OMRON Getting Started with CX-Server Lite

CX-Server Lite
User Manual
Getting Started
Version 1.0

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OMRON Getting Started with CX-Server Lite

Notice
OMRON products are manufactured for use according to proper procedures by a qualified
operator and only for the purposes described in this manual.
The following conventions are used to indicate and classify precautions in this manual. Always
heed the information provided in them. Failure to heed precautions can result in injury to
people or damage to the product.
DANGER! Indicates information that, if not heeded, is likely to result in loss of life
or serious injury.
WARNING Indicates information that, if not heeded, could possibly result in loss
of life or serious injury.
Caution Indicates information that, if not heeded, could result in relatively
serious or minor injury, damage to the product, or faulty operation.

OMRON Product References

All OMRON products are capitalised in this manual. The word “Unit” is also capitalised when
it refers to an OMRON product, regardless of whether or not it appears in the proper name of
the product.
The abbreviation “PLC” means Programmable Logic Controller and is not used as an
abbreviation for anything else.

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Visual Aids
The following headings appear in the left column of the manual to help you locate different
types of information.
Note: Indicates information of particular interest for efficient and convenient operation
of the product.
1, 2, 3… Indicates lists of one sort or another, such as procedures, checklists etc.
Represents a shortcut on the Toolbar to one of the options available on the menu of
the same window.
Indicates a program must be started, usually by clicking the appropriate option under
the standard Windows ‘Start’ button.
Note: Indicates procedures that are specific to Visual Basic.

 OMRON, 2000
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of OMRON.
All copyright and trademarks acknowledged.
No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.
Moreover, because OMRON is constantly striving to improve its high-quality products, the
information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice. Every precaution has
been taken in the preparation of this manual. Nevertheless, OMRON assumes no responsibility
for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of
the information contained in this publication.

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About this Manual

This manual describes the CX-Server Lite application and its ability to interface with OMRON
CS, CV and C PLCs. It does not provide detailed information concerning the PLCs themselves,
for this information the commercial manual for the device must be consulted.
This manual contains the following information:
• Getting Started with CX-Server Lite: This describes the CX-Server Lite software in
general terms
• Tutorial: This is a quick tutorial for Excel and Visual Basic host applications.
• Appendix A Component Properties: This appendix summerises the available properties
for the ActiveX components.
• Appendix B Script Interface: The Visual Basic script interface for the CX-Server
communications control.
A Glossary of Terms and Index are also provided.

Warning: Failure to read and understand the information provided in this

manual may result in personal injury or death, damage to the
product, or product failure. Please read each chapter in its
entirety and be sure you understand the information provided in
the chapter and related chapters before attempting any of the
procedures or operations given.

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Table of Contents
CX-Server Lite Page

Getting Started with CX-Server Lite................................................. 6

Welcome to CX-Server Lite ........................................................................................... 6
About this Manual .......................................................................................................... 6
System Requirements.................................................................................................... 7
Installing/Unstalling CX-Server Lite ............................................................................... 8
The Help System, and How to Access it........................................................................ 8
Technical Support ........................................................................................................ 10
Objects Overview......................................................................................................... 11

Tutorial ............................................................................................... 13
Step 1: Viewing PLC Data using Omron Graphical Controls....................................... 13
Step 2: Inserting PLC Data in Cells ............................................................................. 16
Step 3: Adding Third Party Controls ............................................................................ 16
Other Features............................................................................................................. 17

Appendix A – Component Properties.............................................. 21

Appendix B - Script Interface........................................................... 24
Functions ..................................................................................................................... 24
PLC Memory Functions ............................................................................................... 29

Glossary of Terms.............................................................................. 30
Index.................................................................................................... 32

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Getting Started with CX-Server Lite

This book introduces the CX-Server Lite application to a new user.

Welcome to CX-Server Lite

CX-Server Lite allows PLC data collected by CX-Server to be accessed from Microsoft Excel
(97 and later) and Visual Basic (5.0 and later). It allows existing process data to be collected
and analysed, plus it includes some graphical components allowing easy creation of simple
MMI applications.
Included with CX-Server Lite is the CX-Server Runtime, plus a range of ActiveX components
that can be dragged and dropped onto your Workbook or Form.

About this Manual

This manual helps a new user get started with CX-Server Lite, by describing the software
installation and computer configuration, and by leading the user through the basics of CX-
Server Lite. For the most up to date information see the On Line help or the release notes in
the installed directory.
Separate OMRON manuals describe the related products; CX-Server, CX-Programmer and
SYSMAC-SCS.
CX-Server Lite comes with a comprehensive on-line help system, which is designed to
complement this manual, and provide a quick reference at any point in the CX-Server Lite
application when the manual is not to hand. This general help system uses a fast 'hypertext'
system which allows progressively more information to be obtained about any topic by selecting
keywords within the descriptive text.
Throughout this manual, it is assumed that a working knowledge of Microsoft Windows is
obtained, and that the user can:
♦ Use the keyboard and mouse.
♦ Select options from Windows menus.
♦ Operate dialog boxes.
♦ Locate, open and save data files.
♦ Edit, cut and paste text.
♦ Drag and drop.
♦ Start programs from the “START” button.
If Windows has not been used before, it is recommended that some time working with the
Microsoft documentation is spent before using CX-Server Lite.
This introductory section deals with several important aspects of installing CX-Server Lite and
setting it up for use. It is recommended that this entire section be read before installing the
software.

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System Requirements
CX-Server Lite operates on IBM compatible personal computers with 200MHz Pentium central
processor. It is designed to run in the Microsoft Windows 95 / 98 and Windows NT V4.0
environment.
Note: CX-Server Lite is not guaranteed to be compatible with computers running
Windows emulation (e.g. Apple Macintosh).

Hardware Requirements
The following configuration is the minimum system requirements for running CX-Server Lite
♦ IBM PC compatible 200MHz Pentium processor:
♦ 64 Mbytes of RAM,
♦ 30 Mbytes available hard disk space,
♦ 800 x 600 Super VGA display.
The Recommended minimum is:
♦ IBM PC compatible 400MHz Pentium II processor,
♦ 64 Mbytes of RAM,
♦ 50 Mbytes available hard disk space,
♦ 1024 x 768 Super VGA display.

Operating Systems and Environments

The operating systems on which this software will run are:
♦ Microsoft Windows 95 / 98,
♦ Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 4 and later),
Containers in which this software will run are:
♦ Microsoft Excel 97 and later,
♦ Microsoft Visual Basic version 5.0 and later.

Interfaces to Hardware - PLC Communications

Interfaces to PLC hardware are via the CX-Server runtime system. Note that Temperature
Controllers are not supported in this version.
Interfaces to Network Service Boards (NSBs) are achieved using Fins Gateway, which is
supplied and supported as part of the CX-Server product.

Interfaces to Hardware - Peripherals

Interfaces to PC hardware (printers, graphics, keyboard, mouse, Ethernet etc.) are supported
by drivers installed and supported by Windows.

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Installing/Uninstalling CX-Server Lite

The CX-Server Lite software is supplied on CD-ROM and is installed easily from within
Windows.

To install CX-Server Lite

1, 2, 3… 1. Close all programs.
2. Insert the CD labelled CX-Server Lite into your CD-ROM drive. If Autorun
is enabled on your system, the installation starts automatically, otherwise
see the README.TXT on the CD-ROM for instructions to launch manually.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen.
By default, CX-Server Lite is installed in C:\Program Files\Omron. Additional Omron
applications will be installed in a subfolder under Omron. Common components are installed
into C:\Program Files\Common Files\Omron\Components.

To uninstall CX-Server Lite

When you uninstall, your CX-Server Lite project data remains intact – uninstall only removes
program files. It is recommended, however, that you copy and move any projects you saved
in the CX-Server Lite folder. Save a copy of your projects in another location on your hard drive
(such as your My Documents folder) before uninstalling CX-Server Lite.
1, 2, 3… 1. From the Start menu, select Settings – Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs.
3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab.
4. From the list programs that you can remove, select CX-Server Lite.
5. Click Add/Remove.
6. At the prompt, select the Remove item and click Next and follow any further
prompts.
7. Wait until the uninstall program indicates that the process is complete.

The Help system, and How to Access it

CX-Server Lite comes with a detailed help system. At any time while using the software, it is
possible to get help on a particular point that is currently being worked on, or on general
aspects of CX-Server Lite. This system is intended to complement the manual, by providing
on-line reference to specific software functions and how to use them. This manual is designed
to provide tutorial information and discuss the various facilities offered by CX-Server Lite.

Help Topics
Select the Help option on the Object Properties menu, which can be accessed by clicking on
an object using the right mouse button and then selecting the option which shows the object
name.

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The help system provides a standard look-up dialog under the Contents tab showing the
contents of the CX-Server Lite Help file. Double-click on an item to read the associated
information.

Index
Use the following procedure to retrieve on-line help from the Index tab of the Help dialog.
1, 2, 3… 1. Select the Help option from the Object Properties Menu.
2. Select the Index tab.
3. Enter a text query into the first step field. The second step field is
refreshed according the to query entered in the first step field.
4. Select an entry in the second step field and select Display pushbutton, or
double-click on the index entry.
5. If an entry is linked to two or more topics, the names of the topics are
displayed in the Topics Found dialog. Select a topic and choose the
Display pushbutton or double-click in the topic.

Find
Use the following procedure to retrieve on-line help from the Find tab of the Help Topics dialog.
1, 2, 3… 1. Select the Help option from the Object Properties Menu.
2. Select the Find tab.
3. Enter a text query into the first step field. The second step field is
refreshed according the to query entered in the first step field. Previous
text queries can be retrieved by selecting from the drop down list in the
first step field.

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4. Select a word that matches the query – some words may be automatically
selected. More than one word can be selected by pressing Shift and
selecting another word to extend the selection or by pressing Ctrl and
selecting another word to add to the selection. The third step field is
refreshed according to the word or words selected. The number of topics
found is shown at the bottom of the dialog.
5. Select a topic from the third step field and select the Display pushbutton,
or double-click on the topic from the third step field. Select the Clear
pushbutton to restart the find operation.
The Find operation can be enhanced by the use of the Options pushbutton and Rebuild
pushbutton. Refer to Microsoft Windows documentation for further information.

About CX-Server Lite

CX-Server Lite Components include an About dialog accessible from the properties menu. The
About dialog supplies technical reference information about the application such as version and
copyright information. It also contains essential version number information that is required for
obtaining technical support. The CX-Server Communications Control also includes details of
the version of CX-Server installed.
In addition, a brief description of CX-Server Lite and the CX-Automation Suite can be accessed
from the main help contents dialog.

Technical Support
If the installation instructions for this application have been followed, no difficulties should be
encountered.
If a problem occurs, check that it does not relate to a fault outside CX-Server Lite, for instance,
with external components. Check the following:
♦ The PC is working correctly,
♦ The external system or application is working correctly,
♦ The communications system is set up correctly,
♦ Any errors are cleared in the associated PLCs.
When Customer Services need to be contacted, keep the following details to hand. A clear and
concise description of the problem is required, together with the exact text of any error
messages.
Note: Use the About dialog to obtain the version number of the application.

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Objects Overview
CX-Server Communications Control
This control provides a seamless interface between the CX-Server Lite host application (Excel,
Visual Basic) and Omron’s communication software, CX-Server. Note that the control is only
visible when the host application is in the Design mode.
The Properties dialog enables you to select the project you wish to open. Clicking the Open…
button will open the Open Project dialog allowing you to navigate to the appropriate file.
Clicking the Edit Project button opens the CX-Server Project Editor dialog. This dialog is
supported by CX-Server and follows the standard Windows Explorer format. The left hand
pane shows the tree structure for the project. By expanding the tree the associated PLCs and
Points etc. can be reviewed and edited as necessary. New PLCs and points can be added by
right clicking in the right hand pane and selecting New from the menu. Consult the associated
help file for more detailed information on editing.

7 Segment
The 7 segment displays a numerical value in Binary, Decimal or Hexadecimal formats. Leading
zeros and unused segments hidden. The colour of the segments and the display background
can be set independently. The 7 Segment can not be used to set a value.

Display
The Display displays an analogue or text value. The Display only displays a value i.e. you can
not set a value using this display.

LED Indicator
The LED functions as a coloured on/off indicator. The colour of the indicator and the display
background can be set independently while its shape can be round or square. In the off state,
the chosen indicator colour is dimmed.

Linear Gauge
The Linear Gauge displays an analogue value by filling a rectangle to represent the actual
value as a proportion of its expected maximum. The rectangle can be filled from bottom to top
(like a thermometer) or from left to right (like a progress complete bar). There is also a
configurable scale, enabling intermediate values to be estimated. The Linear gauge will only
display a value, you can not set a value with this gauge.

Rotational Gauge
The Rotational Gauge displays an analogue value, similar to a speedometer. An indicator
needle rotates according to the value. There is a configurable scale, enabling intermediate
values to be estimated. The Rotational gauge will only displays a value, you can not set a
value with this gauge.

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Rotary Knob
The Rotary Knob allows you to set an analogue value, similar to a volume knob. You can rotate
the knob, e.g. by clicking and dragging the mouse, to set the pointer to a new position. There
is a configurable scale, enabling intermediate values to be estimated. The pointer always
reflects the current value e.g. on start-up, and will change position in response to an external
influence.

Toggle
The Toggle allows you to toggle a Boolean bit between its ‘On’ and ‘Off’ state. This is as a
switch that can be clicked to change its state. The current state is shown by the position of the
switch. The switch position also reflects the current value e.g. on start-up, and will change
position in response to an external influence.

Timer
The timer enables you to run a set of instructions repeatedly at regular intervals.

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Tutorial
The following sections take you through the steps required to open your selected application,
i.e. Excel or Visual Basic and create a working area. Using the short tutorial you can then
continue and load a number of ActiveX objects, link them together and run a simulation.
As you became more practised in using CX-Server Lite you will find there is usually more then
one way to perform an operation. The following procedures may not always the quickest but
have been written to show how the application works using the basic features.
If the ActiveX objects are not visible in the Visual Basic Toolbox they can be added as follows:
1, 2, 3… 1. Right click in the Toolbox and select the Components… option. This will
open the Components dialog.
2. Find the CX-Server Lite controls in the list, all of which all start with
OMRON CX, and tick each box.
3. Click the OK button. The objects are now displayed in the Toolbox.

Step 1: Viewing PLC Data using Omron Graphical Controls

Adding the Communications Control
Before the Graphical Controls objects of CX-Server Lite can communicate with a PLC the
correct data source connections have to be set up for it. This is not necessary if the Graphical
Control will be used stand alone and driven from script.
To add a Communications Control:
1, 2, 3… 1. Start the host application e.g. Microsoft Excel 97.
Tip: If you intend having a large number of components on your
desktop it is recommended you run Excel in full screen mode.
2. Ensure the Control Toolbox and CX-Server Lite toolbars are shown
by selecting them from the View, Toolbar menu.
Note: In Visual Basic, ensure the Toolbox is shown by selecting
Toolbox from the View menu.
3. Ensure the host application is in design mode for example, in Excel by
clicking the Design Mode button in the Control Toolbox.
4. In the CX-Server Lite toolbar click the Add CX-Server
Communications Control button. The Communications Control object
is drawn in the default position - top left hand corner of the work area.
Note: In Visual Basic, select the required component from the Toolbox and draw a
rectangle at the desired position.
Tip: Double clicking the toolbox button inserts the component with a default
size.

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5. Using Drag and Drop the object can now be repositioned in the work
area. Note that the object will not visible in run mode.

Connecting the Communications Control to a PLC

The first step is to create a CX-Server project file (.CDM file) or select one which has been
created by another application (e.g. CX-Programmer or SYSMAC-SCS). This file contains PLC
configuration data and symbolic definitions.
The following procedure takes you through the steps required to load an existing .CDM file or
create a new one.
1, 2, 3… 1. Right click on the CX-Server communications control. In the popup menu,
select the OMRON CX Communications Control Object option.

Note: In Visual Basic, the menu option is called Properties.

2. In the Communication Control Properties dialog ‘Project’ field enter or

select the following.
i. To open an existing CX-Server project (.CDM) file:
♦ Click the Open… button and in the Open Project dialog navigate
to the file you wish to open.
♦ When you click the Open button, the full path name of the
selected file will be entered into the Project field.
Caution: When sharing a CDM file with another applications it is
important to realise that any changes that are made to the CDM
file may affect the other applications.
ii. To create a new CX-Server project (.CDM) file:
♦ Click the New… button and in the Create Project dialog navigate
to the directory in which you wish to create the new file.
♦ In the File Name field, enter the desired file name. When you
click the Save button, the full path name of the new file will be
entered into the Project field.
3. Projects can be edited by clicking the Edit Project… button and then
making the required changes from the Project Edit Dialog. This is a CX-
Server runtime utility – invoke help from within it for details of how to add
and configure PLCs and Points.
4. Click the OK button to complete the configuration.
The communications control is now ready to connect to CX-Server, and retrieve data from
PLCs. This data can be accessed using script commands (see Appendix B), or by adding a
Graphical Component.

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Adding a 7 Segment Display

1, 2, 3… 1. With the host application in design mode, add a 7 Segment control.

2. Right click on the graphical component and from the popup menu select the
OMRON CX 7 Segment Control Object option.
Note: In Visual Basic, the menu option is called Properties.

3. In the component properties dialog select the Data Source tab and enter
the following information:
♦ Server: - Select the name of the communications control to be used.
If only one has been added, it is selected automatically. If the list is
empty then you need to add one first.
♦ PLC: - Select the required PLC. If the appropriate PLC is not in the list
click the > button and select Add PLC…. The Add PLC dialog is part
of the CX-Server runtime. For further information on adding PLCs refer
to the CX-Server User Manual or the online help.
♦ Item: - Select the point Item. If the appropriate item is not in the list
click the > button and select Add Item….. The Point Editor dialog is
part of the CX-Server runtime. For further information on adding Points
refer to the CX-Server User Manual or the online help. The Item field
will also accept physical addresses e.g. “DM100” instead of defining
logical addresses.
♦ Update Rate: - Enter the rate, in seconds, at which the data is
updated.
Note: This value should be chosen carefully. If the update rate is set
low it will increase the volume of data being transferred, and may
cause the system to slow down or stop responding.
4. Click OK to complete the connection.

Running the Application

Click the Mode button to change to ‘Run’ mode. The communications control
will disappear and will connect to the PLC. After a short delay, depending on
the PLC communications medium, the 7 Segment display will show the PLC
value.
Note: In Visual Basic, click to switch to run mode, and to return
to design mode.

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Step 2: Inserting PLC Data in Cells

Step 1 shows PLC data in a graphical control, but the PLC data can also be inserted directly
into cells within Excel. This could be useful for further numerical analysis, like averaging or
statistical control.
Note In Visual Basic, there is no concept of cells, but the same technique could be used
: to set a Visual Basic variable with a PLC value.

Assuming Step 1 above has been completed:

1, 2, 3… 1. Decide when the data should be updated:
i. For the user to control the data update, add a standard Command
Button from the Control Toolbox.
ii. For the value to constantly update on a regular interval, add the
Omron timer control.
2. Double click the added object to access the script and add the line:
Cells(1, 1) = Comms1.Value("MyPointName")
where MyPointName is the logical name of the item to read.
3. Close the Visual Basic editor, and run the application as shown in Step
1. The cell A1 (that is row 1, column 1) will show the required data.

Step 3: Adding Third Party ActiveX Controls

Step 1 shows PLC data in an Omron graphical control, but the PLC data can used by other
ActiveX controls, like Graphical Control Libraries supplied by other manufacturers, or controls
like Charts or Scroll Bars supplied with Microsoft products.
Assuming Step 1 above has been completed, the following steps show connecting the data to
a standard Scroll Bar:
1, 2, 3… 1. Add a standard Scroll Bar from the Control Toolbox.

2. Select and resize the buttons as required then drag and drop the buttons
in the desired position.
3. Double- click on the scroll bar buttons. This will reposition the cursor in the
code sheet at the following entry.
Private Sub Scrollbar1_Change()
|
End Sub
Note: In Visual Basic, the default name for scroll bars is HScroll1 or
VScroll1.

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4. Add the following syntax. The additional command instructs any new Scroll
Bar value to be written to the PLC.
Private Sub Scrollbar1_Change()
Comms1.Value(“MyPointName”) = Scrollbar1.Value
End Sub
Run the application as shown in Step 1. The communications control will
disappear and the 7 Segment display will show the PLC value. When you click
on the scroll bar buttons the value is sent to the PLC. This new value is then
shown on the 7 segment display. Note that the maximum value is limited to
100. This is the default value of the scroll bar buttons.
This example shows a control setting a PLC value. Third Party controls can also display PLC
values. For this, the syntax would be (depending on actual control):
ControlName.Value = Comms1.Value(“MyPointName”)
This script could also be added to a button or Timer control, as explained in Step 2. Script
functions are described further in Appendix B.

Other Features
The following sections provide a brief overview of some of the more advanced features
available in CX-Server Lite.

Event Driven Routines

Many of the script examples in this manual use asynchronous communications, that is
communications are carried out on demand without synchronisation with the rest of the system.
Asynchronous communications can be easily used to quickly create solutions that are easy to
understand. As a solution grows however, asynchronous communications can prove inefficient
and produce unpredictable updating, which is difficult to debug because multiple scripts may
be demanding the same data at the same time.
The CX-Server Communications Control provides facilities for synchronous communications,
that is communications and data updating are synchronised. The GetData and StopData script
commands (see Appendix B for full details) control the generation of OnData events on regular
intervals, which can be used to efficiently drive multiple controls, and is easier to debug.
Example:
1, 2, 3… 1. Add an OMRON CX-Server Communications Control and two standard
Command Buttons.
2. Double click the communications control to add the following script.
Note the script is in the Event OnData:

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Private Sub Comms1_OnData(ByVal PLC As String, ByVal

Point As String, ByVal Value As Variant, ByVal
BadQuality As Boolean)
If (Point = "MyPointName") Then
'Data is from this point
Cells(1, 1) = Value
End If
End Sub
Every time OnData is called with data from the point MyPointName the
value is written to the cell A1.
3. Double click the Command Buttons to add the following script:
Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Comms1.GetData("MyPLC", "MyPointName", 1.0, 0)
End Sub

Private Sub CommandButton2_Click()

Comms1.StopData("MyPLC", "MyPointName)
End Sub
Run the application. Click CommandButton1 to start creating OnData events every second.
Note the cell A1 updating. Click CommandButton2 to stop the updating.

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Advanced Properties
When working with Visual Basic the advanced properties dialog is normally displayed on the
right of the work form, although it can be docked in any position. In Excel it is opened by right
clicking on an object and selecting the Properties option from the pop up menu. The dialog
allows you to scan through all the available options. Some options require you to enter specific
information, others provide a choice of entries from a drop down menu.
From the drop down menu at the top of the dialog select the objet to be edited. This will display
the full range of options available for that object, which can then be viewed either Alphabetically
or Categorised. A full list of the options and their settings and ranges for the CX-Server Lite
objects can be found in Appendix A – Component Properties.

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Project Tree
Like Explorer the Project Tree provides a graphical representation of you application. In Visual
Basic it is displayed to the right of the work form while in Excel it is shown on the left of the code
sheet.
By expanding the tree you can see all your associated files and work sheets. It is possible to
open any number of work sheets by simply double- clicking on them. Having multiple work
sheets open in this way enables you to copy and paste between them saving you valuable time
rewriting sections of code that already exist, and more importantly are known to work.

Controlling ActiveX Objects

A number of objects can be grouped together such as the 7 segment display and the spin
buttons by selecting the objects you want to group while holding down the ‘Shift’ key as you
select each object. When you have selected all the objects, right click on an object and select
the ‘Group’ option from the drop down menu. Note however that objects must be ungrouped
before their parameters can be edited.
Other drawing commands such as Bring to Front, Send to Back, Cut, Copy, Past etc. follow the
standard windows conventions and are selected from the toolbar and/or drop down menus.

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Appendix A
Component Properties
This appendix gives a list of the available properties. Each component supports a selection of
these properties which can be set in design mode by using the properties dialog, or in the run
time by using a Visual Basic script command – for example: - Object1.Value = 10
Property Title Example Values Description
About None Description of the object.
(Custom) None Opens the properties dialog for the object.
(Name) Object Name This is the system generated name for the object.
Autoload True Switches the Autoload function On or Off. When set to On the ActiveX
False component value will autoload.
True = On, False = Off.
AutoSize 0 to 1 Switches the fonts auto size option on or off.
0 = Off, 1 = On.
BackColour &H00E0E0E0& The code determines the background colour of the object. Click the browse
button to display the colour palette.
BorderStyle 0 to 3 The value determines the visual appearance of the border that surrounds the
object.
0 = None, 1 = Raised, 2 = Sunken, 3 = Single_Line
ButtonStyle 0 to 6 The value determines the button style.
0 = Toggle Switch, 1 = Colour Button, 2 = In/Out Button, 3 – Rotary Switch
4 = Rocker Switch, 5 = Indicator Button, 6 = Blank Button.
CommsServerName Comms1 to n This is the name of associated communications control.
DecimalPlaces 2 Number of decimal places for 7 Segment. Only applies when NumberBase =
10
DisplayFont Arial This is the system name of the font used for the display. Use the browse
button to display the font dialog. Arial is the default.
DisplayFontColour &H00000000& The code determines the colour of the display font. Click the browse button to
display the colour palette.
DisplayFormat 0 – Dec Determines the format used to display the analogue display information.
1 – Hex 0 = Decimal, 1 = Hexadecimal, 2 = Scientific.
2 – Scientific
DisplayMajorTicks False Shows or hides the major tick marks of the scale.
True True = Show, False = Hide.
DisplayMajorUnits False Shows or hides the major units markers of the scale.
True True = Show, False = Hide.
DisplayMinorTicks False Shows or hides the minor tick marks of the scale.
True True = Show, False = Hide.
DisplayMinorUnits False Shows or hides the minor units markers of the scale.
True True = Show, False = Hide.
DisplayType 0 – Analogue Determines the type of display.
1 – Digital 0 – Analogue: as a numeric value, 1 – Digital: as textual value,
2 – Text 2 – Text: as text.
Enabled True Switches the object on or off.
False True = On, False = Off.
Font Arial This is the system name of the font used for the object title. Use the browse
button to display the font dialog. Arial is the default.
FontColour &H00000000& The code determines the colour of the title font. Click the browse button to
display the colour palette.
Height 141 Sets the overall height of the object in pixels.

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Property Title Example Values Description

IndicatorColour &H00FF0000& The code determines the colour of the indicator. Click the browse button to
display the colour palette.
ItemName Output Flow No1 This is the reference name given to the object.
KnobBorderPercentage 25 This value determines the size of the knob border as a percentage of the
overall size.
KnobColour &H02C4723E& The code determines the colour of the knob. Click the browse button to
display the colour palette.
KnobStyle 0 – Integer Determines how the numerical value of the knob is interpreted
1 – Real 0 = as an integer or 1 = as a real number.
LeadingZeros False Turns On or Off the leading zero’s of the display.
True False = On, True = Off.
LEDColour &H00FF0000& The code determines the default or inactivated colour of the LED indicator.
Click the browse button to display the colour palette.
Left 153 Determines the position of the object from the left hand edge of the work area
in pixels.
Locked True Locks the actions of the ActiveX object.
False True = Locked, False = Unlocked.
MajorTickInterval 10 Sets the number of major tick intervals.
Determines the length of the arc for rotary gauges. Range ±360 .
0
MaxAngle 180
MaxCharacters 6 Determines the number of digits to be included in the display.
MaxDecimalPlaces 2 Determines the position of the decimal point in the display.
MaxGaugeValue 50 Sets the maximum value of the gauge.
MaxValue 999.99 Sets the maximum value that can be shown by a display.
Determines the length of the arc for rotary gauges. Range ±360 .
0
MinAngle 0
MinGaugeAngle 50 Sets the minimum angle of the gauge.
MinGaugeValue 10 Sets the minimum value displayed on the gauge.
MinorTickInterval 2 Sets the number of tick intervals between each major tick interval.
MinValue -999.99 Sets the minimum value that can be shown by a display.
NumberBase 10 Number Base for 7 Segment e.g. 2 for Binary, 10 for Decimal,
16 for Hexadecimal.
NumberOfDigits 3 Determines the number of digits to be included in the display.
Orientation 0 or 1 Sets the orientation of the gauge – Horizontal or Vertical.
0 = Vertical, 1 = Horizontal.
PLCName PLC1 This is the name given to the PLC, not its type.
PrintObject True Determines if this ActiveX object will be shown on a printout of the work
False sheet. True = Printed, False = Not printed.
Round 0 or 1 Determines the shape of the LED indicator. 0 = Square, 1 = Round.
ScaleFont Arial This is the system name of the font used for the scale. Use the browse
button to display the font dialog. Arial is the default.
ScaleFontColour &H00000040& The code determines the colour of the scale font. Click the browse button to
display the colour palette.
SegmentColour &H0000C000& The code determines the colour of the display segments. Click the browse
button to display the colour palette.
Shadow True Adds or removes a shadow from the object giving it a raised appearance.
False True = Shadow On, False = Shadow Off.
State0Colour &H000000FF& The code determines the colour of the toggle switch in the 0 state. Click the
browse button to display the colour palette.
State0Text Text This is the text indicating the 0 state of the switch, i.e. Off, Stopped, Halt etc.
State1Colour &H0000FF00& The code determines the colour of the toggle switch in the 1 state. Click the
browse button to display the colour palette.

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Property Title Example Values Description

State1Text Text This is the text indicating the 1 state of the switch, i.e. On, Running, Start etc.
StateFont Arial This is the system name of the font used to display the sate of the switch ro
button. Use the browse button to display the font dialog. Arial is the default.
StateFontColour &H00000000& The code determines the colour of the title font. Click the browse button to
display the colour palette.
Title Text This is the title that appears in the object.
TitlePosition 0 – Top Determines where title will be placed in the object. Above or below the scale.
1 – Bottom
Top 230 Determines the position of the object from the top of the work area in pixels.
UnitPostion 0 – Inside Positions the dial units inside or outside the scale.
1 – Outside
UpdateRate 10 The value sets the frequency, in seconds, at which the data passing to or
from the object is updated.
Value 0 Determines the default value of the ActiveX object.
Visible True Switches the object between visible and invisible in run mode.
False True = Visible, False = Invisible.
Width 98.25 Determines the overall width of the object in pixels.

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Appendix B
Script Interface
The Script Interface defines the Visual Basic script interface for the CX-Server communications
control.

Functions
Value Function for getting and setting an area of memory in a PLC.
This function allows logical names to be used. If an array is used,
the first element is returned.
Values Function for getting and setting an area of memory in a PLC.
This function allows logical names to be used. If an array is used
then a SAFEARRAY is returned with all values.
SetDefaultPLC Function for setting the default PLC. This is primarily used when
a project contains multiple PLCs.
OpenPLC Opens the specific PLC for communications.
ClosePLC Closes the specific PLC.
ReadArea Function for reading a block of memory from the PLC.
WriteArea Function for writing a block of memory to the PLC.
GetData Function for starting OnData Events.
StopData Function for stopping OnData Events.
OnData Event for receiving notification of a change in data.
RunMode Function for reading the current mode of the PLC.
TypeName Function for reading the PLC type (e.g. CQM1H).
IsPointValid Checks a point name is valid
PLC Memory A, AR, C, CIO, D, DM, DR, E, EM, G, GR, H, IR,
Functions LR, SR, ST, T, TC, TK, W.
Functions for getting and setting the memory areas in the PLC.

Value
Reads the value of an address from a PLC, or writes a value to an address in a PLC. This
function allows logical names.
Example 1 – Reading a value from the PLC using a logical name.
intVal = Comms1.Value(“BoilerTemp”)
or
intVal = Comms1(“BoilerTemp”)
In these examples, the PLC address associated with ‘BoilerTemp’ will be read from the PLC
and stored in ‘intVal’. “Value” is the default property for a CX-Server communications control
and does not have to be specified.

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Example 2 – Writing a value to the PLC using a logical name.

Comms1.Value(“BoilerTemp”) = 50
or
Comms1(“BoilerTemp”) = 50
In these examples, the value 50 will be written to the PLC address associated with
‘BoilerTemp’. “Value” is the default property for a CX-Server communications control and does
not have to be specified.
Further examples
Comms1(“PLCName/DMO”) = 1000
Comms1(“DMO”) = 1000
Intval = Comms1(“DM100”)
These examples are physical addresses. A PLC name can optionally be specified otherwise
the current default PLC will be assumed.

Values
Reads an array of values from a PLC, or writes an array of values to a PLC. This function
allows logical names. If an array is used then a SAFEARRAY is returned with all values.
Example 1 – Reading an array of values from the PLC using a logical name.
SomeArray = Comms1.Value(“BoilerTemps”)
Example 2 – Writing an array of values to the PLC using a logical name.
Comms1.Values(“BoilerTemps”) = SomeArray

SetDefaultPLC
The ‘SetDefaultPLC’ function can be used to inform the script parser that a particular PLC is
has been set as the default. Once a default PLC has been set, then it is not necessary (with
some functions) to specify a PLC name. For example,
Comms1.SetDefaultPLC(“MyPLC”)
intVal = Comms1.Value(“BoilerTemp1”)
Comms1.Value(“BoilerTemp1”) = 75
intVal = Comms1.Value(“DM50”)
Each ‘Value’ function above will access data in the PLC called ‘MyPLC’.
Note: If there is only 1 PLC in the project then it is not necessary to call the
‘SetDefaultPLC’ function.
The first PLC in a project will automatically be set as the default PLC.

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OpenPLC
Opens a PLC for communications. If no PLC is specified then the default PLC is opened.
Example 1:
Comms1.SetDefaultPLC(“MyPLC”)
Comms1.OpenPLC()
Comms1.DM(100) = 10
Comms1.DM(50) = 10
Example 2:
Comms1.OpenPLC(“MyPLC”)
Comms1.DM(100) = 10

ClosePLC
Closes a previously opened PLC. If no PLC is specified then the default PLC is closed.
Example:
Comms1.ClosePLC(“MyPLC”)

ReadArea
Reads a specified block of memory from a PLC.
Examples of synchronous read:
MyVariant = Comms1.ReadArea(“MyPLC/DM0”, 12, vbString, WaitUntilComplete )
MyVariant = Comms1.ReadArea(“BoilerTemp”, 10, vbInteger, WaitUntilComplete )
MyVariant = Comms1.ReadArea(“BoilerTemp”, 20)
In the first example, DM0 to DM11 will be read as characters (part of a string) from ‘MyPLC’ and
will be stored in ‘MyVariant’. The second example demonstrates that it is also possible to use
a logical name for the start address, and that any VB variant types (such as vbInteger) can be
used. The third example shows that the VB Variant type parameter is optional – if none is
specified then vbInteger is assumed. In all these examples, WaitUntilComplete is specified (or
assumed) so the script will wait for the read operation to complete before continuing to execute
the next line.
Example of asynchronous read:
MyVariant = Comms1.ReadArea(“BoilerTemp”, 10, vbInteger, NoWaiting )
In this example, the Point ‘BoilerTemp’ will be read. The script will continue to execute the next
line immediately, and when the data is read, it generates an OnData event.

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WriteArea
Writes a block of memory to a specified area in a PLC.
Examples of synchronous write:
MyString = “TestString”
Comms1.WriteArea “MyPLC/DM50”, 10, MyString, WaitUntilComplete
Dim newValue(2) As Long
newValue(1) = 0
newValue(2) = 1
Comms1.WriteArea “BoilerTemp”,2,newValue, WaitUntilComplete
In the first example, the contents of ‘MyString’ will be written into DM50 to DM54. Any
additional data in ‘MyString’ will be ignored (i.e. if ‘MyString’ is 15 characters in length then the
first 10 characters will be written to DM50 to DM54 and the remaining 5 characters will be
ignored – {Note: each PLC address holds 2 characters}). The second example shows that a
logical name can be used. In all these examples, WaitUntilComplete is specified (or assumed)
so the script will wait for the write operation to complete before continuing to execute the next
line.
Example of asynchronous write:
Comms1.WriteArea “Boiler Temp”, 10, newValue, NoWaiting
In this example, the contents of ‘newValue’ will be written to the Point ‘BoilerTemp’. The script
will continue to execute the next line immediately, and the data write operation will continue in
the background.

GetData
Starts asynchronous data reading of the specified point at the requested update rate.
Example
Comms1.GetData “MyPLC”, “MyPoint”, nUpdateRate
In this example, MyPoint in MyPLC would be read at the rate of nUpdateRate (seconds). Data
is then sent to the OnData routine.

StopData
Stops asynchronous data reading of the specified point.
Example
Comms1.StopData “MyPLC”, “MyPoint”
In this example, the reading of MyPoint in MyPLC would be stopped.

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OnData
This event is sent back to the container (e.g. Excel) when GetData has been called and new
data is available.
Example
Private Sub Comms1_OnData(ByVal PLC As String, ByVal Point As String,
ByVal Value As Variant, ByVal BadQuality as Boolean)
TextBox1 = Point
Segment1 = Value
End Sub
In this example, the CX-Server 7 Segment component is set to the value of the point and a text
box is set to display the current point.
If BadQuality is set to True then the value may be inaccurate e.g. from a device which has been
disconnected.
The OnData routine can be enhanced to include logical expressions on the incoming Point
name and then update the correct graphical object etc. for example:
Private Sub Comms1_OnData(ByVal PLC As String, ByVal Point As String,
ByVal Value As Variant, ByVal BadQuality as Boolean)
If Point = “MyPoint” then
Segment1 = Value
Else if Point = “MyOtherPoint” then
Cells(1,1) = Value
End if
End Sub

RunMode
Reads the current operating mode of a PLC (Stop/Program, Debug, Monitor, Run), where
0=Stop/Program mode, 1=Debug mode, 2=Monitor mode and 4=Run mode.
Example
intMode = Comms1.RunMode(“MyPLC”)
In this example, the operating mode would be read from ‘MyPLC’ and stored in ‘intMode’. If
‘MyPLC’ was in ‘Monitor’ mode then ‘intMode’ would be set to the value 2.

TypeName
Reads the PLC model name of a PLC (e.g. C200H, CQM1H, CVM1 etc).
Example
strPLCType = Comms1.TypeName(“MyPLC”)
In this example, the PLC model type will be read from ‘MyPLC’ and will be stored in
‘strPLCType’.

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IsPointValid
Checks if a Point name has been defined in the CX-Server project file.
Examples
bValid = Comms1.IsPointValid(“MyPoint”)
bValid = Comms1.IsPointValid “MyPoint”, “MyPLC”
In both examples, the boolean variable bValid is set True if the point “MyPoint” has been
defined.

PLC Memory Functions

(A, AR, C, CIO, D, DM, DR, E, EM, -
G, GR, H, IR, LR, SR, ST, T, TC, TK, W)
All PLC memory functions (e.g. A, AR, D, DM etc.) work in exactly the same way. The following
examples use the DM function to get and set the value of a DM address in a PLC.
Example 1
intVal = Comms1.DM(100)
In this example, the contents of DM100 will be read from the PLC and stored in ‘intVal’.
Note: These examples assume there is only 1 PLC in the CX-Server project file, or
that the ‘SetDefaultPLC’ function has been used to select the required PLC.
Refer to the ‘SetDefaultPLC’ function for details about using script with multiple
PLCs in the project.
Example 2
Comms1.DM(100) = 75
In this example, the value 75 will be written to DM100 in the PLC.
Bit addressing, that is accessing data from individual memory bits, is also supported by these
memory areas: IR, AR, HR and CIO.
Example 3
intVal = Comms1.IR(“100.2”)
In this example, the status of bit IR100.2 (i.e. bit 2 of IR100) will be read from the PLC and
stored in ‘intVal’ (e.g. ‘value’ will be set to TRUE or FALSE).
Example 4
Comms1.IR(“100.2”) = True
In this example, bit IR100.2 (i.e. bit 2 of IR100) in the PLC will be set to True. Note that use of
the quotes is optional, but is required to differentiate between 100.1 and 100.10

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Glossary of Terms
ActiveX A component technology developed by Microsoft allowing components
to communicate with applications.
Application A software program that accomplishes a specific task. Examples of
applications are SYSMAC-SCS, SYSMAC-CDM, Microsoft Word and
Microsoft Excel.
Bitmap The representation of an image stored in a computer’s memory. Each
picture element (pixel) is represented by bits stored in the memory.
Communications Driver The relevant communications management system for OMRON PLCs
in conjunction with Microsoft Windows, providing facilities for other
software to maintain PLC device and address information and to
communicate with OMRON PLCs and their supported network types.
Event User action, e.g. mouse click or System action, e.g. timer tick which
may cause a script to execute.
GUI Graphical User Interface. Part of a program that interacts with the user
and takes full advantage of the graphics displays of computers. A GUI
employs pull-down menus and dialog boxes for ease of use.
I/O type Input / Output type. An attribute of a point that defines the origin and
destination of the data for that point. The data for a point can
originate (be input from) and is destined (is output to) to the internal
computer memory, a PLC or a target application.
Icon Pictorial representations of computer resources and functions.
Microsoft Excel A spread sheet application.
Microsoft Windows A windowing environment for MS-DOS computers, that is noted for its
GUI, and for features such as multiple typefaces, desk accessories
(such as a clock, calculator, calendar and notepad), and the capability
of moving text and graphics from one application to another via a
clipboard.
CX-Server Lite will run only under Microsoft Windows.
Microsoft Word A word processing application.
OLE Object Linking and Embedding. Used to transfer and share information
between Microsoft Windows based applications and accessories.
PC Abbreviation for Personal Computer.
Pixel A single displayable point on the screen from which a displayed image
is constructed. The screen resolution of the computer’s Visual Display
Unit (VDU) is defined by the number of pixels across and the number
of pixels down (e.g. 1024x768).
PLC Abbreviation for Programmable Logic Controller.

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Point A point is used to hold a value of a predefined type - Boolean, Integer,

Text, etc. The contents of a point may be controlled by an object or
I/O mechanism such as DDE. The contents of a point may control the
action or appearance of an object, or be used for output via an I/O
mechanism.
SVGA mode A mode of video display that provides 800×600 pixel resolution (or
higher) with 16 or more colours and is supported on Super Video
Graphics Adapter systems.
Windows Desktop An integral part of Microsoft Windows which allows Microsoft
Windows based applications to be started from icons and for all
applications to be organised.

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Index

A I
About CX-Server Lite · 10 Inserting PLC Data in Cells · 16
About this Manual · 6 Installing/Uninstalling CX-Server Lite · 8
ActiveX Objects Interfaces to Hardware - Peripherals · 7
7 Segment · 11 Interfaces to Hardware – PLC Communications · 7
Display · 11
LED Indicator · 11
Linear Gauge · 11
Rotary Knob · 12
O
Rotational Gauge · 11 Objects Overview · 11
Time · 12 Operation Systems and Environments · 7
Toggle · 12 Other Features · 17
Adding a 7 Segment Display · 15 Advanced Properties · 19
Adding the Communication Control · 13 Controlling ActiveX Objects · 20
Adding Third Party ActiveX Controls · 16 Event Driven Routines · 17
Advanced Properties · 19 The Project Tree · 20
Available Properties · 21

P
C Project Tree · 20
Component Properties · 21
Connecting CX-Server Lite to a PLC · 14
Controlling ActiveX Objects · 20 R
Running an Application · 15

E
Event Driven Routines · 17 S
Script Interface · 24
Functions · 24
G PLC Memory Functions · 28
Script Interface Functions
Getting Started with CX-Server Lite · 6
Glossary of Terms · 30 GetData · 27
OnData · 27
ReadArea · 26

H RunMode · 28
SetDefaultPLC · 25
Hardware Requirements · 7 StopData · 27
Help Topics · 9 TypeName · 28
Value · 24
Values · 25
WriteArea · 26
System Requirements · 7

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Hardware Requirements · 7
Interfaces to Hardware · 7
Operating Systems and Environments · 7
V
Peripherals · 7 Viewing PLC Data using Omron Graphical Control
PLC Communications · 7 · 13

T W
Technical Support · 10 Welcome to CX-Server Lite · 6
The Help System, and How to access it · 8
Tutorial · 13
Step 1
Viewing PLC Data using Omron Graphical Control
· 13
Step 2
Inserting PLC Data in Cells · 16
Step 3
Adding Third Party ActiveX Controls · 16

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