Chapter 21

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Window Management

Window Management allows you to set up default run-time parameters as well as

determine which order configuration panels display in.

This chapter provides a field-by-field description of the Window Management

panels:
• System Configuration Information panel—Refer to the “System Configuration
Information Panel” on page 528.
• Window Management Control panel—Refer to the “Window Management
Control Panel” on page 535.

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S YSTEM C ONFIGURATION I NFORMATION P ANEL
Perform the following steps to configure the System Configuration Information
panel:

1 Choose System Configuration in the Configuration Manager Main Menu to

display the System Configuration Information panel.

2 Specify the following information for this panel:

Flags Process the system performs. A task can have multiple flags with
flag values entered in any order. The entries and descriptions are
as follows:
S Session flag - Provides the process with its own
window. Any output to that process or task is
directed to this window rather than to the
Run-Time Manager window. The RUNMGR,
RTMON, and APPEDIT processes require their
own windows.

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R Run flag - Activates this task at FactoryLink

startup. Do not enter the R flag to allow an
operator to start a task manually.
F Foreground flag - Puts this task in the foreground
at startup. Use the F flag if the task has neither
the S nor the R flags.
Task Name Alphanumeric string of 1 to 32 characters that defines the name
of the process (task), such as RECIPE, ALOG, or TIMER. Do not
modify these default names. Define a program name for an
external program.
Valid Entry: alphanumeric string of b 1 to 32 characters
Description Alphanumeric string of 1 to 80 characters that defines the
description of the task listed in the Task Name field. For example,
the description of the SPOOL task is Print Spooler.
Valid Entry: alphanumeric string of 1 to 80 characters

The next six elements contain information about the task at run time. This
information is displayed on the Run-Time Manager screen.
Start Trigger Name of an element that triggers (provides the mechanism for
starting) the task. If the Flags field contains an R for this task, at
run time a 1 (ON) is written to this element. This causes
FactoryLink to start the task automatically. If the Flags field for
this task does not contain an R, the task does not start until the
operator writes a 1 (ON) to this element by clicking on the task
name on the Run-Time Manager screen.
The data type for this tag can be digital or analog, depending on
the kind of data stored in the tag.
Valid Entry: standard tag name (default = digital)
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Window Management
Valid Data Type: digital, analog
Task Status Name of an element that contains the analog status of the task.
This element can have the following analog values:
0 Inactive
1 Active
2 Error
3 Starting
4 Stopping

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Valid Entry: standard tag name
Valid Data Type: analog
Task Message Name of an element the task listed in the Task Name field writes
any run-time messages to. These messages are displayed in the
Message column of the Run-Time Manager screen.
This element can have the following message values:
Inactive
Active
Error
Starting
Stopping
Valid Entry: standard tag name
Valid Data Type: message
Display Status Name of an element that contains a text version of the status of
the process. The task status is displayed in the Status column on
the Run-Time Manager screen.
Valid Entry: standard tag name
Valid Data Type: message
Display Name Name of an element that contains the string entered in the Task
Name field. This task name is displayed in the Task column on
the Run-Time Manager screen.
Valid Entry: standard tag name
Valid Data Type: message
Display Name of an element that contains the string entered in the
Description Description field on this panel.
Valid Entry: standard tag name
Valid Data Type: message
Start Order Numeric value between 0 and 31 to define the order tasks are
started in at run time. The task defined with Start Order 0 starts
first. Start Order 1 starts next, and so on, until Start Order 31,
which starts last. Tasks with the same start order number start

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System Configuration Information Panel

consecutively. The default Start Order for the Run-Time Manager

task is 0. Use the following guidelines to determine the Start
Order for certain tasks.

Set the Start Order for: To start:

Historian Before Logger.

Logger Before Trending.

Math & Logic Coordinated with the functions

defined in the procedures. For
example, if a procedure is dependent
on data from an external device, start
EDI before Math & Logic.

Priority Processing priority for the task. The priority is a three-digit

hexadecimal value which is divided into two parts:
Caution: We recommend you leave the priority at the default
value unless you are knowledgeable and experienced
in setting priorities in the operating system.
First part (the 2 in 201): Hex value that specifies the operating
system class of priority, as listed below. This part is inactive in
Windows.
0 Current class unchanged
1 Idle
2 (default) Regular
3 Time-critical 21
Do not set any Reference Guide task to priority class 0 or 1. Use
caution in assigning a task with priority class 3 because a
time-critical task takes priority over a foreground task. A
Window Management
foreground task takes priority over regular tasks at run time.
Second part (the 01 in 201): Two-digit hexadecimal value (00 to
1F [0 - 31 decimal]) that specifies the priority within the priority
class listed above. The higher the number, the higher the priority
within the class.
Hexadecimal value 00 to 1F (default = 01)

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Refer to the appropriate operating system guide for further
information about processing priority within an operating
system.

Executable File Location of the executable file. Do not use leading spaces if this is
a relative path name to FLINK.
Any path name that has the following format:
\DIRECTORY\SUBDIRECTORY\FILENAME
For example, bin\iml
Do not use a file extension of .exe for this entry. It is not required
and can cause undesirable results if the application is ported to
UNIX.
Application Reserved for future use.
Directory
Program Reserved for future use.
Directory
Program Values used as the arguments to the process. No arguments are
Arguments passed to the task if this field is blank. Program arguments are
not case-sensitive. The table below shows valid arguments for
applicable tasks.

FactoryLink Task Valid Entries Descriptions

Data Alarm Logger -A Disables the printing of

return-to-normal alarms.
-F Freezes initial text display of alarms
configured with %s (C-style) variables.
Enables the limit value to be written to
-T the limit tag. If the -T option is not
specified, the limit value is not
initialized upon Data Alarm Logger
startup.

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FactoryLink Task Valid Entries Descriptions

Batch Recipe -L
-L -V# Log error messages to a file.
Database Browser
Log error messages with more
Historians information (increased verbose level) to
a file.
Math & Logic
(Interpreted mode
only)

SPC Log, SPC

View, and SPR

Trending

Database Logger
-L Log error messages to a file.
-L -V# Log error messages with more
information (increased verbose level) to
-Q+ a file.
Increase the size of the Logger’s buffer.

Run-Time -b<n> Used to set the rate of the fast blink

Graphics option for animated objects. The default
is 1000 mS. The rate <n> represents the
number of milliseconds an object is
shown and hidden. For example, if n
equals 250, then the blink rate is 1/4
second, and the object will flash for 1/4
second, then off for 1/4 second. 21
-o1 (letter o) Performs redraw for static objects.
-T Uses object’s animated value. Window Management
-P Performs redraw of symbol background.

Print Spooler -M Send print requests (except for alarm

logs and binary files) to the system print
queue instead of directly to the printer.

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FactoryLink Task Valid Entries Descriptions

FactoryLink Local -L Log FactoryLink FLLAN error messages

Area Networking to a file.
(FLLAN)
-L -D* Log FactoryLink FLLAN error messages
with more information (increased
verbose level) to a file.

-X Log underlying network software’s error

messages to a log file.

-R Prevents FactoryLink from

automatically setting FLLAN’s
Enable/Disable tag to 1 (ON).

File Manager -L Log error messages to a file.

-L -D* Log error messages with more
information (increased verbose level) to
a file.

3 Click on Enter to save the information.

4 Click on Exit to return to the Main Menu.

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Window Management Control Panel

W INDOW M ANAGEMENT C ONTROL P ANEL

Perform the following steps to configure the Window Management Control panel:

1 Choose Window Management in the Configuration Manager Main Menu to

display the Window Management Control panel.

2 Specify the following information for this panel:

Top TAG Name of the element used to determine the top window.
Valid Entry: standard tag name
(default = TOPWINDOW_U)
Valid Data Type: message
Default Alphanumeric string of 1 to 8 characters to define the name of the 21
default top window. This name must also be defined in the
Application Editor window configuration. New applications
Window Management
created with FLNEW use the default values.
Valid Entry: alphanumeric string of 1 to 8 characters.
(default = FL_MAIN)

3 Click on Enter to save the information.

4 Click on Exit to return to the Main Menu.

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