Device Point Quality Support at Runtime

CIMPLICITY provides the capability for a user to take a device point that may or may not be currently available and put it in manual mode. The user can then set the point's value. This is particularly useful if a point is attached to equipment that is known to be malfunctioning and, as a result, creates a problem in other areas of the system. This indicator enables a user to separate the point from that equipment and set the point to a known good value that preserves the system's integrity.

Example

A temperature sensor that reports temperatures, which are acted upon by CIMPLICITY applications to initiate temperature control actions, fails.

To continue the high temperature setting, a user with Modify Manual Mode privilege places the point that reflects the errant sensor in manual override mode.

The user then sets a value that causes the application to cease the unnecessary temperature control procedures. This allows users who are knowledgeable of their CIMPLICITY application implementation to make emergency, temporary adjustments to their system's operation.

Consequently the application does not have to anticipate and provide for handling of all possible failures in its implementation.

Quality support for manual mode includes the storage of data values for points that are placed in manual mode. This means that when you stop a project, then restart it CIMPLICITY takes all the points that it finds in manual mode and restores them to their last known values. Retrieved point value types can include any one of the following values:

  • Set in manual mode
  • That came from the PLC and was not reset in manual mode
  • That is unavailable, if it was unavailable when the project stopped

CIMPLICITY allows access to manual mode wherever you can reference an attribute for a device point. Access includes:

  • Turning manual mode on and off in the CIMPLICITY Point Control Panel
  • Using available point quality attributes in:
    • Scripts
    • Expressions in CimEdit or Custom PTMAPI applications
Note: A point with manual mode enabled can be changed, regardless of the current value or state of an associated availability trigger or safety point.
Important: Manual mode is not supported on delay load points.