Recipe Properties

The properties of the below listed components of each defined recipe can be edited:

 

 

This is done by simply selecting the recipe component to display and use its property window.

 

Data Value Properties

The Data Values (Fields) of a Recipe represent the values that are exchanged with the device.

Their configuration is similar to that of a normal Tag.  The properties are those shown below:

 

 

Name

This shows the Name of the Recipe Data.

 

Description

This parameter is used to enter a description of the Recipe. The text used to describe the Recipe can be entered as please and will display in the Recipe Viewer object.

 

Data Type

This parameter is used to define the Recipe's data type.

 

Maximum Length

This is only available when "String" has been selected as the "Data Type" and allows you to define the maximum string length with characters.

 

Data Value Tag

 

Do NOT use the Tag containing the physical I/O address for exchanging recipe data with the device as the Tag to associate to this field.

 

This field allows you to select a I/O Data Server Tag to use for all the operations to manage recipes at Runtime.

This field is also used when developing a custom Recipe management interface (as an alternative to using the "Recipe Viewer" object from the ToolBox).  Please refer to the topic on "Using Recipes at Runtime".

 

I/O Tag

This field is used to select a Tag from the I/O Data Server which will be used to exchange data with the devices.

The Tag you select must have a Physical I/O address to read/write the value on the device.

 

When selecting a Tag from the I/O Data Server, the recipe's Data Values will be exchanged with the device using the driver in aggregated mode.

However, this does not guarantee that data exchanged with a device will come in one unique block.

When you need to exchange data with the device in one unique block, you will need to specify a Physical I/O Address manually in the Recipe's or Group's General Settings.

 

Array Dimension (Advanced)

Set this property with a value greater than '0' to define a Array type DataValue.  When leaving this property set to '0', the DataValue will remain a simple DataValue.  The array elements start from "0".

Attention: when defining the DataValue as an array type, any varables associated to it, such as the "Value Tag" and "I/O Tag", should also be defined as arrays and with the same number of elements.

 

Initial Value (Advanced)

This is used to enter a default value that will be assigned to the Recipe Field when a new Recipe is created.  If no default value is assigned, the numeric fields will be initialized with zero and the String field will be nulled.

 

Allow Null (Advanced)

Enabling this will allow the Null value to be assigned to the Recipe field.

 

Enable I/O on Device (Advanced)

When enabled, this allows the Recipe Field value to be exchanged with the device by using a Physical I/O Address or a communication driver without passing through the I/O Data Server.

Enabling this parameter will make it possible to define a specific physical I/O address for the field manually.

 

Encoding (Advanced)

This is only available when the Data Type is String type and it allows you to select the encoding type to use for saving data on database.

 

Character Number  (Advanced)

This is only available when the Data Type is String type and it allows you to set the number of characters to manage when communicating with the device.

 

Physical I/O Address (Advanced)

This is only available when the "Enable I/O on Device" is active, and it allows you to specify the address of the data exchange area with the device by directly using a communication driver without passing through the I/O Data Server.

The settings of the address are the same as those available for the project's Tags.  As an alternative, you can also define a "Physical I/O Address" in the General Settings of the Recipe or Group and the ""I/O Tag" of the recipe's Data Values.

 

When using this modality, the recipe's Data Values will be exchanged individually with the device and, therefore, the recipe data will NOT be exchanged in one block.

When you need to exchange data with the device in one unique block, you will need to specify a Physical I/O Address manually in the Recipe's or Group's General Settings.

 

Editing

This property displays when the RadioButton or ComboBox have been selected as control types and it allows you to define the User Control type to use within the "Recipe Viewer" object.

 

 

 

Recipe Viewer Settings

 

Control Type

This is used to select which control to use as the field to use in the Recipe Viewer object to edit values at Runtime.

 

 

Group Properties

The Group properties of a Recipe, in addition to grouping data in an orderly fashion, allows you to specify the starting address to be referred to for exchanging data of fields that belong to the Group. This allows several data exchange areas to be assigned to each Group.

 

 

Group Name

This indicates the Group's Name.

 

Description

This is used to enter text to describe the Group that will then be displayed in the Recipe Viewer object.

 

Physical I/O Address

This is only available when the "Enable I/O on Device" is active, and it allows you to specify the address of the data exchange area with the device by using a communication driver directly without passing through the I/O Data Server.

The settings of the address are the same as those ones available for the project's Tags.  As an alternative, you can also define a "Physical I/O Address" in the General Settings of the Recipe or Group and the ""I/O Tag" of the recipe's Data Values.

 

The use of this modality allows the group's data to be exchanged in one unique block with the device and is only available for those drivers that use NON symbolic addresses.  

When defining the start address only, the offset address of each Data Value will be calculated automatically according to the order of the Recipe Fields which,  therefore, must also be in the same order in the device's memory areas.

 

General Recipe Properties

The General Recipe Properties, which are essential for normal recipe use, mainly allow you to set the database connection parameters and define the recipe's physical I/O starting address and temporary Tags.

 

 

Recipe Name

Indicates the name of the Recipe.  This field is read only.  If you wish to change the name of the Recipe, you will need to use the Project Explorer Window.

 

Description

This is used to enter a description for the recipe.

 

Physical I/O Start Address

This is used to specify the start address of the area to exchange data with the device by directly using a communication driver without passing through the I/O Data Server. The settings of the address are the same available for the project's Tags.  As an alternative, you can also define a "Physical I/O Address" in the General Settings of the Recipe or Group and the ""I/O Tag" of the recipe's Data Values.

 

The use of this modality allows the recipe's data to be exchanged with the device in one unique block but this method is only available for those drivers that use NON symbolic addresses.  

When defining the start address only, the offset address of each Data Value will be automatically calculated according to the order of the Recipe Fields that, therefore, must also be in the same order of the device's memory areas.

 

Data Tags

 

Recipe List Tag

This field is used to select a string type Tag in which the list of recipes saved on Database will be showed at runtime.  

Each recipe name will be separated by the “pipe” (|) character in the string.

 

The Tag associated to this field together with the Tag associated to the "Recipe Index Tag" field can use a combo box with which recipes saved on the database can be displayed and selected.

 

Recipe Index Tag

This field is used to select a string type Tag in which the name of the recipe to be loaded from the Database can set at Runtime.  The name of the recipe defined in this Tag will also be used by the "Recipe Commands" for reading and writing values.  

 

The Tag associated to this field together with the Tag associated to the "Recipe List Tag" field can use a combo box with which recipes saved on the database can be displayed and selected.

 

 

Recipe State Tag

This field is used to select a UInt32 Tag type in which the Recipe State will be reported at Runtime as shown below:

 

Bit 0: Recipe Manager Initialization

Bit 1: Stop Recipe Manager

Bit 2: Loading Values from DB in progress

Bit 3: Saving Recipes Values on DB in progress

Bit 4: Deleting Recipe from DB in progress

Bit 5: Reading Values from Device in progress

Bit 6: Writing Values in Device in progress

Bit 7: Importing Recipe Values from File in progress

Bit 8: Exporting Recipe Values from File in progress

Bit 9: Not Used

Bit 10: Not Used

Bit 11: Not Used

Bit 12: Error while updating Recipe List Tag

Bit 13: Error while updating State Tag

Bit 14: Error while updating Recipe Value Tag

Bit 15: Error while saving Recipe on DB

Bit 16: Error while deleting Recipe in DB

Bit 17: Error while reading Values from Device

Bit 18: Error while writing Values in Device

Bit 19: Error while importing Values from File

Bit 20: Error while exporting Values from File

Bit 21: Recipe Command Tag Connection Timeout

Bit 22: Recipe Value Tag Connection Timeout

Bit 23: Recipe not found on DB

Bit 24: Not Used

Bit 25: Values were saved on DB successfully

Bit 26: Recipe was deleted from DB successfully

Bit 27: Values were read from Device successfully

Bit 28: Value were written on Device successfully

Bit 29: Recipe values were imported correctly

Bit 30: Recipe values were exported correctly

Bit 31: Recipe values were read from DB correctly

 

Load Recipe Tag

This field is used to select the Tag that allows the recipe values present in the Recipe Index Tag (the active recipe) to be loaded from the database when values assume values that are different from zero.  Values will be automatically zeroed by the system after this operation.

 

Save Recipe Tag

This field is used to select a Tag that allows the recipe, whose name is present in the Recipe Index Tag, to be saved on DB with the values that are currently present in the variables associated to that recipe.  This happens when the Tag assumes a value that is different from zero and will be zeroed automatically by the system after the operation has completed.

 

Delete Recipe Tag

This field is used to select a Tag that allows the Recipe, whose name is present in the Recipe Index Tag, to be deleted from the DB along with the values currently present in the variables associated to that recipe. This happens when the Tag assumes a value that is different from zero and which will be zeroed automatically by the system after the operation has completed.

 

Write Recipe Tag

This field is used to select a Tag that allows the values of the recipe,  whose name is present in the Recipe Index Tag, to be sent to a connected external device (e.g. PLC).  This happens when the Tag assumes a value that is different from zero and which will be zeroed automatically by the system after the operation has completed.

 

Read Recipe Tag

This field is used to select a Tag that allows values to be read from a connect external device (e.g. PLC) and which will be assigned to the recipe whose name is present in the Recipe Index Tag. This happens when the Tag assumes a value that is different from zero and which will be zeroed automatically by the system after the operation has completed.

 

User Access

 

User Access Level

This property allows you to set the user access level required to manage the Recipe (reading, writing, activation, export, etc.). When the logged in user does not have a sufficient access level, he/she will not be able to perform any operations in the recipe.

 

This property only affects the RecipeGrid object and the Recipe Commands in the Command List. It has NO effect on the management of the Recipe Command Tags. In this case, in order to protect the Recipe it will be necessary to enter an access level directly in the command buttons (or controls) that set the Command Tag of the Recipe.

 

Database Settings

 

Recipe Table Name

This property allows the user to customize the name of the recipe table.

 

DB Connection String (Advanced)

This field is used to define the connection string to be used to record Recipe data on database.  If you do not specify anything in this field, Movicon will use the "Historian Default Connection" string from the I/O Data Server Settings.

 

Max. VarChar Precision (Advanced)

This field is used to specify the maximum number of characters that the recipe string can have.  This parameter operates on both the recipe name and on its defined string values.

 

Skip Column Type Check (Advanced)

Disables the check for data type consistency between the recipe table columns and the Tag type on the DB at runtime.

 

Audit

Using the recipe's Audit properties will allow you to trace operations of commands executed in that recipe in the Recipe Server's Historical Log.  The commands that can be traced are 'Save Recipe', 'Delete Recipe' and 'Activate Recipe'.  

By using the various properties, you will be able to set the Audit to save the event directly without requiring confirmation, or after a forced comment entry or forced comment entry followed by user authentication.  The Audit operations are supported the RecipeGrid object and the Recipe Command List are used.  It is also supported when the Recipe Command Tags are used.

 

When using Recipe Command Tags, the Audit operations will be traced in the Historical Log, but the Enter comment and password functionalities will not be managed.  In this case, in order to manage comment and password entries, the Audit should be enabled in the Recipe's Command Tags so that the Tags in the I/O Server's Historical Log can be audited.

 

 

 

Enable Audit Management

Enabling this property will activate the Audit functionality for the recipe's commands.  The Audit will trace some commands executed by the user in the recipe.  These commands are:

 

 

The other commands that can be executed in Recipes, such as 'Load values from DB', Read Values from Field', and 'Import/Export Recipe', are not subject to Auditing.

The events of executed commands will be recorded in the Recipes' OPC UA Server Log table.

When this option is enabled, the "Force Command on Audit' property will be made available.    

 

Enter Comment on Audit

When enabled, this property prompts the entry of a comment by the operator when executing the command.  The command will be executed only after the comment has been entered and this comment will then be reported in the 'Comment' column of the Recipe's OPC UA Server Log's table.  

This property is only visible when the 'Enable Audit Management' has been activated.  In addition, activating this option will also make the "Enter Password on Audit" and "Access Level Required to Confirm' properties available.

 

Enter Password on Audit

When enabled this property forces the user to enter their password to execute the command.  The command will only be executed after a comment has been entered and a valid password has been entered.  The name of the user will be reported in the Recipe's OPC UA Server Log table's 'User' column.

This property is only visible when the 'Force Comment on Audit' has been activated.

 

When enabling this property, the password to confirm the command prior to its execution will be required irrespective of the user logged in the system and their access level.  The user required to validate the command can also be a different user to the one logged in the system at that moment.  Once this operation has terminated, the user logged in the system will remain the initial user and not the one used for the Audit.

The user level needed for the Audit operation will be the one determined by the  “Access Level Required to Confirm”.

 

Access Level Required to Confirm

The value entered in this property indicates the minimum user level required to execute the Audit command.  When leaving this property set with the zero value, any user will be able to login to validate the Audit comment and therefore execute the Recipe command.  When entering a value that is higher than zero, only users with a level equal to or higher than that value will be able to validate the Audit comment and execute the Recipe command.  Otherwise, the Recipe command will not be executed.

When the value of this property is higher than zero, the minimum level required will be indicated in the Login window.

This property is only visible when the 'Force Comment on Audit' has been activated.