New Parameter or Tag dialog box parameters

Use the
New Parameter or Tag
 dialog to create program parameters or tags. The table describes the parameters in the dialog.
Parameter
Description
Name
Used to enter a name for the tag. If you are creating a new program parameter from a language editor, and the parameter is from another program, the tag name appears in the
Name
 box.
Description
Used to enter a description for the tag.
Usage
The Usage value for the tag or program parameter.
  • The usage value options are:
    Local Parameter
    ,
    Input Parameter
    ,
    Output Parameter
    ,
    InOut Parameter
    , <controller> for controller scope tags, or
    Publi
    c
    Parameter
    .
    Public Parameter
     is not a usage option for Add-On Instructions.
  • The default usage value is
    Local Parameter
    . Usage is unavailable for members of tags.
  • Only
    Input Parameter
    ,
    Output Parameter
    , and
    Public Parameter
     are referenced by a parameter from another program.
  • Only a Local tag can be an alias tag for an
    Input Parameter
    ,
    Output Parameter
    , and
    Public Parameter
     from another program.
Type
Used to select an
Alias
,
Base
,
Produced
, or
Consumed
 type tag. There are additional considerations for produced and consumed tags.
  • Keep the following considerations in mind for produced tags:
    • Choose
      Produced
       as the tag type if you want to make this tag available to remote controllers through controller-to-controller messaging. This parameter is unavailable when online; you must be offline to choose to produce a tag. This parameter is also unavailable for tags that cannot be used as producers.
    • You can include the connection status information with the produced tag in a standard controller. In order to do this, you must create a user defined type whose first member is a CONNECTION_STATUS type variable. Then, the remaining members in the user defined type contain the data to be produced.
    • You can only produce a tag with data types the size of DINTs (32 bits) or larger.
    • You cannot produce I/O tags in the form of <adapterName>:<slot>:<i/o/c>.
    • You must first create an alias to the I/O tag and then produce that alias (for example, you cannot produce MyAdapter:3:O, but you can produce alias, MyOutput, that points to MyAdapter:3:O). This reduces name length issues that result from consuming to the produced tag.
    • You cannot produce Motion, Axis, or Message tags, because no data object exists underneath them.
    • Click
      Connection
       to set the maximum number of consumers or connections allowed for this tag. The default number of consumers is 2.
    • If you are producing a Safety tag, these requirements are mandatory. You must create a user defined type whose first member is a CONNECTION_STATUS type variable. The remaining members in the user defined type contain the data to be produced. Then use the user defined type in the Data Type field (the Class field must be set to Safety).
There are several tag requirements for producing data.
  • Consumed Safety tags have the same requirements for the data type field as produced tags do.
Connection
Connection
 is available when you set
Type
to
Produced
or
Consumed
.
Connection
defines the consumed or produced tag.
IMPORTANT: Set up only one consumed tag to get data from the same producing tag in another controller. Setting up more than one consumed tag can result in unpredictable controller-to-controller behavior.
Alias For
Used to select the base tag and qualifier that the tag references. For an Add-On Instruction definition, only Input and Output tags can alias Local Tags; Local Tags and InOut tags cannot alias another tag. The controller must be offline before you can make changes to this box.
Data Type
Used to select the type of tag to create. Used the dots to open the
Select Data Type
 dialog, and select a data type.
These data types require additional configuration:
  • Message
  • AXIS_CONSUMED
  • AXIS_GENERIC
  • AXIS_GENERIC_DRIVE
  • AXIS_CIP_DRIVE
  • AXIS_VIRTUAL
  • AXIS_SERVO
  • AXIS_SERVO_DRIVE
  • Motion Group
  • CAM
    array
  • CAM PROFILE
     array
  • PID
For alias tags, this box is read-only as the data type of the alias tag is defined by the base tag.
These tags can only be used in controller scope and do not support arrays:
  • AXIS_CIP_DRIVE
  • AXIS_CONSUMED
  • AXIS_GENERIC
  • AXIS_GENERIC_DRIVE
  • AXIS_SERVO, AXIS_SERVO_DRIVE
  • AXIS_VIRTUAL
  • COORDINATE_SYSTEM
  • MESSAGE
    Tip:
     On
    CompactLogix
     5380,
    CompactLogix
     5480,
    ControlLogix
     5580,
    Compact GuardLogix
     5380, and
    GuardLogix
     5580 controllers
    , the
    MESSAGE
     data type can also be applied to Program Local tags and is not limited to the controller scope.
  • MOTION_GROUP
There are additional considerations for data types that are used with safety tags.
The following data types cannot be used when creating Safety tags:
AXIS_CONSUMED, AXIS_GENERIC, AXIS_GENERIC_DRIVE, AXIS_CIP_DRIVE, AXIS_SERVO, AXIS_SERVO_DRIVE, AXIS_VIRTUAL, MOTION_GROUP, MESSAGE, COORDINATE_SYSTEM, ALARM_ANALOG, ALARM_DIGITAL, and MODULE data types.
The software prevents the direct creation of invalid tags in a safety program. In the event that invalid tags are imported, they cannot be verified.
In Safety programs, the
Logix Designer
 application also prevents:
  • The creation of a Safety tag using a structured type (User-Defined, Add-On Defined, predefined) when they contain one or more members of type REAL. This limitation includes nested structures.
  • The modification of a User Defined or Add-On Defined type that would cause an invalid data type to be included when the User Defined or Add-On Defined type is already referenced directly or indirectly by a Safety tag. This limitation includes nested structures.
  • Invalid tags from being created using either the New Program Parameter or Tag dialog box or Tag Properties dialog box.
Parameter Connection
Used to select a single connection for the parameter.
If you need to make multiple connections, select the
Open Parameter Connections
check box. When you click
Create
, the
Configuration Connection
 dialog box opens and you can view and configure connections for the parameter.
Scope
Used to select the scope in which to create the tag. Select controller scope or one of the existing programs on the controller. If you are creating a new program parameter from a language editor, and the parameter is from another program, the program name appears in the
Scope
 box.
Class
Indicates whether the tag is a
Standard
 tag or a
Safety
 tag. This value appears for Safety applications only.
External Access
Used to select the access allowed to the tag from external applications such as HMIs. The available options include:
  • Read/Write
    ,
  • Read Only
    ,
  • None
     (no access)
OPC UA Access
Used to select the level of access that external OPC UA clients have to tags. The available options include:
  • Read/Write
    ,
  • Read Only
    ,
  • None
     (no access)
Style
The display format for this data type. Use these settings:
  • Binary
    ,
    Decimal
    ,
    Hex
    ,
    Octal
    ,
    ASCII
    , or
    Exponential
  • Date/Time
     - Displays the tag value as date and time with millisecond precision. Using this style, the displayed tag value example is:
    DT#2014-05-28-19:00:01.200_000 (UTC-05:00)
  • Date/Time (ns)
     - Displays the tag value as date and time with nanosecond precision. Using this style, the displayed tag value example is:
    LDT#2014-05-28-19:00:01.200_000_000 (UTC-05:00)
Constant
Select the
Constant
check box to prevent executing logic from writing values to the associated tag or parameter. If a logic routine tries to write to a constant tag, the routine will not verify. The
Constant
 check box is not available for all tag types.
Tip:
 You can use the
Data Monitor
 dialog box to write values to the parameter. The
Value
boxes in all other browsers and language editors are disabled when the tag is a Constant tag. Changes made to the values of constant tags are recorded in the Controller Log for future reference.
Sequencing
Enables the tag or parameter visible on the
FactoryTalk Batch
 server to be visible. Only tags and parameters on which
Usage
 is set to
Input
 or
Output
 can be used by a sequence.
Open Configuration
Enables a configuration wizard or dialog box to open after you select
Create
.
The
Open Configuration
 check box is available for only specific data types and is not available for program scope tags that are set to
InOut
 for
Usage
.
Open Parameter Connections
Enables the
Configuration Connection
 dialog to open after you select
Create
.
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