Example step parameters and recipe parameters

A phase parameter is considered a step parameter at the operation level. Phase parameters that are inputs can be deferred to recipe parameters and phase parameters that are reports can be referred to recipe parameters. Typically, you include a step parameter or recipe parameter in a transition when proceeding to the next step depends on the parameter's value. For example, suppose you need to mix one group of ingredients for 10 minutes before adding another group of ingredients. Assume the phase, MIX1, controls the mixing and the phase parameter, MIX_TIME, defines the time interval.

To determine when to add the next group of ingredients, you might use the following transition:

'MIX1/MIX_TIME' = 10

Now assume you create a recipe parameter, MIXING_TIME, for the operation that uses the phase MIX1. You can create a transition with the formula using the following condition:

'MIXING_TIME' = 10

If the step parameter and the recipe parameter are associated with two different mixers running in parallel, you could create a condition similar to the following:

'MIX1/MIX_TIME' = 'MIXING_TIME'

This condition ensures that the mixing time of the two mixers is the same before continuing with the recipe (the operator has to make value adjustments if this is not true).

At the operation level, a phase parameter that is a Report category can be used. If the phase logic is written to periodically update the report parameters, transition logic can be based on the results. Note that phase report parameters can be referred to recipe parameters up the entire recipe hierarchy (from operation to unit procedure to procedure).

'MIX1/ELAPSED TIME' >= 'MIN MIX TIME'

If you want to use process outputs in transitions, use unit parameters.