DDAS License Manager Manual

About this documentation

This documentation provides essential information for working with components of the DDAS software ecosystem. It is intended for software developers and machine manufacturers who integrate, validate, and operate DDAS function blocks within CODESYS‑based applications.

Note!

Before installing or configuring any software, ensure that you have read and understood the operating instructions of all relevant hardware devices!

Tip!

Further information can be found at: https://www.ddas.digital

This manual is part of the DDAS library collection, which includes documentation for license management, date and time handling, scheduling, equipment performance, and other functional modules:

Document history

General

Library

This library manages the library licensing mechanism.

The library includes the following user function block:

• Get_Lib_License

Detailed descriptions of the function blocks and their relevant dependencies are provided in the following chapters.

Licensing Concept

All libraries require a valid license. Each license is based on three mandatory keys:

• SiteCode
  Provided by the user (e.g. ‘DDAS-Site-License’)

• LibraryGuid
  Delivered with the library (e.g. ‘{LIB-DDAS-D5BA612E}’)

• LibraryActivationKey
  Issued by DDAS (e.g. ‘EDB86DA0’)

License Activation Mechanism

To activate a library license, one instance of the function block Get_Lib_License must be called for each licensed library.
This function block is part of the DDAS_LicenseManager_Lib library.

Licensing Process

The following steps are required to license and use a library:

1. The user selects the required libraries.

2. The user integrates the selected libraries into a test project or uses the provided demo program and evaluates them using the time‑limited demo license.

3. If the user intends to use the library function blocks in a machine application, the library is ordered and the selected SiteCode is sent to DDAS.

4. DDAS provides the corresponding LibraryActivationKey.

5. In the machine application, the user instantiates the function block Get_Lib_License once for each library and assigns all required license keys to activate the library license.

6. After successful activation, all function blocks of the licensed library can be implemented and executed.

Note: Detailed information on how to use the function block Get_Lib_License is provided in this software manual.

Note: The function Get_sError is available in every library and provides access to the error description and enumeration corresponding to a function block’s error code, when required.

FB Get_Lib_License

General Information

This chapter describes the function block Get_Lib_License.

Function Block Name: Get_Lib_License

Library: DDAS_LicenseManager_Lib

Dependent Codesys libraries: none

CODESYS Version Compatibility: CODESYS V3.5 and higher

License / Usage Restrictions: Requires valid full or demo library license

Purpose & Scope

The Get_Lib_License function block manages the library licensing mechanism. A separate instance of this function block is required for each DDAS library used within an application.

The function block is designed to activate the library license for all function blocks contained in a specific DDAS library. Each DDAS library inherits the DDAS_LicenseManager_Lib; however, this library must be explicitly added to the user’s machine application in order to enable license activation.

Typical Use Cases

• Activate licenses for all function blocks within a DDAS library

Functional Overview

When enabled, the Get_Lib_License function block activates the full library license or manages the operation of a time‑based demo license.

It outputs:
- Full license active
- Demo license active
- Time left of demo license

A demo license is valid for a duration of 2 hours. After this time has elapsed, no active license is available, and all function blocks of the library enter an idle state.

To reactivate the demo license, the controller must be restarted. Each controller restart reactivates the demo license and starts a new demo period.

Error states are monitored continuously and reported via diagnostic outputs.

Interface Description

Function block Inputs and Outputs

Enumerations

eError

Library Possible Error Codes and Descriptions.

Execution & Timing Behaviour

The function block is intended to be executed cyclically in a task context.

Timing precision depends on the configured task cycle time and target platform

Error Handling & Diagnostics

If an internal error, a library issue, or a licensing problem occurs, xError is set to TRUE and iErrorID provides the corresponding error code. Detailed descriptions of the error codes are defined in the enumeration eError.

Assumptions & Limitations

This library serves as an extension to all DDAS libraries and is applicable only within the DDAS library ecosystem.

Example Implementation

Declaration and Call of the Function Block Get_Lib_License:

VAR

fb_GetLibLicense: DDAS_LM.Get_Lib_License;

END_VAR

FB call in structure text:

fb_GetLibLicense(

xEnabled := TRUE,

sSiteCode:= 'DDAS-Site-License',

sLibrayGuid := '{LIB-DDAS-D5BA612E}'

sLibraryActivationKey := ‘EDB86DA0’

);

FB call in continuous function chart diagram:

Demo Visualisation

MergeLibFBErrors

General Information

This chapter describes the function block MergeLibFBErrors.

Function Block Name: MergeLibFBErrors

Library: DDAS_LicenseManager_Lib

Dependent Codesys libraries: none

CODESYS Version Compatibility: CODESYS V3.5 and higher

License / Usage Restrictions: Requires valid full or demo library license

Purpose & Scope

This function block merge six function block error outputs into one single error output based on input error priority order.

Helps to summarize function block error output into one error based on error and FB priority.

Typical Use Case

• Aggregating error outputs from multiple sub-function blocks.

• Simplifying HMI/SCADA diagnostics.

• Providing a single, clear fault message to operators.

• Reducing complexity in higher-level control logic.

Advantages

• Centralized error handling

• Deterministic priority resolution

• Improved readability and diagnostics

• Scalable up to six error sources

Functional Overview

The FB MergeLibFBErrors consolidates error outputs from up to six different function blocks into a single unified error output. It prioritizes errors based on a defined priority order (Priority 1 = highest, Priority 6 = lowest).

Key Functionality

• Evaluates six independent error sources.

• Applies a fixed priority scheme (1 → 6).

• Outputs only the highest-priority active error.

• Provides consolidated diagnostic information:

  • Error state

  • Error ID

  • Error message

  • Originating function block

Inputs

Each error source includes:

• iErrorIDx (INT): Error/status identifier

• sErrorx (STRING): Error description

• sErrorFBx (STRING): Source function block name

Where:

• x = 1...6

• Priority is determined by index:

  • 1 = Highest priority

  • 6 = Lowest priority

Outputs

• xError (BOOL)
  TRUE if any error or warning is present

• iErrorID (INT)
  Error ID of the highest-priority active error

• sError (STRING)
  Error message of the selected error

• sErrorFB (STRING)
  Function block where the error originated

Behaviour

• The function block scans inputs in ascending priority order (1 → 6).

• The first detected valid error is selected.

• All lower-priority errors are ignored once a higher-priority error is found.

• If no errors are present:

  • xError = FALSE

  • Other outputs typically remain default/empty.

Interface Description

Function block Inputs and Outputs

Execution & Timing Behaviour

The function block is intended to be executed cyclically in a task context.

Timing precision depends on the configured task cycle time and target platform

Error Handling & Diagnostics

If an internal error, a library issue, or a licensing problem occurs, xError is set to TRUE and iErrorID provides the corresponding error code. Detailed descriptions of the error codes are defined in the enumeration eError.

Assumptions & Limitations

This library serves as an extension to all DDAS libraries and is applicable only within the DDAS library ecosystem.

Example Implementation

Declaration and Call of the Function Block MergeLibFBErrors:

VAR

fb_MergeLibFBErrors: DDAS_LM.MergeLibFBErrors;

END_VAR

FB call in structure text:

fb_MergeLibFBErrors(

iErrorID1 := fb_lic_SL.iErrorID,

sError1:= DDAS_SL.Get_sError(fb_lic_SL.iErrorID),

sErrorFB1 := 'fb_lic_SL',

iErrorID2 := fb_GetBuildTime.iErrorID,

sError2:= DDAS_SL.Get_sError(fb_GetBuildTime.iErrorID),

sErrorFB2 := 'fb_GetBuildTime',

iErrorID3 := fb_GetBatchEndTime.iErrorID,

sError3:= DDAS_SL.Get_sError(fb_GetBatchEndTime.iErrorID),

sErrorFB3 := 'fb_GetBatchEndTime',

iErrorID4 := fb_UpdateInterval.iErrorID,

sError4:= DDAS_SL.Get_sError(fb_UpdateInterval.iErrorID),

sErrorFB4 := 'fb_UpdateInterval',

iErrorID5 := fb_GetSchedule.iErrorID,

sError5:= DDAS_SL.Get_sError(fb_GetSchedule.iErrorID),

sErrorFB5 := 'fb_GetSchedule',

iErrorID6 := 0,

sError6:= ‘’,

sErrorFB6 := ‘’

);

FB call in continuous function chart diagram:

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