Copy Retained Variable Current Values to Initial Values

When working on a project its usually good practice to put parameters in variable for ease of changing (delay times, accelerations etc. Things you don’t necessarily want to bring out to an HMI for operator changing but things you tweak during startup). When you hard code numbers into programs then you limit your ability to change functionality without re-downloading program.

I try to do this and then make these variables retained so that that the behavior stays over a power cycle.

When the startup commissioning is over, if I remember, then I have to go online to each retained variable and copy the current value to the initial value. This is so that if we do an identical system or if the customer needs to change the controller, that these parameters will start off with the proper values when the program is downloaded.

I am requesting a command that allows you to copy the Retained Variable current Values to Initial Values. I would recommend putting it under the Programming Menu and also on a right click on the Project View tree item for Variables. I would have that open a dialog box that explains what the command does with a standard Cancel/Ok interface. If you want to get fancy you could let the user select which of the variables to copy with a scroll list and check boxes but I think the basic functionality alone would be a big plus.

Thank you for the request! This is an item that we have been wanting for some time and have been considering how best to implement.

You propose a dialog box for this. I am curious if a more light-weight solution with just a context menu (right-click menu) would be acceptable, for example:

  1. Select the desired Current Values cells in the Variable Table, using the mouse or keyboard.
  2. Right-click anywhere in the selection and choose Copy Current Values to Initial Values.

An additional option could be to also have the right-click menu be accessible from the column heading of the Current column.

This would apply only in the project, and the user would need to download the Programming folder to apply it to the controller, and update Flash.

Would this work?

That would be great Jacob. It would be quicker and easier than the dialog box.