How to send data to multiple objects

In many cases it may be desirable to send the same data to multiple Screen Objects. Whether wishing to show the same text message on multiple Text Windows which are spread across different pages, or allowing multiple Data Windows to display the same readings while using different scaling factors, or simply sharing the return data from a single transmitted command. ModCom makes this task easy by treating all Screen Objects with a common Object ID Label as one in the same.

Sending a text message to multiple windows:

Step 1: Choose a Text Window from the <Place Object> menu at the top of the screen, right-click on the object or select "Properties" in the <Edit> menu while the Text Window is selected, and set up the Text Window for the desired look.

Step 2: While the object is selected, click on the "Copy" toolbar button or select "Copy" in the <Edit> menu at the top of the screen. This will make an exact copy of the Text Window and place it in the clipboard.

Step 3: Now you can paste a copy of your Text Window on any page of the project and move it to the desired position on the screen. While in the Run-Loop mode, at any time a message is sent to this Text Window it will appear on all copies of the object.

Polling a DAQ Module and sharing the data:

Step 1: Choose a Data Window from the <Place Object> menu at the top of the screen, right-click on the object or select "Properties" in the <Edit> menu while the Data Window is selected. This will bring up the Properties dialog box which can be used to customize the Data Window's appearance and operation.

Step 2: From the command set shown in Table 2 of the product data sheet, choose the command string which is required to retrieve the desired data from the DAQ Module and type it in the "Data Polling Command" space at the upper right hand corner of the Properties dialog box. This will set up the object so that it will automatically poll for data.

Step 3: Place another Data Window on the screen, open its Properties' dialog box, and type in the same Object ID Label as used for the first Data Window created in step 2. Leave the "Data Polling Command" space blank because this object will get its data from the polling function already being performed by the first object.

Step 4: If desirable, you can change the specifics of the second Data Window such as the data conversion, multiplier, offset, alarm colors and set points, etc., so that it displays the data in a different format as that of the first.

Step 5: Once the run-loop is started, the first Data Window will begin its polling function and automatically distribute the data among all the other Screen Objects which are set to the same Object ID Label.

Sharing the response of a transmitted command:

Much like sharing the data from a polling command as explained above, Screen Objects can share the data which is returned from any transmitted command of a function. Whether a Script, Conditional, Push Button, Button Array, or any other object which can transmit a command, the response can be sent to a Screen Object. And by creating more then one Screen Objects that use the same Object ID Label, the response can be viewed at multiple locations throughout the project and with various different formats simultaneously.