# Set up global connections

To set up global connections

1. In the Explorer window, double-click the Global Connections icon to open the editor.
2. In the Maximum update rate (seconds) box, select the maximum rate at which the data source will supply data to the global connections. The rate applies to all the tags specified in Remote connections, including tags used in Remote expressions. At run time, all tags are updated when global connections are started, regardless of the update rate.
3. Click on the Date and Time tab to set the date and time connections. You can assign any of them, or leave them unassigned. In the Date and time output interval (seconds) box, type the frequency with which to update date and time values from the terminal to the data source.
   - Year
   - Day of Week
   - Month
   - Day of Month
   - Hour
   - Minute
   - Second
   - Remote Date and Time
   - Remote Year
   - Remote Month
   - Remote Day of Month
   - Remote Hour
   - Remote Minute
   - Remote Second
4. Click on the Display tab to assign the following connections. The first two connections are write connections for sending values from the application to the data source. Assign a tag to these connections:
   - Replace Display Number
   - Display Print Active

     The second two connections are read connections for sending values from the data source to the application. Assign a tag or expression to these connections :

   - Remote Display Number
   - Remote Display Print

     The next two connections are read connections for closing On Top displays. Assign a tag or an expression to these connections:

   - Close an On Top Display
   - Close All On Top Displays

     The parameter connections are optional read connections to be used for displays that use parameters when they open. Assign a tag or expression to these connections:

   - Parameter file
   - Use Parameter List
   - Parameter Tag #1 to 10

     Tip: | If you have selected the Use Parameter List connection on the Display tab of the Global Connections editor, be sure to fill in the Parameter Tag connections in numeric order. For example, do not assign Parameter Tag #1 and Parameter Tag #3 without assigning Parameter Tag #2.

5. Click the Macro tab to define up to five expressions or tags, each of which can run a corresponding macro. These connections are optional. You can use none, some, or all of them.
   - Remote Macro1-5
6. Click the Backlight tab to set the intensity of the backlight on the run-time terminal.
   - Remote Backlight Intensity

     Tip: | This global connection does not work on the Windows 7 SP1, Windows 10, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2016 operating system.

7. Click the Memory tab to set connections that allow an operator to monitor RAM usage at run time. Assign a tag to the following connections:
   - MERuntime RAM Usage
   - Total RAM Usage
   - Available RAM

     Assign a tag or expression to this connection:

   - Remote RAM Usage
8. Click OK to save your changes and close the editor.

   Tip: | To unassign a control, select the control in the Tag or Expression column and do one of the following: Press Backspace on your keyboard repeatedly to remove the assignment one character at a time. Double-click twice to highlight the text, and then press Delete or Backspace to remove the entire assignment at once.

## See also

About global connections

Set up global connections - Date and Time tab

Set up global connections - Display tab

Global connections - Macro tab

Global connections - Backlight tab

Global connections - Memory tab

Causes of run-time errors for global connections

data source