Variable Table Editor

To access this editor:
In the Project pane, expand Programming, then double-click Variable Table.

Use the Variable Table Editor to create variables and monitor and edit the current values in real time. For more details on variables, see the Variables topic. For general information on using editors, see the Using Editors topic.

Creating Variables

Use the Edit tab to create variables. After editing any variable definitions, you must download the Programming node to apply the changes to the RMC. On the Programming menu click Download Programs to Controller. You should also Update Flash.

Enter Tag Name

Click an unused Tag Name cell.
Type a name for the variable and press Enter. The variable can now be referenced from anywhere in RMCTools using this tag. Tag names are limited to 64 characters.

Set the Initial Value for a Variable

Click a cell in the Initial column.
Type a value and press Enter.
Download the programming to apply the changes to the RMC.
The variable's Initial Value field will be changed, and its Current Value will immediately be set to the Initial Value. Variables are also set to the Initial Value when the RMC is restarted.

When the Variable Table is downloaded to the controller, the Current Value will be set to the Initial Value for all variables for which the Initial Value changed.

Select Retained Option

Retained means that the Current Value of the variable is automatically saved, or retained, in non-volatile memory and will be preserved even when power is cycled to the RMC. This is useful for retaining data such as setpoint positions, machine cycle counters, and recipe data. Retained variables are saved to non-volatile memory every 100 msec. See the Variables topic for more details on retained variables, such as the maximum number of retained variables.

Retentive variables are available only on the RMC75E, RMC150E, and RMC200. Retentive variables on the RMC75E and RMC150E require firmware 3.30.0 or newer.

To choose the retained option, check theRetainedbox.

Select a Data Type

Click a cell in the Type column.
Click the ellipsis button . Select the desired data type. To create an array, increase the Size to the desired size of the array. The following data type options exist:
- REAL
- DINT
- DWORD
To create a BOOL variable, first define the variable as a DWORD. Then, expand the variable to see the bits. Each bit can be assigned a name. For details, see the Boolean Variables topic.

If the DWORD variable itself has no name, then the bit names are said to be global and are referenced directly like any other tag name. If the DWORD variable has a name, then the individual bits are local to that DWORD variable, and references to that bit must be qualified by the DWORD variable name followed by a period, as in MyDWORD.myBit.

Enter the Units

Click a cell in the Units column.
Type the desired units and press Enter. The units are for user reference only and may be anything.

Add a description

Click a cell in the Description column.
Type a description and then press Enter.

Monitoring and Editing Current Values

Use the Monitor tab view and edit the current value of the variable in real-time.

Changing the Current Value of a Variable

Make sure you are online with the controller.
On the Monitor tab, in the Current column, enter a number for the desired variable.
On the toolbar, click the Download Current Values button .

Note:
The Current Value may also change when the Variable Table itself (not the Current Value) is downloaded to the controller. The Current Value will be set to the Initial Value for all variables for which the Initial Value changed.

Choosing the Address Format

The addresses of the variables are displayed in the Register column. To change the address format, right-click any cell in the Register column, choose Address Formats, and choose the desired format.

Expanding and Collapsing Arrays

To expand all the arrays: On the toolbar, click the Expand All button.

To collapse all the arrays: On the toolbar, click the Collapse All button.

The expand/collapse all applies to arrays and not to individual DWORD variables.

Columns

Tip:
To hide a column, right-click the column heading and click Hide Column. To see it again, right-click any column heading, click Add Column, and click the desired column name.

Column Name	Description
First Column	The number of the variable.
Register	Gives the address of the Current value of the variable. To change the address format, right-click any cell in the Register column, choose Address Formats, and choose the desired format.
Tag Name	This is the descriptive name of the variable. Note: When communicating from a PLC, you cannot address a variable using the Tag Name. You must use the register address.
Units	You can enter the units of the variable in this column. The units are only for your reference and have no further importance.
Type	You must specify the correct format for successful operations. For example, a variable that is to be compared with an Actual Position must be of the same format as the Actual Position, which is a REAL.
Retain	Specifies whether a variable will be retained.
Initial	This is the value of the variable before it is modified by a user or a user program. You can edit this value.
Current	The current value of the variable. Available only on the Monitor tab and when RMCTools is online with the controller.
Description	You can enter a description of the variable in this column.

Choosing the Address Format

The addresses of the variables are displayed in the Register column. To change the address format, right-click any cell in the Register column, choose Address Formats, and choose the desired format.

Printing

To print the variables, on the Variable Table toolbar, click the Print button. Or, on the File menu, choose Print.