamic control applied and that
it cannot be moved or resized.
Size
The Size control in the Size group changes an object’s size, based on a tag value.
Dynamic resizing of external picture files may result in a resolution loss if the picture
is enlarged to a size larger than what is used elsewhere in the current project.
Width and height of an object are given in pixels of the screen resolution.
To resize the width of an object when a tag value changes:
1. Draw and size the object at its start size. Keep the object selected.
2. Click on Size on the Dynamics tab to open the Resize Dynamics Editor.
3. Select the tag to control the resizing.
4. Fill in the values that for start and finish. Size is given in screen resolution
pixels.
Start size is suggested based on the current start size. A finish size is suggested
as a fixed increase of the start size horizontally and vertically. A ghost object
will appear with the finish size.
The object can only be resized from left to right and top to bottom.
5. Resize the ghost object in the screen to its final size.
The coordinates for the object is updated. An animation of the resizing appears
on the screen. Coordinate values can also be updated directly in the numerical
fields (End Width, End Height). The coordinates for start and finish will limit
the size of the object irrespective if the tag value is outside its start and end
value.
6. Click OK to save and close the Resize Dynamics Editor.
When Position or Size dynamics is applied, moving or resizing of the object will
be disabled. A lock icon resembling a chain in the upper left corner of the object
(when selected) indicates that the object has a dynamic control applied and that
it cannot be moved or resized.
3BSE069489-602 299
Color Group
The Fill and Outline controls in the Color group change an object’s fill color or
outline (border) color, based on a tag value.
To alter the fill color of an object when a tag value changes:

1. Draw the object. Keep the object selected.
2. Click on Fill on the Dynamics tab to open the Color Dynamics Editor.
3. Select the tag that is to control the color.
4. Fill in values to trigger color change.
5. Select color and gradient from the color menu.
6. Click OK to save and close the Color Dynamics Editor.
300 3BSE069489-602
General Group
Visibility
The Visible control in the Visibility group determines if an object is to be displayed
in the screen or not, based on a tag value.
To hide an object when a tag value changes:
1. Draw the object. Keep the object selected.
2. Click on Visible on the Dynamics tab.
3. Select the tag that is to control visibility. The object will be visible on the
screen at a certain tag value.
The selected value will be treated as True (visible). All other values will be treated
as False (invisible).
Blink
It is possible to select a tag to enable blinking depending on the tag’s current value.
The selected value will be treated as True (blink enabled). All other values will be
treated as False (blink disabled).
The blink interval can be set dynamically or constantly.
3BSE069489-602 301

Visibility has higher priority than blink.
Related information
Blinking Objects
General
The general control offers a possibility to alter the properties of objects in Panel
800 Runtime.
Converter Operators
Converter operators are used to alter the properties of the objects. The converter
operators can be selected from the Edit general dynamics dialog.
Bool Converter Converts 0 to false and all other values
to true.
Color Converter Converts value intervals to specified
colors.
302 3BSE069489-602
Linear Converter Converts values according to the linear
equation.
Raw Converter Converts the value to a new value
matching the target type.
Text Library Group converter Converts a value to a text.
Edit General Dynamics

The Edit general dynamics dialog contains different properties depending on
which object is selected. The dialog is accessed by clicking the General control
on the General group.
Parameter Converter Object Description

3D View ·bool Chart Set a 3D look and feel for
the chart
Acknowledge all ·bool Alarm viewer Set visibility for the
Acknowledge All button.
Acknowledge ·bool Alarm viewer Set visibility for the
selected Acknowledge Selected
button.
Address ·raw Web browser Change the default URL.
·text library
group
3BSE069489-602 303

Alternate ·color interval Animated label Set background color.
background color
Alternate ·color interval Animated label Set foreground color.
foreground color
Animation speed ·linear Animated label Set animation speed.

Auto-size ·bool Resize the object according
to the size of the default text
Button color ·color interval Alarm viewer Set the button color
Button height ·raw Alarm viewer Set the height of the buttons.
·linear
Button width ·raw Alarm viewer Alter the width of the
·linear buttons.
Clear ·bool Alarm viewer Set visibility for the Clear
button.
Clockwise ·bool Circular meter Set the rotation orientation.
Column header ·color interval Set the column header
color background color.
End angle ·raw Circular meter Set the end angle.
·linear
PDF-file ·raw PDF viewer Select PDF file to add to the
·text library PDF viewer.
group
Filter ·bool Alarm viewer Set visibility for the filter
button.
Font color ·color interval Set font color in for instance
the text object.
Font size ·raw Set font size in for instance
·linear the text object.
Group ·color interval Action menu Set the group background
background color.
304 3BSE069489-602

Group foreground ·color interval Action menu Set the group foreground
color.
Header ·raw Chart Set the header.
·text library
group
High Region Color ·color interval Circular meter Set the high region color.
High Region Max ·raw Circular meter Set the maximum value of
·linear the high region indicator.
High Region Min ·raw Circular meter Set the minimum value of
·linear the high region indicator.
Indicator color ·color interval Set the indicator color in for
instance the circular meter
object.
Info ·bool Alarm viewer Set visibility for the info
button.
Active ·bool Chart Activate or stop the data
input.
Enabled ·bool Enable or disable an object.
Show header ·bool Chart Set visibility for the header.
Show legend ·bool Chart Set visibility for the legend.
Read only ·bool Control whether for instance
an analog numeric object
editable or not.
Auto-scale X-axis ·bool Chart Used with the chart object
to toggle whether Panel 800
Runtime automatically
should calculate the
minimum and maximum
X Axis values or not.
Show X-axis grid ·bool Chart Set visibility for the X Axis
grid.
3BSE069489-602 305

Show X-axis ·bool Chart Set visibility for the X Axis.
Auto-scale Y1-axis ·bool Chart Used with the chart object
to toggle whether Panel 800
minimum and maximum
Y1 Axis values or not.
Show Y1-axis grid ·bool Chart Set visibility for the Y1 Axis
grid.
Show Y1-axis ·bool Chart Set visibility for the Y1 Axis.
Auto-scale Y2-axis ·bool Chart The bool converter can be
used with the chart object to
toggle whether Panel 800
minimum and maximum
Y2 Axis values or not.
Show Y2-axis grid ·bool Chart Set visibility for the Y2 Axis
grid.
Show Y2-axis ·bool Chart Set visibility for the Y2 Axis.
Lock aspect ratio ·bool Multi picture Used with the multi picture
object to toggle the
height/width ratio of the
object.
Low region color ·color interval Circular meter Set the low region color.
Low region max ·raw Circular meter Set the maximum value of
·linear the low region indicator.
Low region min ·raw Circular meter Set the minimum value of
·linear the low region indicator.
Major ticks ·raw Set the number of labeled
·linear time marks in for instance
the linear meter object.
306 3BSE069489-602

Maximum ·raw Set the end value of the
·linear scale in for instance the
linear meter object.
Major value tics ·raw Trend viewer Set the number of labeled
·linear scale marks on the scale.
Max value ·raw Trend viewer Set the end value of the
·linear scale.
Min value ·raw Trend viewer Set the start value of the
·linear scale.
Minor value ticks ·raw Trend viewer Set the number of scale
·linear ticks between two adjacent
major ticks on the scale.
Medium region ·color interval Circular meter Set the medium region
color color.
Medium region ·raw Circular meter Set the maximum value of
max ·linear the medium region indicator.
Medium region ·raw Circular meter Set the minimum value of
min ·linear the medium region indicator.
Minimum ·raw Set the start value of the
·linear scale in for instance the
linear meter object.
Minor ticks ·raw Set the number of scale
·linear ticks between two adjacent
major ticks.
Lower limit ·raw Analog Set the minimum value that
·linear numeric can be entered.
Opacity ·raw Set the opacity of for
·linear instance the PDF viewer
object.
Outline thickness ·raw Set the outline thickness of
·linear for instance the rectangle
object.
3BSE069489-602 307

Picture height ·raw Button Set picture height.
·linear
Picture name ·raw Picture Set the picture shown in the
·text library picture object.
group
Picture stretch ·bool Button Stretch a picture.
Picture width ·raw Button Set the picture width.
·linear
Play/Pause ·bool Alarm viewer Set visibility for the pause
button.
Prefix ·raw Analog Set a prefix to the digits
·text library numeric entered.
group
Radius X ·raw Rectangle Set the radius of the X axis
·linear in the rectangle object.
Radius Y ·raw Rectangle Set the radius of the Y axis.
·linear
Scale color ·color interval Circular meter Set the scale color.
Scale ·bool Circular meter Set visibility for the scale.
Selected ·color interval Action menu Set the background color of
background the selected action.
Selected ·color interval Action menu Set the foreground color of
foreground the selected action.
Selected group ·color interval Action menu Set the background color of
background the selected menu group.
Selected group ·color interval Action menu Set the foreground color of
foreground the selected menu group.
Separator color ·color interval Set the separator color.
Source ·raw Media player Set the source file.
·text library
group
308 3BSE069489-602

Start angle ·raw Circular meter Set the start angle.
·linear
Stretch ·bool Adjust the height and width
to the selection frame in for
instance the picture object.
Suffix ·raw Analog Set a suffix to the digits
·text library numeric entered in the analog
group numeric object.
Text ·raw Set the text shown in for
·text library instance the text object.
group
Title ·raw Roller panel Set the title.
·text library
group
Title background ·color interval Roller panel Set the title background
color color.
Title foreground ·color interval Roller panel Set the title foreground
color color.
Transparent ·bool Set the transparency of for
instance the button object.
Upper limit ·raw Analog Set the maximum value that
·linear numeric can be entered.
Value ·raw Progress bar Set the value.
·linear
X1 ·raw Line Set the X1 pixel coordinates
·linear
·linear
·linear
3BSE069489-602 309
General Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs

·linear
X-axis grid color ·color interval Chart Set the grid color of the X
axis.
X-axis max value ·raw Chart Set the maximum value of
·linear the X axis.
X-axis min value ·raw Chart Set the minimum value of
·linear the X axis
Y1-axis grid color ·color interval Chart Set the grid color of the Y1
axis.
Y1-axis max value ·raw Chart Set the maximum value of
·linear the Y1 axis.
Y1-axis min value ·raw Chart Set the minimum value of
Y2-axis grid color ·color interval Chart Set the grid color of the Y2
axis.
Y2-axis max value ·raw Chart Set the maximum value of
Y2-axis min value ·raw Chart Set the minimum value of
Related information
Text Library
General Ribbon Tab

The General ribbon tab contains different property groups and controls for different
objects. Appearance can be modified for graphical shapes and objects. Scale settings
can be made for meters and trend viewers. Additional settings can be made for
some objects.
The Tag/Security group is available also on the Home ribbon tab.
310 3BSE069489-602
Section 8 Ribbon Tabs Actions Ribbon Tab
The general properties are described separately for each object.
Related information
HMI Controls in the Objects group
Media Controls in the Objects group
Special Controls in the Objects group
Windows Controls in the Objects group
Tag/Security Group on the Home Ribbon Tab
Actions Ribbon Tab

Actions can be triggered in various ways, for example by clicking a button. The
Actions tab controls are used to define actions for objects. Alternatively, a script
can be used to trigger an action.
An action is something that is performed, for example closing a screen. An action
trigger is the act that generates an action, for example clicking a button.
The Actions ribbon tab contains different control groups for different objects.
Figure 19. A Click action configured for a button
It is not recommended to use multiple trigger methods, as this may lead to

undesired behavior. It is recommended either to use a script or to program
actions with the controls in the Actions tab. For example, avoid using
Click Action Trigger in combination with Mouse Button Action Triggers.
Related information
Script
3BSE069489-602 311
Actions Ribbon Tab Section 8 Ribbon Tabs

Most objects can be assigned click actions, that will be executed when the object is
clicked in runtime.
Mouse Button Action Triggers

The Mouse Down and Mouse Up action triggers can be used to create two-step
actions when clicking with the left mouse button on an object.
Mouse Down A Mouse Down action will be performed when the left mouse
button is pressed down on the object in runtime.
Mouse Up A Mouse Up action will be performed when the left mouse
button is released from the object in runtime.
Mouse Enter A Mouse Enter action will be performed when the cursor
enters the boundaries of an object in runtime.
Mouse Leave A Mouse Leave action will be performed when the cursor
leaves the boundaries of an object in runtime.
For PP87x/PP87xK and PP88x targets the object boundaries are not adapted to the
visible outline of the shape. Instead the active area of the object is extended to a
rectangular box. This will result in a mouse action as soon as the mouse pointer is
placed inside the rectangular bounding box of the object:
312 3BSE069489-602
Function Key Action Triggers

The Key Down and Key Up action triggers can be used to create two-step actions
for function keys.
Key Down A Key Down action will be performed when a function key is
pressed in runtime.
Key Up A Key Up action will be performed when a function key is
released in runtime.
Value Changed Action Triggers

Input Value The Input Value Changed action will be performed when a
Changed value is entered by the operator.
Value Changed The Value Changed action will be performed when the value
of the object has changed.
Focus Action Triggers

Got Focus The Got Focus action will be performed when the object is
selected.
Lost Focus The Lost Focus action will be performed when the object is no
longer selected.
Navigation Action Triggers

Navigated The Navigated action will be performed when having navigated
to the address entered in the address field of the Web browser
object.
Navigating The Navigating action will be performed when having entered,
but not reached, an address in the address field of the Web
browser object.
3BSE069489-602 313
Data Logger Action Triggers

The LogItemValueChanged and LogValuesUpdated are available for the Data
Logger.
Alarm Server Action Triggers

Alarm server actions can be configured for the entire alarm server, for alarm groups
or for individual alarm items. The actions will be activated upon alarm status
changes.
Related information
Alarm Server Events and Actions
Actions and Events for Alarm Items and Alarm Groups
Action Groups
Actions are divided into action groups.
Action group Action Description

Screen Close Screen Closes the current screen
If triggered from a tag in a popup screen,
this will close both the popup and the
parent screen.
Print Screen Prints the current screen on printer or to
a .PNG file.
Selecting Print to file enables the following
options:
Project files folder: The file will be saved
in a folder named “Project Files” in the
projects execution path.
USB: The file will be saved to a connected
USB stick. (operator panels only).
Memory card: The file will be saved
to the external memory card. (operator
panels only).
Browse: A save dialog will be shown in
runtime. (PC only).
314 3BSE069489-602

Path: The file will be saved to a specified
path. (PC only).
Show Next Screen Shows next screen
Show Previous Returns to previous screen
Screen
Show Screen Shows the specified screen. If the screen
is a popup the position of the screen can
be defined by entering (X,Y) coordinates.
Show Start Screen Shows the screen set to Startup screen
Address Book Open Address Opens the address book for
Book(3) editing. This action is used for
Alarm Distributor purposes.
Alarm Open Print Settings(3) Modifies alarm distributor print settings
Distributor
Open Routes Modifies routes for the distributed alarm
Server
Configuration(3) server
Alarm Viewer(1) Acknowledge All Acknowledges all alarms in all Alarm
Alarms Viewers
Acknowledge Acknowledges the selected alarm in the
Selected Alarm Alarm Viewer
Alarm Info Performs the action configured for the
Alarm event info requested in the Alarm
Server. The action is performed on the
selected Alarm Viewer.
Clear All Alarms Remove all alarms in all Alarm Viewers
Filter Alarms Shows the filter configuration dialog for
the selected Alarm Viewer
Pause Viewer Starts and pauses the selected Alarm
Viewer
Audit Trail Export Audit Trail Exports the audit trail database to an USB
Database stick (operator panel) or to a folder (PC).
When this is done the audit trail log is
cleared.
The export will be saved in a .SDF file.
3BSE069489-602 315

Chart Pan Down Pans down in selected chart
Pan Left Pans left in selected chart
Pan Right Pans right in selected chart
Pan Up Pans up in selected chart
Reset View Resets any panning and zoom in selected
chart
Zoom In Zooms into selected chart
Zoom Out Zooms out of selected chart
Database Backup Database Performs a backup of the project database
Backup Database for Performs a backup of the project database
project restore to the memory card. This action can be
used when project is copied to memory
card, to update the database on the
memory card. When action is performed,
the existing database on the memory card
is replaced.
Only supported for PP87x and PP88x
targets.
Database Export Exports selected database in csv format
Datalogger Clear Datalogger Clears the specified datalogger
Log Once Makes the specified datalogger log once
Start Logging Enables the specified datalogger
Stop Logging Disables the specified datalogger
Output Devices Email Configura- Shows the e-mail configuration
tion(3) page. This action is used for
Printer Configura- Shows the printer configuration page.
tion(3)
SMS Configuration(3) Shows the SMS configuration
page. This action is used for
316 3BSE069489-602

Recipe Delete Recipe Deletes recipe
End Offline Recipe Sets the tags in the specified recipe in
Editing online mode.
Export Recipe Exports a recipe to a .CSV file
Import Recipe Imports a recipe from a .CSV file
Load Recipe Loads recipe
Save Recipe Saves recipe
Start Offline Recipe Sets the tags in the specified recipe in
Editing offline mode.
Reporting Generate Report Generates a report file that can be output
to a printer or saved as an Excel file.
Selecting “File” enables the following
options:
Project files folder: The file will be saved
in a subfolder named ”Reports” in the
“Project Files” folder.
USB: The file will be saved to a connected
USB stick. (operator panels only).
Memory card: The file will be saved
to the external memory card. (operator
panels only).
Browse: A save dialog will be shown in
runtime. (PC only).
Path: The file will be saved to a specified
path. (PC only).
3BSE069489-602 317

Security Export User Accounts Exports user data to a location that the
operator states
Import User Accounts Imports user data from a location that the
user states
Login Displays a login dialog
Logout Logs out the current user
Show Users Dialog Displays a dialog where users can be
added, edited or removed
Tag Clear Non-Volatile Clears all stored values for tags marked
Values as non-volatile
Decrement Analog(2) Decrements tag value
Increment Analog(2) Increments tag value
Reset Tag(2) Resets tag to 0
Set Analog(2) Sets tag to the specified value
Set String(2) Sets tag to the specified string
Set Tag(2) Sets tag to 1
Toggle Tag(2) Toggles tag between 0 and 1
Trend Viewer Show Trend Viewer Displays the legend tool in the selected
Legend(3) trend viewer, with a possibility to show
and hide curves and to display values of
a specific trend viewer sample.
Trend Viewer History The Trend Viewer History action includes
the following choices (all applicable to the
selected trend viewer):
On: Shows trend history from when
the action was triggered (including
offset settings made using trend viewer
dynamics).
Off: Returns to showing real time trend
viewer data.
Toggle: Allows entering and terminating
history mode using the same object (for
example a button).
318 3BSE069489-602

Show Dialog: Lets the user select a
period of time, for which to show trend
viewer history.
Other Change Active Defines which controllers are to be active
Controllers after having restarted the project
Run Script Executes a script method saved in a script
module.
Close Application Closes the runtime application.
Copy Debug Log to Copies the debug log to a USB memory.
USB Memory
Disable Debug Disables the debug logger.
Logger
Enable Debug Enables the debug logger.
Logger
Run Starts an external application
Scroll Left Scrolls the screen carousel object left
Scroll Right Scrolls the screen carousel object right
Set Date and Time Allows changing date and time in the
operator panel
Set Language Sets the language in the operator panel to

the selected language
Set Time Zone, Allows changing time zone, region and
Region and Daylight daylight saving settings in the operator
Saving panel
Show Backlight Allows changing backlight settings in the
Settings operator panel
When approaching 0% backlight, changes
in brightness level may no longer be
noticeable in the panel.
3BSE069489-602 319

Show IP Settings Shows the IP settings in the operator
panel
(1)All Alarm Viewer actions must be associated with an Alarm Viewer in the same screen as the object with the
action configured. This also applies to actions that affect all Alarms.
(2)This action can be used with Aliases.
(3)Not supported in keyboard operated panels
Script Action
Script actions are used to execute script methods in script modules, triggered by
actions. Script modules in the project can be selected, and for each script module
all methods are listed along with their exposed parameters. Static methods are not
supported.
To apply a script to a selected object:

1. Go to the Actions group and select the appropriate action trigger.
2. Select action Run Script under Other.
3. Select one of the scripts from Script Modules.
4. This results in a list of available script methods for that specific script module.
Select script method.
5. The parameters for the script appears in a dialog with information about the
parameter name and type. Complete the settings by entering a tag or a fixed
value for each parameter, and click OK.
320 3BSE069489-602
The script action will now be executed when the object is triggered.
Script actions will have precedence over other script code for an object.
Related information
Script
Multiple Actions
Multiple actions can be configured by clicking small arrow in the lower right corner
of any action group.
Figure 20. Note the small arrow in the lower right corner
The properties window allows configuring and sorting additional actions. The
actions available depend of which object is selected in the screen prior to selecting
the Actions ribbon tab.
3BSE069489-602 321
After configuring multiple actions, this is indicated for the action group on the
Actions tab.
322 3BSE069489-602
Section 9 Trend Viewer
This section describes the trend viewer object. Trend Viewers are used to present
chronological data from controller tags. The curves in a trend viewer can have
different sources of data.
The source of data can be a log item for a data logger. The values of the tag
connected to the log item is then stored in the projects database.
The source can also be a Tag. The trend viewer curve then only shows real-time
values and is stored in a RAM cache.
Related information
Database
Database Export
Defining Trend Viewer Objects

It is possible to define several independent trend viewer objects, in the same screen
or in different screens. The number of trend viewer curves is limited only by the
available amount of memory in the panel.
A large number of trend viewer pens and short sampling intervals may affect
communication performance.
Related information
Adding a Trend Viewer Object

A trend viewer object is added to a screen from the Objects group on the Home
ribbon tab.
3BSE069489-602 323
Defining Trend Viewer Objects Section 9 Trend Viewer
Settings for the trend viewer object are available from the General ribbon tab while
the trend viewer object is selected:
Curves Group
Trend viewer curves are defined using the Edit Curves control.
Add Adds a new curve to the trend viewer object
Remove Removes the selected curve from the trend viewer object
Name The symbolic name of the curve. This name is shown if a
Trend Viewer Legend is used.
Tag The tag to present values for
Log Item The item to be logged
Expression Expression on a curve is evaluated and applied when the
curve is drawn. If the expression value when the tag is
logged or cached is of interest, the expression on the log
item or the tag can be used. See section Expressions
Color The color of the curve
Thickness Line thickness
Minimum Value Tag A tag that dynamically sets what value on the curve that
corresponds to the minimum value of the Y axis. This
property will scale the curve when the value of the tag is
different from the minimum value of the Y axis (optional).
Maximum Value Tag The tag that dynamically sets what value on the curve that
corresponds to the maximum value of the Y axis. This
property will scale the curve when the value of the tag is
different from the maximum value of the Y axis (optional)
324 3BSE069489-602
Section 9 Trend Viewer Defining Trend Viewer Objects
Dynamics Group
Several trend viewer properties can be made dynamic, i. e. dependent on tag values.
This may be useful, for example, when wanting to present trend viewer values of
different formats in the same trend viewer object.
If dynamic trend viewer properties are used, the corresponding property settings
made in the Value Scale group for the trend viewer object are ignored.
Value Scale Min / Minimum/maximum value of the Y-scale. The design
Value Scale Max mode value is used only for increased understanding in
design time when tag values do not affect the minimum
and maximum values.
Time Span The time span of the X-axis in seconds.
Time Offset in History Makes it possible to use an offset to step back in history
Mode mode. The start value is when history mode was entered.
The unit is seconds.
If the Time Span value is increased, the trend viewer will initially display only the
previous number of entries (that was displayed before the increased time span). It
will not collect older data for display. Only when the additional time added onto the
time span has elapsed, the cache will be filled with data and a full curve is displayed.
Value Scale Group

The value scale group controls the vertical scale (y-axis). If dynamic trend viewer
properties are used, the settings made for these properties in the value scale group
will be ignored.
Min Value/Max Value Start/end value of scale
Major Ticks Number of labeled scale marks on the scale
3BSE069489-602 325
Defining Trend Viewer Objects Section 9 Trend Viewer
Time Scale Group

Time Range Visible time span for a trend viewer in Hour:Minute:Second
format. Allowed values range from 00:00:00 to 23:59:59.
Major Ticks Number of labeled time marks. This property will be
ignored in Historical Mode in Trend Viewer.
Style Group
Style Predefined graphical styles for the trend viewer
Visibility Group
Scale When unchecked, the scale color of the trend is made
transparent. Scale color is set from Other Colors in the
Format group on the Home ribbon tab.
Grid When unchecked, the grid color of the trend viewer is
made transparent. Grid color is set from Other Colors in
the Format group on the Home ribbon tab.
Trend Viewer Legend

In runtime, it is possible to display a trend viewer legend tool using the Show Trend
Viewer Legend action. The trend viewer legend tool is a floating window that
displays the name and color of the curves in the current trend viewer object. Curves
can be made invisible by clicking the visibility icon.
Use the needle directly in the trend viewer to select a specific occasion. The values
of all curves at the current position are displayed in the trend viewer legend tool.
326 3BSE069489-602
Section 9 Trend Viewer Historical Mode in Trend Viewer
Historical Mode in Trend Viewer

To be able to show historical data in a trend viewer, the curves needs to be connected
to log items from a data logger.
To show trend viewer history, it is necessary to define trend actions to show and
close the historical trend viewer. These actions can for example be programmed as
button click actions. It is also possible to let the user select a time period.
Major ticks settings for time axis will be ignored in historical trend viewers. In
historical trend viewers the date and time will be viewed at start and end time. The
text “history” is visible in the middle of the time axis.
3BSE069489-602 327
Historical Mode in Trend Viewer Section 9 Trend Viewer
Related information
Database
328 3BSE069489-602
Section 10 Data Logger
Data can be logged and saved in the Panel Builder database.

Any number of tags can be connected to a data logger, and data values irrespective
of type can be logged. A project can have multiple data loggers with different
sampling alternatives.
When installing Panel Builder, a Database Viewer is automatically installed and
available from Windows Start menu. The Database Viewer makes it possible to open
the database file and inspect logged data, and to export the file to Excel.
Logged data can also be viewed in the trend viewer object by selecting a LogItem
for a curve in the Edit Curves dialog.
If Panel 800 Runtime is restarted at some point during the data logging, an additional
empty row is added in the Data Logger table in order to clearly visualize the
interruption in the Trend Viewer.
Logging of data consumes system resources and memory. To save memory, it
is preferable that all LogItems that should be logged with the same sampling
intervals are placed in the same data logger.
Any individual data logger database can be exported in csv format using the
Database Export action. It is recommended to use the database export method
rather than the backup method.
3BSE069489-602 329
Adding a Data Logger Section 10 Data Logger
Related information
Database
Database Export
Adding a Trend Viewer Object
Data Logging Strategies

Logging of data can be made at time intervals or based on changed tag values.
Logging of data can be made either by collecting all samples at every log event, or
by collecting only changed values. Collecting only changed values saves memory
and improves performance.
Logging Based on Time Interval

To collect data that changes frequently, logging data based on time interval is
recommended.
Logging Based on Changed Tag Value

To control sampling of data by other means than regular time interval, you have
to set up a separate tag to be used as a trigger. When the value of the trigger tag
changes the log item is logged.
Adding a Data Logger

A data logger can be added to the project from the Insert ribbon tab. The data logger
configuration pages are used to set up which values to log.
330 3BSE069489-602
Section 10 Data Logger Adding a Data Logger
Name Symbolic name for the logged tag
Tag Tag to log
Expression See section Expressions
Clicking the Settings button accesses the Data Logger settings.
3BSE069489-602 331
Related information
General Settings
Actions
General Settings
Table name The name of the data logger table. This name is the
same as the data logger name.
Log with interval To collect data that changes frequently, use the Log with
interval of option, and define time interval in seconds.
Minimum interval is 1 second.
Log on tag event To control sampling of data by other means than regular
time interval, select the Log on tag event option, and
select the tag to use as trigger. Data will be sampled
when the tag value changes.
Log changes only By logging changes only saves memory. The option Log
changes only can be combined with either the “Log
with interval of” or the “Log on object event” option.
Data will only be logged if the value differs from the last
logged value.
Max number of logged The maximum number of tag values to save in the
rows database. When the number of collected items becomes
larger than the set value, the oldest item will be
overwritten. The value must be within the size of the
available amount of memory in the operator panel in
runtime.
Related information
Database
332 3BSE069489-602
Section 10 Data Logger Adding a Data Logger
Actions
Event Description
Log item Value When a value of an particular log item has changed
changed
Log values updated When any log value is updated
3BSE069489-602 333
334 3BSE069489-602
Section 11 Scheduler
A scheduler is used to control tags in relation to the real-time clock. This function
is used to control events in the process, for example starting and stopping motors,
at specific predefined calendar times.
Scheduler Set Up
The scheduler configuration pages are used to set up scheduler jobs, which can
include a set of tags with associated start and stop times.
Adding a Scheduler
A scheduler can be added to the project from the Insert ribbon tab.
The scheduler configuration page will open in the desktop when a scheduler function
is created or selected.
Name A symbolic name for the scheduled event.
Period Set to Once (default) or to a regular interval (every
minute, hour, day, week, month or year).
Start Date/Start Time The date and time for the first scheduled event.
3BSE069489-602 335
Scheduler Set Up Section 11 Scheduler
Duration The length of the event.
Tag A digital tag, which is set to 1 during the specified interval.
Stop Time Enable When checked, Stop Date and Stop Time, instead of
Duration, can be used to determine the end of the event.
Stop Date/Stop Time The end date and time of the event. Also resets the
defined Tag to 0. Used when Stop Time Enable is
checked.
Action Click the button to configure an action to be performed
when the scheduled event is activated/deactivated.
Make sure not to use the same trigger tag for two different schedulers. When the
first scheduler is finished, its trigger tag is reset, and the second scheduler will
not be triggered.
336 3BSE069489-602
Section 12 Reports
The report generator allows generating Excel reports based on an Microsoft Excel
made report template.
The generated report can be output to a printer or saved as an Excel file.
Reports Template Set up

The tag data to be displayed in the report file are set up in the template file using
“placeholders”.
The placeholders acts as substitute for the actual tag data that is to be inserted when
the report is generated in Panel 800 Runtime.
To add a placeholder, enter the following text inside a cell in the Excel report
template:
<#Tag(TagName)>
Replace “TagName” with the actual name of the tag to be displayed.
When the template file is complete it needs to be added to the Panel Builder project.
The tag placeholders can only be used in the cells of the Excel template file, they
can not be used in, for example, Microsoft Excel WordArt texts.
Limitations
• Microsoft Excel xlsx format is not supported by the report generator.
• Reports containing charts and pictures can not be printed from a panel target.
• The report generation is not an instant process. It may elapse a shorter period
of time between the first sampled tag and the last sampled tag, depending on
the number of tags to process.
3BSE069489-602 337
Reports Template Set up Section 12 Reports
Database Driven Reports

To be able to create database driven reports, the report template must be prepared as
described in these instructions:
Configuration Sheet
The configuration sheet is a repository where configurations on the Microsoft Excel
report template can be made. This sheet will not be visible in the generated report.
1. Create a new worksheet in the report template. Name the sheet <#Config>.
2. Row 10, and all rows below, in column A and B can be used to configure the
SQL queries. Enter the SQL query in column B. Use the corresponding cell
in column A to enter a name for the query. The name will be used to refer
to the query in the report template.
Enter the SQL queries in the following format:

SQL(DatabaseName; SQL query)
Example: SQL(General; SELECT * FROM DataLogger1)
There are two available databases: General and AuditTrail.
Present the Database Data in the Report

The data retrieved from the SQL database, using the queries in the configuration
sheet, can be presented in the report using “named ranges” in Microsoft Excel.
A named range is created in Microsoft Excel by following these steps:
1. Select the cells to be included in a named range.
2. Click the Define name command from the Insert menu. (In Excel 2007, go
to the Formulas tab and choose Name Manager).
3. Enter a name for the range. The name must be entered in the following format:
“__QueryName__”.
Replace “QueryName” with the name that you have chosen for your SQL query.
To present the data in the report, enter the following syntax into the cells included in
the named range:
338 3BSE069489-602
Section 12 Reports Adding a Report
<#QueryName.DatabaseColumnName>
Replace the “DatabaseColumnName” entry with the actual name of the table in the
SQL database that you wish to present in the report.
It is possible to use the named range cells in Microsoft Excel charts and functions.
To be able to use the named range in functions, an empty row must be inserted
under the named range cells. This empty row must also be included in the
function.
Related information
Adding a Report
Reports Set Up
The reports configuration page are available from the Insert ribbon tab.
Related information
Insert Ribbon Tab
Adding a Report
Add a Microsoft Excel report template by pressing Add in the reports configuration
page. In the appearing Add report dialog, type in or browse to the location of the
Excel template file.
If any changes are made to a report template after it has been uploaded to the project,
the template has to be uploaded again.
The template files being added to the project must have unique file names.
3BSE069489-602 339
Adding a Report Section 12 Reports
Name A symbolic name for the report.
File name The name of the Microsoft Excel report template.
The Show Selection/Show All button can be used to set up a filter of displayed items.
Related information
Filtering Items
Configuration Pages
Action Groups
340 3BSE069489-602
Section 13 Recipe Management
Recipes make it possible for a set of tags to be saved in the operator panel to
be downloaded at later time. The operator can download a saved recipe to the
controller, which will start working with the new values. Recipe libraries consisting
of recipes with different sets of parameters can be created, allowing reuse of large
sets of parameters.
Recipes can be created during the design of the project or from the operator panel.
Recipe data is stored in the operator panel database. Recipe handling functions such
as loading, storing, copying and deleting recipes are handled with actions.
Related information
Database
Actions Ribbon Tab
Recipe Setup
Recipes consist of a set of recipe tags and of recipe data (values).
Adding a Recipe Manager

The recipe function is added to the project from the Insert ribbon tab. The recipe
configuration pages are used to manage tag sets and values via the Tag Configuration
tab and the Runtime Data tab.
Tag Configuration Tab

First add tags to be used by the recipe function from the tags configuration page.
Then define a set of recipe items on the Tag Configuration tab of the Recipe
function, and connect them to the tags you defined. The data type is already set in
the configuration of the tags.
3BSE069489-602 341
Recipe Setup Section 13 Recipe Management
Runtime Data Tab

The actual recipes are created under the Runtime Data tab. Give the recipe a title,
and type a value for each recipe item. A recipe can include a maximum of 256 items.
The recipe name has to be an alphanumeric string, beginning with a letter. Name
strings can contain letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9), and underscore (‘_’) characters.
Some system device names such as COM1 and AUX are invalid.
342 3BSE069489-602
Section 13 Recipe Management Recipes in the Panel 800 Version 6
Related information
Invalid Names
Recipes in the Panel 800 Version 6

Some recipe actions can be performed by the operator in runtime.
Loading Recipes
Recipes can be transferred to the controller using a Load recipe action when the
operator panel is running. This means that the recipe values are transferred to the
controller. A list of available recipes is displayed when the Load recipe action is
activated. Select a recipe in the list and press [Enter] to make the controller run with
the downloaded values.
Saving Recipes
The Save recipe action can be used when the operator panel is running. Tags defined
on the Tag Configuration tab are included in the recipe. Corresponding tag values
are stored in the selected recipe file when Save recipe is performed. It is possible to
define an explicit recipe, that will be overwritten if it already exists when performing
the Save Recipe action.
3BSE069489-602 343
Recipes in the Panel 800 Version 6 Section 13 Recipe Management
Creating Recipes in the Panel 800 Version 6

The Save recipe action is also used to create recipes in runtime. Instead of defining an
explicit recipe to overwrite, the recipe data field is left open. In this case, the operator
will be prompted to save the recipe with any name, or to overwrite an existing recipe.
Editing Recipes Offline

It is possible to edit existing recipes in the panel without transferring values to the
controller, by setting the recipe tags in offline mode. Recipe tags in offline mode
will not receive any data from the controller, and no values will be written to the
controller.
In offline mode, the Load recipe and Save recipe actions will not affect values in
the controller.
Internal tags may be used for recipes, but will not be affected by offline mode.
Actions are used to start and end offline mode:
Action Description
Start offline recipe Sets the tags in the specified recipe in offline mode. A
editing notification message is shown.
End offline recipe Sets the tags in the specified recipe in online mode, and
editing the tags are updated from the controller.
A notification message is displayed during offline mode.
344 3BSE069489-602
Section 13 Recipe Management Recipe Export
Example
1. Click Recipe on the Insert ribbon tab.
The Recipe configuration page opens in the desktop area.
2. Add recipe tags on the Tag Configuration tab of the Recipe configuration page
and connect them to controller tags.
3. Add a recipe on the Runtime Data tab.

4. Create a screen with four buttons.
5. Connect two of the buttons to the Load Recipe and Save Recipe actions. Select
the recipe title from the Runtime Data tab for Recipe Data.
6. Connect the other two buttons to the Start offline recipe editing and End
offline recipe editing actions.
7. Run the project and test the functionality:

a. Click Start offline recipe editing.
The tags are set in offline mode.
b. Click Start offline recipe editing.
The tags are filled with data from the recipe.
c. Change the data.
d. Click Save recipe.
The data in the tags is written to the recipe.
e. Click End offline recipe editing.
The tags are set in online mode and the values are updated with data
from the controller.
Recipe Export
A recipe can be exported as a .csv file and saved to a USB stick, an external memory
card or to the project files folder. The export is configured through the “Export
Recipe” action available from the Recipe action group.
3BSE069489-602 345
Recipe Export Section 13 Recipe Management
Recipe export is not supported during project simulation.
Recipe Export from an operator panel Target
It is possible to select export to USB, export to external memory card or export

to the Project Files folder, and also setting another name of the export file.
It is also possible to select the requested delimiter in the .csv file (comma or
semicolon).
346 3BSE069489-602
Section 13 Recipe Management Recipe Export
Recipe Export from a PC Target
It is possible to select Browse and Select an export path, Export to Path or the
Export to Project Files folder, and also setting another name of the export file.
The Browse and Select an export path option allows browsing for desired export
destination in runtime. This may be useful if available folders in runtime are
unknown when designing the project.
Select the Export to Path option when you want to set the path when designing the
project. If the pre-defined path is not valid in runtime, the operator may browse the
PC environment by clicking a browse button.
semicolon).
3BSE069489-602 347
Recipe Import Section 13 Recipe Management
Recipe Import
A recipe that previously has been exported as a .csv file, can be imported back into
recipe database. The import is configured through the “Import Recipe” action
available from the Recipe Action group.
Recipe import is not supported during project simulation.
348 3BSE069489-602
Section 13 Recipe Management Recipe Import
Recipe Import to an Panel 800 Version 6 Target
It is possible to import the csv file using the Import from USB, Import from
external memory card or the Import from Project Files folder selections and
also setting the name of the import file.
semicolon).
It can be selected whether to ignore the new data or replace the old data, if the recipe
data already exists.
3BSE069489-602 349
Recipe Import Section 13 Recipe Management
Recipe Import to a PC Target
It is possible to select Browse and Select a path for import file, Import from path
or Import from Project Files folder, and also setting the name of the import file.
The Browse and Select a path for import file option allows browsing for desired
import destination in runtime. This may be useful if available folders in runtime are
Select the Import from path option when you want to set the path when designing
the project.
semicolon).
It can be selected whether to ignore the new data or replace the old data, if the
recipes already exists.
350 3BSE069489-602
Section 14 Function Keys
Function keys can be configured to run actions or to run scripts.
Definitions
A standard PC keyboard has 12 function keys, F1 - F12.
A function key can be configured to affect only a particular screen or to be global.
Global function keys behave identically for all screens. A global definition can
always be accessed when the operator panel is running, provided that the current
screen does not have a screen definition for that function key. Screen function
keys have higher priority than global function keys. Function keys included in
background screens have lower priority than screen function keys, but higher priority
than global function keys.
The Function keys function is pre-defined in the Project Explorer when a keyboard
panel is selected as target, for configuration of the function keys of the selected
panel. For touch panel and PC targets, the Function keys function is added via the
Insert ribbon tab, and allows configuration of up to 24 function keys (even if the
connected keyboard does not support more than 12 function keys).
When converting a keyboard panel project to a touch panel or PC project, the
function keys will still be included in the project. When converting a touch panel
or PC project to a keyboard panel project, you will need to add the function keys
from the Insert ribbon tab.
Related information
Security Management
Keyboard Operated Panels

The keys of a keyboard operated panel is numbered according to below:
3BSE069489-602 351
Definitions Section 14 Function Keys
The number of function keys differ between different panel models, but the
numbering method is the same: The numbering starts from top downwards on the
left side, continues from top downwards on the right side, and finishes from left to
right at the bottom row.
The keyboard operated panels also include function keys with pre-defined functions,
such as Prev, Next and Home. These are used to navigate between screens in the
running project. When dialogs are opened, the Prev and Next keys are used to
navigate between objects in the dialog.
Special functionality for the pre-defined function keys is also used for the Alarm
Viewer object in runtime.
352 3BSE069489-602
Section 14 Function Keys Definitions
Alpha-Numeric Keys
The alpha-numeric keys are used for entering text and values with the operator
panel. When pressing shortly, the numeric value (0 - 9), minus sign (-), or decimal
point / dot (.), is selected.
When pressing and holding the key for a preset key repeat time, it will change
to toggling between the characters (upper case and lower case letters or special
characters) of the key. In this mode, pressing shortly will change selection. The
character is selected when the preset key delay timeout has elapsed.
The preset time limits for the alpha-numeric keys can be changed in the Keys menu
under the System tab in the ribbon group.
Key repeat time sets the time for which the key has to be pressed and held down
in order to change mode from numeric selection to character selection. If set to
zero, the key repeat function is deactivated and the keypad can only be used for
entering numbers.
3BSE069489-602 353
Definitions Section 14 Function Keys
Key delay timeout sets the time limit in milliseconds for the character selection.
When the time has elapsed the selection is confirmed and the cursor moves to the
next position.
In the Keys menu, it is also possible to set color and width (in pixels) of the runtime
cursor.
Special Characters Key
The “2” key gives the possibility to add up to eight user-defined characters in order
to adapt the keypanel to e.g. language specific needs. This configuration is entered
under Special characters in the Keys menu. It is possible to have a separate special
character setup for each project.
Unicode can not be used as special characters.
Shortcut Keys
The shortcut keys enable quick navigation between screens and objects in the project.
PREV Previous screen Returns to the previous screen

or goes to the previous object in
a dialog.
HOME Home / Start-up screen Goes to the start-up screen for
the project.
354 3BSE069489-602
Section 14 Function Keys Definitions
NEXT Next screen Goes to the next screen or to

the next object in a dialog.
ALARM Alarm screen Opens the user-defined alarm
screen.
ACK Acknowledge alarm Confirms the selected alarm.
The shortcut key for the alarm screen is configured in the Settings dialog under the
Project tab. Click on Alarm Button in the list and select the appropriate screen
under Show Screen.
Navigation Keys
3BSE069489-602 355
Configuring Function Keys Section 14 Function Keys
The navigation keys are used for moving the cursor between objects, and for editing
text and values.
In runtime some of the keys can also be used as a means of navigation in the Alarm
Viewer object if this is included in the current screen.
1 Up Moves the cursor to the position or object above.

2 Right Moves the cursor to the position or object to the right.
In runtime: Displays the Alarm Viewer buttons if the
cursor is placed in the Alarm Viewer.
3 Down Moves the cursor to the position or object below.
4 Left Moves the cursor to the position or object to the left.
In runtime: Displays the alarm list if the cursor is placed
in the Alarm Viewer.
5 Backspace Deletes characters to the left of the cursor.
In runtime: Exits the Alarm Viewer.
6 Enter Confirms the selection.
Enters text or values.
In runtime: Enters the Alarm Viewer.
Related information
Alarm Viewer in Keyboard Operated Panels
Configuring Function Keys

Function keys can be configured to run actions or to run scripts.
Function Key Actions

To define function key actions:
1. Click on Function Keys in the Project Explorer to open the function keys
configuration page.
2. Select Global or Screen.
356 3BSE069489-602
Section 14 Function Keys Configuring Function Keys
3. Select the function key to be defined.
4. Click on the button next to the action to display the actions editor. Define the
action to be performed when the function key is pressed or released.
3BSE069489-602 357
5. In the column Security groups required it is possible to specify security group

accessibility for the function key.
Multiple actions can be configured for a function key.

It is only possible to activate two tags connected to function keys at the same time.
This means that if more than two function keys are pressed at the same time, only
the first two will be activated.
Should further function key actions be needed in addition to those available for the
panel in question, this could be solved by adding buttons or other objects on screen,
connecting these to the desired actions.
For a keypanel, the function is carried out by navigating to the object and pressing
Enter.
The function keys will be disabled if the backlight of the panel is disabled.
Related information
Function Key Action Triggers
Multiple Actions
Function Key Scripts

To define a script for a function key:
1. Click on Function Keys in the Project Explorer to open the function keys
configuration page.
358 3BSE069489-602
Section 14 Function Keys Configuring Function Keys
2. Select the function key to be defined.
3. Select script view mode by clicking Script in the lower part of the desktop area.
4. Click on the desired button node. Double-click on the KeyDown node. Edit the
script code to be performed.
Example:
The following C# code sets up function key F12 to perform an acknowledge of
all alarms:
Related information
Script
Momentary Function
In order to configure a function key with a momentary function, you need to combine
a Set Tag action for Key Down with a Reset Tag action for Key Up.
3BSE069489-602 359
Change of Screen During Momentary Execution

There are a few special cases to be aware of when, during execution of the momentary
function, another screen is opened that contains settings for the function key in use.
Then, dependent on the Function Key Context settings, Global or Screen (local),
there will be different outcomes:
• Case 1: A local function key is pressed.
A change to another screen occurs.
Result: The up action for the local key is executed. No new down or up actions
are executed on the second screen as long as the key is pressed.
• Case 2: A global function key is pressed.
A change to another screen occurs, in which there is no local setting for the same
key.
Result: Nothing happens at screen change. The up action for the global key
is executed when the key is released.
• Case 3: A global function key is pressed.
A change to another screen occurs, in which there is a local setting for the same
key.
Result: The up action for the global key is executed. No new down or up actions
are executed on the second screen as long as the key is pressed.
A Screen (local) function key command has priority over a Global function key
command.
360 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management
An alarm is used to call attention to an event that requires 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.
Alarm notification can be made in the following ways:
Alarm Indicator
Alarm Viewer
Distribution via SMS, e-mail or printer via the Alarm Distributor
The alarm server database can be exported in csv format using the Database Export
action.
Related information
Database Export
Alarm Conditions
Alarms can assume the following conditions:
Alarm condition Description

Active The alarm condition is met, and the alarm is not
acknowledged
Inactive The alarm has returned to normal condition, but has not
been acknowledged
3BSE069489-602 361
Alarm Server Section 15 Alarm Management
Alarm condition Description

Acknowledged The alarm condition is still met, but the alarm is
acknowledged
Normal The alarm has returned to normal condition and has
been acknowledged
Alarm Server
The alarm server function is predefined in the Project Explorer. Clicking on it opens
the alarm server configuration pages in the desktop.
General alarm server properties are available by clicking the Settings button.
The Properties window is divided into General, Alarm Distribution and Actions.
362 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Server
General Settings
Settings
Some alarm server functions are based on changed tag values:
Alarm function Description

Remote acknowledge Performs remote acknowledge of all current alarms when
the tag value is 1
Clear alarms Removes all alarms from the alarm server when the tag
value is 1
Enable/disable alarms Enables the alarm server when the tag value is 1
Show Alarm Indicator

Select for which alarm statuses the alarm indicator is to be displayed.
3BSE069489-602 363
Log Settings
Max Number of The maximum number of alarms to save in the database.
Logged Rows If the number of collected items becomes larger than the
set value, the oldest item will be deleted. The value must
be within the size of the available amount of memory in
the operator panel in runtime.
Repeat Counter
To avoid that an alarm that is triggered repeatedly results in multiple entries in the
alarm list, Repeat Count can be used. The current alarm will then only appear once
in the alarm list, and number of times the alarm is triggered will be included in the
alarm text. For display in the Alarm Viewer and for logging, select whether to show
the time of the first or last occurrence of the alarm.
Alarm Server Events and Actions

Actions can be configured for the entire alarm server. One or multiple actions can be
configured when a particular alarm server event occurs.
Select Actions in the Alarm Server properties page to configure actions for the
alarm server.
Actions for the following alarm server events can be configured:
Alarm Acknowledge
The specified actions will be triggered once for every alarm that is acknowledged.
Alarm Active
The specified actions will be triggered once for every alarm that becomes active.
Alarm Deleted
The specified actions will be triggered once when the Clear button in the alarm
viewer is pressed, if at least one alarm is deleted.
364 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Server
Alarm Event Info Requested

The specified actions for the selected alarm will be triggered when the Info button
in the alarm viewer is pressed.
The actions will be applied for the individual alarm first. If no action is specified for
the alarm, the actions will be applied for the group. If no action is specified for the
group, the actions will be applied for the alarm server.
Alarm Inactive
The specified actions will be triggered once for each alarm, for which the alarm
condition is no longer met.
Alarm Normal
The specified actions will be triggered once for each acknowledged alarm, for which
the alarm condition is no longer met.
Alarms Changed
This event is intended primarily for scripting, in order to avoid performance loss that
may occur when many alarms change status at once. Alarms Changed includes
status changes based on Alarm Acknowledge, Alarm Active, Alarm Normal and
Alarm Inactive, but not Alarm Deleted.
The specified actions will be triggered once when the status of several alarms change
at one occasion. A collection of alarms is returned.
Alarms Deleted
This event is intended primarily for scripting, in order to avoid performance loss that
may occur when many alarms are deleted at once, by pressing the Clear button in
the alarm viewer.
The specified actions will be triggered once when a number of alarms are deleted at
one occasion. A collection of alarms is returned.
Any Acknowledged
The specified actions will be triggered based on alarm logic: when the alarm server
toggles between containing acknowledged alarms or not.
3BSE069489-602 365
Any Active
toggles between containing active alarms or not.
Any Inactive
toggles between containing inactive alarms or not.
Alarm Distribution Settings

To enable sending alarms to printer, or via SMS or e-mail, the Alarm Distributor
is used. In addition to the settings below, the Enable Distribution option for the
alarm groups or alarm items also has to be checked.
Internal/External Selection of internal or external alarm distributor
IP Number Server The IP address of the external alarm distributor
Queue Length The number of alarms to be kept in queue for the external
alarm distributor. When the queue is full, no more alarms
will be added to the queue.
Port Number The port number of the external alarm distributor
366 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Indicator
Related information
Alarm Distributor
Alarm Groups
Alarm Items
Alarm Indicator
As long as there are active alarms in the alarm server, the alarm indicator notify
window will be displayed, regardless of which screen is active. The color shows
the current alarm status, and can be configured for each of the alarm groups. The
indicator starts in the upper left corner of the screen in runtime, but can be moved to
any position on the monitor in runtime.
The appearance of the alarm indicator depends on the current alarm status. It will
show the most severe status of the alarms in the list. The Alarm Indicator disappears
when all alarms have been acknowledged, and all alarms have returned to inactive
status.
Select General settings in alarm server properties page to decide for which alarm
statuses to show the alarm indicator.
Default alarm
Alarm condition Description indication
Active The alarm condition is met, and the alarm Flashing red
is not acknowledged
Inactive The alarm has returned to normal condition, Flashing green
but has not been acknowledged
Acknowledged The alarm condition is met, and the alarm Flashing green
is acknowledged
Normal The alarm has returned to normal condition, -
and has been acknowledged
Related information
General Settings
3BSE069489-602 367
Alarm Items Section 15 Alarm Management
Alarm Items
Alarm items are added from the Alarm Items tab of the alarm server configuration
pages.
Click Add to define a new alarm.
Name Symbolic name for the alarm item that will show in an
alarm viewer.
Text An optional alarm text that will be shown in the alarm
viewer. Parts of the text can be made dynamic by clicking
...
Tag The tag (digital or analog), which generates the alarm
when it assumes the specified status.
Expression See section Expressions
Condition Equal to/Not equal to: The alarm is set when the value
of the tag is equal/not equal to the value specified in the
Trigger Value field.
Greater than/Less than: The alarm is set when the value
of the tag is greater/less than the value specified in the
Trigger Value field.
Equal to greater than/Equal to less than: The alarm is
set when the value of the tag is equal to or greater/less
than the value specified in the Trigger Value field.
Rising/Falling Edge: The alarm is set when the specified
tag goes to one/zero.
368 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Items
Trigger Value Numeric value to trigger alarm with when:
<tag value> <condition> <trigger value> = true.
History Specifies when the alarm is to be removed from the alarm
list. Checking this box means that the alarm will remain
in the list until the list is full. Leaving it unchecked means
that the alarm will be removed from the list when it is
acknowledged and no longer active. If Acknowledge
Required is not checked, the alarm will be removed from
the list as soon as it is no longer active.
Acknowledge Indicates whether the alarm is to be acknowledged or
Required not. Checking the box means that the alarm must be
acknowledged, leaving it unchecked means that the
alarm returns to normal directly when the alarm status
becomes inactive.
Remote Acknowledge A digital tag that acknowledges all the alarm when set to 1
Remote Ack See section Expressions
Expression
Enable Distribution Enables distribution of the alarm via printer/SMS/e-mail.
Only available if alarm distribution is enabled for the alarm
server. If the Enable Distribution option for the alarm
group is checked, distribution of individual alarms in the
group are automatically enabled.
Repeat Count To avoid that an alarm that is triggered repeatedly results
in multiple entries in the alarm list, Repeat Count can be
used. The current alarm will then only appear once in the
alarm list, and the number of times the alarm is triggered
will be included in the alarm text. It is also possible to
show a Count column in the Alarm Viewer. The active
time can be shown either for the first time or for the last
time the alarm occurred.
Action Makes it possible to configure one or multiple actions
when a particular alarm event occurs for the current alarm.
3BSE069489-602 369
Alarm Groups Section 15 Alarm Management
An alarm condition is triggered by a fixed value. The trigger value defined for
an analog alarm tag cannot be controlled from a register. It is not supported
to trigger alarms on intervals.
Related information
Exporting and Importing Alarm Items

Alarm items can be exported and imported using the Import/Export button in the
Alarms configuration page. The procedure is similar to exporting and importing tags.
Related information
Tag Import Example
Alarm Groups
Alarms can be divided into groups, for example to indicate the priority of the alarms.
One alarm group is defined by default.
Color attributes can be individually set for each alarm group. Alarms can be sorted
by group in the alarm viewer.
Defining Alarm Groups

Alarm groups are added from the Alarm Groups tab of the alarm server
configuration pages.
370 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Actions and Events for Alarm Items and Alarm Groups
Name An optional name for the alarm group.
Text An optional text for the alarm group.
Colors Select foreground and background color for each alarm
status
Remote A digital tag that acknowledges all the alarms in the group
Acknowledge when set to 1
Remote Ack See section Expressions
Expression
Enable Distribution Enables distribution of the alarms in the group via
printer/SMS/e-mail. Only available if alarm distribution is
enabled for the alarm server.
Action Makes it possible to configure one or multiple actions when
a particular alarm event occurs for the current alarm group.
The Alarm Filter will revert to the default settings if the Alarm Group is
renamed.
Related information

Actions can be configured for individual alarms or for alarm groups. One or multiple
actions can be configured when a particular alarm event occurs for the current
alarm or alarm group.
3BSE069489-602 371
Actions and Events for Alarm Items and Alarm Groups Section 15 Alarm Management
Actions for individual alarms are configured from the Action column for the alarm
on the Alarm Items tab.
Actions for alarm groups are configured from the Action column for the alarm
group on the Alarm Groups tab.
Actions and Events

Actions for the following alarm events and alarm group events can be configured:
Alarm Acknowledge
The specified actions will be triggered when the selected alarm/an alarm in the
selected alarm group is acknowledged.
Alarm Active
The specified actions will be triggered when the selected alarm/an alarm in the
selected alarm group becomes active.

The specified actions will be triggered when the Info button in the alarm viewer is
pressed.
These actions will be applied for the individual alarm first. If no action is specified
for the alarm, the actions will be applied for the group. If no action is specified for
the group, the actions will be applied for the alarm server.
Alarm Inactive
The specified actions will be triggered when the alarm/an alarm in the selected
alarm group becomes inactive.
Example
The following picture shows two actions configured for when the current alarm goes
active, and another action for when the operator presses the Info button in runtime.
372 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Remote Alarm Server
Remote Alarm Server

The alarm server in the Panel Builder project can operate as a stand-alone alarm
server, processing alarms and showing these in the alarm viewer and alarm indicator.
Alternatively, the alarm server can distribute alarms to clients. Each alarm server can
function as alarm server and/or alarm client. The remote alarm server functionality
is set up via properties.
Remote Alarm Server Limitations

Most functions work exactly the same regardless if a local or remote alarm server
is used, but there are a few limitations:
• In projects where multiple languages are used, switching language in the alarm
server results in using the current language for all new alarm texts. Alarms
distributed before the language was switched in the server will remain in the
previous language in the client.
• Pressing the Info button in the alarm viewer in runtime will not result in any
actions for a remote alarm, unless the same project is used for the server and the
client. The script event AlarmInfoRequested can be used instead.
3BSE069489-602 373
Remote Alarm Server Section 15 Alarm Management
• Unless the same project is used for the server and the client, filtering (pressing
the Filter button in the alarm viewer) can only be made in runtime for remote
alarms, since the remote server may include e.g. alarm groups that are different
from the project in which the alarm viewer was configured.
Remote Alarm Server Properties

The following properties, located in the Server Mode group under the Settings
button, need to be set up for the remote alarm server:
Property Description
Maximum number The number of events to distribute to the clients. The
of alarm events to number of distributed alarms affects performance.
distribute
Server Mode The alarm server can assume the following modes:
Disabled: The alarm server is disabled and no alarms are
processed
Local: The alarm server processes alarms of its own.
Remote: Alarms are distributed to remote clients.
Both: The alarm server processes alarms of its own and
also distributes them to remote clients
Server Port Any available port. The port needs to correspond to the port
setting for the remote alarm client.
Remote Alarm Client

The properties for the remote alarm client are set by adding the Alarm Distributor
Viewer object, found in the Objects group under the Home tab.
374 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Distributor
The settings are done in the Property Grid under Extended.
Property Description
Server address The IP address of the remote alarm server.
Server port Any available port. The port needs to correspond to the
port setting for the remote alarm server.
Alarm Distributor
The Alarm Distributor makes it possible to send alarm notification via printer, SMS
or e-mail. The function can be enabled internally in a project, or in another operator
panel that acts as a server towards several connected clients. Regardless of acting
as server or client, distributed alarms are saved temporarily in the local project
3BSE069489-602 375
Alarm Distributor Section 15 Alarm Management
database to ensure that information is not lost in case of e.g. interrupted power. After
receiving alarms from a client, the server will send a confirmation to the client. The
alarms will then be removed from the client’s database.
Alarm Distribution Roles
Using Internal Alarm Distribution Server Functions (Acting as Client and

Server)
The following actions are required for using distributed alarm functions in the
current project:
Action Component Location

Activating distribution of Alarm Distribution Insert ribbon tab
alarms in the project Server
Enabling internal distribution Alarm Server Settings button/Alarm
of alarms Distribution properties
Enabling distribution of Alarm Server Alarm Groups or Alarm
alarm groups or individual Items tab
alarms
Configuration of alarm Alarm Distribution Receivers, Alarm Filter
distribution routes Server and Scheduler tabs
Configuration of alarm Alarm Distribution Configure Distribution
distribution devices Server Devices button (e-mail,
printer and/or SMS)
Using External Alarm Distribution Server Functions (Acting as Client)

The following actions are required for using distributed alarm functions in another
operator panel/PC project:
376 3BSE069489-602

Enabling external Alarm Server Settings button/Alarm
distribution of alarms Distribution properties
Enabling distribution of Alarm Server Alarm Groups or Alarm
alarm groups or individual Items tab
alarms
Collecting Alarms for Distribution (Acting as Server)

The following actions are required for using distributed alarm functions in another
operator panel/PC project:

Configuration of alarm Alarm Distribution Receivers, Alarm Filter
distribution routes Server and Scheduler tabs
Configuration of alarm Alarm Distribution Configure Distribution
distribution devices Server Devices button (e-mail,
TCP server, printer and/or
SMS)
Adding an Alarm Distributor

The Alarm Distributor can be added to the project from the Insert ribbon tab. The
configuration pages are opened in the desktop area.
Route
A route defines a number of filtering rules for distribution of alarms. Multiple routes
makes it possible to send different kinds of notifications to various receivers.
3BSE069489-602 377
Receivers Tab
The receivers of distributed alarms for each route are set up on the Receivers tab.
Address Book
Click on the Address Book button to enter names, e-mail addresses and/or phone
numbers of the persons that are to be available for selection for distributed alarm
messages.
378 3BSE069489-602
The Show Selection/Show All button can be used to set up a filter of displayed items.
The contents of the address book can be exported as a .csv file, and then be imported
again after modification using the Import/Export button.
Related information
Filtering Items
Receiver Selection
Click on the Receiver Selection button to set up receivers of each alarm distribution
route; via e-mail, SMS and/or printer.
The selected receivers are displayed under Parallel Receivers.
3BSE069489-602 379
Alarm Filter Tab

Filtering of each alarm distribution route can be configured on the Alarm Filter
tab. The filtering operates using “and” logic, i.e. the alarm will only be distributed
if all conditions are fulfilled. An empty string does not generate a filter condition
(acts as a “wild card”).
380 3BSE069489-602
Alarm Name The alarm item to distribute.
Alarm Group The alarm group of which alarm items are to be
distributed.
Alarm Text All alarms including this text will be distributed.
Alarm Status(es) to Selection of alarm to be distributed, based on alarm
distribute status. At least one status must be selected.
Scheduler Tab
Scheduling of each alarm distribution route can be configured on the Scheduler tab.
Only alarms that occur between the start and stop times will be distributed.
Period Select daily or weekly alarm distribution
Day Select weekday, if Weekly was selected for Period
Start Time/Stop Time Select start and stop time of the alarm distribution
Name The name is automatically filled in based on start and
stop time, and cannot be edited
3BSE069489-602 381
Configure Distribution Devices

Click the Configure Distribution Devices button to set up the different devices.
Related information
Modifying Alarm Distribution Settings in Runtime
Alarm Variables
Variables collected from the alarm server definitions can be included in distributed
alarm information. Variables are enclosed by curly brackets; for example “Alarm
text: {3}”. The following variables can be used:
Num-
ber Variable Description
0 State The current state of the alarm
1 StateTime The time the alarm entered the current state
2 AlarmId A unique alarm ID
3 AlarmText Alarm item text
4 AlarmItemDisplay- Alarm item name
Name
5 Count The number of times the alarm has occurred
6 ActiveTime The time the alarm became active
7 InactiveTime The time the alarm became inactive
8 NormalTime The time the alarm became normal
9 AcknowledgeTime The time the alarm was acknowledged
382 3BSE069489-602
E-mail Device
From Name The name of the sender of the e-mail
From E-mail Address The e-mail address of the sender of the e-mail
SMTP Server Name/IP The name or IP address of the SMTP server for sending
e-mail
Port The port number of the e-mail server
Code Page The code page consists of a table of values that describes
the character set for a particular language. The default
code page in Panel Builder is 65001 (UTF-8).
Authentication Mode Select None or Authenticated Login
3BSE069489-602 383
User Name/Password User name and password if Authenticated Login was
selected
Retry Sending Number of retries if the e-mail cannot be delivered
Time Interval Number of seconds between retries
Subject The e-mail subject; Alarm Variables can be used
Body The e-mail body; Alarm Variables can be used
Printer Device
Buffer settings Set up the printers buffer settings
Text Font Size The font size of the text to be printed
Body The body of the printout; Alarm Variables can be used
Related information
384 3BSE069489-602
SMS Device
To be able to send alarms via SMS, you have to purchase an SMS Gateway Service.
Basic URL for web The URL configuration string according to the SMS
SMS Gateway Service supplier that must include two variables:
{0} for telephone number and {1} for SMS body
Retry Sending Number of retries if the SMS cannot be delivered
Time Interval Number of seconds between retries
Body The SMS body; Alarm Variables can be used
TCP Server
Define the TCP server port. This must correspond to the port defined for the Alarm
Distribution settings for the alarm server.
3BSE069489-602 385
Alarm Viewer Section 15 Alarm Management
Alarm Distributor Viewer

The Alarm Distributor Viewer is a debug tool, used for test and verification of the
alarm distribution setup.
Clicking the Settings button in runtime makes it possible to edit the address book
and make settings for alarm distribution.
Related information
Alarm Viewer
The alarm viewer can be used to show more detailed alarm information than the
alarm indicator. Alarms presented in the Alarm Viewer presents alarm texts from
the alarm server. The alarm list shows the latest alarms. It is arranged in alarm
group order.
The default design of the alarm viewer depends on the size of the selected operator
panel target, in order to allow full visibility and usability of the alarm viewer in the
smaller operator panels.
Settings such as font and button width are available in the Property grid.
The colors of the Alarm Viewer object can be set from the Property grid. The colors
of the different alarm statuses are set in the Alarm Server settings.
If millisecond resolution is needed for the alarm timestamps, then this can be
activated using Show Milliseconds in the General tab in the Ribbon or under
Extended in the Property grid.
Some of the color effects require that Vista Style is activated under Extended
in the property grid (default setting).
386 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Viewer
Settings for the alarm viewer are available from the General ribbon tab while the
object is selected:
Buttons Group
Position Controls to which of the borders the buttons will line up
Acknowledge Acknowledges currently selected alarms in the alarm
Selected viewer
Acknowledge All General acknowledge of all current alarms in the alarm
viewer
Clear Removes all alarms in the viewer
Filter(1) Allows filtering of alarms in the viewer
Info Performs the action set by Alarm Event Info Requested
Play/Pause Starts and pauses the alarm viewer
Enable Context Menu Show alarm viewer commands in context menu in runtime
Display Settings Group

Configure Columns Selection and configuration of columns to display in run-
time
Filter Settings(1) Filtering of alarm statuses to display in runtime
3BSE069489-602 387
Alarm Management in Runtime Section 15 Alarm Management
Max Number of Rows The maximum number of alarms to display. If the number
of alarms does not fit in the object in runtime, scroll bars
will be made available. If the number of alarms exceeds
the maximum number, the oldest item will be deleted.
Show Column Shows/hides the alarm viewers column headers
Headers
Show Summary Shows status information in the bottom of the alarm viewer
Alarm Viewer Commands

In addition to using the alarm viewer buttons, the same functions are available
using actions.
Related information
Script
Property Grid
Alarm Management in Runtime

Alarm notification can be made in the following ways:
Alarm Indicator
Alarm Viewer
Distribution via SMS, e-mail or printer via the Alarm Distributor
Alarm Acknowledgement
An alarm can be acknowledged in the following ways:
• right-clicking on the alarm line and selecting Acknowledge
• selecting the alarm line and pressing on the Acknowledge Selected button
• pressing the Acknowledge All button to acknowledge all current alarms
• script actions
388 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Management in Runtime
Inactive alarms that have been acknowledged can be removed from the list by
pressing the Clear button.
Sorting
Pressing on the column heading in runtime will sort the alarm list by that column.
This will pause the alarm viewer.
Filtering
Pressing the Filter button in the alarm viewer opens a dialog that allows the user to
enter a filtering profile to control which alarms to display in the alarm list.
Filtering can be made based on any combination of the following conditions:
• Alarm group: The first column in the filter window shows the alarm group name.
Check the Enable box to show alarms from the group.
• Alarm status: Displays alarms with the status corresponding to the checked
status values.
The Alarm Filter will revert to the default settings if the Alarm Group is
renamed.
Play/Pause Button
The alarm viewer window can be paused from being updated with incoming alarms
using the Play/Pause button. This allows the operator to inspect and sort the list
without interference from any incoming alarms. The list will also pause when an
alarm is selected.
The alarm list will start updating again when
• the Play button is pressed
• the operator changes screen and returns to the same screen (or goes to another
screen showing the alarm viewer)
• after a 5 minute time-out
3BSE069489-602 389
Info Button
Pressing the Info button in the alarm viewer will trigger the action specified in the
Alarm Event Info Requested group on the Actions tab, when an item in the alarm
server is selected.
Any action in the list can be selected.
This action will be applied for the individual alarm first. If no action is specified for
the alarm, the action will be applied for the group. If no action is specified for the
group, the action will be applied for the alarm server.
Related information
Alarm Groups
Alarm Conditions
Alarm Viewer in Keyboard Operated Panels

Some of the built-in arrow keys and special keys (such as ACK and Enter) in the
keyboard operated panels have special functions in runtime when the Alarm Viewer
object is included in the current screen.
Key Description
Enter Pressing Enter when the cursor is outside of the Alarm
Viewer moves the cursor inside the Alarm Viewer.
Backspace Pressing Backspace when the cursor is inside the Alarm
Viewer moves the cursor to outside of the Alarm Viewer.
390 3BSE069489-602
Section 15 Alarm Management Alarm Management in Runtime
Key Description
ACK Pressing ACK when the cursor is outside of or inside the
Alarm Viewer acknowledges all alarms.
Left arrow Pressing the Left arrow when the cursor is inside the
Alarm Viewer puts focus on the alarm list.
Right arrow Pressing the Right arrow when the cursor is inside the
Alarm Viewer puts focus on the Alarm Viewer buttons.
Related information
Keyboard Operated Panels

It is possible to configure actions, or to use the Alarm Distribution Viewer to modify
the address book and alarm distribution settings in runtime.
If the Alarm Distribution Viewer or alarm distribution actions are used in runtime,
it is possible that alarm distribution settings have been modified. Next time you
download a project to the operator panel, you will get a notification, and selection
to overwrite panel settings or not.
Related information
Address Book Action Groups
Output Devices Action Groups
3BSE069489-602 391
392 3BSE069489-602
Section 16 Security Management
Using security groups and passwords in the operator panel makes it possible to
create a security system for the project. Operators can easily be assigned different
authorizations in the project to restrict access to objects and functions. Security
group information and passwords are stored in the project database.
It is not necessary to use this function if unrestricted access is acceptable. The
security function is a predefined component of the Project Explorer.
General Security Settings

General settings for the security function are available by clicking on Security in the
Project Explorer, selecting the Users tab and clicking the Settings button.
3BSE069489-602 393
General Security Settings Section 16 Security Management
Select action on When a users’s access rights are not sufficient to e.g. modify
access denied an object or carry out an action, it is possible to display an
access denied message or opening a login dialog. Selecting
None performs no action.
Select visibility When a user with insufficient access rights tries to affect an
object, it is possible to specify visibility for those objects:
Disabled: Only users with sufficient access rights can affect
the object. The object is visible, but disabled, for users with
insufficient access rights.
Hidden: Only users with sufficient access rights can see
the object. The object is invisible for users with insufficient
access rights
Normal: Only users with sufficient access rights can affect
the object. The object looks normal for users with insufficient
access rights
Automatic logout Checking the box makes it possible to log out users
automatically after a certain number of minutes of inactivity.
After an automatic logout is executed, a screen jump to the
start screen will be performed.
The automatic logout will not be carried out if a communication error (COM
error) is active in the panel. After removing the communication error from
the panel, the automatic logout will be performed within the specified time,
calculated from when the communication was reestablished.
Password Rules Properties

Allows setting a minimum number of characters for passwords.
Related information
Logging In and Logging Out
394 3BSE069489-602
Section 16 Security Management Security Groups
Security Groups
Security groups are defined on the Groups tab of the security configuration page.
When objects and screens have been set up with restricted access, the current user
must belong to a specific security group in order to control or see the object or screen.
Creating Security Groups

A new security group in a project is defined by clicking on Security in the Project
Explorer, selecting the Groups tab and clicking Add.
Name Any alphanumeric string, beginning with a letter (a-z, A-Z)
Users Selection of users defined on the Users tab to be
included in the group
Users Invisible in When the box is checked, the users in the current group
Runtime will not be available for selection from the Login dialog in
runtime. It will still be possible to type in the user name
and password to login.
operator panel targets only: In order to enable the
possibility to manually enter a user name and password,
it is necessary to click the “Login” header on the Login
3BSE069489-602 395
Users Section 16 Security Management
dialog in runtime. Doing so and then clicking on the
User—field will present the user with a keyboard on
which a user name can be entered.
Users
Users and passwords for login are defined on the Users tab of the security
configuration page.
Name Any alphanumeric string, beginning with a letter (a-z, A-Z)
Password Any alphanumeric string; minimum length according to
Password Rules properties. The password is converted
to asterisks as you leave the password input cell.
Description An optional description of the user
Groups Selection of security groups for the user
It is also possible to add users and change passwords directly in a running project,
using the Show Users Dialog action.
396 3BSE069489-602
Section 16 Security Management Users
For keyboard operated panels it is recommended to use numeric passwords.
Logging In and Logging Out

The login dialog can be displayed in runtime by, for example, clicking a button,
for which the Login action has been specified. It is possible to change password
from the login dialog.
The login dialog lists all users that have been configured for the current project,
except for users in groups for which Users Invisible in Runtime was selected.
It is also possible to configure a general behavior that brings up the login dialog any
time a user tries to affect an object that is not within the current user’s access rights.
This behavior is configured from the Properties window for the Security function,
and selecting ShowLoginDialog for action on access denied.
The Logout action is used to perform a logout.
Users may also be logged out automatically after a certain number of minutes of
inactivity by configuring Automatic logout in the Properties window for the
Security function.
After logging out, the function Show Previous Screen for function keys and
touch keys will be ignored. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized
persons from accessing screens protected by passwords.
Related information
General Security Settings
Actions Ribbon Tab
3BSE069489-602 397
Object Security and Visibility Section 16 Security Management
Object Security and Visibility

Object access can be restricted to a certain security group. Each security group
contains a set of users and each user has an individual password. To be able to
control an object with a security setting, the user must belong to the defined security
group, and has to login.
Object security is controlled by selecting the object, and then opening the
Tag/Security group of the Home or General ribbon tabs.
When no security is set for an object, the object will be available to everyone, i.e.
login will not be requested.
It is not possible to set security on function keys.
The visibility and behavior settings specified in the security manager will be used
when a security group is set but no explicit visibility is specified. The following
options can be set:
Visibility Description
Default The object looks normal and is visible for anyone.
Disabled Only users in the selected security groups can affect the
object. The object is visible but disabled and greyed out,
for users with insufficient access rights.
Hidden Only users in the selected security groups can see the
object. The object is invisible for users with insufficient
access rights.
Normal Only users in the selected security groups can affect the
object. The object looks normal for users with insufficient
access rights.
Related information
Tag/Security Group
Screen Security
398 3BSE069489-602
Section 17 Language Management
Panel Builder supports multilingual applications. Translation of texts and system

texts can be performed directly in the application, or via export to a text file to be
translated in other software. The file is imported to the application after translation.
The application language can be changed in runtime, for example based on a tag
value.
Setting Up Multiple Languages

The multiple languages function is included in the application by default and is
located in the Functions folder in the Project Explorer.
The multiple languages configuration pages consist of the Texts, System Texts and
Languages tabs.
Adding Languages
1. Click on the Multiple Languages function to open its configuration pages.
2. Select the Languages tab.
3. Add languages by selecting them from the drop-down list.
3BSE069489-602 399
Setting Up Multiple Languages Section 17 Language Management
The Use in Runtime setting makes the language available in runtime. Under
Keyboard Layout, it is possible to select different layouts for the virtual keyboard,
used for alphanumerical input in runtime.
Each added language is assigned an index number. Index number 0 is reserved for
the default language (the language that the application was first created in).
The Add and Delete buttons can be used to add and delete languages.
The Settings button allows connecting the language to a tag. This makes it possible
to change the project language based on a changed value.
Use the Show Selection/Show All button if you want to filter the languages in the
current view.
Related information
Virtual Keyboard
Filtering Items
400 3BSE069489-602
Section 17 Language Management System Texts
System Texts
System texts belong to functions (e.g. alarm server or security), to the system (e.g.
time zone) and to objects (e.g. buttons or sliders), excluding text that the developer
has entered.
Select the System Texts tab in the Multiple Languages configuration pages to edit
system texts.
Several preinstalled translations of the system texts are available for selection:
• English
• German
• French
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Chinese, traditional
• Chinese, simplified
3BSE069489-602 401
System Texts Section 17 Language Management
Use the Show Selection/Show All button if you want to filter the current view.
The Import/Export button can be used to export a system language to a text file for
translation, and then import the language after translation.
Regional expressions for time, date, and weekdays are by default equal to the
settings in the system account, but can to some extent be changed in the Date,
Time and Region Group under the System Ribbon tab.
Related information
Filtering Items
Exporting Languages
Importing Languages
402 3BSE069489-602
Section 17 Language Management Text ID
User Texts
Texts that have been added to objects by the developer are available from the Texts
tab in the Multiple Languages configuration pages. The texts in the default language
can be edited as well.
When an object is connected to a text in the Text library, the object’s internal
denomination (that is not displayed in runtime) will be presented in grey color in
the Texts list, to indicate that editing the text will not affect the runtime project.
Related information
Filtering Items
Exporting Languages
Importing Languages
Text Library
Text ID
The Text ID function is available from the Text IDs tab on the Multiple Languages
configuration page.
To enable the Text ID function, check the “Text IDs enabled” checkbox on the
Text IDs tab.
3BSE069489-602 403
Text ID Section 17 Language Management
The Text IDs tab consist of the following columns: Text ID, Default Text and one
column for each language. The text in the column Default Text corresponds to the
default language used in Panel Builder.
Clicking Add adds a row with a Text ID that is equal to the highest existing Text
ID plus 1.
Related information
Screen Group
Filtering Items
Exporting Languages
Importing Languages
Text ID Browser
If the Text ID function is enabled, all text box controls in Panel Builder, including
texts used in Panel 800 Runtime, will be replaced with the Text ID browser control.
The Text IDs are accessed from a popup list by clicking the combo box arrow next
to the Text ID browser control.
404 3BSE069489-602
The Text ID browser consists of two tabs, one for using Text ID and one for using
Dynamic Text ID.
• If the requested Text ID text is known in Panel Builder, the Text ID tab should
be used.
• If the requested Text ID text is to be decided dynamically in runtime, then the
Dynamic Text ID tab should be used.
Text ID
The popup list consist of the following columns: Text ID, Default Text and one
column for each language. Right-clicking the column header opens up a context
menu that lists all available columns. The context menu offers a possibility to
configure which columns to be displayed in the popup list.
Add Adds a row with a Text ID that equals to the highest
existing Text ID plus 1
Reset Removes the Text ID connection and the text falls back
to the previously unconnected text
3BSE069489-602 405
Text ID Section 17 Language Management
OK Connects the object text to the selected Text ID
Cancel Closes the popup list. No changes are made.
When an object is connected to a Text ID, the displayed text in the Text ID browser
control will be presented in the following manner:
“Text ID – Text”
Text corresponds to the default language used in Panel Builder.
When opening the popup list, the text field acts as a filter for the popup list.
The object itself will only show the corresponding text, without Text ID, which
is disabled for editing.
When the language in Panel Builder or in Panel 800 Runtime is changed, a text
connected to a Text ID will be updated to the corresponding text entered in the
Text IDs tab.
Dynamic Text ID
The Dynamic Text ID tab consist of two tabs — Tags and Aliases — and acts
as a normal tag/alias selector.
406 3BSE069489-602
In addition, it is also possible for the graphical components to set a Default Value
Used in Design Mode. This value will be displayed in the object in designtime, but
not be used in runtime.
Add Adds a tag/alias
Reset Removes the Dynamic Text ID connection and the text
falls back to the previously unconnected text
OK Connects the object text to the selected tag/alias
Cancel Closes the popup list. No changes are made.
When an object is connected to a tag, the displayed text in the Text ID browser
control will be presented as “TagName”, where TagName is the name of the tag.
When an object is connected to an alias, the displayed text in the Text ID browser
control will be presented as “#AliasName”, where AliasName is the name of the
alias.
3BSE069489-602 407
Automatic Translation Section 17 Language Management
When configured, the tag value in runtime represents the key (Text ID) to the Text
ID table. The displayed text is the corresponding translation for current language
for the given key (Text ID). If the tag value is not found as a key in the Text ID
table, an empty text is displayed.
Automatic Translation
Panel Builder includes a translation tool that uses Microsoft Bing Translator to offer
quick translations of user-defined or system texts free of charge.
Automatic translations provide limited functionality; especially combination of
words or words with synonyms may be returned as incorrect translations.
The translation tool is available by clicking Translate on the Texts or System Texts
tabs of the Multiple Languages configuration pages. Each language is translated
separately.
Translation Provider Select translation provider among available providers.
Microsoft Bing Translator is the only translation provider
in Panel Builder.
Reference Language Select reference language; i.e. the language in which the
project was created.
408 3BSE069489-602
Section 17 Language Management Exporting Languages
Only translate items Unchecking the box replaces also already translated
that have not yet been items in the project.
translated
Translate from Selection of source language for the translation operation;
the default language (reference language) or one of the
languages that have been added to the project.
Translate to Selection of target language for the translation operation.
Since the translation tool accesses online translation providers, the translation
operation may sometimes be paused or delayed due to an excess of online users.
Exporting Languages
Languages can be exported to a text file for e.g. translation.
1. Select Export from the Import/Export button.
2. Specify format, location, delimiter (for text file format) and language selection,
and click OK.
3BSE069489-602 409
Importing Languages Section 17 Language Management
Format Select format of the exported file; text file or Excel file.
Path Browse to the location for the exported file
Delimiter If Text file format was selected, select delimiter from the
drop-down list; comma, semicolon, space or tab
Languages Select which languages to export
The exported file will also include the default language.

After having exported user/system texts with national characters to be edited in
Excel, 65001: Unicode (UTF8) format has to be selected in the Excel import
dialog. Otherwise, national characters will turn out corrupt in Excel.
Importing Languages
After translation or other editing, the updated language file can be imported to the
project again.
1. Select Import from the Import/Export button.
2. Specify location and language selection, and click OK.
410 3BSE069489-602
Section 17 Language Management Importing Languages
Format Select format of the file to import; text file or Excel file.
Path Browse to the location of the file to import
Languages Select which languages to import
Import Strategy Selecting Key performs the import according to the
Designer and Object columns in the multiple languages
configuration page. Reference Text performs the import
according to the Text column. If you have changed
the texts of the default language after exporting the
languages, it is recommended to select Key.
The imported file will also include the default language.

Make sure to make a backup copy of the project before importing languages, in
case there are mismatches between the existing and the imported languages.
3BSE069489-602 411
Hebrew Language Section 17 Language Management
Hebrew Language
Hebrew is written from right to left, opposite to the way most modern languages
are written.
Panel Builder does not support Hebrew keyboards. However for PC applications
there is a solution to this. It is suggested that you write your text entries using a
Hebrew font in an external text editor that supports Hebrew keyboards, then copy the
text entry into your Panel Builder project.
The Arial Unicode is an example of a font that supports the Hebrew language.
412 3BSE069489-602
Section 18 Audit Trail
The Audit Trail function makes it possible to track operator actions.

The Audit Trail database can be exported in csv format using the Database Export
action. It is recommended to use the database export method rather than the backup
method.
Related information
Database Export
Logging Strategies
To meet FDA (Food and Drug Administration) demands, it is possible to log actions
in a strict manner. FDA logging implies that no log entries will ever be overwritten.
If the size of the audit trail database is close to being exceeded (approximately 80%
of the limit), a notification window will be displayed, where the user is warned, and
demanded to export the data. Alternatively, the size of the Audit Trail database can
be increased. If the limit of the database is exceeded, the logging is terminated
and the operator panel will be blocked for any further operator actions. This is
indicated by an error message.
With circular buffering, the oldest log entry is overwritten when the database is full.
No warning message is displayed when reaching the limit of the database.
The database can be exported using an action, regardless of logging strategy. The log
entries are saved in the Audit Trail database, and the information can be displayed
using the Audit Trail Viewer.
Using the Audit Trail Function

The function is enabled by selecting Audit Trail from the Insert ribbon tab. The
configuration page opens in the desktop area. All actions available for logging are
3BSE069489-602 413
Using the Audit Trail Function Section 18 Audit Trail
listed. It is possible to log all or only some actions. It is also possible to log tag
changes only (without logging actions).
Log All/Log None Click the buttons to quickly select all or no actions from
the list
Logging strategy Select FDA or Cyclic Buffering
Max size of database The maximum size of the Audit Trail database
Value change on tags, performed by user actions, can be logged by selecting Log to
Audit Trail in the tags configuration page. This option is enabled only if the audit
trail function is activated in the project.
Related information
Others in Adding Tags section
414 3BSE069489-602
Section 18 Audit Trail Audit Trail Viewer
Audit Trail Description

It is possible to add a description for each object that is logged to the Audit Trail
database using the Property Grid.
The description will be saved to the Description column of the Audit Trail database,
and is limited to 255 characters.
Audit Trail Viewer

The Audit Trail Viewer is selected from the Objects group on the Home ribbon tab.
It displays the information from the Audit Trail database.
Selecting Configure Columns on the General tab when the Audit Trail Viewer
object is selected makes it possible to choose and configure columns to display in
runtime.
3BSE069489-602 415
Audit Trail Export Section 18 Audit Trail
Audit Trail Export

An audit trail database can be exported as a .csv file and saved to a USB stick, an
external memory card or to the project files folder. The export is configured through
the Database Export action available from the Database action group.
The export will not delete the audit trail log from the project.
Related information
Action Groups
Audit Trail Export from an Panel 800 Version 6 Target
It is possible to select export to USB, export to external memory card or export

to the Project Files folder, and also setting another name of the export file.
416 3BSE069489-602
Section 18 Audit Trail Audit Trail Export
semicolon).
Audit Trail Export from a PC Target
It is possible to select Browse and Select an export path, Export to Path or the
Export to Project Files folder, and also setting another name of the export file.
The Browse and Select an export path option allows browsing for desired export
semicolon).
3BSE069489-602 417
Audit Trail Export Section 18 Audit Trail
418 3BSE069489-602
Section 19 Text Library
to texts. The text library function can be used for presentation of each sequence
step in sequence control. Another possible application is to present error codes,
where an analog signal generates error codes connected to texts in a text library.
The function can also be used to give analog values specific values, depending on
the selected texts.
The text library function is activated by selecting it from the Insert ribbon tab.
Texts and groups can be added from the Add button.

It is also possible to add start and end values for each message, that makes the text in
the connected object change depending on the value of the tag.
3BSE069489-602 419
Connecting Objects to Text Library Texts Section 19 Text Library
The Start Value and End Value can only be given as integers. This could result
in problems updating the text when the input value is entered with decimals,
especially if the input value jumps in and out of the given range. If this is the
case, use the Configure Text function instead. This is available under the
General tab when the object is selected.
A default text that has been entered in Configure Text will not be presented
outside a range that has been defined in the Text Library. In this case, use
Configure Text to define all text presentations for the object.
Related information
HMI Controls
Connecting Objects to Text Library Texts

Perform the following steps to connect an object to a text library text:
1. Select the object on the screen.
2. Click on General on the Dynamics tab.
3. Select the Text property, and select Text Library Group Converter.
4. Browse to the tag and select the text library group.
The object will now present the texts from the text library instead of the value.
420 3BSE069489-602
Section 19 Text Library Exporting and Importing Text Library Texts
Exporting and Importing Text Library Texts

The texts in the text library can be exported and imported using the Import/Export
button in the Text library configuration page. The procedure is similar to exporting
and importing tags.
Related information
Tag Import Example
3BSE069489-602 421
Exporting and Importing Text Library Texts Section 19 Text Library
422 3BSE069489-602
Section 20 Database Export
Some databases in the project can be exported as a .csv file to a USB stick, an
external memory card or to the project files folder. The following databases are
available for csv export: alarm server, audit trail, data logger and trend viewer.
Database export is not supported during project simulation.
Setting up Database Export

The export is triggered via an action, Database Export, in the Database group.
Figure 21. Individual database tables may be selected for export by clicking the +
sign.
The default properties for the database export is exporting the database to the project
files folder with the name as given in the project.
To facilitate exporting multiple databases at once, configuring multiple actions
is recommended.
Clicking the ... button next to the selected database opens a dialog from which the
default database export properties may be altered.
3BSE069489-602 423
Setting up Database Export Section 20 Database Export
Database Export from operator panel Target
It is possible to select export to USB stick or external memory card, and also setting
another name of the export file. Leaving the Overwrite box unchecked adds date
and time to the export file name, thus avoiding overwriting an existing export file.
Database Export from PC Target
It is possible to set another name of the export file. Leaving the Overwrite box
unchecked adds date and time to the export file name, thus avoiding overwriting
an existing export file.
The Browse and Select an Export Path option allows browsing for desired export
424 3BSE069489-602
Section 20 Database Export Setting up Database Export
Related information
Actions Ribbon Tab
Simulate
Multiple Actions
3BSE069489-602 425
Setting up Database Export Section 20 Database Export
426 3BSE069489-602
Section 21 Panel 800 Version 6
System Software
In the operator panel, Panel 800 Runtime comes pre-loaded on delivery.

Panel 800 Runtime can be replaced, that is, updated to a newer version, either via PC
or via external memory card.
An Image Loader is used to download system programs to the operator panel via a
PC. The Image Loader is available on the installation DVD.
The Image Loader requires that .NET Framework 2.0 is installed on the PC.
When updating an operator panel, it is important to ensure that power is not

interrupted during the transfer.
It is not recommended to downgrade the system software to a previous version.
Welcome Screen
When the operator panel is started, the welcome screen is displayed. The following
items about the operator panel are listed:
• Size of internal memory card, if applicable
• IP address
• Image version
If there is a project in the panel, it will be loaded automatically.
If there is no project in the panel, touching the screen will display the Service menu.
Related information
Service Menu
3BSE069489-602 427
Service Menu Section 21 Panel 800 Version 6 System Software
Service Menu
The service menu for the operator panel can be accessed before a project is
downloaded.
Service Menu in an Empty Panel

When no project is loaded in the panel memory, the panel will boot, displaying the
Welcome screen.
• Press anywhere on the panel display to enter the service menu.
For a keyboard operated panel, press Enter and the Service menu will open.
Service Menu in PP87x/PP88x Panels

Perform the following steps to enter the service menu:
1. Apply power to the panel.
2. When the hourglass appears, press a finger on the screen and hold for
approximately 20 seconds.
3. If the service menu is password protected, you will be prompted for a pin
code. Enter pin code.
4. The touch calibration screen will display the following message:
“Tap anywhere on screen or touch calibrate will start in 10 seconds.”
5. Press finger once again to enter the service menu.
To access the Service menu with a keyboard operated panel, press and hold the
Home key as soon as the hourglass appears at start-up. Keep pressing the key until
the Service menu is opened (about 20 seconds).
Service Menu Options
IP Settings
Select to obtain an IP address automatically via DHCP, or specify an IP address. The
IP address can also be set during project transfer.
For panels with two Ethernet ports, select port according to the illustration below.
428 3BSE069489-602
Section 21 Panel 800 Version 6 System Software Service Menu
The port that is currently connected is recognized by a *.
Date/Time
Use the Date/Time Settings dialog to set the time zone, date and time for the panel.
Erase Project
The erase function will detect if the project is located in the panel memory or on a
memory card. Pressing Erase Project will completely remove the project and all its
components from the panel memory/the memory card.
Copy Project
Selecting Copy Project will copy a project from a connected memory card to the
panel memory.
If there is already a stored project in the target panel, the copy command will result
in a dialog asking if a backup of the existing project should be saved on the memory
card.
If IP settings are stored in the memory card, a dialog will appear, asking if the IP
settings should be applied to the target panel. It is necessary to reboot the panel for
the IP address to be updated.
The copy function can also be used to copy a project from a USB memory, however
without the possibility to transfer IP settings.
Touch Calibrate
Select Touch Calibrate if the touch screen needs to be calibrated. Follow the
instructions on the screen to perform a calibration.
3BSE069489-602 429
Panel 800 Version 6 Upgrade Section 21 Panel 800 Version 6 System Software
Close
Press Close to exit the service menu.

The operator panel can be upgraded using the Image Loader application.
Requirements
Updating of the operator panel system program requires the following:
• A PC with Image Loader application.
• An Ethernet connection between the PC and the operator panel.
• The operator panel IP address.
• The image file from the DVD.
Transfer Image
1. Double-click on the executable Image Loader file to start the transfer program.
2. Follow the instructions.
Transfer procedure in PP87x panels

The image transfer procedure is completely menu-driven. The operator panel will
be ready for transfer directly afterwards, provided that all steps are performed and
completed.
The following steps outline the transfer procedure:
1. Disconnect the power supply from the panel.
2. Press a finger on the screen and apply power

3. Start the Image loader software on the computer, and follow the instructions
on screen.
430 3BSE069489-602
Section 21 Panel 800 Version 6 System Software Panel 800 Version 6 Upgrade
4. Select the operator panel to upgrade by entering its IP address.
5. Click Upgrade.
6. When the upgrade is finished, disconnect power from the operator panel.
7. Reconnect power to the operator panel.
8. Once the system files have been updated, a project can be downloaded to the
operator panel.
To enter the update mode with a keyboard operated panel, press simultaneously the
Enter and Backspace keys at power-on.
Transfer procedure in PP88x panels

The image transfer procedure is completely menu-driven. The operator panel will
be ready for transfer directly afterwards, provided that all steps are performed and
completed.
The PP88x panels can be updated either by using a USB flash drive, or using the
Ethernet connection to transfer the files.
Transfer procedure using a USB flash drive

1. Start the Image loader software on the computer.
2. Plug an empty USB flash drive into the computer running the Image loader
software.
3. Select the USB flash drive in the Image loader software.
4. Click Create.
5. Disconnect power from the operator panel

6. Plug the USB flash drive into the operator panel.
3BSE069489-602 431
Panel 800 Version 6 Upgrade Section 21 Panel 800 Version 6 System Software
8. Once the system files have been updated, any existing project in the panel
will be started.
Transfer procedure using the Ethernet connection

1. Start the Image loader software on the computer.
2. Select the operator panel to upgrade by entering its IP address.
3. Click Update. Any project running in the panel will be stopped, and the update
sequence will begin.
4. When the upgrade is finished, disconnect power from the operator panel.
6. Once the system files have been updated, any existing project in the panel
will be started.
432 3BSE069489-602
Section 22 Multiple Controllers
It is possible to use multiple drivers with one operator panel. This means that the
operator panel can communicate with different controllers simultaneously. The
controllers can be connected to the serial ports on the operator panel and via the
Ethernet port.
If the same tag is connected to addresses in more than one active controller, there
is no way to control from which controller the value is read in runtime.
Adding a Controller
Click on Tags in the Project Explorer, select the Controller tab and click Add to
add a new controller in the current project, and select which controller model and
driver that is to be used.
Tags are added and controller is selected on the Tags tab.
3BSE069489-602 433
Adding a Controller Section 22 Multiple Controllers
Related information
Adding a Controller
Addressing
Addressing of the tags in the controllers is carried out according to the help file
for each driver.
When assigning a tag to an object, all tags, regardless of controller connection, are
available for selection.
434 3BSE069489-602
Section 22 Multiple Controllers Adding a Controller
Examples
The following examples show configurations where multiple drivers are used in
the operator panel.
Figure 22. The operator panel communicating with one controller and one frequency
converter.
3BSE069489-602 435
Adding a Controller Section 22 Multiple Controllers
Figure 23. The operator panel communicating in series with one controller via
Ethernet and with controllers of another make.
Figure 24. The operator panel communicating with two controllers of different
makes via Ethernet.
436 3BSE069489-602
Section 23 Troubleshooting
This section describes tools to use in case of unexpected behavior in Panel Builder.
Project Build Failure

If project build fails, check that the absolute path to the project, including its
components, does not exceed 260 characters.
Backup Project Issues

Make sure that project that is fetched using the Backup command is identical to the
current Panel Builder project; i.e. has the same name and is of the same size.
Related information
Upload Database
Invalid Names
If using system device names when naming objects such as controllers, screens,
recipe managers, data loggers and script modules, an error message will be
displayed, stating that this is an invalid name. Examples of system device names:
AUX, COM1, CON, LPT3, NUL, PRN.
Related information
Name Group
3BSE069489-602 437
Performance Issue Related to Graphics Card Section 23 Troubleshooting
Adobe Reader not Recognized

In order for the PDF Viewer object to recognize that Adobe Reader is installed in the
engineering PC as well as in the target, the setting Display PDF in browser has to
be enabled in Adobe Reader.
1. Open Adobe Reader and select Edit/Preferences/Internet.
2. Check the Display PDF in browser box.
Expression Cannot Be Found

If an error indicating that an expression cannot be found is generated at project
validation, make sure that objects inserted from the Component library uses global
expressions only.
Related information
Using Expressions
Performance Issue Related to Graphics Card

When designing Panel Builder projects, the CPU load may suddenly increase when
performing actions such as moving objects on the screen or hovering over buttons,
depending on which graphics card is used.
This problem may be solved by adjusting the hardware acceleration of the graphics
card.
In Windows XP, follow the steps below to make needed adjustments:
1. Double-click on the Display icon in the Windows control panel.
2. Select the Settings tab and click on the Advanced button.
3. Select the Troubleshoot tab and decrease or turn off the hardware acceleration
by dragging the slider.
Should you experience problems with the graphic rendering, make sure the latest
graphical driver is used. If the latest graphical driver is used and rendering issues
still occur, upgrade to a better graphics card.
438 3BSE069489-602
Section 23 Troubleshooting Performance Issue When Navigating in Script Tree View
Related information
System Requirements and Limitations
Error Related to Third Party Controls

When opening a project including third party controls, the third party controls have
to be included in the Panel Builder third party control folder. Otherwise the project
may terminate, or unexpected error messages may be displayed.
When referencing third-party assemblies (.dll files), make sure not to place two
files with the same fully qualified assembly name in the same folder, otherwise
errors may occur.
Performance Issue When Navigating in Script Tree View

If you are working with a large Panel Builder project, especially a project with many
tags and alarms, you may find that navigating the script tree view is slow.
The performance can be improved by saving the project.
Related information
Script
3BSE069489-602 439
Contact us
www.abb.com/compactproductsuite 3BSE069489-602
www.abb.com/controlsystems Copyright © 2012–2014 ABB. All rights reserved.

3BSE069489-602 - en Panel 800 Version 6 Panel Builder Programming and Installation 6.0-2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

3BSE069489-602 - en Panel 800 Version 6 Panel Builder Programming and Installation 6.0-2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

3BSE069489-602 - en Panel 800 Version 6 Panel Builder Programming and Installation 6.0-2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Compact Product Suite

Panel 800 Version 6

Programming and Installation

Copyright © 2012–2014 ABB.

Release: October 2014

Section 1 - The Configuration Tool

Section 2 - Working with Projects

Section 3 - Development Environment

Creating a New Project ......................................................... 42

Object Browser ....................................................................... 102

Creating Aliases ................................................................. 148

Section 6 - Web Server

Circular Meter Object .......................................................... 199

Section 8 - Ribbon Tabs

Script Action ..................................................................... 320

Section 9 - Trend Viewer

Section 10 - Data Logger

Section 13 - Recipe Management

Recipe Export ......................................................................... 345

Section 14 - Function Keys

Section 15 - Alarm Management

Buttons Group ................................................................... 387

Section 16 - Security Management

Section 17 - Language Management

Section 18 - Audit Trail

Audit Trail Export .................................................................... 416

Section 19 - Text Library

Section 20 - Database Export

Section 21 - Panel 800 Version 6 System Software

Section 22 - Multiple Controllers

Performance Issue When Navigating in Script Tree View ...................... 439

Version Description User Documentation

Warning, Caution, Information, and Tip Icons

Electrical warning icon indicates the presence of a hazard which could

Warning icon indicates the presence of a hazard which could result in

Caution icon indicates important information or warning related to

System Requirements and Limitations

Graphics card Tier 2:

It is recommended to always install the latest .NET Framework update.

Panel 800 Runtime

Graphics card Tier 2:

Updating Panel 800 Runtime in an operator panel

Special Requirements for Some Objects

Object Minimum Simulation on Simulation on

Limitations for Keyboard Operated Panels

Limitations for keyboard operated panels

• A standard PC with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3, Microsoft Windows

Installation of Panel 800 Runtime

Moving Design Files

3. Paste the files in the new folder.

Moving Application Project

3. Paste it in the new folder.

Designing a Screen Set

Designing Additional Functions

Importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5 Project

2. Select a name and location for the imported project.

If there is a crash when importing an Panel Builder 800 Version 5

Keeping Tags in Consecutive Order

Driver x Analog signals Digital signals