Use Excel RTD

Microsoft Excel provides a worksheet function, Real-time Data (RTD), that allows you to call a Component Object Model (COM) Automation server for the purpose of retrieving data in real-time. RTD components are introduced so that real-time data can stream into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The RTD server communicates with Excel in a hybrid push-pull mechanism, greatly increasing the efficiency of the update. FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports 20 Excel client connections.
To use Excel RTD
FactoryTalk Linx Gateway supports using Excel RTD in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Excel.
  • In Excel, enter the RTD formula in the cell.
The Excel RTD function uses the following formula.
=RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD", "localhost", "Tag ID", "Refresh Rate", "History Index", "Write Value")
  • FTLinxGatewayRTD: RTD interface name. Do not change this parameter.
  • localhost: "localhost" or empty. Only local communication is supported.
  • Tag ID: refer to Excel RTD formula sample.
  • Refresh Rate (ms): optional, the refresh rate of how often the monitor clock is triggered to refresh value from Live Data. It can be a UINT number, a string, or empty (empty=1000 ms).
    TIP:
    To get the history data, make sure that the current data with the same TagID and refresh rate is in Excel. For example, to get
    RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","Localhost","TagID",1000,2)
    ,
    RTD("FTLinxGatewayRTD","Localhost","TagID",1000,0)
    must be in Excel.
  • History Index: (optional) the index in the history queue to get history data. It can be a number or string from 0 through 1000 or empty (empty=0=the latest data). For example, when refresh rate=3000 ms and index=4, it will return the data value which is that of 3s × 4 = 12s ago. This is helpful when using data in a trend chart.
  • Write value: optional, you can write the tag value in Excel.
    The action to write values is only triggered when this parameter changes after Excel opens.
    To write a value, configure the access for the tag.
For format examples, see Excel RTD formula sample.
TIP:
  • To locate the FactoryTalk Linx RTD interface in Windows
    Task Manager
    , perform one of these actions:
    • In
      Task Manager
      , select
      Details
      >
      FTLinxGatewayRTD.exe
      .
    • In
      Task Manager
      , select
      Processes
      >
      FactoryTalk Linx RTD Server (32 bit)
      .
  • Excel RTD interface does not support L modifier.
  • If the RTD interface fails to get data, it will return the following errors to Excel:
    • #REF: The tag does not exist.
    • #NA: The RTD interface is unable to read the tag due to errors, such as the tag's data type mismatch between the custom namespace and the data source.
    • #Value: There are communication errors.
To troubleshoot Excel RTD, see The RTD Server Interface is not working.
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