Omron CX-DESIGNER V2.1 - 07-2007 User manual

CX-Designer
Ver. 2.1
NS-CXDC1-V2
Cat. No. V088-E1-03
NS-Series
USER’S MANUAL

CX-Designer
Ver. 2.1
NS-CXDC1-V2
User’s Manual
Revised July 2007

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Notice:
OMRON products are manufactured for use according to proper procedures by a qualified operator
and only for the purposes described in this manual.
The following conventions are used to indicate and classify precautions in this manual. Always heed
the information provided with them. Failure to heed precautions can result in injury to people or dam-
age to property.
!DANGER Indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or
serious injury. Additionally, there may be severe property damage.
!WARNING Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or
serious injury. Additionally, there may be severe property damage.
!Caution Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or
moderate injury, or property damage.
OMRON Product References
All OMRON products are capitalized in this manual. The word “Unit” is also capitalized when it refers to
an OMRON product, regardless of whether or not it appears in the proper name of the product.
The abbreviation “Ch,” which appears in some displays and on some OMRON products, often means
“word” and is abbreviated “Wd” in documentation in this sense.
The abbreviation “PLC” means Programmable Controller. “PC” is used, however, in some Program-
ming Device displays to mean Programmable Controller.
Visual Aids
The following headings appear in the left column of the manual to help you locate different types of
information.
Note Indicates information of particular interest for efficient and convenient opera-
tion of the product.
1,2,3... 1. Indicates lists of one sort or another, such as procedures, checklists, etc.
Terminology
NS-series PT A Programmable Terminal in the NS Series manufactured by OMRON.
PLC A Programmable Logic Controller manufactured by OMRON.
Host A PLC, factory computer, personal computer or other controller controlling an NS-
series PT.
NS-Designer The NS-NSDC1-V@NS-Designer produced by OMRON. The NS-Designer is an
applications software package that enables creating screen data for NS-series PTs.
CX-One The CXONE-AL@@C-E CX-One FA Integrated Tool Package produced by OMRON.
This applications software package provides all of the software packages for OMRON
PLCs and components.
CX-Designer The NS-CXDC1-V2 CX-Designer produced by OMRON.
NS-Runtime The NS-Runtime software runs on Windows XP and provides the same functionality
as an NS-series PT.

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OMRON, 2005
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, o
r
by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission o
f
OMRON.
No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Moreover, because OMRON is con-
stantly striving to improve its high-quality products, the information contained in this manual is subject to change without
notice. Every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual. Nevertheless, OMRON assumes no responsibility
for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained in
this publication.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1-1 Features of the CX-Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1-2 Basic Operation Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
SECTION 2
Setting Up the CX-Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2-1 Preparations for Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2-2 Installing the CX-Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
2-3 Uninstalling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2-4 Installing USB Drivers for NS-Series PTs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SECTION 3
Basic Operations of the CX-Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3-1 Starting and Exiting CX-Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3-2 Menu Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3-3 User Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
SECTION 4
Useful Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4-1 Creating Screens Using Symbols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4-2 Using Screens from Other Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4-3 Classifying Screens by Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4-4 Checking and Changing Functional Object Properties without Opening Property Setting
Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4-5 Listing and Editing Functional Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4-6 Editing Overlapping Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
4-7 Creating Multi-language Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4-8 Checking Address Usage Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4-9 Searching for Embedded Macros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
4-10 Transferring Only Edited Data to PT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4-11 Creating Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
4-12 How to Use Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
4-13 Integrated Simulation for the Entire System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4-14 Setting Security for Data Transfers with the PT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
4-15 Setting Symbol Names and I/O Comments for Use as Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4-16 Executing Multiple Functions with a Single Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4-17 Replacing a Lamp with a Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4-18 Creating Polygonal Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
4-19 Registering Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4-20 Using Machine Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Appendices
A Comparison of Functions with NS-Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
B Shortcut Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
C Exchanging Data between NS-series Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

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About this Manual:
The CX-Designer is a software package that enables creating screens for OMRON Programmable Ter-
minals. Please be sure you understand the functions and performance of the CX-Designer to ensure
correct application of the Programmable Terminals.
Please read this manual and related manuals carefully and be sure you understand the information
provided before attempting to use the CX-Designer.
Section 1 provides an overview of the CX-Designer and its features and explains basic operating
methods.
Section 2 describes how to install and uninstall the CX-Designer.
Section 3 describes the CX-Designer menus and basic procedures.
Section 4 describes convenient functions of the CX-Designer.
The Appendices provide a comparison between the CX-Designer and NS-Designer, tables of short-
cut keys, and data transfer procedures between different versions of NS-series PT.

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Guide to Version Upgrade
From CX-Designer Version 1.0 to Version 2.0
Item Previous versions New version
CX-Designer Version 1.0 (NS-CXDC1-V1) Version 2.0 (NS-CXDC1-V2)
NS system software Version 6.2 or 6.5 Version 6.6
Integrated simulation The only function available was simulated
testing of PT screen operations on a per-
sonal computer.
Using a personal computer, a virtual PT
can be connected to a virtual PLC (CX-
Simulator) or to an actual PLC, and the
operation of the entire PT-PLC system can
be simulated. This makes it possible to
reduce the total time involved in debugging.
Symbol programming without
addresses
Symbol names, addresses, and comments
were entered in symbol tables. Then the
required symbols were selected from the
symbol tables when creating screens.
Symbol names and comments can be input
for symbol tables with no addresses. This
allows screens to be created using symbol
names without inputting addresses. Enter-
ing symbols in screen designs without
addresses makes it possible to reduce the
total time involved in design.
Multi-vendor connectivity Not supported. It is now possible to connect OMRON NS-
series PTs to Mitsubishi FX-series PLCs,
A-series PLCs, and Siemens S7-series
PLCs.
Data security The following two types of data transfers
are possible between CX-Designer (run-
ning on a personal computer) and a PT:
•Data transfers with the PT.
•With data transfers using a Memory Card,
data can be uploaded and downloaded by
any user.
A password can now be set for creating
data. When data with a set password is
transferred to a PT, the password is then
required in order to upload the data. This
prevents users who do not know the pass-
word from obtaining that data from the PT.
In addition, a password can be required to
transfer data to the PT. This prevents data
from being accidentally overwritten.
User security Any of five levels of passwords could be set
for each functional object. A dialog box ask-
ing for the password was displayed each
time an attempt was made to use a func-
tional object for which a password had
been set, and the object could not be used
unless the password was input.
Once a user inputs the password to use a
functional object for which a password has
been set, the password does not have to be
input again as long as the user continues
using only functional objects for which
lower level passwords have been set. Func-
tional objects with a higher-level password
cannot be manipulated. (A warning mes-
sage will be displayed if an attempt is
made.) This makes it possible to create
applications that permit only the necessary
operations by users who have entered
passwords, and thus helps prevent faulty
operations.
Consecutive line drawing Not available. Data in memory is treated as X and Y coor-
dinates, and straight lines are drawn
between the applicable coordinates to cre-
ate consecutive line drawing. This makes it
possible to handle applications involving
the drawing of various graphics in two-
dimensional space that could not be drawn
using the existing graph components.

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Improvements in broken-line
graph
Number of monitor points: 256 max. •Number of monitor points: 1,000 max.
•Batch reading
•Graph overwriting
•Indirect specification of starting display
position
•Indirect specification of displaying/hiding
graph lines
•Indirect specification of displaying/hiding
scale lines
Ladder Monitor To use the Ladder Monitor it was necessary
to copy the Ladder Monitor software from a
CD-ROM to a Memory Card and to install
the Memory Card in an NS-series PT. In
addition, the PT was reset when starting or
exiting the Ladder Monitor.
With version-2 NS-series PTs (except for
the NS5-V2 and NSJ5), ladder monitoring
is built into the PT as a standard feature, so
no separate Memory Card is required. (A
Memory Card is required for version-1 PTs,
however, just as before.) In addition, neither
version-1 nor version-2 PTs are reset when
starting or ending the Ladder Monitor when
Ladder Monitor version 2.8 is used. These
improvements make the Ladder Monitor
easier to use and reduce operating time.
Symbol table transfers when
transferring screen data
Symbol tables set using the CX-Designer
could be managed only by the CX-
Designer, and symbol data was lost when
data was uploaded from an NS-series PT.
When screen data is downloaded from the
CX-Designer, the symbol tables are down-
loaded together with it. Likewise, when
screen data is uploaded, the symbol tables
are uploaded too.
Holding log and alarm informa-
tion when transferring screen
data
All of the log and alarm information in the
PT was initialized when screen data was
downloaded.
It is now possible to select whether log and
alarm information is to be initialized when
screen data is downloaded.
PLC data trace reading Not supported. (This was a function of the
CX-Programmer.)
Trace results from data traces (which is a
CPU Unit function) can now be read by the
PT and displayed in time chart format.
(CSV files cannot be saved.) This makes it
possible, using just the PT without CX-Pro-
grammer, to isolate the causes of errors
that occur on-site.
Addition of European fonts With the built-in raster fonts in NS-series
PTs, Russian and Greek characters were
full-width and not all characters were avail-
able.
All Russian and Greek characters are now
available, and all characters are half-width.
Japanese file names Two-byte characters could not be used for
project file names.
Two-byte characters can now be used for
project file names.
Video display mode setting Image quality could not be adjusted when
an NS-CA002 RGB/Video Input Unit was
used.
It is now possible to select from three pat-
terns for image quality adjustment. When a
visual sensor is connected, even small dis-
play characters can be read. It is now also
possible to adjust the display position for
RGB display.
SAP (Smart Active Parts) --- SAP has been added for the EJ1 Modular
Temperature Controller, G3ZA Multi-chan-
nel Power Controller, and Troubleshooters.
Automatic using symbol names
and I/O comments as labels
and alarm messages
--- Symbol names and I/O comments of the
communications addresses can be auto-
matically used as functional object labels
and alarm messages.
NS-Runtime --- Projects can be created for NS-Runtime.
Item Previous versions New version