H.

SOFTWARE INPUT/OUTPUT FUNCTIONS

H SOFTWARE INPUT/OUTPUT FUNCTIONS

The software input/output are virtual input/output that are processed by software in the
FCS.
The software input/output consist of:
internal switch
used to change logical values between function blocks and other application functions,
and
message output
used to communicate the occurrence of events.

The software inputs/outputs that can be referenced and set from the sequence
control blocks are shown in the table below.

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H1 Identification of Software Input/Output

Software inputs/outputs are identified by their element serial numbers.
The classification of element numbers for the CS 3000 is shown below.

Software input/output element numbers of CS 3000 are shown in the table below.

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H2 Internal Switches
The following internal switches are explained.
Common Switches
Global Switches

H2.1.1 Common Switches

Common switches are internal switches used by various control functions to save the
shared logical values in an FCS.
The logical value of a common switch is not directly output to an external FCS, but
are used by various control functions in an FCS for condition testing and status
manipulation.
Common switches with element number %SW0001 to %SW0200 are fixed as system
switches. They are used to indicate the different statuses of the FCS.

Common switches in the CS 1000 with element number %SW0201 to %SW1000

may be freely defined by users.

Common switches in the CS 3000 with element number %SW0201 to %SW4000 may
be freely defined by users.
The data for common switches %SW0001 to %SW0007 that are used as the station
start ID switches and %SW0031, which is used as an extension common switch in a
PFCS/SFCS, are written by users.
Common switches %SW0097 to %SW0200 are valid only when the extension
common switch is set to 1 (valid).
Only the data for common switches %SW0001 to %SW0007 that are used as station
start ID switches in a CS 3000 LFCS and KFCS, are written by users.
For more detailed information on System Common Switches, please refer to Field
Control Station Basics (IM 33S01B30-01E) Page 152 - 160 onwards.

H2.1.2 Condition Testing and Status Manipulation

When common switch ON/OFF status is applied as a condition test signal to a
sequence table block and logic chart block or to a designated function block in
sequence connection via its signal input terminal, the testing of the condition
establishment is referred to as common switch condition testing.
The syntax form for condition testing is shown below.

When common switch ON/OFF status is applied as a manipulated signal from a

sequence table block and logic chart block or from a designated function block in
sequence connection via its signal output terminal, the common switch status
reflecting the manipulated signal status is referred to as common switch status
manipulation.
Two types of manipulation signal outputs are available: a latched type and a nonlatched type.
The syntax form for status manipulation is shown below.

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H2.2.1 Global Switches

A global switch is an internal switch with the same logical value on all stations in the
same domain.
Global Switch is only applicable to CS 3000 System.

The defined value is broadcasted to each station in the system via V net scan
transmission when data transfer to other stations is defined at Scan Transmission
Definition on the FCS Constants Builder.
When the values of global switches under the control of other stations are sent via
scan transmission, the global switch on the present station is updated when data
receipt is defined at Scan Transmission Definition on the FCS Constants Builder. The
values of global switches are updated at the same time mostly on all stations in the
system. The values are updated by 100 msec, which is fixed.
Up to 256 write-enable global switches can be assigned to each station.
To transfer/receive the values of global switches between stations, the scan
transmission definitions on the FCS Constants Builder must be defined.

H2.2.2 Condition Testing and Status Operation

Condition testing for global switches is to test whether conditions are satisfied:
The ON/OFF state or data status of global switches are tested as conditional signals
of sequence table blocks and logic chart block or function blocks for which sequence
connection is specified to its input terminals.
The following formats must be used for condition testing for global switches:

Status operation for global switches is to change the ON/OFF state of global switches
by action signals from sequence blocks and logic chart block or function blocks for
which sequence connection is specified to its output terminals.
Status operation is applicable to global switches of present station only.
There are two output types of action signals for global switches: latched type and
non-latched type.
The following formats must be used for status operation of global switches:

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H3 Message Output Functions

The contents of the following messages are user-defined and explained here.
Annunciator Messages
Operator Guide Messages
Printout Messages
Sequence Message Request

H3.1 Annunciator Messages

These special message outputs are used to simulate the annunciator panels of the
instrument panels. Unlike other message outputs, annunciator message outputs store
alarm-occurrence statuses as logical values.
When the alarm occurrence status changes, the annunciator message informs the
HIS of the occurrence or recovery of the message.
When an alarm occurs, the alarm symbol will flash to prompt the operator for
acknowledgment.
Annunciator message outputs are processed at the basic scan cycles only.

H3.1.1 Condition Testing and Status Manipulation

When annunciator message ON/OFF status is applied as a condition test signal to a
sequence table block and logic chart block or to a designated function block in
sequence connection via its signal input terminal, the testing of the condition
establishment is referred to as annunciator message condition testing.
The syntax form for condition testing is shown below.

When annunciator message ON/OFF status is applied as a manipulated signal from a

sequence table block and logic chart block or from a designated function block in
sequence connection via its signal output terminal, the annunciator message status
reflecting the manipulated signal status is referred to as annunciator message
status manipulation.
Two
types of condition signal outputs are available: a latched type and a non-latched
type.
The syntax form for status manipulation is shown below.

In the case of latched annunciator messages, recovery can be made by N-status

manipulation of the sequence table. The following syntax form is for the recovery of
an annunciator message output.
%ANnnnn.PV.H -----N

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H3.1.2 Annunciator Builder

Annunciator Builder can be accessed from
System View, [FCS0101]
[Message]

double click on [AN0101].

Message
Annunciator message is used to notify the operator of errors in the process.
Up to 24 alphanumeric characters (12 double-byte characters) may be defined in
The Annunciator Message Builder by user.
The occurrence of annunciator messages is shown as below:

Tag Name
A tag name can be assigned to each annunciator element number. A tag name
defined here can be used in place of the annunciator element number (%AN000n)
that has been assigned that tag name.
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Switch Position Label

The switch position labels refer to character strings displayed as labels for
switches.
It can be selected from a list in data entry area.

Label
Specify direct format or reverse format.

Level
Select a security level from level 1 to 8.

Tag Mark
Select a tag mark type from the following 8 types.
This mark indicates the tag priority level of the displayed function block.
The following are the available selections. The default setting is General.

Tag Importance

Important

General

Auxiliary 1

Auxiliary 2

Tag mark

Action type

Confirm

Data Entry Confirmation/Alarm Acknowledge

O : required
X : Not required (automatic when status reverts to normal)

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Alarm Level
The Alarm Processing is a message processing function performed by the HIS
when alarm occurs during plant operation.
Select an alarm processing level from [High ],[Medium ],[Low ],[Logging ],and
alarm levels defined in the Alarm Processing Table Builder.

Upper Wndow
An upper window can be specified for each function block and connection I/O in
the System Builders beforehand.
The window name must be 16 uppercase alphanumeric characters.
This setting is optional.

Help
There are system-fixed help dialog and user-definable help dialog for defining help
message.
The setting is optional. The help message may be identified by assigning the help
message number a unique ID.
The help message number can be omitted.
The entry format of the Help message number name is as follows:

Upper Equipment Name

The upper equipment name refers to the name of the equipment object located in
the next upper layer of an equipment object in a plant hierarchy. Specifying an
upper equipment name via the Plant Hierarchy Builder determines the location of
an equipment object in the plant hierarchy.
Only custom equipment names can be specified as the upper equipment name.

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H3.2 Operator Guide Messages

Operator guide message outputs alert the operator to the operator guide window in
real-time situations.
The syntax form for an operator-guide message output specification is shown below.

H3.2.1 Operator Guide Builder

Operator Guide Builder can be accessed from
System View, [FCS0101]
[Message]

double click on [OG0101].

Message
Define the character strings to transmit as an operator guide message.
Up to 70 alphanumeric characters are used.
The occurrence of operator guide messages is shown as below:

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Color
Display color of character strings in operator guide messages
(Default color: white (W))

Related Window Name

Name of linked window

With the related window defined,clicking the message displayed in the Operator
Guide Message window will display the related window in the defined format.

Label
User-defined labels are names that can be defined for the analog process I/O and
for messages. User-defined label may be defined up to 16 alphanumeric
characters. The format for a user-defined label is given as below.
Labels may be omitted.

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H3.3 Printout Messages

Print messages are triggered by the Sequence Control Function to print out the
message to indicate certain timing of the process.
When a print message request is sent from a field control station to an HIS, the
Operation and Monitoring Functions print the character string that corresponds to the
message number, then saves the print message to the historical message log file.
The syntax form for a print message output specification is shown below.

H3.3.1 Printout Builder

Printout Builder can be accessed from
System View, [FCS0101]
[Message]

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double click on [SD0101].

H. SOFTWARE INPUT/OUTPUT FUNCTIONS

Message
Up to 80 alphanumeric characters (40 double-byte characters)may be defined as
print message. When printing process data, the data may be indicated by
symbol.The data values are printed in the order of data items (data1,data2,data3).
The occurrence,transmission and output of print messages are shown as below:

Data1, Data2, Data3

Data may be defined in the format of TagName.DataItem.
For array data,TagName.DataItem [subscript1,subscript2 ] may be specified. The
data may be specified less than 34 alphanumeric characters.

Format1, Format2, Format3

Specify the format of the print message. Integer data value and the real number
data value are right justified and the character strings are left justified when printed
out.
The print format is as follows:
[Leading Zeros ] [Total Digits ].[Digits after DP ] [Conversion ]

Label
User-defined labels are names that can be defined for the analog process I/O and
for messages. User-defined label may be defined up to 16 alphanumeric
characters. The format for a user-defined label is given as below.
Labels may be omitted.

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H3.4 Sequence Message Request

The sequence message request is sent by the Process Sequence Control Function at
a certain process timing to an HIS to execute certain Operation and Monitoring
Functions.
Sequence message requests enable the operator to start or run the HIS functions
from an FCS.
The syntax form for a sequence message request specification is shown below.

H3.4.1 Sequence Message Request Builder

Printout Builder can be accessed from
System View, [HIS0164]
[Configuration]

double click on [MsgReqDef].

In the above example, the Process Alarm window displaying the process alarm
generated at station 01 is called up as a medium-size window.

Function
The following functions may be specified to a sequence message request.
Calling up windows
Executing a program assigned to the function key
Operation keyboard LED ON/OFF/flash
Run a designated program
Multimedia
Calling up a panel set (*1)
Printing reports

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The trigger of request messages is shown as below:

Station Name
The sequence message request is managed in an HIS.
Usually,ALL is specified in the station name item thus, the request received from
all FCSs may be executed.
If a station name is designated, only the request from the designated station is
executed.

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H4 Message Types
Each message has a number to identify the message type.
The following messages have system-fixed identification numbers and contents.
System Alarm Messages
Process Alarm Messages

H4.1 System Alarm Messages

System alarm messages notify the operator of the hardware errors in the control
station or an HIS as well as errors in communication. Alarm messages are displayed
in the System Alarm window.
The trigger of system alarm messages is shown as below:

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H4.2 Process Alarm Messages

Process alarm message is used to notify the status of a process alarm to the operator.
The occurrence of a process alarm message is shown as below:

By designating priority for each function block, priority for each process alarm can be
determined. The Operation and Monitoring executes the following alarm processing
according to the alarm priority:

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Laboratory H
Exercise
Q1. What is the main difference between Process I/O and Software I/O?
Q2. What is the function of a Software I/O switch?
Q3. Name the 2 types of Software I/O switches.
Q4. What is the difference between a Common Switch and a Global Switch?
Q5. Describe the functions of the following message outputs:
Annunciator Messages
Operator Guide Messages
Printout Messages
Sequence Message Request
System Alarm Messages
Process Alarm Messages
Q6. Which type of messages have repeated warning feature?

Practice
1. Configure a user-defined common switch with the following display:

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2. Call up sequence block [MSG]. The annunciator messages, operator guide
messages and printout messages are configured in this sequence table as
outputs.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

Start Test Function of [FCS0101] of project [TRAIN3] and call up tag

In the MAN mode, adjust the MV value of FIC 200 to approximately 50.
Adjust the LL of [FIC200] to 20 and PL to 25.
Change the mode of [FIC200] to AUT.
Bring the SV of [FIC200] to 24 i.e. below PL.
Observe what happens when the PV drops below LO setting.
Check to see if the message generated is correct.

From the above sequence block [MSG] , annunciator messages in figure 1, operator
guide messages in figure 2 and printout messages in figure 3 will appear when the
[FIC200] is in LO alarm.

Figure 1

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Figure 2

Figure 3

Before proceeding to the next chapter, resolve all alarms and change the mode of
MSG to MAN.

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