Phase Parameters | Exposed set to True

Sepasoft MES Module Suite

Phase Parameters Exposed to Ignition Tag Ignition

Batch Phase Parameters map to OPC devices or Ignition Tags as defined in standard PLI (Phase Logic Interface).

When Phases are added to Units in the batch system, Batch Engine creates Batch Phases under the Unit in Ignition Tag Browser. Each Phase has parameters that are used to transfer data values back and forth between the Unit and the equipment module. The values going from the Unit to the equipment PLC-control component are called Output Parameters. The values coming in from the PLC-control component are called Input Parameters.

A Phase must be within a Unit Class assigned to a Unit for the Batch Engine to create Phase tags within the Ignition Tag Browser.

The batch system has a set of pre-defined parameters such as COMMAND and STATUS, but also allows user-defined parameters that you can configure for values such as Add Amount and Amount Added.

Update in 3.81.11 SP11 and later

MES-7291

Documentation: A text field allowing users to provide descriptive information about the parameter's purpose, usage, or any special considerations. This field is written to Ignition tags as the "Documentation" property.
Engineering Units: A text field to specify the engineering units (e.g., "psi", "°C", "kg/h") for the parameter value, which will be displayed in the user interface and used for clarity in parameter configuration. This field is written to Ignition tags as the "EngUnit" property.

Phase Manager > Phase Edit > set Exposed to True.

Parameter Name Data Type

Begin_Date_Time Date Tag Type property is configurable. Set to Memory by default to create a tag in the Ignition tag browser and saves to the cache and history.

Command

String

Tag Type property is configurable. Value Source is driven by Batch Engine or Manually. See Equipment PLC Commands and States and Batch Command-State Sequence for more information.

Command_Number

Integer

Tag Type property is configurable. Value source is from execution. Values are not saved.

The batch engine writes Command_Number. The PLC reads Command_Number. The system changes the value of the Command parameter based on the value of Command_Number.

See Equipment PLC Commands and States and Batch Command-State Sequence for more information.

Complete

Boolean

Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to cache and history.

Used in the handshake between phases, see Sync Flags.

Disable_Complete

Boolean

True/False | When set to True the equipment does not stop when the step is complete and additional adjustments to parameter values can occur for subsequent instances of the same equipment phase.

When the Disable Complete parameter is set to False, the step waits for the State phase parameter to be set to Complete before the step completes.

Related Topic: Using a Phase in Multiple Steps.

Duration

Long

Tag Type property is configurable. Saves the last value to history. Time in seconds the phase was active (End_Date_Time minus Begin_Date_Time). By default, Duration updates while the phase is running. Added in

3.81.13 SP5 and 4.83.3 SP5: Duration can be written only when the phase completes. See Duration updates on State Handling Parameters.

End_Date_Time Date Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history.

Execute_Count

Long

Increments each time the phase is run. Commonly used to iterate through a process.

Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history.

Handshake_Ack Integer Tag Type property is configurable. Value source is from execution. Values are not saved. The PLC writes Handshake_Ack. Set Handshake_Ack to the current Handshake_Value.

Handshake_Valid Boolean Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to History. The batch engine sets Handshake_Valid to true when Handshake_Ack has a value and the absolute difference between Handshake_Value and Handshake_Ack is less than 5.

Handshake_Value

Integer

Tag Type property is configurable. Values are not saved.

PLC detects whether the batch engine is responding using this parameter. If not, then batch engine sets the Command the phase is set to Held.

The batch engine writes Handshake_Value about once a second while it is waiting on the phase. The PLC reads Handshake_Value.

Message

String

Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history.

For equipment phases, when a message is written to the Message parameter, that message is recorded in the vertical tables.
For other phases, exceptions can be captured and exposed in this parameter.
The Set Parameter phase can be used to write to another phase's Message parameter.
For the script phase, the parameter can be set via the return parameters.

When the Message parameter on the Equipment Phase is set to a value, it is recorded and no other functions are done. It can be set in the PLC, from script function, or using the Set Parameter phase.

The PLC writes Message while the step is active. When Message_Requires_Ack is true, the PLC waits until Message_Ack_Confirm is true before writing a new Message or clearing Message. Write an empty string to clear Message.

Message_Ack_By String Who acknowledged the message by Ignition user roles.

Message_Ack_Confirm

Boolean

Confirmation flag that the message was acknowledged. The batch engine sets Message_Ack_Confirm to true when the message is acknowledged. A new Message value sets Message_Ack_Confirm to false.

Message_Ack_Date_Time Date Time stamp of when the message was acknowledged.

Message_Date_Time

Date

Date stamp of message display

Message_Requires_Ack

Boolean

True/False to require the acknowledgement of a message.

The PLC writes an empty string to clear Message. When Message_Requires_Ack is true, the PLC waits until Message_Ack_Confirm is true before writing a new Message or clearing Message.

Mode

String

Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history.

Auto: The elements in a Batch Recipe named Transitions end automatically when the condition is True, which allows the next phase to start.

Semi Auto: Enforces that the recipe move through each Transition; You cannot force execute phases out of order.

Manual: You can force execute these phases: e-Signature, Equipment Phase, Script, Set Parameter, User Message, Value Prompt. For more information, see Execution in Manual Mode and Force Complete.

Phase_Exception Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to History.

Propagate_Hold_To_Parent

Boolean

When a Phase state changes to HELD, the HELD state is propagated to the Unit Procedure and Operation. If this parameter is set to True, then the HELD state is passed up to the parent level.

Keep in mind that when you restart the unit procedure and operation, the batch is not restarted. Restart the batch from Batch Controller or Batch Monitor.

State

String

Tag Type property is configurable. Saved to the cache and history.

Batch Command-State Sequence for more information.

State_Number

Integer

Tag Type property is configurable. Value changes are not saved. The PLC writes State_Number. The batch engine reads State_Number. The system changes the value of the State parameter based on the value of State_Number.

Available In:

MES 3.81.9 RC 5 and later

For phases that are Exposed and do not have a State_Transition_Handling parameter, the state cannot be set by the user or application.

For these phases the State_Number and therefore the State is set by Batch Engine.

Error in Logs:

Phase cannot set the State_Number manually.

Error in Tag Browser:

Error writing to State_Number.value: Bad

See Equipment PLC Commands and States and Batch Command-State Sequence for more information.

State_Number_Ack

Integer

In MES 3.81.12 SP2, MES 4.83.1 SP2, and later, the batch engine writes State_Number_Ack after it receives, verifies, and processes a State_Number change. The value written is that same State_Number. Created for Equipment, Transfer In, Transfer Out, and Synchronize phases when Exposed is True. Used when State_Transition_Handling is PLI. When State_Transition_Handling is Auto, State_Number_Ack does not echo State_Number.

The PLC writes the next State_Number only when State_Number_Ack equals the State_Number it last wrote. If the two values differ, the PLC holds the current State_Number. If State_Number is invalid, State_Number_Ack does not change.

Step	PLC writes State_Number	Batch engine writes State_Number_Ack	PLC action
1	5 (Resetting)	3 (unchanged)	Not equal. Wait.
2	5	5	Equal. The PLC can write the next state.
3	1 (Idle)	5 (unchanged)	Not equal. Wait.
4	1	1	Equal. State processed.

Recipes created before this parameter existed keep running. The Gateway log records a warning, at most once every 10 minutes for each Batch ID, and State_Number_Ack is not updated. Sync and save the master recipe to add the parameter. Recipes created after the upgrade include it.

This tag is generated for these phase types:

Equipment Phases
Transfer In Phases
Transfer Out Phases
Synchronize Phases

State_Transition_Handling

Enum

Auto/PLI

Auto: The batch engine drives the states.

PLI: When set to PLI, the PLC drives the state. When a batch completes, Batch Engine sends a RESET command and waits for the input value from the PLC. Then, the batch is back to IDLE.

See State Handling Parameters for more information.

Step_Name String Tag Type property is configurable. Value changes are not saved.

Step_Path

String

Added in 3.81.13 SP5 and 4.83.3 SP5. While the phase is active, this is the path to that step, for example /{}/UP1/OP1:Phase1.

It is set when the step starts and is not written again if the step is resumed. Values are not saved. Edit the phase and push the parameter to recipes that should receive it.

A recipe that has not been updated still runs; that step has no Step_Path. On an exposed phase, the value is available on the phase UDT under the Unit.

Step_Sequence Integer Tag Type property is configurable. Value changes are not saved.

Unit_Path String Every phase has this parameter. The value is the unit path including its name where the phase is currently running within the Equipment Model.

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