009b What is a PAC? Using the GSV instruction, Get System Variable in the conveyor logic.

Summary

This instructional video lab discussion focuses on using the GS V (Get System Variable) instruction in a lab project to retrieve the date and time from a controller data object. It guides viewers through creating tags for year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and microsecond, and demonstrates how to populate these tags with the retrieved data. The video also introduces the concept of user-defined data types for cleaner and more organized code, and concludes with setting the correct date and time in the controller, emphasizing the importance of accurate time synchronization for industrial controls.

Takeaways

• 📘 The video is part of a lab discussion in the 'complete PhD learn series', focusing on the use of the GS V (Get System Variable) instruction in a specific lab project.
• 🔍 The GS V instruction is used to retrieve system variables such as date and time from the controller data object, which is detailed in the manual between pages 80 to 112.
• 📚 The lab manual specifically covers pages 95 to 96 for the GS V instruction usage, emphasizing its role in accessing attributes of the 'wall clock time' class of objects.
• ⏰ The primary attribute of interest in this lab is the 'date time' from the 'wall clock time', which is used for tracking production based on time of the day or shifts.
• 🔧 In older systems like the RS500 family, system information was easily accessible from the S2 file, but in the Logics engine, tags must be created to retrieve and populate data using GS V.
• 🏗️ The process involves creating tags for 'year', 'month', 'day', 'hour', 'minute', 'seconds', and 'microseconds', and then using the GS V instruction to populate these tags with the current date and time from the controller.
• 🔄 The video demonstrates how to use the GS V instruction by selecting the 'wall clock time' class and the 'date time' attribute, then assigning it to a destination tag array.
• 📝 The script includes a step-by-step guide on creating tags, using the GS V instruction, and monitoring the retrieved data through the controller tags.
• 🔄 An alternative method introduced is creating a user-defined data type (UDT) to simplify the organization and retrieval of date and time data from the controller.
• 🕒 The video also discusses the importance of synchronizing the controller's date and time with the current system time, and adjusting for daylight savings time if necessary.
• 🔑 The final takeaway is the preference for using UDTs for cleaner and more organized logic, and an invitation to explore more advanced topics in subsequent manuals.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video lab discussion?

The main focus of the video lab discussion is to demonstrate the use of the GS V (Get System Variable) instruction in a lab project to retrieve the date and time from the controller data object.

Where can the GS V instruction be found in the manual?

The GS V instruction is discussed in the manual between pages 80 and 112, with the lab project specifically covered on pages 95 through 96.

What is the purpose of the GS V instruction in industrial controls?

In industrial controls, the GS V instruction is used to retrieve system variables such as wall clock time, which can be used for day and shift differentiation in logic for tracking production based on time of the day.

How is the system information accessed in older RS500 products?

In older RS500 products, system information was easily accessible from the S2 file, and memory locations could be directly used in logic.

What is the difference in accessing system information in the Logics engine compared to older products?

In the Logics engine, system information is not directly accessible like in the S2 file of older products. Instead, a tag must be created and then populated with data using the GS V instruction.

What is the purpose of creating tags in the lab project?

Tags are created to store the retrieved system variables such as year, month, day, hour, minute, seconds, and microseconds, allowing for their use in the logic of the industrial control system.

How many elements are in the 'control time' array tag created in the lab project?

The 'control time' array tag has seven elements, each storing a different part of the date and time information.

What is the significance of using a user-defined data type (UDT) in the lab project?

Using a UDT simplifies the organization and retrieval of the date and time information by providing a structured format with logical names for each element, making the code cleaner and more maintainable.

How does the video demonstrate updating the controller's date and time?

The video shows updating the controller's date and time by manually setting it through the controller's date/time settings, illustrating how the retrieved data can be monitored and adjusted as needed.

What is the SSB instruction mentioned in the video, and what is its purpose?

The SSB (Set System Variable) instruction is used to alter the controller data object, as well as I/O modules and bridge modules. It is mentioned for its capability to change system variables, but its detailed use is discussed in advanced manuals.

How can the retrieved date and time information be used in the logic of an industrial control system?

The retrieved date and time information can be used to record production values by shift, trigger events based on specific times, or differentiate logic based on the time of day, enhancing the control and monitoring of industrial processes.

Outlines

00:00

📘 Introduction to GS V Instruction

This paragraph introduces the lab project focused on the GS V (Get System Variable) instruction within the RS.5000 system, a subset of the Conveyor code manual. The GS V instruction is used to retrieve system data, such as date and time, from the controller data object. The lab is situated between pages 95-96 of the manual and involves creating tags to store the retrieved data. The speaker discusses the use of wall clock time for industrial controls, the process of saving the project, and the creation of tags for year, month, day, hour, minute, seconds, and microseconds.

05:02

🔍 Implementing GS V to Retrieve Date and Time

The speaker demonstrates how to use the GS V instruction to retrieve the date and time from the controller's wall clock time data object. They guide through the process of adding a new rung in the routine, selecting the 'wall clock time' class, and specifying the 'date time' attribute. The retrieved data is then assigned to a tag named 'control time', which is an array of seven double integers. The speaker also explains the process of downloading the project to the processor and monitoring the tags to verify the retrieved year, which in the example is 1998.

10:02

🔄 Moving Data with Move Instructions

The paragraph describes the process of moving the retrieved date and time data into individual tags with logical names, such as 'year', 'month', 'day', 'hour', 'minute', 'seconds', and 'microseconds'. The speaker initially uses move instructions but then simplifies the process by creating a user-defined data type (UDT) called 'time date' with seven members corresponding to the date and time components. This UDT is then used to create a new tag called 'calendar', which stores the date and time information in a structured format.

15:08

🗓️ Adjusting and Synchronizing Controller Time

The final paragraph discusses the importance of setting the correct date and time in the controller for accurate data retrieval. The speaker shows how to adjust the controller's date and time to the current date and time, emphasizing the need for synchronization to ensure the retrieved data reflects the actual time. They also mention the possibility of adjusting for daylight saving time and the use of user-defined data types for cleaner and more organized logic implementation. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of future topics to be covered in advanced manuals.

Keywords

💡GS V

GS V stands for 'Get System Variable' instruction, which is a key concept in the video. It is used to retrieve specific attributes from the controller data object. In the context of the video, GS V is used to access the 'wall clock time' attribute, particularly the 'date and time', which is essential for tracking production based on time of the day.

💡Wall Clock Time

Wall Clock Time is a class of data object within the controller that contains time-related attributes. The video discusses its use for day and shift differentiation in industrial controls, where it helps in tracking production values by different shifts. The attribute 'date and time' from this class is specifically retrieved using the GS V instruction.

💡Controller Data Object

A Controller Data Object in the script refers to the internal data structures within the controller that store various system information. The video explains how to retrieve information from these objects using specific instructions, such as the GS V instruction for accessing the date and time.

💡Tag

In the context of the video, a 'tag' is a label or identifier used in industrial control systems to organize and access data. The script describes creating tags such as 'control time' and 'year', 'month', 'day', etc., to store and manipulate the retrieved system variables.

💡User-Defined Data Type (UDT)

A User-Defined Data Type (UDT) is a way to create a custom data structure consisting of multiple elements with specific data types. In the video, a UDT named 'time date' is created with seven members to organize the retrieved date and time data more cleanly and efficiently.

💡Shift Differentiation

Shift Differentiation is the process of distinguishing between different work shifts, typically for the purpose of tracking production or other metrics. The video explains how wall clock time can be used for this purpose, allowing for the recording of production values by shift.

💡Production Tracking

Production Tracking involves monitoring and recording the output or progress of a production process over time. The video demonstrates how system variables related to time can be used to track production on a per-shift basis, which is crucial for efficiency and analysis.

💡Logic Engine

The Logic Engine in industrial controls refers to the system that processes logical operations and controls based on input data. The script mentions that while system information is available in the Logic Engine, it requires creating tags and using instructions like GS V to retrieve and populate these tags with data.

💡SSB

SSB stands for 'Set System Variable' instruction, which is used to alter the controller data object, I/O modules, and bridge modules. Although not the main focus of the video, it is mentioned as another instruction that can be used for manipulating system variables.

💡Rung

A 'rung' in the context of the video refers to a line of logic in a ladder diagram, which is a common programming language used in industrial control systems. The script describes adding rungs to the program to incorporate the GS V instruction for retrieving system variables.

💡Move Instruction

A Move Instruction, represented by 'MOV' in the script, is used to transfer data from one location to another within the control system. The video demonstrates using move instructions to transfer the retrieved date and time data into individually named tags for easier access and manipulation.

Highlights

Introduction to the lab project focusing on the use of the GS V (Get System Variable) instruction in RS.5000.

GS V instruction is used to retrieve the date and time from the controller data object.

Explanation of the attributes of the class of objects 'Wall Clock Time' with a focus on 'Date Time'.

Difference between system information accessibility in older RS500 products and the Logics Engine.

Demonstration of creating tags in the controller for year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and microsecond.

Use of GS V to populate the created tags with data retrieved from the controller.

The process of saving the project and uploading tag values before saving.

Tutorial on creating an array tag called 'control time' with seven double integers.

Discussion on the use of the SSB (Set System Variable) instruction to alter controller data objects.

Explanation of how to use the GS V instruction with the 'Wall Clock Time' class to get the date and time.

Step-by-step guide on assigning the retrieved date and time to a destination tag.

The importance of using the correct element in an array when assigning data.

How to monitor and verify the retrieved data using the controller tags.

Introduction of the concept of user-defined data types (UDTs) for organizing data.

Demonstration of creating a UDT called 'time date' with seven members corresponding to date and time elements.

Using the UDT to simplify the process of assigning and using the retrieved date and time data.

The option to synchronize the controller's time with an external source for accuracy.

Final demonstration of updating the controller's date and time and reflecting the changes in the logic.

Conclusion and preview of the next section on production shift counts or production data.

Transcripts

welcome to the next video lab discussion

in support of complete PhD learn series

volume 1 of the manual an introduction

to rs.5000 this lab project gets system

variable or using the GSP instruction is

a subset of conveyor code which is found

between pages roughly 80 and 112 in the

manual this particular lab is going to

be at approximately pages 95 through 96

the GSB instruction in this lab project

we use the GS V get system variable

instruction to retrieve the date and

time from the controller data object in

the manual I included a chart to show

you all the attributes of the class of

objects wall clock time we are only

after one attribute and that was date

time but once you've used the GS v in

this instance it works the same for

anything else that you might want to

retrieve and not just from wall clock

time but from any other class of objects

in the controller now for industrial

controls wall clock time is most

commonly used for day and shift

differentiation in your logic where

you're tracking production based on time

of the day so you can record production

values by shift now in the older

products and we'll call it the rs500

family the system information was easily

accessible from the s2 file and you

could view it very easily and you could

actually use the memory locations

directly in your logic this is not the

case for the logics engine it it is

available but you have to create a tag

then use the GS v to retrieve and

populate the tag that you created with

the data

now you can also use the SSB set system

variable instruction to alter the

controller data object as well as i/o

modules and bridge modules we will

discuss those some in the advanced

manual but not in this manual you can

see on the screen here where we left off

so we're going to will save this project

so we can go up to file save or we could

have went over here to the floppy disk

symbol upload tag values before we save

we're going to continue with this

project we're not done with this project

this is part of the program that we're

going to use in multiple programs later

on but we want to build this program up

a little fatter before we start creating

multiple programs so we saved now we go

offline and we're going to create some

tags and in the lab I had you create

year month day hour minute seconds and

microseconds and instead of you watching

while I do all of them I'm going to

start then we're going to pause finish

the creation and then come back so we

had to go to the controller tags and

create a tag called control time

and then we made it a double integer but

we made it an array so remember you

don't make it a dent and then go back

and make it array you make it an array

right from the beginning even if it was

gonna be just one element array you

would put one in here for dimension but

we're going to put seven so we're going

to create a tag called controller time

that has seven double integers in it and

then we're going to create seven more

tags as single double integers not an

array but a single the next one we're

going to create is year and we'll leave

that as a double integer and I'm going

to pause now create the rest of them and

then come back okay there's the rest of

the single double double integers so we

have an array of seven double enters we

call control time then we have seven

single double integer tags dense that we

call year-month-day our minutes seconds

microseconds so now let's add a new rum

so we can close this down go to our main

routine

and we can't add a new rung just by

double-clicking at the end there and

then we want to use a GS V now we could

go along through here until we found the

GS V which now I'm hypnotized by this so

I think you thought it was input-output

I never use this yeah there it is right

there GS v it's Center input output but

instead of doing that

it's always something where just a

double-click on the rung open the ASCII

field up here and just type in g sv

doesn't even have to be uppercase okay

so there's our get system variable now

the class name is going to be wall clock

tang so we'll doing out of the bottom

here see those are already in there all

you have to do is click on the down

arrow to open up the list and scroll

down to find wall clock time this is not

a tag you created this is a class of

data object from the controller it's

already there then we're going to go to

attribute name because we don't want the

whole wall clock time we only want the

date time so it knows that we want a

wall clock time now we go down to date

time now we're going to give it a

destination and the destination is going

to be type in control time right there

hit enter and we have to put in the

first element so we can't just point

date time which is up 7 double integers

to control time we have to point date

time to control time the first element

so let's see now we have a happy rung

this instruction GSV gets system

variable we'll go to the class wall

clock time attribute name date time and

that's seven double integers and we'll

put it in the destination now the

destination begins with control time

element zero and it's a seven element

array now go ahead and save this you can

use the floppy disk symbol or you could

have one or two files save now we want

to download this who active processors

already right there you can set the

project path by the way if you set the

project path for this project then it

will always go to that processor but

we'll see down low we won't set the

project path downloading

back to the remote run mode now this is

interesting look at the the first

element is 1998 so control time element

zero out of zero through six is the year

1998 that should surprise you so go to

controller tags go to control time and

go to monitor tags expand control time

again so 1998 January 16th 634 in

seconds and microseconds now you could

have created a user-defined data type

called control time and then had its

members be year month day hour minute

seconds microseconds i'ma leave that for

you to do it some other time just for

entertainment because you only do this

once in some projects creating the

user-defined data type and then when you

need it going and finding it and

importing it or recreating it I just do

it this way now there are several

different ways that you can use this

information you can just remember which

data is in which elements starting with

0 for a year and working your way down

to by 4 seconds since six four

microseconds or you can create

individual tags with logical names like

we did and then add logic to move the

data into the new tags as such below now

remember there's an easier way to do

this and that is just create that

user-defined data type we're going to go

add some logic now so we're going to add

another rung at the end of the program

and we're going to put 7 move

instructions in there because there's

nothing in there I could tape MOV inner

and I've got to move and if I since I

need seven of them I can right-click

copy and then go control be V be four

five six seven control V control V

etcetera you can do all the shortcuts

you want now actually just dawned on me

I made this more difficult so I'm going

to go back and I'ma delete all but one

you'll see why we'll go to this one and

we'll see control times zero which is

right there

so I could I could type in control times

zero I could double click here and go

down and find control time and select

that element or since I see it right

there I can grab it and drag it down

there

okay now 1998 that's the year right so

if I type in a why e there's year hit

enter now right click right click copy

instruction control B so I simply go

here change the 0 to a 1 and go here

year month M Oh inner so we're going to

do this a couple more times I'm gonna

pause the video finish the other five

and then come back okay that was pretty

fast wasn't it you know so I did this so

fast you didn't see it so here we have

seven move instructions remember these

are word copies it's not really a move

but they call them the MOV and we've

moved all seven elements of the seven

element double integer array that we

moved our date and time into that you

can see right above their attribute name

date/time destination now we're moving

those into tags called year month day

hour minute seconds in microseconds now

it's unlikely that you're going to use

seconds or microseconds you may not even

use minutes because you can use the

trailing edge of the last hour of the

shift when it goes from say 2 to 3 you

know 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. the trailing edge

of 2 or the leading edge of 3 is the

first instant of the second shift in all

reality you probably wouldn't need

minutes seconds or microseconds but we

brought it all in just for fun ok now

we're going to do it a little bit easier

we're actually going to create a

user-defined data type it's safer to go

offline but I like to live dangerous so

I'm gonna go to user-defined data types

and you see we don't have any there's no

plus sign right here right click right

click new data type and in the lab we

call it same date

and then we added 7 double integers as

members I won't make you watch all this

I'll put one in the first one is year

and data type is D I enter ok I'll pause

now and create the rest of them ok and

there's our user-defined data type

called time date and it has seven

members year month day hour minute

seconds microseconds now it's up to you

whether you like year month days as in

plural days hours minutes seconds

microsecond or your month day hour

minute second microsecond really doesn't

matter so we're going to apply it say ok

and now we have another data type and in

the lab we would then add a copy

instruction go to the bottom double

click there that gives us a new empty

wrong

and double-click again then type in ce

o-- p enter now we can take the control

time which starts with zero and since we

have one showing right here and then we

create a new tag using that data type

and we can call it control time since

we've already used control time we'll

use we'll create a new tag call it

calendar and of course we have to define

that new calendar and when it comes to

data type you can type in we called our

user-defined data type time date I think

yep right there enter and a length of 1

because calendar is 7 double integers

it's one user-defined data type not

seven of them ok notice that as soon as

we take that in we got the eyes instead

of the ease so we will finalize that now

if we go to calendar right-click monitor

and expand it

there's your 1998 January 16th 646

30-some seconds in microsecond we've

used the wall clock time in two

different ways mature choice if you

actually use something like this in your

logic or not whether you do it one way

or the other axis I prefer the UDT

because it's a little cleaner one last

thing to point out here is this is not

1998 and it's not January 16th now it

could be January 16th the day that

you're watching this but it's never

going to be 1998 so we go to controller

we go to date/time

and we my time zone is Eastern Time

so I would have to scroll down through

here hook up Central Time Eastern Time

change date and time this today happens

to be August really doesn't even matter

what the day is I believe it's the 2nd

3rd 2013

and the time is 205 to 6

p.m. okay so I just went and set the

date and time in the controller to

August 30 2013 at 206 p.m. the seconds

in the microseconds

even the minutes doesn't have to be that

accurate now there is another way to do

this you can synchronize this time with

something we're not going to do that and

you could have adjust for daylight

savings time and what does click that

just for grins because where I'm located

today while I'm doing this recording

does use daylight savings time

okay so we'll save that and again you

can't see it off the bottom of screen

but I clicked on okay now look at the

calendar year the month the day and so

on remember we've got calendar we've

also got in our controller tags

go to monitor and now you see it's

changed there too so both runs of logic

are executing this one that this one

they're all executing a more thorough

examination of the controller data

object from once we retrieve this

information will be addressed at a later

time and the more advanced manuals thank

you for watching the little short lab on

get system variable as I said this was

in a way part 2 of the conveyor code the

next section will be on production shift

counts or on production data again thank

you for watching