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Chapter 3: Creating Panel Applications: 54 topics
  1. 3.1Setting up the Panel Application
  2. 3.1.1General Setup - General Settings
  3. 3.1.2General Setup - Custom Settings
  4. 3.1.3Activating Multiple Overlapped Buttons by One Touch
  5. 3.1.4Specifying Default Folder for File I/O
  6. 3.1.5Avoiding Data Corruption Due To Random Power-off
  7. 3.2Working with Keys
  8. 3.2.1Default Key Settings for the Panel Application
  9. 3.2.2Key Settings for a Screen
  10. 3.2.3Key Usage Table Settings
  11. 3.2.4Usage Settings for a Key
  12. 3.3Internal Memory
  13. 3.3.1Types of Internal Memory
  14. 3.3.2Index Registers
  15. 3.3.3System Memory
  16. 3.3.4Setting up Internal Memory
  17. 3.4Communication Links
  18. 3.4.1Types of Communication Links
  19. 3.4.2General Settings for Commnunication Links
  20. 3.4.3Communication Parameter Settings (Serial Port)
  21. 3.4.4Communication Parameter Settings (Ethernet Port)
  22. 3.4.5Sub-link Settings
  23. 3.4.6Sharing Data among Panels Using Data Sharer
  24. 3.4.7Writing Communication Programs Using Macro Commands
  25. 3.4.8Using Gateway Server of the Target Panel
  26. 3.4.8.1Setting up Gateway Service
  27. 3.4.9Selecting Modbus Communication Drivers
  28. 3.4.10Accessing Internal Memory through Ethernet
  29. 3.4.11Accessing Siemens PLC through Ethernet
  30. 3.4.12Using the OPC UA Client Driver
  31. 3.5Sound Table
  32. 3.6Command Block and Status Words
  33. Types of Command Block and Status Words
  34. 3.6.1.1Command & Status - Type A
  35. 3.6.1.2Command & Status - Type H (Binary)
  36. 3.6.1.3Command & Status - Type H (BCD)
  37. 3.6.2Command & Status - General Settings
  38. 3.6.3Command Block Settings (Type A)
  39. 3.6.4Status Word Settings (Type A)
  40. 3.6.5Command Block Settings (Type H)
  41. 3.6.6Status Word Settings (Type H)
  42. 3.6.7Using General Commands
  43. 3.7Setting up Clock Operations
  44. 3.8Setting up Passwords
  45. Screens
  46. 3.9.1Types of Screens
  47. 3.9.2Creating and Opening Screens
  48. 3.9.3Setting up a Screen
  49. 3.9.3.1Screen - General Page
  50. 3.9.3.2Screen - Background Page
  51. 3.9.4Importing/Exporting a Screen
  52. 3.9.5Cutting/Copying/Pasting/Deleting a Screen
  53. 3.9.6Saving Screens as Pictures
  54. 3.9.7Protecting Screens
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Section 3.4.1 · Chapter 3: Creating Panel Applications

Types of Communication Links

The following table describes the three types of communication links that the panel application can have.

Link Type

 Description
Direct link Directly connects the panel with the specified device(s). The following are examples of direct links.
[Example 1] The panel uses an RS232 direct link to talk with the specified device directly.


[Example 2] The panel uses an RS485 direct link to talk with the specified devices directly.


[Example 3] The panel uses an Ethernet direct link to talk with the specified device directly.
Indirect link Allow the panel to talk with a device that is not directly connected to it. An indirect link connects the panel with a specified indirect link server. The indirect link server is the target panel of a panel application in the same project and is directly connected to the specified device.
[Example 1] Indirect Link via 2-to-1 Connection


[Example 2] Indirect Link via N-to-1 Connection (COM)


[Example 3] Indirect Link via N-to-1 Connection (Ethernet)
Communication service Add an appropriate communication service link to the application to allow other panels to communicate with the device directly connected to the target panel. The following table describes the available communication services.
Communication Service Description
2-to-1 Server (COM) You need to specify the data link, i.e. the associated direct link, for this communication service. This service allows two panels to talk with one device, and only one communication port is required on that device.
2-to-1 Transparent Server (COM) This communication service makes the target panel a gateway for another computing device, such as, a PC, another target panel, or a panel of another brand, to access the associated controller. See the following diagrams for the possible applications.


Any kind of controller whose communication protocol is of the request-reply type can be supported by this communication service. Ask your local representative to check if your controller is supported. Note that the communication parameters (baud rate, number of data bits, number of stop bits, and type of parity check) of the computing device and the communication parameters of the 2-to-1 Transparent Server must be identical.
N-to-1 Master (COM) You need to specify the data link, i.e. the associated direct link, for this communication service. This service allows up to 16 HMI units to talk with one device, and only one communication port is required on that device.
N-to-1 Master (Ethernet) You need to specify the data link, i.e. the associated direct link, for this communication service. This service allows up to 24 HMI units to talk with one device, and only one communication port is required on that device.
Gateway service A panel can perform as a communication gateway to allow a computing device, such as a PC, to access the panel's internal memory and the controllers connected to the panel. The following table describes the available gateway servers.
Gateway Service Description
Serial Gateway Server (COM) With the serial gateway server driver, a panel can perform as a communication gateway to allow a computing device, which is connected to the panel through a serial port, to access the panel's internal memory and the controllers connected to the panel. In the following figure, the panel has three direct links connected to three PLCs. The fourth link connects a PC to the panel. The three lines with different colors indicate the PC can indirectly access the three PLCs through the panel. The communication protocol used between the PC and the panel is Modbus RTU. Please see Section 3.4.8 for details.
TCP/IP Gateway Server (Ethernet) With the TCP/IP gateway server driver, a panel can perform as a communication gateway to allow one or more computing devices, which are connected to the panel through Ethernet, to access the panel's internal memory and the controllers connected to the panel. In the following figure, the panel has three direct links connected to three PLCs. The fourth link connects three computing devices to the panel through Ethernet. The three lines with different colors indicates the three computing devices can indirectly access the three PLCs through the panel. The communication protocol used between the computing devices and the server is Modbus TCP/IP. Please see Section 3.4.8 for details.
Internal Memory Server (Ethernet) With the internal memory server driver, a panel can perform as a communication gateway to allow one or more computing devices, which are connected to the panel through Ethernet, to access the panel's internal memory. The communication protocol used between the computing devices and the server is Modbus TCP/IP. Please see Section 3.4.10 for details.
OPC Link OPC Link Description
OPC UA Client Driver The OPC Client Driver allows the aggregation of data from Third-Party OPC UA servers and any other data that HMI unit may be monitoring. It provides a communications tunnel between two or more computing devices such as PC, HMI units, allowing data to be transferred securely and reliably.

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Source.Section 3.4.1 of the PM Designer Software User Manual, Edition 2.0, © Cermate Technologies Inc. (www.cermate.com, service@cermate.com). Reproduced online, with the manual's own figures, by TSL Automation Solutions, authorised Cermate distributor, for users of Cermate HMI panels. PM Designer and PanelMaster are trademarks of Cermate Technologies Inc.

Text and figures are the manufacturer's and may describe features your panel or software version does not have. For a plain-language introduction read the PM Designer guide; for help with a specific panel contact TSL Automation.