Lesson 3: Working with Analog Input Tags
Objectives:
• Add and configure an analog input tag; and
• Draw a graphic representation of an analog input tag.
Lesson 3 Overview
Communications have now been established between the I/O device for the system (the virtual Modicon PLC) and the VTS application, by the creation of an I/O device driver tag and a serial port tag.
It is now possible to begin adding the basic input and output tags that will be associated with the equipment in the physical system.
To review what you have read so far about the basic input/output tag types, there are two tag types to read incoming data of different types from the I/O device. These are the analog input and digital input tags. Similarly, there are two tag types to write outgoing data of different types to the I/O device: the analog output and digital output tags.
In this lesson, you will establish an analog input tag to read the incoming data from a piece of equipment in the system. This will represent and monitor the booster tank's level.
Just as if this were an actual physical system, the simulator will immediately begin to feed data to the analog input tag once it is correctly configured; therefore, the drawing method you use will immediately begin to visually display the value of the tag as reported by the booster tank to the virtual Modicon PLC.
Estimated Time
It is estimated that Lesson 3 will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
3.1 Adding an Analog Input Tag to
Represent the Booster Tank Level
3.2 Using the Color Fill
Drawing Method to Display the Value of the Analog Input
Tag