QUESTION:
How can I show an "S5TIME" type variable from a SIMATIC controller, separated into hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds, with ProTool/Pro?

ANSWER:
More information on the subjects of S5 timer and using scripts can be found in the following articles:

• "Entering a S5TIME variable with Protool/Pro", Entry-ID 9125571  
• "Entering ProTool/Pro  S5 timer values directly", Entry-ID 947095.

The controller timestamp is present as a variable of the "S5TIME" type (e.g. S5T#1H_34M_30S_0MS) in the logic control.
The value of the variable is read from the controller and processed in Protool/Pro. The time value then displays in hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds.

The attached project includes four scripts that read in as input parameters a variable of the "WORD" type declaring an "S5TIME". The feedback value of the functions is a variable showing the time either in hours, minutes, seconds or milliseconds.

These scripts should be used as follows:

1. You define 4 variables (e.g. "HH", "MM", "SS" and "MS").
2. You link these variables with 4 output fields for displaying the time in hours, minutes, seconds or milliseconds.
3. You define a variable of the "WORD" type (e.g. "S5T"), which takes the "S5TIME" value from the controller
4. Now you define a function in the Properties of the "S5T" variable, which executes when the value changes. This means you start the four functions for calculating the time values in hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds respectively

How the scripts work:

The system first checks which base time is entered for the "S5Time" variable (see Entry ID 56243) and sets a multiplier accordingly. The script then defines the time value in binary coded decimal format (BCD). This value is multiplied by the previously defined multiplier. The result is the time value in milliseconds. This value is the uniform basis taken for the remaining calculations.

The hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds are then determined according to this millisecond value.

Source text of the script for milliseconds:

Dim base time, total time, buffer, hour, minute, second

If S5TimeIn < 4096 Then
Base time=10
ElseIf S5TimeIn < 8192 Then
Base time =100
ElseIf S5TimeIn < 12288 Then
Base time =1000
Else
Base time=10000
End If

Buffer = S5TimeIn And 4095
Total time = Fix(buffer/256)*100
Buffer = Buffer And 255
Total time = Total time+Fix(buffer/16)*10
Buffer = Buffer And 15
Total time = Total time+buffer

Total time = Total time*Base time

Hour = Fix(total time/3600000)
Total time = Total time - Hour*3600000
Minute = Fix(Total time/60000)
Total time = Total time - Minute*60000
Second = Fix(Total time/1000)
Total time = Total time - Second*1000
S5Time_ms = Total time

Downloading the four scripts:
The download contains the four scripts described above. Copy the " pro___0l.exe" file to a separate directory and then start the file with a double click.

  pro___0l.exe ( 39 KB )  

Important:
The sample programs are selected solutions to queries about complex tasks developed by Customer Support. We must also point out that it is not possible in the current state of the technology to exclude all errors in software programs under all conditions of use. The sample programs were prepared according to the best of our knowledge. However, we cannot accept any liability beyond the standard guarantee for Class C software in accordance with our General Terms of Sale for Software Products for Automation and Drive Technology".

Keywords:
Object-oriented programming, Time conversion, Time value display