This blog summarizes simple guides on how to use text and graphic lists in Tia Portal V16. Text and graphic lists are simple features that can be used in different ways in the HMI to show text/graphic data. This tutorial will explain how to use the text list to navigate screens, how to use the text/graphic list to show the status of certain equipment in the system.
1- Creating Text list to Navigate screens
In this example, we will use a text list to navigate screens with a dropdown menu. The first step to create a dropdown menu is to make a Text list, and then connect it to the symbolic IO field.
1- Make a text list, go to project tree then> Text and Graphic list > Text List.
2- Add a new text list with options that you want to show in the dropdown menu. The below pic show an example with three options Main screen, Screen 1, Screen 2.
3- Place the symbolic IO field in the screen, Toolbox > Elements.
4- Create an HMI tag of Type int to be used within the dropdown menu.
5- Go to properties > General >then Link the Text list created in Step 2 to symbolic IO field as shown in the below gif.
6- Configure the Activate Screen By Number function for the “Change” event of the tag created in Step4.
2- Creating Text list to show C.B. status
- Open the “Text and Graphics Lists” folder in the project tree.
- Create a new text list of the “bit” type. I would like to monitor a tag value (see above logic) when it’s 0 we can display a text that says “Faulty” and “Healthy” when it’s equal to 1.
- Insert symbolic IO field in the screen, Toolbox > Elements.
- Connect the text list created to the symbolic IO field.
3- Creating Graphic list to show C.B. status
1- Firstly, make a Graphic list> go to project tree then> Text and Graphic lists > click on Graphic lists tap, create a new one of type “Value/Range”.
Text/Graphics will change depending on the Selection tap, where “bit” (1,0) type is used with digital signals where two options are either 1 or 0. “Value/Range” type is used with more than two options.
Let's say we have a pump, the green color indicates that the pump is ON and yellow if it's was Off so if the signal is 1 green graphic will show, and if 0 yellow one will show as shown below. This is the main idea of using graphic lists to show status.
2- Insert symbolic IO field in the screen, Toolbox > Elements.
3- link the Graphic list created to the symbolic IO field as below.
All Done!
We learned in this tutorial:
- How to use text lists to navigate screens
- How to use text lists & graphic lists to show status.
I really hope you find this article helpful. If you have any questions, feedback or you want to share more information about the topic discussed above, please don’t hesitate to contact me through gmail or add me on LinkedIn.
