ProTool 6.0 SP3: Configuring Function Keys to Set/Reset Bits on OP17

This reference documents the exact procedure for binding function keys F1 and F2 on a Siemens OP17 operator panel to a single bit address (M0.0) in the connected SIMATIC S7 PLC, using ProTool/Pro V6.0 SP3 as the configuration editor. The same workflow applies to any discrete PLC bit (inputs, outputs, flags, or data-bit DBx.DBXy) and to most OP3x / OP7x / OP17 text panels configured in ProTool V6.x.

The procedure was clarified in the original support thread: function keys in ProTool are screen-scoped, the bit-manipulation function is named Set_Bit_in_Tag (or Reset_Bit_in_Tag), and the simple Calculate » Set Value action must not be used to write a single bit — it overwrites the entire tag word, which is the typical reason a first attempt fails silently.

1. Overview and Architecture

ProTool/Pro V6.0 SP3 is a 32-bit Windows configuration suite (Win98 / WinNT 4.0 / Win2000) for Siemens text and graphics operator panels. It communicates with the target panel via serial, MPI, PROFIBUS, or Ethernet, and with the PLC through the panel's own MPI/PROFIBUS interface.

For the OP17 (a 4-line, 20-character-per-line text display in the OP17/DP variant), function keys F1…Fnn are physical membrane keys on the front foil. Each key is assigned, per screen, to one or more events. The relevant events for this procedure are:

Because the events are per-screen, the F1 » Set M0.0 binding must be repeated on every screen where the operator should be able to set the bit, or moved to a global area (global function-key assignment) where the panel supports it.

2. Prerequisites

3. Why Calculate » Set Value Fails for Bit Operations

The Set Value action (under Functions » Calculate) writes a complete numeric value to a tag. The smallest atomic unit ProTool will write is one byte, not one bit. Writing 1 to tag MB0 therefore sets bits M0.0…M0.7, while writing 0 clears all of them. The user cannot isolate M0.0 with this action.

The correct primitive is a bit-mask write, but ProTool's standard Set Value function does not expose a mask argument. The only ProTool-supplied functions that act on a single bit inside a tag are:

• Set_Bit_in_Tag (function number 13 in the ProTool system-function catalogue)
• Reset_Bit_in_Tag (function number 14)

These are not visible from the "Tag:Set Value" dialog; they live in the system-function list and are selected by name. The thread responder pointed the user to the Online Help search box — searching for the exact strings Set Bit in Tag, Reset Bit in Tag, or Set_Bit_in_Tag will surface the function reference. If the function does not appear in the editor, the project target may have been changed to OP3 / C7-621; reverting the target to OP17 restores the function list.

4. Step-by-Step: Binding F1 to Set M0.0

1. Open the ProTool project in the configuration editor.
2. In the project tree, expand Screens and open the screen that should host the F1 action (the assignment is per screen, so repeat for every screen that needs it, or move the binding to a global function-key layer if the panel supports it).
3. Click the F1 key on the on-screen panel preview to select it. The properties dialog for the function key opens.
4. Switch to the General tab. This is the tab named in the thread as the location of the tag "projection" (i.e., the tag binding).
5. Under the Press event (not Release), click Add » Function » Edit / Bit » Set_Bit_in_Tag.
   • Function number: 13 (decimal) in the ProTool system-function catalogue.
6. In the function parameters, fill the following fields:

7. Click OK to close the function dialog, then OK again to close the function-key properties.
8. Save the screen (File » Save).

5. Step-by-Step: Binding F2 to Reset M0.0

1. Open the same screen (or, again, repeat per screen).
2. Select the F2 key in the preview.
3. In the General tab, on the Press event, add the function Reset_Bit_in_Tag (function number 14).
4. Parameters:

5. Click OK, save the screen.
6. Repeat for every screen that should expose the reset.

6. Visual Binding Summary

Screen "Main"
+--------------------------------------------------+
|  F1 (Press)  -> Set_Bit_in_Tag  (MB0, bit 0 = 1)  |
|  F2 (Press)  -> Reset_Bit_in_Tag(MB0, bit 0)      |
|  F3 ... (other screen-local bindings)             |
+--------------------------------------------------+
                  |
                  v
            PLC Bit M0.0  (set / reset)

7. Tag Configuration Requirements

The tag referenced by Set_Bit_in_Tag must exist in the Tags area of the ProTool project and must point at the correct address. A typical configuration for M0.0:

8. Alternatives and Workarounds

8.1 Toggle with a single key (press = invert)

If the goal is a single key that flips the state, neither Set_Bit_in_Tag nor Reset_Bit_in_Tag supports that natively. A common workaround is to use a PlcJob / Invert_Bit_in_Tag where available, or to add two functions (set and reset) on Press and Release of the same key, accepting that the bit is briefly low while the key is held.

8.2 Using the Release event

For a key that should set on Press and reset on Release (e.g. a jog button), assign Set_Bit_in_Tag to the Press event and Reset_Bit_in_Tag to the Release event of the same key. The Release event is the second line in the function-key properties » General tab and is independent of the Press event.

8.3 PLC-side logic as a fallback

If Set_Bit_in_Tag cannot be found in the project, the legacy technique is to bind the function key to Set Value with the tag MB0 and a value computed by the PLC: read the current byte, set/clear bit 0, write it back. This requires an S7 FB or STL routine and is not a ProTool-only solution; it is documented here for completeness when the bit-mask functions are unavailable.

8.4 Global function-key assignment

On panels that support it (OP17 with sufficient firmware), the binding can be defined in System » Global Function Keys instead of inside every screen. The same parameters (Tag, Bit number, Set/Reset) apply. This avoids the per-screen repetition and is the recommended approach for widely-used control bits.

9. Verification

1. In ProTool: File » Compile » Incremental. The compile must report zero errors and zero warnings related to the function-key events.
2. Download the project to the OP17 (File » Download » To OP17). Confirm the transfer completes with no PLC address errors.
3. On the panel: navigate to the screen where the binding was made. Press F1 — the operator message "Set_Bit_in_Tag OK" should not appear (the function is silent on success). On the PLC, monitor M0.0 in STEP 7 » Monitor/Modify; it should transition to 1.
4. Press F2 — M0.0 should transition to 0.
5. Toggle repeatedly to confirm there is no debounce or address-flip problem (a common symptom: F1 sets M0.7 instead because the bit index was entered 1-based by mistake).
6. Power-cycle the panel and PLC; verify the bit state is restored from the PLC's retentive area, not latched by the panel (the panel never latches — it only writes).

10. Troubleshooting Matrix

11. Compatibility and Migration Notes

ProTool V6.0 SP3 is the last service pack of the ProTool/Pro generation. It is fully supported on Windows 2000 / XP for offline configuration. Siemens has since transitioned to WinCC flexible (2004–2013) and then to the TIA Portal / WinCC family, both of which import ProTool V6.0 projects and preserve function-key events including Set_Bit_in_Tag / Reset_Bit_in_Tag.

When migrating to WinCC flexible:

• Open the ProTool project in WinCC flexible 2008 SP2 or later; the converter flags per-screen function-key events.
• The functions are renamed SetBitInTag / ResetBitInTag but the parameters (tag, bit number, value) are identical.
• The legacy Set Bit action that was only available on OP 3 / C7-621 is no longer supported in WinCC flexible; the new bit functions apply to every panel.

When migrating to TIA Portal:

• Use the "Migrate project" wizard in TIA Portal V13 or later.
• Function-key bindings import as Events » Press » SetBitInTag.
• The OP17 itself is not a directly supported TIA Portal target; projects typically migrate to a KTP or Comfort panel with the same F-key layout.

12. FAQ