I am trying to send a string to the Automation Direct ViewMarQ message display using the Modbus TCP data server. I can’t seem to get the message moved from the Holding register to the actual display. I don’t believe I am formatting my string correctly to be read and determined to be worked with at the display. I have seen some forum topics on this display but I couldn’t find what individuals used for the actual string that is sent down. I really don’t think I am converting the ASCII correctly from the string or am I not applying the text correctly to represent a .
I am not familiar with this device, but I can say if you’re looking to write a carriage return in python it’s like:
carriageReturnString = "\r"
Can you include more about what sort of input the device requires so that we don’t need to look up the details? Can you explain more about what you think is wrong with your formatting?
We are looking at using the ViewMarq for various things as well with Ignition. We just recently purchased our first one which is talking to a Micrologix 1400 using serial modbus.
It’s a neat product with a very reasonable price-point, and we’d like to use more of them with Ignition. Can you elaborate on your methods for talking to a ViewMarq via Ignition?
I know we’d use Modbus TCP, but if I wanted to…say…display a Ignition tag value to the Viewmarq…how are you doing this, exactly? I suppose you’re writing something back to another tag?
Anyhow, any suggestions or guidance would be much appreciated! Perhaps we can share our experiences…
In ignition we first set up an OPC modbus TCP_IP link to the display. Make sure to use port 502, we called this link “Display 414”. This is an item in our overall OPC link “OPC-UA Server”
On a timed event we are querying a database to enter some values for the display string, but for simplicity I will just show this with “Hello World”
We used the ViewMarQ software to develop our initial string for all of the bells and whistles and then copied and pasted their string into to modify.
The data goes into register 11000 on the display and we have limited this ourselves to 100 words/200 bytes. The carriage return at the end is what informs the display to complete the text string and display the information contained.
Reviving an old thread here in hopes someone can help. We finally are trying a Viewmarq with Ignition via Modbus TPC and I’m having a hard time with the addressing and setup. I have an established connection on the gateway and set up a message on the Viewmarq; our first step was to try and write a variable but this isn’t working. We then went back and tried the example above (adopted for our device name) and still no joy.
I’d really love to get this working. Tech support at both Inductive and Automation Direct have trued to be helpful, but it appears we’re in new territory with them.
Making some progress with this. Variables can be written via modbus TCP but the addressing is custom. I set up a Ignition tag HRS200 (for strings) and HRI 100 (for integers). These equate to 400200 and 400100 (respectively) in the Viewmarq. Note that the integer required a upper and lower address (100 and 101, If I recall correctly) and is endian based and reversed. It is 16 bit at both upper and lower words. Thus, if you write 1 at 101 the viewmarq will display 1; if you write 1 at address 100 the viewmarq will display 65535. The value of both registers are cumulative at display time.
What I’d really like to do is send a entire command string to the viewmarq at once. I believe they say that requires sending an ASCII text to address 11000. I don’t have this working yet…if someone else has been successful please give me some guidance.
Thanks to tech support at Inductive and Automation Direct for getting me this far…