Creating Items Automatically in iFIX Process Database

By enabling the Auto Create option in the I/O Driver Power Tool, you can automatically create items from your HMI process control software by specifying an undefined item in the I/O address of a database block. After you enter the undefined item, the OPC Client I/O driver automatically adds the new item to your driver configuration. As a result, you do not have to start the I/O Driver Power Tool and create the OPC items before you design your process database; you only need to create the required servers and groups.

Example 1: Creating Items Automatically

  1. Start the I/O Driver Power Tool and choose Setup from the Options menu. The Setup dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Advanced tab and select Auto Create On in the I/O Server area.
  3. Close the Setup dialog box and choose Templates from the Options menu. The Templates dialog box appears.
  4. Enter the default values you want to use for your server, group, and items in the Templates dialog box.
  5. In the Power Tool, add Server1 and Group1, but do not create any items.
  6. Save the Power Tool configuration as your default, exit from the Power Tool, and close all remote connections.
  7. Open iFIX Process Database and create five database blocks with valid Item IDs using Group1 as the device name.
  8. Open the Power Tool. The Tree Browser will display five new Items under Group1.

When automatically creating items, enter a valid item ID in Process Database.

You can also automatically create groups.

Example 2: Creating Groups Automatically

  1. Using the previous example, delete Group1 from the Power Tool.
  2. Open iFIX Process Database and create five database blocks, all with valid Item IDs, and different group names.
  3. Open the Power Tool. The Tree Browser will display five new Groups, each with its own new Item, under Server1.

When automatically creating groups, enter a unique group name. Duplicate group names are not allowed.

You can also automatically create servers from Process Database.

Example 3: Creating Servers Automatically

  1. Using the previous example, delete Server1 from the Power Tool.
  2. Open iFIX Process Database and create one block with a valid prog id, a unique group name, and an item ID valid to the specified OPC server’s prog id.
  3. Open the Power Tool. The Tree Browser will display a new Server, Group, and Item.

When automatically creating servers, enter a valid OPC server prog id.

Keep in mind that all items and groups that you automatically create from the Process Database contain default values found in the Templates section of the Power Tool.

See Also