Omron CX-Programmer 9, Operation Manual

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PART 3: CX-Server Runtime
OMRON CHAPTER 5 – DDE Manager Tool
Revision 2.0 CX-Server Runtime_Page 45
CHAPTER 5
DDE Manager Tool
This chapter introduces the CX-Server DDE Manager tool and describes its use in providing the interface to
other Microsoft Windows-based applications.
The DDE Manager tool permits CX-Server to communicate with other Microsoft Windows programs via the
Microsoft Windows Dynamic Data Exchange Management Library (DDEML) facility. The links established by
the DDE Manager tool allows a Microsoft Windows application, such as Microsoft Excel or Lotus 123, to
transmit instructions to CX-Server in order to update points or to obtain information about a PLC address. This
functionality is achieved without the necessity of additional programming (although macro programming may
be required in order to update information in a PLC address, depending on the used).
The creation of such a link establishes a client/server relationship between the application and the CX-Server
project, where the application is (usually) the client and CX-Server is the server.
The dialogs available via the DDE Manager tool are the same as those illustrated in Chapter 2 - Introduction to
CX-Server Projects; this chapter should be referred to for further information.
The Restore option and Maximise option from the DDE Manager menu are not used.
The DDE Manager tool is accessed from the Start pushbutton on the Microsoft Windows
taskbar and appears as only a pushbutton in the taskbar.
To close the DDE Manager tool, select the DDE Manager tool in the taskbar with the right-mouse button and
click on
Close .
Establishing DDE Links
For an application to obtain information from a PLC, a CX-Server project must first be set up via the DDE
Manager tool. The project file should contain details of the PLC and the points which are to be referenced (an
existing CX-Server project can also be used); the application references the CX-Server project via the point
names within the project.
When this information has been configured, the application which is requesting the point data must be opened in
order to link it with CX-Server. The link can either be manually entered in the application or the reference can
be copied from the CX-Server project. The manner in which such links are established within a Microsoft
Windows application (supported by the DDE facility) varies according to the application used and so the
appropriate reference manual must be consulted.
Defining a Link
The information contained within the link reference required by the DDE Manager tool must include service,
topic and item identifiers.
Service
The service name indicating where the data is held is identified by the application specifier. Within CX-Server
this is always ‘CDMDDE’.