Panel

Introduction
Panel Editor
Basic Panel Objects

A basic panel object is a push button, pilot light, illuminated push button, selector switch, or any type
of operator control mechanism typically found on a control panel. The QUICKDESIGNER editor
allows the Windows operating system user to easily create basic panel objects and group them in
panels. When the design project is completed in Windows, a project file is transferred to a target
display. Using the editor and display combination, you can quickly create and modify a custom
control panel for your control application.
The QUICKPANEL 5” and 6” displays are 320 x 240 pixels, which is divided into 24 cells of 80 x 40
pixels. The QUICKPANEL 9” EL display is 640 x 400 pixels, which is divided into 80 cells of 80 x
40 pixels. The QUICKPANEL 10.5” display is 640 x 480 pixels, which is divided into 96 cells of 80 x
40 pixels. The QUICKPANEL 12.1” display is 800 x 600 pixels, which is divided into 150 cells of 80
x 40 pixels. The QUICKPANEL jr. display is shown below. The size of the cells and the tiling grid
can be changed. The grid is an aid for placing objects on the panel.
240 PIXELS
40 PIXELS
320 PIXELS 80 PIXELS
QUICKDESIGNER Introduction • 1
The editor presents you with a group of panel object design tools. You simply select one of the tools
from the tool box and place it on the screen. Some objects require a PLC word or bit to make them
active. These objects are called Dynamic Objects. Some objects are for internal use, such as the
GOTO panel, text, legends, bitmaps, etc. These objects are called Static Objects. The pointer is a
special tool, used to select objects already on the screen.
Pointer Bitmap Legend Push Analog

Plate Button Meter
Illuminated Word Pilot Message Image
Push Button Button Light Display Display
Selector Goto Numeric Numeric Print
Switch Panel Display Entry Panel
Time Bar Alarms
Text Display Display Graph Trend
Polyline Circle Rectangle Text
In the beginner mode, the editor draws the object in a two cell field. The objects can be resized to suit
the panel design. In the following drawing, a Pilot Light object has been placed on the panel.
Light
Off
Once the object appears on the screen, an edit dialog box appears. In the case of the Pilot Light, you
can change the text size and color, change background and outline color, and assign a discrete bit in
PLC memory to control the light.
Each type of object can be customized to fit a wide range of applications. It therefore becomes very
easy to place an object on the screen, modify it for your application and load the project into a target
display.
Core Components
Core components are the basic building blocks that will allow you to configure the
QUICKDESIGNER objects. These core components are used in the creation of the basic objects like
push buttons, pilot lights, illuminated push buttons, and selector switches.
Bezel
2 • Introduction QUICKDESIGNER
The bezel presents a visual indication to the operator that the button has been pressed. The bezel,
bezel outline, and touch color can be changed to suit your application. The above example shows the
bezel in two colors. A bezel is used with a touch button such as Push Button, Illuminated Push
Button, GoTo Panel Button and Numeric Data Entry Button.
Legend plate
FAN
STOP
The legend plate is used to provide text information to the operator. The text size can be changed, and
the text will automatically center itself both vertically and horizontally. The text color, background
color and outline color can be modified for your application. Legend plate information is static.
Legend plates are used with Legend Plates, Push Buttons, GoTo Panel Buttons, Numeric Data
Display Buttons and Numeric Data Entry Buttons.
Lens
POWER
OFF
The lens presents a visual indication to the operator of the current status of a bit in the PLC. The lens
is typically presented as a pair of functions, usually an OFF lens and an ON lens. Text in the lens is
used to describe to the operator what the bit status means. Text size is variable and will automatically
center itself both vertically and horizontally. The text color, lens color, and outline color can be
changed to suit your application.
Data Display
1234
A numeric readout provides a mechanism to display the numeric contents of PLC data registers.
QUICKDESIGNER Introduction • 3
Installation
Notes
Basic Requirements
1. MS-DOS 5.0 or greater.
2. A 66-MHz 80486DX or better CPU, at least 16 MB of RAM, at least 40 Mbytes of free disk space.
3. Basic knowledge of how to use the Microsoft Windows operating system.
4. Windows 3.1 in Enhanced Mode (and the SHARE.EXE utility supplied with MS-DOS),
Windows 95 or Windows NT.
5. SHARE.EXE supplied with MS-DOS or VSHARE located in the Windows/system.ini directory.
Backing up and Restoring your data

If you are upgrading your QUICKDESIGNER software, your data files will not be changed.
We recommend that you backup your data files often. In case of theft or computer hardware
problems, use the project Export feature to copy complete project data to a floppy disk.
You may also backup your data by copying the files in your data directory to a safe place. A simple
backup procedure from DOS would be to copy all the files from the data directory to a floppy disk.
For example: "copy C:\QUICK\DATA\*.* b:\ /v".
To restore the data, simply copy the data files from the floppy disk back to your data directory. For
example: "copy B:\*.* C:\QUICK\DATA /v".
You can also use Windows Explorer to copy files to a different data directory or a floppy disk.
4 • Installation QUICKDESIGNER
Installing QuickDesigner
Installation Procedures
1. Insert CD into CD-ROM drive. If AutoRun is enabled, the CD browser will automatically start.
2. If AutoRun is disabled, select your CD-ROM in Windows Explorer, then double-click SETUP.
3. The CD browser will start and display several options. From the main menu, click INSTALL
from CD. After a moment, the Installer starts.
4. Read each screen carefully and follow its instructions.
5. We recommend you install QuickDesigner in its default directory. If you change from the default,
ensure all directories in the new path conform to MS-DOS conventions (do not use spaces or
other disallowed characters and keep names to eight characters or less).
The Installer asks you to choose among these installation types:
Typical installs the software and its most popular extras.
Compact installs the minimum software with no extras.
Custom allows you to choose components to install. The Installer shows the Space Required for the
options you want above the Space Available on your hard drive, so you can make sure you have
enough room. If you wish to add or delete PCO drivers after installing in the Custom mode, start the
installation procedure again, uncheck the Program Files option, then select the driver from the PCO
list. Checked drivers will be installed and unchecked drivers will be removed.
Transferring QuickDesigner to Floppy Disks

To install QuickDesigner on a computer without a CD-ROM, transfer it to floppy disks. You will
need 11 high-density, formatted disks.
1. From the Main Menu, click Make 3 ½ Disks.
2. If you have more than one floppy disk drive, click the one you want to use.
3. Follow the instructions on your screen, inserting disks as required, then clicking Go to continue
the transfer. It’s a good idea to label each disk as you remove it from the drive.
4. When the copy is complete, click Exit to return to the Main Menu.
To install QuickDesigner from your new disks:

1. Insert the first disk in you’re A: or B: disk drive.
2. Select the drive in Windows Explorer.
3. Double-click SETUP.EXE.
4. Follow the instructions on your screen, inserting disks as required.
5. You are returned to Windows when the installation is complete.
Please register your software to ensure notice of new software upgrades.
QUICKDESIGNER Installation • 5
Starting QuickDesigner
To start QuickDesigner, click Navigate through the Programs folder to the Total Control
Products folder (or the folder where you installed Quick Designer) and select the QuickDesigner icon
and name.
After the software starts up, the Quick Manager appears. Quick Manager helps you set up and track
projects for your QuickPanels. For a tutorial, see the Quick Tour in the next section.
Where to Look Next

The QuickDesigner Users Guide gives you complete instructions and is included on the CD.
To view and print the manuals on the CD:
Insert CD into CD-ROM drive. If AutoRun is enabled, the CD browser will automatically start.
If AutoRun is disabled, select your CD-ROM in Windows Explorer, then double-click SETUP.
The CD browser will start and display several options. From the main menu, click View Manuals.
Click the name of the manual you want to see. The Adobe Acrobat Reader opens and displays it.
To see a topic, click its entry in the Table of Contents.
To Print a range of pages, specify them using the page numbers in the bottom-left corner of the
Acrobat window, not the page numbers in the document itself.
Technical Support
QUICKPANEL technical support phone number: (708) 345-5730 x 2546 or (1-800) 293-3568.
FAX: (708) 345-5670.
See the Technical Support section on our Web page at www.total-control.com. This support page
features FAQs, application notes, downloadable drivers, cable diagrams and the option to e-mail the
Technical Support team.
6 • Installation QUICKDESIGNER
Quick Tour
Overview
The Quick Tour section is designed to take you through a simple project using a Modicon PLC and a
QUICKPANEL jr. as the target display. This project contains the basic elements of all projects. You
can substitute your PLC type for those instances where Modicon is used. You will be shown most of
the dialog boxes but only a few require any input or changes.
We strongly suggest that you read the Quick Tour section and attempt a simple project. Make sure
you are able to design a simple panel and download it to the target display. When you have the target
display communicating with your PLC, then proceed to designing more panels. You should download
each panel and test it before designing the next.
Quick Project Setup

Click the Quick icon to start the editor. The following dialog is displayed. We assume this is the first
time you are using the software and there are no projects previously created.
Note that there are no projects listed in the window and several menu buttons and tools are greyed out
(inactive). Click the New button to display the New Project menu.
QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 7

New Project
The New Project dialog is used to enter a title for a new project and pick a target display device.
Type "PROJECT1" for the project name and press TAB to move the cursor to the Display device pull-
down selector (the down arrow to the right of the text field).
Select QUICKPANEL jr. Color as the display device. If your target device is different, select it from
the display device list. This example assumes you are using the QUICKPANEL jr. color display.
Click OK and the Project Setup dialog will appear.
Project Setup
The project name will appear in the project name text field at the top of the dialog box. You can
change it by typing a new name. If you click the More button, the Additional Project Setup dialog box
will appear. The Additional Project Setup dialog box is used to enter the Author name and project
notes.
The next section of the Project Setup dialog box is labeled Display Device. The model selected is
shown in the Model list box. You can change the display device by clicking the down arrow button
and picking a new target display.
The Initial Screen is the first panel displayed when the power is cycled. Leave this blank for now.
The Display button brings up the Display Configuration dialog box, which is used to select the initial
screen and the Screen Saver timeout. The initial screen is the one that appears after a power cycle.
Screen saver timeout is a timer that starts after someone touches the screen. If the screen is not
touched again before the timeout period, the screen goes blank. A setting of 0 will keep the display on
constantly. Click Cancel.
The Touch button brings up the Touch Screen Configuration dialog box. You can turn the beeper
ON(Enable) and OFF(Disable). (You may want to turn it OFF when using the display in an office
environment). Click OK. The Touch button is also used to enable the operation of the external
keypad.
The Print button sends the panel image to a printer. Leave this alone for now.
8 • Quick Tour QUICKDESIGNER

The next section of the Project Setup dialog box is labeled PLC & Protocols. This section is used to
select the PLC protocol and setup the communications for the display. There is only one choice for
the main serial interface port, which is designated SIO/CN1. Click on the down arrow located on the
right side of the PLC Type field to display a list of PLC types. Click on Modicon Modbus.
When you change protocols, the following prompt is displayed. The prompt reminds you that the
protocol you have just selected must be setup after the change. Click Yes to acknowledge the prompt.
Click the Port button to setup the main serial port (CN1) on the display. The Serial Parameters
dialog is displayed. This dialog box is one of the most important, because it defines the
communication settings between the display and your PLC.

The settings MUST match those of your PLC. The settings shown in the dialog box are default
settings and may not be correct for your project. When you start a real project, you may want to write
down the settings and verify they are the same as those on your PLC. Click OK.
Click the Protocol button to setup the optional parameters for a particular PLC type. These parameters
MUST also match those of your PLC. The settings shown in the dialog box are default settings and
may not be correct for your project. The Modicon Modbus dialog box is shown below. Click OK.
Click the System button to open the System Configuration dialog box.
The panel trigger tag allows a register in your PLC to control the selection of panels. You can allow
the operator to select panels, the PLC to select panels, or a combination of the two.
The watchdog is a register in your PLC that is periodically checked to determine if the
communication link is still operational. Each timeout period, the display sends a value to the
watchdog register. The PLC waits for a specified period, then checks the contents of the register. If
there is a value in the register, the link is working. The PLC then clears the register and begins
waiting again. The watchdog operation requires some PLC ladder logic for proper operation.
Pressing the Define Passwords button will display the Password Setting dialog box. You can password
protect one or more panels in a project. You can setup passwords for up to 16 users. The password is
a numeric value from 0 to 65535 with up to three levels of security. For each protected panel in a
project, a security level of Operator, Supervisor, or Master is selected. During run time when a
protected panel is selected, a numeric data entry panel is displayed prior to accessing the panel. A
proper numeric password must be entered which is equal to or greater than the assigned security
level, otherwise access is denied. The Master level can access all panels.
To assign a password, select an unused line, enter the password and optional user name, select a
password level, then click the Change button. Edit the password by selecting the line, making
required changes and clicking the Change button. Remove password assignments by selecting a line,
select Unassign and click the Change button.

To set the password for a single panel, open the panel then go to the Settings menu and select Panel.
The Panel Settings dialog will appear. From the Password Level list box, select No Password,
Operator, Supervisor, or Master. More information about assigning passwords can be found in the
QuickDesigner section under Settings menu.
You are now done with the Project Setup dialog so click the OK button to return to the
QUICKMANAGER dialog.
QUICKDESIGNER
The project now has a title and the necessary configuration information. The next step is to design the
panels for the project. Click the Panels button to open the QUICKDESIGNER panel editor window.
You can also click the panels icon on the toolbar.
The panel editor window opens with a new panel ready to edit. The panel size depends on the type of
display you selected in the setup dialogs. It is a good practice to save the panel as soon as you start
working on it.

The first time you open the QUICKDESIGNER panel editor menu, the Tools menu may be placed on
the grid. Place the cursor over the title of the tool box (Tools), click and hold the left mouse button to
move the Tools menu off the grid.
Create a Panel
Click the illuminated push button icon on the Tools menu or select the illuminated push button
from the Tools pull-down menu. The status line at the bottom of the screen will indicate which tool
you have selected. The illuminated push button is a combination push button and pilot light.
Illuminated Push Button
Move the arrow cursor into the grid area. A cross hair will appear with a small image identifying the
type of tool selected. Move the cross hair to the cell shown in the drawing and click the mouse. Note
the message in the status line at the bottom of the window.
The illuminated push-button object will appear across two cells.
BUTTON OFF

The Illuminated Push Button Settings dialog box will also appear.
Push Button Tag Variable

The illuminated push button consists of two parts; the push button and the pilot-light indicator. When
the button is pushed, it changes a bit in a PLC word. Generally, the pilot light is assigned to monitor
the bit controlled by the push button.
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the push button. This tag will be a single discrete bit in
the PLC memory that the target display can control. Type OD0100 for the button tag and press TAB.
Pilot Light Tag Variable

A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the pilot light. This tag will be a single discrete bit in the
PLC memory that the target display can read. When the bit is ON the pilot light is ON. Type OD200
for the Pilot Light tag and press TAB.
Bezel
The Bezel portion of the push button presents a visual indication to the operator that the button has
been pressed. Click the Bezel button to display the Bezel Settings dialog. Click the Simulate button to
see how the bezel changes colors. Click OK to return to the main push button dialog.

States
Click on the States button to display the State Settings dialog. A push button has two states; ON and
OFF. You can change the text and appearance of each state. Use the Next and Previous buttons to
select a different state. The last state selected will be the one displayed when you click the OK button.
Click OK to return to the main dialog.
Action
The manner in which the push button tag will be controlled is defined by selecting an "Action". A
common action is toggle, where the PLC bit (tag) is turned ON when the push button is pressed and
turned OFF when the push button is pressed again. Click the Toggle button.
Click the OK button to save the illuminated push button settings.
Click the File menu and select Save from the pull-down menu, or click the save icon. When the
Save Panel dialog appears, type Panel1 for the file name.
Press TAB until the cursor is located in the Description window. Type SINGLE ILLUMINATED
PUSH BUTTON then click the OK button.

Click the File menu and select Exit. The QUICK MANAGER window will return.
Tags
The tags menu will allow you to view the tags created for the current project. You can easily add,
delete, cut, paste, and copy tags. You can purge (delete) all of the tags from the current project. Click
the Tags button for the following menu.
If you select Tag Attributes or double click one of the tag names, the Tag Attributes dialog will
appear. Do not change any settings. Click OK to close the Tag Attributes dialog and return to the
Tags dialog. Click the Close button to exit Tags.

Download Panel
Before you attempt to download a panel, you must connect the HMI-CAB-C49 cable between an
unused comm port on your computer and the target display.
Click the Download button or click the Download icon to download the new panel design to the
target display. The first operation that appears on the screen is the compiler (GPC), which compiles
the selected project into code the target device can accept. (Your compiler display may look slightly
different)
When the compile operation is complete, the QUICKCOURIER menu is displayed.

Follow the prompts which are displayed by QUICKCOURIER..
QUICKCOURIER will determine the condition of the display and begin loading the required files. A
bar graph will display the loading progress.

Below the bar graph will be a display device status information box which gives you some general
information about the display.
When the application download is complete, QUICK COURIER will close and the QUICK
MANAGER program will return. Since no default panel was selected, the panel with ID number 1 will
be displayed. If no default panel is selected and there is no panel with ID number 1, then the screen
will be blank except for the name of the protocol shown on the bottom.
If you had a real Modicon Modbus PLC attached to the QUICKPANEL jr. display, the push-button
would operate. Pressing the push-button would set OD0100 to a 1. In this tutorial, the ladder logic in
the PLC is written so that setting OD0100 to a 1 will cause OD200 to also be set to 1. The Pilot Light
tag variable for the push-button is tied to OD200, so it will go on. The push-button was selected to be
a toggle type button. Pressing the push-button again will cause OD0100 to be set to 0 and OD200 to
be set to 0. The pilot light section of the push-button will go out.
You had to read about ten pages of this tutorial in order to create your first push-button. It might have
taken you about ten minutes to complete the exercise. Now that you are familiar with the operations,
it should take you a minute or two to create another button or pilot light. Just think how much time
and money you have saved! You can add an object to your control panel in less than two minutes with
no wiring changes! That's QUICKPANEL!

QUICKMANAGER
QUICKMANAGER Window
QUICK MANAGER is used to set up a project file that contains the type of PLC used, the serial
communications attributes, and other information required for a project. From the manager window
you can jump to the panel editor, which is used to design panels. You can jump to the tag editor to
add or modify the tag list. You can jump to the alarm manager to setup the alarm processor. When
you have completed a project, you can click the download button to send the completed project to a
target display. The QUICK MANAGER window is shown below.
Title Bar
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Project File List
Menu Buttons
Status Bar
Menu Bar
Windows commands are listed on menus. Menus are represented by names in the menu bar at the
top of each application window. In Windows, you select a menu, and then choose a command from
that menu. Choosing the command carries out the action. The menu bar for the QUICK MANAGER
is shown below.
The items listed on menus are most often commands that represent actions you can tell the
application to carry out. Some menu items appear dimmed, some have check marks next to them,
some may have ellipses (...) after their names, and others may have key combinations listed across
from them.
18 • QUICKMANAGER QUICKDESIGNER
Windows applications all follow certain conventions when listing items on a menu. These
conventions signal that extra information about the menu commands will follow.
MENU CONVENTION DESCRIPTION
Dimmed command name The command is not available at this time.
An ellipsis after the name A dialog box will appear.
A check mark next to the name The command is active.
A key combination after the name A shortcut for this command.
A triangle at the right side The command leads to a cascading menu.
To choose an item from a selected menu, click the item name.
Tool Bar
The tool bar contains icons relating to frequently used commands found in the menu bar. By clicking
an icon, you gain instant access to commands. The QUICK MANAGER tool bar is shown below.
New Exit
Setup Help
Delete Upload Project (prj)
Compile/Download Download File (cmp)
Print Compile File (cmp)
Panel Editor Download Project (prj)
Tag Editor Alarms
Menu Buttons
The large menu buttons perform the same functions as the icons in the tool bar, except the buttons are
easier to locate and identify their function. The menu buttons also resize when the window is resized.
The QUICKDESIGNER menu buttons are shown below.
Project File List

The Project File List contains all the projects available to the QUICK MANAGER. You can create
multiple projects, each with a different target display and PLC type. Projects can use panels from
other projects by using the copy and paste functions.
Status Bar
The status bar displays operator prompts to aid you in using the manager and designer tools.
QUICKDESIGNER QUICKMANAGER • 19
Project Menu
The project menu contains options for creating new projects, changing the setup for existing projects,
deleting unwanted projects, and downloading projects to target displays. The import option allows
you to use projects created on another system, while the export option allows saving an entire project.
There are several new tools which are designed to make the process of compiling and downloading
files easier and more flexible. The tool bar buttons have corresponding entries in the Project menu.
You can exit the project menu by clicking the exit option or by clicking the exit icon in the tool bar.
Note that you can quickly exit the project menu by using the ALT-F4 key combination.
Project Menu Overview

New… Allows you to start a new project. This functions the same as the icon and the NEW button on
the Quick Manager screen.
Setup… Allows you to edit project information such as screen saver, initial display screen, PLC
protocol, panel passwords, etc. See Setup for more information. This functions the same as the Setup
button on the Quick Manager screen.
Delete… Allows you to delete the selected project from the project list. This functions the same as the
trashcan icon on the toolbar.
Store Project in QuickPanel… This feature (when selected) allows you to store a compiled copy of
your QuickDesigner project into your QuickPanel. This file is needed to use the Upload functionality.
Download… This selection compiles the selected QuickDesigner application then downloads the
application to the QuickPanel using Quick Courier.
Upload… This feature allows you to upload (receive from the QuickPanel) a project file. You must
use the Store Project in QuickPanel option (when downloading) to send the project file to a
QuickPanel.
Compile to File… Creates a compiles file of the QuickDesigner application and allows you to store it
for later use.
Download from File… Allows you to download a previously compiled file. This saves time because
you do not have to wait while the file is compiled.
Project - New
There are three ways to start a new project; click the New icon in the tool bar, select New from
the Project menu, or click the New button.
The New Project dialog box is shown below.
New Project Name
Enter the project name then use the TAB key to move to the Display device list box.
Display Device
Select a target display device by clicking the drop-down list box and selecting the target display type.
Click OK to continue.
Project - Setup
The Project Setup dialog box can be selected in three ways; click the Setup icon in the tool bar,
select Setup from the Project menu, or click the Setup button.
Project Name
The Project Setup dialog box will display the name of the project to remind you of which project you
are working on. You can change the name of the project by deleting the old name and entering a new
name.
More Button
If you click the More button, the Additional Project Setup dialog box will appear. This dialog box is
used to enter the Author name and project notes.
Model
The Display Device section will indicate which target display model you selected for the current
project. You can change the display device model by clicking the arrow button and picking a new
target display. The following is a sample of the display list. The list changes for different versions of
software.
The QuickPanel Mini 6" Monochrome display has a limited set of tools in the panel
NOTE design toolbox. See Tool Box on page 80.
Initial Screen
The Initial Screen is the first panel displayed when the power is cycled. See Initial Screen in the next
section.
Display Button
The Display button brings up the Display Configuration dialog box, which is used to select the initial
screen and the Screen Saver timeout.
Initial Screen
This is the panel that will appear after a power cycle has occurred on the target display. When you
first begin a project, this list box will be empty. If you know the name of the power-up panel, enter it
now. You can come back to this dialog box after all your panels are completed. If you leave the Initial
Screen entry blank, the panel with ID #1 will be displayed. If no panel in the project has the ID #1,
then the screen will be blank except for the name of the protocol on the bottom of the display.
If the Initial Screen name does not match a name in the drop-down list box, the
NOTE display screen will go black after the panels are downloaded. Choose the initial screen
name from the list box to insure you have the correct name. Panel names are case
sensitive.
Screen Saver Timeout
The screen saver feature will turn off the screen after a selected time period. Simply touch the screen
to turn the display back on. The first touch will not affect panel objects. Enter the timeout period in
minutes. The range is 0 to 255 minutes. A value of 0 (0=default) will force the screen to remain on.
Touch Button
The Touch button brings up the Touch Screen Configuration dialog box.
Disable Beeper
The beeper sounds each time an active screen operator is touched. You can disable the beep by
checking the Disable Beeper checkbox. If you are developing a project in an office environment, it
would be courteous to turn the beeper OFF.
Keyboard Attached
If you have installed an optional keypad such as the HMI-KPN-201, click this checkbox. If the
display type you are using does not have an available keypad option, this dialog box message will
appear disabled (greyed out).
Print Button
The Print button brings up the printer setup dialog box. Select the printer type from the list box.
Other printers may work if they are compatible to one of the printers in the list box. See the Print
option on page 31 and the printer information in Appendix B.
Port Selector
The port selector is a list box that indicates which port is currently being setup. This list box has only
one entry now, but may have more in the future. The main serial port is generally called the CN1 or
SIO port.
PLC Type
The PLC Type list box shows which protocol you selected for the current project. Click the down
arrow on the right side of the list box to view the entire list of protocols. Select a new protocol by
clicking on the desired name.
If you select a protocol different from the current protocol shown in the PLC Type list, the following
prompt is displayed. The prompt reminds you that the protocol you have just selected must be setup
after the change. Click Yes to acknowledge the prompt.
Port Button
The Port button will display the Serial Parameters dialog box. Select RS232 or RS422/485 Half or
Full Duplex protocol for the target display serial port. Make sure the communication settings are the
same as those for your PLC. The settings shown in the dialog box are default settings and may not be
correct for your PLC type.
Make sure the target display and PLC have the same communication parameters. A majority of
interface problems are related to improper communication settings and cables.
Protocol Button
The Protocol button will display the unique protocol dialog box for the protocol selected in the PLC
Type list box. Make sure the settings match those of your PLC. An example protocol is shown below.
Each supported PLC has a dedicated chapter in the Communications User manual.
System Button
The System button will display the System Configuration dialog box. The Options and Watchdog
sections are optional and are not required for project communications.
Panel Trigger Tag

The Panel Trigger tag is a register in the PLC that can be used to select a panel for display. Each
panel has a unique Panel ID number which is displayed when you save or open a panel.
When the panel ID number is put in the PLC trigger register, the selected panel will be displayed.
The panel change occurs ONLY when the value in the register changes and the change overrides
anything else being displayed. If you leave Panel trigger tag blank, panel selection is done using the
GOTO PANEL buttons only.
You can use a combination of Panel trigger tag and GOTO PANEL buttons. The operator can select
different panels by pressing a GOTO PANEL button, and the PLC can select a panel by changing the
panel ID number in the Panel trigger register. In this situation, the GOTO PANEL button will write
the panel ID number to the Panel trigger register to initiate the panel change. The important point to
remember is that a new panel is displayed when a change occurs in the PLC trigger register. For
additional information see Changing Panels on page 35.
If you use Panel Trigger Tag, you should also select a Default Panel. If the Panel
NOTE Trigger Tag in your PLC is equal to 0 or an unused panel ID number, and you don't
use a Default Panel, the target display screen will be blank after downloading.
Print Trigger Tag
The Printl Trigger tag is a register in the PLC that can be used to print the current screen when the
PLC tag bit goes high. This operation will be invisible to the user. The printer tag is set to zero after a
print is completed.
Watchdog Tag
The Watchdog tag selection is a register in the target PLC that is written to in intervals determined by
the Timeout setting. The target display will write this register in the selected time period. Your PLC
requires additional logic to examine and test the data in order to determine if a communication fault
has occurred. A common technique is to set the watchdog register to 0, then examine it after the
timeout period has elapsed. If the communication link is good, the watchdog register will have a
value other than 0. Continue the cycle of setting the PLC register to 0 and testing the register. At any
time after the timeout period the register is still set to 0, then there is a possible communication link
problem. The target display will attempt to write an FF to the PLC watchdog register.
Define Password Button
Pressing the Define Passwords button will display the Password Setting dialog box. You can password
protect one or more panels in a project. You can setup passwords for up to 16 users. The password is
a numeric value from 0 to 65535 with up to three levels of security. For each protected panel in a
project, a security level of Operator, Supervisor, or Master is selected. During run time when a
protected panel is selected, a numeric data entry panel is displayed prior to accessing the panel. A
proper numeric password must be entered which is equal to or greater than the assigned security
level, otherwise access is denied. The Master level can access all panels.
To assign a password, select an unused line, enter the password and optional user name, select a
password level, then click the Change button. Edit the password by selecting the line, making
required changes and clicking the Change button. Remove password assignments by selecting a line,
select Unassign and click the Change button.
To set the password for a single panel, start the panel editor then go to the Settings menu and select
Panel. The Panel Settings dialog will appear. From the Password Level list box, select No Password,
Operator, Supervisor, or Master.
Project - Delete
This option will delete the selected project from the QUICK MANAGER project list. The name of the
project appears in the information box. Select OK to delete the project or Cancel to abort the delete
operation.
Once you delete a project, it is GONE! Be careful when deleting projects!
Project - Store Project in QuickPanel
Selecting Store Project in QuickPanel is the same as clicking the Download Project button on the tool
bar. However, if you open the Project menu again, you will notice a check mark next to Store Project
in QuickPanel. This indicates the option is enabled and will be reset the next time a compile is
started.
The Download Project button is used to create a project file and hold it for later use. Press this
button then the standard download button and the current project will be compiled along with the
project file and sent to a QuickPanel. Press this button, then the Compile File button, and the current
project will be compiled and saved with a project file. The button is reset after a compile is completed.
The memory required to save the project file should be about 10 to 15 percent of the downloaded file.
This means that for most applications, there will be room to store a project file. QPI and QPK
platforms have 1000K of storage, while the QPJ has 256K of storage.
Project - Download
This option is used to send a file from the computer system running the QUICKDESIGNER software
to a target display, such as the QUICKPANEL jr. Monochrome display. See the QUICKCOURIER
chapter on page 72 for details.
Project - Upload
Selecting Upload is the same as clicking the Upload Project button. The Upload Project button
is used to upload a project file from a QuickPanel. The project file must have been saved with the
downloaded file, otherwise an error message will appear. When the project file is uploaded, it is saved
the same way as an imported project. The project can then be edited using QuickDesigner software.
The file can be compiled and downloaded back to the QuickPanel or saved for other purposes.
Project - Compile to File
Selecting Compile to File is the same as clicking the Compile File button. The Compile File
button will compile the current project and allow saving it to a selected directory. This allows saving
compiled files without having to download to a connected QuickPanel. You can then use the
Download File button to send a compiled file (*.cmp) to one or more QuickPanels. You can add the
current project file to the compile file by clicking the Download Project button before clicking the
Compile File button.
Project - Download from File
Selecting Download from File is the same as clicking the Download File button. The Download
File button allows the user to select a compiled file (*.cmp) and send it to a QuickPanel. You do not
have to compile a file prior to a download, if a compiled version of the project is available. The
current download button will still support the standard compile and download operation.
Project - Import
This feature will allow importing project (*.prj) files. These files contain the entire project
information, including target display type, PLC setup and all panels. Files can be imported from
floppy disk.
Project - Export
This feature will allow exporting project (*.prj) files. These files contain the entire project
information, including target display type, PLC setup and all panels. Files can be exported to floppy
disk.
Do NOT export projects for use in early versions of QuickDesigner software.

CAUTION For example, exporting projects from 3.1 will NOT work in 2.3.
Project - Print
The print function allows printing summary information and panel images for all or part of a selected
project. Selecting Print from the File menu or clicking the Print icon will display the following
dialog box. Select the parts of the report you want printed by clicking the checkbox next to the item.
Click OK and a Print dialog box will appear. The dialog box will display the current Windows
driver for your system. Use the Print button in Setup to configure your printer. See the printer
information in Appendix B.
Project Information
A sample Project Information page is shown below.
PROJECT NAME
PROJECT INFORMATION
PROJECT: ABSLC500
Author: name
Created: date
Last Modified: date
notes:
TARGET DEVICE : QUICK PANEL jr. Color
Default Panel Name: name
Panel Trigger Tag: tag name
Screen Saver Timeout: 1.00 minute(s)
Save to FLASH ROM: No
Beeper: Enabled
Watchdog Tag: None
Watchdog Timeout: 1.00 second(s)
Communication Setting: RS422/485 Full duplex
Baud Rate: 9600
Data Bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop Bits: 1
Handshake: None
PROTOCOL: AB SLC 500
Source ID: 0
Destination ID: 1
Maximum ID: 31
Timeout(sec): 1.00
Panel Image
A bitmap image of the panel will be printed at the top of each panel information sheet.
Panel Information
The name of the panel, the panel ID and all panel objects are listed with their attributes. A sample is
shown below.
PANEL: name
Panel ID: 1
Panel Size: 320 x 240
Grid Size: 80 x 40
Grid Display: Boxes
notes:
Push Button
Position Size Tag Style Action Bez Botl Tch Ltxt Lbkr Lotl LFont Legend Text
240,160 320,240 N7:100 Standard Momentary wht blk grn yel blu wht 7x9 Motor
0,80 80,80 B3:20/7 Circular Toggle red wht wht blu grn blk 11x16 Light
Pilot Light
Position Size Tag Stxt Slen Sotl SFont State Text
240,160 320,240 N7:100 wht blk wht 7x9 REMOTE CONTROL
0,80 80,80 B3:20/7 blk wht wht 7x9 LOCAL CONTROL
Tag Information
All of the tags used for the project are sorted and printed by Tag Name. A sample is shown below.
Project name:
TAG INFORMATION
Tag Information Sorted by Tag Name
Name I/O Elements Type Size Scale Range Low Scale Range High
N7:100 N7:100 1 Integer 1 -32768.000000 32767.000000
B3:20/1 B3:20/1 1 Integer 1 0.000000 1.000000
~System_Second ~System_Second 1 Integer 1 0.000000 59.000000
Alarm Information
All of the information for the alarm configuration, queue setup and alarm file are included in the list.
A sample alarm information page is shown below.
Project name:
ALARM INFORMATION
ALARM CONFIGURATION
Message Column: 16
Trigger Date Stamp Column: 1
Trigger Time Stamp Column: 10
Acknowledge Time Stamp Column: 37
Clear Time Stamp Column: 44
Date Format: MM/DD/YY
Time Format: 24 Hour
Assume Initial State: Same
Printer: None
Active Queue: On
Size: 10
Font: 7x9
Trigger Text - Text Color: blk, Background Color: wht
Acknowledge Text - Text Color: wht, Background Color: blk
Cleared Text - Text Color: wht, Background Color: blk
Historic Queue: On
Size: 10
Font: 7x9
Logged Queue: On
Size: 10
Font: 7x9
SYSTEM TAGS
Individual Acknowledge: None
Global Acknowledge: N7:200
Individual Erase: None
Global Erase: None
Global Alarms
Address Value Message
IR0:B8 1 Bit 8 Alarm
IR0:B9 1 Bit 9 Alarm
Project - Print Setup
Displays the standard Print Setup dialog box for Windows.
Project - Exit
Closes the QUICK MANAGER window and returns to the Windows operating system Program
Manager.
Changing Panels
There are two basic ways to change a panel. The first method is to use the GOTO panel button on a
panel. When the operator presses the GOTO button, a different panel is displayed. The second
method uses a register in your PLC to control which panel is displayed. Each panel has a unique ID
number. By moving the desired ID number into the PLC register, a new panel is displayed. There are
several methods of moving the desired ID number into the PLC register and each will be discussed in
this section.
To create a GOTO button, select the GOTO panel button tool from the tool menu and place it on the
panel. When the GOTO panel settings dialog box appears, the Panel Name is typed or selected from
the drop-down list box. This is the panel that will be displayed when the GOTO button is pressed.
Changing panels is handled by the resident software in the QUICKPANEL. You do not have to be
connected to your PLC to change panels. The PLC does not know which panel is displayed and
cannot control which panel is displayed.
GOTO
PANEL
PANELS
NAME & ID#

NAME & ID#
NAME & ID#
QUICKPANEL
To allow your PLC to control which panel is displayed, QUICK DESIGNER software has a feature
called "Panel Trigger Tag." The panel trigger tag is a register in your PLC that the QUICKPANEL
reads and writes. The panel trigger tag is an option when you click the display device setup button
and the configuration dialog appears.
When you elect to use a panel trigger tag register, the operation of the GOTO button is modified.
Instead of the QUICKPANEL handling the changing of the panels, the task is now shared between the
QUICKPANEL and the PLC. When a GOTO panel button is pressed, the ID number of the desired
panel is written to the panel trigger tag register in the PLC. The QUICKPANEL immediately reads
back the register and changes the panel to the one corresponding to the ID number in the PLC
register. You can also move a value into the panel trigger tag register to force the QUICKPANEL to
change to a new panel. When the QUICKPANEL sees a change in the panel trigger tag register, it
loads the desired panel. In this situation, you must be connected to your PLC to change panels.
If your panel trigger tag register in the PLC contains a value of 0, then the QUICKPANEL will
display a blank screen, since 0 is an invalid panel number.
GOTO
PANEL ID #
PANELS
DEFAULT PANEL
NAME & ID# TAG REGISTER
NAME & ID#
NAME & ID#
QUICKPANEL PLC
There are other methods available to write the ID number into the panel trigger tag register.
Components Menu
The Components menu contains the same selections as the large buttons in the QUICK MANAGER
window. You can select Panels to create and edit project panels, select Tags to create and edit tag
variables, or select Alarms to create alarm files.
Panels
Selecting Panels will open the QUICKDESIGNER window. This window is used to create and edit
project panels. This window and all the options are explained in the QUICKDESIGNER chapter on
page 78.
Tags
Selecting Tags will open the Tags window. This window is used to create and edit project tags. This
window and all the options are explained in the Tags chapter on page 44.
Alarms
Selecting Alarms will open the Alarms window. This window is used to create and edit alarm files.
The Alarm window and all the options are explained in the ALARMS chapter on page 53. See also the
Alarms Guided Tour on page 65 for an overview and guided tour of alarms.
Options Menu
Preferences
Selecting Preferences will display the Project Options dialog box. When you double click on a project
name, the default operation is to display the Project Setup dialog box. You can select a different
operation in the Project Options dialog box.
Window Menu
Cascade, Tile and Arrange Icons are the standard window options for arranging your desktop. See the
Appendix for information about using Windows.
Toolbar
The Toolbar is normally displayed below the menu bar. Clicking one of the tools is the same as
selecting the option from a menu. To remove the toolbar from the window, click the Toolbar option.
When the check mark in front of the menu is removed, the toolbar will be removed.
Status Bar
The status bar is displayed at the bottom of the window. It gives you information about the selected
menu option and displays the current project name. You can remove the Status Bar from the window
by clicking the Status Bar option. When the check mark in front of the menu is removed, the status
bar is removed.
Buttons
The large buttons shown in the QUICK MANAGER window can be removed to provide more room
for project names. When the large buttons are removed, you will have to use the toolbar or menu
selections to perform the desired operation. The New, Setup, and Download functions are found in the
Project menu. The Panels, Tags, and Alarms functions are found in the Components menu. See Tool
Bar for a description of the toolbar functions.
Active Window
The bottom section of the Windows menu shows the current active window.
Help Menu
The on-line Help system gives you quick, easy-to-use information about the QUICK MANAGER and
QUICKDESIGNER features. To request Help:
• Choose a Help category from the Help menu. Some categories take you directly to the information
while others select the topic you want from a list of topics about the category you chose.
• Press F1 and choose an item from the main Help Index. You can also search for a topic using the
Search command.
• Click the Help button you'll find in many dialog boxes.
Index
An alphabetical list of all Help topics that are available.
Using Help
A short tutorial and other information about using Windows Help.
About
This menu selection will display the About information box which shows the software name, software
revision level, software serial number and copyright information.
QUICK Help
Once you enter the help system from any point, you can gain access to any other help topic by
clicking the Quick Help button at the top of the help screen.
Error Message
Project in Use
The following warning message appears when QUICK MANAGER believes another task or user is
working with a project. You will get this message when you try to access one of your projects and all
the buttons are greyed out. The message indicates the database is locked.
The QUICK MANAGER window appears similar to the one below, with many of the icons and option
buttons greyed out.
Note that the project database, named MEDUSA.INI, has been maximized in the QUICK MANAGER
window. This can be confirmed by the presence of the min/max button located to the right of the word
"Help."
The first step in unlocking the database is to close the database. Make sure no other tasks or users are
using the database. Click the control button located to the left of the word "Project" to display the
control menu.
NOTE: If there is no control button next to the word "Project", your project window has been
minimized. Click the control button on the minimized window to display the control menu.
Select Close from the menu and the following dialog box will appear.
Click OK to close the project database. The QUICK MANAGER window appears similar to the one
below.
Click on the Database menu option and select Clear Locks.
The following prompt is displayed.
Click Yes to clear all locks on projects in the database. The Open dialog box is displayed.
Make sure "medusa.ini" is selected then click OK. When the locks are cleared, the following prompt
is displayed.
Click OK to remove the prompt. Select Open from the Database menu.
The File Open menu is displayed.
Select "medusa.ini" and click OK. When you select a project, the buttons will again be active.
Tags
Introduction to Tags
Tags are the names of control elements in your host device, either words or bits. For example, if you
have a pilot light, there must be a control element in your PLC that is used to turn the pilot light ON
and OFF. Since a pilot light has only two states, you can assume the control element is a bit. Bits
have specific names, such as B3:100 or IR2:B2. In this manual, the name of the control element is
called a tag. Therefore, every panel operator that is active requires a tag. The tag MUST be a legal tag
name for the selected PLC type. These tags are external to the display, which means the display will
have to read the tag information from the PLC. You can create internal tags, which are variables that
are controlled and contained within the display. There are internal tags with specific names, such as
the internal clock with the tag name ~System_Clock. Internal tags are explained in the next chapter
on page 50.
Selecting Tags
To select Tags, click the Tag icon or select Tags from the Components menu. The tag icon is
found in the tool bar and on the Tags button.
Selecting Tags will open the Tags window. This window allows adding new tags, viewing tag
attributes and deleting tags. Tags are the names of PLC variables and special internal variables. Each
PLC supported by QUICKDESIGNER has a dedicated chapter in the Communications manual.
Tag names are case sensitive. OR100 and or100 read the same data from the PLC but each is a
separate and distinct variable in the QUICKPANEL.
44 • Tags QUICKDESIGNER
Tag Buttons
Some of the selections in the Tag menu have been duplicated in large buttons. You can use the large
buttons or select the option from the tag menu.
Add Tag
You can create a new tag by selecting Add from the Tag menu or clicking the ADD button. Enter the
tag name in the following data entry box. Tag names are tested to insure they are valid for the PLC
you selected. Tags that do not fit the format specified for a particular PLC type can be designated as
internal tags, which are described in the Internal Tags chapter on page 50. You can create a
contiguous group of tags by using the Auto button.
Auto...Button
Use the Auto button to generate a list of tags that have a common name and span a given range.
Instead of typing a long list of tag names that all appear the same except for the last numbers, you can
automatically generate the list. Enter the common tag name in the Tag Create dialog box and click
the Auto button. The following dialog box appears.
Enter the count and press OK to automatically generate the list. For example, if the starting address
was DM200 and the final address is DM204, you would enter the count as 5.
QUICKDESIGNER Tags • 45
The picture below illustrates how the tags would appear when the Auto button is used to create a list
of tags.
Delete Tag
To delete a tag from the list, click the tag to highlight it, then click the Delete button.
UnDelete
Replaces the previously deleted tag.
Purge
To purge ALL tags from the project list, click the Purge button. Use caution with this button since the
operation will remove all tags.
Purging ALL tags from a project will remove all tags!
Tag Attributes
Tags can have attributes, such as type and range. Assigning attributes to a tag allows you to
customize the tag to a particular application. For example, you can scale a tag so that when the data is
displayed, a scaled range is displayed.
You can view the attributes of a tag by selecting Attributes from the Tag menu or by double-clicking
the tag name. The three sections of the tag attributes menu are Names, Type and Ranges.
Tag Attributes-Names
This section of the Tag Attributes dialog box shows the name of the Tag. The Var name is for
internal use and cannot be changed.
Tag Attributes-Type
This section of the Tag Attributes dialog box indicates the type setting and other attributes of the tag
variable. The default setting for tags is Integer.
Set the type to Float when reading Floating Point variables. Set the type to String when reading
ASCII characters. The Text Display object will display text characters only when the tag type is set to
String. Selecting the String type will activate the Size entry box. The Size is used to select the number
of words to be read from the PLC. For example, if the starting address is DM100 and the length is 5,
then the last address read will be DM104.
If the tag variable type in your PLC is not a string type, you may get only one character for each
register location. PLC's that support string types will generate two characters for each register
location.
Period is inactive and is intended for a future option.
Samples is intended for a future option. Do not check this box at this time.
A Data File is automatically created when you create a Block Transfer file for Allen-Bradley Remote
I/O applications. The number of Elements in the Data File is the same as the number of words
selected for the Block Transfer.
Tag Attributes-Ranges
This section of the Tag Attributes dialog box indicates the ranges of the variable. The ranges are
automatically set for each tag type. By changing the scale ranges, you change the ratio of the input
value to the displayed value. In the following example, if you changed the Scale low to 0 and the
Scale high to 100, when the Input value is -32768 the displayed value would be 0, and when the Input
value is 32767, the displayed value would be 100.
You can validate the entire tag list by selecting Validate Tags from the Tools menu. The process is
displayed in the Tag Validation Progress dialog box. Internal tags are displayed in a list box.
Tag Import
Import tags saved in *.tag or *.tcs format. Do not use a word processor to create or modify the *.tag
files.
Tag Export
Save the tag information in a file using *.tag format.
Close
Close the tag window and return to the QUICK MANAGER.
Internal Tags
Introduction to Internal Tags
Review of Tags
Tags are the names of control elements in your host device, either words or bits. Every panel operator
that is active requires a tag. The tag is usually a legal tag name for the selected PLC type. These tags
are external to the display, which means the display will have to read the tag information from the
PLC. You can create internal tags, which are variables that are controlled and contained within the
display. There are internal tags with specific names, such as the internal clock with the tag name
~System_Clock.
Internal Tags
In certain projects, you may want to have an internal storage register, to store some values or act as a
temporary counter. You can create an internal tag by entering a tag name that is not valid for the
assigned PLC. For example, if you entered the name COUNT1 as a tag name, the tag editor would
display the following prompt.
Click the Yes button to create the internal tag. You can read and write the internal tag in the same
manner as external PLC tags.
System Tags
The target display has several support functions designed into the hardware, such as the clock. One of
the tools available to the panel designer is a Clock operator. The method used to connect the Clock
operator to the hardware clock is a series of internal tags called SYSTEM tags. The Clock operator is
connected to three SYSTEM tags, which supply the data for seconds, minutes and hours. The tags are
called ~System_Second, ~System_Minute, and ~System_Hour respectively. Note the names of the
tags that are designated SYSTEM tags all begin with a tilde (~) and the word "System." Note also
that there is an underscore symbol between the word "System" and the name of the tag.
50 • Internal Tags QUICKDESIGNER

In order to use a SYSTEM tag, you must always specify the name of the tag exactly as it appears in
this reference section. To display system seconds, you can select a Numeric Data Display operator and
specify the tag name as ~System_Second. You may get an error message indicating that the tag name
is not valid for a particular PLC type, but that is normal, since you can create internal tags using any
name. However, to use the SYSTEM tags, the name must be entered exactly. If you entered the tag
name as "Second", the target display will create an internal variable called "Second", but it will not be
connected to the internal clock.
System Variables
This section contains the list of current supported system variables.
~System_Second Internal clock seconds.
~System_Minute Internal clock minutes.
~System_Hour Internal clock hours
~System_Day Internal clock day
~System_Month Internal clock month
~System_Year Internal clock year
~System_Contrast LCD panel contrast setting.
Clock System Variables

The QUICKDESIGNER software includes a tool for displaying the system time. The tool currently
does not include a dialog box for setting the time.
We have developed an interim method for setting the clock. When the final design of the dialog box
for setting the clock is done, there will be an easier method for setting the clock.
Create a new panel and use any name you like for the panel. The panel will consist of three Numeric
Data Entry operators and one Numeric Data Display. The three data entry operators will be used for
setting the hours, minutes and seconds. The data display will be used to display the clock setting.
Select the Numeric Data Entry operator and place it on the panel. When the Numeric Data Entry
Settings dialog box appears, enter the tag name as ~System_Hour. You must type the tag name
exactly as shown, including the tilde (~) at the beginning. Remember to enter the desired text in the
legend plate to identify the operator as system hour.
Create two more Numeric Data Entry operators, using the tag names ~System_Minute and
~System_Second. Remember to enter the desired text in the legend plates to identify system minute
and system second.
QUICKDESIGNER Internal Tags • 51

Select the clock operator and place it on the panel. Click the seconds box so the clock displays hours,
minutes and seconds. Military time refers to the 24 hour format.
Save the panel and download it to the target display. Use the data entry operators to set the clock for
your display. The target display maintains the system time between power cycles.
Date System Variables

The QUICKDESIGNER software includes a tool for creating an alarm display. One of the options in
the alarm message is the display of a date stamp. The method for setting the correct date is similar to
setting the time.
Select a Numeric Data Entry operator and place it on the panel. When the Numeric Data Entry
Settings dialog box appears, enter the tag name as ~System_Day. You must type the tag name exactly
as shown, including the tilde (~) at the beginning. Remember to enter the desired text in the legend
plate to identify the operator as system day. Repeat the procedure for ~System_Month and
~System_Year.
Contrast System Variable

The contrast of the target display can be changed to suit different viewing conditions.
To adjust the contrast, the system variable ~System_Contrast must be set to a value from 1 to 7. This
can easily be done by using two Word Buttons: one to increment and one to decrement the value of
~System_Contrast. You can see the contrast change as the value is increased or decreased.
Select the Word Button operator and place it on the panel. When the Word Button Settings dialog box
appears, enter the tag name as ~System_Contrast. You must type the tag name exactly as shown,
including the tilde (~) at the beginning. Select the Action as Add and set the value to 1. Remember to
enter the desired text in the legend plate to identify the operator. Place a second Word Button on the
panel with the same tag name and select the Action as Subtract and the value as 1.
52 • Internal Tags QUICKDESIGNER

Alarms
Introduction to Alarms
Alarms are messages that appear on the display in response to a specific condition in the host control
system. The alarm message informs the operator of a condition that requires immediate attention. A
typical alarm message is shown below.
DATE TIME MESSAGE ACK CLEAR
09/18 22:48 HIGH TEMPERATURE ALARM
There are two procedures involved in creating an alarm display. The first procedure is to configure
the alarm manager. You create a table of PLC address bits or words and enter the alarm text for each
table entry. The alarm manager reads data from the host and determines if an alarm condition exists.
You select the format for the alarm message, date stamp and time stamp. You can change the size
and format of the queues (buffer area) where the alarm messages are stored. When alarm messages
exceed the size of the queue, the oldest alarm messages are deleted. You can select a bit or group of
bits in your PLC that will be set when the alarm Acknowledge and Delete buttons are used. The alarm
table and configuration information are saved in an alarm file.
For each alarm condition, the alarm manager creates an alarm message string. The alarm manager
adds date and time stamps, add the alarm text from the alarm table, formats the entire alarm message,
and stores the alarm message in the Active Alarm queue (buffer area). The alarm manager keeps
track of when the alarm was acknowledged and cleared and stores this information in the Historic
queue. The alarm manager also tracks every alarm activity in a Logged Alarm queue.
Creating an alarm window is the second procedure required to view alarms. The alarm window is a
tool, similar to other tools, like pilot lights and push buttons. The alarm window is placed on a panel
and is used to view alarm information from a selected alarm buffer. If the operator touches the alarm
window, the alarm manager screen is displayed. This screen allows the operator to acknowledge one
or all alarms, clear one or all alarms, or view any alarm message stored in the alarm buffer.
This chapter is designed as a reference section. Before attempting to configure alarms, you should
follow the procedures in the Alarms Guided Tour on page 65.
This chapter will describe how to:
• Open the Alarms window
• Add a new word or bit alarm file.
• Assign words or bits in your host device as alarm elements.
• Setup the alarm message format.
• Configure the alarm manager so the Acknowledge and Del buttons set bits in the host.
• Connect a serial printer for printing alarm messages.
QUICKDESIGNER Alarms • 53
Bit and Word Address Tags
The alarm manager is the control center for alarm operations. The alarm manager must read the PLC
address you have assigned as the alarm bit or word. The read operation will cycle very quickly if you
have only one bit or word to read. If you try to read alarm bits that are scattered throughout the PLC
memory, the response time will tend to become slow. The best method of reading alarm bits or words
is to read consecutive PLC bits and words.
When you first add an alarm table, you select a starting address and then enter the number of
consecutive bits or words. The alarm table is built automatically. This is the fastest and most efficient
way of reading alarm data from the PLC. When you are done creating the alarm address table and
entering the alarm messages, the alarm table is saved to an alarm file. There are several examples of
the alarm table in this section.
If for some reason you are unable to create a consecutive alarm table, you can still enter a single
alarm address by setting the number of bits or words to 1. You can also set the number of bits or
words to the maximum size of the alarm table, and let the alarm manager build the alarm table. Go to
the Edit menu and click the Free Form Address option, which will allow you to edit any address in
the table. You must be careful to enter only valid PLC addresses. Entering a name like JOE will
create an invalid address. The alarm file is sent to the target display during the download operation.
Alarms Configuration
To configure Alarms, click the Alarms button or select Alarms from the Components menu.
Selecting Alarms will open the Alarms window and the New bit alarms dialog. (See New bit alarms in
the Edit Menu section). The Alarms window is used to create and edit alarm files and configure the
alarm message and buffers. The Alarms window appears below.
The default setting for the window is Bit Alarms. Bit alarms are controlled by a bit going ON or OFF.
You can create a word alarm file by selecting New-Word from the File menu. Word alarms are based
on the value of the word.
54 • Alarms QUICKDESIGNER
The large buttons at the bottom of the window are convenience buttons, which allow rapid access to
menu selections. The Config and Close buttons are File menu options, while the Add and Delete
buttons are Edit menu options.
See the Alarms Guided Tour on page 65 for an overview and guided tour.
File menu
The file menu option is used to create new word or bit alarm files, to open existing alarm files, to save
new or edited files, to delete unwanted files, to configure alarm files or to close the alarms manager
window.
File Menu Buttons

The Config and Close buttons shown in the Alarms window perform the same function as the Config
and Close options in the File menu. The Config button will open the Configuration dialog and the
Close button will close the alarm window.
You can display the Configuration dialog box by selecting Configuration from the File menu or by
clicking the Config button. You can close the alarm window by selecting Close from the File menu or
by clicking the Close button.
File - New (Word or Bit)

Create an alarm file based on a bit or a word in the PLC. Bit alarms are controlled by a bit going ON
or OFF, while word alarms are based on the value of the word.
File - Open
Open an existing alarm file. The Open Alarm File dialog box appears. Select a file name from the list
or type in the file name.
File - Save
Saves the current alarm file with all the option settings. You must have an alarm file saved for alarms
to work. The Save Alarm File As dialog box appears. Enter a new file name or select an existing file
name to overwrite.
File - Save As
Saves the current alarm file using the specified file name. The Save Alarm File As dialog box
appears.
File - Delete
Delete an existing alarm file. The Delete Alarm File dialog is displayed. Select the filename from the
list or type in the filename. Once you delete the file, it is gone.
File - Import
Import an existing alarm file. After the file is imported, Open the file to view the alarm table.
File - Export
Export the current alarm file using the *.alm file extension. Note: When using the export file feature,
ALL alarm files are included in the export file.
File - Configuration
Displays the Alarm Configuration dialog box. See Config Button on page 60.
File - Close
Close the current alarm file. If the alarm table is new or changes were made to the table, a prompt
will appear reminding you to save the file. You MUST have an alarm file saved for alarms to work.
Edit Menu
You can create an alarm table or add new alarms by selecting Add from the Edit menu or by clicking
the Add button. You can delete elements from the alarm table by selecting Delete from the Edit
menu or by clicking the Delete button. Use Cut, Copy and Paste to edit alarm text. Select a bit alarm
address and the Bit option will toggle the State setting. Free Form Addressing allows editing the
alarm address.
Edit Buttons
The Add and Delete buttons shown in the Alarms window perform the same function as the Add and
Delete options in the Edit menu.
Edit - Add
Adds bit or word address tags. Allows single or multiple tag creation in contiguous blocks. Used to
create the alarm address table and alarm messages.
Adding Bit Alarms
When adding bit alarms, enter the starting address and the number of bits. The alarm processor will
automatically create a contiguous string of addresses, starting at the specified address.
It is more efficient to create alarms in a contiguous order. When alarms are scattered
NOTE through different areas of memory, the response time of the QuickPanel gets slower.
For example, if you enter IR3:B0 as the starting address and the number of bits as 5, the alarm
processor will create the following alarm table. The first entry is IR3:B0 with the State set to ON.
That means when IR3:B0 goes to a 1 (ON), an alarm will be generated. You can change the State
condition by double clicking the State field to change the ON to OFF.
Adding Word Alarms

When adding word alarms, enter the word address and the number of words. The alarm processor
will automatically create the alarm table, using the specified word address. Each table entry will show
the word address with a different value, based on the initial and step settings. The number of table
entries is based on the number of words selected.
Values: Initial is the value given to the first word alarm in the file. The default is 0. Step is the
number added to the initial value and each succedding table entry. The default is 1.
For example, if you enter DM100 as the starting address and the number of words as 5, the alarm
processor will create the following alarm table. (Initial = 0, Step = 1)
The first entry in the above table is DM100 with a value of 0. That means when DM100 is equal to 0,
an alarm condition exists. Registers in a PLC are often reset to 0 during power cycles. You may not
want a value of 0 to produce an error condition. To prevent this situation, change the Initial setting in
the New Alarms dialog box to 1.
Maximum Alarms in a Project

The maximum number of alarms for a project depends on the display model. For QPJ models, the
maximum is 512 alarms, consisting of two files of 256 alarms. For QPI models, the maximum is 768
alarms, consisting of three files of 256 alarms. When you first create an alarm, the first file of 256 is
allocated. When you exceed 256, the next file is opened.
Edit - Delete
Deletes the selected number of alarms from the bottom of the table. You can delete all the alarms by
entering a number larger than the table size.
Entering and Editing Alarm Messages

The alarm table is created without any alarm messages. You must enter an alarm message for each
entry in the alarm table. To enter text in the Message field, move the mouse pointer to the field and
click. The field is selected and you can begin to type the alarm message. See the Message Format
description on page 60 to determine the practical limit to the number of characters in the message.
You can enter text in a blank message field by clicking on the field and typing. While typing, you are
in the text edit mode. You can use DEL, BACKSPACE, and cursor keys to edit the text. If you double
click a message field that has text in it, or select a field and press F2, you will be in the text edit
mode. Use ESC to undo typing errors.
Edit - Cut Message

To cut all or part of a message, double-click the message field, select the part of the text to cut and use
CTRL+X or select CUT from the Edit menu.
Edit - Copy Message

To copy all or part of a message, double-click the message field, select the part of the text to copy and
use CTRL+C or select COPY from the Edit menu.
Edit - Paste Message

Messages copied or cut can be pasted to other alarm text message fields. Double-click the message
field, move the cursor to the starting point and use CTRL+V or select PASTE from the Edit menu.
Edit - Free Form Addressing

When checked, free form addressing allows you to edit the address field of the alarm table. Make sure
you enter a valid PLC address. When unchecked, you cannot edit the address field.
Config Button
Selects the Alarm Configuration dialog box.
Message Format
This section is used to assign the column where the selected section of the alarm message will begin.
The maximum number of characters that can be displayed is dependent on the type of target display
and the size of the text. See the following chart for text layout guidelines.
Display Model 5x7 7x9 11x16 16x32
Characters Characters Characters Characters
QUICKPANEL (QPK,QPJ,QPH) 49 37 23
QUICKPANEL (QPI) 103 77 47
QUICKPANEL (QPL) 124 95 57 46
Use a columnar tablet to help you design the alarm message panel. The column count begins at
column 1. Enter a 0 in the column field to effectively turn off the feature. For example, if you do not
want a Trigger Date Stamp, enter a 0 in the column field.
Remember to put a space between text elements for easier viewing. The date format can be 8
characters (mm/dd/yy) or 5 characters (mm/dd). The time stamp is 5 characters (12:00).
In the following example, the display type is a QUICKPANEL jr. The Date Format has been set to
mm/dd (month/day). The sample format allows for 25 characters in the message text.
Message Column: 13
Trigger Date Stamp Column: 1
Trigger Time Stamp Column: 7
Acknowledge Time Stamp Column: 38
Clear Time Stamp Column: 44
09/18 22:48 ALARM MESSAGE TEXT 22:50 22:52
Date Format
The date format can be mm/dd/yy or mm/dd format. Each character in the date stamp requires a space
in the alarm message. Therefore, mm/dd/yy will take 8 spaces, plus an additional space for separation
between columns. The mm/dd format requires only 5 spaces, plus one for column spacing. See the
Internal Tags section for information about setting the date.
Time Format
The time can be displayed in 12 hour or 24 hour format. In 12 hour format, the lowest number is 1:00
and the highest number is 12:59 (AM or PM). In 24 hour format, the clock starts at 00:01 and counts
the hours and minutes up to 23:59. The 24 hour format is sometimes referred to as military or
international time. See the Internal Tags section for information about setting the time.
Printer Port
The download port, also known as the Tool/CN3 port, has two functions. The primary use is to
download application files from a computer to the target display. The secondary use is to print alarm
messages to a serial printer. The Printer Port option in the Alarm Configuration dialog is used to
enable the download port (Tool/CN3) as a serial printer port. For additional information on using
printers, see Appendix B.
To configure a printer port, go to Alarm Configuration dialog box. Select NONE for parallel
printing and Tool/CN3 for serial printing.
Queue Button
The Queue button is one of the option buttons in the Alarm Configuration dialog box. Queues are
internal storage buffers for alarm messages. The three possible alarm queues are Active, Historic and
Logged. Each queue has a default setting of ten messages which means the display will store ten
messages. Excess alarms are dumped, oldest alarms first. If you want more messages stored, increase
the size of the queue.
Alarm Messages stored in the QuickPanel queue are lost on a power cycle.
NOTE
Alarm Queue Setup

Each alarm queue has a setup button to allow selection of the text size and color for the alarm
management page. See Alarm Page Display in the next heading.
When an alarm occurs, the message appears in the Alarm Window. When the operator touches the
display over the Alarm Window, the current panel is removed and the alarm management page is
displayed. The Alarm Queue Settings dialog is used to select the colors and size of the text displayed
on the alarm page.
Alarm Page Display
In the following example, the alarm window is showing three Historic alarm messages. The Active
and Logged alarm windows are similar. The example shows only three message lines, but there may
be more messages in the historic alarm queue. The first alarm is a triggered alarm, the second has
been acknowledged and the third alarm has been acknowledged and cleared. See "Creating an Alarm
Window" on page 195.
HISTORIC ALARMS
09/19 13:30 ALARM TEXT MESSAGE #1
09/19 13:25 ALARM TEXT MESSAGE #2 13:26
09/19 13:20 ALARM TEXT MESSAGE #3 13:21 13:23
When the operator touches the display panel over the alarm window, the alarm queue will be
displayed on the alarm management page. The buttons on the bottom of the alarm management page
are activated by pressing the MODE button. Pressing the MODE button also displays the two
horizontal lines that are used as a cursor. The DONE button is always active.
Do NOT press the MODE button more than once. If you do, the panel will
CAUTION freeze and no further operations will be displayed. Press DONE to exit.
Once the buttons are activated, they can be used to view and modify the contents of the alarm queue.
The Up and Down buttons move the cursor. Remember that the alarm management page may only
show a portion of the messages in the queue. The Up and Down buttons allow scrolling the alarm
queue messages to the alarm page. Move the cursor to a message line and use the Ack button to
Acknowledge the alarm, or use the Del button to delete the message. Use Ack All to Acknowledge all
messages or Del All to delete all messages in the associated queue. Return to the panel where the
alarm window is located by pressing the DONE button.
HISTORIC ALARMS
Up Down Ack Del Ack Del MODE DONE

All All
To activate the small buttons on the bottom of the alarm management page, touch the
NOTE MODE button only ONCE. The DONE button is always active.
The small buttons on the bottom of the alarm management page can also be used to set a bit in a PLC,
so the PLC is notified when an alarm is acknowledged or erased. See Advanced Button in the next
section.
If you have installed the optional HMI-KPN-201 keypad, the alarm management page
NOTE will appear with an additional row of keypad assignments. See Keypads for details.
Advanced Button
The Advanced button is one of the option buttons in the Alarm Configuration dialog box. The Assume
Initial State section is inactive in QuickDesigner 3.3 and above.
Notification Tags
The small buttons on the bottom of the alarm management page (ACK, Del, etc.,) can also be used to
set a bit in a PLC, so the PLC is notified when an alarm is acknowledged or erased. To activate the
buttons for PLC notification, assign a tag variable to the button function. The notification tags are
configured in the Advanced Alarm Settings dialog box.
HISTORIC ALARMS

All All
The notification tag buttons are Individual Acknowledge (ACK), Global Acknowledge (ACK ALL),
Individual Erase (DEL) and Global Erase (DEL ALL). Assign a notification tag the same way you
assign other tags. For example, the Allen-Bradley PLC-5 has bit addressing available in the format
B3:00/00. If you assign Individual Acknowledge (ACK) to B3:00/00, the bit will be set when the
ACK button is pressed and reset when the button is released.
Button Off
The buttons on the bottom of the alarm management page have two functions. The first function is to
allow you to scroll up and down through the alarms, acknowledge alarms, and delete alarms. The
second function is to set bits in the PLC if the button is assigned a notification tag variable.
When you check the Button Off checkbox next to a function, that function will not appear on the
alarm management page. For example, if you check the Button Off checkbox next to Global Erase,
the DEL ALL button will not appear on the alarm management page.
When the alarm management page appears, you must press the MODE button to activate the other
buttons (except DONE). When you check the Button Off checkbox next to the Mode button, the
MODE button does not appear on the alarm management page. Therefore, there is no way to activate
scrolling through the alarms, acknowledging alarms or deleting alarms. However, if you have
notification tags assigned to the buttons, they will still be enabled.
Alarms Guided Tour
Introduction
The guided tour section is a step-by-step introduction to Alarms. It will introduce you to the
procedures needed to create an alarm display. The tour references a particular PLC in order to
demonstrate some of the procedures. If you take the tour, remember that the PLC variable names in
the text may be different than those used in your PLC. For example, the tour references IR3:B3 as a
bit in the image table. Your PLC will most likely use a different format for addressing bits.
The tour starts by assuming that you know how to use the QUICKDESIGNER software to create
projects, design panels, and download panels to a display. If you are not familiar with
QUICKDESIGNER, take the Quick Tour on page 7. All of the steps for a complete project are
included in the tour, but all steps are not discussed in detail.
As your tour guide, I will take you through the tour quickly, stopping to explain points of interest.
You can explore all the aspects of Alarms by going to the Alarms chapter on page 44. The first step of
the tour is to go to the Project Manager dialog and create a new project called Guided Tour and select
QUICKPANEL jr. 5" (QPJ) Color as the display device. In the Project Setup dialog, I selected Omron
for the PLC Type. Once you have completed the tour, you can go back and change the display type
and PLC to match your system configuration.
The QUICK MANAGER dialog box should look similar to the one below.
QUICKDESIGNER Alarms Guided Tour • 65

Click the Alarms button to display the alarm project manager dialog box. A blank alarm table for Bit
Alarms is displayed. Each entry in the table consists of a bit Address, a bit State to trigger the alarm,
and the alarm Message.
Create the Alarm Table

Click the Add button to display the New bit alarms dialog box.
Enter the starting address as IR3:B0 (Image Register 3, Bit 0). Enter the number of bits as 5 and
make sure the Default state is set to On. Click OK and the alarm table is created.
66 • Alarms Guided Tour QUICKDESIGNER

The QUICKDESIGNER software created the table starting at IR3:B0 and extending to IR3:B04, for a
total of 5 bit addresses. The State column indicates that the alarm is triggered when the bit is turned
On. Move the mouse cursor to the first empty space in the Message column and click the mouse. The
space is highlighted, indicating that you can now enter message text. Type in the alarm message and
use the Enter key to complete the operation. Enter the alarm messages shown in the next picture.
Alarm Configuration
The next step is to select the configuration options that determine how the alarm message is displayed
in the alarm window. Click the Config button to display the Alarm Configuration dialog box.
Selecting the Message Format

The QUICKPANEL jr. Color display can show 49 5x7 characters in one line of the alarm window.
The alarm message, date stamp and time stamps must fit in the forty-nine character space. The next
drawing shows how a forty-nine character alarm window message might be formatted. The beginning
of each column is indicated.

Trigger Date Stamp Column
Trigger Time Stamp Column Acknowledge Time Stamp Column
Message Column Clear Time Stamp Column
1 10 16 37 44
10/12/95.13:00.Alarm.Text..........13:02..13:05.
The Message Format section of the Alarm Configuration dialog box is used to select the starting
column number of each portion of the alarm message. If you leave the settings in the default
condition, the alarm message will appear on the display like the example.
Leave the Date format selection as mm/dd/yy. Leave the Time format set to 24:00. See the Internal
Tags on page 44 for information about setting the time and date.
Configuring the Alarm Queues

Click the Queue button to display the Alarm Queue Configuration dialog box.
The system queues hold the Active, Historic and Logged alarm messages and make them available to
the alarm window. The default size of each queue is ten messages. If you do not need one or more of
the alarm types, you can uncheck the boxes next to the queue name. When the number of messages
exceeds the size of the buffer, the oldest message is deleted. Each queue has a setup button for
changing the text size and color. If you are curious about what the Setup dialog looks like, click the
Active Queue Setup button. You can change the colors if you want, but for this tour, I left them set to
the default settings. Click the Cancel button in the Alarm Queue Configuration dialog box to return to
the Alarm Configuration dialog box.
Selecting Advanced Settings

Click the Advanced button to display the Advanced Alarm Settings dialog box.

Make sure the Assume Initial State selection is set to Same. This is the correct setting for most
applications. This section should be deleted in 3.32.
The Notification Tags do not have to be set up now, so click Cancel and return to the Alarm
Configuration dialog box.
Click OK to return to the Alarms screen. Click the Close button and the following prompt appears.
Click Yes to display the Save Alarm dialog box. Enter the filename as Tour1 and the description as
Guided Tour 1.
Click OK to save the alarm file and return to the Quick Manager dialog box.

Creating the Alarm Window
The Alarm window is used to display the formatted alarm message on a panel. For the next series of
operations, you will use the Panel editor to create a panel with an alarm window.
Click the Panels button in the Project Manager dialog box. The QUICKDESIGNER window appears
with a blank panel and the Tools menu. The Tools menu is shown below.
Click the Alarm Window tool and drag the alarm icon to the panel. Click the mouse over the
desired panel location and the Alarm Window will appear.
The Alarm Window Settings dialog box will appear next to the Alarm Window. Set the Queue to
Active, so that alarm messages from the Active Alarm queue will be displayed in the alarm window.
As new messages are triggered, they will scroll into the alarm window either from the top or the
bottom. The default setting of scroll up will show the latest alarm message on the bottom of the alarm
window. I prefer the Scroll Direction as Down, where the latest alarm message appears at the top of
the alarm window. Take your pick.
You can select the outline and bezel colors for the Alarm Window by clicking the Bezel button. The
touch color appears when the operator touches the alarm window.
You can change the alarm window title by clicking the Legend button. You can select the text color,
text size, background, and outline colors.
You can select the text color, background color, and text size of the alarm message as it will appear in
the alarm window by clicking the Text button. I will leave the color selections up to you. When you
are done, click the OK button to accept the changes and close the dialog box.

The alarm window that is now on your panel is too small to be of any use. Click on the alarm window
and use the sizing handles to enlarge the window over four cells. This will allow you to see 49
characters across the display. Your alarm window should look like the one below.
Select File/Save to save the panel using any name you like. Select File/Exit to exit the
QUICKDESIGNER program and return to the Project Manager.
Download the panel to the QUICKPANEL jr. When the download is complete, select the alarm panel.
My test PLC has a row of switches wired to inputs that correspond to the address settings in the alarm
table. When a switch is thrown, an alarm bit is set ON and the alarm message will appear in the
alarm window. The format of the alarm message will determine how it is displayed. A sample alarm
window is shown below.
Touch the alarm window to bring up the alarm manager page and the Active Alarm queue.
ACTIVE ALARMS

All All
The alarm manager page looks different when you are using a keypad option. See Keypads, page
203and Keypad Assignment, page 98, for additional information.
You MUST touch the MODE button to activate the small buttons on the bottom of the panel. The
DONE button is always active. Press the Ack button to Acknowledge the alarm and the acknowledge
time stamp will appear. If there are multiple alarms, you can acknowledge all of them by pressing the
Ack All button.
You can delete individual or all of the alarms in the queue by using the Del or Del All buttons. Use
the Up and Down keys to move the cursor to different alarms. Press the DONE button to return to the
alarm panel. The alarm window will show if the alarm has been acknowledged. If the alarm is cleared
or deleted, the Active Alarm window will not show the alarm. However, the alarm message is stored
in the Historic and Logged alarm queues.

Download and Upload Files
PUT DOWNLOADING FILES SECTION IN HERE
Introduction to QUICKCOURIER
QuickCourier is a software module that is responsible for sending or receiving data between your
computer and a QuickPanel display.
A download is defined as sending a file from the computer to the display. When you start a normal
download, all panels are tested for proper format. Any errors in the panels must be corrected before a
download operation can begin.
The panels, the alarm file, the PLC setup file, the display setup file, and any other files necessary to
create the project in the display are compiled into a download file. The file is then handed over to
QUICKCOURIER, which is responsible for communications with the display. You can download a
previously compiled file, which will be discussed later.
QUICKCOURIER sends a message from the selected COMM port to see if it can communicate with
the display. Once the communication link is established, it will determine the state of the display and
if it is ready to receive the download file. It checks for the correct type of display and identifies files
that were previously loaded. The QUICKCOURIER dialog displays prompts for the operator,
indicating the current operation or problems.
The download operation should begin automatically and continue without manual intervention. When
complete, the display will prompt the operator to select a panel or automatically display a selected
panel. QUICKCOURIER will detect the end of a successful download and automatically terminate.
Download Files
A download file is compiled from several other files which are created by different software modules.
The first file is a configuration file, used to configure a target display for operation with your PLC.
The configuration information includes the name of the panel that appears after a power cycle, screen
saver timeout, the serial port parameters, and other option settings. Without the proper configuration
information, the target display will not communicate with your PLC.
Other files include panels that will be displayed on the target display. Panels contain objects such as
push buttons, pilot lights and bar graphs.
For each PLC there is a unique protocol driver file. You must have the correct protocol driver loaded
into the target display in order to communicate with your PLC. The protocol file is called a display
device executable file. During the download operation, the target display is tested to determine if a
new display device executable file is needed.
Additional files, including alarm files, may also be included in the compiled download file.
72 • Download and Upload Files QUICKDESIGNER

There is one last file type that can be downloaded which is not part of the compiled download file.
This file is called a project file and contains all the project information in raw format. It is similar to
an exported project file. This file can later be uploaded and used like an imported project file.
The Store Project button is used to create a project file. Press the Store Project button then the
standard download button and two things occur. First, all the files necessary for a download file are
compiled and sent to the QuickPanel. Second, the project file is sent to the QuickPanel so that it can
later be retrieved.
Press the Store Project button then the Compile File button, and the files necessary for a download
file are compiled and saved along with a project file. The Store Project button is reset after a compile
is completed. The Store Project option can also be selected from the Project menu.
Selecting Upload is the same as clicking the Upload Project button. The Upload Project button
is used to upload a project file from a QuickPanel. The project file must have been saved with the
downloaded file, otherwise an error message will appear. When the project file is uploaded, it is saved
the same way as an imported project. The project can then be edited using QuickDesigner software.
The file can be compiled and downloaded back to the QuickPanel or saved for other purposes.
Selecting Compile to File is the same as clicking the Compile File button. The Compile File
button will compile the current project and allow saving it to a selected directory. This allows saving
compiled files without having to download to a connected QuickPanel. You can then use the
Download from File button to send a compiled file (*.cmp) to one or more QuickPanels. You can add
the current project file to the compile file by clicking the Store Project button before clicking the
Compile File button.
Selecting Download from File is the same as clicking the Download File button. The Download
from File button allows the user to select a compiled file (*.cmp) and send it to a QuickPanel. You do
not have to compile a file prior to a download, if a compiled version of the project is available. The
current download button will still support the standard compile and download operation.
Download Operation
Click the Download icon or the Download from File icon in the toolbar. You can also
select Download or Download File from the Project menu.
Setup for a Download/Upload

1. Apply power to the target QuickPanel. See the Hardware Reference manual for details.
2. Connect the download cable (HMI-CAB-C49) between the serial comm port on your computer and
the QuickPanel download port. See the example in the Download Cable section.
3. Make sure the settings in the Setup dialog boxes are correct for your serial port. Make sure you
have at least one panel with valid operators.
4. Turn on the power to the QuickPanel. Click the download button and note the operator prompt
messages. If you run into problems, see the Communication Problems and Download Trouble
Shooting Guide in a later section.
QUICKDESIGNER Download and Upload Files • 73

Target Display Condition
QUICKCOURIER software has the ability to read the display device status and determine which
protocol has been loaded. Once QUICKCOURIER reads the status, it can automatically download a
new application, including a new display device executable file if necessary.
If you are upgrading to a new version software, you MUST download a new display
NOTE device executable file.
New factory units do not have a display device driver installed. When you apply power to a new unit,
it will display a message indicating it is ready to receive a display device executable file.
Download Cable
Connect the HMI-CAB-C49 cable from your computer port to the target display. The following
drawing shows a QUICKPANEL jr. and a HMI-CAB-C49 cable connected to the download port.
SIO/CN3
TO SERIAL PORT
HMI-CAB-C49
Use ONLY an HMI-CAB-C49 cable for downloading.

NOTE
Compiler
When the download operation is selected, a compiler program starts automatically. This program
checks the panel designs for possible errors, then assembles the panel information for the download
operation. All of the other files required for a download, except a project file, are included in the
compile. A sample compile operation information box is shown below. If the compiler finds an error,
it will stop and display the name of the panel and the error condition. Click the Cancel button to exit
the compiler program. See the Appendix for more information about the compiler.

QUICKCOURIER
When the compiler completes assembling the files, it hands the compiled file over to
QUICKCOURIER, which will handle sending all files to the target display.
QUICKCOURIER has the ability to read the display device status and determine which protocol has
been loaded. Once QUICKCOURIER reads the status, it can automatically download a new
application, including a new display device executable file if necessary.
The QUICKCOURIER dialog box is shown below.
Update Display Device Executable

You can force QUICKCOURIER to download a display device executable file by checking the Update
display device executable box. Downloading a new display device executable file is generally handled
by QUICKCOURIER, because it can determine the state of the display and load any necessary files.
See Target Display Condition for more information.
Communications Port
The first time you use QUICKCOURIER, you will have to select an unused communication port on
your computer. QUICKCOURIER will look for and display unused ports, but you must make the final
choice. Once you select the port, QUICKCOURIER will attempt to use the port to connect to the
target display. The status of some of the signal lines from the target display are shown next to the
comm port list box. The dialog box will expand to show additional information about the target
display. See the example dialog box in the following drawing.

Baud Rate
Older QuickPanels can support baud rates from 9600 to 38.4K, while some newer versions can
support baud rates from 9600 to 115K. The default baud rate is set to 115K. If you attempt to
download to a unit with a slower baud rate, the baud rate will automatically change and the AutoBaud
setting in the COURIER.INI file will be changed. If you download to a QuickPanel that supports
115K and the AutoBaud setting in the COURIER.INI file is set to 38400, the download will proceed
at 38400. To get the higher baud rate, the COURIER.INI file must be changed to 115K.
Courier.ini:
[Settings]
CourierWindow_63
Port=2
AutoBaud_115000
Event Log
QUICKCOURIER will keep track of all operator prompt messages and allow you to view them in a
scrollable window. See the Event Log in the following dialog box.
When the application download is complete, QUICKCOURIER will close and the QUICK
MANAGER program will return. If you have a default panel selected, the panel will be displayed
when the download is done. If no default panel is selected, the panel with ID number 1 will be
displayed.
Download Trouble Shooting Guide

1. Are you using a C49 cable manufactured by TCP? The C49 cable converts RS232 form your PC
to TTL levels that the QUICKPANEL can accept through the download port. C50 cables will not
work with QUICKPANELs.
Solution: Acquire TCP C49 cable.
2. Is your PC at least a 386DX/25 with 4M of RAM? If you are using anything less it is possible
that it is taking too long for your PC to respond to the QUICKPANEL when downloading the
executable. The executable download is very timing dependent.
Solution: Try a faster computer.

3. Are you using the Standard Windows communication driver? Open your
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEMI.INI file. Look for a line that starts out "comm.drv =". If you are using the
standard Windows comm driver the line will say comm.drv = comm.drv. If this line says anything
else, you are not using the standard Windows comm driver and this driver may not be directly
compatible with all windows applications.
Solution: Comment out this line with a semicolon and insert another line that reads "comm.drv =
comm.drv". Now restart windows and try the download again.
4. Are you using a laptop? If you are using a laptop it is possible that power management is
probably shutting down certain devices in your PC during a download.
Solution: Turn off all power management and try again. Consult your PC manufacturer for details.
5. Has your hard disk been damaged? At DOS Prompt run chkdsk.exe. If it reports any problems,
areas of your disk may have been damaged. These may include the QUICKPANEL Editor.
Solution: Run chkdisk with /f option or scandisk to repair, then reinstall the QUICKPANEL Editor,
try again. If still unable to down load reinstall Windows then try again.
6. Try downloading from another comm port on your PC.
7. Try downloading from another PC.
8. Try a different C49 cable.
19. Try a different QUICKPANEL.
If all of the above fails or if you are unable to complete any of the above steps, call TCP
QUICKPANEL Product Support Services: (708) 345-5730 x 2546 or (1-800) 293-3568.
FAX: (708) 345-5670..

QUICKDESIGNER
QUICKDESIGNER Window
The QUICKDESIGNER window is used to create and edit panels for each project. To open the
QUICKDESIGNER window, select Panels from the Components menu, click the Panels button in the
QUICK MANAGER window or click the Panels icon on the toolbar. A QUICKDESIGNER
window similar to the one below will appear.
Menu Bar
Windows commands are listed on menus. Menus are represented by names in the menu bar at the top
of each application window. In Windows, you select a menu, and then choose a command from that
menu. Choosing the command carries out the action. The menu bar for the QUICKDESIGNER
window is shown below.
The items listed on menus are most often commands that represent actions you can tell the
application to carry out. Some menu items appear dimmed, some have check marks next to them,
some may have ellipses (...) after their names, and others may have key combinations listed across
from them.
Windows applications all follow certain conventions when listing items on a menu. These
conventions signal that extra information about the menu commands follows.
78 • QUICKDESIGNER QUICKDESIGNER
MENU CONVENTION DESCRIPTION
Dimmed command name The command is not available at this time.
An ellipsis after the name A dialog box will appear.
A check mark next to the name The command is active.
A key combination after the name A shortcut for this command.
A triangle at the right side The command leads to a cascading menu.
To choose an item from a selected menu, click the item name.
Button Bar
The button bar contains icons relating to commands found in the menu bar. By clicking an icon, you
gain instant access to frequently used commands. The QUICKDESIGNER button bar is shown below.
You can turn off the Button Bar by unchecking the selection in the Options menu.
New Exit
Update To
Open Undo Back
Library Zoom
Save To Front Out
Redo Cut
Check Paste Delete Zoom
Copy Change In
Align
Status Bar
The status bar is located at the bottom of the window and contains context sensitive status
information. The information changes are based on the location of the mouse and mouse selections.
You can turn off the Status Bar by unchecking the selection in the Options menu.
The center field of the status bar shows the coordinates of the mouse as it is moved around the panel.
The right field shows the view percentage. A 1:1 view is 100%.
Right Mouse Button

If you click the right mouse button while the cursor is in the empty window space, the Options menu
will be displayed. If you click the right mouse button while the cursor is in the grid area, a
combination menu is displayed. The options in this menu include: Undo, Redo, Paste, View, Panel,
Grid and Preferences.
QUICKDESIGNER QUICKDESIGNER • 79
Creating a Panel
Tool Box
When the QUICKDESIGNER window opens, you are presented with a blank panel and the Tool box.
The Tool box contains the icons for each type of available tool. You can also select a tool from the
Tools drop-down menu. The Tool buttons are shown below.
Pointer Bitmap Legend Push Analog

Plate Button Meter
Illuminated Word Pilot Message Image
Push Button Button Light Display Display
Selector Goto Numeric Numeric Print
Switch Panel Display Entry Panel
Time Bar Alarms
Text Display Display Graph Trend
Polyline Circle Rectangle Text
Mini Tool Box

If you select the QuickPanel Mini 6" Monochrome display, the Tool box will display a limited set of
tools. The Mini Tool Box is shown below.
Point with the arrow cursor to the desired icon in the Tool box and click the mouse. When the cursor
is moved into the screen area, a cross hair will appear with a small image identifying the type of tool
selected. The example below is the Legend Plate tool. The status bar on the bottom of the window will
tell you which tool is selected.
LEG
END
Move the cross hair to the desired cell and click the mouse. Most objects will appear across two cells
as shown below.
If you want to size the object immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the
mouse button and drag the mouse to size the object. Release the mouse button and the object is sized.
A dialog box for the selected object will appear. The drawing tools work slightly different.
The object can be placed on the panel in several different modes, based on the selections in the
Settings/Preferences dialog box.
Dialog Box
The dialog box that appears will depend on the type of object selected. When the dialog box for a
selected object is active, a dashed box appears around the object. In the previous example, a Legend
Plate object was placed on the screen. The dialog box for the Legend Plate allows selecting the legend
plate text, text size and color, background color and outline color.
Dialog boxes may contain buttons that open additional dialog boxes.
When the dialog box selections are completed, click the OK button and the dialog box is removed.
Sizing an Object
You can make objects larger or smaller by following the procedures below.
1. Move the cursor over an object and click the left mouse button. Dashed lines around the object
indicate it is selected. Moving the cursor inside the dashed lines will change the cursor into a move
symbol. Press and hold the left mouse button to move the object.
2. Move the cursor to one of the sizing handles (small boxes on corners and centers of edges). Sizing
handles in the centers of the edges allow sizing vertically or horizontally, while corner handles allow
diagonal sizing. The cursor will change to a double ended arrow when you are on top of a sizing
handle.
3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the sizing handle in the direction selected. Click the
mouse outside the dashed lines to deselect the object.
When sizing objects, the selections you make in the Grid Settings and Preferences dialog boxes will
affect how you can size objects.
To make a small pilot light, turn off the "snap size to grid" option in the Grid Settings dialog box.
All objects (except draw objects) have outlines for resizing. When you select an object, the outline
first changes to a dashed outline and sizing handles appear. When you touch one of the sizing
handles, the object outline changes to solid lines. The solid outlines aid in sizing the object exactly
the way you want it.
Editing the Object

When you created an object, a dialog box for that object appeared. You can change the attributes of
the object by double-clicking the object, which will display the dialog box. You can also display the
dialog box by selecting the CHANGE option in the EDIT menu.
You can delete the object by clicking it, then pressing the DEL key or selecting the DELETE option
in the EDIT menu. If you use the CUT option in the EDIT menu, the cut object is placed on the
clipboard and saved until a new item is placed on the clipboard. You can delete a group of objects by
pressing and holding the left mouse button and drawing a box around the objects to be deleted.
To copy an object, click the desired object, then use the COPY option in the EDIT menu. A copy is
placed on the clipboard. Use the PASTE option in the EDIT menu to paste a copy of the clipboard
contents to the screen. Remember, the clipboard is a temporary storage area. Items are kept there only
until new items are copied to it. You can select multiple objects buy clicking the first one, holding the
Shift key and clicking additional objects. Use DESELECT ALL in the EDIT menu or press the ESC
key to deselect all objects.
When you are done designing a panel, use Save in the File menu to save the panel. Select New to start
a new panel. Continue building and saving panels until your project is complete. When you have
completed designing all panels, exit QUICKDESIGNER and return to QUICK MANAGER to
download the project to the target display.
Grouping objects
Two or more objects on the panel can be grouped together so that they will act as a single object.
You can use 'select all' to select all objects for grouping. You can select several objects by clicking
and holding the left mouse button as you draw a box around the objects. You can select multiple
objects by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking the objects you want grouped.
Items remain temporarily grouped only until the next object selection. Select 'Group Objects' from the
Edit menu (or use CTRL+G) to maintain the grouping.
Once you have grouped objects, you can use move, delete, library file, copy, etc. When objects are
grouped using the 'Group Objects' selection, they remain grouped until they are ungrouped by the
'Ungroup Objects' selection.
Object Tag Display

You can view the Object Tag by enabling the option in the View menu. The sample drawing shows
the tag name displayed in the upper left corner.
Keypad Tag Display

The keypad tag display is similar to the object tag display. The keypad tag operates independently of
the object tag display. The keypad tag is displayed in the bottom left corner of the operator and
provides a quick visual check to see which panel operators have keypads assigned. The keypad tag
will appear with a panel print. You can view the Keypad Tag by enabling the option in the View
menu.
Changing the Window View

You can change the view in the window from a zoomed out view of 50% to a zoomed in view of
800%. Select Zoom options from the View menu. Zoom buttons are provided for fast view changes.
Panel Preview
You can see what the panel will look like on the target display by selecting 'Preview' from the View
menu. A 1:1 full screen view is displayed.
Tiling and Drawing Grids
The QUICKPANEL jr. display is approximately 4 inches wide by 3 inches high. A pixel is a dot of
light on the display panel. The QUICKPANEL jr. display is made up of 320 horizontal by 240 vertical
pixels. Each dot has a unique address, specified by a horizontal and vertical coordinate. The origin is
located in the upper left corner of the display and is designated (0,0). The opposite corner is the
maximum pixel position, designated (319,239).
This drawing shows the two corners of the display with the pixels greatly enlarged.
0,0 (H,V)
PIXEL
319,239
Touch Grid
The touch screen is made up of cells that are 20 pixels on a side. The touch cells share the same
coordinate system as the display. The first touch cell uses the pixels from coordinate (0,0) to (19,19).
There is no physical display of the touch grid. You cannot change the number of pixels in a touch
cell. The drawing shows the first touch grid with only the outline pixels.
0,0
TOUCH CELL
19,19
Part Objects
There are two types of part objects: those associated with touch regions and those not associated with
touch regions. A push button is an example of an object associated with a touch region. A pilot light
is an example of an object not associated with a touch region. Part objects associated with touch
regions always occupy a complete touch cell. All touch objects must occupy a minimum of four touch
cells.
Tiling Grid for Objects
The tiling grid is a series of cells used to assist the designer in placing objects on the display. The
tiling grid can appear as dots, lines or boxes. The cells appear only in the editor and not on the target
display. Objects can occupy more than one cell as the cells are simply used as a layout guide. The
default size of each cell is 80 pixels wide by 40 pixels high. The first cell origin point is located at
(0,0) and the opposite corner is located at (79,39).
The default cell size of 80 x 40 pixels corresponds to 8 touch cells. The drawing shows a tile cell of
80 x 40 pixels and 8 touch cells.
0,0
79,39
TILING CELL with TOUCH CELLS
80 x 40 TILING CELL (DEFAULT SIZE)
The next drawing shows the tile grid for the whole QUICKPANEL jr. display. The default setting of
80 x 40 pixels produces 24 cells. The default Preference setting of 'Auto size on create' forces an
object to be drawn on two cells ( 80 x 80).
0,0
80 x40
DEFAULT GRID SETTING 319,239
Tiling Snap System

Another aid for placing objects on the panel is the snap feature. When placing an object on the tiling
grid, the upper left corner of the object will snap to the upper left corner of a tiling cell. The
remaining corners of the object attempt to come as close as possible to the snap points of the other
cells. The object is restrained from snapping to the other cells in order to remain within the cells they
occupy.
Snapping to grid points forces the object to be sized to the dimension of the cell. In some cases, the
object may cover up the tiling grid. Objects that are associated with touch areas will first attempt to
size themselves to complete touch regions. If the tiling grid is not an even multiple of the touch grid,
part objects associated with touch areas will size differently than other part objects. Remember that
touch areas are 20 x 20 pixels and touch objects must occupy a minimum of four touch areas (40 x
40).
All input objects (pushbuttons, Numeric Entry, etc.) are forced to the touch area grid
NOTE whether the snap function is enabled or not.
Objects on the panel can be aligned to the grid using the snap feature. When moving an object, the
nearest grid line will be the snap point. If you turn off the snap position option, objects can be placed
close together and in some cases overlap.
Default Settings
The default settings for the tiling grid and snap are selected with the novice user in mind. These
settings make it easy to quickly design a panel. The user selects a part object from the tool box and
places it on the panel. The part snaps to a cell location and is drawn automatically. One mouse click
for a part object to be created, sized and placed on the panel. The grid and snap system allows the
user to create objects whose edges align and vertices intersect.
Drawing Grid
The drawing grid is a series of equally spaced horizontal and vertical dots used to assist the user in
placement of objects on the display. Each grid point is a single pixel. The default setting is 10 x 10,
which is a dot every ten pixels in both directions. The grid appears only in the editor but not on the
target display. Object can overlap the points as they are only a drawing aid.
Drawing Snap System
The drawing snap system uses the drawing grid for locating snap points. When creating a draw
object, a grid point nearest the mouse becomes the snap point. For example, if the grid is set to 5 x 5,
and the mouse is located at position (4,4), the nearest snap point is (5,5). The snap feature and
drawing grid can be turned off.
Grid Settings Dialog Box
You can change the size and style of the tiling grid in the Grid Settings dialog box. The tiling grid
can be dots, lines, or boxes, and can be turned off. The drawing grid is always dots. The drawing grid
can also be turned off. The snap option can be turned off for both the tiling and drawing grids.
Text Justify
You can justify text in legends, states, data displays and Alarm windows. Previously the text was
automatically centered within the text field.
To change the justification of the text, click the appropriate radio button in the Justify box. The
following dialog box shows Justify set to the center position. The dialog box also shows the color
selection bars.
The following pictures show how text can be justified in a Legend Plate. Note how the radio buttons
correspond to the text position.
Text Size
A new text size of 16 x 32 will now appear in the Text Size section of many dialog boxes.
Color Selection
To select a color, click anywhere on the color bar which causes a small color palette to appear. Click
the color of your choice and the color bar changes to your selection. Some models support 8 colors
while others support 64 colors. See the Hardware Reference manual for model specifications.
64 Color Map
Here is the list of colors that are available on the 64 color display. The center column shows how
colors from a 64 color palette are mapped to an 8 color palette.
0-255 Values 8 Color Percent Values
Red Green Blue Red Green Blue

1 0 0 0 Black 0 0 0
2 0 0 255 Blue 0 0 100
3 0 255 0 Green 0 100 0
4 0 255 255 Cyan 0 100 100
5 255 0 0 Red 100 0 0
6 255 0 255 Magenta 100 0 100
7 255 255 0 Yellow 100 100 0
8 255 255 255 White 100 100 100
9 112 0 0 Black 44 0 0
10 112 0 255 Blue 44 0 100
11 112 255 0 Green 44 100 0
12 112 255 255 Cyan 44 100 100
13 176 0 0 Red 69 0 0
14 176 0 255 Magenta 69 0 100
15 176 255 0 Yellow 69 100 0
16 176 255 255 White 69 100 100
17 0 0 112 Black 0 0 44
18 0 0 176 Blue 0 0 69
19 0 255 112 Green 0 100 44
20 0 255 176 Cyan 0 100 69
21 255 0 112 Red 100 0 44
22 255 0 176 Magenta 100 0 69
23 255 255 112 Yellow 100 100 44
24 255 255 176 White 100 100 69
25 112 0 112 Black 44 0 44
26 112 0 176 Blue 44 0 69
27 112 255 112 Green 44 100 44
28 112 255 176 Cyan 44 100 69
29 176 0 112 Red 69 0 44
30 176 0 176 Magenta 69 0 69
31 176 255 112 Yellow 69 100 44
32 176 255 176 White 69 100 69
33 0 112 255 Blue 0 44 100
34 0 176 255 Cyan 0 69 100
35 0 112 0 Black 0 44 0
36 0 176 0 Green 0 69 0
37 255 112 255 Magenta 100 44 100
38 255 176 255 White 100 69 100
39 255 112 0 Red 100 44 0
40 255 176 0 Yellow 100 69 0
41 112 112 255 Blue 44 44 100
42 112 176 255 Cyan 44 69 100
43 112 112 0 Black 44 44 0
0-255 Values Percent Values
Red Green Blue Red Green Blue

44 112 176 0 Green 44 69 0
45 176 112 255 Magenta 69 44 100
46 176 176 255 White 69 69 100
47 176 112 0 Red 69 44 0
48 176 176 0 Yellow 69 69 0
49 0 112 176 Blue 0 44 69
50 0 176 176 Cyan 0 69 69
51 0 112 112 Black 0 44 44
52 0 176 112 Green 0 69 44
53 255 112 176 Magenta 100 44 69
54 255 176 176 White 100 69 69
55 255 112 112 Red 100 44 44
56 255 176 112 Yellow 100 69 44
57 112 112 176 Blue 44 44 69
58 112 176 176 Cyan 44 69 69
59 112 112 112 Black 44 44 44
60 112 176 112 Green 44 69 44
61 176 112 176 Magenta 69 44 69
62 176 176 176 White 69 69 69
63 176 112 112 Red 69 44 44
64 176 176 112 Yellow 69 69 44
The colors are laid out in the color control in the following order:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56
57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64
Other Editing Features

The panel editor is designed to operate so that you can quickly design panels. Once you are familiar
with the methods used to add objects and create panels, you may want to change the way the editor
operates. For example, you may not want the panel tested for overlapped objects. You may not want to
see the grid displayed while editing objects. The Settings menu allows changing the panel
background color, the settings of the grids, and three levels of user preferences. See Settings on page
101.
Menu Commands
File Menu
The File menu is shown below. Most File menu options have corresponding icons in the tool bar.
New
Click the New icon or select New from the File menu to start a new panel editing session.
Selecting New will display a blank panel ready for editing. The panel size is determined by the type of
display device you selected in the Setup dialog.
Open
Click the Open icon or select Open from the File menu to open an existing panel for editing.
The panel name is shown in the Name box and the panel identification number is shown in the Panel
ID box. If you entered a description of the file when it was saved, the text will appear in the
Description field.
Close
Close the current file.
Save
Click the Save icon or select Save from the File menu to save the current panel using the file
name already assigned.
Save As
Save the current panel using a new file name. Enter the filename in the Name field. Move the cursor
to the Description field and enter a description. The Panel ID is the identification number that can be
used by a PLC to select a panel. When the ID number is written to the Panel Trigger Tag register in
the PLC the associated panel will be displayed. The Panel Trigger tag is selected in the Quick Panel
Configuration dialog box. See the QUICK MANAGER section. The system will automatically assign
the panel ID when the panel is created. You can change it to any number up to 8999. Panel ID
numbers must be unique within a project.
Check
Click the Check icon or select Check from the File menu to check the panel design for potential
errors. Errors are reported in a dialog box and you will have the option of ignoring one or all errors.
Error checking is automatic each time you save a panel.
After all errors are reported, or if no errors are found, an information box appears. This box displays
the number of resources used on a panel. The total number of resources allowed for 5" and 6" panels
are 126. The number of resources allowed for 9", 10.5" and 12.1" panels are 255.
Delete
Delete a panel from the list of panels for the current project.
Importing and Exporting Panels
If you create a custom panel for Project X and you want to use the identical panel for Project Z, the
panel can be exported to an external file format and later imported to a new project. The exported
panel objects have tag variables that are valid for Project X. When you are working on a different
project, the custom panel is first imported. The tag variables for each object must then be changed to
match the new project PLC type. The panel is then saved with the modified custom panel.
Procedure:
1. Go to the QUICKDESIGNER program and create a custom panel. Each object will have a tag
variable that is valid for the project PLC type. Save the panel.
2. Select Export from the file menu and export the panel using 8 characters or less. The file will be
given the *.pnl extension. Example: filename.pnl
3. Exit the QUICKDESIGNER program and return to the QUICK MANAGER program. Create a new
project or select an existing project. Go to QUICKDESIGNER and select Import from the file menu.
4. Import the desired panel. Change the tag variables for each object so that they are valid for the new
project PLC type. Save the panel for the new project.
5. Continue to import other panels until the project is complete.
Import
Load a file saved in *.pnl format. When you import a panel with the *.pnl extension, save it with your
own panel name. For example, if you import PANEL1.PNL, save it immediately to the new panel
name of PANEL1.
Export
Save the panel design in *.pnl format. When you import a panel with the *.pnl extension, save it with
your own panel name. For example, if you import PANEL1.PNL, save it immediately to the new
panel name of PANEL1.
Exit
Quit the QUICKDESIGNER program.
Edit Menu
The Edit Menu is shown below. To the right of each menu option is a key or combination of keys.
You can select the option from the menu or use the key/key combinations to perform the function.
Undo [last operation] (Alt+BkSp)

Undo the last operation. The undo command will indicate what type of operation was last performed.
Redo [last operation] (Shift+Alt+BkSp)
Redo the last operation. The redo command will indicate what type of operation it will perform.
Cut (Ctrl+X)
Remove the selected object and place it on the clipboard.
Copy (Ctrl+C)
Copy the selected object to the clipboard.
Paste (Ctrl+V)
Paste a copy of the contents of the clipboard to the panel. The contents of the clipboard remain until
you cut or copy a new object.
Store Library Object (Ctrl+L)
The selected object or group of objects are stored in a library. See Library Browser, page 101 and 108,
and Library Tour, page 105.
Select All
Selects all objects on the panel.
Deselect All (Esc)
Deselects all objects that are currently selected.
Align (Ctrl+A)
Aligns the selected object to a vertical or horizontal coordinate. First select the object, then select
align from the Edit menu. A cross hair cursor will appear on the screen.
The cursor position information box is located in the bottom, right corner of the screen. Move the
cursor to the desired position and click the left mouse button. The following dialog box appears.
Select Horizontal or Vertical alignment. Click OK and the object will be aligned to the selected
coordinates.
Change (Alt+Enter)
Change the attributes of the selected object. You can also double click an object to display the
associated settings menu.
Change Object Tags (Ctrl+T)
Modify the Tag Attributes of a selected object or group of objects. The Modify Tag Attributes dialog
box appears.
You can edit the Address by clicking the name and typing a new name. Double click (F2) the name to
enter the edit mode. Use ESC to undo the edit mode. Select a different Address by clicking the down
arrow to display a list box.
The Prompt field is used to enter a description of the tag. The prompt will appear in any settings
dialog box where the tag is used. You can edit the Prompt text the same way you edit the Address
text. The example shows the Prompt text in the Pilot Light Settings dialog box.
You can also enter a new tag prompt by double clicking in the area above the tag field. Enter the
prompt and press return.
Delete (Del)
Delete the selected object from the screen. Object is not placed on the clipboard.
to Background (Ctrl+B)
Selected panel objects can be moved from the foreground to the background.
to Foreground (Ctrl+F)
Selected panel objects can be moved from the background to the foreground.
Group Objects (Ctrl+G)
Two or more objects on the panel can be grouped together so that they will act as a single object.
You can use 'select all' to select all objects for grouping. You can select several objects by clicking
and holding the left mouse button as you draw a box around the objects. You can select multiple
objects by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking the objects you want grouped.
Items remain temporarily grouped only until the next object selection. Select 'Group Objects' from the
Edit menu (or use CTRL+G) to maintain the grouping.
Once you have grouped objects, you can use move, delete, library file, copy, etc. When objects are
Ungroup Objects (Ctrl+U)

Objects that are temporarily grouped are ungrouped by selecting another object. When objects are
Tools Menu
The Tools pull-down menu allows selecting Parts (pilot lights, buttons, etc.), Drawing tools (Polyline,
Circle, Rectangle, etc.), or the Select tool . All of the Parts and Drawing tools in the tools pull-
down menu are available as icons in the Tools pop-up menu box. The Keypad Assignments selection
is used with the Keypad option. See the Keypad section for additional information.
Parts
Parts include all the objects shown in the following list.
Draw
Draw tools include any tools used to create static pictures. You can use the drawing tools to create a
picture of an operation, process, or function. Pictures in BMP format can be added to panels to further
enhance the graphic image. Dynamic parts can be added to create a true interactive operator interface.
Keypad Assignments
Keypad Assignments is a menu selection used only with the Keypad option. The Keypad Assignment
dialog box has a list box for displaying the keypad assignments and a series of buttons for creating
simulated operators, such as a simulated push button.
You can view all the keypad assignments by clicking the down arrow in the Key list box. A keypad
assignment list similar to the one below will appear. You can change the attributes of any simulated
operator by selecting the keypad from the list, then clicking the Attributes button. Note that simulated
operators are marked as Simulated. To change the attributes of normal operators assigned to keypads,
you must use the panel editor and double-click the operator.
You can assign a keypad to simulate a panel object, even though there is no panel object visible on the
screen. You can assign one of the keypads to simulate the following panel operators:
• Push Button
• Goto Panel Button
• Print Button
• Word Button
• Selector Switch
• Numeric Data Entry
The first operation is to select which keypad will be assigned to the simulated panel operator. Click
the down arrow in the Key list box then click an unassigned keypad.
Next, select one of the operators to simulate by clicking a button in the Key Assignment area. When
you click one of the simulate keys, the rest of the buttons will be grayed out. Click the Attributes
button to display the setup dialog. A simulated Goto Panel dialog box is shown below.
Note that the Bezel, Legend, Make Default and Advanced options are disabled (grayed out). You only
have to enter the Panel Name and click the OK button.
When you download the project file to a QuickPanel (with the Keypads option) the keypads can
simulate a panel operator. For example, if you press the A0 keypad, which was selected to simulate a
Goto Panel, the panel name you selected will be displayed. This is the same operation as the GoTo
Panel Button, but without the panel operator taking up screen space.
View Menu
Zoom In
This selection enables the zoom in tool. Click the mouse while the zoom tool is present to zoom to the
next level. Click and hold the mouse to draw a box around an area to zoom in. You can also use the
zoom in button on the toolbar.
Zoom Out 1:1
Resets the view to a standard 1:1.
Zoom to ...
This option allows selection of several zoom settings.
Preview
The preview mode produces a full-screen image of the panel at a 1:1 viewing ratio. This preview will
give you a good idea of what the panel will look like when it is viewed on the target display.
Object Tag Display
You can view the Object Tag by enabling the option in the View menu. The sample drawing shows
the tag name displayed in the upper left corner.
Keypad Tag Display

The keypad tag display is similar to the object tag display. The keypad tag operates independently of
the object tag display. The keypad tag is displayed in the bottom left corner of the operator and
provides a quick visual check to see which panel operators have keypads assigned. The keypad tag
will appear with a panel print.
Dim Flashing Colors

When you are creating panels, you have the option of selecting Flashing Colors. Flashing occurs only
when the panel has been downloaded to a target display. To see which colors have been selected as
Flashing, check the Dim Flashing Colors option in the View menu. Flashing colors will then appear
as a different shade, or a dimmed version of the corresponding color.
Options Menu
The options menu allows removing or replacing the button bar, status bar or tool box. You can
display this menu by clicking the right mouse button when the cursor is outside the panel design area.
If you click the right mouse button when the cursor is in the grid area, a different menu is displayed.

Library Browser
Selecting Library Browser from the Options menu will display the Quick Designer Library window.
See Library Tour on page 105 and Library Browser on page 108.
Settings Menu
The Settings menu has three options; Panel Settings for changing the color of the panel, Grid for
selecting the grid type, and Preferences for changing object preferences.
Panel Setting
You can change the background color of the QUICKDESIGNER panel. The default setting is black.
Click on the Color bar to display the color palette.
Panel Password
To set the password for a single panel, go to the Settings menu and select Panel. The Panel Settings
dialog will appear. From the Password Level list box, select No Password, Operator, Supervisor, or
Master.

Grid Settings Dialog Box
You can change the size and style of the tiling grid in the Grid Settings dialog box. The tiling grid
can be dots, lines, or boxes, and can be turned off. The drawing grid is always dots. The drawing grid
can also be turned off. The snap option can be turned off for both the tiling and drawing grids. See
Tiling and Drawing Grids on page 84 for more information about grids.
Preferences
The QUICKDESIGNER is set up to allow the novice user to quickly design panels. Some of the
operations appear automatically, such as deselecting a tool after using it and automatically checking
the panel when the file is saved. Some of the automatic operations can be turned off. If you are a
beginner, most of the automatic operations are turned on. The intermediate level turns off a few of the
automatic operations. The Advanced level allows you to pick the automatic operations you prefer.
Preference Options
New at startup: opens a new panel when QUICKDESIGNER starts.
Auto size on create: If checked, the selected object will be a fixed size when created. For example, a
push button would be 80 x 80. Otherwise, the size of the selected object will be determined by the grid
size settings. Some objects have a minimum size (push buttons are 40 x 40) and cannot be made
smaller. Size also depends on whether the "snap size to grid" option in the grid dialog box is
checked.
Tool de-select after use: when you are done using an object, the cursor will change to a pointer. If
this box is not checked, the cursor remains the same as the last object selected.
Check panel on save: The panel design is checked for errors when SAVE is selected.
Warning: Overlap Check: warns that objects are overlapped on the panel.
Panel settings on New: displays the Panel Settings menu when a New file is started. Allows selection
of black or white panels.

Change after object create: When an object is placed on the panel, a dialog box will appear. The
dialog box is used to change settings for the object. If the box is not checked, the object is placed on
the panel without the dialog box.
Object de-select after use: When you are done working with an object, it remains selected, indicated
by a dashed line around it. Checking this box will de-select the object after using it.
Auto move on object select: You can select and move an object by clicking it and holding down the
mouse button as you move it.
Object to fore after move: Places the object in the foreground after it is moved.
Help
The Help file contains most of the information found in the user manual, except it is in electronic
format and in easy reach.
Contents
If you click on Contents, the QuickDesigner help screen is displayed.
Getting Started
Getting started has been reduced to provide only a message box about the best way to get started using
QuickDesigner.

Learning QUICKDESIGNER
A message box describing the tools available to learn QuickDesigner software.
About QUICKDESIGNER
Clicking the About option will display the splash screen for QuickDesigner. This screen will show the
current software revision level, the user name and serial number. A new 'QD System Info' button can
be used to display information about the QuickDesigner software or Windows. A list box allows
selecting different file types.
Master Help
Once you enter the help system from any point, you can gain access to any other help topic by
clicking the 'Quick Help' button, which will jump to the main Quick Help screen. This main screen
has links to all other help topics, inlcuding protocol drivers, alarms, and all panel tools.

Library Tour
Library is a new feature that allows storing an object or group of objects in a database. Each library
(you can have more than one) contains folders of neatly stored objects and groups of objects.
Summary of Features
• Objects and groups of objects can be stored in folders in multiple libraries.

• Drag 'n Drop feature allows fast panel design and saving objects.
• Folders provide for custom design of the database.
• Projects can be quickly built from libraries of objects.
When you create your favorite object, like a pilot light or selector switch, you can save the object in a
named library folder. Later, when you want to make a copy of the object, the library feature allows for
fast and easy selection and transfer of the object to your panel. You can create templates for panels
and store all the objects as one file in a folder. You can design a complete panel and store it in a
folder in the library.
This tour will demonstrate how to create objects and store them in a library.
Create a new project and open QUICKDESIGNER. Select Options and click Library Browser to open
Quick Designer Library.
QUICKDESIGNER Library Tour • 105

Select New from the Folder menu.
Enter the name of the new folder in the Add Folder dialog box. In this example, the name Legends
was selected. Click OK when done.
Select Exit from the Library menu to exit the Quick Designer Library.
The first object to create is a legend plate. In this example, all legend plates will have the same
appearance but different text. Here is an example of a simple legend plate.
To save the legend plate in a library, click the legend plate to select it, then select Store Library
Object from the Edit menu. The Transfer Library Object dialog box appears.
The selected object will be displayed in the Source box on the left side of the dialog box. The right
side of the dialog box determines the destination. Select the Legends folder (created earlier) and type
in the name of the object. There is an additional text input box for a description of the object. Click
OK when done.
The Transfer Library Object dialog box closes and the Quick Designer Library window stays open.
Select the Legends folder and the legend plate with a description should appear.
106 • Library Tour QUICKDESIGNER

The Library function supports Drag-and-Drop, so that you simply select the object in the library by
clicking and holding down the mouse button, then drag the object from the library to the panel. Once
the object is on the panel, the setting dialog for that object will appear.
The custom legend plate can be placed on any panel by opening the Library Browser, selecting the
folder, then dragging and dropping the desired object.
Quick Designer also supports grouping objects. You can select multiple objects that will act as a
single object for moving, sizing, and other editing operations. The grouping can be temporary, as
when you select multiple objects with the SHIFT key or by drawing a box around objects with the
mouse. Objects that are temporarily grouped can be made permanently grouped by selecting Group
Objects from the Edit menu. Grouped objects can also be stored and retrieved in the Library.
QUICKDESIGNER Library Tour • 107

Library Browser
Quick Designer Library Window

Selecting Library Browser from the Options menu will display the Quick Designer Library window.
The tool bar contains icons for creating new libraries and opening an existing library. There are icons
for cut, copy and paste. The window displays the contents of the current folder. You can select a
different folder and any item within the folder with drop down list boxes.
Library
New
Creates a new Library database. Enter the file name and select the destination drive and directory.
The default library file name extension is *.mdb. Click OK to complete the operation.
108 • Library Browser QUICKDESIGNER

Open
Open a new Library database. Enter the file name and select the destination drive and directory. The
default library file name extension is *.mdb. Click OK to complete the operation.
Exit
Close the Quick Designer Library dialog box.
Edit
Cut
Deletes the selected item from the Library. A delete confirmation dialog box appears. Click Yes to
delete the object or No to abort the delete operation. There is no UNDO.
Copy
Copies the selected object to the clipboard.
QUICKDESIGNER Library Browser • 109

Paste
Takes the contents of the clipboard and pastes it to a selected library and folder. The Transfer Library
Object dialog appears. Select the destination library and folder, enter the name of the object and a
description and click OK to complete the transfer.
View
Toolbar
When checked, the toolbar is visible in the dialog box. Unchecking the option removes the toolbar
from the window.
Browser Properties
Allows changing the properties of the Library Browser. The properties are arranged in a file box
format. The tabs are: Drag 'n Drop, Appearance, and Text Colors.
Drag 'n Drop

You can disable the Drag 'n Drop feature by unchecking the box. When an object is dragged from the
library to a panel, the QUICKDESIGNER editor floats to the top. You can disable this feature by
clicking No.

Appearance
You can change the spacing of objects by entering a new value in the selection box. The default
setting is 3.
Text Colors
Select the text color and background color for the library objects name.
Folder
New Folder
Folders provide a convenient way of storing objects that are related in some way. You may want to
store all push buttons in a folder, or panels from a project. You can copy objects from one folder to
another and copy the entire contents of one folder to another. Enter the folder name and click OK.

Transfer
Transfer is used to move the contents of the current folder to another. Select the library destination
and the folder name and click OK.
Delete Folder
Deletes the selected folder. A confirmation dialog is presented. Click Yes to delete the folder.
Folder Properties
The properties are arranged in a file box format. The name tab allows changing the name of the
folder.

Object
Transfer Object
Moves the selected object to a new destination. Select the destination library and folder, enter the
name of the object and a description and click OK to complete the transfer. This is the same operation
as an Edit/Paste.
Delete Object
Deletes the selected item from the Library. A delete confirmation dialog box appears. Click Yes to
delete the object or No to abort the delete operation. There is no UNDO. This is the same operation as
an Edit/Cut.

Object Properties
The properties are arranged in a file box format. The Name/Desc tab allows changing the name and
description of the object.
Right Mouse Button Options for Objects

Opening a folder in a library will display all objects in the folder. Clicking the right mouse button
when the cursor is ON TOP of an object will display the following options menu. The menu is tied to
the object directly below the cursor, NOT the selected item.
Adjust Size
Select Adjust Size to display sizing handles on the object below the cursor. Use any of the handles to
proportionally size the objects in the folder.
Cut Object
Removes the object below the cursor and places the object on the clipboard. The Delete Object
Confirmation dialog box is displayed.
Copy Object
Copies the object below the cursor to the clipboard.
Transfer Object
Transfers the object below the cursor to the selected library and folder. Displays the Transfer Library
Object dialog box.
Delete Object
Deletes the object below the cursor from the folder. The object is NOT placed on the clipboard. The
Delete Object Confirmation dialog box is displayed.
Properties
Displays the Object Properties dialog box.

Right Mouse Button Options for Folders
Browser Properties
Clicking the right mouse button when the cursor is located in the gray area of the object window will
display the following options menu. If you had placed an object on the clipboard, the Paste option
will be active. (Inactive menu selections are greyed out). Paste will copy the object on the clipboard
to the open folder. Selecting Properties will display the Browser Properties dialog box.

Polyline Tool
Creating a Polyline Drawing

The polyline tool is used to draw single line segments, multiple line segments, and filled/unfilled
polygons.
Click the polyline icon on the tool bar.
To create a line segment, move the cross hair to the point where you want to begin drawing a line.
Click and HOLD the left mouse button. Move the mouse so that the cross hair is now at the second
point of the line. Release the left mouse button to complete the line. A small box appears on each end
of the line. This small box is called a NODE.
NODE
Note that the polyline tool is still active and you can continue to draw additional line segments or add
segments to existing lines. You can add segments to existing lines ONLY when the nodes are visible.
To add additional segments to the line shown above, move the cross hair over a node, click and hold
the left mouse button, move the cursor to a new point and release the mouse button.
You can continue to add line segments to create a polygon. A true polygon is a closed figure bounded
by three or more sides. The last leg of a polygon must connect to the node of the first leg so that the
figure is closed. The drawing shows the sequence of adding segments to create a filled polygon.
To exit the polyline drawing mode, click on the pointer tool.
116 • Polyline Tool QUICKDESIGNER

Moving a Polyline Object
To move a polyline object, point to the object, then click and hold the left mouse button. The object
nodes will appear. Move the object to a new location and release the mouse button. This method of
moving polyline objects is the same for all objects. You can also move an object when the sizing
handles are visible by moving the cursor inside the object so that crossed arrows appear. Click and
hold the left mouse button, then move the object to a new location and release the mouse button.
Editing Nodes
When you click on a polyline object, the object nodes will appear. To move a node, move the cross
hair over a node, then click and hold the left mouse button. Move the node to a new location and
release the mouse button.
To display the node edit menu, move the cross hair over a node, then and click and hold the RIGHT
mouse button. Click a menu item to execute the function.
Insert mode adds a node between the current node and the next node in a counter clockwise
direction.
Append mode adds a node between the current node and the next node in a clockwise direction.
Delete mode removes the selected node.
Open polygon removes the line segment between the current node and the next node in a clockwise
direction. Removing a segment from a polygon converts it to a polyline. This menu option appears
when you select a polygon and changes to Close polygon when you are working with a polyline.
Close polygon adds a line segment between the ends of a continuous polyline to form a polygon.
This menu option appears when you select a polyline and changes to Open polygon when you are
working with a polygon.
About Tool is an information box about the polyline tool.
QUICKDESIGNER Polyline Tool • 117

Sizing a Polyline Object
To select the entire object for sizing, click on the object to select it, then click on it again to change
from the editing mode to the sizing mode. The sizing handles should appear around the object. If you
click too fast, you will get the Line/Polyline/Polygon Settings dialog box. To size an object, select one
of the sizing handles and observe the pointer changes into a double end arrow. Click and hold the left
mouse button and adjust the size. Sizing handles on the corners are for diagonal sizing. Handles
between the corners are for horizontal and vertical sizing. The drawing shows an object resized in the
horizontal direction.
HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL DIAGONAL
Cautions
When creating a polygon, be careful drawing when the grid is set to snap. The cursor will attempt to
snap to the nearest grid point on the drawing grid. The mouse cursor may be in a different location
when you start to create the next line. This will cause problems if you attempt to make a polygon.
Make sure you draw lines from grid point to grid point, or turn off the snap to grid feature.
Polyline Settings
The dialog box allows changing the line style and color, selecting filled or unfilled polygons, and
selecting the polygon fill color. To display the settings dialog, double click on the polyline object. If
you double click too slow, you will only display the sizing handles.
Line Style
Solid, dashed, dotted, dash-dot, dash-dot-dot, none.
Filled/Unfilled
Check the Filled box to fill the polygon with color.
Line Color
Select the color of the polyline and polygon outline.
Fill Color
Select the color for the inside of the polygon.
OK
Click the OK button to apply the information in the settings menu and close the menu.
118 • Polyline Tool QUICKDESIGNER

Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Line/Polyline/Polygon Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Line/Polyline/Polygon objects appear the same way, you can
click the Make Default button in the Line/Polyline/Polygon Settings menu. The current settings in the
Line/Polyline/Polygon Settings menu will be saved. The next time you create a
Line/Polyline/Polygon, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Line/Polyline/Polygon Settings.
QUICKDESIGNER Polyline Tool • 119

Text Tool
Creating Text
The text tool is used to add text to a panel. Click the text icon on the tool bar.
To add text, move the cross hair cursor to the desired cell and click the left mouse button. The Text
Settings dialog box appears. The Text Settings dialog box can also be displayed by double clicking a
circle. The dialog box allows changing the text and the text size and color. Text is available in several
sizes. Text characters cannot be sized like other objects.
Moving Text
To move text, move the cursor over the text, click and hold the left mouse button, and move the text
to the desired location. Text will snap to grid positions like other objects. For fine placement of text,
turn of the tiling snap to grid option.
120 • Text Tool QUICKDESIGNER

Bitmap
Creating a Bitmap
The bitmap tool is used to place a bitmap image on a panel. The bitmap can be created using
Windows Paintbrush or imported from another bitmap source. The bitmap becomes a static image
on the panel. The following picture is a sample bitmap.
Only *.bmp files can be imported into QuickDesigner

NOTE
Click the bitmap icon on the tool bar.
Move the cross hair to the cell where you want the bitmap to appear and click the mouse. If you want
to size the bitmap immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse
button and drag the mouse to size the bitmap. Release the mouse button and the bitmap is sized.
An empty bitmap frame, similar to the picture below will appear.
The bitmap dialog box will appear next to the bitmap frame. The selections allow you to determine
how the bitmap will be placed in the empty frame. The default settings place the bitmap at the top,
QUICKDESIGNER Bitmap • 121

left corner of the frame. Selecting the 'Stretch fit' option will automatically size the bitmap to the
empty frame.
The Edit button is not available for Windows 95/NT users.

NOTE
Horizontal Justify
Select Left, Center, or Right to justify the bitmap to the frame. The default setting is Left justify,
which forces the bitmap to the left side of the frame.
Vertical Justify
Select Top, Center, or Bottom to justify the bitmap to the frame. The default setting is Top, which
forces the bitmap to the top of the frame.
Options
To stretch the bitmap to fit the frame size, click the Stretch fit checkbox. The screen size is 320 x 240
for 5" displays and 640 x 400 for 9" displays. Bitmaps that exceed the screen size can be displayed by
clicking the Stretch fit checkbox.
Bitmap Statistics
The statistics for each bitmap are presented in the Bitmap Settings dialog box. The statistics include
the Width, Height, Colors, and Size. QUICKDESIGNER supports monochrome or 16 color bitmaps.
Each object on a panel requires a small amount of memory. The panel can contain any combination of
panel objects. Bitmaps that take a lot of memory will limit the number of objects you can place on a
panel.
The width of a bitmap must be divisible by 4 for color bitmaps, and divisible by 8 for monochrome
bitmaps. If not, QuickPanel will cut off the remaining excess pixels when displaying the bitmap on
the panel.
122 • Bitmap QUICKDESIGNER

Edit
Clicking the Edit button will launch the Windows Paintbrush program. Using the paint and draw
tools, you can create a bitmap image that can be placed on a panel. The drawing frame that appears in
Paintbrush is the size of the frame on the panel. Edit is not available under Windows 95/NT.
Import
You can import a bitmap image from any program that generates bitmap images. These sources
include paint, icon editors, and capture programs. You can import bitmap images from any directory
or drive. Click the Import button to display the Import dialog box.
Export
You can export a bitmap image from a panel to any directory or drive. Click the Export button to
display the Export dialog box.

OK
Click the OK button to apply the information in the settings dialog box and close it.
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Bitmap Settings dialog box and exit the dialog.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all bitmaps appear the same way, you can click the Make Default
button in the Bitmap Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Bitmap Settings dialog box will
be saved. The next time you create a bitmap, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Bitmap Settings.
Bitmap Size
Before you attempt to place a bitmap on a panel, use the following approximations to determine the
size of the bitmap.
Monochrome Bitmap: (Width / 8) x Height
Example: 80 x 80 mono bitmap = (80 / 8) x 80 = 800 bytes.
16 Color Bitmap: (Width / 2) x Height
Example: 80 x 80 16 color bitmap = (80 / 2) x 80 = 3200 bytes.
To determine the size of your bitmap, open Paintbrush and select View/Cursor Position. Move the
cursor to the corner of the bitmap and note the coordinates. Example, 80, 80. Use the equations above
to calculate the approximate size of the bitmap.
Notes
Using bitmap pictures in your QUICKPANEL application may require a lot of application memory.
As the number and size of bitmap graphics increase in your application, the amount of memory left
for other objects will quickly disappear. The amount of memory that a bitmap requires is dependent
on its size and type. For example, a monochrome bitmap will require 1/4 the memory of the same
sized 16 color bitmap. Also, the draw time of the panel will increase with bitmap usage.
Creating a Bit Map
To create a bitmap, select the bitmap icon and place the object on your panel. The initial size of the
bitmap is one cell. When the Bitmap Settings dialog box appears, click the Cancel button. Size the
bitmap object to the estimated final size for the panel. Double click on the bitmap to reopen the
Bitmap Settings dialog box. Click the Edit button to start Windows Paintbrush. When you have
completed your drawing, click File/Exit and save the drawing. When Paintbrush closes, the new
drawing will be seen on the panel.
Bitmap Size
To determine the actual image size of a bit map, load the file into Paintbrush and select the File /Save
As option. Click on the Info.. button. It will display the width and height of the bit map. See the
example below.
124 • Bitmap QUICKDESIGNER

Circle Tool
Creating a Circle
The circle tool is used to draw filled or unfilled circles. Click the circle icon on the tool bar.
To create a circle, move the cross hair cursor to the desired cells and click the left mouse button. If
you want to size the circle immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the
mouse button and drag the mouse to size the circle. Release the mouse button and the circle is sized.
The Circle Settings dialog box appears. The Circle Settings dialog box can also be displayed by
double clicking a circle.
The dialog box allows changing the line style and color, selecting filled or unfilled circles, and
selecting the circle fill color. The line style can be solid, dashed, dotted, dash-dot, dash-dot-dot, and
none.
Moving a Circle
To move a circle, move the cursor over the object, click and hold the left mouse button, and move the
object to the desired location.
Sizing a Circle
To select an object for sizing, click on the object and sizing handles should appear on the corners. To
size an object, move the cursor over one of the sizing handles and observe that the pointer changes
into a double end arrow. Click and hold the left mouse button and adjust the size.
126 • Circle Tool QUICKDESIGNER

Rectangle Tool
Creating a Rectangle
The rectangle tool is used to draw filled or unfilled rectangles. Click the rectangle icon on the tool
bar.
To create a rectangle, move the cross hair cursor to the desired cells and click the left mouse button. If
you want to size the rectangle immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the
mouse button and drag the mouse to size the rectangle. Release the mouse button and the rectangle is
sized. The Rectangle Settings dialog box appears. The Rectangle Settings dialog box can also be
displayed by double clicking a rectangle.
The dialog box allows changing the line style and color, selecting filled or unfilled rectangles, and
selecting the rectangle fill color. The line style can be solid, dashed, dotted, dash-dot, dash-dot-dot,
and none.
Moving a Rectangle
To move a rectangle, move the cursor over the object, click and hold the left mouse button, and move
the object to the desired location.
QUICKDESIGNER Rectangle Tool • 127

Sizing a Rectangle
To select an object for sizing, click on the object and sizing handles should appear on the corners. To
size an object, move the cursor over one of the sizing handles and observe that the pointer changes
into a double end arrow. Click and hold the left mouse button and adjust the size.
128 • Rectangle Tool QUICKDESIGNER

Legend Plate
Creating a Legend Plate

A legend plate is a core component that can be placed on the target display to supply text information
to the operator. No variables are monitored or controlled by a legend plate. Note the shape of the
legend plate symbol.
FAN
STOP
Click the legend plate icon on the tool bar.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the legend plate to appear and click the
mouse. If you want to size the legend plate immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click
and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the legend plate. Release the mouse button and
the legend plate is sized.
The following legend plate dialog box will appear.
The legend plate allows you to provide text information to the operator. The legend plate differs from
the text tool in that the legend plate allows multiple lines of text and options for outline and
background color. The justify radio buttons justify text to any area of the legend plate.
QUICKDESIGNER Legend Plate • 129

OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Legend Plate Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all legend plates appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Legend Plate Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Legend Plate
Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a legend plate, the saved settings will
automatically be applied.
Examples
130 • Legend Plate QUICKDESIGNER

Push Button
Creating a push button

Pressing a push button performs a write operation on a PLC variable. On a standard push button, the
bezel changes color to indicate the button has been pressed. The push button action can be selected as
Momentary, ON, OFF, or Toggle. The three button styles are standard, circular and simple. A
standard push button is shown below.
LEGEND PLATE + BEZEL = PUSH BUTTON
FAN FAN
STOP STOP
Click the push button icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the push button to appear and click the
mouse. If you want to size the push button immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click
and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the push button. Release the mouse button and
the push button is sized.
The following Push Button Settings dialog box will appear. The Bezel and Legend buttons will
display additional dialog boxes.
QUICKDESIGNER Push Button • 131

Tag Variable
The Tag is a single discrete bit in the PLC memory that the target display can control. A list of valid
PLC tags can be found by locating your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be
edited by clicking the object and selecting Change Object Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag
prompts can be added in the Modify Tag Attributes dialog box. You can also add or edit tag prompts
by double clicking above the tag field.
Action
The manner in which the tag variable will be controlled is defined by selecting an "Action". The most
common action is Momentary, where the bit is turned ON when the push button is pressed and turned
OFF when the push button is released. The ON selection will turn the bit ON when the push button is
pressed and no action is taken when the push button is released. The OFF selection will turn the bit
OFF when the push button is pressed and no action is taken when the push button is released. Toggle
is used to change the bit to the opposite state when the push button is pressed and no action is taken
when the push button is released.
Use caution when implementing the Momentary push button for critical applications such as ramping
a motor. Pressing the button sets a bit and releasing the button clears the bit. If at any time during the
press and release cycle a communication fault occurs, the bit clear action may not occur. Instead of
relying on a bit set or clear, use multiple Word buttons to increment and decrement a counter.
Style
The style list box is used to select the style of the push button. Select Standard, Circular or Simple.
Standard Push Button
The elements of the standard push button are shown below. The standard push button consists of a
bezel and legend plate. The bezel is the frame around the legend plate. The bezel can be one color
when the button is idle and a different color when the button is touched. The bezel color, the touch
color and the bezel outline color can be changed. The legend plate contains the text and the
background. The text color, legend plate background color and legend plate outline colors can be
changed. There are three text sizes available.
LEGEND PLATE OUTLINE
LEGEND PLATE BACKGROUND

LEGEND PLATE TEXT
BEZEL
BEZEL OUTLINE
132 • Push Button QUICKDESIGNER

Simple Push Button
The elements of the simple push button are shown below. The simple push button is similar to the
standard push button except it has no bezel. The simple push button is a legend plate and text. The
text color, legend plate background color and legend plate outline colors can be changed. There are
three text sizes available. The simple push button has more room for text characters than the standard
push button.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
Circular Push Button

The elements of the circular push button are shown below. The circular push button consists of a
bezel and legend plate. The bezel is the circular section in the center of the button. The ring around
the bezel is the touch indicator. The touch indicator can be one color when the button is idle and a
different color when the button is touched. The bezel color, the touch color and the bezel outline color
can be changed. The legend plate contains the text and the background. The text color, legend plate
background color and legend plate outline colors can be changed. There are three text sizes available.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
LEGEND PLATE OUTLINE PUSH BUTTON
BEZEL TOUCH
BEZEL
BEZEL OUTLINE

Bezel
The simple push button has no bezel so the bezel dialog box should be ignored.
The bezel on a standard push button serves both as a bezel indicator and a touch indicator. When
using a standard push button, the bezel portion of the push button can change color when the button
is pressed.
A circular push button has a separate bezel and touch indicator. The bezel on a circular push button is
the center area of the button. The ring around the center is the touch indicator.
The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to enhance the visual impact of the push button.
The outline color remains constant whether the push button is pressed or not.
Press the Simulate button to observe the action of the bezel color change.
If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black,
and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
Legend Plate
The legend plate allows you to provide text information to the operator on the action that will occur
when the push button is pressed . This text is constant and will not change when the push button is
pressed. The justify radio buttons justify text to any area of the legend plate. The text color,
background color, and outline color can be modified in appearance to enhance the application. There
is more room for text on a simple push button than on a standard push button.
134 • Push Button QUICKDESIGNER

OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Push Button Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all push buttons appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Push Button Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Push Button
Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a push button, the saved settings will
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings Dialog box. The Push Button
operation can be assigned to an external keypad. See Keypads, page 203 and Keypad Assignment,
page 98, for additional information. Once a keypad is assigned, you can disable the touch screen by
checking the Touch disable box. If you leave the touch disable box unchecked, then the touch screen
and the keypad can both operate the push button.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Push Button Settings.

Illuminated Push Button
Creating an Illuminated Push Button

An illuminated push button consists of a bezel, an OFF lens, and an ON lens. The illuminated push
button requires two PLC variables; one for the lens and one for the push button. The push button
action can be selected as momentary, ON, OFF, or toggle.
BEZEL + OFF LENS + ON LENS = ILLUMINATED PUSH BUTTON
POWER
ON
Click the illuminated push-button icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the illuminated push button to appear
and click the mouse. If you want to size the illuminated push button immediately, move the cross hair
to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the illuminated push
button. Release the mouse button and the illuminated push button is sized.
The following Illuminated Push Button Settings dialog box will appear. The Bezel and States buttons
bring up additional dialog boxes. Note also there is a tag setting for the Push Button and one for the
Light (lens).
136 • Illuminated Push Button QUICKDESIGNER

Push Button Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the push button. This tag will be a single discrete bit in the
PLC memory that the target display can control. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating
your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the object and
selecting Change Object Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag prompts can be added in the Modify
Tag Attributes dialog box. You can also add or edit tag prompts by double clicking above the tag
field.
Action
The manner in which this tag will be controlled is defined by selecting an "Action". The most
common action is Momentary, where the bit is turned ON when the push button is pressed and turned
OFF when the push button is released. The ON selection will turn the bit ON when the push button is
pressed and no action is taken when the push button is released. The OFF selection will turn the bit
OFF when the push button is pressed and no action is taken when the push button is released. Toggle
is used to change the bit to the opposite state when the push button is pressed and no action is taken
when the push button is released.
Pilot Light Tag Variable

A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the pilot light. This tag will be a single discrete bit in the
PLC memory that the QUICKPANEL can read. The condition of this bit will determine whether the
ON or OFF state is displayed. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating your PLC type in the
Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the object and selecting Change Object
Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag prompts can be added in the Modify Tag Attributes dialog
box. You can also add or edit tag prompts by double clicking above the tag field.
Bezel
The Bezel portion of the push button is used to give a visual indication to the operator that the button
was pressed. The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to enhance the visual impact of the
push button. When the push button is not pressed the bezel color is displayed, but when the push
button is pressed the touch color will be displayed. The outline color remains constant whether the
push button is pressed or not pressed. Press the Simulate button to observe the action of the bezel
color change. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be
converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
QUICKDESIGNER Illuminated Push Button • 137

States
The States button will display the State Settings menu. An illuminated push button has two states,
ON and OFF. You can change the text size and colors for each state. Click one of the Justify radio
buttons to justify text. Use the Next and Previous buttons to select a different state. The last state
selected will be the one displayed when you click the OK button. If you load a color project into a
monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan
will be converted to white.
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Illuminated Push Button Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all push buttons appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Illuminated Push Button Settings dialog box. The current settings in the
Illuminated Push Button Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create an illuminated
push button, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings Dialog box. The Illuminated Push
Button operation can be assigned to an external keypad. See Keypads, page 203 and Keypad
Assignment, page 98, for additional information. Once a keypad is assigned, you can disable the
touch screen by checking the Touch disable box. If you leave the touch disable box unchecked, then
the touch screen and the keypad can both operate the button.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Push Button Settings.
138 • Illuminated Push Button QUICKDESIGNER

Print Button
Creating a print button

The print button prints the current panel to a printer attached to the serial (download) or parallel port.
For information about hardware connections, see the printer information in Appendix B. The button
works like a push button, except that you do not need to set a tag variable. The button is permanently
assigned an internal variable that controls printing.
There are three styles of the print button available. The three button styles are standard, circular and
simple.
LEGEND PLATE + BEZEL = PRINT SCREEN BUTTON
PRINT PRINT
SCREEN SCREEN
Click the print button icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the print button to appear and click the
mouse. If you want to size the print button immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click
and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the button. Release the mouse button and the
button is sized.
The following Print Button Settings dialog box will appear. The Bezel and Legend buttons will
display additional dialog boxes.
QUICKDESIGNER Print Button • 139

Style
The style list box is used to select the style of the button. Select Standard, Circular or Simple.
Standard Print Button
The elements of the standard print button are shown below. The standard print button consists of a
changed. There are several text sizes available.

LEGEND PLATE TEXT
BEZEL
BEZEL OUTLINE
Simple Print Button

The elements of the simple print button are shown below. The simple button is similar to the standard
button except it has no bezel. The simpl button is a legend plate and text. The text color, legend plate
background color and legend plate outline colors can be changed. There are several text sizes
available. The simple button has more room for text characters than the standard button.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
Circular Print Button

The elements of the circular print button are shown below. The circular button consists of a bezel and
legend plate. The bezel is the circular section in the center of the button. The ring around the bezel is
the touch indicator. The touch indicator can be one color when the button is idle and a different color
when the button is touched. The bezel color, the touch color and the bezel outline color can be
changed. The legend plate contains the text and the background. The text color, legend plate
background color and legend plate outline colors can be changed. There are several text sizes
available.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
BEZEL TOUCH
BEZEL
BEZEL OUTLINE
140 • Print Button QUICKDESIGNER

Bezel
The simple button has no bezel so the bezel dialog box should be ignored.
The bezel on a standard button serves both as a bezel indicator and a touch indicator. When using a
standard button, the bezel portion of the button can change color when the button is pressed.
A circular button has a separate bezel and touch indicator. The bezel on a circular button is the center
area of the button. The ring around the center is the touch indicator.
The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to enhance the visual impact of the button. The
outline color remains constant whether the button is pressed or not.
Press the Simulate button to observe the action of the bezel color change.
Legend Plate
when the print screen button is pressed . This text is constant and will not change when the button is
pressed. The text size can be changed , and you can justify text by clicking one of the Justify radio
buttons. The text color, background color, and outline color can be modified in appearance to
enhance the application. There is more room for text on a simple button than on a standard button.
QUICKDESIGNER Print Button • 141

OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all the settings in the dialog box the same way every time the
dialog box is opened, you can click the Make Default button. The current settings in the dialog box
will be saved. The next time you open the dialog box, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings dialog box. The Print Button
and the keypad can both operate the button.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to the associated dialog box.
142 • Print Button QUICKDESIGNER

Word Button
Creating a Word Button

A Word button is a multi-function object that performs Set, Add, Subtract, AND, OR, XOR of a
selected value on a PLC word register. For example, if the selected value is 5, then the word button
can set a register to the value 5, or add 5 to a register, or subtract 5 from a register. The logical
functions of AND, OR and XOR can also be performed using a selected value and a PLC word
register.
Click the Word button icon on the tool bar.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the word button to appear and click the
mouse. If you want to size the word button immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click
and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the word button. Release the mouse button and
the word button is sized.
The Word button will appear similar to the one below.
The Word button dialog box appears next to the word button.
QUICKDESIGNER Word Button • 143

Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the Word Button. This tag will be a word in the PLC
memory that the target display can update. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating your
PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the object and
field.
Style
The style list box is used to select the style of the button. Select Standard, Circular or Simple.
Standard Word Button
The elements of the standard word button are shown below. The standard word button consists of a
changed. There are three text sizes available.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
BEZEL
BEZEL OUTLINE
Simple Word Button

The elements of the simple word button are shown below. The simple button is similar to the standard
button except it has no bezel. The simple button is a legend plate and text. The text color, legend
plate background color and legend plate outline colors can be changed. There are three text sizes
available. The simple button has more room for text characters than the standard button.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
144 • Word Button QUICKDESIGNER

Circular Word Button
The elements of the circular word button are shown below. The circular button consists of a bezel and
legend plate. The bezel is the circular section in the center of the button. The ring around the bezel is
the touch indicator. The touch indicator can be one color when the button is idle and a different color
when the button is touched. The bezel color, the touch color and the bezel outline color can be
changed. The legend plate contains the text and the background. The text color, legend plate
background color and legend plate outline colors can be changed. There are three text sizes available.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
BEZEL TOUCH
BEZEL
BEZEL OUTLINE
Action
This pull-down list box is used to select the action to be performed on the PLC word register. The
available action options are:
Set: Set the register equal to the number in the Value field.
Add: Add the number in the Value field to the PLC word register.
Subtract: Subtract the number in the Value field from the PLC word register.
AND: Perform the logical AND operation between the number in the Value field and the PLC word
register.
OR: Perform the logical OR operation between the number in the Value field and the PLC word
register.
XOR: Perform the logical XOR operation between the number in the Value field and the PLC word
register.

Mode
The mode pull-down list box is used to select the number base for the Value field. The default setting
is Decimal. The available options are:
Value
This field contains the number value used in the modes of operation. The base number system for the
value represented in the field is selected in the Mode list box. You can use the up and down arrows to
increment or decrement the value in the field. You can also enter a value directly in the number field
by clicking anywhere in the field.
Bezel
The Bezel portion of the word button is used to give a visual indication to the operator that the button
was pressed. The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to enhance the visual impact of the
word button. When the word button is not pressed the bezel color is displayed, but when the word
button is pressed the touch color will be displayed. The outline color remains constant whether the
word button is pressed or not pressed. Press the Simulate button to observe the action of the bezel
color change. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be
146 • Word Button QUICKDESIGNER

Legend Plate
when the word button is pressed . This text is constant and will not change when the word button is
pressed. The text size can be changed , and you can justify text by clicking one of the Justify radio
buttons. The text color, background color, and outline color can be modified in appearance to enhance
the application. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Word Button Settings dialog box and exit the dialog.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Word Buttons appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Word Button Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Word Button
Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a word button, the saved settings will
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings dialog box. The Word Button
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Word Button Settings.

Pilot Light
Creating a pilot light

A Pilot Light is an indicator that shows the ON or OFF condition of a variable. The Pilot Light tool
allows you to create a square (Standard) or circular pilot light. The standard pilot light consists of two
square lens, each with its own color and text options. Each lens can have a different text message.
OFF LENS/TEXT + ON LENS/TEXT = STANDARD PILOT LIGHT
POWER POWER POWER
OFF ON ON
The circular pilot light consists of two round lens and a legend plate. The legend plate contains a
fixed text message.
OFF LENS + ON LENS + LEGEND PLATE = CIRCULAR PILOT LIGHT
PILOT LIGHT PILOT LIGHT
The Pilot Light requires a PLC variable that will be monitored to determine when to display the OFF
state and when to display the ON state.
Click the Pilot Light icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the Pilot Light to appear and click the
mouse. If you want to size the Pilot Light immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click
and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the Pilot Light. Release the mouse button and
the Pilot Light is sized.
The following Pilot Light Settings dialog box will appear.
148 • Pilot Light QUICKDESIGNER

Tag Variable
The Tag is a single discrete bit in the PLC memory that the target display can read to determine the
ON/OFF status. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating your PLC type in the
Style
Select either the Standard or Circular style Pilot Light. If you select the Standard pilot light, the
Legend button will be greyed out (inactive). If you select the Circular pilot light, both States and
Legend buttons will be active.
Standard Pilot Light

The elements of the standard pilot light are shown below. The standard pilot light is a square lens
with text inside. The lens has two states, either ON or OFF. You can select the lens color, outline
color, text color and text size for each state.
STANDARD
LENS COLOR
OUTLINE
PILOT LIGHT
TEXT
QUICKDESIGNER Pilot Light • 149

Standard Pilot Light States
The States button will display the State Settings menu. A standard pilot light has two states, ON and
OFF. You can change the text size and appearance of each state. Click one of the Justify radio buttons
to justify text. Use the Next and Previous buttons to select a different state. The last state selected will
be the one displayed when you click the OK button. If you load a color project into a monochrome
unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be
converted to white.
Circular Pilot Light

The elements of the circular pilot light are shown below. The circular pilot light is a round lens and a
legend plate. The lens has two states, either ON or OFF. For each state, you can select the lens color
and the lens outline color. Although the lens can change color, the legend plate and text remain
constant. You can select the legend plate text color and size, legend plate outline color and legend
plate background color.
LEGEND PLATE TEXT
LEGEND PLATE OUTLINE PILOT LIGHT

LENS
LENS OUTLINE
Circular Pilot Light States

The States button will display the State Settings menu. A circular pilot light has two states, ON and
OFF. You can change the lens color and lens outline color of each state. Use the Light Off and Light
On buttons to select a different state. The last state selected will be the one displayed when you click
the OK button. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be
150 • Pilot Light QUICKDESIGNER

Legend Plate
The legend plate describes the operation of the pilot light. This text is constant and will not change
when the pilot light changes states. The text color and size, the legend plate background color, and
the legend plate outline color can be changed. Click one of the Justify radio buttons to justify text. If
you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and
Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Pilot Light Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Pilot Lights appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Pilot Light settings dialog box. The current settings in the Pilot Light Settings
dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a pilot light, the saved settings will automatically
be applied.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Pilot Light Settings.
QUICKDESIGNER Pilot Light • 151

Local Message Display
Creating a Local Message Display

A Local Message Display consists of a two or more stacked lenses. Each lens display is a different
message. Only one message is visible at a given time. The local message display requires a single
PLC variable. The messages can be controlled by a bit variable or word variable.
MESSAGE 0 MESSAGE 1 MESSAGE n
TEXT... TEXT... TEXT...
The local message display can be used to show multiple messages or conditions by assigning each
message to a variable word or bit. The local message display can be expanded to cover several cells so
that the local message display becomes a simple alarm message center.
Click the local message display icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and local message display image to the top of the two cells where you want the
local message display to appear and click the mouse. If you want to size the local message display
immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the
mouse to size the local message display. Release the mouse button and the local message display is
sized.
The following Local Message Display dialog box will appear.
152 • Local Message Display QUICKDESIGNER

Tag Variable
The Tag is a PLC word variable. You can select whether the word is read as a numeric value (Word)
or as discrete Bits (Bit). If you read the variable as a word value, then there will be 255 possible
states (0 - 254). When the variable is read as discrete bits, then there are 17 possible states (16 bit
positions and 0). When multiple bits are ON, the highest order bit in the ON condition determines the
selected state. Enter the tag variable name and click the Word or Bit button. A list of valid PLC tags
can be found by locating your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by
clicking the object and selecting Change Object Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag prompts can
be added in the Modify Tag Attributes dialog box. You can also add or edit tag prompts by double
clicking above the tag field.
States
The States button will display the State Settings dialog box. A Local Message Display has two or
more states, the maximum number depending on whether you selected the PLC variable as a word or
a group of bits. You can change the text size and appearance of each state. You can justify text by
clicking one of the Justify radio buttons. Use the NEXT and PREV buttons to select a different state.
The last state selected will be the one displayed when you click the OK button.
To make a blank state, enter one or more spaces in the state. States should not be completely empty.
The State Settings dialog box will indicate the current state number and the control condition for that
state. The following drawing shows the states are controlled by the PLC Value set to Bit.
If the PLC Value was set to Word, the state dialog box would appear similar to the following.
QUICKDESIGNER Local Message Display • 153

Import
Import Local Message Display files (*.lmd). These files are text files saved with the *.lmd extension.
A sample file is shown in the Import Local Messages dialog box. Selecting a file to import will
display the Import File Layout Settings dialog box.
Import File Layout Settings

The format and layout of the import files are defined in the Import File Layout Settings dialog. A
sample text file is used for illustration.
Sample Text File

The following text file contains all of the default fields. The file is comma separated into fields which
correspond to the fields shown in the Import File Layout Settings dialog box. A comma separated file
is easy to create but you can use any of the delimiters shown in the Delimiter list box.
0,7x9,UL,RED,OFF,CYAN,OFF,RED,OFF,"State 0"
1,7x9,UL,GREEN,OFF,CYAN,OFF,RED,OFF,"State 1"
2,7x9,UL,BLUE,OFF,CYAN,OFF,RED,OFF,"State 2"

Default Fields
Select which fields will be specified in the import file format. Fields not specified will be set to the
default values shown in the table below. You can change the default values by using the Save to
Default button. Use the Restore Default button to reset the default values to the original settings.
Default values are:
Text Size, 5x7
Text Justify, Center
Text Color, White
Text Flash, Off
Lens Color, Black
Lens Flash, Off
Outline Color, White
Outline Flash, Off
In the following text file, only the STATE and TEXT fields are used. The default values are used
where no field is specified.
0,"State 0"
1,"State 1"
2,"State 2"
Selected Fields
Each field in the Default Fields section that is checked will appear in the Selected Fields section. You
can change the sequence of the fields by clicking a field name, then use the up and down arrows to
change its position in the list. In the following example, the State, Text Size, and Text fields are used.
However, the Text Size field has been moved to the last position. The text file for the example is
shown below.

Current Contents
The Current Contents section contains the first group of selected fields.
0,"State 0",7x9
1,"State 1",7x9
2,"State 2",7x9
Once you have selected a layout format for the text file, click the Save to Default button. This will
save the format for the next time you import a *.lmd file.
Delimiter
A delimiter is a character that separates items in a file. The most common is a comma separated file,
similar to the following example.
Bears,dogs,cats,lions,sheep,whales,elephants
Items can also be separated by Tabs, periods, exclamations, pound, dollar, percent, etc. Items can also
be listed in one column with no separators. Design the format of the text file so that it is easy to read
and edit.
1st Line in File:
The first line of the imported file is shown in this section. You can use this line to check the layout
settings for proper format. The path and file name are listed next to the section title.

Define Values
You can further define the attribute values of the text file by clicking the Define Values button. In the
Color section, all the colors have their common default names. You can change BLACK to BK or any
other attribute. The 5x7 Text Size can be changed from 5x7 to SMALL. Any attribute changed in this
dialog box must match attributes in the text file. That is, you cannot use 5x7 in the text file if you
change the attribute to SMALL. The dialog box shows the default settings for the Color, Color
Flashing, Text Justification and Text Size attribute values.
Save to Default
Saves the current selections in the Define Attributes Values dialog box as the new default values.
Restore Default
Changes all selections in the Define Attributes Values dialog box to the default values.
Export
Export Local Message Display files (*.lmd). These files are text files saved with the *.lmd extension.
The format and layout of the files are defined in the Export File Layout Settings dialog. When you
enter a file name and select a location to export a file, the Export File Layout Setting dialog is
displayed.

Export File Layout Setting
The format and layout of the export files are defined in the Export File Layout Settings dialog.
Default Fields
Select which fields will be specified in the export file format. Fields not specified will be set to the
default values shown in the table below. You can change the default values by using the Save to
Default button. Use the Restore Default button to reset the default values to the original settings.
Default values are:
Text Size, 5x7
Text Justify, Center
Text Color, White
Text Flash, Off
Lens Color, Black
Lens Flash, Off
Outline Color, White
Outline Flash, Off
Selected Fields
Each field in the Default Fields section that is checked will appear in the Selected Fields section. You
can change the sequence of the fields by clicking a field name, then use the up and down arrows to
change its position in the list.

Sample Contents
The Sample Contents section contains a sample of what the first group of selected fields might look
like.
Sample Output in File:

A sample output line for the exported file is shown in this section. You can use this line to check the
layout settings for proper format. The path and file name are listed next to the section title.
Define Values
You can further define the attribute values of the text file by clicking the Define Values button. In the
Color section, all the colors have their common default names. You can change BLACK to BK or any
other attribute. The 5x7 Text Size can be changed from 5x7 to SMALL. Any attribute changed in this
dialog box must match attributes in the text file. That is, you cannot use 5x7 in the text file if you
change the attribute to SMALL. The dialog box shows the default settings for the Color, Color
Flashing, Text Justification and Text Size attribute values.
Save To Default
Saves the current selections in the Define Attributes Values dialog box as the new default values.
Restore Default
Changes all selections in the Define Attributes Values dialog box to the default values.

OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Local Message Display Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Local Message Displays appear the same way, you can click
the Make Default button in the Local Message Display Settings dialog box. The current settings in the
Local Message Display Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Local Message
Display, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Local Message Display Settings.
Alarms and Prompts

The primary purpose of the Local Message Display is to present simple information messages or
operator prompts. The drawing shows a Local Message Display sized to fit across four cells. The
display can be sized to fit almost any length message.
Do not confuse alarm messages in a Local Message Display with alarm messages created by the
Alarm tool.

Local Image Display
Local Image Display

A Local Image Display consists of a two or more states. Each state can contain graphic elements such
as polylines or rectangles, a bitmap, text, or combinations of graphics and text. Only one state is
visible at a given time. The local image display can be used to show a single state from a group of
states by assigning each state to a PLC word or bit. The following drawing shows some examples of
states.
STATE 0 STATE 1 STATE 2
TEXT
TEXT
Creating States
A state can contain a single element, such as a polyline or a bitmap image. States can also contain
complex images that are made of bitmaps, text, or polylines. You can think of states as a stack of
pictures. States can be created by designing the elements for each state on an unused area of a panel,
copying the elements to the clipboard, then pasting the grouped elements to the desired state. Once
the elements are pasted, they cannot be edited. If you want to change the state, you must recreate the
picture elements. This process works well for a small number of states.
Another method of creating states is to design the elements for each state and save the design in a
library. The library feature allows you to view all the designs and make changes before creating the
Local Image Display. This method is recommended for a Local Image Display with many states. The
States dialog box has a Library button for easy access to your designs.
A major design consideration for the Local Image Display is the final size of the display. Once you
create all the states, you can size the Local Image Display like other panel objects. When sizing the
Local Image Display down, the minimum size is determined by the largest object or group of objects
on any one state. For example, if you paste a large bitmap to one of the states, then you cannot size
the Local Image Display any smaller than the size of the bitmap. Therefore, consider the size of
objects before you begin creating states.
To ensure all states are the same size, you may want to consider using a common graphic element for
each state. First, create an unfilled rectangle. Place all elements within the rectangle. Copy the
rectangle and all elements to the clipboard or library, then paste them to a state. Do the same
procedure for each state. When you size the Local Image Display, the smallest size will be the size of
the rectangle, and all states will be exactly the same.
QUICKDESIGNER Local Image Display • 161

When creating images for the Local Image Display, it is important to remember that the Local Image
Display tool draws the graphic associated with each state whenever the variable it is linked to
changes. However, the graphics from the previous states are not erased when the new graphic is
drawn. So it is important that the new graphic overwrites the old one entirely.
To make a moving image or multiple images, create a background for every state, such as a black
box. Copy the background for each new state. Add images to each background for each new state.
Now when a new state is triggered, the background will erase all the previous image.
Black Background
Creating a Local Image Display
Click the local image display icon on the Tools menu.

Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the local image display to appear and
click the mouse. If you want to size the local image display immediately, move the cross hair to the
desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the local image display.
Release the mouse button and the local image display is sized. The Local Image Display dialog box
will appear.
Tag Variable
The Tag is a PLC word variable. You can select whether the word is read as a numeric value (Word)
or as discrete Bits (Bit). If you read the variable as a word value, then there will be 256 possible
states. When the variable is read as discrete bits, then there are 17 possible states (16 bit positions and
0). Enter the tag variable name and click the Word or Bit button. A list of valid PLC tags can be
found by locating your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking
the object and selecting Change Object Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag prompts can be added
in the Modify Tag Attributes dialog box. You can also add or edit tag prompts by double clicking
above the tag field.
PLC Value
Select Word to control the selection of the state by the value of a PLC word. If the value of the Word
is 0, then state 0 will be displayed. When the value changes to 10, then state 10 is displayed. If the
PLC Value was set to Word, the state dialog box would appear similar to the following picture.
(There are 256 states using Word)
162 • Local Image Display QUICKDESIGNER

Select Bit to control the selection of the state by the bit assignment of a PLC word. If no bits are set
then state 0 is displayed. If bit 4 is set then state 4 is displayed. When multiple bits are ON, the
highest order bit in the ON condition determines the selected state. (There are 17 states using Bit)
States
The States button will display the State Settings dialog box. A Local Image Display has two or more
states, the maximum number depending on whether you selected the PLC variable as a word or a
group of bits. You can change the image of each state. Use the NEXT and PREV buttons to select a
different state. The last state selected will be the one displayed when you click the OK button. Empty
states have an X in them.
Justify
If the image you paste to the current state does not fill the entire window, it will be forced to a
position determined by the Justify selection.
Cut will remove the contents of the current state. Copy will duplicate the contents of the state to the
clipboard. Paste will copy the contents of the clipboard to the current state. If the image you paste to
the current state does not fill the entire window, it will be forced to a position determined by the
Justify selection. Remove will remove the selected state. The Library button opens the library
browser. Select an object from the library and copy it to the clipboard or drag it to the current state.
Use the library to store state images prior to creating the Local Image Display.
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Local Message Display Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Library
The Library button opens the library browser. Select an object from the library and copy it to the
clipboard or drag it to the current state. Use the library to store state images prior to creating the
Local Image Display.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Local Message Display Settings.
QUICKDESIGNER Local Image Display • 163

Selector Switch
Creating a selector switch

A Selector Switch consists of a bezel, a legend plate and initially two OFF lenses and two ON lenses.
The Selector Switch requires multiple variables , one for each selector switch position. These
variables will be interlocked so that only one of them can be turned on. Each time the selector switch
is pressed the position that is currently on will be turned off and then the next position will be turned
on. The number of positions can be two, three, or four.
BEZEL +LEGEND PLATE +2 ON LENS +2 OFF LENS = SELECTOR SWITCH
Click the Selector Switch icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and Selector Switch image to the top of the two cells where you want the Selector
Switch to appear and click the mouse. If you want to size the Selector Switch immediately, move the
cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the Selector
Switch. Release the mouse button and the Selector Switch is sized.
The following Selector Switch Settings dialog box will appear.
164 • Selector Switch QUICKDESIGNER

Number of Positions
You can select the number of positions that the selector switch will have by clicking one of the
Positions option buttons. The default setting is two positions. The following drawing shows the three
options.
LEGEND LEGEND LEGEND

POS 1 POS 1
POS 1 POS 2
POS 2
POS 3
POS 2 POS 3 POS 4
2 POSITION 3 POSITION 4 POSITION

SELECTOR SWITCH SELECTOR SWITCH SELECTOR SWITCH
Position Selector
The current position selector ( Next and Previous buttons) allow you to choose which position of the
selector switch you are editing. When you choose a position, the tag and states for that position can be
edited. To edit other tags and states, change the current position selector. The following drawing
shows Position 1 and Position 2 of a two position selector switch.
Position Tag Variable

A "tag" variable name must be assigned to each position of the Selector Switch. These tags will be a
single discrete bit in the PLC memory that the target display can control. If you have selected a 2
position Selector Switch then you must define a tag bit for position 1 and another tag bit for position
2. If position 1 tag bit is ON and the Selector Switch is pressed, position 1 tag bit is turned OFF and
position 2 tag bit is turned ON. Each time the Selector Switch is pressed, the current position tag bit
is turned OFF and the next position tag bit will be turned ON. A list of valid PLC tags can be found
by locating your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the
object and selecting Change Object Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag prompts can be added in
the Modify Tag Attributes dialog box. You can also add or edit tag prompts by double clicking above
the tag field.
QUICKDESIGNER Selector Switch • 165

States
The States button will display the State Settings menu. Each position of the Selector Switch has two
states, ON and OFF. You can change the text size and appearance of each state. You can justify text
by clicking one of the Justify radio buttons. Use the Next and Previous buttons to select a different
state. The last state selected will be the one displayed when you click the OK button. If you load a
color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow,
Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
Bezel
The Bezel portion of the Selector Switch is used to give a visual indication to the operator that the
button was pressed. The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to enhance the visual impact
of the Selector Switch. When the Selector Switch is not pressed the bezel color is displayed, but when
the Selector Switch is pressed the touch color will be displayed. The outline color remains constant
whether the Selector Switch is pressed or not pressed. Press the Simulate button to observe the action
of the bezel color change. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue
will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
166 • Selector Switch QUICKDESIGNER

Legend Plate
when the Selector Switch is pressed . This text is constant and will not change when the Selector
Switch is pressed. The text size can be changed , and the text can be justified by clicking one of the
Justify radio buttons. The text color, background color, and outline color can be modified in
appearance to enhance the application. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red,
Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to
white.
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Selector Switch Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Selector Switches appear the same way, you can click the
Make Default button in the Selector Switch Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Selector
Switch Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Selector Switch, the saved
settings will automatically be applied.
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings dialog box. The Selector Switch
Button operation can be assigned to an external keypad. See Keypads, page 203and Keypad
Assignment, page 98, for additional information. Once a keypad is assigned, you can disable the
touch screen by checking the Touch disable box. If you leave the touch disable box unchecked, then
the touch screen and the keypad can both operate the button.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Selector Switch Settings.
QUICKDESIGNER Selector Switch • 167

Goto Panel Push Button
Creating a Goto Panel push button

A Goto Panel push button consists of a bezel and a legend plate. The Goto panel push button will
allow changing from the currently displayed panel to another selected panel.
BEZEL + LEGEND PLATE = GOTO PANEL BUTTON
Goto Panel Goto Panel
TEXT TEXT
Click the Goto Panel button icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and Goto Panel button image to the top of the two cells where you want the Goto
Panel button to appear and click the mouse. If you want to size the Goto Panel button immediately,
move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the
Goto Panel button. Release the mouse button and the Goto Panel button is sized.
The following Goto Panel Button Settings dialog box will appear.
168 • Goto Panel Push Button QUICKDESIGNER

Panel Name
Use the drop-down list box or type the name of the panel you want to Goto when this push button is
pressed.
Each panel you design must be saved with a unique file name. This file name is the only name that is
valid for the Goto panel name. You can see a list of current panel names when you select File/Open or
File/Save.
There is a dilemma in creating a Goto panel button when the panel you intend to go to has not been
created yet. For example, if you are working on your very first panel and you create a Goto push
button that will be used to go to the next panel, what name will be used in the Panel Name field? The
name you pick must be exactly the same name as the panel you intend to go to. For example, assume
that you intend to go to the panel called MAIN. You must enter the panel name as "MAIN". You
cannot use, "main." When you create the panel called "MAIN", make sure you save it using the name
"MAIN."
Using Goto Panel Buttons

The Goto Panel button has two modes of operation. In the local mode, pressing the Goto Panel button
will display the designated panel. No connection to the PLC is required. In the PLC mode, a register
in the PLC is used to trigger the desired panel. The Goto button writes the Panel Id number to the
PLC register. When any new Panel Id is written to the PLC register, the target display reads the
value and the new panel will be triggered.
The mode is determined by the Panel Trigger Tag option in the display device Configuration dialog
box.
If the Panel Trigger Tag is left blank, then the Goto button works in the local mode. When you press
the Goto button, the selected panel will be displayed. You do not have to be connected to a PLC for
the Goto button to work properly.
If you designate a Panel Trigger Tag, the target display MUST be connected to the PLC for the Goto
button to work properly. Pressing the Goto button causes the target display to write the Panel ID
number to the Panel Trigger Tag. The target display will then read the Panel Trigger Tag register,
and when it sees a change in value, it will trigger the designated panel. You must have a good
communication link to the PLC for the Panel Trigger Tag to work correctly.
To reach the display device configuration dialog box, go to Projects and click Setup. In the Project
Setup dialog box, click the Setup button for the display device. The target display Configuration
dialog will appear.
QUICKDESIGNER Goto Panel Push Button • 169

Bezel
The Bezel portion of the Goto Panel push button presents a visual indication to the operator that a
new panel will be displayed when it is pressed. The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to
enhance the visual impact of the Goto Panel push button. When the push button is not pressed the
bezel color is displayed, but when the Goto Panel push button is pressed the touch color will be
displayed. The outline color remains constant whether the Goto Panel push button is pressed or not.
Press the Simulate button to observe the action of the bezel color change. If you load a color project
into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and
Cyan will be converted to white.
Legend Plate
The legend plate allows you to provide text information to the operator about what panel will be
displayed when the Goto Panel push button is pressed . This text is constant and will not change
when the Goto Panel push button is pressed. The text size can be changed, and the text can be
justified by clicking one of the Justify radio buttons. The text color, background color, and outline
color can be modified in appearance to enhance the application. If you load a color project into a
170 • Goto Panel Push Button QUICKDESIGNER

OK
Click the OK button to apply the information in the Goto Panel Button Settings dialog box and close
it.
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Goto Panel Button Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Goto Panels appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Goto Panel Button Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Goto Panel
Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Goto Panel, the saved settings will
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings dialog box. The Goto Panel Button
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Goto Panel Settings.
QUICKDESIGNER Goto Panel Push Button • 171

Numeric Data Display
Creating a Numeric Data Display

A Numeric Data Display consists of a numeric readout and a legend plate. The data display requires a
PLC tag variable for the numeric data.
LEGEND PLATE + NUMERIC READOUT = NUMERIC DATA DISPLAY
MOTOR MOTOR
SPEED SPEED
123.45 123.45
Click the Numeric Data Display icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and the Numeric Data Display image to the top of the two cells where you want
the Numeric Data Display to appear and click the mouse. If you want to size the Numeric Data
Display immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and
drag the mouse to size the Numeric Data Display. Release the mouse button and the Numeric Data
Display is sized.
The following Numeric Data Display dialog box will appear.
172 • Numeric Data Display QUICKDESIGNER

Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the numeric Data Display. This tag will be a word in the
PLC memory that the target display can read. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating your
PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the object and
field.
Legend Plate
The legend plate allows you to provide text information to the operator about the meaning of the
current value being displayed. The text size can be changed , and the text can be justified by clicking
one of the Justify radio buttons. The text color, background color, and outline color can be modified
in appearance to enhance the application. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red,
white.
Data Format Settings

The Text Size selected will determine the maximum number of digits available for viewing. Smaller
text allows more characters in the text field.
Justification determines if the text characters are forced to the Left, Right, or Center.
The display can show a Signed Number (+/- sign) if the PLC supports signed values.
The Format of the data can be decimal, binary, hexadecimal, octal, or floating point. The data color
and background can be modified to enhance the appearance.
The number of Digits that will be displayed can be selected and will be equal to or less than the
maximum allowed because of the text size selected.
QUICKDESIGNER Numeric Data Display • 173

The number of Decimal Positions is the number of digits that will be displayed to the right of the
decimal point. A decimal point is counted as one of the Digits positions.
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Numeric Data Display Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Numeric Data Displays appear the same way, you can click the
Make Default button in the Numeric Data Display Settings dialog box. The current settings in the
Numeric Data Display Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Numeric Data
Display, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Numeric Data Display Settings.
174 • Numeric Data Display QUICKDESIGNER

Numeric Data Entry
Creating a Data Display with Keypad Entry

A numeric data display with data entry consists of a bezel, numeric readout and a legend plate. The
data display also requires a variable that it will read and display the current value. When the bezel is
touched, the screen will display a data entry panel.
BEZEL + LEGEND PLATE + NUMERIC READOUT = NUMERIC DATA ENTRY
MOTOR MOTOR
SPEED SPEED
123.45 123.45
Click the Numeric Data Entry icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and the Numeric Data Entry image to the top of the two cells where you want the
Numeric Data Entry to appear and click the mouse. If you want to size the Numeric Data Entry
immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the
mouse to size the Numeric Data Entry. Release the mouse button and the Numeric Data Entry is
sized.
The following Numeric Data Entry Settings dialog box will appear.
QUICKDESIGNER Numeric Data Entry • 175

Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the Numeric Data Entry. This tag will be a word in the
PLC memory that the target display can read and update. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by
locating your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the
the tag field.
Trigger Tag
This tag will be a word/bit in the PLC memory that the target display can write to. A bit is set when
the ENTER key is pressed and reset when the ENTER key is released. If a word is selected for the
trigger tag, the low order bit is set. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating your PLC type in
the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the object and selecting Change
Object Tags (Ctrl+T) from the Edit menu. Tag prompts can be added in the Modify Tag Attributes
dialog box. You can also add or edit tag prompts by double clicking above the tag field.
KeyPad Title Off

When you touch a Numeric Data Entry button, the current panel is erased and replaced by a numeric
data entry panel. The legend text from the Numeric Data Entry button will normally appear at the top
of the data entry panel. Checking the KeyPad Title Off box will remove the text from the top of the
data entry panel. See the Data Entry Panel on page 179.
Input Range
The min and max range settings are determined by the PLC type and the tag variable type. You can
change the range values to allow only a specific range of values.
If you enter an incorrect value for the min or max range values, an error message will appear. The
dialog box will identify the type of errror and display the User Defined Range and the Default PLC
Range. Buttons in the dialog box allow editing the user defined range values or using the default
settings.
176 • Numeric Data Entry QUICKDESIGNER

Bezel
The Bezel portion of the Numeric Data Entry is used to give a visual indication to the operator that
the button was pressed The bezel, outline, and touch color can be modified to enhance the visual
impact of the Numeric Data Entry button. When the push button is not pressed the bezel color is
displayed, but when the push button is pressed the touch color will be displayed. The outline color
remains constant whether the push button is pressed or not pressed. Press the Simulate button to
observe the action of the bezel color change. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red,
white.
Legend Plate
current value being displayed. The text size can be changed , and the text can be justified by clicking
one of the Justify radio buttons. The text color, background color, and outline color can be modified
in appearance to enhance the application. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red,
white.

Data Format Settings
The data format settings dialog box allows setting up the display information.
The Text Size selected will determine the maximum number of digits available for viewing. Smaller
text allows more characters in the text field.
Justification determines if the text characters are forced to the Left, Right, or Center.
The display can show a Signed Number (+/- sign) if the PLC supports signed values.
The Format of the data can be decimal, binary, hexadecimal, octal, or floating point. The data color
and background can be modified to enhance the appearance.
The number of Digits that will be displayed can be selected and will be equal to or less than the
maximum allowed because of the text size selected.
The number of Decimal Positions is the number of digits that will be displayed to the right of the
decimal point. A decimal point is counted as one of the Digits positions.
178 • Numeric Data Entry QUICKDESIGNER

Data Entry Panel
When the Numeric Data Entry push button is pressed, a data entry panel (keypad) will be displayed.
The legend text from the Numeric Data Entry button will be displayed on the top of the panel as the
keypad title. You can delete the keypad title by checking the KeyPad Title Off box in the Numeric
Data Entry Settings dialog box.
The data entry panel will look different if you are using an optional keypad. See Keypads, page 203
and Keypad Assignment, page 98, for additional information.
The current variable value is displayed in the Current Value field. The min and max entry values are
displayed. Press the numeric buttons and the ENTER button to enter a new value. If the value is out
of range or otherwise incorrect, the display will beep and a warning message will flash. If the data is
valid when you press the ENTER button, the value will be sent to the PLC. Press the DONE button to
return to the normal display.
NUMERIC DATA ENTRY
Current Value: 55 Current Value: 55

Minimum >>> 65535 Minimum >>> 65535
55 55
Minimum >>> 0 Minimum >>> 0
BK BK
1 2 3 +/- SP 1 2 3 +/- SP
4 5 6 . Enter 4 5 6 . Enter
7 8 9 0 Done 7 8 9 0 Done
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Numeric Data Entry Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all numeric data entry buttons appear the same way, you can click
the Make Default button in the Numeric Data Entry Settings dialog box. The current settings in the
Numeric Data Entry Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Numeric Data
Entry button, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Advanced Button
The Numeric Data Entry Button operation can be assigned to an external keypad. See Keypads, page
203, and Keypad Assignment, page 98, for additional information. Once a keypad is assigned, you
can disable the touch screen by checking the Touch disable box. If you leave the touch disable box
unchecked, then the touch screen and the keypad can both operate the button.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Numeric Data Entry Settings.

Text Display
Creating a Text Display

A Text Display consists of an alphanumeric readout and a legend plate. Data is read from a PLC
register and displayed as text.
If your PLC supports text variables, the PLC register will be read as two text characters. Otherwise
the PLC register will be read as a single text character.
LEGEND PLATE + ALPHANUMERIC READOUT = TEXT DISPLAY
TEXT TEXT
MESG MESG
ABCDE ABCDE
Click the Text Display icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and the Text Display image to the top of the two cells where you want the Text
Display to appear and click the mouse. If you want to size the Text Display immediately, move the
cross hair to the desired cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the Text
Display. Release the mouse button and the Text Display is sized.
The following Text Display dialog box will appear.
180 • Text Display QUICKDESIGNER

Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the numeric Text Display. This tag will be a word in the
PLC memory that the target display can read. For example, in an Allen-Bradley PLC5, the word A2:0
contains 2 ASCII characters. You must change the tag variable type to String. See Tag Attributes on
page 47 for more details. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by locating your PLC type in the
The Tag variable type must be set to String. See Tag Attributes section.
Legend Plate
current text being displayed. The legend text size can be changed , and the legend text can be justified
by clicking one of the Justify radio buttons. The legend text color, background color, and outline color
can be modified in appearance to enhance the application. If you load a color project into a
QUICKDESIGNER Text Display • 181

Text Format Settings
The text format dialog box has option buttons for selecting the text size and text justification. The
text color and background can be modified to enhance the appearance. The default text size is set to
7x9 and justification is set to Center. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green
and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
The Length field is used to select how many characters will be displayed in the text field. For
example, entering the Length as 3 will display 3 characters.
OK
Click the OK button to apply the information in the Text Display Settings dialog box and close it.
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Text Display Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Text Displays appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Text Display Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Text Display
Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Text Display, the saved settings will
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Text Display Settings.
182 • Text Display QUICKDESIGNER

Clock
Creating a clock display

A clock display consists of a bezel and numeric readout.
LENS + NUMERIC READOUT = CLOCK DISPLAY
12:59 AM 12:59 AM
Click the Clock icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair and clock image to the top of the cell where you want the clock to appear and
click the mouse. If you want to size the clock immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell,
click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the clock. Release the mouse button and
the clock is sized.
The following Time Display Settings dialog box will appear. The text size can be changed , and the
text can be justified by clicking one of the Justify radio buttons. The text color, lens color, and outline
color can be modified. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and Blue will
be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
The default settings for time are hours and minutes, in 12 hour format. You can add seconds to the
clock display by checking the Seconds box. Military time is displayed in 24 hour format. For
example, 2:30PM would be 1430 hours.
QUICKDESIGNER Clock • 183

Setting the target display time
The QUICKDESIGNER software includes a tool for displaying the system time. The tool currently
does not include a dialog box for setting the time. To set the time, use the Numeric Data Entry tool to
set the hour, minutes, and seconds. (Do not use any other tool to modify the internal clock.)
Create a new panel and use any name you like for the panel. The panel will consist of three Numeric
Data Entry objects and one Numeric Data Display. The three data entry objects will be used for
setting the hours, minutes and seconds. The data display will be used to verify the clock setting.
Select the Numeric Data Entry object and place it on the panel. When the Numeric Data Entry
Settings dialog box appears, enter the tag name as ~System_Hour. You must type the tag name
exactly as shown, including the tilde at the beginning. Remember to enter the desired text in the
legend plate to identify the object as system hour.
Create two more Numeric Data Entry objects, using the tag names ~System_Minute and
~System_Second. Remember to enter the desired text in the legend plates to identify system minute
and system second.
Select the clock operator and place it on the panel. Click the seconds box so the clock displays hours,
minutes and seconds. Military time refers to the 24 hour format.
Save the panel and download it to the target display. Use the data entry operators to set the clock for
your display. The target display maintains the system time between power cycles.
184 • Clock QUICKDESIGNER

Bar Graphs
Creating a bar graph

A bar graph consists of a legend plate and a special display that shows data in a bar graph format.
LEGEND PLATE + BAR GRAPH + FACEPLATE = BAR GRAPH
212.0 212.0
T T
E E
M M
P P
0.0 0.0
Click the bar graph icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the bar graph to appear and click the
mouse. If you want to size the bar graph immediately, move the cross hair to the desired cell, click
and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the bar graph. Release the mouse button and
the bar graph is sized.
The following Bar Graph Settings dialog box will appear. Note the Face plate, Scale, and Simulate
buttons, which when pressed will display the associated dialog box. If you load a color project into a
QUICKDESIGNER Bar Graphs • 185

Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the numeric Bar Graph operator. This tag will be a word
in the PLC memory that the QUICKPANEL can read. A list of valid PLC tags can be found by
locating your PLC type in the Communications User manual. Tags can be edited by clicking the
the tag field.
Any variable assigned to a Bar Graph MUST be a 16 bit integer type variable.
NOTE
Orientation
There are four ways to orient the bar graph:
• bottom to top: as the value is increased from min to max, the graph will grow from the bottom to
the top.
• top to bottom: as the value is increased from min to max, the graph will grow from the top to the
bottom.
• left to right: as the value is increased from min to max, the graph will grow from the left to the
right.
• right to left: as the value is increased from min to max, the graph will grow from the right to the
left.
Bar Color
Click on the Bar Color list box to display a color chart. Click on your color choice and the bar
changes to that color. Check the Flashing box to make the bar color flash.
Remove Face Plate/Scale

The bar graph normally has a Face Plate and a Scale. The Face Plate consists of an area surrounding
the bargraph and scale. The Face Plate background and outline colors are selectable. The Scale
consists of the scale range settings, the scale text and the tick marks. The Face Plate and the Scale can
be removed to display only the bargraph and the outline by checking the Remove Face Plate/Scale
box. to
OUTLINE SCALE FACEPLATE OUTLINE
COLOR COLOR
212.0
T
E BARGRAPH WITH
M NO FACEPLATE AND SCALE
P
0.0
TICKS
BAR COLOR BAR COLOR
BACKGROUND
COLOR
186 • Bar Graphs QUICKDESIGNER

Face Plate
The face plate settings allow you to select different faceplate and outline colors for the bar graph.
However, when you download the project, the background for the bargraph is always black. Text and
scale color are set in the Scale Settings dialog box. If you load a color project into a monochrome
unit, Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be
converted to white.
Scale
The Scale Settings menu is used to customize the bar graph. Enter the Text and select the Text Size
to appear on the graph. Text is vertical for top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top graphs, and horizontal for
left-to-right and right-to-left graphs.
Enter the Scale Range, enter Min (minimum) and Max (maximum) values. Number Size refers to the
numbers on the scale. Select the number of Digits and Decimal Positions. A decimal position is the
number of digits to the right of the decimal point. The decimal point counts as a digit.
Tick marks are placed next to the bar graph to delineate the graph into equal segments. Select the
number of tick marks for the graph.
Select the Scale Color and click OK to complete the bar graph. If you load a color project into a

Simulate
Simulate allows viewing the graph as the data value is changed between the minimum and maximum
values with the scroll bar.
OK
Click the OK button to apply the information in the settings menu and close the menu.
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Bar Graph Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all bar graphs appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Bar Graph Settings menu. The current settings in the Bar Graph Settings menu
will be saved. The next time you create a bar graph, the saved settings will automatically be applied.
Advanced
Clicking the Advanced button brings up the Alarm Settings dialog box. The bar graph can be divided
into different sections, based on the range value and color. The bar graph can therefore show different
colors for different alarm variable values. The following dialog shows a single color for a range of 0
to 20.
To add more alarm ranges, click the up arrow button to the right of the Alarms number box. Each
increase will add another Value box and Color selection button. In the following example, there are
four ranges selected and each range has a different color and value setting. The ranges are : 0 to 5, 5
to 10, 10 to 15, and 15 to 20. The minimum and maximum range values cannot be changed in this
dialog box. You can change them in the Scale Settings dialog.

Use caution when selecting the value for the alarm range. A short review of Bar Graphs is necessary
before we discuss alarm values.
You can set the Min and Max scale values to show the full value of the tag variable or some portion
of it. For example, if the tag variable has an actual value of 0 to 65535, you can go to the Scale
Settings dialog box and set the Min to 0 and the Max to 65535 to display the full variable range. See
Figure 1.
If you set the Min to 0 and the Max to 200, then the bar graph will display only the range of the
variable from 0 to 200. See Figure 2.
Variable = 65535 65535 Variable = 65535 200
200
Variable = 0 0 Variable = 0 0
Figure 1 Figure 2
The bar graph is divided into 100 segments which represent 1 percent of the range value. For
example, if the Min and Max scale range is 0 to 200, then each increment of the bar graph is 1
percent, or 2. Each time the variable increases by 2, the bar graph will show a change.
The alarm values operate by changing colors at the 1 percent points. In the previous example, the
alarm values can change colors at 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.
If you set the value for changing colors to 5, it will not work since the changes can only occur at the 1
percent increment points. The bar can change color at 4 and 6, but not at 5. The range value must be
divided by 100 to arrive at the true change points. For example, if the Min is set to 0 and the Max is
set to 500, then 1 percent of the range is 5. The alarm values in this case can be set to change at
increments of 5.
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Bar Graph Settings.

Examples
The following examples illustrate the variety of bar graphs you can easily create. Experiment with
different size text, changing the number of ticks, min and max values and other settings to make the
desired graph. Remember that you can resize the bar graph to fit more than two cells.
When you download a bargraph, the background fill color is always black.
NOTE

Trend
Creating a Trend Display

When you read a variable from a control device, you have one piece of data that can be displayed in a
panel operator, such as a Numeric Display. When you read the same variable over a period of time
and save the data, you have collected a data set. When you show all the points in the data set, you
have a trend display. If you read a variable over a period of time, collect the data set in a buffer and
display the data, you have a QuickPanel trend display. The Trend display is capable of displaying data
from multiple data sets.
To add a trend display to a panel, click the trend icon in the floating Tools menu. The Trend
Graph Settings dialog box appears. Each of the buttons controls a major section of the Trend Graph
design.
Orientation refers to the direction the trend will be displayed. The number of samples determines how
many data points will appear on the screen. The sample rate determines how often a new sample is
taken. Background color is the color behind the trend display.
A sample trend operator is shown below.
There is a limitation when using large trend displays on a 10.5" color and 9" Mono displays. In some
cases, a trend display 8 cells wide by 12 cells high, with a sample rate of 1 second, would appear to
lockup a panel. When the trend display was reduced to 8 cells wide by 8 cells high, the panel updated
normally. If you experience this problem, reduce the sample rate from 1 second to 2 seconds or more,
or reduce the size of the trend display.
QUICKDESIGNER Trend • 191
Face Plate
The face plate is the area around the trend display. You can select the faceplate color and the outline
color. A sample is shown below.
To select the faceplate colors, click the Face plate button. Select the desired colors and click OK.
Time Axis
The time axis displays the trend samples as a function of time. If the display is Left-to-right, the time
axis will be on the bottom of the display. You can display tick marks to show time marks. For
example, you can display a tick mark every 20 samples so the operator can clearly see that 20 samples
have been taken. Select the time axis color and click OK.
The following example illustrates a display with a time axis. There are 250 samples and the time axis
tick marks are set to 25 samples.
192 • Trend QUICKDESIGNER

Scale Settings
In a Left-to-right display, the scale will be located on the left side of the trend display. The scale
settings dialog allows selecting different attributes to customize the scale to suit your application.
Enter the Text and select the Text Size to appear on the trend. Text is vertical for left-to-right and
right-to-left trends, and horizontal for top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top graphs. Blank spaces are
ignored.
Enter the Scale Range, enter Min (minimum) and Max (maximum) values. The Min and Max values
are for the display only and this setting does not automatically scale the input variable. Use the Pens
button to setup the input and scale ranges. Number Size refers to the numbers on the scale. Select the
number of Digits and Decimal Positions. A decimal position is the number of digits to the right of the
decimal point. The decimal point counts as a digit.
Tick marks are placed next to the trend to delineate the graph into equal segments. Select the number
of tick marks for the display.
Select the Scale Color and click OK to complete the trend.
Pens
Pens are the plots of the data set samples. The plots produce a trace in the display. Each pen is tied to
a single variable so the pen shows the data set for the variable.
Any variable assigned to a Trend MUST be a 16 bit integer type variable.

NOTE
Each pen has a default name that can be changed in the Name data entry box. Enter the tag name and
the values for the Input Range and the Scale Range will appear. You can have up to eight pens for
each trend display, up to a maximum of 20 pens for an entire project. The number of pens available
for the current trend and the number of total pens used is displayed in a status box at the bottom of
the dialog box.
You can have up to eight pens for each trend display, up to a maximum of 20 pens for
NOTE an entire project.
To add a new pen, click New and the next available default pen name appears. Remember that the
name can be changed.
Select the line style and pen color, then click OK.
QUICKDESIGNER Trend • 193

You can edit the values for the ranges by clicking the Edit button. These
CAUTION values represent the Min and Max values for the tag variable assigned to the
pen. Once you edit these values, they are changed for any other panel object
that may use the same tag variable. However, if you change the tag attributes
through the Tag editor, you will not change the Input Range and Scale
Range settings in the Pen Setup.
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Trend Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Trend Graphs to appear the same way, you can click the Make
Default button in the Trend Graph Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Trend Graph
Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Trend Graph, the saved settings will
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Trend Graph Settings.
194 • Trend QUICKDESIGNER

Alarm Window
Creating an Alarm Window

The alarm window is used to display alarm messages, which consist of the alarm text message and
can include time and date stamps. The alarm window can display Active alarms, Historic alarms or
Logged alarms. A typical alarm message is shown below.

09/18 22:48 ALARM MESSAGE TEXT 22:50 22:52
An Alarm Window consists of a legend and multiple lines of alarm text. Touching the alarm window
operator causes the alarm manager page to appear. Please refer to the Alarms Guided Tour on page
65 and Alarms on page 53 for more information.
Click the Alarm Window icon on the Tools menu.
Move the cross hair to the top of the two cells where you want the Alarm Window to appear and click
the mouse. If you want to size the Alarm Window immediately, move the cross hair to the desired
cell, click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse to size the Alarm Window. Release the
mouse button and the Alarm Window is sized. An Alarm Window similar to the one below will
appear.
QUICKDESIGNER Alarm Window • 195

The Alarm Window Settings dialog box will appear next to the alarm window.
Queue
Select Active, Historic, or Logged.
Active Alarms
The alarm is displayed when the trigger event becomes active. The alarm is displayed in the format
and color specified in a configuration table. When the alarm is acknowledged, the alarm processor
modifies the alarm message with the format and color specified in the configuration table. When the
alarm is cleared the message is erased. A common practice is to display the alarm message in red.
When the alarm is acknowledged, the alarm color is changed to yellow. For monochrome units, the
active alarm is commonly displayed as black text and white background.
Historic Alarms
This type of alarm operates in the same fashion as the active alarm with an important exception.
Instead of erasing the alarm message when the trigger event is cleared, the alarm message is modified
with the format and the color specified in the configuration table. A common practice is to change the
alarm clear message to green.
Logged Alarms
This type of alarm simply copies each alarm event message to a queue using the format and color
specified for the alarm. Each alarm event is listed on a separate line.
Scroll Direction
The Alarm Window will display messages from the Active, Historic or Logged queues. As new
messages are triggered, they will scroll into the alarm window either from the top or the bottom.
Setting the scroll direction to scroll up will show the latest alarm message on the bottom of the
window.
196 • Alarm Window QUICKDESIGNER

Bezel
You can select the outline and bezel colors for the Alarm Window by clicking the Bezel button. The
touch color appears when the operator touches the panel over the Alarm Window. (The alarm
processor is so fast, the system screen appears before you get a chance to see the touch color.) Click
OK to accept the color selections. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit, Red, Green and
Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to white.
Legend
You can change the title of the Alarm Window by clicking the legend button and entering the new
title. You can change the text color, background color and size of the title text. You can justify the
text by clicking one of the Justify radio buttons. If you load a color project into a monochrome unit,
Red, Green and Blue will be converted to Black, and Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan will be converted to
white.
QUICKDESIGNER Alarm Window • 197

Text
You can select the color and text size of the alarm message as it will appear in the alarm window. A
common practice is to display the active alarm in red, the acknowledged alarm in yellow, and the
cleared alarm in green. Remember that the active alarm queue will not contain any cleared alarms.
Click the text button to display the Text Settings dialog box. If you load a color project into a
OK
Cancel
Cancel all changes to the Alarm Window Settings dialog box and exit the dialog box.
Make Default
If you decide that you want to have all Alarm Windows to appear the same way, you can click the
Make Default button in the Alarm Window Settings dialog box. The current settings in the Alarm
Window Settings dialog box will be saved. The next time you create a Alarm Window, the saved
settings will automatically be applied.
Advanced Button
Clicking the Advanced button will display the Advanced Settings dialog box. The Alarm Button
operation can be assigned to an external keypad. See Keypads, page 203, and Keypad Assignment,
Help
Click the Help button to gain access to help files relating to Alarm Window Settings.
Using the Alarm Window
HINT: You can force the operator to view the Alarm window by placing the Alarm window on a
panel that is controlled by the Panel Trigger Tag. See the Display Device Setup section in the
QUICK MANAGER chapter. By using this option, the PLC can force the Alarm panel when an alarm
is triggered.
198 • Alarm Window QUICKDESIGNER

Analog Meter
Analog Meter
The new Meter tool allows creation of two analog meters. Since the meters share several common
dialog boxes, they are combined into one tool. The default shape for a meter is the 180 degree meter
shown below. You can click the filled checkbox to fill the area from the min value to the current
value.
TEMP TEMP
0.0 212.0 0.0 212.0
UNFILLED FILLED
The 360 degree meter is shown below. You can click the filled checkbox to fill the area from the min
value to the current value.
212.0 0.0 212.0 0.0
TEMP TEMP
UNFILLED FILLED
When you select the 360 meter, the Orientation list box appears. The 360 degree meter can be
selected to have the starting point (min setting) at the top of the meter or the bottom. The bar on the
meter face moves clockwise from the min value to the max value.
TEMP 212.0 0.0
0.0 212.0 TEMP

FILLED FILLED
BOTTOM TO TOP TOP TO BOTTOM
QUICKDESIGNER Analog Meter • 199

To add a Meter to a panel, click the Meter icon in the floating Tools menu. Move the mouse
cursor to the panel and observe that the cursor is a cross hair with a meter symbol. Move the cross
hair to the cells where you want the meter to appear and click the mouse. The meter face appears on
the panel and the Meter Settings dialog appears.
Tag Variable
A "tag" variable name must be assigned to the numeric meter operator. This tag will be a word in the
PLC memory that the target display can read.
NOTE: Any variable assigned to a Meter MUST be a 16 bit integer type variable.
Bar Color
The movable portion of the meter is the bar color, similar to a bar graph. Click the Flashing checkbox
for flashing colors.
Filled
The movable portion of the meter is set to be a single line, similar to the needle on a pressure guage.
Clicking the Filled checkbox will fill the area from the minimum value to the current value. The fill
color is same as the bar color.
TEMP TEMP
0.0 212.0 0.0 212.0
UNFILLED FILLED
Shape
Select either the 180 or the 360 meter. If you selecthe 360 meter, the Orientation list box appears.
Orientation
Selecting the 360 meter causes the Orientation dialog to appear.
200 • Analog Meter QUICKDESIGNER

The 360 degree meter can be selected to have the starting point (min setting) at the top of the meter or
the bottom. The bar on the meter face moves clockwise from the min value to the max value. Use
Simulate to see the action.
Face Plate
This dialog is used to select a background color and outline color for the meter face plate. The outline
color is the outline around the meter face and the outline around the face plate.
Scale
The Scale Settings menu is used to customize the meter. Enter the Text and select the Text Size to
appear on the meter legend. You can have only ONE row of scale text.
Enter the Scale Range, Min (minimum) and Max (maximum) values. Number Size refers to the
numbers on the scale. Select the number of Digits and Decimal Positions. A decimal position is the
number of digits to the right of the decimal point. The decimal point counts as a digit.
Tick marks are placed around the meter face to delineate the meter into equal segments. Select the
number of tick marks for the meter.
Select the Scale Color and click OK to complete the meter.
Simulate
Simulate allows viewing the meter as the data value is changed between the minimum and maximum
values with the scroll bar.
Colors
BACKGROUND COLOR TEMP
SCALE COLOR
OUTLINE
BAR COLOR
0.0 212.0
QUICKDESIGNER Analog Meter • 201

202 • Analog Meter QUICKDESIGNER
Keypads
Keypads Overview
The keypad option adds external keypads that surround the touch screen. The keypads are used in
place of the touch screen or along with the touch screen. For example, instead of touching the
QuickPanel screen to activate a Push Button, you can press an external keypad. You can also assign
an external keypad to simulate a push button, selector switch, goto panel button, numeric data entry,
print button or word button. Simulating operators saves screen space.
QUICKPANEL jr.
L3 R3
1 2 3
BK
L2 R2 4 5 6 SP
ENTER
7 8 9
L1 R1
+/- 0 . DONE
T0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 A0 A1 A2 A3
A4 A5 A6 A7
B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
Keypad installation information can be found in the Hardware Reference manual, part number 800-
1000-082. The Keypad option must be installed in order to use the keypad assignments.
The following panel operators (ones with a bezel) can be assigned to external keypads:
• Push Button
• Illuminated Push Button
• Numeric Data Entry (with external numeric keypad)
• Selector Switch
• Word Button
• Print Button
• Alarms
The addition of external keypads to the standard touch screen allows several options. For example, a
Push Button can:
• work normally without using an external keypad.
• be assigned to an external keypad.
• work normally and with an external keypad.
• be simulated by a keypad but not appear on the touch screen.
QUICKDESIGNER Keypads • 203

Keypad Layout
The diagram below shows the physical layout of the keypads. The keypad designations are
PERMANENTLY assigned, but the physical legends can be changed to suit your application. That is,
L3 will always be in the same location, but the legend for L3 can be changed. Some of the keypad
designations do not appear on the keypads. They are included in the drawing for reference. The
unmarked keypads are T0, B0, T5, B5, and A0 through A7.
QUICKPANEL jr.
L3 R3
1 2 3
BK
L2 R2 4 5 6 SP
ENTER
7 8 9
L1 R1
+/- 0 . DONE
T0 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 A0 A1 A2 A3
A4 A5 A6 A7
B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5
Keypad Names
The keypads are divided into Reserved keys and Programmable keys.
The first series of keypads are the ones on the LEFT and RIGHT sides of the display. The keypads are
designated L1 for LEFT 1, R2 for RIGHT 2, and so on.
The next series of keypads are two rows of keypads below the display. The top row of keypads are
designated T0 for TOP 0, T1 for TOP 1, B0 for BOTTOM 0 and so on.
The final group of programmable keypads are located below the numeric keypads and are designated
A0 through A7.
The numeric keypads, including the blank keys above the numeric keypads cannot be assigned and
are designated as Reserved.
204 • Keypads QUICKDESIGNER

Assigning Keypads
You can assign a keypad to a button by clicking the Advanced button in the settings dialog. Shown
below is the Advanced button in the Push Button Settings dialog.
Clicking the Advanced button displays the Advanced Settings dialog box. In the following example,
the Push Button was assigned to keypad A2. Once a button is given a Key Assignment, the Touch
disabled checkbox becomes active. A button object can be connected to the touch screen and the
keypad simultaneously. If you check the Touch disabled checkbox, the touch screen will be disabled
for the button and the button will only work with the assigned external keypad.
A list of all keypad assignments can be displayed by going to the Tools menu and selecting Keypad
Assignments.
Keypads and Numeric Data Entry

When a keypad is assigned to a Numeric Data Entry button, the data entry keypad on the touch
screen and the external numeric keypad operate the same. If you disable the touch screen, the data
entry keypad no longer appears on the touch screen. Only the legend text, data entry fields and the
min/max fields appear as illustrated below. You must use the external numeric keypad to enter data.
If you disable the touch screen for the Numeric Data Entry operator. you cannot activate the Numeric
Data Entry button by touching the screen. The only way to activate the button is by pressing the
assigned keypad. The shortened version of the data entry screen is displayed. The external numeric
keypads are used to enter data.

Keypads and Alarms
When an alarm is triggered, the alarm message appears on the panel in an alarm window. The
operator touches the MOD button to activate the alarm management page shown below. If you assign
a keypad to an Alarm window, the alarm management page will have an additional row showing
keypad assignments.
The alarm management page function keys (Up, Down, Ack, etc.) will now have permanent keypad
assignments. Up is A0, Del is A3 and so on. The touch screen and the keypads work in parallel. If the
touch screen is disabled, only the keypads will operate the alarm page functions.
ACTIVE ALARMS

All All
A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7
Simulating Panel Objects with Keypads

You can assign a keypad to simulate a panel object, even though there is no panel object visible on the
screen. You can assign one of the keypads to simulate the following panel operators:
• Push Button
• Print Button
• Word Button
• Selector Switch
• Numeric Data Entry
To create a simulated panel object, go to the TOOLS menu and select Keypad Assignments.
The keypad key assignment dialog box appears.
206 • Keypads QUICKDESIGNER

The first operation is to select which keypad will be assigned to the simulated panel operator. Click
the down arrow in the Key list box then click an unassigned keypad.
Next, select one of the operators to simulate by clicking a button in the Key Assignment area. When
you click one of the simulate keys, the rest of the buttons will be grayed out.
Click the Attributes button to open the settings dialog for the selected item. In this example, clicking
the Attributes button will open the Goto Panel settings dialog. Enter the Panel Name and click the
OK button.
Now when you press the A0 keypad, the panel name you selected will be displayed. This is the same
operation as the Goto Panel Button, but without the panel operator taking up screen space.
Keypad Assignments
You can view all the keypad assignments by going to the Tools menu, selecting Keypad assignments,
then selecting the Key list box. You can change the attributes of any simulated operator by selecting
the keypad from the list, then clicking te Attributes button.
Note that simulated operators are marked as Simulated.
Viewing Keypad Assignments

To view the keypad assignments, go to the View menu and click the Object Key Display. The keypad
tag display is similar to the object tag display.
The keypad tag is displayed in the bottom left corner of the operator and provides a quick visual
check to see which panel operators have keypads assigned.

Appendix A
Character Map
The QuickPanel has a built-in character set. Many of the special characters available in the character
set cannot be entered directly from the keyboard.
To enter a special character, locate the character and the associated code in the table below. The Code
column shows which key or key combinations to use to insert the associated character. For example, if
the Code is Alt+0129, then press and hold the Alt key while entering 0129 from the Numeric keypad.
Make sure the NUM LOCK key is ON so the keypad functions as a Numeric keypad.
The following table shows the character map for a QP2. (This table has embedded fonts.)
Char Code Char Code Char Code Char Code

! Keyboard " Keyboard # Keyboard $ Keyboard
% Keyboard & Keyboard ' Keyboard ( Keyboard
) Keyboard * Keyboard + Keyboard , Keyboard
- Keyboard . Keyboard / Keyboard 0 Keyboard
1 Keyboard 2 Keyboard 3 Keyboard 4 Keyboard
5 Keyboard 6 Keyboard 7 Keyboard 8 Keyboard
9 Keyboard : Keyboard ; Keyboard < Keyboard
= Keyboard > Keyboard ? Keyboard @ Keyboard
A Keyboard B Keyboard C Keyboard D Keyboard
E Keyboard F Keyboard G Keyboard H Keyboard
I Keyboard J Keyboard K Keyboard L Keyboard
M Keyboard N Keyboard O Keyboard P Keyboard
Q Keyboard R Keyboard S Keyboard T Keyboard
U Keyboard V Keyboard W Keyboard X Keyboard
Y Keyboard Z Keyboard [ Keyboard \ Keyboard
] Keyboard ^ Keyboard _ Keyboard ` Keyboard
a Keyboard b Keyboard c Keyboard d Keyboard
e Keyboard f Keyboard g Keyboard h Keyboard
i Keyboard j Keyboard k Keyboard l Keyboard
m Keyboard n Keyboard o Keyboard p Keyboard
q Keyboard r Keyboard s Keyboard t Keyboard
u Keyboard v Keyboard w Keyboard x Keyboard
y Keyboard z Keyboard { Keyboard | Keyboard
} Keyboard ~ Keyboard ^Ä (1) Ctrl+| € Ctrl+2
208 • Appendix A QUICKDESIGNER

• Alt+0129 ‚ Alt+0130 ƒ Alt+0131 „ Alt+0132
… Alt+0133 † Alt+0134 ‡ Alt+0135 ˆ Alt+0136
‰ Alt+0137 Š Alt+0138 ‹ Alt+0139 Œ Alt+0140
• Alt+0141 Ž Alt+0142 • Alt+0143 • Alt+0144
‘ Alt+0145 ’ Alt+0146 “ Alt+0147 ” Alt+0148
• Alt+0149 – Alt+0150 — Alt+0151 ˜ Alt+0152
” Alt+0153 š Alt+0154 ø Alt+0155 œ Alt+0156
Ø Alt+0157 x Alt+0158 ƒ Alt+0159
á Alt+0160 ¡ Alt+0161 ¢ Alt+0162 £ Alt+0163
¤ Alt+0164 ¥ Alt+0165 Alt+0166 Alt+0167
¨ Alt+0168 ® Alt+0169 ª Alt+0170 « Alt+0171
¬ Alt+0172 - Alt+0173 ® Alt+0174 ¯ Alt+0175
° Alt+0176 ± Alt+0177 ² Alt+0178 ³ Alt+0179
´ Alt+0180 Á Alt+0181 Â Alt+0182 À Alt+0183
© Alt+0184 ¹ Alt+0185 º Alt+0186 » Alt+0187
¼ Alt+0188 ¢ Alt+0189 ¥ Alt+0190 ¿ Alt+0191
À Alt+0192 Á Alt+0193 Â Alt+0194 Ã Alt+0195
Ä Alt+0196 Å Alt+0197 ã Alt+0198 Ã Alt+0199
È Alt+0200 É Alt+0201 Ê Alt+0202 Ë Alt+0203
Ì Alt+0204 Í Alt+0205 Î Alt+0206 ¤ Alt+0207
(2) Alt+0208 Ð Alt+0209 Ê Alt+0210 Ë Alt+0211
ó
È Alt+0212 " Alt+0213 Í Alt+0214 Î Alt+0215
Ï Alt+0216 Ù Alt+0217 Ú Alt+0218 Û Alt+0219
Ü Alt+0220 ¦ Alt+0221 Ì Alt+0222 ß Alt+0223
Ó Alt+0224 á Alt+0225 Ô Alt+0226 Ò Alt+0227
õ Alt+0228 Õ Alt+0229 µ Alt+0230 Þ Alt+0231
þ Alt+0232 ú Alt+0233 û Alt+0234 ù Alt+0235
ý Alt+0236 Ý Alt+0237 ¯ Alt+0238 ´ Alt+0239
¯ Alt+0240 ± Alt+0241 = Alt+0242 ¾ Alt+0243
¶ Alt+0244 § Alt+0245 ö Alt+0246 ˜ Alt+0247
ø Alt+0248 ¨ Alt+0249 ú Alt+0250 ¹ Alt+0251
³ Alt+0252 ² Alt+0253 þ Alt+0254 Alt+0255
Note 1. The character created with Ctrl+| is not available as a printable font. The two characters
shown in the box can be combined to create a character similar to what is displayed on the
QuickPanel.
Note 2. The character created with Alt+0208 is not available as a printable font. The character shown
is similar to what is displayed on the QuickPanel.
QUICKDESIGNER Appendix A • 209

210 • Appendix A QUICKDESIGNER
Appendix B
QuickPanel Print Options

All QuickPanels are equipped with a download port which is used to download application files from
a computer. This port is also used to print Alarm messages and screen images. Some units have an
optional Parallel port which is used to print only screen images. The information in this document
describes how to select and configure a printer for operation with a QuickPanel.
Printer Select
The first step is to select a printer. This is done in the Project Setup dialog box.
The Project Setup dialog box can be selected in three ways; click the Setup icon in the tool bar,
select Setup from the Project menu, or click the Setup button.
QUICKDESIGNER Appendix B • 211

From the Setup dialog box, click the Print button. The Print button brings up the printer setup dialog
box. Select the printer type from the list box. The current selections are:
NEC PR201 24 DOT (Dot Matrix)
EPSON ESC/P24 [HIGH QUALITY] (Dot Matrix)
EPSON ESC/P24 [HIGH SPEED] (Dot Matrix)
HP LaserJet II (Laser)
Other printers may work if they are compatible to one of the printer drivers in the list box.
Serial or Parallel
The next step is to determine if you are going to use the serial port or the parallel port. The selection
depends on the type of printer you have and if you need to print Alarm Messages. If you have a
printer with a serial printer interface, you can print Alarms and screen images. If your printer has
only a Parallel printer interface, you will not be able to print Alarm Messages from the Parallel Port.
See the selection table below.
QPJ-2 and QPK-2 QPI-2 and QPL-2

Serial Port Only Serial Port Parallel Port
Alarms YES YES NO
Print Screen YES YES YES
Cable HMI-CAB-105 HMI-CAB-105 HMI-CAB-99
Printer Port Setting Tool/CN3 Tool/CN3 None
Port Selection
The next step is to set the Printer Port for serial (Tool/CN3) or parallel (None) operation. The
common name for the serial port is the Tool port. On many displays, the Tool port is also marked
CN3.
The Printer Port selection is found in the Alarm Configuration dialog box. To get to this dialog box,
click Alarms in the main menu to open the Alarms window, then click the Config button.
The Alarm Configuration dialog is shown below.
212 • Appendix B QUICKDESIGNER

Printer Port
The Printer Port option in the Alarm Configuration dialog is used to select which port is used for
printing alarm messages and screen images. Selecting None will enable the Parallel port. Selecting
Tool/CN3 will enable the Serial port.
None Parallel Port
Tool/CN3 Serial Port (fixed at 9600 Baud, 8 bits, no parity.)
Serial Cable
The download port (Tool/CN3) is also a serial printer port. The serial port uses TTL signal levels and
requires conversion to RS232 so that it can work properly with your printer. The HMI-CAB-C105
cable will convert the TTL signals to RS232.
The printer side of the cable is equipped with a 9-pin D connector that is AT compatible. The display
side of the cable is an 8-pin mini-DIN connector. The port settings are fixed at 9600 Baud, 8 bits, no
parity. The pin assignments are shown in the following drawing.
TXD 1 TTL 3 TXD

TO 2 RXD PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
RXD 4
RS232 5 GND THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS A CONVENIENCE
GND 2 CONVERTER TO OUR CUSTOMERS. YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO
CTS 6 6 DSR
590-1000-134/0 CONSTRUCT THIS CABLE. UNAUTHORIZED CABLES ARE
8 CTS
DSR 7 NOT SUPPORTED BY TOTAL CONTROL.
DTR 5 7 RTS
1 DCD
+5 8 HMI-CAB-C105
TO PC
TO 8-PIN DIN 9-PIN FEMALE D
To configure a printer port, go to Alarm Configuration dialog box. Select NONE for parallel
printing and Tool/CN3 for serial printing.
Parallel Cable
The parallel port cable is the HMI-CAB-C99. This cable has a 14 pin mini-Centronics connector on
one end and a standard 36 pin Centronics compatible connector on the other. The 14 pin mini
connector connects to the parallel port on the display.

Notes:
1. Screen prints on dot matrix printers may take a long time.
2. Alarm messages must be formatted to print properly. See the Alarms section of the user manual
for details on formatting alarm messages.
3. Screen prints are activated by placing a Print Screen tool on any screen.
214 • Appendix B QUICKDESIGNER

Appendix C: Troubleshooting Guide
Installation Issues:
1. During the installation of QuickDesigner, the error message appears “Severe!, *.dll is in
use…close down all program …”
a. This usually occurs when QuickDesigner is being installed on a computer that has other software
packages running in the background. These other software packages may be using some Windows *.
DLLs that are needed by the QuickDesigner installation program. MSOffice is a big culprit because
although the MSOffice programs are not running, the MS Offfice group icons are usually running
and can be found at the top right corner of the computer screen. Close the icon bar then restart the
installation procedure.
b. Any Windows based software package that is running during the QuickDesigner installation should
be shut down also.
Windows 95/NT—Press Ctrl+Alt+Del keys to bring up the Close Program box. Select those
programs that are currently running then press the End Task button.
Windows 3.1/3.11—Press Ctrl+Esc keys to bring up the Task List. Select those programs that are
currently running then press the End Task button.
2. During the installation from the CD, a message appears stating “This movie requires the
following Xtras: DirectOS-Rx32, Sound import/exportx32, MIX32X32”
This message may then be followed by another message that reads:
“Script error handler not defined…..”read#…”
a. If this issue occurs, manually load the software by selecting the CD drive, then double-click the
install folder. Select the disk 1 folder from the install folder and click the Setup.exe file. This will
launch the InstallShield for the QuickDesigner 3.x installation.
3. After installing the software, QuickDesigner is launched from the icon and the message
“The following database cannot be found:
c:\directory name\Medusa.ini
“Unable to open database c:\directory name\Medusa.ini
a. The QuickDesigner directory name that was given during the installation was more than 8
characters long. The software should be reinstalled under a directory name that is 8 characters or less
(ex. c:\Quick or c:\xxx\Quick3).
b. If the complete path name given during the install was more than 47 characters, then this error will
occur. (ex. c:\develop\projects\plc\interface\programs\tcp\software\quick)
216 • Appendix C: Troubleshooting Guide QUICKDESIGNER
Software Issues
1. When trying to open a project for editing, the message “This project is already in use”
appears.
Close down the QuickDesigner database and clear the project locks. Click the small dash (Win 3.1)
or the Red door icon (Win 95) next to the word Project in QuickDesigner. Select Close and click OK
to close down the database. Next select Database then Clear Locks. Click Yes to continue. Select
medusa.ini in the Open box. Message should appear that says Clear project locks successful. Then
select Database again then Open. Choose medusa.ini again. The project should be available to edit.
2. When trying to enter the Panels area of QuickDesigner, the message “Cannot open....”
Close QuickDesigner software. Go to File Manager (Win 3.x) or Explorer (Win 95) and delete the
file QMGR.INI from the installed QuickDesigner directory (usually c:/quick#). Go back to
QuickDesigner and then open the Panels area.
3. How do you determine how large the QuickPanel application is?

Start the download process (you do not have to be connected to a QuickPanel). This initializes the
software compiler. When Quick Courier is displayed, exit out of the download. Check the size of the
GPC.A file in your QuickDesigner directory. This can be done through File Manager for Windows
3.1/3.11 or Explorer in Windows 95.
Model number Approx. application memory
QPJ-2D100-x2P ~ 240 Kbytes
QPK-2D100-x2P ~920-930 Kbytes
QPI-2x100-y2P ~920-930 Kbytes
4. When importing a project, an error message appears saying “Error! Cannot set Tag to db.”
a. This indicates that the software had some problems rebuilding the tags during a portion of the
import. Go to the computer where the original project was created. Go to the Tags area and then
Purge the tags. This will delete all of the tags listed in the tag database. Then re-export the project to
the desired area (usually a floppy disk). After exporting the project, re-import the project to the
destination computer. The tags that are used in the panels will be automatically placed in the tag
database.
b. Another alternative would be to export each individual panel from the original project. Create a
new project (Setup should be same as original project) then import each panel into the new project.
To export panels, go to the Panels area then open the panel to be exported. Select File then Export
from the top menu. The export will ask you for a panel name (8 characters or less) and give it a *.pnl
extension. To import panels, go to the Panel areas and select File then Import. Select the directory
where your panel files are stored. Then select the panel you wish to import and click OK. This
procedure will ask you to save the panel when exiting.
QUICKDESIGNER Appendix C: Troubleshooting Guide • 217

5. After importing a project that has an alarm file, some or all alarms no longer appear in the
alarm window when triggered.
The alarm tags did not get created in the tag database. Alarm tags must be created manually in the
tag database with the same syntax as the alarm addresses (example: Alarm database tag = “TODD”,
the address in the tag database must be “TODD” also and not “Todd”, “todd”, etc.).
6. When importing a bitmap image onto a panel, the error message appears saying “Bitmaps
with more than 16 colors are not supported!”
a. The bitmap that is being imported was saved as a 24 or more color bitmap. Go back to the bitmap
editing software where the bitmap was created or edited (Paintbrush can be used as well). Open the
bitmap that is to be imported into QuickPanel. Then select the Save As... feature of your software
package. Under the List Files of Types box, select *. bmp 16 colors or *.bmp monochrome. Now the
bitmap picture can be imported into QuickDesigner.
7. How do I save my Projects to disk.

In Quick Manager, select the project you wish to save. Then select Projects from the menu bar. From
the Projects menu select Export. You will then be prompted with an export dialog box where you
would specify the name of the project you want to export it to *.prj (name must be 8 characters or
less) and the directory to where you want to store it. NOTE: When you export a project, make sure
you give it a name that is not currently being used in the directory where you are exporting it.
8. A “Raima Data error ## 0err0” occurs during the development and/or downloading process of
a QuickDesigner application.
This indicates that there is some corruption in the Quick Manager’s database. The database should
be restructured to eliminate the Raima data error.
a. If there are other projects in the Quick Manager list besides the application that caused the error try
to export each project one at a time. If the project that is causing the problem allows access to the
panels, then open each panel and export them out individually (refer to Import/Export of the section
of the Panel Editor manual on how to export panels). Also export any alarm file that may have been
created.
NOTE: Do not export panels or alarm file into the default c:\quick# directory else they will be
erased during the restructuring process.
b. Close down the QuickDesigner software. Go to Explorer or File manager and under the
QuickDesigner software directory, select the subdirectory Data. The file Clean200.bat should be
listed in this subdirectory. Double-click the clean200.bat file to restructure the Quick Manager
database. NOTE: This will delete all projects and other additional items that were added to the
Quick# directory!
c. Once the database has been restructured, you may import the applications and/or project
components (panels, alarms, etc.) back into QuickDesigner.
9. When importing alarms, the message “ Alarm import error: Unable to overwrite an existing
alarm file in the DB.”
An alarm file already exists in the project database with the same alarm file. Choose File from the
top menu, then select Delete. Delete the alarm file in the database that has the same alarm file as the

one you are importing. Then select File again, then Import. Choose the alarm file that you want to
import. If you wish to keep the existing alarm file, then it must be renamed. Go to File Manger or
Explorer and change the name of the *.alm file. Then go back to QuickDesigner and import the new
file.
10. How do I delete individual alarms from the alarm database.

QuickDesigner was designed to delete alarms based on the number of alarms from the bottom of the
list. This was done primarily to keep alarm addresses grouped to maximize communications. To
delete individual alarms, select the alarm to be deleted. Then go to Edit and select Freeform
Addressing. This option allows the alarm’s address to be edited. Delete the alarm address and also
delete the text message from the alarm line. (This may be different in QD 3.3)
11. When trying to print copies of the project’s screens from the Reports submenu, the only
thing that prints is a line of text for the screen and the rest of the page is blank or has ASCII
characters.
Usually, this problem is caused by the video resolution setting of your computer’s monitor. Lower the
video resolution of the monitor to about 640x480 resolution and 256 colors. This usually corrects the
print problem.
12. When importing a project, the message “ Cannot set alarm record to DB” appears.
The alarm database has an alarm(s) that could not be imported correctly. Export the alarm file of the
original project source from the Alarms area. This can be done by selecting File from the top menu
bar of the Alarms area. Then select Export. The software will ask for a storage location and a name
for the alarm file. Give the file a name and then click OK. Once the file has been exported, delete
the alarm file from the original project.
Note: Before deleting the alarms from the original project, make sure the alarm file can be re-
imported into a project. The new project can now be exported.
13. How do I place pictures of the QuickPanel screens into other software packages (MS Word,
PowerPoint, WordPerfect, etc.).
To copy a picture of a QuickPanel screen into other software packages, open the screen you wish to
copy. Then on your keyboard, press Alt+Print Scrn buttons to copy a picture of your computer’s
screen to the Windows Clipboard. The picture can now be pasted into a graphics editor program
(PaintBrush, Paint, Paint Shop Pro, etc.) to be edited.
Screen Display Issues:
1. After downloading, the QuickPanel does not display a screen.

a. Make sure an initial screen has been selected in Setup. Because the screen name is case sensitive,
select an initial screen from the drop-down list.

b. If initial screen is not selected, make sure the project contains a panel with a panel ID of 1. If there
is no panel ID 1, the screen will appear blank.
c. If the application was designed to communicate with a networking protocol (DH+, Modbus Plus,
GE Genius, RIO, etc.), make sure the appropriate communication module is installed on the
QuickPanel.
d. If using the PLC to control screen changes (i.e. Panel Trigger tag), make sure that the Panel
Trigger tag address contains a panel ID number that exist in the project.
Make sure the backlight of the QuickPanel is not blown (this would not include the QPI-2xxxx-E2P).
Press a few areas on the screen to see if the touch buzzer (if enabled) functions when pressed.
2. After downloading a project, the screen buttons are not completely drawn and/or the pilot
lights do not show up or they appear as white squares.
a. The QuickPanel is not communicating with the PLC. Make sure the QuickPanel is connected to the
PLC
b. Make sure you are using the correct communications cable for the PLC protocol that your project
specifies.
c. Check the Port settings under the Setup menu and make sure they agree with the PLC’s port
settings.
Communications
1. After downloading a project to the QuickPanel, the message “PLC not Responding 02:FE”
appears at the bottom of the QuickPanel. The communications cable is also connected to the
PLC.
a. Check the communications cable part number to the part number specified for the PLC protocol
that is in the Communications manual. The communications cable that is being used may not be the
correct part number
b. The communications cable that is being used was not built correctly. Check the cable pin-outs
with the corresponding cable diagram in the Hardware manual or the Communications manual under
the corresponding PLC protocol section.
c. Check the communications settings for the QuickPanel in the Port section under the Setup menu.
Sometimes the baud rate, parity, or data bits are set different on the PLC port versus the SIO/CN1
port on the QuickPanel. The QuickPanel’s communication port settings can be found under the Setup
menu then under Port.
2. When changing from one screen to another, a PLC communications error message appears
“PLC Comm Error (02:xx)”
This typically happens when a tag on the QuickPanel screen contains a PLC address that does not
exist in the PLC. Create ladder logic in the PLC that contains the addresses used in the QuickPanel
application. For some PLCs, the addresses can be added directly to the memory area of the PLC.

3. The QuickPanel screen has a message at the bottom of the screen that reads “PLC Not
Connected (02:FF), but the communications cable is connected to the QuickPanel and the PLC.
a. Make sure the correct communications cable is being used. This can be checked by looking up the
cable part number in the Communications manual under the specific PLC protocol.
b. Make sure the cable wire connections are correct. Wiring diagrams can be found in the
Communications manual under the specific PLC protocol or in the Hardware manual.
c. Check the Destination id in the QuickDesigner’s Setup menu under the Protocol button. The
destination id is the PLC’s address, the source id is the QuickPanel’s address. If the destination id
does not match the PLC’s address, then QuickPanel will assume it is not connected. Check the
Communications manual for specific setup instructions for your PLC.
4. The message “PLC comm. error 02:xx” appears on the QuickPanel screen.
a. Sometimes this means that the Panel Trigger Tag address under the Setup--System menu is an
internal or invalid tag. Select the project then go to Setup. Then select the System button. Delete the
Panel Trigger Tag address then say OK to accept the changes. Click OK to exit Setup. Next go to
the Tags menu. Delete the Panel Trigger tag address from the tag list. Close the tag database. Go
back to Setup then System and retype the Panel Trigger Tag address. Click OK. Re-download the
project.
b. The QuickPanel unit is not physically connected to the PLC it has been set up for. The
communications cable is missing or the wrong cable is attached.
c. If you are using QuickPanel to communicate with more than one PLC on a network protocol
(tag_PLCNODE) and one or more PLCs are not on the network. Check the your PLC address(es) and
make sure that QuickDesigner application is setup appropriately.
d. The QuickPanel is connected to the PLC, however one or more communication parameters are not
set correctly (baud rate, parity, data bits, etc.). Make sure the PLC communications port is set up the
same as the QuickPanel’s communication port. QuickPanel parameter can be checked by going to
Setup and Port and/or Protocol in the QuickDesigner software.
e. This means that there are one or more Tag addresses on the currently displayed screen that does
not have a reference in the PLC. For example, your PLC ladder program only has variables up to 15,
but the push-button on the QuickPanel screen is trying to send/receive information at address 25. The
PLC program has to be changed to accommodate addresses up to 25.
5. After downloading an application, some or none of the screen objects (pushbuttons, pilot
lights, numeric entry, etc.) appear to be communicating with the PLC.
The tags for these non-communicating objects appear to be internal (does not look for a PLC
connection). To resolve this issue, the tag variables for the project must be validated. To validate the
tag addresses, go to the Tags database. Select the menu item Tools which is located at the top of the
screen along the menu bar. Under Tools, select Validate Tags. Any tags that are not valid tag
addresses for the protocol selected in Setup will be listed in the Internal Tags box.
6. What are the GE Genius protocol error messages?

a. 02:C8---Datagram was requested, user disabled datagrams
b. 02:C9---PLC is not on the Genius bus
c. 02:CA---Cannot recognize the type code at this node.

d. 02:CB---Read datagram failed, no specified reason
e. 02:CC---Write datagram failed, cause was not determined
f. 02:CD---Micro-Geni card failed to power up correctly
g. 02:CE---Cannot find the S1 file
h. 02:CF---A uGeni command timed out during configuration
f. 02:D0---A uGeni command configuration returned a syntax error
g. 02:D1---A uGeni command configuration returned an unknown
response
h. 02:D2---An incoming reference address does not match the
QuickPanel Configuration
i. 02:D3---A BCD table length does not match our configuration
j. Memory type is not valid for this CPU
7. After importing a Remote I/O application, the block transfers no longer works even after
revalidating the tags.
The block transfer files are usually created as internal. Revalidating the tags will not correct this
problem. Under the project’s Setup menu then the Protocol submenu, delete the block transfers by
disabling (deselecting) each block transfer file. Say OK to the change and close the Protocol area.
Go back into the Protocol area and recreate the block transfer files again. Once all the files are
created, click OK and exit Setup. These new block transfer files should now function as they once
did.
8. A QuickPanel gets a PLC Comm Error 02:xx or only partial communications occurs on some
panels when using Modbus protocol.
a. The Modbus protocol groups address request into groups of 8 in order to maximize
communications between the QuickPanel and the PLC. A PLC communications error will occur
when the number of groups on a panel exceed 8 (i.e. OR100-110= group 1, OD113-115 = group 2,
ID1-10= group 3, OD1 = group 4, etc.). To resolve this issue, an .ini file can be created to set the
grouping number to 0 so that all tags on a panel will be read as 1 group.
NOTE: This ini setting may cause QuickPanel communications to slow down.
b. Create an ini file called PCO.INI under the C:\Quick# directory (this can be done in Notepad). In
that file create the group [Modicon Modbus]. Under this group, type the line GroupGapSize=0. This
will enable the QuickPanel to read and write values to the PLC without grouping.
Screen Changing Issues
1. The GoTo buttons do not change screens when pressing the GoTo button(s) on the
touchscreen.
Check to make sure the GoTo button contains the name of an existing panel. Because panel names
are case sensitive, select a panel name from the drop-down list in the GoTo object.
2. After downloading an application, the GoTo buttons do not change screens and the message
“PLC Comm Error 02:xx” appears at the bottom of the screen.
a. This is usually caused by an invalid Panel Trigger Tag address. Make sure the panel trigger tag
address under System in the Setup menu has been programmed in the PLC.

b. The panel trigger tag address may be regarded as an “Internal Tag” by QuickDesigner and is
therefore not communicating with the PLC. Delete the Panel trigger tag address from the System
menu (found under Setup). Then go to Tag and delete the address from the database. Go back to
Setup and under System, type in the panel trigger tag address (can use the previous tag if desired).
Re-download the application after changes are made.
3. When selecting a Numeric Entry object to input data, the data entry screen appears for 1
second but before data could be entered, the QuickPanel switched back to the original panel.
The PLC ladder logic is forcing the QuickPanel to display a screen using the panel trigger tag. When
an internal screen number (usually in the 4,000 range) is sent to the panel trigger tag, it is
immediately overwritten by the PLC ladder logic.
a. Use a One-Shot instruction in the rung of ladder logic that changes the panel id number for the
panel trigger tag.
b. In the qmgr.ini file, under the section [Options], create a new line at the end of the section that
reads:
ScreenChangeWriteTrap=0
QuickDesigner must first be closed down before this change is made. After the line has been entered
and saved, open QuickDesigner and re-download the application.
NOTE: This change will disable all internal QuickPanel screen changes (numeric entry screen,
alarm screen, and GoTo buttons) from being sent to the Panel trigger tag address.
Compiling
1. When downloading an application, the compiler stops, then gives the error message:
GPC:LockG STOP Null GMB! OK.
a. This is usually caused by some object on a panel that requires some text characters but does not
have any (usually Text object). Check the panel name and the object type where the compiler
stopped. This usually indicates the where and what of the problem. Once the panel name and the
object have been identified, click OK. Then cancel the compiler. Go to the panel and delete the
object or double click on the object and type in some text characters.
b. Sometimes the actual text object that is causing the problem is difficult to find because the panel is
completely covered with operator devices. If this is the case, then individually select each object (hold
down the shift key as you select each object) and then group them (Edit Menu). Once the objects
have been grouped, Cut (Edit menu or Scissors icon) the entire grouped object. Go to the Edit menu
and choose Select All. This should identify any Text objects that may have been hidden. Delete the
empty Text box. Then Paste (Edit menu or Glue jar icon) the grouped object and place it back on the
screen.
2. When compiling a project, the message (!) No state is specified in the ‘xxxx’ tool and the
compiler would not build it. OK” appears.
This is a message that explains that the object described in the message will not be sent to the
QuickPanel after downloading because there were no states specified for the object.

3. During the compile portion of a download of a project, a message appears during the initial
compile setup:
“ Fatal error creating download file. S1 file exhausted. Project tags/targets more than the 64
device and/or address combination allowed. Limit the number of devices or narrow address/file
ranges used.”
Usually happens for an Allen-Bradley network protocol (or other network protocols). This means the
number of files addressed (i.e. N7:... where 7 is the file number), the number of devices addressed in
the application (i.e. N7:0_3, where 3 is the device address number or node number), or a combination
of the two exceed a total of 64. The number of files or devices must be reduced so that it does not
exceed 64 total.
4. During the compile part of the download, an error appears which says that the compiler could
not find the shape files to build “?????” object. Followed by another message that says cannot
locate files .taf, .dbl., and .log.
a. This message is usually caused by a conflict with the Lantastic network software. If you are using
this network software (especially in Win 95), it must be disabled before proceeding with the
download.
b. The PDO files for the object(s) that is being compiled is missing or the compiler is looking for the
PDO files in an incorrect directory. Re-install the software to recover the files.
5. During the compile stage of a download, the compiler stops and gives the message:
“Maximum tag count exceeded for this panel”
This means that there are too many object resources being used on the panel. Go to the panel where
the compiler stopped. Click the “ medical bag” icon and check the resource count. The resource
count for each panel type is shown below:
Model Type Resource count
QPJ-2D100-y2P ~ 128
QPK-2D100-y2P ~ 128
QPH-2D100-y2P ~ 128
QPI-2xy100-z2P ~ 256
QPL-2xy100-z2P ~ 256
Downloading
1. When downloading an application to a QuickPanel, Quick Courier prints the message “Your
project has not been compiled for this display device. Go to the project Setup, press the System
button to change the Compilation setting.”
If using QuickDesigner Advanced software, the compilation section does not exist under the Setup
menu’s System button. It automatically assumes you are downloading to a Qpx-2 QuickPanel. If the
model number of the QuickPanel begins with QPx-1 then you must either use the QuickDesigner
Standard software package or use a QuickPanel model number QPx-2.

2. During the download, the Quick Courier message box says, “Determining display device...”.
Then after some time the software asks you to “Turn the Unit Off..” Then after turning unit
back on, the compiler goes on to ask you to “Turn the unit off” again, then on again, then off
again, etc.
a. Check the cable that is being used for downloading. The cable should be HMI-CAB-C49.
b. Check the Com port that is being used. Make sure that it is not being used by some other software
package. Also check the comm. port’s IRQ (interrupt) settings. Some other installed device may be
using that comm. port’s setting (Com 1 IRQ = 4 and Com 2 IRQ = 3). This can be done under the
Windows Control Panel then select Ports.
c. The HMI-CAB-C49 download cable may be damaged. Try another download cable to see if the
download will continue.
d. Make sure that the incoming power to the QuickPanel unit is sufficient. This is usually an issue
with the 24 VDC unit.
e. Exit out of the download then exit out of QuickDesigner software. Go to Windows Notepad then
open the file Courier.ini that is found in the directory where QuickDesigner was loaded (usually
c:\quick?). Change the Autobaud from the 38400 default to 9600.
3. When downloading, the Courier gives the message “Error changing baud rate...”
a. Select the Update Device Executable box. Then de-select it to restart the download. The software
may not have been able to change the baud rate correctly during the initial download.
b. Exit out of the download then exit out of QuickDesigner software. Go to Windows Notepad then
open the file Courier.ini that is found in the directory where QuickDesigner was loaded. Change the
Autobaud from the 38400 default to 9600.
4. When downloading, Quick Courier comes up with a message that says that “There are no
comm. ports available for download” and/or there are no comm. port selections available in the
drop down list.
a. Close down any software packages that may be using the comm. port for communications. Allen-
Bradley’s INTERCHANGE software is a usual suspect in this instance. If INTERCHANGE has been
loaded on your computer, disable or remove the driver that is using your comm. port (DF1 or
DH485). Reboot the computer then try downloading to QuickPanel again. HINT: Make sure you
properly close down QuickDesigner software before you reboot the computer.
b. Check the system.ini file (found in the C:\Windows directory) and check the [boot] section for the
appropriate comm. port driver. Standard comm. port driver (comm.drv=comm.drv) should be used
for QuickDesigner downloads. If there is a non-standard com port driver (comm.drv=????), place a
semi-colon (;) in front of that line and create a new line that reads comm.drv=comm.drv. Also
check the [386Enh] section of the file and make sure that any reference to the com ports contain the
correct IRQ settings (i.e. COM1 IRQ=4 and COM2 IRQ=3)
5. The application load portion of the Quick Courier download fluctuates between two
percentage values (i.e. 99%....94%....99%), then gives the message “Application Download
Aborted.”

a. This usually means that the application that is being downloaded is too large for the QuickPanel
unit. Exit the download then go back to the application and eliminate unnecessary objects in the
Panels area. Bitmap graphs are the biggest culprit of excessive memory use.
6. During the initializing process of the QuickDesigner software, a message appears:

“Error initializing memory!”
a. This is usually a problem when an attempt at downloading to the QuickPanel was abruptly
interrupted such as the download cable becoming disconnected or the power to the QuickPanel or
computer during the download process was turned off. On the QuickPanel model (Qpx-2 series only),
press three corners of the touch screen (top two corners and one of the bottom corners). NOTE: If
the two top corners are pressed simultaneously, a contrast adjustment bar will appear at the
bottom of the screen. Press a top and bottom corner first, then press the last top corner. A
menu bar should appear. Press Offline. Then select Initialize. Then choose Initialize Memory.
The QuickPanel will ask you for a password. Type 1101, then press Start. With the QuickPanel Jr.
hardware, you must press the password entry box to get a numeric keypad to appear. Type in the
password 1101and press Set. Then press Start. The memory should be initializing. Once the
memory has been erased, try the download again.
b. Changing the AutoBaud rate in the courier.ini file can also be useful in this situation. The
QuickPanel may be missing the initializing signal from the QuickDesigner software because the baud
rate is a little high. Go to Notepad (Windows text editor) on your computer and open the Courier.ini
file. Change the Autobaud rate from its current setting to 9600 (usually the default setting is 38400).
Save the changes then go back to QuickDesigner and try the download again. You may notice an
increase in download time because of this change.
Run Time Issues
1. When using a Text Display tool with the GE SNP protocol, the characters in the text display
object does not display correctly. The characters of each word is switched (i.e. waters becomes
awetsr).
The GE SNP protocol reads the low byte of the word address then the high byte that shows up on the
QuickPanel as inverted. To correct this problem, press one of the top corners of the screen, one of
the bottom corners, then the other top corner at the same time (follow the above sequence). A menu
bar should appear at the bottom of the screen. Press Offline, then press System Environment Setup.
Under System Environment Setup, choose Character String Data Setup. Change the current
number (1) to a 2. Press Set. Go to Main then press Run. The character should now be read
correctly. NOTE: This change is not retentive. Once the unit is reset or another download has
occurred, this procedure must be done again to read the character values correctly.
2. After importing a project from one QuickDesigner software package to another, some or all
of the objects (tag addresses) on the panel do not appear to communicate with the PLC. There
are no messages on the QuickPanel that indicate a communications error.
a. Go to the Tags area of the project, then select Tools from the top menu and select Validate. This
will determine if there are any internal tags used in the program. If the tags were marked as internal,

then this validation process should correct those tags that are valid so that they communicate with the
PLC.
b. If re-validating did not work, purge the tag database of all tags. Then go to each panel, open it,
and go to File--Save As and save the panel with the original panel id and name. This will regenerate
the tags in the tag database as new.

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Introduction

Basic Panel Objects

320 PIXELS 80 PIXELS

Pointer Bitmap Legend Push Analog

Polyline Circle Rectangle Text

Backing up and Restoring your data

Transferring QuickDesigner to Floppy Disks

To install QuickDesigner from your new disks:

Please register your software to ensure notice of new software upgrades.

Where to Look Next

Quick Project Setup

QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 7

8 • Quick Tour QUICKDESIGNER

QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 9

10 • Quick Tour QUICKDESIGNER

You can also click the panels icon on the toolbar.

QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 11

Illuminated Push Button

The illuminated push-button object will appear across two cells.

12 • Quick Tour QUICKDESIGNER

Push Button Tag Variable

Pilot Light Tag Variable

QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 13

Click the OK button to save the illuminated push button settings.

14 • Quick Tour QUICKDESIGNER

QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 15

When the compile operation is complete, the QUICKCOURIER menu is displayed.

16 • Quick Tour QUICKDESIGNER

QUICKDESIGNER Quick Tour • 17

Project File List

Project File List

Project Menu Overview

Panel Trigger Tag

Once you delete a project, it is GONE! Be careful when deleting projects!

Project - Compile to File

Do NOT export projects for use in early versions of QuickDesigner software.

NAME & ID#

Click on the Database menu option and select Clear Locks.

Purging ALL tags from a project will remove all tags!

Introduction to Internal Tags

50 • Internal Tags QUICKDESIGNER

Clock System Variables

QUICKDESIGNER Internal Tags • 51

Date System Variables

Contrast System Variable

52 • Internal Tags QUICKDESIGNER

File Menu Buttons

File - New (Word or Bit)

Adding Word Alarms

Maximum Alarms in a Project

Entering and Editing Alarm Messages

Edit - Cut Message

Edit - Copy Message

Edit - Paste Message

Edit - Free Form Addressing

Alarm Queue Setup

Up Down Ack Del Ack Del MODE DONE

Up Down Ack Del Ack Del MODE DONE

QUICKDESIGNER Alarms Guided Tour • 65