Variable Settings

Overview

The Trend Recording dialog box with Variable Settings opens when you select a trend variable in the tree view of the Trend Recording Editor. It allows you to configure which variables and parameters should be recorded and how they are displayed.

The Trend Configuration dialog box with Variable Settings corresponds to the dialog box for tracing. The trend variables are displayed in the left part of the window in a tree structure. The top node is titled with the trend name.

Setting and Modifying the Variable Settings

To choose the variable settings, select the desired variable in the tree view on the left-hand side. The present settings are displayed in the right part of the dialog box. To modify the variable settings later, select the variable entry in the tree view and use the Variable Settings dialog box again.

Parameter	Description
Variable / Parameter	Enter the IEC variable from which values shall be acquired. The variable / parameter must have a valid type. A valid type is an IEC variable, a property, a reference, the contents of a pointer, or an array element of the application. Allowed types are all IEC basic types, except STRING, WSTRING or ARRAY. Enumerations are also allowed, whose basic type is not a STRING, a WSTRING or an ARRAY. Click the ... button to open the Input Assistant that allows you to obtain a valid entry. Controllers that support trend recording provide a list if you click the Variable: parameter. If you want to create the trend of a device parameter, select the item Parameter from this list. Then you can find one with the help of the Input Assistant. Edit or verify the variable settings.
Attached y axis	Y-axis of the trend diagram that displays the Variable. The list provides the default Y-axis and the configured Y-axes. To configure already available y-axes, right-click the trend visualization element and execute the command Configure Trend Display Settings... from the contextual menu (or click the Display settings property from the Properties view).
Display variable name	If the option is selected, the name of the IEC variable is displayed by the visualization in the trend diagram in runtime mode. If the option is not selected, the Description is displayed.
Description	Enter text that is displayed instead of the variable name in the Legend assigned to the trend visualization element by having selected a Legend in the Properties view. This text is inserted in the GlobalTextList object where it can be localized. Example: `Sensor A (PLC_PRG.iSensor_A)` If you do not enter text in this Description box, the option Display variable name is selected by default, and only the name of the variable is displayed. Example: `PLC_PRG.iSensor_A` This is only applicable if a legend is assigned to the trend element.
Curve type	Line Area
Graph color	Color with which the variable is displayed in the trend diagram. Click to open the color selection dialog box.
Line type	Defines how the acquired values are displayed as a line chart. Use the option Line for large amounts of data. As a prerequisite, the Curve type must be set to Line. Defines how the acquired values are displayed as a line chart: Line:The values are linked to form a line - use this setting for large amounts of data. Step:The values are linked in the form of steps. None:The values are not linked.
Line width	Width of the line in pixels. Example: `1`
Line style	Select the display of the line: Solid Dashes Dots Dash dot Dash dot dot
Point type	Defines how the acquired values are displayed as a dot chart: None: No dot chart - use this setting for large amounts of data. Dot Cross Small circle Big circle
Filling type	As a prerequisite, the Curve type must be set to Area. Select the filling of the area: No filling Plain color Gradient
Filling color	If selected, the area is filled with the selected color. As a prerequisite, the Curve type must be set to Area.
Transparency	Enter a value between 0...255 for defining the transparency of the selected color. Examples: `255` = the color is opaque; `0` = The color is transparent. As a prerequisite, the Curve type must be set to Area.
Activate minimum warning	If this option is activated, a message is displayed when the variable value is under the lower limit.
Critical lower limit	If the value of the trend variable falls below the limit, the variable is displayed in the Color defined for values below the limit.
Warning minimum color	Color in which the variable is displayed when under the lower limit.
Activate maximum warning	If this option is activated, a message is displayed when the variable value is above the upper limit.
Critical upper limit	If the value of the trend variable exceeds the limit, the variable is displayed in the Color defined for values above the limit.
Warning maximum color	Color in which the variable is displayed when above the upper limit.

A valid trend variable can be an IEC variable, a property, a reference, the contents of a pointer, an ARRAY element, or an enumeration, as long as the type is not STRING, WSTRING, or ARRAY.