Schneider SCADA Expert (Formerly Vijeo XL)

So i am developing a project on v8.1 The plc is a m340
I import my tag XSY file from the control expert software succesfully.
Part of these tags is an array of a custom DDT type.
When i link my tags to graphics from this array, then it is as if the addressing does not line up at all.
For instance i link a tag motor[1].status to a colour changing graphic. but motor[2].start_number value is changing the colours. If it was just an offset i could understand and make a plan. but this seems all over the show.
If i use normal integers for instance colour_change on a specific address like %mw2 then this lines up and works
If someone has worked with this software and could give any advice it would be much appreciated.

Data Structure Packing

I'm not familiar with the interface but I've done a lot of M340.

The alignment of data bytes within a 'structure' (C-language term) is up to the compiler. It has the option of allowing extra 'pad' bytes for whatever reasons it sees fit to allow them. Sometimes this is due to address alignment requirements of the CPUs microprocessor. The ARM CPU that is used in the M340 is fussier about alignment than the CPU that was used for the older Quantum family. That's why 'located' float variables now have to be on even number %MW addresses. This was not a requirement with the Quantum. The thing that has been gained is a whole lot more performance for a whole lot less money with the new CPUs.

This is the cause for what you are seeing. A simple array of integers seems to line up but a more complex structure is much more difficult to hit with the HMI. I don't know if Schneider has a general document about data structure packing with the M340.

Allen Bradley HMIs hit their custom data structures all the time with no problems. This is not because all their CPUs pack the data the same way. It's because the CIP (EtherNet/IP) protocol definition clearly defines how structured data bytes go over the communication packets. The AB processor knows how data is aligned in it's memory and it makes it line up with the requirements of the protocol. Modus has very very few data packing standards so it isn't really practically usable with complex structured data. You could get something to work now and twenty years from now when somebody switches to a different processor family the HMI would quit working.

My advice is to stick with simple arrays of predictable data like integers for 'located' tags that hit the HMI. Save the more complex structures for 'unlocated' data where the compiler and processor can do whatever they wish with it.

I would just like to give a reply to what the issue was. My DDE had variables of type time. This was apparently confusing the scada when importing hte xsy variable file. I remove the time variables and all worked