OptoNews - July 25, 2007

SNAP PAC System and a Free Lunch, Too

Meet Your Hosts

Hot Tips from Product Support

SNAP PAC System and a Free Lunch, Too

Would you like to learn about our new SNAP PAC System—and get a free lunch, too? Opto 22's Lunch & Learn program delivers.

Invite us in for lunch, and we'll demonstrate the four integrated components—software, controllers, brains, and I/O—that make up the SNAP PAC System.

In just the time it takes to eat lunch, we'll answer all your questions about making automation simpler.

Pizza? Sandwiches? Let us know. Contact your local Opto 22 distributor, or call us to schedule your free Lunch & Learn: 800-321-6786 or 951-695-3000.

Meet Your Hosts

We hope you're enjoying our Learn section videos introducing the SNAP PAC System and PAC Project software applications.

In these OptoScreencasts, your hosts Alexi Beck Gray and Kelly Downey demonstrate some key features of Opto 22 products—like how to plot a Supertrend in PAC Display, and how to tune a PID loop in PAC Control.

If you've been to free training at our Temecula, California headquarters, you've met our blonde OptoScreencast hosts. If not, you may be wondering who these famous Opto personalities are.

Find out more about Alexi and Kelly in Meet Your Hosts.

Hot Tips from Product Support

Opto 22's Product Support Group (PSG) develops some helpful tips as they work with customers calling in for free product support. We asked the PSG engineers to share some of their favorite tips.

Using OptoScript

Here's a tip for using OptoScript, especially if you're new to scripting: you can copy and paste sample code, and then just change the parameters to fit your own situation. Here are two ways to copy:

• You can copy code from the online command reference in PAC Control. Just select a command, click the Command Help button, copy the OptoScript code example, and paste it into your script block.
• You can also copy code from the OptoScript sample strategy. The sample strategy's examples help you get the syntax correct, for example, in a for/while or if/elseif/then statement. The sample strategy's default location is Program Files-->Opto22-->PAC Project 8.0-->Control Basic Examples (or Control Pro Examples)-->OptoScript Examples. Open the strategy, open the block, copy the sample code text, and paste it into your own strategy.

Deleting tags in PAC Control

Occasionally you may find you cannot delete a tag, even though it's no longer used. That's because the tag reference count hasn't been updated yet. Here's how to update it:

1. In PAC Control Configure mode, put your cursor in the Strategy Tree.
2. Press Ctrl+r.
3. From the Compile menu, choose Compile All.

The tag reference counts will be recalculated, and now you'll be able to delete the unused tag.