EcoStruxure Machine Expert

EIO0000002854 06/2019

EcoStruxure Machine
Expert
Programming Guide
06/2019
EIO0000002854.00

www.schneider-electric.com
 The information provided in this documentation contains general descriptions and/or technical
characteristics of the performance of the products contained herein. This documentation is not
intended as a substitute for and is not to be used for determining suitability or reliability of these
products for specific user applications. It is the duty of any such user or integrator to perform the
appropriate and complete risk analysis, evaluation and testing of the products with respect to the
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© 2019 Schneider Electric. All rights reserved.

2 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 Table of Contents

Safety Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
About the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Part I Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 1 General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Logic Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
What is the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder? . . . . . . . . . . 30
Tasks Performed by the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder . 31
Chapter 2 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface 33
Elements of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder Screen. . 34
Multi-Tabbed Navigators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Functional tree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Multi-Tabbed Catalog View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Customizing the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
User Interface in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Menus and Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chapter 3 Basic Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Introduction and Basic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Part II Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chapter 4 Installing Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Integration of Sercos Devices from Third-Party Vendors . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chapter 5 Managing Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
5.1 Adding Devices by Drag and Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Adding Devices by Drag and Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
5.2 Adding Devices by Contextual Menu or Plus Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Adding a Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Adding Expansion Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adding Communication Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Adding Devices to a Communication Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Adding Devices from Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
5.3 Updating Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Updating Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
5.4 Converting Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Converting Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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 5.5 Converting Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Converting SoMachine Basic and Twido Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 6 Common Device Editor Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
6.1 Device Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
General Information About Device Editors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Communication Settings in Controller Selection Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Communication Settings in Simple Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Communication Settings in Classic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Synchronized Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
PLC Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Users and Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Access Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Task Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
6.2 I/O Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
I/O Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Working with the I/O Mapping Dialog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
I/O Mapping in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Implicit Variables for Forcing I/Os . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Part III Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Chapter 7 Program Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
7.1 Program Organization Unit (POU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
POU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Adding and Calling POU Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
POUs for Implicit Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

4 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 7.2 Function Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
General Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Function Block Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Calling a Function Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Configuring a Memory Reserve for the Online Change of Function
Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Extension of a Function Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Implementing Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Method Invocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
SUPER Pointer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
THIS Pointer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
7.3 Application Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Data Type Unit (DUT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Global Variable List - GVL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Network Variable List (Receiver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Persistent Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
External File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Text List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Image Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
7.4 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Chapter 8 Task Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Task Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Adding Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Chapter 9 Managing Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
9.1 General Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
9.2 Building and Downloading Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Building Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Build Process at Changed Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Downloading an Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
9.3 Running Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Running Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
9.4 Maintaining Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Debugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Core Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

EIO0000002854 06/2019 5
 Programming Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Refactoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Static Analysis Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Creating an Archive in Your Controller on Download. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Part IV Logic Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Chapter 10 Common Features of Graphic Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Common Features of Graphic Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Chapter 11 FBD/LD/IL Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
11.1 Information on the FBD/LD/IL Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
FBD/LD/IL Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Function Block Diagram (FBD) Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Ladder Diagram (LD) Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Instruction List (IL) Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Modifiers and Operators in IL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Working in the FBD and LD Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Working in the IL Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Cursor Positions in FBD, LD, and IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
FBD/LD/IL Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
FBD/LD/IL Editor in Online Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
11.2 FBD/LD/IL Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
FBD/LD/IL Toolbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Network in FBD/LD/IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Assignment in FBD/LD/IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Jump in FBD/LD/IL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Label in FBD/LD/IL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Boxes in FBD/LD/IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
RETURN Instruction in FBD/LD/IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Branch / Hanging Coil in FBD/LD/IL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Parallel Branch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Branch Start / End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Set/Reset in FBD/LD/IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Set/Reset Coil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Execute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
11.3 LD Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Coil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

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 Chapter 12 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
CFC Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Cursor Positions in CFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
CFC Elements / ToolBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Working in the CFC Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
CFC Editor in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
CFC Editor Page-Oriented . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Chapter 13 Sequential Function Chart (SFC) Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
SFC Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
SFC - Sequential Function Chart Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Cursor Positions in SFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Working in the SFC Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
SFC Element Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
SFC Elements / ToolBox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Qualifier for Actions in SFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Implicit Variables - SFC Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Sequence of Processing in SFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
SFC Editor in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Chapter 14 Structured Text (ST) Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
14.1 Information on the ST Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
ST Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
ST Editor in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
14.2 Structured Text ST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Structured Text ST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Part V Object Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423
Chapter 15 Declaration Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Textual Declaration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Tabular Declaration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Declaration Editor in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Chapter 16 Device Type Manager (DTM) Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
DTM Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Chapter 17 Data Unit Type (DUT) Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Data Unit Type Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
Chapter 18 Global Variables List (GVL) Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
GVL Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

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 Chapter 19 Network Variables List (NVL) Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
19.1 Information on the NVL Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
Network Variables List Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
19.2 General Information on Network Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
Introduction to Network Variables List (NVL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
Configuring the Network Variables Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Network Variables List (NVL) Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Operating State of the Sender and the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Chapter 20 Task Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Information on the Task Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Properties Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
System Events Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468
Monitor Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471
Variable Usage Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Configuration of a Specific Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474
Task Processing in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Chapter 21 Watch List Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Watch View / Watch List Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480
Creating a Watch List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Watch List in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Chapter 22 Tools Within Logic Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Function and Function Block Finder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Input Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Part VI Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491
Chapter 23 Data Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Introduction to Data Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493
Chapter 24 Recipe Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Recipe Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496
Recipe Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
RecipeMan Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Loading Recipe Values from the Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514
Memory Usage by Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Chapter 25 Trace Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517
25.1 Trace Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Trace Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519
Creating a Trace Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521

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 25.2 Trace Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525
Trace Configuration - Tree Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526
Variable Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528
Record Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
Display Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534
Advanced Trace Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536
Display Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538
25.3 Trace Editor in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
Trace Editor in Online Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542
25.4 Keyboard Operations for Trace Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Chapter 26 Trend Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545
26.1 Trend Recording Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Trend Recording Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Trend Recording Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 548
26.2 Trend Recording Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 549
Trend Recording Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 550
Record Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Variable Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554
Steps for Trend Recording Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556
26.3 Recording Trend Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Start the Recording Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 558
Chapter 27 Unit Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Unit Conversion Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562
Usage in IEC Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565
Chapter 28 Symbol Configuration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
Symbol Configuration Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Symbol Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573
Adding a Symbol Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574
Chapter 29 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Controller - HMI Data
Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Single Variable Definition . . . . . . . . . . . 578
Publishing Variables in the Controller Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582
Selecting Variables in the HMI Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584
Publishing Variables in the HMI Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585
Parameterization of the Physical Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Communication Performance on Controller - HMI Data Exchange . . . 588
Indications for HMI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591

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 Chapter 30 Cam Motion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
30.1 Cam Motion Editor - General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595
Adding a Cam Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596
Opening the Motion Editor of a Cam Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597
30.2 Generating IEC Program Code from Cam Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598
Using Cam Data for Function Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599
Copying the Source Code of the Cam Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
30.3 Online View and Functions of the Cam Motion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
Online View and Functions of the Cam Motion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602
30.4 Discontinuous Courses of the Positions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
Discontinuous Courses of the Positions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603
30.5 Dialog Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604
Motion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605
Generating IEC Source Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 614
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 615
Part VII Programming Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617
Chapter 31 Variables Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 619
31.1 Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
Recommendations on the Naming of Identifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 624
Variables Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 629
Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630
Shortcut Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631
AT Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
Keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 633
31.2 Variable Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636
Variable Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
Attribute Keywords for Variable Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Variables Configuration - VAR_CONFIG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645
31.3 Method Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647
FB_Init, FB_Reinit, and FB_ExitMethods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647
31.4 Pragma Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
Pragma Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653
Message Pragmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 656
Conditional Pragmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 658
Region Pragmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 666

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 31.5 Attribute Pragmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 667
Attribute Pragmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669
User-Defined Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670
Attribute call_after_global_init_slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 672
Attribute call_after_init. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 673
Attribute call_after_online_change_slot . . . . . . . . . . . . 674
Attribute call_before_global_exit_slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 675
Attribute call_on_type_change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676
Attribute const_replaced, Attribute const_non_repla
ced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
Attribute 'dataflow' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 678
Attribute displaymode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679
Attribute estimated-stack-usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 680
Attribute ExpandFully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681
Attribute global_init_slot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 682
Attribute hide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684
Attribute hide_all_locals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
Attribute initialize_on_call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686
Attribute init_namespace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687
Attribute init_On_Onlchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688
Attribute instance-path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 689
Attribute linkalways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 690
Attribute monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691
Attribute namespace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695
Attribute no_assign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 697
Attribute no_check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698
Attribute no_copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 699
Attribute no-exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 700
Attribute no_init . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701
Attribute no_instance_in_retain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702
Attribute no_virtual_actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703
Attribute pingroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 705
Attribute pin_presentation_order_inputs/outputs . . . . 707
Attribute obsolete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 709
Attribute pack_mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
Attribute qualified_only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Attribute reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712

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 Attribute subsequent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 713
Attribute symbol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
Attribute warning disable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
Attribute enable_dynamic_creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717
31.6 The Smart Coding Functionality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Smart Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718
Chapter 32 Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
32.1 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
Data Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
32.2 Standard Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
Standard Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
32.3 Extensions to IEC Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 729
UNION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 730
BIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 732
Pointers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
32.4 User-Defined Data Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 738
Defined Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
Arrays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 740
Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744
Enumerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 746
Subrange Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 749
Chapter 33 Programming Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
33.1 Naming Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754
33.2 Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 756
Prefix Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757
Order of Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758
Scope Prefix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 760
Data Type Prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 761
Property Prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763
POU Prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764
Namespace Prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765
Chapter 34 Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 767
34.1 Arithmetic Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 768
ADD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 769
MUL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
SUB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 773

12 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 DIV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 775
MOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778
MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780
SIZEOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 781
34.2 Bitstring Operators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 782
AND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 783
OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 784
XOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 785
NOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 786
34.3 Bit-Shift Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 787
SHL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788
SHR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790
ROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 791
ROR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 793
34.4 Selection Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795
SEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 796
MAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 797
MIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 798
LIMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 799
MUX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800
34.5 Comparison Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 801
GT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802
LT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803
LE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 804
GE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 805
EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 806
NE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 807
34.6 Address Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 808
ADR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809
Content Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810
BITADR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811
34.7 Calling Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812
CAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812
34.8 Type Conversion Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 813
Type Conversion Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814
BOOL_TO Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 815
TO_BOOL Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817
Conversion Between Integral Number Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 819

EIO0000002854 06/2019 13
 REAL_TO / LREAL_TO Conversions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820
TIME_TO/TIME_OF_DAY Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822
DATE_TO/DT_TO Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824
STRING_TO Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826
TRUNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 828
TRUNC_INT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829
ANY_..._TO Conversions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 830
TO_<xxx> Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831
34.9 Numeric Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 832
ABS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 833
SQRT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 834
LN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835
LOG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 836
EXP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837
SIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 838
COS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 839
TAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 840
ASIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 841
ACOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 842
ATAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843
EXPT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 844
34.10 IEC Extending Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845
IEC Extending Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 846
__DELETE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847
__ISVALIDREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 850
__NEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
__QUERYINTERFACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 854
__QUERYPOINTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 856
AND_THEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 858
OR_ELSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859
__TRY, __CATCH, __FINALLY, __ENDTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 860
__VARINFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 863
Scope Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
34.11 Initialization Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867
INI Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 867

14 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 Chapter 35 Operands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 869
35.1 Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 870
BOOL Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 871
TIME Constants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 872
DATE Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 874
DATE_AND_TIME Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 875
TIME_OF_DAY Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 876
Number Constants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877
REAL/LREAL Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 878
String Constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 879
Typed Constants / Typed Literals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 881
35.2 Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882
Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 883
Addressing Bits in Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 884
35.3 Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887
Direct Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887
35.4 Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 889
Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 889
Part VIII EcoStruxure Machine Expert Templates . . . . . . . . . 891
Chapter 36 General Information about Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 893
36.1 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894
General Information About EcoStruxure Machine Expert Templates . 895
Administration of EcoStruxure Machine Expert Templates . . . . . . . . . 897
Chapter 37 Managing Device Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905
37.1 Managing Device Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 906
Facts of Device Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907
Adding Devices from Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 908
Creating a Device Template on the Basis of Field Devices or I/O
Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911
Visualizations Suitable for Creating Device Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . 912
Further Information on Integrating Control Logic into Device Templates 913
Steps to Create a Device Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915
Chapter 38 Managing Function Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 919
38.1 Managing Function Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920
Facts of Function Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921
Adding Functions from Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 922
Application Functions as Basis for Function Templates . . . . . . . . . . . 928
Steps to Create a Function Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 930

EIO0000002854 06/2019 15
 Part IX Troubleshooting and FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 935
Chapter 39 Generic - Troubleshooting and FAQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937
39.1 Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938
How Can I Enable and Configure Analog Inputs on CANopen? . . . . . 939
Why is EcoStruxure Machine Expert Startup Performance Sometimes
Slower? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940
How Can I Manage Shortcuts and Menus? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
How Can I Increase the Memory Limit Available for EcoStruxure
Machine Expert on 32-Bit Operating Systems? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943
How Can I Reduce the Memory Consumption of EcoStruxure Machine
Expert?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 944
How Can I Increase the Build-Time Performance of EcoStruxure
Machine Expert? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
What Can I Do in Case of Issues with Modbus IOScanner on Serial
Line? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946
What Can I Do If My Network Variables List (NVL) Communication Has
Been Suspended? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 947
Chapter 40 Accessing Controllers - Troubleshooting and FAQ . . . . . 949
40.1 Troubleshooting: Accessing New Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 950
Accessing New Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951
Connecting via IP Address and Address Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 953
40.2 FAQ - What Can I Do in Case of Connection Problems With the
Controller? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 955
FAQ - Why is a Connection to the Controller not Possible? . . . . . . . . 956
FAQ - Why has the Communication Between PC and Controller been
Interrupted? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 959
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961
Appendix A Network Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
Network Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 964
Addressing and Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
Structure of Addresses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967
Appendix B Python Script Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 971
B.1 General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 973
Accessing the Python Interpreter in EcoStruxure Machine Expert . . . 976
Using the Logic Builder Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 981
Using the Logic Builder Scripting Immediate View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989
Keyboard Commands in the Logic Builder Shell and the Scripting
Immediate View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 992
Explore EcoStruxure Machine Expert Python API (with dir() and
inspectapi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 993

16 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 Using Logic Builder Shell with Microsoft Visual Studio and PTVS . . . 998
Using Logic Builder Shell with JetBrains PyCharm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
Using Logic Builder Shell with Microsoft Visual Studio Code and
Python Extension. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1008
Executing Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012
Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1014
Reading .NET API Documentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1016
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Python API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1018
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Scripting - Python API. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1019
Calling Scripts Via Toolbar Icons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1024
B.2 Schneider Electric Script Engine Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1026
New Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027
Device Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1029
Compiler Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1031
Visualization Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1032
Update Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034
Update Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1035
Clean and Build Application. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1036
Communication Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1037
Start ETEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1038
Reset Diagnostic Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1040
Reboot the Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1041
Convert Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1042
Comparing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1046
Advanced Library Management Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047
Accessing POUs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1048
B.3 CoDeSys Script Engine Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050
Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1051
Online Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1060
Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1063
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1064
System / User Interface (UI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1069
Reading Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1073
Reading Values From Recipe and Send an Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1075
Determine Device Tree of the Open Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077
Script Example 4: Import a Device in PLCOpenXML From Subversion 1078

EIO0000002854 06/2019 17
 Script Example 5: Creating and Editing POUs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1080
Script Example 6: User Interface / Interaction with the User . . . . . . . . 1081
Script Example 7: Manipulation of the Project information Object . . . . 1083
Advanced Example: Checkout a Library from SVN and Installation in
EcoStruxure Machine Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1084
Appendix C Controller Feature Sets for Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1085
Controller Feature Sets for Migration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1085
Appendix D Know-How Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089
Know-How Protection of Projects and Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1089
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1095

18 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 Safety Information

Important Information

NOTICE
Read these instructions carefully, and look at the equipment to become familiar with the device
before trying to install, operate, service, or maintain it. The following special messages may appear
throughout this documentation or on the equipment to warn of potential hazards or to call attention
to information that clarifies or simplifies a procedure.

EIO0000002854 06/2019 19
PLEASE NOTE
Electrical equipment should be installed, operated, serviced, and maintained only by qualified
personnel. No responsibility is assumed by Schneider Electric for any consequences arising out of
the use of this material.
A qualified person is one who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation
of electrical equipment and its installation, and has received safety training to recognize and avoid
the hazards involved.

20 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 About the Book

At a Glance

Document Scope
This document describes the graphical user interface of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert software
and the functions it provides. For further information, refer to the separate documents provided in
the EcoStruxure Machine Expert online help.

Validity Note
This document has been updated for the release of EcoStruxureTM Machine Expert V1.1.

Related Documents

Document title Reference

EcoStruxure Machine Expert Introduction EIO0000002836 (ENG);
EIO0000002837 (FRE);
EIO0000002838 (GER);
EIO0000002840 (SPA);
EIO0000002839 (ITA);
EIO0000002841 (CHS)
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Menu Commands EIO0000002860 (ENG);
Online Help EIO0000002861 (FRE);
EIO0000002862 (GER);
EIO0000002864 (SPA);
EIO0000002863 (ITA);
EIO0000002865 (CHS)
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Compatibility and EIO0000002842 (ENG);
Migration User Guide EIO0000002843 (FRE);
EIO0000002844 (GER);
EIO0000002846 (SPA);
EIO0000002845 (ITA);
EIO0000002847 (CHS)
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Functions and Libraries EIO0000002829 (ENG);
User Guide EIO0000002830 (FRE);
EIO0000002831 (GER);
EIO0000002833 (SPA);
EIO0000002832 (ITA);
EIO0000002834 (CHS)

EIO0000002854 06/2019 21
 Document title Reference
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Controller Assistant EIO0000001671 (ENG);
User Guide EIO0000001672 (FRE);
EIO0000001673 (GER);
EIO0000001675 (SPA);
EIO0000001674 (ITA);
EIO0000001676 (CHS)
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Device Type Manager EIO0000003047 (ENG);
(DTM) User Guide EIO0000003048 (FRE);
EIO0000003049 (GER);
EIO0000003051 (SPA);
EIO0000003050 (ITA);
EIO0000003052 (CHS)
EcoStruxure Machine Expert TwidoEmulationSupport EIO0000001692 (ENG);
Library Guide EIO0000001693 (FRE);
EIO0000001694 (GER);
EIO0000001696 (SPA);
EIO0000001695 (ITA);
EIO0000001697 (CHS)
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Network Variable EIO0000002974 (ENG);
Configuration SE_NetVarUdp Library Guide EIO0000002975 (FRE);
EIO0000002976 (GER);
EIO0000002978 (SPA);
EIO0000002977 (ITA);
EIO0000002979 (CHS)

You can download these technical publications and other technical information from our website
at www.schneider-electric.com/en/download.

22 EIO0000002854 06/2019
Product Related Information

WARNING
LOSS OF CONTROL
 The designer of any control scheme must consider the potential failure modes of control paths
and, for certain critical control functions, provide a means to achieve a safe state during and
after a path failure. Examples of critical control functions are emergency stop and overtravel
stop, power outage and restart.
 Separate or redundant control paths must be provided for critical control functions.
 System control paths may include communication links. Consideration must be given to the
implications of unanticipated transmission delays or failures of the link.
 Observe all accident prevention regulations and local safety guidelines.1
 Each implementation of this equipment must be individually and thoroughly tested for proper
operation before being placed into service.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

1For additional information, refer to NEMA ICS 1.1 (latest edition), "Safety Guidelines for the
Application, Installation, and Maintenance of Solid State Control" and to NEMA ICS 7.1 (latest
edition), "Safety Standards for Construction and Guide for Selection, Installation and Operation of
Adjustable-Speed Drive Systems" or their equivalent governing your particular location.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Only use software approved by Schneider Electric for use with this equipment.
 Update your application program every time you change the physical hardware configuration.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

EIO0000002854 06/2019 23
Terminology Derived from Standards
The technical terms, terminology, symbols and the corresponding descriptions in this manual, or
that appear in or on the products themselves, are generally derived from the terms or definitions
of international standards.
In the area of functional safety systems, drives and general automation, this may include, but is not
limited to, terms such as safety, safety function, safe state, fault, fault reset, malfunction, failure,
error, error message, dangerous, etc.
Among others, these standards include:

Standard Description
IEC 61131-2:2007 Programmable controllers, part 2: Equipment requirements and tests.
ISO 13849-1:2015 Safety of machinery: Safety related parts of control systems.
General principles for design.
EN 61496-1:2013 Safety of machinery: Electro-sensitive protective equipment.
Part 1: General requirements and tests.
ISO 12100:2010 Safety of machinery - General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk
reduction
EN 60204-1:2006 Safety of machinery - Electrical equipment of machines - Part 1: General
requirements
ISO 14119:2013 Safety of machinery - Interlocking devices associated with guards - Principles
for design and selection
ISO 13850:2015 Safety of machinery - Emergency stop - Principles for design
IEC 62061:2015 Safety of machinery - Functional safety of safety-related electrical, electronic,
and electronic programmable control systems
IEC 61508-1:2010 Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-
related systems: General requirements.
IEC 61508-2:2010 Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-
related systems: Requirements for electrical/electronic/programmable
electronic safety-related systems.
IEC 61508-3:2010 Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-
related systems: Software requirements.
IEC 61784-3:2016 Industrial communication networks - Profiles - Part 3: Functional safety
fieldbuses - General rules and profile definitions.
2006/42/EC Machinery Directive
2014/30/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive
2014/35/EU Low Voltage Directive

24 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 In addition, terms used in the present document may tangentially be used as they are derived from
other standards such as:

Standard Description
IEC 60034 series Rotating electrical machines
IEC 61800 series Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems
IEC 61158 series Digital data communications for measurement and control – Fieldbus for use in
industrial control systems

Finally, the term zone of operation may be used in conjunction with the description of specific
hazards, and is defined as it is for a hazard zone or danger zone in the Machinery Directive
(2006/42/EC) and ISO 12100:2010.
NOTE: The aforementioned standards may or may not apply to the specific products cited in the
present documentation. For more information concerning the individual standards applicable to the
products described herein, see the characteristics tables for those product references.

EIO0000002854 06/2019 25
26 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Introduction
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Part I
Introduction

Introduction

What Is in This Part?

This part contains the following chapters:
Chapter Chapter Name Page
1 General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder 29
2 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface 33
3 Basic Concepts 59

EIO0000002854 06/2019 27
Introduction

28 EIO0000002854 06/2019
 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Chapter 1
General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder

General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic

Builder

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following topics:
Topic Page
What is the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder? 30
Tasks Performed by the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder 31

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General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder

What is the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder?

General Description
The Logic Builder provides the configuration and programming environment for EcoStruxure
Machine Expert projects.
It displays the different elements of your project in separate views that you can arrange on the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert user interface and on your desktop according to your individual
requirements. This view structure allows you to add hardware and software elements to your
project by drag and drop. The main configuration dialog boxes that allow you to create content for
the project are provided in the center of the Logic Builder screen.
In addition to easy configuration and programming, the Logic Builder also provides powerful
diagnostic and maintenance features.

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 General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder

Tasks Performed by the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder

Configuring and Programming Projects

The Logic Builder allows you to program logic and add devices to EcoStruxure Machine Expert
projects.
To assist you in performing this task, it provides the following functions:
 Separate hardware catalog views for Controller, HMI & iPC, Devices & Modules, Diverse allow
you to add hardware devices to your project by simple drag and drop. It also allows you to use
device templates and function templates.
 Separate software catalog views for Variables, Assets, Macros, ToolBox, Libraries allow you to
add different types of software elements by simple drag and drop. The Assets view, for example,
allows you to create and manage your function blocks and POUs.
To display only the relevant views for the task that is being performed, EcoStruxure Machine
Expert provides individual perspectives (see page 53) for hardware configuration, software
configuration, and online mode. You are allowed to adapt these default perspectives to your
individual requirements, and to create your own perspectives with the views you use most
frequently.

Building Projects
The Logic Builder provides different ways (such as Build, Build all, or Clean all) to build your
EcoStruxure Machine Expert project.

Communication with Controller

The Logic Builder provides scan functions to detect available controllers in the Ethernet network.
It supports different protocols for communication with the controller.
After communication has been established, applications can be downloaded to or uploaded from
the controller. Applications can be started and stopped on the controller.

Online Features and Monitoring

The Logic Builder online and monitoring features allow you to perform the following tasks:
 Online monitoring of values in program code and in Watch views
 Performing online changes
 Online configuration of traces
 Watching traces online
 Interacting with your machine by using built-in visualizations in online mode for diagnostic and
test purposes
 Reading the status of controllers and devices
 Detecting potential programming logic errors by using the debugging function

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General Introduction to the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder

32 EcoStruxure Machine Expert version 1.1 does not support the M258, LMC058 and LMC078 controllers. EIO0000002854 06/2019
 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Chapter 2
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Elements of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder Screen 34
Multi-Tabbed Navigators 40
Functional tree 46
Multi-Tabbed Catalog View 49
Customizing the User Interface 51
User Interface in Online Mode 55
Menus and Commands 57

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EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Elements of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder Screen

Overview
Logic Builder consists of the following elements:
 Menus and toolbars
 Navigator views
 Catalog views
 Main editor pane

When you open the Logic Builder, it provides a default screen layout. This document describes the
default positions.
You can adapt the elements according to your individual requirements as described in the
Customizing the User Interface chapter (see page 51). You can see and modify the present
settings in the Customize dialog box. It is by default available in the Tools menu.
You can also arrange the views and windows anytime via shifting, docking/undocking views,
resizing or closing windows. The positions are saved with the project. When you reopen a project,
the elements are placed at the positions where they were when the project was saved. The
positions of views are saved separately in perspectives (see page 53).

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Default Logic Builder Screen

Default positions of menus, bars, and views on the Logic Builder screen

1 Menu bar
2 Toolbar
3 Multi-tabbed Navigators: Devices tree, Tools tree, Applications tree, Functional tree
4 Messages view
5 Information and status bar
6 Multi-tabbed catalog view: hardware catalog: Controller, HMI & iPC, Devices & Modules, Diverse software
catalog: Variables, Assets. Macros, ToolBox, Libraries
7 Multi-tabbed editor view

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EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Default Components
The Logic Builder screen contains the following components that are visible by default:

Component Description
Menu bar Provides menus which contain the available commands as defined in
the Tools → Customize dialog box.
Toolbar Contains buttons to execute the available tools as defined in the Tools
→ Customize dialog box.
Multi-tabbed Navigators The following Navigators are available as tabs where the different
objects of a project are organized in a tree structure:
 Devices tree
 Applications tree
 Tools tree
 Functional tree

For further information, refer to the chapter Multi-Tabbed Navigators

(see page 40).
Messages view Provides messages on precompile, compile, build, download
operations. Refer to the description of the Messages view commands
for details (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help).
Information and status bar Provides the following information:
 Information on the present user.
 Information on editing mode and present position if an editor is
open.
For further information, see the Information and Status Bar section in
this chapter.
Multi-tabbed Catalog view The Catalog view consists of different tabs where the available
hardware and software objects are listed:
 Hardware Catalog
 Controller
 HMI & iPC
 Devices & Modules
 Diverse

 Software Catalog
 Variables
 Assets
 Macros
 ToolBox
 Libraries

For further information, refer to the chapter Multi-Tabbed Catalog

Views (see page 49).

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Component Description
Multi-tabbed editor window Used for creating the particular object in the respective editor.
In the case of language editors (for example, ST editor, CFC editor),
usually the window combines the language editor in the lower part and
the declaration editor in the upper part.
In the case of other editors, it can provide dialog boxes (for example,
task editor, device editor). The name of the POU or the resource object
is displayed in the title bar of this view. You can open the objects in the
editor window in offline or online mode by executing the Edit Object
command.

Information and Status Bar

The bar at the lower border of the Logic Builder screen provides three types of information:
 Information on the logged-in user.
 If you are working in an editor window: the position of the cursor and the status of editing mode.
 In online mode: the status of the program.

Information on the logged-in user

Each project has a user and access management setting (refer to the Project → User Management
→ Permissions... command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help)).
The logged-in user is named in the status bar.
Cursor positions in editor windows
The cursor position is counted from the left or upper margin of the editor window.

Abbreviation Description
Ln Line in which the cursor is placed.
Col Column in which the cursor is placed.
(A column includes exactly one space, character, or digit.)
Ch Number of characters.
(In this context, a character can be a single character or digit as well as a tab
including, for example, four columns.)

Double-click one of the fields to open the dialog box Go To Line. Here you can enter a different
position where the cursor is placed.
The status of the editing mode is indicated by the following abbreviations:

Abbreviation Description
INS Insert mode
OVR Overwrite mode

Double-click this field to toggle the setting.

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EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

The following status of the program is indicated:

Text Description
Program loaded Program loaded on device.
Program unchanged Program on device matches that in the programming system.
Program modified (Online Program on device differs from that in the programming system, online
Change) change required.
Program modified (Full Program on device differs from that in the programming system, full download
download) required.

Online mode information

Status of the application on the device:

Text Background Color Description

RUN Green Program running.
STOP Red Program stopped.
HALT ON BP Red Program halted on a breakpoint.
The following status field is only available if the controller, depending on a setting in the device description, supports
cycle-independent monitoring.
IN CYCLE White Indicates that the values of the monitored expressions
are read within one cycle.
OUT OF CYCLE Red Indicates that the retrieval of the values of the
monitored variables cannot be performed within
one cycle.

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Watch Windows and Online Views of Editors

Watch windows and online editor views display a monitoring view of a POU or a user-defined list
of watch expressions.

Windows, Views, and Editor Windows

There are two different types of windows in the Logic Builder:
 Some can be docked to any margin of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert window or can be
positioned on the screen as undocked windows independently from the EcoStruxure Machine
Expert window. Additionally they can be hidden by being represented as a tab in the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert window frame (refer to the Customizing the User Interface chapter
(see page 51)). These windows display information which is not dependent on a single object
of the project (for example Messages view or Devices tree). You can access them via the View
menu (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). Most views include
a non-configurable toolbar with buttons for sorting, viewing, searching within the window.
 Other windows open when you are viewing or editing a specific project object in the respective
editor. They are displayed in the multi-tabbed editor window. You cannot hide or undock them
from the EcoStruxure Machine Expert window. You can access them via the Window menu.

Switching Windows
EcoStruxure Machine Expert allows you to switch between open views and editors. To switch
between open views and editors, press the Ctrl and Tab keys simultaneously. A window opens that
lists the views and editors that are open. As long as the Ctrl key is pressed the window stays open.
Use the Tab key or the Arrow keys simultaneously to select a specific view or editor.

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EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Multi-Tabbed Navigators

Overview
The multi-tabbed Navigators are default components of the Logic Builder screen.
By default, the following navigators are available:
 Devices tree: It allows you to manage the devices on which the application is to run.
 Applications tree: It allows you to manage project-specific as well as global POUs, and tasks in
a single view.
 Tools tree: It allows you to manage project-specific as well as global libraries or other elements
in a single view.
 Functional tree: It allows you to group the content of a controller according to your individual
requirements.
You can access views via the View menu.

Adding Elements to the Navigators

The root node of a navigator represents a programmable device. You can insert further elements
below this root node.
To add elements to a node of a Navigator, simply select a device or object in the hardware or
software catalog on the right-hand side of the Logic Builder screen and drag it to the Navigator (for
example, the Devices tree). The node or nodes where the selected device or object fits are
automatically expanded and displayed in bold. The other nodes where the selected device or
object cannot be inserted are grayed. Drop the device or object on the suitable node and it is
inserted automatically. If any further elements are required for the device or object, such as
communication managers, they are inserted automatically.
Alternatively, you can select a node in the tree. If it is possible to add an object to the selected
device or object, a green plus button is displayed. Click this plus button to open a menu providing
the elements available for insertion.
It is also possible to add an object or a device, by right-clicking a node in a Navigator and executing
the command Add Object or Add Device. The device type which can be inserted depends on the
selected object within the Navigator. For example, modules for a PROFIBUS DP slave cannot be
inserted without having inserted an appropriate slave device before. Note that only devices
correctly installed on the local system and matching the present position in the tree are available
for insertion.

Repositioning Objects
To reposition objects, use the clipboard commands (Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete) from the Edit menu.
Alternatively, you can drag the selected object with the mouse while the mouse-button (plus CTRL
key for copying) is pressed. When you add devices using the copy and paste function, the new
device gets the same name followed by an incrementing number.

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Updating the Version of a Device

A device that is already inserted in the Navigators can be updated to another version or converted
to another device.
Refer to the description of the separate commands:
 Update Device command (see page 78)
 Convert Device command (see page 79)

Description of the Devices Tree

Each device object in the Devices tree represents a specific (target) hardware object.
Examples: controller, fieldbus node, bus coupler, drive, I/O module
Devices and subdevices are managed in the Devices tree. Other objects which are needed to run
an application on a controller are grouped in the other Navigators.

 The root node of the tree is a symbolic node entry: <projectname>

 The controller configuration is defined by the topological arrangement of the devices in the
Devices tree. The configuration of the particular device or task parameters is performed in
corresponding editor dialogs. Also refer to the chapter Task Configuration (see page 246).
Thus the hardware structure is mapped and represented within the Devices tree by the
corresponding arrangement of device objects, allowing you to set up a complex heterogeneous
system of networked controllers and underlying fieldbusses.
 To add devices configured with DTMs (Device Type Managers) to your project, activate the
check box Use DTM Connection in the lower part of the Devices tree. This has the effect that a
node FdtConnections is added below the root node of the tree. Below the FdtConnections node,
a communication manager node is inserted automatically. You can add the suitable DTM device
to this node.
For further information, refer to the Device Type Manager (DTM) User Guide (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Device Type Manager (DTM), User Guide).
 Consider the recommendations for Adding Elements to the Navigators in this chapter.

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EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

Example of a Devices tree:

1 Root node
2 Programmable device (with applications)
3 Symbolic device name
4 Device name defined in device description file

 Each entry in the Devices tree displays the symbol, the symbolic name (editable), and the
device type (= device name as provided by the device description).
 A device is programmable or configurable. The type of the device determines the possible
position within the tree and also which further resources can be inserted below the device.
 Within a single project, you can configure one or several programmable devices - regardless of
manufacturer or type (multi-resource, multi-device, networking).
 Configure a device concerning communication, parameters, I/O mapping in the device dialog
(device editor). To open the device editor, double-click the device node in the Devices tree (refer
to the description of the device editor (see page 103)).
 In online mode, the status of a device is indicated by an icon preceding the device entry:
 Controller is connected, application is running, device is in operation, data is exchanged.
The option Update IO while in stop in the PLC settings view of the device editor
(see page 141) can be enabled or disabled.

 Controller is connected and stopped (STOP). The option Update IO while in stop in the
PLC settings view of the device editor (see page 141) is disabled.

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

 Controller is connected, active application is running, diagnostic information is available.

 Device is in preoperative mode and is not yet running, diagnostic information is available.
 Device is not exchanging data, bus error detected, not configured or simulation mode
(refer to the description of the Simulation command).
 Device is running in demo mode for 30 minutes. After this time, the demo mode expires
and the fieldbus stops exchanging data.

 Device is configured but not fully operational. Data is not exchanged. For example,
CANopen devices are in startup and preoperational.
 Redundancy mode active: The fieldbus master is not sending data because another
master is in active mode.
 Device description was not found in device repository. For further information on installing
and uninstalling devices in the Device Repository dialog box, refer to the description of the
Device Repository (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
 The names of the connected devices and applications are displayed green shaded.
 The names of devices running in simulation mode (refer to the description of the Simulation
command) are displayed in italics.
 Additional diagnostic information is provided in the Status view of the device editor
(see page 153).
You can also run the active application on a simulation device which is by default automatically
available within the programming system. Therefore, no real target device is needed to test the
online behavior of an application (at least that which does not rely on hardware resources for
execution). When you switch to simulation mode (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help), an entry in the Devices tree is displayed in italics, and you can log into
the application.
You can also connect to the controller in online configuration mode (refer to chapter Online Config
Mode (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help)) without the need of first
having loaded a real application into the controller. This is useful for the initial start-up of an I/O
system because you can access and test the I/Os in the controller configuration before you build
and load a real application program.
For information on the conversion of device references when opening projects, refer to the
Compatibility and Migration User Guide.

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Arranging and Configuring Objects in the Devices Tree

Adding devices / objects:
To add devices or objects to the Devices tree, simply select a device or object in the hardware
catalog on the right-hand side of the Logic Builder screen and drag it to the Devices tree. The node
or nodes where the selected device or object fits is expanded and is displayed in bold. The other
nodes where the selected device or object cannot be inserted are grayed. Drop the device or object
on the suitable node and it is inserted automatically.
Alternatively, you can select a node in the tree. If it is possible to add an object to the selected
device or object, a green plus button is displayed. Click the plus button to open a menu providing
the elements available for insertion.
Alternatively, you can add an object or a device, by right-clicking a node in the Devices tree and
executing the command Add Object or Add Device. The device type which can be inserted
depends on the selected object within the Devices tree. For example, modules for a
PROFIBUS DP slave cannot be inserted without having inserted an appropriate slave device
before. No applications can be inserted below non-programmable devices.
Note that only devices correctly installed on the local system and matching the present position in
the tree are available for insertion.
Repositioning objects:
To reposition objects, use the clipboard commands (Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete) from the Edit menu.
Alternatively, you can draw the selected object with the mouse while the mouse-button (plus CTRL
key for copying) is pressed. Consider for the Paste command: In case the object to be pasted can
be inserted below or above the selected entry, the Select Paste Position dialog box opens. It allows
you to define the insert position. When you add devices using the copy and paste function, the new
device gets the same name followed by an incrementing number.
Updating the version of a device:
A device that is already inserted in the Devices tree can be replaced by another version of the same
device type or by a device of another type (device update). In doing so, a configuration tree
indented below the respective device is maintained as long as possible.
Adding devices to the root node:
Only devices can be positioned on the level directly below the root node <projectname>. If you
choose another object type from the Add Object dialog box, such as a Text list object, this is added
to the Global node of the Applications tree.
Subnodes:
A device is inserted as a node in the tree. If defined in the device description file, subnodes are
inserted automatically. A subnode can be a programmable device again.
Inserting devices below a device object:
You can insert further devices below a device object. If they are installed on the local system and
thus available in the hardware catalog or in the Add Object or Add Device dialog box. The device
objects are sorted within the tree from top to bottom: On a particular tree level first the
programmable devices are arranged, followed by any further devices – each sorted alphabetically.

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Description of the Applications Tree

The Application objects, task configuration, and task objects are managed in the Applications tree.
The objects needed for programming the device (applications, text lists, etc.), are managed in the
Applications tree. Devices that are not programmable (configuration only) cannot be assigned as
programming objects. You can edit the values of the device parameters in the parameter dialog of
the device editor.
Programming objects, like particular POUs or global variable lists can be managed in 2 different
ways in the Applications tree, depending on their declaration:
 When they are declared as a subnode of the Global node, these objects can be accessed by all
devices.
 When they are declared as a subnode of the Applications node, these objects can only be
accessed by the corresponding devices declared in this Applications node.
You can insert an Application object only in the Applications tree.
Below each application, you can insert additional programming objects, such as DUT, GVL, or
visualization objects. Insert a task configuration below an application. In this task configuration, the
respective program calls have to be defined (instances of POUs from the Global node of the
Applications tree or device-specific POUs). Consider that the application is defined in the I/O
Mapping view of the respective device editor (see page 156).

Description of the Tools Tree

Libraries are managed in the Tools tree. Pure configurable devices cannot be assigned such
programming objects. You can edit the values of the device parameters in the parameter dialog of
the device editor.
Programming objects, like the Library Manager, can be managed in 2 different ways in the Tools
tree, depending on their declaration:
 When they are declared as a subnode of the Global node; then these objects can be accessed
by all devices.
 When they are declared as a subnode of the Applications node; then these objects can only be
accessed by the corresponding devices declared in this Applications node.

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Functional tree

Overview
The Functional tree is available for controllers that have a Functional Model node in the Devices
tree. It allows you to group multiple objects, such as IEC code or devices, and link them to a
function. Once this function is created, you can reuse it. By creating this modularity, it is possible
for you to reuse your developments more easily and to improve your vision of the project. You can
export / import the Functional tree and reuse it in another project.

Description of the Functional tree

Example of a Functional tree:

1 Root node: corresponds to the name of the open project

2 Controller node: only those controllers that have a Functional Model node in the Devices tree are displayed
3 Functional module: nodes for structuring the Functional tree
4 Attached object: object attached to the functional module
5 Child object: child object of the attached object

Selecting Controllers
Select controllers for the Functional tree as follows:

Step Action Result

1 In the Functional tree, right-click the root node, and A new subnode Functional Model is
execute the command Select Controllers. inserted for each selected controller in
the Devices tree.
2 In the Select Controllers dialog box, select the New controller nodes are added to the
controllers you want to add to the Functional tree, and Functional tree below the root node for
click OK. each selected controller.

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Adding Nodes
To group the content of a controller according to your individual requirements, the Functional tree
allows you to create subnodes below the controller nodes.

Node Description How to create

Functional module A functional module is a group of program Select a parent node (for example, the
elements intended to perform an application controller node), and click the green plus
function. button.
Functional module nodes create a
hierarchical structure in the Functional tree.
To create a meaningful structure, edit the
default name and assign a name of your
choice to each functional module.
Attached object Attached objects are nodes of the other Right-click a functional module node, and
navigators (Devices tree, Applications tree, execute the command Select Objects from
Tools tree) that represent the content of the the contextual menu. From the Select
controller. Objects dialog box, select the node you
Note the following: want to attach and click OK.
 One object can only be attached to one
functional module.
 An object can only be attached to a
function module of the same controller.
 You can attach only those objects that
are also allowed in function templates
(see page 926).
Child object Child objects of the attached objects. Child objects are displayed in the
Functional tree.

Deleting Nodes
To delete a node from the Functional tree, right-click it, and execute the command Delete from the
contextual menu. You are requested to decide whether to delete the selected object, with its child
objects, only from the Functional tree or from the whole project.
Child objects cannot be removed from the Functional tree only. If you intend to delete a child object,
you are prompted to confirm that the object is removed from the whole project.

Reusing Functional Modules

If you have created a functional module that you want to reuse in the same or in another project,
the function templates are the preferred instrument because function templates can resolve the
dependencies between the attached objects. The Import/Export commands and the copy/paste
functions can also be used, but they only serve special cases as described in the following
sections.

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Reusing Functional Modules by Using Function Templates

You can save a functional module to a function template by right-clicking the node and executing
the command Save as Function Template from the contextual menu.
To instantiate a functional module from a function template, right-click a node in the Functional
tree, and execute the command Add Function From Template from the contextual menu.
For further information, refer to the Managing Function Templates chapter (see page 920).

Reusing Functional Modules by Using the Import/Export Commands

When you use the Project → Export command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) and the Project → Import command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert,
Menu Commands, Online Help) for reusing functional modules, note the following:

If... Then ...

If you export a complete controller device, and then Then the functional model is recreated.
import it in the same or in another project,
If you export and import the functional model only, Then the attached objects are not recreated.

Reusing Functional Modules by Using the Copy and Paste Functions

When you use the copy and paste functions for reusing functional modules, note the following:

If... Then ...

If you copy a complete controller device, and then Then the functional model is recreated.
paste it in the same or in another project,
If you copy and paste one or more functional modules Then the attached objects are not recreated.
only,

It is not possible to copy and paste attached objects in the Functional tree.

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Multi-Tabbed Catalog View

Overview
The multi-tabbed Hardware Catalog is a default component of the Logic Builder screen.
It contains the following tabs:
 Controller: Contains the Logic, HMI, and Motion controllers that can be inserted in your
EcoStruxure Machine Expert project.
 Devices & Modules: Contains the PLC Components, I/O Modules, and the Communication,
Motor Control, Safety, and Sensor devices that can be inserted in your EcoStruxure Machine
Expert project. It also allows you to insert devices by using a device template.
 HMI & iPC: Contains the HMI and iPC devices that can be inserted in your EcoStruxure Machine
Expert project.
 Diverse: Contains third-party devices that can be inserted in your EcoStruxure Machine Expert
project.
The content of the individual tabs depends on the project. If the controllers integrated in the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert project do not support, for example, CANopen, then CANopen
devices are not displayed in the catalogs.
You can extend this view by the tabs of the Software Catalog (Variables, Assets, Macros, ToolBox,
Libraries) via the menu View → Software Catalog.

The buttons Hardware Catalog and Software Catalog in the toolbar allow you to display
or hide the catalog views.
You can add the elements from the catalogs to the project by simple drag and drop as described
in the Adding Devices by Drag and Drop chapter (see page 66).

Searching Within Catalogs

Each tab of the catalog view contains a search box. The sublists of the tab are analyzed for the
string you enter in the search box. In open sublists, the identified entries are marked yellow. Any
other items of the list that do not correspond to the search string are hidden. The number of items
found in closed sublists is displayed in bold print in the title bar of each sublist.
By default, the search is executed on the names of the items in the lists. But EcoStruxure Machine
Expert also supports the tagging mechanism. It allows you to assign search strings of your choice
to any item included in the Catalog view.

Favorites List
Each tab of the catalog view contains a Favorites list. To provide quick access, you can add
frequently used elements to this Favorites list by drag and drop.

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Adding Devices From Device Templates in the Devices & Modules Tab
The Devices & Modules tab contains the option Device Template at the bottom. Activate this option
to display the available templates of field devices in the lists of the Devices & Modules tab. Add
them to the Devices tree as described in the Adding Devices from Template chapter
(see page 908).

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Customizing the User Interface

Overview
The look of the user interface, in terms of arrangement and configuration of the particular
components, depends on the following:
 Default pre-settings for menus, keyboard functions, and toolbars. You can overwrite the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert default settings via the Customize dialog box (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help) (by default available in the Tools menu). The
present settings are saved on the local system. A reset function is available for restoring the
default values at any time.
 Properties of an editor as defined in the respective Tools → Options dialog box
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). You can also overwrite
these settings. The present configuration is saved on the local system.
 The way you arrange views or editor windows within the project. The present positions are
saved with the project (see below).
 The selected perspective. By default, the Logic Configuration perspective is selected. For
further information, refer to the Perspectives paragraph in this chapter (see page 53).

Arranging Menu Bars and Toolbars

The menu bar is positioned at the top of the user interface, between the window title bar and view
windows. You can position a toolbar within the same area as the menu bar (fix) or as an
independent window anywhere on the screen.
In view windows, such as the Devices tree, a special toolbar is available. It provides elements for
sorting, viewing, and searching within the window. You cannot configure this toolbar.

Arranging Windows and Views

Closing a view or editor window: Click the cross button in the upper right corner.
Opening a closed view: By default, you can reopen the views of default components via the View
menu. To open an editor window, execute the command Project → Edit object or double-click the
respective entry in the Devices tree, Applications tree, or in the Tools tree.
Resizing a view or window within the frame window: Move the separator lines between neighboring
views. You can resize independent view windows on the desktop by moving the window borders.
Moving a view to another position on your desk top or within the frame window: Click the title bar
or, in the case of tabbed views alternatively the tab of the view, keep the mouse-button pressed,
and move the view to the desired place. Arrow symbols indicate possible target positions. Keep
the mouse-button pressed and choose the desired position by moving the cursor on the respective
arrow symbol. The target position is indicated by a blue-shadowed area.

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Arrow symbols indicating new position

Arrow symbol Description

View is placed above.

View is placed below.

View is placed to the right.

View is placed to the left.

View is placed here: the view currently placed at this position and the new
one are arranged as icons.

Example of navigation by the arrow symbols

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When you release the mouse-button, the view is placed at the new position.
Views with an Auto Hide button can be placed as independent windows (floating) anywhere on the
screen by moving them and not dragging them on one of the arrow symbols. In this case, the view
looses the Auto Hide button. As an alternative, execute the commands Dock and Float from the
Window menu.
Hiding views: You can hide views with Auto Hide buttons at the border of the EcoStruxure Machine
Expert window. Click the Auto Hide down button in the upper right corner of the view. The view will
be displayed as a tab at the nearest border of the frame window. The content of the view is only
visible as long as the cursor is moved on this tab. The tab displays the icon and the name of the
view. This state of the view is indicated by the docking button changed to Auto Hide.
Unhiding views: To unhide a view, click the Auto Hide button.
An alternative way of hiding and unhiding a view is provided by the Auto Hide command that is by
default available in the Window menu.
It is not possible to reposition the information and status bar on the lower border of the user
interface (see page 35).

Perspectives
A perspective is used to save the layout of EcoStruxure Machine Expert views. It stores whether
the Messages and Watch views are open and at which position the view windows are located
(docked or independent windows).
By default, EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides 4 perspectives for the following use cases in the
Window → Switch Perspective menu or in the perspective table in the toolbar.

Perspective name Use case Navigators (on the left Catalog views (on the Views at the bottom of
side) right side) the screen
Device For adding /  Devices tree Hardware catalog Messages (in Auto
Configuration configuring devices.  Applications tree  Controller Hide mode)
 Tools tree  Devices & Modules
 HMI & iPC
 Diverse

Logic Configuration For adding / creating  Devices tree Software catalog Messages (in Auto
logic.  Applications tree  Variables Hide mode)
 Tools tree  Assets
 Macros
 ToolBox
 Libraries

CODESYS Classic Standard CoDeSys  Devices Hardware catalog Messages (in Auto
views.  POUs  Controller Hide mode)
 Devices & Modules
 HMI & iPC
 Diverse

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Perspective name Use case Navigators (on the left Catalog views (on the Views at the bottom of
side) right side) the screen
Online For online mode.  Devices tree Hardware catalog  Messages (in Auto
 Applications tree  Controller Hide mode)
 Tools tree  Devices & Modules  Watch 1
 HMI & iPC
 Diverse

The Online perspective is automatically selected when the application is switched to online mode.
Creating your own perspective:
In addition to these default perspectives, you can create your own view layout and save it in
different perspectives according to your individual requirements.
To create your own perspective, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Resize, open, or close views according to your individual requirements.
2 Execute the command Save Perspective from the Window menu to save your modifications to
a new perspective.
3 In the Save Perspective dialog box, enter a name for your perspective.
Result: The present view layout is saved. The new perspective is available in the Window →
Switch Perspective menu and in the perspective table in the toolbar.

Resetting a perspective to its initial state:

To reset a modified perspective to its initial state, execute the command Reset current Perspective
from the Window menu.
Importing / exporting perspectives:
To be able to exchange perspectives between different EcoStruxure Machine Expert installations
or between different users, the Tools → Options → Perspectives dialog box (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help) allows you to export perspectives to an XML file
and to import already available perspective XML files.

Zoom

Each editor window provides a zoom function. Click the zoom button in the lower right corner
of the window to open a list. It allows you to choose one of the zoom levels 25, 50, 100, 150, 200,
and 400 percent or to enter a zoom factor of your choice. A printout always refers to the 100% view.
Customization of the user interface is possible in offline and in online mode.

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User Interface in Online Mode

Overview
As soon as you log in with the project, the objects which have already been opened in offline mode,
are automatically viewed in online mode. The perspective is automatically switched to the Online
perspective (see page 53) which means that the Watch view opens by default.
To open an object in online mode which is not already open, double-click the node in the
Applications tree or execute the Project → Edit Object command. The object will be opened in
online mode.
If there are several instances of the selected object (such as function blocks) contained in the
project, a dialog box named Select Online State <object name> will display. It allows you to choose
whether an instance or the base implementation of the object should be viewed and whether the
object should be displayed in online or offline mode.
Select Online State dialog box

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EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder User Interface

The Device/Application field contains the device and application to which the respective object is
associated.
To open the online view of the object, activate the option Online mode and click OK. To see the
offline view, activate the option Offline mode.
If the object is a function block, the Function block instance field contains a list of the instances
currently used in the application.
In this case, the options available are:
 Either select one of the instances and activate Online or Offline mode.
 Or select the option Implementation which - independently of the selected instance - will open
the base implementation view of the function block. The Implementation option has no affect for
non-instantiated objects.
For more information on the online views of the particular editors, refer to the respective editor
descriptions.
The status bar (see page 35) provides information on the current status of the application.

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Menus and Commands

Overview
The following figure shows the default menu bar:

Some commands are not visible in the default view. To add a command to a menu, insert it in a
menu of your choice by using the Tools → Customize dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine
Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Specific commands, for a particular editor for example, are usually available in a corresponding
menu. These commands are only visible when the editor is open. For example: when you edit an
object in the SFC editor, the SFC menu is added to the menu bar.
To reorganize the menu structures, use the Tools → Customize dialog box.
For a description of the menus and commands, refer to the separate EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Menu Commands Online Help (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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Basic Concepts
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Chapter 3
Basic Concepts

Basic Concepts

Introduction and Basic Concepts

Overview
EcoStruxure Machine Expert is a device-independent controller programming system.
Conforming to the IEC 61131-3 standard, it supports all standard programming languages.

Object Orientation
The object-oriented approach is not only reflected by the availability of appropriate programming
elements and features, but also in the structure and version handling of EcoStruxure Machine
Expert and in the project organization. Multi-device usage of a EcoStruxure Machine Expert project
is possible based on jointly used, instantiated programming units.

Version Handling
A parallel installation of several versions of EcoStruxure Machine Expert components and working
with the desired combination of versions is possible. This also pertains the device-specific use of
different compiler versions. Individual functions can be added without having to update the whole
version.
For further information, refer to the Compatibility and Migration User Guide.

Project Organization
Project organization is also determined in an object oriented fashion. A EcoStruxure Machine
Expert project contains a controller program composed of various programming objects and it
contains definitions of the resources which are needed to run instances of the program
(application) on defined target systems (devices, controllers).
So there are two main types of objects in a project:

Object Type Description

Programming objects (POUs) These are programs, functions, function blocks, methods, interfaces,
(see page 171) actions, data type, definitions, and so on.
Resource objects (Devices tree) Device objects are only managed in the Devices tree. When you
insert objects in the Devices tree, consider the recommendations
described in the Adding Elements to the Navigators section
(see page 44).

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Basic Concepts

Code Generation
Code generation by integrated compilers and the subsequent use of the resulting machine code
provides for short execution times.

Data Transfer to the Controller Device

The data transfer between EcoStruxure Machine Expert and the device is conducted via a gateway
(component) to a runtime system. After downloading the application to the controller it can be
monitored and controlled in EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

Supported Programming Languages

The programming languages mentioned in the IEC standard IEC 61131 are supported via specially
adapted editors:
 FBD/LD/IL editor (see page 293) for function block diagram (FBD), ladder logic diagram (LD),
and instruction list (IL)
 SFC editor (see page 371) for sequential function chart
 ST editor (see page 401) for structured text

Additionally, EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides an editor for programming in CFC that is not
part of the IEC standard:
 CFC editor (see page 351) for continuous function chart

CFC is an extension to the standard IEC programming languages.

A CFC - page-oriented editor is also provided. It allows you to arrange the CFC elements on
individual pages.

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Configuration
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Part II
Configuration

Configuration

What Is in This Part?

This part contains the following chapters:
Chapter Chapter Name Page
4 Installing Devices 63
5 Managing Devices 65
6 Common Device Editor Dialogs 101

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Configuration

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Installing Devices
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Chapter 4
Installing Devices

Installing Devices

Integration of Sercos Devices from Third-Party Vendors

Introduction
Via the Device Repository dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help), you can integrate Sercos devices with generic I/O profiles in your programming system.
To install this Sercos device, you need the SDDML (Sercos Device Description Markup Language)
file (device description file for Sercos devices) provided by the vendor of the device. The
SDDML file is a device description file for Sercos devices.
There are two types of Sercos devices with generic I/O profiles available:
 Block I/O devices
A block I/O device is a pre-assembled block that consists of a bus interface and an I/O module.
 Modular I/O devices
Modular I/O devices are I/O modules which can be connected to a bus interface.

Integrating In EcoStruxure Machine Expert

Proceed as follows to integrate Sercos devices from third-party vendors in your programming
system:

Step Action
1 Select Tools → Device Repository... from the menu bar.
Result: The Device Repository dialog box opens.
2 Click the Install... button in the Device Repository dialog box.
Result: The Install Device Description dialog box opens.
3 Select the file type SERCOS III I/O device descriptions (*.xml) and browse your file system for
the SDDML file to open.
4 Select the SDDML file and click Open.
Result: The SDDML file is converted and imported into a compatible file format for EcoStruxure
Machine Expert.

NOTE: If the selected SDDML file is not compatible or if the Sercos device of the third-party vendor
is not using a compatible FSP (Function Specific Profile) type, then a corresponding diagnostic
message is indicated in the Messages view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help).

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Installing Devices

Verifying the Integration

To verify whether a Sercos device with generic I/O profile has been integrated in your programming
system, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select Tools → Device Repository... from the menu bar.
Result: The Device Repository dialog box opens.
2 In the tree structure Installed device descriptions, expand the node Fieldbusses → Sercos.
3 Expand the subnode Slave to verify whether the Sercos bus interfaces that you integrated are
available in the list.
4 Expand the subnode Module to verify whether the Sercos I/O modules that you integrated are
available in the list.

For further information, refer to the description of the Device Repository dialog box
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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Managing Devices
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Chapter 5
Managing Devices

Managing Devices

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following sections:
Section Topic Page
5.1 Adding Devices by Drag and Drop 66
5.2 Adding Devices by Contextual Menu or Plus Button 69
5.3 Updating Devices 78
5.4 Converting Devices 79
5.5 Converting Projects 81

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Managing Devices

Section 5.1
Adding Devices by Drag and Drop

Adding Devices by Drag and Drop

Adding Devices by Drag and Drop

Overview
EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides a multi-tabbed catalog view on the right-hand side of the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert Logic Builder.
Two different types of catalog views are available:
 The Hardware Catalog
 The Software Catalog

To add a device to the Devices tree, select the respective entry in the Hardware Catalog, drag it to
the Devices tree, and drop it at a suitable node. It is added automatically to your project.

Adding Controllers by Drag and Drop

To add a controller to your project, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1
Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.
2 Select the tab Controller in the Hardware Catalog.
Result: The controllers suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are displayed in
the Hardware Catalog.
3 Select a controller entry in the Controller tab, drag it to the Devices tree and drop it at a suitable
node. You can drop a controller at any empty space inside the Devices tree.
Result: The controller is added to the Devices tree as a new node with different subnodes
depending on the controller type.

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Adding Expansion Devices by Drag and Drop

To add an expansion device to a controller, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1
Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.
2 Select the tab Devices & Modules in the Hardware Catalog.
Result: The expansion devices suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are
displayed in the Hardware Catalog.
3 Select your expansion device, drag it to the Devices tree and drop it at a suitable subnode of a
controller.
NOTE: Suitable subnodes are expanded and highlighted by EcoStruxure Machine Expert.
Result: The expansion device is added to the Devices tree below the subnode of the controller.
4 If the expansion device requires a communication manager, this node is added automatically to
the Devices tree.
If several communication managers are available for your expansion device, a dialog box is
displayed allowing you to select the suitable communication manager.

Adding Devices and Modules by Drag and Drop

To add a field device to a controller, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1
Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.
2 Select the tab Devices & Modules in the Hardware Catalog.
Result: The field devices suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are displayed in
the Hardware Catalog.
3 Select a field device entry in the Devices & Modules catalog view, drag it to the Devices tree,
and drop it at a suitable subnode of a controller.
NOTE: Suitable subnodes are expanded and highlighted by EcoStruxure Machine Expert.
Result: The field device is added to the Devices tree below the subnode of the controller.
4 If the field device requires a communication manager, this node is added automatically to the
Devices tree.
If several communication managers are available for your field device, a dialog box is displayed
allowing you to select the suitable communication manager.

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Adding Devices from Device Template by Drag and Drop

To add a device from a device template, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1
Open the Hardware Catalog by clicking the Hardware Catalog button in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.
2 Select the tab Devices & Modules in the Hardware Catalog.
3 Select the option Device Template at the bottom of the Devices & Modules tab.
Result: The device templates suitable for your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project are
displayed in the Devices & Modules tab.
4 Add them to the Devices tree as described in the Adding Devices from Template chapter
(see page 908).

Adding Devices from Function Template by Drag and Drop

To add a device from a function template, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1
Open the software catalog by clicking the Software Catalog button in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert Logic Builder toolbar if it is not already opened.
2 Select the tab Macro in the Software Catalog.
Result: The function templates available in EcoStruxure Machine Expert are displayed in the
Software Catalog.
3 Select a function template entry in the Macro view, drag it to the Devices tree, and drop it at a
suitable subnode of a controller.
NOTE: Suitable subnodes are expanded and highlighted by EcoStruxure Machine Expert.
Result: The device based on the function template is added to the Devices tree.

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 Managing Devices

Section 5.2
Adding Devices by Contextual Menu or Plus Button

Adding Devices by Contextual Menu or Plus Button

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Adding a Controller 70
Adding Expansion Devices 71
Adding Communication Managers 72
Adding Devices to a Communication Manager 74
Adding Devices from Template 77

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Managing Devices

Adding a Controller

Introduction
As an alternative to dragging and dropping devices on the Devices tree, click the green plus button
that is displayed at the suitable node in the Tree. Alternatively, you can right-click a node of the
Tree to add a suitable device using the contextual menu. The Add Device dialog box opens that
allows you to determine whether the device will be appended, inserted, or plugged to the selected
node (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
When you add a controller to your project, several nodes are automatically added to the Devices
tree. These subnodes are controller-specific, depending on the functions the controller provides.
The following paragraph describes the general procedure of adding a controller. For details on a
specific controller, refer to the programming manual for your particular controller.

Adding a Controller
To add a device to your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select a project node, right-click the project node and execute the Add Device... command from the
contextual menu.
Result: The Add Device dialog box opens.
2 In the Add Device dialog box, select Schneider Electric from the list box Vendor.
3 Choose the controller you want to insert into the project.
4 Rename your device by typing a name in the text box Name.
NOTE: Choose a name that complies to the IEC standard. Do not use special characters, leading
digits, or spaces within the name. The name must not exceed a length of 32 characters. If you do
not rename the device, a name is given by default.
Naming the device meaningfully may ease the organization of your project.
5 Click the Add Device button.
Result: The selected controller is added to the project and appears as a new node in the Devices
tree. The Add Device dialog box remains open. You can do the following:
 You can add another controller by going back to step 3
 You can click the Close button to close the Add Device dialog box

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Adding Expansion Devices

Available Expansion Devices

For a list of expansion devices available for the different controllers, refer to the Supported Devices
chapter of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Introduction document.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Only use software approved by Schneider Electric for use with this equipment.
 Update your application program every time you change the physical hardware configuration.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

Adding Expansion Devices

To add expansion devices to your device, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select a controller node and click the green plus button of the node or right-click the controller node and
execute the Add Device... command from the contextual menu.
Result: The Add Device dialog box opens.
2 In the Add Device dialog box, select Schneider Electric from the Vendor list.
3 Choose the expansion device you want to add to your controller from the Device list below.
4 Rename your expansion device by typing a name in the text box Name.
NOTE: The name must not contain any space character. If you do not rename the expansion device, a
name is given by default.
Naming the expansion device meaningfully may ease the organization of your project.
5 Click the Add Device button.
Result: The selected expansion device is added to the project and is displayed in the Devices Tree as a
new subnode of your controller.
The Add Device dialog box remains open. You can do the following:
 You can add another expansion device by going back to step 3 of this description
 You can click the Close button

NOTE: When you add a TWDNOI10M3 object (AS-Interface Master Module), the corresponding
Virtual AS interface bus fieldbus manager will automatically be inserted.

Expansion Device Configuration

For more information about configuration, refer to the Programming Guide of your expansion
device.

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Adding Communication Managers

Overview
Communication managers are mandatory to activate and configure any hardware bus interface,
for example CANopen or serial line.
Two types of communication managers exist:
 Fieldbus managers which allow to configure fieldbus devices (for example CANopen slaves or
Modbus slaves)
 General communication managers

Communication managers available in EcoStruxure Machine Expert are listed below:

Name Interface type Description

ASCII Manager Serial line Used to transmit and/or receive data with a simple device.
Machine Expert-Network  Serial line For exchanging data with HMIs.
Manager (max. 1)
 Ethernet
(max. 3)
Modbus IOScanner Serial line Modbus RTU or ASCII protocol manager used to define
implicit exchanges (I/O scanning) with Modbus slave
devices.
Modbus Manager Serial line Used for Modbus RTU or ASCII protocol in master or slave
mode.
CANopen Performance CAN CANopen manager for performance controllers (M241,
M251, M258, and LMC058).
CANopen_Manager CAN CANopen manager for PacDrive controllers.
CANmotion CAN CANmotion manager for Modicon LMC058 Motion
Controller CAN1 port only.
J1939_Manager CAN For adding J1939 slaves (Electronic Control Units (ECU))
on M241 / M251 controllers.
Modbus TCP Slave Device Ethernet Modbus TCP manager for controllers with Ethernet port.
EthernetIP Ethernet EtherNet/IP manager for controllers with Ethernet port
(M251, M258, and LMC058).
Industrial Ethernet Network Ethernet For configuring EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP scanner
services on M241 / M251 controllers with Ethernet port.

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Adding the Communication Manager

Communication managers are automatically added with the respective device.
To add a communication manager separately, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 In the Devices Tree, select the bus interface (Serial Line, CANopen bus / CANbus, Ethernet)
and click the green plus button of the node or right-click the bus interface node and execute the
Add Device... command from the contextual menu.
Result: The Add Device dialog box opens.
2 In the Add Device dialog box, select Schneider Electric from the list Vendor.
Note: You can filter the devices by brand by clicking the list Vendor.
3 Select the Communication manager from the list.
4 Rename your device by typing a name in the Name box.
Note: Do not use spaces within the name. If you do not rename the device, a name is given by
default.
Naming the device meaningfully may ease the organization of your project.
5 Click the Add Device button.
6 Click the Close button to close the Add Device dialog box.
7 Configure the Communication manager.

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Adding Devices to a Communication Manager

Overview
You can add field devices to the communication manager by selecting the field device manager
node (for example, CANopen or Modbus manager) in the Devices Tree and clicking the green plus
sign. Alternatively, you can right-click the field device manager node in the Devices Tree and
execute the Add Device command.
As a prerequisite, the device must be available in the Device Repository dialog box
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

Adding Devices

Step Action
1 Select the field device manager node (CANopen or Modbus manager) in the Devices Tree and
click the green plus sign, or right-click the field device manager node and execute the Add
Device... command from the contextual menu.
Result: The Add Device dialog box opens.
2 In the Add Device dialog box, select Schneider Electric from the list box Vendor.
Note: You can filter the devices by brand by clicking the list box Vendor.
3 Select the device of your choice from the list below.
4 Rename your device by typing a name in the Name textbox.
NOTE: Do not use spaces within the name. Do not use an underscore character (_) at the end
of the name.
If you do not rename the device, a name is given by default.
Naming the device meaningfully may ease the organization of your project.
5 Click the Add Device button.
Result: The field device is added to the field device manager.
NOTE: The Add Device dialog box remains open.
You can do the following:
 You can add another device by going back to step 2.
 You can click the Close button.

Access to Diagnostic Information

To get diagnostic information of devices on CANopen, use the CAA_CiA405.library.

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Access to Configuration Diagnostic (for Advanced Users)

You can use the options Abort if error and Jump to line if error in the Service Data Object tab of
the CANopen configurator to manage potential configuration inconsistencies.
To optimize the CAN master performance, CAN diagnostics are external from the CAN master in
the controller. The CAN diagnostic structure is defined in the CanConfig Extern library available in
the Library Manager.
The structure g_aNetDiagnosis contains the most recent diagnostic information from the
slaves. The structure is updated every time a slave is configured, for whatever reason.
This structure can be used within the program to do the following:
 Monitoring the response of the slaves configured via SDO messages.
 Monitoring the master for any abort messages from the slaves before allowing a machine /
application start-up.
This structure must be in place and active within the user application during testing, debugging and
commissioning of the application. When the machine and its controlling application have been
commissioned and validated, then it would be possible to disable this code from execution to
reduce traffic on the CANopen network.
However, if during the lifecycle of an application and the machine or process that it controls, slaves
are added or replaced in the operational system, then the diagnostic structure should continue to
remain active in the application.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Use the g_aNetDiagnosis data structure within the application to monitor CAN slave
responses to configuration commands.
 Verify that the application does not start up or put the machine or process in an operational
state in the event of receiving SDO abort messages from any of the CAN slaves.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

After adding the CanConfig Extern library to your application, use the Net Diagnostic definition
within your application to test for SDO abort messages from the CAN slaves.

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The following code example illustrates the use of the CAN diagnostic data structure:
IF g_aNetDiagnosis[CAN_Net_Number].ctSDOErrorCounter = 0 THEN
(* No error is detected in the configuration*)
ELSE
(* An error has been detected during configuration. Get the latest
error information.*)
// node ID of the slave which sent the abort code
ReadLastErrorNodeID := g_aNetDiagnosis[CAN_Net_Number].usiNodeID;
// index used in the aborted SDO
ReadLastErrorIndex := g_aNetDiagnosis[CAN_Net_Number].wIndex;
// subIndex used in the aborted SDO
ReadLastErrorSubIndex := g_aNetDiagnosis[CAN_Net_Number].bySubIndex
;
//SDO abort code
ReadLastErrorSdoAbortCode := g_aNetDiagnosis [CAN_Net_Number].udiAb
ortCode;
(* Do not allow the start-
up or other operation of the machine or process *)
END_IF
NOTE: In this example, the CAN_Net_Number would be 0 for the CAN0 port and, if the controller
is so equipped, 1 for the CAN1port.

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Adding Devices from Template

Overview
It is also possible to add a new device using a device template. For a description of this procedure,
refer to the Managing Device Templates section (see page 908).

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Managing Devices

Section 5.3
Updating Devices

Updating Devices

Updating Devices

Introduction
The update device function allows you to replace a device selected in the Devices tree
 By another version of the same device or
 By a different type of device.

Updating Devices
To replace a device of your EcoStruxure Machine Expert project by another version or by a
different device, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select the device you want to replace in the Devices tree and execute the command Update Device... from
the Project menu.
OR
Right-click the device you want to replace in the Devices tree and execute the command Update Device... from
the contextual menu.
Result: The Update Device dialog box opens.
OR
Right-click the device you want to replace in the Devices tree and execute the command Add Device... from
the contextual menu. In the Add Device dialog box select the Action: Update device.
Result: The Add Device dialog box is converted into the Update Device dialog box.
2 From the Device: list, choose the device that should replace the present device.
To select a specific version of the device, select the options Display all versions (for experts only) and/or
Display outdated versions.
3 Click the Update Device button.
Result: The device that had been selected in the Devices tree is replaced by the new device type or the new
version. The new device type or the new version is now displayed at the selected node in the Devices tree.

Effects after Updating a Device

The subdevices that are located in the Devices tree below the device you updated are
automatically updated as well.
The device configuration settings are not modified if the device type has not been changed.
If the update procedure causes any mismatch in the existing configuration, this is detected at the
next Build run of the application. Detected mismatches are indicated by appropriate messages.
This also concerns implicitly added libraries which will not be removed automatically and
appropriately at a device update.

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Section 5.4
Converting Devices

Converting Devices

Converting Devices

Introduction
EcoStruxure Machine Expert 4.0 and later versions allow you to convert a device that is configured
in your project to a different, but compatible device. EcoStruxure Machine Expert automatically
converts the currently configured device into the selected device and displays the changes that are
made in the Messages view.
The Convert Device command may automatically add or remove modules. These hardware
changes also have influences on the addressing and the libraries.
To help to avoid unintended behavior after a device was converted:
 Verify that the new device supports all functions and communication ports that are required in
your project
 Avoid using direct addresses in your application
 Perform a backup of the project to the PC before converting a device

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Verify that any direct addresses used in your application (for example, %IB5) have been
converted correctly after device conversion.
 Verify that the modified project contains the intended configurations and provides the intended
functionality after you have converted the device.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

NOTICE
LOSS OF DATA
Perform a backup of the project to the PC before converting a device.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in equipment damage.

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Converting a Device
To convert a device to a compatible device, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Perform a backup of the project to the PC by executing the File → Save Project As... command before
converting a device.
2 Right-click the device you want to convert in the Devices Tree.
3 Execute the Convert Device command from the contextual menu.
Result: The Convert Device dialog box is displayed. It lists those devices that are compatible to the device
you selected and provides further information on the selected device.
4 Select the device from the list in which you want to convert your currently configured device.
To display the available versions of a device, select the option Display all versions (for experts only).
5 If you have not yet performed a backup of your project, click Cancel to stop without changes and perform
a backup before you start the procedure once again.
To start the conversion, click OK.
Result: The currently configured device is converted into the device you selected from the list. The
information you entered is conserved if the related modules are still available. Any modifications or
configurations that could not be converted are listed in the Messages view.
6 Check whether the converted project still contains the intended configurations and provides the intended
functions. If not, adapt the configuration or restore the backup of the unchanged project file.

Conversion Information in the Messages View

The following information is displayed in the Messages view for the conversion process:
 The source devices and the target devices they have been converted to.
 The parameters that have not been transferred to the target.
 The devices that have not been converted.

To save the information displayed in the Messages view, you can copy it to the Clipboard (press
CTRL + C) and paste it to a data file (press CTRL + V).

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 Managing Devices

Section 5.5
Converting Projects

Converting Projects

Converting SoMachine Basic and Twido Projects

Introduction
With EcoStruxure Machine Expert, you can convert a SoMachine Basic or TwidoSoft/TwidoSuite
project and the configured controller to a selectable EcoStruxure Machine Expert logic controller
(see page 1085). The controller and the corresponding logic are converted and integrated in the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert project.
For the conversion process, execute the File → Convert SoMachine Basic Project or the File →
Convert Twido Project command. The Convert SoMachine Basic Project dialog box or Convert
Twido Project dialog box opens. If the commands are not available, you can insert them in a menu
of your choice by using the Tools → Customize dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert,
Menu Commands, Online Help).
The SoMachine Basic versions supported by this conversion mechanism are listed in the release
notes of EcoStruxure Machine Expert. If you convert a SoMachine Basic project that was created
with a SoMachine Basic version that is newer than the latest supported version, this is indicated
by a message in the Messages view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help). You can then continue or cancel the conversion. If you continue, the application will be
converted, but it may not be possible to do so without encountering errors that will need to be
rectified. In this case, review and verify both the message view and your application before
attempting to put it into service.
NOTE: Verify that the SoMachine Basic or Twido project is valid before you convert it into
EcoStruxure Machine Expert.
NOTE: It is not possible to convert password-protected projects.
To help to avoid unintended behavior after a project was converted, verify that the target controller
supports the functions and communication ports that are required in your project.

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WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Verify that the program for the target controller contains the intended configurations and
provides the intended functions after you have converted the project.
 Fully debug, verify, and validate the functionality of the converted program before putting it into
service.
 Before converting a program, verify that the source program is valid, i.e., is downloadable to
the source controller.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

NOTE: For more information, advice and important safety information concerning importing
projects into EcoStruxure Machine Expert, see the Compatibility and Migration User Guide
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert Compatibility and Migration, User Guide).

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Converting a SoMachine Basic or a Twido Project

To convert a SoMachine Basic or a Twido project, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 To start the conversion process, perform one of the three actions in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Logic Builder (as listed in the Introduction block of this chapter (see page 81)).
Result: The Convert SoMachine Basic Project dialog box or Convert Twido Project dialog box opens:

2 Enter a name for the controller in the Device Name field.

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Step Action
3 Enter the path to the SoMachine Basic or Twido project file in the Project File box, or click the ... button
to browse for the file.
NOTE: If you already browsed for your SoMachine Basic or Twido project in the Open project dialog box,
the path has been entered automatically in the Project File field and cannot be edited.
4 Select the programming language in which the logic will be converted from the Implementation Language
list.
The following programming languages are supported:
 Ladder diagram (LD)
 Function block diagram (FBD)
 Instruction list (IL)
 Continuous function chart (CFC)

5 Select the target controller from the Devices list in which you want to convert your SoMachine Basic or
Twido controller. Further information on the selected device is displayed in the Information area of the
dialog box.
6 Click Convert to start the conversion.
Result: The SoMachine Basic or Twido project is converted and integrated in the open EcoStruxure
Machine Expert project. Modifications or configurations that could not be converted are listed in the
Messages view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
7 Consult the category Project Conversion of the Messages view and verify the errors and alerts detected
and listed.
8 Verify whether the converted project contains the intended configurations and provides the intended
functions. If not, adapt the configuration.

IEC Compatibility of Object and Variable Names

Object names and variable names in EcoStruxure Machine Expert projects have to comply with
the naming conventions defined in the IEC standard. Any names in your SoMachine Basic or
Twido project that do not comply with the standard are automatically adapted to IEC conventions
by the converter.
If you want to preserve names that are not IEC-compatible in the converted EcoStruxure Machine
Expert project, activate the option Allow unicode characters for identifiers in the Project Settings
→ Compile options dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

TwidoEmulationSupport Library
The TwidoEmulationSupport library (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Twido Emulation Support
Library, Library Guide) contains functions and function blocks that provide SoMachine Basic and
TwidoSoft/TwidoSuite functionality in a EcoStruxure Machine Expert application. The TwidoEmu-
lationSupport library is automatically integrated in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert project with the
converted controller.

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Conversion of the Application Program

In the target EcoStruxure Machine Expert project, separate programs are created for each
SoMachine Basic POU and free POU and for each Twido subroutine and program section. The
programming language that is used for these programs is determined by the Implementation
Language selected in the Convert SoMachine Basic Project / Convert Twido Project dialog box.
An exception is made for POUs that were programmed in graphical Grafcet. They are converted
to an SFC program. For detailed information, refer to the Grafcet section in this chapter
(see page 93).
For each language object (such as memory objects or function blocks) being used by the
application program, one global variable is created. Separate global variable lists (see page 218)
for the different object categories (one for memory bits, one for memory words and so forth) are
created.
The following restrictions apply for the conversion of the application program concerning the
program structure:
 In EcoStruxure Machine Expert, it is not possible to jump to a label (see page 334) in another
program.
 It is not possible to define Grafcet steps in a subprogram.
 It is not possible to activate or deactivate Grafcet steps (per # and D# instruction) in a
subprogram.

Conversion of Memory Objects

The areas provided for memory objects in SoMachine Basic and Twido differ from EcoStruxure
Machine Expert.
In SoMachine Basic and Twido, there are three distinct areas for memory objects:

Area Memory objects included

memory bit area memory bits (%M)
memory word area  memory words (%MW)
 double words (%MD)
 floating point values (%MF)

constant area  constant words (%KW)

 double words (%KD)
 floating point values (%KF)

In EcoStruxure Machine Expert, there is only the memory word area for memory objects:

Area Memory objects included

memory word area  memory words (%MW)
 double words (%MD)
 floating point values
There is no specific addressing format for floating point values.
Floating point variables can be mapped on a %MD address.

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The graphic provides an overview of the different layouts of %MD and %MF addresses in SoMachine
Basic / Twido and EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

1 Memory addresses in SoMachine Basic / Twido

2 Memory addresses in EcoStruxure Machine Expert

Memory objects are converted as follows:

Source memory objects Target memory object Further information

%MW Mapped to the same %MW address For each %MW object, a global
Example variable of type INT is created.
%MW2 is mapped on %MW2.
%MD and %MF with even Mapped such that they are located For each %MD object, a global
addresses on the same %MW address as before. variable of type DINT is created.
Example For each used %MF object, a global
%MD4 / %MF4 are mapped on %MD2. variable of type REAL is created.
%MD and %MF with uneven Cannot be mapped because a DINT A variable is created to help ensure
addresses variable cannot be located on an that the converted application can
odd word address. be built. However, you need to
examine the effect that such
variable creation has on the overall
functionality of your program.
%M Mapped as a packed bit field to a fix For each %M object, a global
location in the %MW area. variable of type BOOL is created.
%KW Mapped to consecutive addresses For each used %KW object, a global
of the %MW area. variable of type INT is created.

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The relationship between %KW, %KD, and %KF objects is the same as for %MW, %MD, and %MF objects.
For example, %KD4 / %KF4 are mapped on the same location as %KW4. Uneven %KD / %KF
addresses cannot be mapped.
Remote Access
Memory objects (%MW, %MD, %MF, and %M) can be accessed by a remote device through Modbus
services:
 If a remote device accesses %MW, %MD or %MF objects in the source application, this access will
still be available in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert application.
 If a remote device accesses %M objects in the source application, this access will no longer be
available in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert application.
Handling Rising and Falling Edges
A rising/falling edge contact is converted as follows:
1. An additional global variable with the suffix _Rise/_Fall is created (for example, M1_Rise
for a rising edge contact for %M1).
2. This variable is set via an R_TRIG/F_TRIG instance in the SystemFunctions program.
Edge detection is performed at the beginning of the controller cycle.
A FALLING/RISING instruction is directly converted into an R_TRIG/F_TRIG instance.
Edge detection is performed at the same place of the execution sequence as in the original
application.

Conversion of Function Blocks

For the following function blocks in SoMachine Basic / Twido, the TwidoEmulationSupport library
provides function blocks with compatible functions:

SoMachine Basic / Twido function block TwidoEmulationSupport library function block

Timers %TM FB_Timer

Counters %C FB_Counter

Register %R FB_FiFo / FB_LiFo

Drum %DR FB_Drum

Shift bit register %SBR FB_ShiftBitRegister

Step counter %SC FB_StepCounter

Schedule %SCH FB_ScheduleBlock

PID FB_PID
Exchange / message %MSG FB_EXCH

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SoMachine Basic / Twido function block TwidoEmulationSupport library function block

High-speed counter %HSC / %VFC They are converted as described in the section
Conversion of Fast Counters, High-speed Counters
Fast counter %FC
(Twido: Very Fast Counters) and Pulse Generators
PLS pulse generator %PLS (see page 91) of this chapter.
PWM pulse generator %PWM
PTO function blocks %PTO, %MC_xxx_PTO
Frequency generator %FREQGEN
Communication function blocks FB_ReadVar, FB_WriteVar, FB_WriteReadVar,
READ_VAR, WRITE_VAR, WRITE_READ_VAR , and FB_SendRecvMsg
and SEND_RECV_MSG
SMS function block SEND_RECV_SMS They are not converted.
MC_MotionTask_PTO
Drive function blocks %MC_xxx_ATV
%DATALOG

For the conversion of function blocks, note the following:

 The TwidoEmulationSupport library does not provide any function blocks for hardware-related
functions, such as high-speed counters, fast counters, and the pulse generators. They must be
controlled through function blocks provided by the platform-specific HSC and PTO_PWM
libraries. These function blocks are not compatible with the source function blocks. In short, a
full conversion is not possible if the source program contains functions based on controller
hardware resources. For further information, refer to the description Conversion of Fast
Counters, High-speed Counters (Twido: Very Fast Counters) and Pulse Generators
(see page 91).
 In SoMachine Basic / Twido, the messaging function is provided by the EXCHx instruction and
the %MSGx function block. In the EcoStruxure Machine Expert application, this function is
performed by a single function block FB_EXCH.
 In SoMachine Basic / Twido, certain function blocks can be configured using special
configuration dialog boxes. This configuration data is provided to the function blocks of the
TwidoEmulationSupport library by dedicated parameters.
 If a rung contains multiple function blocks, the converter may split the rung into multiple logic
networks.

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Conversion of Network Objects

The table indicates the network object types that are supported by the conversion:

Network object Object function Supported

%QWE Input assembly (EtherNet/IP) Yes
%IWE Output assembly (EtherNet/IP) Yes
%QWM Input registers (Modbus TCP) Yes
%IWM Output registers (Modbus TCP) Yes
%IN Digital inputs (IO scanner) Only Serial IO scanner
%QN Digital outputs (IO scanner) Only Serial IO scanner
%IWN Input registers (IO scanner) Only Serial IO scanner
%QWN Output registers (IO scanner) Only Serial IO scanner
%IWNS (IO scanner Diagnostics) Only Serial IO scanner

Conversion of System Variables

The following system bits and words are converted:

System bit / word Further information

%S0 Is set to 1 in the first cycle after a cold start.
NOTE: It is not possible to trigger a cold start by writing to this system bit.
%S1 Is set to 1 in the first cycle after a warm start.
NOTE: It is not possible to trigger a warm start by writing to this system bit.
%S4 Pulse with the time base 10 ms.
%S5 Pulse with the time base 100 ms.
%S6 Pulse with the time base 1 s.
%S7 Pulse with the time base 1 min.
%S13 Is set to 1 in the first cycle after the controller was started.
%S18 Is set to 1 if an arithmetic overflow occurs.
NOTE: This flag is provided by the TwidoEmulationSupport library and is
only set by functions provided by this library.
%S21 , %S22 Are only written. Reading is not supported for these variables.
%S113 Stops the Modbus Serial IOScanner on serial line 1.
%S114 Stops the Modbus Serial IOScanner on serial line 2.
%SW63...65 Error code of the MSG blocks 1...3.
%SW114 Enable flags for the schedule blocks.

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Other system variables are not supported by the conversion. If an unsupported system variable is
used by the source application program, a message is generated in the category Project
Conversion of the Messages view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help).

Conversion of Retain Behavior

The variables and function blocks in SoMachine Basic / Twido are retain variables. This means,
they keep their values and states even after an unanticipated shutdown of the controller as well as
after a normal power cycle of the controller.
This retain behavior is not conserved during conversion. In EcoStruxure Machine Expert, the
converted variables and function blocks are regular, which means that they are initialized during
unanticipated shutdown and power cycle of the controller. If you need retain variables in your
EcoStruxure Machine Expert application, you have to declare this attribute keyword
(see page 641) manually.

Conversion of Animation Tables

Management of animation tables differs in the source and target applications:
 SoMachine Basic / Twido allow you to define multiple animation lists identified by name. Each
animation list can contain multiple entries for objects to be animated. For each variable, you can
select the option Trace.
 In EcoStruxure Machine Expert, there are 4 predefined watchlists (see page 480)
(Watch 1...Watch 4). Each watchlist can contain multiple variables to be animated.
One watchlist can contain variables from different controllers.
For those variables that have the option Trace selected in SoMachine Basic / Twido,
EcoStruxure Machine Expert creates a trace object. You can view these variables in the trace
editor (see page 517).
During the conversion process, the entries of the source animation tables are added at the end of
watchlist Watch 1.

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Conversion of Symbols
Symbols defined in a SoMachine Basic / Twido project are automatically transferred into the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert project.
The following restrictions apply to the naming of symbols:

If... Then ...

a symbol name does not comply with the naming the name of the symbol is modified.
rules of EcoStruxure Machine Expert,
a symbol name is equal to a keyword of EcoStruxure the name of the symbol is modified.
Machine Expert,
no variable is created for a language object, the name of the symbol is discarded.
a symbol is not used anywhere in the application the name of the symbol may be discarded.
program,

For the complete list of symbol modifications that were required, refer to the Messages view.

Conversion of Fast Counters, High-Speed Counters (Twido: Very Fast Counters) and Pulse Generators
The function blocks provided by EcoStruxure Machine Expert differ from the function blocks
provided by SoMachine Basic / Twido. Nevertheless, the configuration of fast counters, high-speed
counters, and pulse generators is converted as far as possible. The following sections provide an
overview of the restrictions that apply.
General Restrictions
The following general restrictions apply:

Restriction Solution
The inputs and outputs used by the converted high- Take this into account in the wiring of the converted
speed counters and pulse generators may differ from controller.
the used inputs and outputs of the source application. The reassignment of inputs and outputs is reported in
the Messages view (see EcoStruxure Machine
Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
The SoMachine Basic controller may support a You have to adapt your application manually.
different number of counters and pulse generators
than the selected target controller. The conversion
function only converts the counters and pulse
generators that are supported by the target controller.

Constraints Pertaining to the Conversion of %FC, %HSC / %VFC, %PLS, and %PWM
For each %FC, %HSC / %VFC, %PLS, and %PWM function block being used in the SoMachine Basic /
Twido application, a single program is created in EcoStruxure Machine Expert. You can improve
this basic implementation according to the needs of your application.

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The following restrictions apply:

Restriction Solution
The access to function block parameters is performed If the source application accesses parameters of the
differently in SoMachine Basic and EcoStruxure function block, you have to extend the converted
Machine Expert. application accordingly.
In SoMachine Basic, the parameters of a function
block can be accessed directly by the application
program, for example, %HSC.P = 100.
In EcoStruxure Machine Expert, a controller-specific
function block (for example, EXPERTSetParam) has
to be used to access a parameter.
The behavior of counters differs in EcoStruxure You have to adapt your application manually.
Machine Expert from SoMachine Basic / Twido when
the preset value is set.
In Twido:
 The down counter continues counting if zero is
reached.
 The up counter continues counting if the preset
value is reached.
In EcoStruxure Machine Expert:
 The down counter stops counting if zero is
reached.
 The up counter starts to count from the beginning
if the preset value is reached.
The following parameters of SoMachine Basic You have to adapt your application manually.
function blocks cannot be converted to EcoStruxure
Machine Expert:
Function block %PLS:
 Output parameter D [Done]
 Parameter R [Duty Cycle]

Function block %PWM:

 Parameter R [Duty Cycle]

Function block %HSC:

 Output parameter U [Counting Direction]

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Constraints Pertaining to the Conversion of PTO Function Blocks %PTO and %MC_xxxx
For M241:
The PTO function blocks provided by EcoStruxure Machine Expert for M241 controllers are
compatible with the PTO function blocks provided by SoMachine Basic. PTO function blocks are
converted without restrictions. The only exception is the MC_MotionTask_PTO function block.
The MC_MotionTask_PTO is not converted.
For HMISCU:
The PTO function blocks provided by EcoStruxure Machine Expert for HMISCU controllers are not
compatible with the PTO function blocks provided by SoMachine Basic. PTO function blocks are
not converted.
Constraints Pertaining to the Conversion of Frequency Generator Function Block %FREQGEN
The frequency generator function block %FREQGEN is converted without restrictions for both M241
and HMISCU controllers.

Conversion of Loop Elements (FOR / ENDFOR)

The destination languages for the conversion do not support loops. For that reason, a FOR loop is
broken up into a functionally equivalent sequence of logical networks using label and jump
elements.

Conversion of Conditional Elements (IF / ELSE / ENDIF)

The destination languages for the conversion do not support conditional statements (except EN /
ENO, which are already used for other purposes). For that reason, an IF structure is broken up into
a functionally equivalent sequence of logical networks using label and jump elements.

Conversion of a Grafcet Program

You can write a Grafcet program in a textual or in a graphical way.

Grafcet type Description Supported by

Textual Various IL and LD programming elements  TwidoSoft/TwidoSuite
are available for the definition, activation,  SoMachine Basic
and deactivation of Grafcet states.
Graphical Allows you to draw the layout of steps, Only SoMachine Basic V1.4 and later
transitions, and branches in a graphical versions.
manner.

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Conversion of Textual Grafcet

The programming languages of EcoStruxure Machine Expert do not support the programming with
Grafcet.
For that reason, a converted Grafcet application contains additional language elements that
implement the Grafcet management.

Additional element Description

folder Grafcet This folder contains the following language elements used for the
management of the Grafcet state machine.
data structure GRAFCET_STATES This data structure has one bit element for each allowed Grafcet
state.
If it is an initial state, the element is initialized to TRUE, otherwise
it is FALSE.
global variable list GrafcetVariables This global variable list contains the following variables:
 1 variable STATES that contains 1 bit for each Grafcet state.
Each bit represents the present value of the corresponding
Grafcet state (%Xi object).
 1 variable ACTIVATE_STATES that contains 1 bit for each
Grafcet state. If the bit is TRUE, the Grafcet state is activated in
the next cycle.
 1 variable DEACTIVATE_STATES that contains 1 bit for each
Grafcet state. If the bit is TRUE, the Grafcet state is deactivated
in the next cycle.
program Grafcet This program implements the Grafcet state machine. It contains the
logic for the activation and deactivation of Grafcet steps.
The program contains the following actions:
 Init initializes the Grafcet steps to their initial states. It is
executed when the system bit %S21 is set by the application
program.
 Reset resets the Grafcet steps to FALSE. It is executed when
the system bit %S22 is set by the application program.

The Grafcet instructions in the application program are converted as follows:

 The beginning of each Grafcet step is marked by a label with the name of the step.
The first statement within the Grafcet step checks if the step is active. If not, it jumps to the label
of the next Grafcet step.
 The access to the %Xi is converted to an access to the STATES.Xi variable.
 A Grafcet activation instruction #i is converted to setting the activation bit of state i and the
deactivation bit of the present state.
 A Grafcet deactivation instruction #Di is converted to setting the deactivation bit of state i and
the deactivation bit of the present state.
You can extend the converted Grafcet program if you consider the information given in this section.

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Conversion of graphical Grafcet

Graphical Grafcet is similar to the programming language SFC provided by EcoStruxure Machine
Expert. For this reason, a graphical Grafcet POU is converted to an SFC program, as far as
possible.
There are the following differences between graphical Grafcet and SFC:

Graphical Grafcet SFC Further information

Can have an arbitrary number of Must have exactly one initial step. If the graphical Grafcet POU has
initial steps. several initial steps, then the
converter creates several initial
steps in SFC. This has the effect,
that the converted application
cannot be built without errors being
detected.
Carefully adapt the converted
program.
Activation of multiple steps of an Only one step of an alternative Carefully verify that the converted
alternative branch is allowed. branch can be activated. program is working as expected.
The output transitions of a step are The transitions of the Carefully verify that the converted
evaluated right after the step has SFC program are evaluated after program is working as expected.
been executed. all active steps have been
executed.
The layout of steps, transitions, The layout of steps, transitions, The graphical layout is converted
and branches is relatively free. and branches is more restricted. to SFC as far as possible. The
incompatibilities encountered
during the conversion are reported
in the Messages view.
The step actions and transition
sections are fully converted.
Complete the created SFC as
necessary.

A graphical Grafcet POU can be initialized by setting the system bit %S21. If this bit is set in the
SoMachine Basic project, the converter activates the implicit variable SFCInit and uses it to
initialize the SFC program.

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Conversion of TM2 Expansion Modules to TM3 Expansion Modules

Twido controllers only use TM2 expansion modules. Even though M221 and M241 Logic
Controllers can handle TM2 as well as TM3 modules, it is a good practice to use TM3 modules. To
convert the TM2 modules used in your Twido project into TM3 modules for the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert project, the option Upgrade TM2 Modules to TM3 is by default selected.
The TM2 expansion modules are converted into TM3 expansion modules as listed in the table:

Source TM2 expansion module Target TM3 expansion module Further information
TM2DDI8DT TM3DI8 –
TM2DAI8DT TM3DI8A –
TM2DDO8UT TM3DQ8U –
TM2DDO8TT TM3DQ8T –
TM2DRA8RT TM3DQ8R –
TM2DDI16DT TM3DI16 –
TM2DDI16DK TM3DI16K –
TM2DRA16RT TM3DQ16R –
TM2DDO16UK TM3DQ16UK –
TM2DDO16TK TM3DQ16TK –
TM2DDI32DK TM3DI32K –
TM2DDO32UK TM3DQ32UK –
TM2DDO32TK TM3DQ32TK –
TM2DMM8DRT TM3DM8R –
TM2DMM24DRF TM3DM24R –
TM2AMI2HT TM3AI2H –
TM2AMI4LT TM3TI4 It is possible that the behavior of the converted
temperature module differs from the original
module. Carefully verify the converted module.
TM2AMI8HT TM3AI8 –
TM2ARI8HT – The TM2 modules TM2ARI8HT, TM2ARI8LRJ,
and TM2ARI8LT are not converted because there
is no corresponding TM3 expansion module. You
can replace this module by two TM3TI4 modules.
TM2AMO1HT TM3AQ2 The target TM3 expansion module has more
I/O channels than the source TM2 module.
TM2AVO2HT –
TM2AMM3HT TM3TM3 –
TM2ALM3LT It is possible that the behavior of the converted
temperature module differs from the original
module. Carefully verify the converted module.

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Source TM2 expansion module Target TM3 expansion module Further information
TM2AMI2LT TM3TI4 The target TM3 expansion module has more
I/O channels than the source TM2 module.
It is possible that the behavior of the converted
temperature module differs from the original
module. Carefully verify the converted module.
TM2AMM6HT TM3AM6 –
TM2ARI8LRJ – The TM2 modules TM2ARI8HT, TM2ARI8LRJ,
and TM2ARI8LT are not converted because there
is no corresponding TM3 expansion module. You
can replace this module by two TM3TI4 modules.
TM2ARI8LT – The TM2 modules TM2ARI8HT, TM2ARI8LRJ,
and TM2ARI8LT are not converted because there
is no corresponding TM3 expansion module. You
can replace this module by two TM3TI4 modules.

NOTE: If you are using TM2 as well as TM3 expansion modules in your EcoStruxure Machine
Expert project, note their position in the tree structure: If TM3 nodes are located below TM2 nodes
in the tree structure, this is reported as a detected Build error in the Messages view.

Conversion of Modbus Serial IOScanner

Due to the differences between controller platforms, and especially for connected controller
equipment that depend on the proper functioning of the converted program, you must verify the
results of the conversion process. Whether or not errors or alerts are detected during the
conversion, it is imperative that you thoroughly test and validate your entire system within your
machine or process.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Verify that the program for the target controller contains the intended configurations and
provides the intended functions after you have converted the project.
 Fully debug, verify, and validate the functionality of the converted program before putting it into
service.
 Before converting a program, verify that the source program is valid, i.e., is downloadable to
the source controller.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

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Configuration
The IOScanner configuration is completely converted:
 The devices are converted to the Generic Modbus Slave device. The source device type is not
preserved.
 The device configuration is completely converted. This includes initialization requests, channel
settings, and reset variable.
Function Blocks
The drive function blocks for the control of Altivar drives over the Modbus IOScanner
(MC_xxx_ATV) are not converted.
Status Handling
Since the IOScanner status handling differs for SoMachine Basic and EcoStruxure Machine
Expert, these features can only be partly converted. If your application uses IOScanner status
information, verify that this logic still works.

IOScanner Status Further information

Device Status (%IWNSx) Both SoMachine Basic and EcoStruxure Machine Expert provide status
information for a slave device, but the status values are different. The
status logic is partly converted.
Channel Status (%IWNSx.y) EcoStruxure Machine Expert does not provide status information for
single channels. The channel status is converted to the device status.
System words and bits:
%S110/%S111 (IOScanner reset) They are not converted.
%S113/%S114 (IOScanner stop) They are converted.
%SW210/%SW211 (IOScanner They are not converted.
status)

Conversion of Modbus TCP IO Scanner

The configuration of the Modbus TCP IO Scanner is not converted.

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Immediate I/O Access

The instructions READ_IMM_IN and WRITE_IMM_OUT of SoMachine Basic for immediate access
to digital local I/O channels are not converted.
For M241 controllers, you can use the functions GetImmediateFastInput and Physical-
WriteFastOutputs provided by the PLCSystem library, but consider the following differences:

READ_IMM_IN and WRITE_IMM_OUT instructions GetImmediateFastInput and

(M221 controllers) PhysicalWriteFastOutputs functions (M241
controllers)
Access to all local inputs and outputs. Access only to fast inputs and outputs.
WRITE_IMM_OUT writes a single bit (similar to the PhysicalWriteFastOutputs writes fast outputs
read function). at the same time.
WRITE_IMM_OUT returns an error code. PhysicalWriteFastOutputs only returns the
information on which outputs have actually been
written.
The error codes of READ_IMM_IN and GetImmediateFastInput differ.
READ_IMM_IN updates the input object (%I0.x). GetImmediateFastInput only returns the read
value but does not update the input channel.

NOTE: For HMISCU controllers, no equivalent function exists.

Twido Communication Features

The following communication features of Twido are not converted:
 AS Interface
 CANopen
 remote link

If you use these communication features in your Twido application, you have to adapt the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert application manually.
During conversion, one variable is created for each related I/O object in order to allow the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert application to be built successfully. These variables are collected in
separate global variable lists. This helps you in identifying the variables to be replaced.

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Detected Errors and Alerts Indicated in the Messages View

If errors or alerts are detected during the conversion process, a message box is displayed,
indicating the number of errors and alerts detected. For further information, consult the category
Project Conversion of the Messages view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help). Verify each entry carefully to see whether you have to adapt your application.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Verify that the program for the target controller contains the intended configurations and
provides the intended functions after you have converted the project.
 Fully debug, verify, and validate the functionality of the converted program before putting it into
service.
 Before converting a program, verify that the source program is valid, i.e., is downloadable to
the source controller.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

 A warning message indicates that the conversion process made some adjustments that, in all
likelihood, do not have impact on the functions of your application.
 An error message indicates that some parts of the application could not be fully converted. In
this case, you have to adapt the application manually in order to preserve the same functionality
in the target application.
 If the application program makes use of functionality that cannot be completely converted, the
converter creates variables for the unsupported language objects. This allows you to compile
your application successfully. However, verify this unsupported functionality after the
conversion.
To save the information displayed in the Messages view, you can copy it to the Clipboard (press
CTRL + C) and paste it to a data file (press CTRL + V).

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Common Device Editor Dialogs
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Chapter 6
Common Device Editor Dialogs

Common Device Editor Dialogs

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following sections:
Section Topic Page
6.1 Device Configuration 102
6.2 I/O Mapping 155

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Common Device Editor Dialogs

Section 6.1
Device Configuration

Device Configuration

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
General Information About Device Editors 103
Communication Settings in Controller Selection Mode 105
Communication Settings in Simple Mode 125
Communication Settings in Classic Mode 128
Configuration 132
Parameter 133
Applications 134
Synchronized Files 136
Files 137
Log 139
PLC Settings 141
Users and Groups 143
Access Rights 148
Task Deployment 152
Status 153
Information 154

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

General Information About Device Editors

Overview
The device editor provides parameters for the configuration of a device, which is managed in the
Devices tree.
To open the device editor for a specific device, do the following:
 Double-click the node of the device in the Devices tree or
 Select device in the Devices tree and execute the Edit Object command via the contextual menu
or via the Project menu.
The Tools → Options → Device editor dialog box allows you to make the generic device
configuration views invisible (see page 132).
This chapter describes the main device editor dialogs. Bus-specific configuration dialogs are
described separately.

Main Device Editor Dialogs

The title of the main dialog consists of the device name, for example MyPlc.
Depending on the device type, the device editor can provide the following tabs:

Tab Description
Communication Settings in Controller Configuration of the connection between programming system and
selection mode (see page 105) a programmable device (controller). The tab that is displayed
Communication Settings in Simple depends on the mode selected with the parameter Communication
page in the Tools → Options → Device editor dialog box
mode (see page 125)
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Communication Settings in Classic
mode (see page 128)
Configuration (see page 132) Display or configuration of the device parameters.
Parameter (see page 133) Display or configuration of the device parameters of PacDrive
controllers.
Applications (see page 134) List of applications running on the controller. Refer to the description
in the Program chapter (see page 167).
Synchronized Files (see page 136) List of files that are downloaded to the controller with an application
download.
Files (see page 137) Configuration of a file transfer between host and controller.
Log (see page 139) Display of the controller log file.
PLC settings (see page 141) Configuration of:
 Application noticed for I/O handling
 I/O behavior in stop status
 Bus cycle options

Users and Groups (see page 143) User management concerning device access during runtime.

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Tab Description
Access Rights (see page 148) Configuration of the access rights on runtime objects and files for
the particular user groups.
Task Deployment (see page 152) Display of inputs and outputs assigned to the defined task - used for
troubleshooting.
Status (see page 153) Device-specific status and diagnostic messages.
Information (see page 154) General information on the device (for example: name, provider,
version).
I/O Mapping (see page 155) Mapping of the input and output channels of an I/O device on project
(application) variables.
OPC UA server configuration Provides various functionalities to edit the server configuration file
ServerConfig.ini on the Compact Flash (CF) card of the
controller.
The OPC UA server configuration allows you to perform the
following actions:
 Define default properties for new server certificates.
 View and delete existing server certificates.
 View and add sampling rates.
 Import and export server certificates.
 Enable and manage various settings.

This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult

the Programming Guide specific to your controller.

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Communication Settings in Controller Selection Mode

Overview
The Communication Settings tab in controller selection mode is displayed when the mode
Controller selection mode has been selected for the parameter Communication page in the Tools
→ Options → Device editor dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help). The tab provides access to the Network Device Identification service that allows you
to scan the Ethernet network for available controllers and to display them in a list. You can
configure the parameters for the communication between the devices (referred to as controllers in
this chapter) and the programming system.
The list of controllers contains those controllers in the network that have sent a response to the
request of EcoStruxure Machine Expert. It may happen that the controller of your choice is not
included in this list. This can have several causes. For causes and suitable solutions, refer to the
chapter Accessing Controllers - Troubleshooting and FAQ (see page 949).
Communication Settings tab in controller selection mode

The Communication Settings tab provides the following elements:

 Buttons in the toolbar
 List providing information on the available controllers
 Option, list, and box at the bottom of the tab

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Description of the Buttons in the Toolbar

The following buttons are available in the toolbar:

Button Description
Optical Click this button to cause the selected controller to indicate an optical
signal: It flashes a control LED quickly. This can help you to identify the
respective controller if many controllers are used.
The function stops on a second click or automatically after about
30 seconds.
NOTE: The optical signal is issued only by controllers that support this
function.
Optical and acoustical Click this button to cause the selected controller to indicate an optical and
an acoustical signal: It starts to beep and flashes a control LED quickly.
This can help you to identify the respective controller if many controllers
are used.
The function stops on a second click or automatically after about
30 seconds.
NOTE: The optical and acoustical signals are issued only by controllers
that support this function.
Update Click this button to refresh the list of controllers. A request is sent to the
controllers in the network. Controllers that respond to the request are
listed with the present values.
Pre-existing entries of controllers are updated with every new request.
Controllers that are already in the list but do not respond to a new request
are not deleted. They are marked as inactive by a red cross being added
to the controller icon.
The Update button corresponds to the Refresh list command that is
provided in the contextual menu if you right-click a controller in the list.
To refresh the information of a selected controller, the contextual menu
provides the command Refresh this controller. This command requests
more detailed information from the selected controller.
NOTE: The Refresh this controller command can also refresh the
information of other controllers.
Remove inactive controllers from Controllers that do not respond to a network scan are marked as inactive
list. in the list. This is indicated by a red cross being added to the controller
icon. Click this button to remove the controllers that are marked as
inactive controllers from the list.
NOTE: A controller can be marked as inactive even if this is not the case.
The contextual menu that opens if you right-click a controller in the list
provides two other commands for removing controllers:
 The Remove selected controller from list command allows you to
remove only the selected controller from the list.
 The Remove all controllers from list command allows you to remove
all controllers simultaneously from the list.

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Button Description
New Favorite... and Favorite 0 You can use Favorites to adjust the selection of controllers to your
personal requirements. This can help you keep track of many controllers
in the network.
A Favorite describes a collection of controllers that are recognized by a
unique identifier.
Click a favorite button (such as Favorite 0) to select or deselect it. If you
have not selected a favorite, all detected controllers are visible.
You can also access Favorites via the contextual menu. It opens upon
right-clicking a controller in the list.
Move the cursor over a favorite button in the toolbar to view the
associated controllers as a tooltip.

List of Controllers
The list of controllers in the middle of the Communication Settings tab of the device editor lists
those controllers that have sent a response to the network scan. It provides information on each
controller in several columns. You can adapt the columns displayed in the list of controllers
according to your individual requirements.
To achieve this, right-click the header of a column to open the Process columns dialog box.

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You can create your own layout of this table. Click New, and enter a name for your layout. Shift
columns from the list of Possible columns to the list of Current columns and vice versa by clicking
the horizontal arrow buttons. To change the order of the columns in the Current columns list, click
the arrow up and arrow down buttons.

Configuring Communication Settings

To set the parameters for communication between the programming system and a controller,
proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select the controller in the list of controllers.
2 Right-click the controller entry and execute the command Edit communication settings... from
the contextual menu.
Result: The Edit communication settings dialog box opens with the settings of the controller.

NOTE: Most controllers provide a parameter (such as RemoteAccess) that helps prevent
changing communication parameters of the controller.

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Step Action
3 Configure the communication parameters:
 Boot Mode
 FIXED: A fixed IP address is used according to the values entered below (IP address,
Subnet mask, Gateway).
 BOOTP: The IP address is received dynamically by BOOTP (bootstrap protocol). The
values below will be ignored.
 DHCP: The IP address is received dynamically by DHCP (dynamic host configuration
protocol). The values below will be ignored.
NOTE: Not all devices support BOOTP and/or DHCP.
 IP address
When configuring IP addresses, refer to the hazard message below.
This box contains the IP address of the controller. It is a unique address that consists of
four numbers in the range of 0...255 separated by periods. The IP address has to be unique
in this (sub)network.
 Subnet mask
The subnet mask specifies the network segment to which the controller belongs. It is an
address that consists of four numbers in the range of 0...255 separated by periods.
Generally, only the values 0 and 255 are used for standard subnet mask numbers.
However, other numeric values are possible. The value of the subnet mask is generally the
same for all controllers in the network.
 Gateway
The gateway address is the address of a local IP router that is located on the same network
as the controller. The IP router passes the data to destinations outside of the local network.
It is an address that consists of four numbers in the range of 0...255 separated by periods.
The value of the gateway is generally the same for all controllers in the network.
 To save the communication settings in the controller even if it is restarted, activate the
option Save settings permanently.
4 Click OK to transfer the settings to the controller.

Carefully manage the IP addresses because each device on the network requires a unique
address. Having multiple devices with the same IP address can cause unintended operation of
your network and associated equipment.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Verify that all devices have unique addresses.
 Obtain your IP address from your system administrator.
 Confirm that the device’s IP address is unique before placing the system into service.
 Do not assign the same IP address to any other equipment on the network.
 Update the IP address after cloning any application that includes Ethernet communications to
a unique address.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

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Managing Favorites
To manage favorites in the list of controllers, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select the controller in the list of controllers.
2 Right-click the controller and select one of the commands:
 New Favorite to create a new group of favorites.
 Favorite n in order to
 Add the selected controller to this list of favorites
 Remove the selected controller from this list of favorites
 Remove all controllers from this list of favorites
 Select a favorite
 Rename a favorite
 Remove a favorite

Encrypted communication Option

When the Encrypted communication option is selected, communication to the controller will be
encrypted.
NOTE:
The following prerequisites must be fulfilled to perform encrypted communication with a controller:
 The controller must support TLS (Transport Layer Security).
 A certificate must be available on the controller.

Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller for information on the support of TLS.
The following scenarios are possible when you attempt to log into a controller using encrypted
communication:

If... Then ... Comment

If the controller does not support TLS Then a message will be displayed The login is denied.
(prerequisite 1 is not fulfilled) when you attempt to log into the
controller, indicating that the controller
does not support TLS.
If a certificate is not available on the Then a message will be displayed The login is denied.
controller (prerequisite 2 is not when you attempt to log into the
fulfilled) controller, indicating that encrypted
communication could not be initialized
successfully.

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If... Then ... Comment

If both prerequisites are fulfilled Then a message will be displayed If you confirm with OK:
when you attempt to log into the  The login will be successful given
controller for the first time, requesting that the user password, if required,
you to install the (untrusted) controller is provided as well.
certificate to the local Controller  Communication to the controller
Certificates store of the PC running will be encrypted.
EcoStruxure Machine Expert.  The message will not be displayed
again.
If you click Cancel:
 The login will be denied.
 The message will be displayed
with every new attempt to log in.

Confirmed online mode Option

The Confirmed online mode option causes EcoStruxure Machine Expert to display a message
requiring confirmation when one of the following online commands is selected: Force values,
Login, Multiple download, Release force list, Single cycle, Start, Stop, Write values. To disable the
Confirmed online mode option and thereby delete the display of this message, clear this option.

Specifying Unique Device Names (NodeNames)

The term NodeName is used as a synonym for the term device name. Since nodenames are also
used to identify a controller after a network scan, manage them as carefully as IP addresses and
verify that each nodename is unique in your network. Having multiple devices assigned the same
nodename can cause unpredictable operation of your network and associated equipment.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Ensure that all devices have unique nodenames.
 Confirm that the device’s nodename is unique before placing the system into service.
 Do not assign the same nodename to any other equipment on the network.
 Update the nodename after cloning any application that includes Ethernet communications to
a unique nodename.
 Create a unique nodename for each device that does not create it automatically, such as M241
and M251 controllers.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

Depending on the type of controller, the automatic creation of the NodeName (device name) may
differ in procedure. To create a unique name, some controllers integrate their IP address, others
use the MAC address of the Ethernet adapter. In this case, you do not have to change the name.

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You can also assign a unique device name (NodeName) as follows:

Step Action
1 Right-click the controller in the list and execute the command Change device name... from the
contextual menu.
Result: The Change device name dialog box opens.
2 In the Change device name dialog box, enter a unique device name in the box New.
3 Click the OK button to confirm.
Result: The device name you entered is assigned to the controller and is displayed in the
column NodeName of the list.
NOTE: Device name and NodeName are synonymous.

Specifying the Connection Mode

The Connection Mode list at the lower left of the Communication Settings tab allows you to select
a format for the connection address you have to enter in the Address field.
The following formats are supported:
 Automatic (see page 112)
 Nodename (see page 113)
 IP Address (see page 113)
 IP Address (Fast TCP) (see page 114)
 Nodename via NAT (Remote TCP) (see page 114) (NAT = network address translation)
 IP Address via NAT (Remote TCP) (see page 116)
 Nodename via Gateway (see page 118)
 IP Address via Gateway (see page 121)
 Nodename via MODEM (see page 124)
 IP Address (PacDriveM only) (see page 114) (only available in service tools like Controller
Assistant)
NOTE: After you have changed the Connection Mode, it may be required to perform the login
procedure twice to gain access to the selected controller.

Connection Mode Automatic

If you select the option Automatic from the Connection Mode list, you can enter the nodename, the
IP address, or the connection URL (uniform resource locator) to specify the Address.
NOTE: Do not use spaces at the beginning or end of the Address.
If you have selected another Connection Mode and you have specified an Address for this mode,
the address you specified will still be available in the Address box if you switch to Connection Mode
→ Automatic.

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Example:
Connection Mode → Nodename via NAT (Remote TCP) selected and address and nodename
specified

If you switch to Connection Mode → Automatic, the information is converted to a URL, starting with
the prefix enodename3://

If an IP address has been entered for the connection mode, the information is converted to a URL
starting with a prefix. For the Connection Mode → IP Address , the prefix etcp3:// is used. For
the Connection Mode → IP Address (Fast TCP) , the prefix etcp4:// is used. For example,
etcp4://<IpAddress>.
NOTE: In the Controller Assistant and the Diagnostics tools, an IP address can additionally have
the prefix etcp2://. This is only available for PacDrive M controllers.
If a nodename has been entered for the connection mode (for example, when Connection Mode
→ Nodename has been selected), the information is converted to a URL starting with the prefix
enodename3://. For example, enodename3://<Nodename>.

Connection Mode → Nodename

If you select the option Nodename from the Connection Mode list, you can enter the nodename of
a controller to specify the Address. The text box is filled automatically if you double-click a
controller in the list of controllers.
Example: Nodename: MyM238 (10.128.158.106)
If the controller you selected does not provide a nodename, the Connection Mode automatically
changes to IP Address, and the IP address from the list is entered in the Address box.

Connection Mode → IP Address

If you select the option IP Address from the Connection Mode list, you can enter the IP address of
a controller to specify the Address. The box is filled automatically if you double-click a controller in
the list of controllers.
Example: IP Address: 190.201.100.100
If the controller you selected does not provide an IP address, the Connection Mode automatically
changes to Nodename, and the nodename from the list is entered in the Address box.
NOTE: Enter the IP address according to the format
<Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>

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Connection Mode → IP Address (Fast TCP)

If you select the option IP Address (Fast TCP) from the Connection Mode list, you can connect to
a controller using the TCP protocol. Enter the Target IP address/Port of the controller in the
respective field. You can adapt the default setting 11740 for the Port if you are using network
address translation (NAT).
Example: IP Address: 190.201.100.100
NOTE: Enter the IP address according to the format
<Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>
If the controller is not listed in the list of controllers, click the Test button. If the controller sends a
response to the network scan, an entry for this controller is added to the list of controllers. This
entry is marked by the icon TCP being displayed in the first column.
NOTE: This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide
specific to your controller to find out whether it supports the IP Address (Fast TCP) connection
mode.

Connection Mode → IP Address (PacDriveM only)

If you select the option IP Address (PacDriveM only) from the Connection Mode list, you can enter
the IP address of a controller to specify the Address. The box is filled automatically if you double-
click a PacDrive M controller in the list of controllers.
Example: IP Address: 190.201.100.100
NOTE: Enter the IP address according to the format
<Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>

Connection Mode → Nodename via NAT (Remote TCP)

If you select the option Nodename via NAT (Remote TCP) from the Connection Mode list, you can
specify the address of a controller that resides behind a NAT router in the network. Enter the
nodename of the controller, and the IP address or host name and port of the NAT router.

1 PC
2 NAT router
3 Target device

Example: NAT Address/Port: 10.128.158.106/1105 Target Nodename:

MyM238 (10.128.158.106)
NOTE: Enter a valid IP address (format <Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>) or a valid
host name for the NAT Address.

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Enter the port of the NAT router to be used. Otherwise, the default port 1105 is used.
The information you enter is interpreted as a URL that creates a remote TCP bridge - using
TCP block driver - and then connects by scanning for a controller with the given nodename on the
local gateway.
NOTE: The NAT router can be located on the target controller itself. You can use it to create a
TCP bridge to a controller.
You can also scan a remote network via a remote controller (bridge controller). To achieve this,
enter the NAT Address/Port, and click the refresh button right to the NAT Address/Port text field.
The controllers that send a response to the remote network scan are listed in the list of controllers.
Each of these entries is marked by the icon REM being displayed in the first column. To fill the list
with more detailed information, right-click a controller entry and execute the command Refresh this
controller. If the controller supports this function, further information on the controller is added to
the list. Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller.

1 Refresh button
2 REM icon

In the following example, the bridge controller, controller 2, and controller 3 are scanned.

1 Local subnet
2 Remote subnet
3 Bridge controller
4 Controller 3
5 Controller 2
6 NAT router
7 PC

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Connection Mode → IP Address via NAT (Remote TCP)

If you select the option IP Address via NAT (Remote TCP) (NAT = network address translation)
from the Connection Mode list, you can specify the address of a controller that resides behind a
NAT router in the network. Enter the IP address of the controller, and the IP address or host name
and port of the NAT router.

1 PC
2 NAT router
3 Target device

Example: NAT Address/Port: 10.128.154.206/1105 Target IP Address: 192.168.1.55

NOTE: Enter a valid IP address (format <Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>) or a valid
host name for the NAT Address.
Enter the port of the NAT router to be used. Otherwise, the default port 1105 is used.
Enter a valid IP address (format <Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>) for the
Target IP Address.
The information you enter is interpreted as a URL that creates a remote TCP bridge - using
TCP block driver - and then connects by scanning for a controller with the given nodename on the
local gateway. The IP address is searched in the nodename (such as
MyController (10.128.154.207)) or by calling a service on each scanned device of the
gateway.
NOTE: The NAT router can be located on the target controller itself. You can use it to create a
TCP bridge to a controller.
You can also scan a remote network via a remote controller (bridge controller). To achieve this,
enter the NAT Address/Port, and click the refresh button right to the NAT Address/Port text field.
The controllers that send a response to the remote network scan are listed in the list of controllers.
Each of these entries is marked by the icon REM being displayed in the first column. To fill the list
with more detailed information, right-click a controller entry and execute the command Refresh this
controller. If the controller supports this function, further information on the controller is added to
the list. Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller.

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1 Refresh button
2 REM icon

In the following example, the bridge controller, controller 2, and controller 3 are scanned.

1 Local subnet
2 Remote subnet
3 Bridge controller
4 Controller 3
5 Controller 2
6 NAT router
7 PC

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Connection Mode → Nodename via Gateway

If you select the option Nodename via Gateway from the Connection Mode list, you can specify the
address of a controller that resides behind or close to a EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway
router in the network. Enter the nodename of the controller, and the IP address or host name and
port of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway router.

1 PC / HMI
2 PC / HMI / devices with installed EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway
3 Target device

Example: Gateway Address/Port: 10.128.156.28/1217Target Nodename: MyPLC

NOTE: Enter a valid IP address (format <Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>) or a valid
host name for the Gateway Address/Port:.
Enter the port of the gateway router to be used. Otherwise, the default EcoStruxure Machine
Expert gateway port 1217 is used.
Do not use spaces at the beginning or end and do not use commas in the Target Nodename box.
The information you enter is interpreted as a URL. The gateway is scanned for a device with the
given nodename that is directly connected to this gateway. Directly connected means in the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway topology it is the root node itself or a child node of the root
node.
NOTE: The EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway can be located on an HMI, destination PC, or
the local PC, making it possible to connect to a device that has no unique nodename but resides
in a subnet behind a EcoStruxure Machine Expert network.

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The graphic shows an example that allows a connection from the PC to the target controller 3 (item
4 in the graphic) by using the address of hop PC2 (item 5 in the graphic) that must have a
EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway installed.

1 Hop PC 1
2 Target controller 1: MyNotUniqueNodename
3 Target controller 2: MyNotUniqueNodename
4 Target controller 3: MyNotUniqueNodename
5 Hop PC 2
6 PC / HMI
7 Router
8 Ethernet

To verify whether the connection to a specific controller can be established, enter the Gateway
Address/Port, and click the Test button. If the controller sends a response to the network scan, an
entry for this controller is added to the list of controllers. This entry is marked by the icon GAT being
displayed in the first column.
To scan a specific gateway for available controllers, enter the Gateway Address/Port, and click the
refresh button right to the Gateway Address/Port text field. The controllers that send a response to
the gateway scan are listed in the list of controllers. Each of these entries is marked by the icon
GAT being displayed in the first column. To fill the list with more detailed information, right-click a
controller entry and execute the command Refresh this controller. If the controller supports this
function, further information on the controller is added to the list. Consult the Programming Guide
specific to your controller.

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1 Refresh button
2 GAT icon

The gateway that is scanned can be located on a PC or on an HMI that can reside in the local or
in a remote subnet. In the following example, the bridge target controller 1 and target controller 2
are scanned.

1 Local subnet
2 Remote subnet
3 Target controller 1
4 Target controller 2
5 Gateway
6 PC
7 Ethernet

You can connect to the listed devices using the gateway.

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Connection Mode → IP Address via Gateway

If you select the option IP Address via Gateway from the Connection Mode list, you can specify the
address of a controller that resides behind or close to a EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway
router in the network. Enter the IP address of the controller, and the IP address or host name and
port of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway router.

1 PC / HMI
2 PC / HMI / devices with installed EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway
3 Target device

Example: Gateway Address/Port: 10.128.156.28/1217Target IP Address: 10.128.156.222

NOTE: Enter a valid IP address (format <Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>) or a valid
host name for the Gateway Address/Port:.
Enter the port of the gateway router to be used. Otherwise, the default EcoStruxure Machine
Expert gateway port 1217 is used.
Enter a valid IP address (format <Number>.<Number>.<Number>.<Number>) for the
Target IP Address.
The information you enter is interpreted as a URL. The gateway is scanned for a device with the
given IP address. The IP address is searched in the nodename (such as
MyController (10.128.154.207)) or by calling a service on each scanned device of the
gateway.
NOTE: The EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway can be located on an HMI, destination PC, or
the local PC. It is therefore possible to connect to a device that has no unique nodename but
resides in a subnet behind a EcoStruxure Machine Expert network.

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The graphic shows an example that allows a connection from hop PC2 (item 5 in the graphic) that
must have a EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway installed to the target controller 3 (item 4 in the
graphic).

1 Hop PC 1
2 Target controller 1: 10.128.156.20
3 Target controller 2: 10.128.156.20
4 Target controller 3: 10.128.156.20
5 Hop PC 2
6 PC
7 Router
8 Ethernet

To verify whether the connection to a specific controller can be established, enter the Gateway
Address/Port, and click the Test button. If the controller sends a response to the network scan, an
entry for this controller is added to the list of controllers. This entry is marked by the icon GAT being
displayed in the first column.
To scan a specific gateway for available controllers, enter the Gateway Address/Port, and click the
refresh button right to the Gateway Address/Port text field. The controllers that send a response to
the gateway scan are listed in the list of controllers. Each of these entries is marked by the icon
GAT being displayed in the first column. To fill the list with more detailed information, right-click a
controller entry and execute the command Refresh this controller. If the controller supports this
function, further information on the controller is added to the list. Consult the Programming Guide
specific to your controller.

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1 Refresh button
2 GAT icon

The gateway that is scanned can be located on a PC or on an HMI that can reside in the local or
in a remote subnet. In the following example, the bridge target controller 1 and target controller 2
are scanned.

1 Local subnet
2 Remote subnet
3 Target controller 1
4 Target controller 2
5 Gateway
6 PC
7 Ethernet

You can connect to the listed devices using the gateway.

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Common Device Editor Dialogs

Connection Mode → Nodename via MODEM

If you select the option Nodename via MODEM from the Connection Mode list, you can specify a
controller that resides behind a modem line.

1 PC
2 PC / MODEM
3 Target modem
4 Target device
5 Phone line

To establish a connection to the modem, click the MODEM → Connect button. In the Modem
Configuration dialog box, enter the Phone number of the target modem and configure the
communication settings. Click OK to confirm and to establish a connection to the modem.
If the EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway is stopped and restarted, any connection of the local
gateway is terminated. EcoStruxure Machine Expert displays a message that has to be confirmed
before the restart process is started.
After the connection to the modem has been established successfully, the MODEM button
changes from Connect to Disconnect. The list of controllers is cleared and refreshed scanning the
modem connection for connected controllers. You can double-click an item from the list of
controllers or enter a nodename in the Target Nodename: box to connect to a specific controller.
Click the MODEM → Disconnect button to terminate the modem connection and to stop and restart
the EcoStruxure Machine Expert gateway. The list of controllers is cleared and refreshed scanning
the Ethernet network.

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Communication Settings in Simple Mode

Overview
The Communication Settings tab in simple mode is displayed when the mode Simple mode has
been selected for the parameter Communication page in the Tools → Options → Device editor
dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). It provides a
graphic view to configure the parameters for the communication between device and programming
system.
The Communication Settings tab in simple mode contains an illustration of the programming
device, the present gateway, and the target device with the connection status.

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Common Device Editor Dialogs

Select a gateway and a target device in the selection fields. The list entries you can select are
determined by the Manage gateways and Manage favorite devices parameters.
You can enter the target device in different ways:
 By the IP address, for example 192.168.101.109
 By the device address, for example [056D]
 By the device name, for example MyDevice

NOTE: To search for a device via the device name, unique device names are required within the
network.
A status bullet at the right bottom of the gateway symbol indicates the communication status:

Color Description
Red Connection cannot be established.
Green Connection is established.
Black Connection state is not defined.

NOTE: Some communication protocols do not allow a periodic verification of the gateway. Thus,
the status cannot be displayed.
Click the status bullet of the target device to start a network scan for the device. However, this is
only possible if the gateway has not already started searching.

Description of the Elements

Elements of the Communication Settings tab in simple mode:

Element Description
Scan network... button Opens the Select Device dialog box that lists the
configured gateways and their associated devices.
Gateway list –
Add new gateway... Opens the Gateway dialog box for adding a new
gateway (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).
Manage gateways... Opens the Manage gateways dialog box showing an
overview of all gateways. In this dialog box, you can
add or remove gateways. You can change the order
of the gateway entries by using the buttons.
Configure local Opens the Gateway Configuration dialog box
gateway... (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help). It enables you to set up the
block driver configuration for the local gateway.
Device list –
Add current device to Adds the defined device to the list of favorite devices.
favorites

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Element Description
Manage favorite Opens a dialog box showing the list of favorite
devices... devices. In this dialog box, you can add or remove
devices or change the order of the entries. The
device at top of the list defines the default device.
Rename active device... Opens a dialog box for renaming the device.
Wink active device The connected controller flashes during login.
Send echo service EcoStruxure Machine Expert implements the echo
service that is similar to the ping tool.
In order to verify the quality of the network
connection, EcoStruxure Machine Expert sends five
echo data packets to the controller. The amount of
user data that is consecutively added to these
packets depends on the communication buffer size of
the controller.
A result message is displayed that indicates the
average round-trip delay time and the amount of user
data that has been echoed through the connection.
Store communication If this option is activated, EcoStruxure Machine
settings in project Expert can automatically restore the communication
settings, even if you are going to open the project on
another computer. If this option is not selected, the
settings are stored in the local EcoStruxure Machine
Expert options on your computer. In this case, you
must reconfigure them if you are going to use the
project on another computer.
Confirmed online mode If this option is activated, EcoStruxure Machine
Expert prompts the user for confirmation each time
one of the following online commands is to be
executed: Force values, Write values, Multiple
download, Release force list, Single cycle, Start,
Stop.
Filter network scans by If this option is activated, the list is reduced to those
target ID devices which have the same target ID as the device
configured in the project.

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Communication Settings in Classic Mode

Overview
The Communication Settings tab in classic mode is displayed when the mode Classic mode has
been selected for the parameter Communication page in the Tools → Options → Device editor
dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). It allows you to
configure the parameters for the communication between device and programming system.
The Communication Settings tab in classic mode provides a tree structure to configure the
parameters:

This tab is divided in 2 parts:

 The left part shows the configured gateway channels in a tree structure.
 The right part shows the corresponding data and information.

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Description of the Tree Structure

When you create the first project on your local system, the local Gateway is already available as a
node in the tree. This gateway is started automatically during system start.
The settings of this gateway are displayed in the right part of the window:
Example:
Device Name: Gateway-1
Port: 1217
IP-Address: 127.0.0.1
Driver: TCP/IP
A status bullet at the bottom right of the gateway symbol indicates the status of the connection:

Color Description
Red Connection cannot be established.
Green Connection is established.
Black Connection state is undefined.

NOTE: Some communication protocols do not allow a periodic verification of the gateway. Thus,
the status cannot be displayed.
Indented below the Gateway node (open/close via the +/- sign), you will see entries for the devices
which are reachable through this gateway. The device entries are preceded by a symbol.
Entries with a target ID different to that of the device configured in the project, are displayed in gray
font. To obtain an up-to-date list of the available devices, use the button Scan network.

The device nodes consist of a symbol followed by the node name and the node address. In the
right part of the window, the respective Device Name, Device Address, Number of Channels,
Target ID, Target Name, Target Type, Target Vendor, and Target Version are shown.
In the Select the network path to the controller field, the gateway channel is specified automatically
by selecting the channel in the tree structure.
NOTE: The parameter Number of Channels displays the number of channels that is supported by
the selected controller. You cannot monitor online the number of channels that are being used.
A channel is a connection to a client (such as Diagnostics, Logic Builder, WebVisu, OPC, HMI).
Depending on the communication service, a client may occupy more than one channel for a short
time. When all channels supported by the controller are being used, Logic Builder displays the
message Connection denied by device: All available communication channels are already in use.

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Filter and Sorting Function

You can filter and sort the gateway and device nodes displayed in the tree by the selection boxes
in the right part of the tab:
 Filter: Allows you to reduce the entries of the tree structure to those devices with a Target ID
matching that of the device configured in the project.
 Sorting order: Allows you to sort the entries of the tree structure according to the Name or Node
Address in alphabetical or ascending order.

Description of the Buttons / Commands

For changing the communication configuration, the following buttons or commands are available:

Button / Command Description

Set active path This command sets the selected communication channel as the active path
to the controller. See the description of the Set Active Path command.
Double-clicking the node in the tree structure has the same effect.
Add gateway... This command opens the Gateway dialog box where you can define a
gateway to be added to the configuration.
See the description of the Add Gateway command (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Add device... This command opens the Add Device dialog box where you can manually
define a device to be added to the selected gateway entry (Consider the
Scan network functionality).
See the description for adding devices (see page 69).
Edit Gateway... This command opens the Gateway dialog box for editing the settings of the
selected gateway.
See the description of the Edit Gateway... command (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Delete selected Device This command removes the selected device from the configuration tree.
Scan for device by address This command scans the network for devices which have the address
specified here in the configuration tree. Those which are found will then be
represented in the gateway with the specified node address complemented
by their name. The scan refers to devices below that gateway in whose tree
an entry is selected.
By default, the command is not available in the menus. Add this command
via the Tools → Customize menu (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).
Scan for device by name This command scans the network for devices which have the names
specified here in the configuration tree (case-sensitive search). Those
which are found will then be represented in the gateway with the specified
name complimented by their unique node address. The scan refers to
devices below that gateway in whose tree an entry is selected.
By default, the command is not available in the menus. Add this command
via the Tools → Customize menu (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Button / Command Description

Scan for device by IP address This command scans the network for devices which have the IP address
specified here in the configuration tree. Those which are found will then be
represented in the gateway with the specified node address complimented
by their name. The scan refers to devices below that gateway in whose tree
an entry is selected.
By default, the command is not available in the menus. Add this command
via the Tools → Customize menu (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).
Send echo service EcoStruxure Machine Expert implements the echo service that is similar to
the ping tool.
In order to verify the quality of the network connection, EcoStruxure
Machine Expert sends five echo data packets to the controller. The amount
of user data that is consecutively added to these packets depends on the
communication buffer size of the controller.
A result message is displayed that indicates the average round-trip delay
time and the amount of user data that has been echoed through the
connection.
Configure the local gateway This command opens a dialog box for the configuration of a local gateway
and therefore provides an alternative to manual editing the file
Gateway.cfg.
See the description of the Configure the local gateway... command
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Scan network This command starts a search for available devices in your local network.
The configuration tree of the concerned gateway will be updated
accordingly.

Description of the Options

Two options are available below the tree structure:

Option Description
Don't store communication Activate this option if the network path definition should not be stored in the
settings in project project, but in the local option settings on your computer. Therefore, the
path setting is restored if the project is reopened on the same computer. It
will have to be redefined if the project is used on another system.
Confirmed online mode Activate this option if the user should be prompted for confirmation when
selecting one of the following online commands: Force values, Multiple
download, Release force list, Single cycle, Start, Stop, Write values.

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Configuration

Overview
The Configuration view is only available in the device editor if the option Show generic device
configuration views in the Tools → Options → Device editor dialog box is activated. The
Configuration view shows the device-specific parameters, and, if allowed by the device description,
provides the possibility to edit the parameter values.
Configuration view of the device editor

The view contains the following elements:

Element Description
Parameter Parameter name, not editable
Type Data type of parameter, not editable
Value Primarily, the default value of the parameter is displayed directly or
by a symbolic name. If the parameter can be modified (this depends
on the device description, non-editable parameters are displayed as
gray-colored), click the table cell to open an edit frame or a selection
list to change the value. If the value is a file specification, the dialog
box for opening a file opens by double-clicking the cell. It allows you
to select another file.
Default Value Default parameter value, not editable
Unit Unit of the parameter value (for example: ms for milliseconds), not
editable
Description Short description of the parameter, not editable

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Parameter

Overview
The Parameter view displays the controller-specific parameters in a table. You can edit the Value
of those parameters that are defined as editable in the device description. This function is not
available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller
for further information.
The view contains the following elements:

Element Description
Parameters Indicates the parameter name, not editable.
Type Indicates the data type of the parameter, not editable.
Value The default value of the parameter is displayed directly or by a
symbolic name.
If the value can be modified, double-click the field to open an edit
frame, a selection list, or a file selection dialog box.
Parameters that are not defined as editable in the device description
are displayed as gray-colored in this list.
Default Value Indicates the default parameter value as defined in the device
description, not editable
Unit Indicates the unit of the parameter value (for example: ms for
milliseconds), not editable.
Description Indicates the short description of the parameter as defined in the
device description, not editable.

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Applications

Overview
The Applications view of the device editor serves to scan and to remove applications on the
controller. Information on the content of the application can be available as well as some details on
the application properties.

Description of the Elements

The Applications view provides the following elements:

Element Description
Applications on the PLC This text box lists the names of applications which have been found
on the controller during the last scan (by clicking Refresh List).
If no scan has been executed yet or if a scan is not possible because
no gateway is configured (see page 125) for a connection, an
appropriate message is displayed.
Remove Click these buttons to remove the application currently selected in
Remove All the list or all applications from the controller.
Details Click this button to open a dialog box showing the information as
defined in the Information tab of the Properties dialog box of the
application object.
Content If, in the View → Properties → Application build options, the option
Download Application Info is activated for the application object
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help),
then additional information on the content of the application is loaded
to the controller.
Click the Content button to view the different POUs, in a comparison
view. Upon several downloads, this information allows you to
compare the code of the new application with that already available
on the controller. This provides more information for decisions on
how to log in. For further information, refer to the description of the
Login command.
Refresh List Click this button to scan the controller for applications. The list will be
updated accordingly.

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Verifications Before Loading an Application to the Controller

The following verifications are performed before an application is loaded to the controller:
 The list of applications on the controller is compared with those available in the project. If
inconsistencies are detected, the appropriate dialog boxes are displayed for either loading the
applications not yet available on the controller, or for removing other applications from the
controller.
 POUs externally implemented in the application to be loaded are verified as to whether they are
also available on the controller. If they are not available on the controller, an appropriate
message (unresolved reference(s)) will be generated in a message box as well as in the
Messages view if the option Download is selected.
 The parameters (variables) of the POUs of the application to be loaded are compared with those
of the same-named POUs of the application already available on the controller (validation of
signatures). In case any inconsistencies are detected, an appropriate message (signature
mismatch(es)) will be generated in a message box as well as in the Messages view if the option
Download is selected.
NOTE: If in the View → Properties → Application build options the option Download Application
Info is activated, additional information on the content of the application will be loaded to the
controller. See the description of the Content button in the previous table.

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Common Device Editor Dialogs

Synchronized Files

Overview
The Synchronized Files view of the device editor lists the files that are downloaded to the controller
when the application is downloaded:
 External files, for example, that were added to an application.
 Implicit files, such as the source code archive file, are displayed only in this view if the time of
download is configured and the option Show implicit files for application download on the editor
of a PLC is selected in the Tools → Options → Device Editor dialog box (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide specific
to your controller for details on this function.

Description of the Elements

The Synchronized Files view provides the following elements:

Element Description Example

File name Name of the file below the application, or direct archive.prj
name of the implicitly transferred file (for example,
archive.prj).
Double-click the file name to open the file.
Host path Storage location or original location of the file. D:\Proj1\Files
Double-click the path to open the directory in the
Windows Explorer.
Time interval Time interval for updating the file on the controller. After download / online
change of the
application.
Information Additional information, depending on the object. Object: external file
Origin Type of origin of the file. External file objects,
Source code download
provider

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Files

Overview
The Files view of the device editor serves to transfer files between the host and the controller. You
can choose any file from a directory of the local network to copy it to the file directory of the
currently connected runtime system, or vice versa.
This view is divided in two parts:
 The left part shows the files on the Host.
 The right part shows the files on the Runtime system.

Description of the Elements

The Files view provides the following elements:

Element Description
Updates the Runtime list.

Creates a new folder in which you can copy the files.

Removes the selected files or folders from the list.

Location Specifies the folder of the respective file system that will be used for
the file transfer.
Select an entry from the list or browse in the file system tree.
<< >> File transfer between EcoStruxure Machine Expert and controller
(see paragraph below).

For the directories in the file trees there are the following variants:

Element Description
Normal file directory.

Placeholder file directory, defined in the configuration of the runtime

system of the controller.

Implicitly created placeholder file directory of the runtime system of

the controller.

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Common Device Editor Dialogs

File Transfer Between EcoStruxure Machine Expert and Controller

Step Action Comment

1 Select the files to be copied in the file system Multiple selection is possible. You can even
tree. select a folder in order to copy the files
contained within.
2 Click the button >> or << to transfer the To transfer in this context means to copy. So, if
selected files to the directory set in the runtime a file is not yet available in the runtime directory,
system. it will be created there. However, if it already
exists, it will be overwritten.
If a file with the given name is already available
and is write-protected, an appropriate message
is generated.

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Log

Overview
The Log view of the device editor is used to display the events which have been logged on the
runtime system of the controller.
This concerns:
 Events at system start or shutdown (loaded components and their versions)
 Application download and boot project download
 Customer-specific entries
 Log entries of I/O drivers
 Log entries of the data server

Description of the Elements

The Log view provides the following elements:

Element Description
Severity The events of the log are grouped in four categories:
 warning
 error
 exception
 information

The buttons in the bar above the listing display the number
of loggings in the respective category. Click the buttons to
switch on or off the display of the entries of each category.
Time Stamp Date and time:
Example: 13.01.2007 09:48.
Description Description of the event:
Example: <Application> started
Component Choose a particular component in order to obtain only
displayed log entries regarding this component. The default
setting is <All components>.
Logger The selection list provides the available loggings. The default
setting is <Default Logger>, which is defined by the runtime
system.
Updates the list.

Exports the list to an XML file. The dialog box for saving a file
opens. The file filter is set to xml-files (*.xml). The log file is
stored with the specified file name with extension .XML in the
chosen directory.

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Element Description
Displays log entries stored in an XML file which may have
been exported as described above. The dialog box for
browsing for a file opens. The filter is set to xml-files (*.xml).
Choose the desired log file. The entries of this file are
displayed in a separate window.
Clears the log table by removing the displayed entries.

Offline-Logging This option is not used in EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

UTC Time Activate this option to display the time stamp of the runtime
system as it is (without conversion). If deactivated, the time
stamp of the local time of the computer is displayed
(according to the time zone of the operating system).
NOTE: In order to display the time stamp in UTC (Universal
Time Coordinated), you must set the time of the controller to
UTC time beforehand (also refer to the Services tab of your
controller configuration).

Troubleshooting
In case an error is detected and displays the text *SOURCEPOSITION*, you can open the
respective function by double-click or by executing the command Show source code in editor from
the contextual menu. The cursor marks the relevant position. You can also use the project archive
including the Download information files and the exported log file for diagnostics. In case of
protected functions, the message The source code is not available for <function name> is
displayed.

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

PLC Settings

Overview
The PLC settings view of the device editor is used to configure general settings for the controller.

Description of the Elements

The PLC settings view provides the following elements:

Element Description
Application for I/O handling Define here the application assigned to the device in the Devices
tree that will be monitored for the I/O handling. For EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, there is only one application available.
PLC settings area
Update IO while in stop Note for PacDrive controllers: Supported by TM5 / TM7 IOs but not
by controls or drive based IOs.
If this option is activated (default), the values of the input and output
channels are updated when the controller is stopped. In case of
expiration of the watchdog, the outputs are set to the defined default
values.
Behaviour for outputs in Stop From the selection list, choose one of the following options to define
how the values at the output channels are handled in case of
controller stop:
 Keep current values
The present values will not be modified.
 Set all outputs to default
The default values resulting from the mapping will be assigned.
 Execute program
You can determine the outputs behavior by a program available
within the project. Enter the name of this program here and it will
be executed when the controller gets stopped. Click the button ...
to use the Input Assistant for this purpose.
Always update variables Global definition, if the I/O variables are updated in the bus cycle
task. This setting takes effect for the I/O variables of the slaves and
modules only if their update setting is defined as Disabled.
 Disabled (update only if used in a task): The I/O variables are
only updated if they are used in a task.
 Enabled 1 (use bus cycle task if not used in any task): The I/O
variables are updated in the bus cycle task if not used in any
other task.
 Enabled 2 (always in bus cycle task): All variables are updated in
every cycle of bus cycle task, regardless of whether they are
being used or whether they are mapped to an input or to an
output channel.
You can set this option separately for each device in the I/O Mapping
dialog (see page 160).

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Element Description
Bus cycle options area
Bus cycle task The selection list offers the tasks defined in the Task Configuration
of the active application (for example, MAST). The default setting
MAST is entered automatically.
<unspecified> means that the task is selected according to
controller-internal settings, which are therefore controller-
dependent.

NOTE: Setting the bus cycle task to <unspecified> may cause unintended behavior of your
application. Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Do not set the Bus cycle task to <unspecified>, unless you understand the bus cycle task settings
of the controller.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

Additional Settings

Element Description
Generate force variables for IO This setting is only available if supported by the device. Consult the
mapping: Programming Guide specific to your controller for further
information.
If the option is activated, for each I/O channel, which is assigned to
a variable in the I/O Mapping dialog box, 2 global variables will be
created as soon as the application is built. These variables can be
used in an HMI visualization for forcing the I/O value. For further
information, refer to the I/O Mapping chapter (see page 155).
Enable diagnosis for device The library CAA Device Diagnosis is added to the project
automatically. For each device, a function block is generated in the
Applications tree. If the function block already exists, an extended
FB is used (for example, EtherCAT) or an additional function block
instance is added. This function block contains the general
implementation for the device diagnostics. By use of these function
block instances, the status of the devices can be retrieved in the
application. Furthermore, detected errors can be evaluated. The
library also provides functions for the programmatical evaluation of
the Devices tree (for example, search in child devices or jump to the
parent device). For detailed information, see the PDF document
CAA Device Diagnosis which is part of the library.
Show I/O warnings as errors Warnings concerning the I/O configuration are dumped as detected
errors.

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Users and Groups

Overview
The Users and Groups view of the device editor is provided for devices supporting device Users
and Groups management. If supported by the device, you can view and edit the Users and Groups
management for the device. Thereafter, you can assign rights to allow certain user groups to
access objects on the controller at runtime by assigning Access Rights.
For the user management at the project level, refer to the Project → User Management →
Permissions... command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
The device Users and Groups management can be pre-defined in the device description.
As in the project user management, users have to be members of at least one user group. Only
user groups can be assigned specific access rights (see page 148).
For managing Users and Groups, you have to login as Administrator user.
NOTE: It is not intended that the Users and Groups feature be used to protect the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert project against malicious access, but rather to help prevent mistakes from trusted
users.
If you want to protect your entire project, activate the option Enable project file encryption in the
Project Settings → Security dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help).
If you want to protect only a part of your code inside the project, put this code inside a compiled
library (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

CAUTION
UNAUTHENTICATED, UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
 Do not expose controllers and controller networks to public networks and the Internet as much
as possible.
 Use additional security layers like VPN for remote access and install firewall mechanisms.
 Restrict access to authorized people.
 Change default passwords at start-up and modify them frequently.
 Validate the effectiveness of these measurements regularly and frequently.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury or equipment damage.

NOTE: You can use the security-related commands (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) which provide a way to add, edit, and remove a user in the online Users
and Groups management of the target device where you are logged in.
NOTE: You must establish user access-rights using EcoStruxure Machine Expert software. If you
have cloned an application from one controller to another, you will need to enable and establish
user access-rights in the targeted controller.

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NOTE: The only way to gain access to a controller that has user access-rights enabled and for
which you do not have the password(s) is by performing an Update firmware operation using an
SD card or USB memory key (refer to the Controller Assistant User Guide for further information),
depending on the support of your particular controller, or by running a script. Since the process of
running a script is specific to each controller, refer to the chapters File Transfer with SD Card or
File Transfer with USB Memory Key in the Programming Guide of the controller you are using. This
will effectively remove the existing application from the controller memory, but will restore the ability
to access the controller.

Toolbar of the Users and Groups View

The toolbar provides the following elements:

Element Description
Synchronization Click the Synchronization button to switch on / off the synchronization
between the editor and the Users and Groups management in the controller.
If Synchronization is not activated, then the editor contains a Users and
Groups management configuration that has been imported from disk, or it
does not contain any configuration at all.
If Synchronization is activated, the data displayed in the editor is continuously
synchronized with the Users and Groups management configuration on the
connected controller.
If you invoke Synchronization while the editor contains a Users and Groups
configuration that is not synchronized with the device, you are prompted to
decide what will be displayed in the editor:
 Upload from the device and overwrite the editor content: The Users and
Groups configuration from the controller is loaded to the editor. The
contents of the editor is overwritten.
 Download the editor content to the device and overwrite the user
management there: The configuration from the editor is loaded to the
controller. The contents of the controller is overwritten.
Import from disk Click the Import from disk button to open a dialog box for selecting and
importing a Users and Groups management configuration from the disk.
When you click the button in the Users and Groups view, the file type is set
to Device user management files (*.dum). The Import from disk is available
when you are in offline mode or Synchronization is deactivated.
Export to disk Click the Export to disk button to open a dialog box for saving a file to the disk.
The Users and Groups management configuration is saved as an XML file.
When you click the button in the Users and Groups view, the file type is set
to Device user management files (*.dum).
Device user Name of the user who is logged into the controller.

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Users and Groups Management

The handling of the Users and Groups management dialogs is similar to that of the project user
management.
Users and Groups view of the device editor:

This view is divided in 2 parts:

 The upper part is dedicated to access management of Users.
 The lower part is dedicated to access management of Groups.

Editing or Viewing the Users and Groups Management Before any Users and Groups Have Been
Established
If the controller supports device Users and Groups management, proceed as follows during first
login:

Step Action Comment

1 Double-click the controller node in the Devices tree. Result: The device editor opens.
2 Select the Users and Groups view. –
3 Result: A dialog box opens prompting you to
Click the Synchronization button . decide whether the device Users and Groups
management should be activated.
4 Click Yes to confirm the dialog box and to activate Result: The Device user login dialog box opens.
device Users and Groups management.
5 Enter Administrator as User name and Password. Result: The Password expired! Please provide a
new one. dialog box opens.
6 Enter a new password and click OK to confirm. Result: The device Users and Groups
management is displayed in the editor view.

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Setting up a New User in the Users and Groups Management of the Controller
If the controller supports device Users and Groups management, you can add a new user as
follows:

Step Action Comment

1 Double-click the controller node in the Devices tree. Result: The device editor opens.
2 Select the Users and Groups view. –
3 If you are not logged in to the controller yet, then
Click the Synchronization button to load the Users the dialog box Device User Login opens. It allows
and Groups management configuration from the you to enter the user name and the password.
controller to the editor. Result: The Users and Groups management
configuration of the controller is displayed in the
editor.
4 Click the Add button in the Users part of the Users and Result: The Add User dialog box opens.
Groups view.
5 Enter a Name for the new user and select a Default You can assign the user to other groups later.
group for the user from the list.
6 Enter a new password, confirm the password, and –
Specify whether the user can change the password
and whether the user has to change the password at
the first login.
7 Click OK to confirm and to close the Add User dialog Result: The new user is displayed in the Users
box. part as a new node and in the Groups part as a
new subnode of the selected default group.

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Loading a Users and Groups Management From a *.dum File, Modifying it, and Later Downloading it to
the Controller

Step Action Comment

1 Double-click the controller node in the Devices tree. Result: The device editor opens.
2 Select the Users and Groups view. –
3 Click the Edit button, browse to the *.dum file that Result: The users and groups settings that are
contains the saved Users and Groups management, saved in the file are displayed in the editor.
and click Open to confirm.
4 Adapt the settings according to your requirements. –
5 A dialog box is displayed, prompting you to select
Click the Synchronization button to transfer the the suitable operation.
Users and Groups management configuration to the
controller.
6 Select the option Download the editor content to the Result: The Device user login dialog box is
device and overwrite the user management there. displayed.
7 Enter valid login data in order to log in to the controller. After successful login, the modifications are
transferred to the controller.

As long as the Synchronization button is

activated, modifications made in the editor are
automatically transferred to the controller.

Printing the Users and Groups Management Configuration

To print the settings of the Users and Groups view, execute the command Print from the File menu
or the command Document from the Project menu.

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Access Rights

Overview
In the Access Rights view of the device editor, define the device access rights of device users to
objects in the controller.
In order for the Access Rights view to be available in the device editor of controllers, activate the
Show access rights page option in the Tools → Options → Device Editor dialog box
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). Furthermore, Users and
Groups management must be set up in the controller.
Access Rights view of the device editor

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Modifying Access Rights to Controller Objects in the Users and Groups Management of the Controller
If the controller supports device Users and Groups management, you can assign access rights as
follows:

Step Action Comment

1 Double-click the controller node in the Devices tree. Result: The device editor opens.
2 Select the Access Rights view. –
3 If you are not logged in to the controller
Click the Synchronization button to load the yet, then the dialog box Device User
Access Rights management configuration from the Login opens. It allows you to enter the
controller to the editor. user name and the password.
Result: The Access Rights management
configuration of the controller is
displayed in the editor.
4 In the Objects tree structure on the left-hand side, Result: In the Rights area on the right-
select the object. hand side, the access rights of the
selected object are displayed in a table
for the configured user groups.
5 In the Rights table, double-click the right you want to If the selected object has child objects, a
modify. dialog box is displayed, prompting you
whether you want to modify the rights for
the child objects at the same time.
6 Click Yes or No to modify the rights of the child objects Result: The rights are switched from
and to close the dialog box. allowed to not allowed or vice versa.
The symbol in the table cell is modified
accordingly.
Rights that are set explicitly are
displayed in the table by green or red
symbols.
Rights that are inherited from a parent
object are displayed in the table by gray
symbols.

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Toolbar of the Access Rights View

The toolbar provides the following elements:

Element Description
Synchronization Click the Synchronization button to switch on / off the synchronization
between the editor and the Access Rights management in the controller.
If Synchronization is not activated, then the editor contains an Access Rights
management configuration that has been imported from disk, or it does not
contain any configuration at all.
If Synchronization is activated, the data displayed in the editor is continuously
synchronized with the Access Rights management configuration on the
connected controller.
If you invoke Synchronization while the editor contains an Access Rights
management configuration that is not synchronized with the device, you are
prompted to decide what will be displayed in the editor:
 Upload from the device and overwrite the editor content: The Access
Rights configuration from the controller is loaded to the editor. The
contents of the editor is overwritten.
 Download the editor content to the device and overwrite the user
management there: The configuration from the editor is loaded to the
controller. The contents of the controller is overwritten.
Load from disk Click the Load from disk button to open a dialog box for selecting and
importing a user access rights management configuration from the disk.
When you click the button in the Access Rights view, the file type is by default
set to Device rights management files (*.drm).
Save to disk Click the Save to disk button to open a dialog box for saving a file to the disk.
When you click the button in the Access Rights view, the file type is by default
set to Device rights management files (*.drm).
Device user Name of the user who is logged into the controller.

Objects Area
In the Objects tree structure on the left-hand side, the objects are listed that allow actions to be
executed in runtime mode. The objects are assigned by their object source. They are partially
sorted in object groups. In the Rights area on the right-hand side, you can configure the access
options of the selected object for a user group.
On the top level of the Objects tree structure there are two object categories grouped in folders:
 File system objects
 Runtime system objects

Indented below the object categories, there are further subnodes. The subnode Device, for
example, can, in turn, have the following subnodes:
 Logger
 PlcLogic
 Settings
 UserManagement

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Rights Area
In the Rights area on the right-hand side, the access rights of the selected object are displayed in
a table. For every user group, it displays the rights configured for the possible actions on the
selected object.
The following actions can be configured for the object:
 Add/Remove
 Modify
 View
 Execute

The symbols represent the access rights:

Icon Description
Access (action) is permitted explicitly.

Access (action) is denied explicitly.

The access right has been inherited from the parent object.

Access has not been permitted or denied explicitly, even for the parent
object. No access is possible

No icon Several objects with different access rights are selected.

To modify an access right, click the symbol.

Printing the Access Rights Definition

To print the settings of the Access Rights view, execute the command Print from the File menu or
the command Document from the Project menu.

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Task Deployment

Overview
The Task deployment view of the device editor shows a table with inputs/outputs and their
assignment to the defined tasks. Before the information can be displayed, the project has to be
compiled and the code has to be generated. This information helps in troubleshooting in case that
the same input/output is updated in different tasks with different priorities.
Task deployment of the device editor

The table shows the tasks sorted by their task priority. Click the column heading (task name) to
display only the variables assigned to this task. To show all variables again, click the first column
(I/O channels).
To open the I/O mapping table of a channel, double-click the input or output.
A blue arrow indicates the task of the bus cycle.
In the example above, the variable usiBK5120Out AT %QB0 is used in 2 different tasks. In this
situation, the output, set by one task, can be overwritten by the other task: this can lead to an
undefined value. In general, it is ill-advised to write output references in more than one task, as it
makes the program difficult to debug and often may lead to unintended results in the operation of
your machine or process.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Do not write to an output variable in more than one task.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

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Status

Overview
The Status view of the device editor shows status information (for example, Running, Stopped) and
specific diagnostic messages from the respective device; also on the used card and the internal
bus system.

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Information

Overview
The Information view of the device editor shows some general information on the device currently
selected in the Devices tree: Name, Vendor, Type, Version number, Order Number, Description,
Image.

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Section 6.2
I/O Mapping

I/O Mapping

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
I/O Mapping 156
Working with the I/O Mapping Dialog 158
I/O Mapping in Online Mode 163
Implicit Variables for Forcing I/Os 164

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I/O Mapping

Overview
The I/O Mapping view of the device editor is named <devicetype> I/O Mapping (for example,
PROFIBUS DP I/O Mapping). It serves to configure an I/O mapping of the controller. This means
that project variables used by the application are assigned to the input, output, and memory
addresses of the controller.
Define the application which should handle the I/Os in the PLC settings view (see page 141).
NOTE: If supported by the device, you can use the online configuration mode to access the I/O
hardware without having an application loaded beforehand. For further information, refer to the
description of the Online Config Mode (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help).
See the following chapters:
 Working with the I/O Mapping Dialog (see page 158)
 I/O Mapping in Online Mode (see page 163)
 Implicit Variables for Forcing I/Os (see page 164)

General Information on Mapping I/Os on Variables

Whether an I/O mapping can be configured for the present device depends on the device. It can
be that the view is only used to show the implicitly created device instance. See description of the
IEC objects (see page 162).
Basically, note the following for the mapping of I/Os to variables:
 Variables requiring an input cannot be accessed by writing.
 An existing variable can only be mapped to one input.
 Instead of using the I/O Mapping view, you can also assign an address to a variable via the
AT declaration (see page 632).
However, consider the following:
 You can use AT declarations only with local or global variables; not however, with input and
output variables of POUs.
 The possibility of generating force variables for I/Os (refer to Implicit Variables for Forcing
I/Os (see page 164)) will not be available for AT declarations.
 If AT declarations are used with structure or function block members, all instances will
access the same memory location. This memory location corresponds to static variables in
classic programming languages such as C.
 The memory layout of structures is determined by the target device.
 For each variable which is assigned to an I/O channel in the I/O Mapping view, force variables
can be created during a build run of the application (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help). You can use them for forcing the input or output value during the
commissioning of a machine, for example, via a visualization. Refer to the chapter Implicit
Variables for Forcing I/Os (see page 164).

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Automatic I/O Mapping

The automatic I/O mapping function automatically creates IEC variables as soon as a device or
module with I/O modules is added to the Devices Tree and maps them on each input and/or output.
By default, the function is activated.
You can deactivate and configure the function in the Project → Project Settings → Automatic I/O
mapping dialog box.
The dialog box provides the following elements:

Element Description
Create variable on I/Os mapping Select or deselect this option to activate or deactivate the automatic
I/O mapping function.
Mapping area
Bitwise Select this option to create variables for each bit.
Module-wise Select this option to create a variable for each module, not for the
individual bits.
Naming Rule area
text box Enter the following characters preceded by a # symbol to specify the
parts the variable name will consist of:
 Enter #X to integrate an i for inputs and a q for outputs in the
variable name.
 Enter #T to integrate the prefix code for the respective data type
of the variable in the variable name. The prefixes that are used for
the different data types are listed in the Recommendations on the
Naming of Identifiers chapter (see page 624).
 Enter #D to integrate the name of the device in the variable name.
 Enter #C to integrate the name as defined in the Channel column
in the variable name.

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Working with the I/O Mapping Dialog

Overview
The following is an illustration of the I/O Mapping tab of the device editor:

Description of the Elements in the Channels Area

The I/O Mapping tab provides the following elements in the Channels area if provided by the
device:

Element Description
Channel Symbolic name of the input or output channel of the device
Address Address of the channel, for example: %IW0
Type Data type of the input or output channel, for example: BOOL
If the data type is not standard, but a structure or bit field defined in the device
description, it will be listed only if it is part of the IEC standard. It is indicated
as IEC type in the device description. Otherwise, the entry of the table will be
empty.

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Element Description
Default value Default value that is assigned to the channel when the controller is set to
STOP mode.
This column is only available if the option Set all outputs to default is selected
for the parameter Behaviour for outputs in Stop in the PLC Settings view of
the device editor (see page 141).
You can edit this field only if you are mapping to a new created variable or if
no mapping is specified. When you are mapping to an existing variable, the
initialization value of the variable is used as the default value.
NOTE: In case a “new” variable and an “existing” variable (by using the
AT declaration) are mapped to the same output, the initialization value of the
“existing” variable is used as default value.
Unit Unit of the parameter value, for example: ms for milliseconds
Description Short description of the parameter
Current Value Present value of the parameter, displayed in online mode

NOTE: Inputs and outputs that are not used in the application are not read by the controller in
online mode. To indicate that these inputs and outputs are not used, they are marked with a gray
background. Any values that might appear in these gray lines are invalid.

Modifying and Fixing Addresses

This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide specific
to your controller for further information.
You can modify and fix the displayed address of an output or input here in this tab. Use this to adapt
the addressing to a given hardware configuration or to keep the address value even if the order of
the modules is changed. By default, this would cause an automatic adaptation of the address
values.
Consider that depending on the device description, you can only modify the address of the input
or output, however, not that of its subelements (bit channels). Therefore, if an input or output is
represented here in the mapping table with a subtree, you can edit only the address field of the
uppermost entry (see the figure below: only the address field in the first line can be opened).
In order to fix the address value, select the entry in the Address column and press the SPACE bar
to open the edit field. Either modify the value or leave it unmodified and close the edit field via the
RETURN key. The address field is marked by an M symbol which indicates that the present value
is fixed.

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If the value has been modified, the subsequent addresses (up to the next fixed address) will be
adapted correspondingly:

If you want to remove the fixation of the value, reopen the address edit field, delete the address
entry, and close with Enter. The address and the identified succeeding addresses will be set back
to the values they had before the manual modification. The M symbol will be removed.

Configuration of the I/O Mapping

Perform the I/O mapping by assigning the appropriate project variables to the device input and
output channels each in the Variable column.
 The type of the channel is already indicated in the Variable column by a symbol: for input,
for output. In this line, enter the name or path of the variable to which the channel should be
mapped. You can either map on an existing project variable or define a new variable, which then
will automatically be declared as a global variable.
 When mapping structured variables, the editor will prevent that both the structure variable (for
example, on %QB0) and particular structure elements (for example, in this case on %QB0.1 and
QB0.2 ) can be entered.
This means: When there is a main entry with a subtree of bit channel entries in the mapping
table (as shown in the figure below), then either in the line of the main entry a variable can be
entered or in those of the subelements (bit channels) never in both.
 For mapping on an existing variable, specify the complete path. For example: <application
name>.<pou path>.<variable name>';
Example: app1.plc_prg.ivar
For this purpose, it can be helpful to open the input assistant via the ... button. In the Mapping
column, the symbol will be displayed and the address value will be crossed out. This does
not mean that this memory address does not exist any longer. However, it is not used directly
because the value of the existing variable is managed on another memory location, and,
especially in case of outputs, no other already existing variable should be stored to this address
(%Qxx in the I/O mapping) in order to avoid ambiguities during writing the values.

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See in the following example an output mapping on the existing variable xBool_4:

NOTE: When you are mapping to an existing variable, the initialization value of the variable is used
as the default value. You can edit the Default value field only if you are mapping to a new created
variable or if no mapping is specified.
 If you want to define a new variable, enter the desired variable name.
Example: bVar1

In this case, the symbol will be inserted in the Mapping column and the variable will be
internally declared as a global variable. From here, the variable will be available globally within
the application. The mapping dialog is another place for the declaration of global variables.
NOTE: Alternatively, an address can also be read or written within a program code, such as
in ST (structured text).
 Considering the possibility of changes in the device configuration, do the mappings within the
device configuration dialog.
NOTE: If a UNION is represented by I/O channels in the mapping dialog, it depends on the device
whether the root element is mappable or not.
If a declared variable of a given data type is larger than that to which it is being mapped, the value
of the variable being mapped will be assigned a truncated to the size of the mapped target variable.
For example, if the variable is declared as a WORD data type, and it is mapped to a BYTE, only
8 bits of the word will be mapped to the byte.
This implies that, for the monitoring of the value in the mapping dialog, the value displayed at the
root element of the address will be the value of the declared variable - as currently valid in the
project. In the subelements below the root, the particular element values of the mapped variable
will be monitored. However, only part of the declared value may be displayed among the
subelements.
A further implication is when you map a declared variable to physical outputs. Likewise, if you map
a data type that is larger than the output data type, the output data type may receive a truncated
value such that it may affect your application in unintended ways.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Verify that the declared data type that is being mapped to physical I/O is compatible with the
intended operation of your machine.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

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Element Description
Reset mapping Click this button to reset the mapping settings to the defaults
defined by the device description file.
Always update variables Definition if the I/O variables are updated in the bus cycle
task (see page 141). The default value is defined in the
device description.
 Use parent device settings: Update according to the
settings of the parent device.
 Enabled 1 (use bus cycle task if not used in any task):
The I/O variables are updated in the bus cycle task if not
used in another task.
 Enabled 2 (always in bus cycle task): The variables are
updated in every cycle of bus cycle task, regardless of
whether they are being used or whether they are mapped
to an input or to an output channel.

IEC Objects
This part of the tab is only available if implicitly a function block instance of a device has been
created, which can be accessed by the application (for example, in order to restart a bus or to poll
information). Whether such an instance is available and how it can be used, depends on the
controller. Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller.

Bus Cycle Options

This configuration option will be available for devices with cyclic calls before and after reading
inputs or outputs. It allows you to set a device-specific bus cycle task (see page 141).
Per default, the parent bus cycle setting will be valid (Use parent bus cycle setting). This means
that is the Devices Tree will be searched for the next valid bus cycle task definition.
To assign a specific bus cycle task, select the desired one from the selection list. The list provides
the tasks currently defined in the application task configuration.

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I/O Mapping in Online Mode

I/O Mapping in Online Mode

If a structure variable is mapped on the root element of the address (the uppermost in the tree of
the respective address in the mapping dialog), then in online mode no value will be displayed in
this line. If, however, for example, a DWORD variable is mapped to this address, then in the root
line, as well as in the bit channel lines indented below, the respective values will be monitored.
Basically, the field in the root line stays empty if the value is composed of multiple subelements.

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Implicit Variables for Forcing I/Os

Overview
During the commissioning of a plant or a machine, it may be necessary to force I/Os. For this
purpose, you can generate special force variables for each I/O channel which is mapped on a
variable in the I/O Mapping tab of the device editor.
As a precondition the setting Generate force variables for IO mapping has to be activated in the
PLC settings tab. Then, at each build run of the application, for each mapped I/O channel,
two variables are generated according to the following syntax. Any empty spaces in the channel
name are replaced by underscores.
<devicename>_<channelname>_<IECaddress>_Force of type BOOL, for activating and
deactivating the forcing
<devicename>_<channelname>_<ECaddress>_Value of datatype of the channel, for defining the
value to be forced on the channel
These variables will be available in the input assistant in category Variables → IoConfig_Globals_-
Force_Variables. They can be used in any programming objects, in visualizations, symbol
configuration, and so on, within the programming system.
A rising edge at the force variable activates the forcing of the respective I/O with the value define
by the value variable. A falling edge deactivates the forcing. Deactivating by setting the force
variable back to FALSE is necessary before a new value can be forced.
Consider the restrictions listed below.

Example
If the mapping is completed as shown in figure I/O Mapping tab of the device editor (see page 158),
then at a build (F11) of the application, the following variables will be generated and be available
in the input assistant:
 Digitax_ST_Control_word_QW0_Force : BOOL;
 Digitax_ST_Control_word_QW0_Value : UINT;
 Digitax_ST_Target_position_QD1_Force : BOOL;
 Digitax_ST_Target_position_QD1_Value : DINT;
 Digitax_ST_Status_word_IW0_Force : BOOL;
 Digitax_ST_Status_word_IW0_Value : UINT;
 Digitax_ST_Position_actual_value_ID1_Force : BOOL;
 Digitax_ST_Position_actual_value ID1_Value : DINT;

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 Common Device Editor Dialogs

Restrictions
 Only channels which are mapped on a variable in the I/O Mapping tab (i.e., a variable has to be
defined in the Variable column, no matter whether it is a new or an existing) can be forced by
the above described implicit variables.
 Unused inputs / outputs as well as those which are mapped via AT declaration in an application
program cannot be forced.
 The respective I/O channels have to be used in at least one task.
 Forced I/Os are not indicated in the monitoring (watch view, I/O mapping dialog). The value is
only used implicitly in the I/O driver for writing onto the device.
 Forced inputs are displayed correctly by the red force symbol (F), not however, forced
inputs/outputs.

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Common Device Editor Dialogs

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Program
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Part III
Program

Program

What Is in This Part?

This part contains the following chapters:
Chapter Chapter Name Page
7 Program Components 169
8 Task Configuration 245
9 Managing Applications 249

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Program

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Program Components
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Chapter 7
Program Components

Program Components

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following sections:
Section Topic Page
7.1 Program Organization Unit (POU) 170
7.2 Function Block 194
7.3 Application Objects 215
7.4 Application 243

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Program Components

Section 7.1
Program Organization Unit (POU)

Program Organization Unit (POU)

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
POU 171
Adding and Calling POU Objects 172
Program 176
Function 178
Method 180
Property 183
Interface 185
Action 189
Transition 191
POUs for Implicit Checks 192

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 Program Components

POU

Overview
The term Program Organizational Unit (POU) is used for all programming objects (programs,
function blocks, functions, etc.) which are used to create a controller application.
As defined in the IEC 61131 standard, a POU is a program, a function block, or a function.
However, in this document the term POU is used for programming elements in general that can
contain IEC code, such as methods, properties, interfaces etc. Whenever this document refers to
POUs in the more restricted sense as defined in IEC 61131, the term POU object is used.

POU Management
POUs which are managed in the Global node of the Applications tree are not device-specific but
they can be instantiated for the use on a device (application). For this purpose, program POUs
must be called by a task of the respective application.
But POU also is the name of a certain sub-category of these objects in the Add Object menu. At
this place, it just comprises programs, function blocks, and functions.
Therefore, a POU object in general is a programming unit. It is an object which is managed either
non-device-specifically in the Global node of the Applications tree or directly below an application
in the Applications tree. It can be viewed and edited in an editor view. A POU object can be a
program, function, function block.
It is possible to set certain Properties (such as build conditions, etc.) for each particular POU
object.
For a description on how to create a POU object, refer to the section Adding POU Objects to an
Application (see page 173). The POU objects you have created are added to the Assets view of
the Software catalog.
You can add a POU object available in the Assets view to the project in 2 different ways:
 Select a POU object in the Assets view and drag it to the suitable node in the Applications tree.
 Select a POU object in the Assets view and drag it to the logic editor view (see page 289).

Besides the POU objects, there are device objects used for running the program on the target
system (Resource, Application, Task Configuration etc.). They are managed in the Applications
tree.

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Program Components

Adding and Calling POU Objects

Introduction
You can add Program Organization Unit (POU) objects to your application in the Software catalog
→ Assets or in the Applications tree.
The different types of POU objects are:
 Program: It returns one or several values during operation. All values are retained from the last
time the program was run until the next. It can be called by another POU object.
 Function Block: It provides one or more values during the processing of a program. As opposed
to a function, the values of the output variables and the necessary internal variables shall persist
from one execution of the function block to the next. So invocation of a function block with the
same arguments (input parameters) need not always yield the same output values.
 Function: It yields exactly one data element (which can consist of several elements, such as
fields or structures) when it is processed. The call in textual languages can occur as an operator
in expressions.

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 Program Components

Adding POU Objects to an Application

To add a POU object to the application of the controller, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 In the Software catalog → Assets → POUs section, select an Application node, click the green plus
button, and execute the command POU.... As an alternative, you can right-click the Application node
of the controller and choose Add Object → POU.
The two methods are also available in the Applications tree.
Result: The Add POU dialog box opens.

2 In the Add POU dialog box, assign a name to your POU object by typing a name in the text field
Name.
NOTE: The name must not contain any space characters. If you do not enter a name, a name is
given by default.
Assigning a meaningful name to a POU may ease the organization of your project.

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Program Components

Step Action
3 Select the type of POU object you want:
 Program
 Function Block:
a. If you want your function block to extend an already existing function block, select Extends and
click the browser to select the function block you want in the Input Assistant.
b. Click the OK button.
c. If you want your function block to implement an interface, select Implements and click the
browser to select the interface you want in the Input Assistant.
d. Click the OK button.
e. If your function block implements an interface, in the list box Method implementation language,
select the programming language you want for editing the methods and properties defined in
the implemented interface.
 Function:
a. Click the browse button to select the Return type you want in the Input Assistant.
b. Click the OK button.
4 From the list box Implementation Language, select the programming language you want for editing
your POU object.
5 Click the Open button.

Already defined POU objects are listed in the Software catalog → Assets → POUs section. You
can add them to your application, by dragging them to the Applications tree and dropping them on
an Application node. You can also drop a POU object on the logic editor view.

Assigning Programs to a Task

At least one program has to be assigned to a task. To add a program to a task, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Under the node Task Configuration of the controller, double-click the task to which you want to add
your program. In the Configuration tab, click Add Call.
Alternatively, in the Applications tree select the task to which you want to assign your program and
click the green plus button. Execute the command Program Call... from the list. Click the ... button.
Result: The Input Assistant dialog box is displayed.
2 In the tab Categories of the Input Assistant dialog box, select Programs.
3 Click to clear the check box Structured view.
4 In the Items panel, select the POU you want.
5 Click the OK button.

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 Program Components

Calling POUs
POUs can call other POUs. Recursion however is not allowed (a POU that calls itself).
When a POU assigned to an application calls another POU just by its name (without any
namespace (see page 866) added), consider the following order of browsing the project for the
POU to be called:

1. current application
2. Library Manager of the current application in the Tools tree
3. Global node of the Applications tree
4. Library Manager in the Global node of the Tools tree

If a POU with the name specified in the call is available in a library of the Library Manager of the
application as well as an object in the Global node of the Applications tree, there is no syntax for
explicitly calling the POU in the Global node of the Applications tree, just by using its name. In this
case move the respective library from the Library Manager of the application to the Library
Manager of the Global node of the Applications tree. Then you can call the POU from the Global
node of the Applications tree just by its name (and, if needed, that from the library by preceding the
library namespace).
Also refer to the chapter POUs for Implicit Checks (see page 192).

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Program Components

Program

Overview
A program is a POU object which returns one or several values during operation. All values are
retained from the last time the program was run until the next. However, there are not separate
instances of programs, unlike function blocks. When calling a function block, only the values in the
given instance of the function block are modified. The modifications are only affected when the
same instance is called again. Program value modifications will be retained until the program gets
called again even if called from another POU.

Adding a Program
To add a program to an existing application, select the application node in the Applications tree,
click the green plus button, and execute the command POU.... As an alternative, right-click the
Application node, and execute the command Add Object → POU from the contextual menu. To
add an application-independent POU, select the Global node of the Applications tree, and execute
the same commands.
In the Add POU dialog box select the Program option, enter a name for the program, and select
the desired implementation language. Click Open to confirm. The editor view for the new program
opens and you can start editing the program.

Declaring a Program
Syntax:
PROGRAM <program name>
This is followed by the variable declarations of input (see page 637), output (see page 638), and
program variables. Access variables are available as options as well.
Example of a program

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 Program Components

Calling a Program
A program can be called by another POU. However, a program call in a Function (see page 178)
is not allowed. There are no instances of programs.
If a POU has called a program and if the values of the program have been modified, these
modifications will be retained until the program gets called again. This applies even if it is called
from within another POU. Consider that this is different from calling a function block. When calling
a function block, only the values in the given instance of the function block are modified. The
modifications are only affected when the same instance is called again.
In order to set input and/or output parameters in the course of a program call, in text language
editors (for example, ST), assign values to the parameters after the program name in parentheses.
For input parameters, use := for this assignment, as with the initialization of variables
(see page 629) at the declaration position. For output parameters, use =>. See the following
example.
If the program is inserted via the Input Assistant using the option Insert with arguments in the
implementation view of a text language editor, it will be displayed automatically according to this
syntax with all parameters, though you do not necessarily have to assign these parameters.

Example for Program Calls

Program in IL:
CAL PRGexample (
in_var:= 33 )
LD PRGexample.out_var
ST erg
Example with assigning the parameters (Input Assistant using the option Insert with arguments):
Program in IL with arguments:
CAL PRGexample (
in_var:= 33 ,
out_var=> erg )
Example in ST
PRGexample(in_var:= 33);
erg := PRGexample.out_var;
Example with assigning the parameters (Input Assistant using the option Insert with arguments as
described previously):
PRGexample (in_var:=33, out_var=>erg );
Example in FBD
Program in FBD:

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Program Components

Function

Overview
A function is a POU which yields exactly one data element (which can consist of several elements,
such as fields or structures) when it is processed. Its call in textual languages can occur as an
operator in expressions.

Adding a Function
To assign the function to an existing application, select the application node in the Applications
tree, click the green plus button, and execute the command POU.... As an alternative, right-click
the Application node, and execute the command Add Object → POU from the contextual menu.
To add an application-independent POU, select the Global node of the Applications tree, and
execute the same commands.
In the Add POU dialog box, select the Function option. Enter a Name (<function name>) and a
Return Data Type (<data type>) for the new function and select the desired implementation
language. To choose the return data type, click the button ... to open the Input Assistant dialog box.
Click Open to confirm. The editor view for the new function opens and you can start editing.

Declaring a Function
Syntax:
FUNCTION <function name> : <data type>
This is followed by the variable declarations of input and function variables.
Assign a result to the function. This means that the function name is used as an output variable.
Do not declare local variables as RETAIN or PERSISTENT in a function because this will have no
effect.
Example of a function in ST: this function takes 3 input variables and returns the product of the last
2 added to the first one.

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 Program Components

Calling a Function
The call of a function in ST can appear as an operand in expressions.
In IL, you can position a function call only within actions of a step or within a transition.
Functions (in contrast to a program or function block) contain no internal state information, that is,
invocation of a function with the same arguments (input parameters) always will yield the same
values (output). For this reason, functions may not contain global variables and addresses.

Example of Function Calls in IL

Function calls in IL;
LD 5
Fct 3 ,
22
ST result

Example of Function Calls in ST

result := fct1(5,3,22);

Example of Function Calls in FBD

Function calls in FBD:

Example:
fun(formal1 := actual1, actual2); // -> error message
fun(formal2 := actual2, formal1 := actual1); // same semantics as the f
ollowing:
fun(formal1 := actual1, formal2 := actual2);
According to the IEC 61131-3 standard, functions can have additional outputs. They can be
assigned in the call of the function. In ST, for example, according to the following syntax:
out1 => <output variable 1> | out2 => <output variable 2> | ...further output variables

Example
Function fun is defined with 2 input variables in1 and in2 and two output variables out1 and
out2. The output values of fun are written to the locally declared variables loc1 and loc2.
fun(in1 := 1, in2 := 2, out1 => loc1, out2 => loc2);

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Program Components

Method

Overview
A method is a language element similar to a function that can be used in a context of a function
block (see page 194). It can be regarded as a function which contains an instance of the respective
function block. Such as a function, a method has a return value, and its own declaration part for
temporary variables and parameters.
Also as a means of object-oriented programming, you can use interfaces (see page 185) to
organize the methods available in a project.
NOTE: When copying or moving a method or property from a POU to an interface, the contained
implementations are deleted automatically. When copying or moving from an interface to a POU,
you are requested to specify the desired implementation language.

Inserting a Method
To assign a method to a function block or interface, select the appropriate function block or
interface node in the Applications tree, click the green plus button and execute the command
Method. Alternatively, you can right-click the function block or interface node and execute the
command Add Object → Method from the contextual menu.
In the Add Method dialog box, enter a Name, the desired Return Type, the Implementation
Language, and the Access Specifier (see below). For choosing the return data type, click the
button ... to open the Input Assistant... dialog box.
Access specifier: For compatibility reasons, access specifiers are optional. The specifier PUBLIC
is available as an equivalent for having set no specifier.
Alternatively, choose one of the options from the selection list:
 PRIVATE: The access on the method is restricted to the function block.
 PROTECTED: The access on the method is restricted to the function block and its derivation.
 INTERNAL: The access on the method is restricted to the present namespace (the library).

Click Open to confirm. The method editor view opens.

Input Assistance when Creating Inheriting Function Blocks

EcoStruxure Machine Expert facilitates object-oriented programming using inheritance within
function blocks: When you execute Add Object on a function block that inherits from another
function block, the Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements used in the base function
block are listed for selection:
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PUBLIC,
PROTECTED, and INTERNAL defined in the base function block are available for selection.
You can adapt the definition for the inherited object. In the inherited object, the same Access
specifier is assigned as to the source elements.
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PRIVATE are not
available for selection because access is restricted to the base function block.

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 Program Components

Declaring a Method
Syntax:
METHOD <access specifier> <method name> : <return data type>VAR_INPUT ... END_VAR
For a description on how to declare interface handling methods, refer to the Interface chapter
(see page 185).

Calling a Method
Method calls are also named virtual function calls. For further information, refer to the chapter
Method Invocation (see page 208).
Note the following for calling a method:
 The data of a method is temporary and only valid during the execution of the method (stack
variables). This means that the variables and function blocks declared in a method are
reinitialized at each call of the method.
 Methods defined in an interface (see page 185) are only allowed to have input, output, and
input/output variables, but no body (implementation part).
 Methods such as functions can have additional outputs. They must be assigned during method
invocation (see page 208).

Implementing a Method
Note the following for implementing a method:
 In the body of a method, access to the function block instance variables is allowed.
 If necessary, use the THIS pointer (see page 212) which always points on the present instance.
 VAR_TEMP variables of the function block cannot be accessed in a method.

Special Methods for a Function Block

Method Description
Init A method named FB_init is by default declared implicitly, but can also be declared
explicitly. It contains initialization code for the function block as declared in the
declaration part of the function block. Refer to FB_init method (see page 647).
Reinit If a method named FB_reinit is declared for a function block instance, it is called
after the instance has been copied (like during Online Change) and will reinitialize the
new instance module. Refer to FB_init, FB_reinit methods (see page 647).
Exit If an exit method named FB_exit is desired, it has to be declared explicitly. There is
no implicit declaration. The Exit method is called for each instance of the function
block before a new download, a reset or during online change for all moved or deleted
instances. Refer to FB_exit method (see page 647).

Properties (see page 183) and interface properties (see page 186) each consist of a Set and/or a
Get accessor method.

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Program Components

Method Call Also When Application Is Stopped

In the device description file, it can be defined that a certain method should always be called task-
cyclically by a certain function block instance (of a library module). If this method has the following
input parameters, it is processed also when the active application is not running.
Example
VAR_INPUT
pTaskInfo : POINTER TO DWORD;
pApplicationInfo: POINTER TO _IMPLICIT_APPLICATION_INFO;
END_VAR
The programmer can check the application status via pApplicationInfo, and can define what
should happen.
IF pApplicationInfo^.state = RUNNING THEN <instructions> END_IF

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Property

Overview
A property in extension to the IEC 61131-3 is available as a means of object-oriented
programming. It consists of a pair of accessor methods (Get, Set). They allow encapsulating a
read or write access to variables declared inside of a POU or a GVL into a function call, while
keeping the syntax of a variable access.
To insert a property as an object below a program (see page 176), a function block (see page 194),
a GVL (see page 218), or an interface (see page 185) node, select the node in the Applications
tree, click the green plus button, and execute the command Property. As an alternative, right-click
the node and execute the command Add Object → Property from the contextual menu.
In the Add Property dialog box specify the Name, Return Type, desired Implementation Language,
and optionally an Access Specifier.
The same access specifiers are available as for methods (see page 180):
 PUBLIC
 PRIVATE
 PROTECTED
 INTERNAL

NOTE: Properties can also be declared within interfaces.

EcoStruxure Machine Expert facilitates object-oriented programming using inheritance within
function blocks: When you execute Add Object on a function block that inherits from another
function block, the Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements used in the base function
block are listed for selection:
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PUBLIC,
PROTECTED, and INTERNAL defined in the base function block are available for selection.
You can adapt the definition for the inherited object. In the inherited object, the same Access
specifier is assigned as to the source elements.
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PRIVATE are not
available for selection because access is restricted to the base function block.

Get and Set Accessors of a Property

2 special methods (see page 180), named accessor, are inserted automatically in the Applications
tree below the property object. You can delete one of them if the property should only be used for
writing or only for reading. An accessor, like a property (see previous paragraph), can get assigned
an access modifier in the declaration part, or via the Add Object dialog box, when explicitly adding
the accessor.
 The Set accessor is called when the property is written.
 The Get accessor is called when the property is read.

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Program Components

Example:
Function block FB1 has a property seconds that uses a local variable milli. This variable is
determined by the properties Get and Set:
Get implementation example
seconds := milli / 1000;
Set implementation example
milli := seconds * 1000;
You can write the property of the function block (Set method), for example by
fbinst.seconds := 22;.
(fbinst is the instance of FB1).
You can read the property of the function block (Get method) for example by
testvar := fbinst.seconds;.
In the following example, property seconds is assigned to function block FB1:

A property can have additional local variables but no additional inputs and - in contrast to a function
(see page 178) or method (see page 180) - no additional outputs.
NOTE: When copying or moving a method or property from a POU to an interface, the contained
implementations are deleted automatically. When copying or moving from an interface to a POU,
you are requested to specify the desired implementation language.

Monitoring a Property
A property can be monitored in online mode either with help of inline monitoring (see page 404) or
with help of a watch list (see page 480). The precondition for monitoring a property is the addition
of the pragma {attribute 'monitoring' := 'variable'} (refer to the chapter Attribute
Monitoring (see page 691)) on top of its definition.

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 Program Components

Interface

Overview
The use of interfaces is a means of object-oriented programming. An interface POU defines a set
of methods (see page 180) and properties (see page 183) without an implementation. An interface
can be described as an empty shell of a function block (see page 194). It must be implemented
(see page 206) in the declaration of the function block in order to get realized in the function block
instances. A function block can implement one or several interfaces.
The same method can be realized with identical parameters but different implementation code by
different function blocks. Therefore, an interface can be used/called in any POU without the need
that the POU identifies the particular function block that is concerned.

Example of Interface Definition and Usage in a Function Block

An interface IFT is inserted below an application. It contains 2 methods Method1 and Method2.
Neither the interface nor the methods contain any implementation code. Just the declaration part
of the methods is to be filled with the desired variable declarations:
Interface with 2 methods:

1 or multiple function blocks can now be inserted, implementing the above defined interface ITF.
Creating a function block implementing an interface

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Program Components

When function block POU is added to the Applications tree, the methods Method1 and Method2
are automatically inserted below as defined by ITF. Here they can be filled with function block-
specific implementation code.
Using the interface in the function block definition

An interface can extend other interfaces by using EXTENDS (see following example Example for
Extending an Interface (see page 187)) in the interface definition.

Interface Properties
An interface can also define an interface property, consisting of the accessor methods Get and/or
Set. For further information on properties, refer to the chapter Property (see page 183). A property
in an interface like the possibly included methods is just a prototype that means it contains no
implementation code. Like the methods, it is automatically added to the function block, which
implements the interface. There it can be filled with specific programming code.

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Considerations
Consider the following:
 It is not allowed to declare variables within an interface. An interface has no body (implemen-
tation part) and no actions. Just a collection of methods is defined within an interface and those
methods are only allowed to have input variables, output variables, and input/output variables.
 Variables declared with the type of an interface are treated as references.
 A function block implementing an interface must have assigned methods and properties which
are named exactly as they are in the interface. They must contain identically named inputs,
outputs, and inputs/outputs.
NOTE: When copying or moving a method or property from a POU to an interface, the contained
implementations are deleted automatically. When copying or moving from an interface to a POU,
you are requested to specify the desired implementation language.

Inserting an Interface
To add an interface to an application, select the Application node in the Applications tree or in the
Software Catalog → Assets, click the green plus button and select Add Other Objects... →
Interface. Alternatively, execute the command Add Object → Interface. If you select the node
Global before you execute the command, the new interface is available for all applications.
In the Add Interface dialog box, enter a name for the new interface (<interface name>). Optionally
you can activate the option Extends: if you want the current interface to be an extension
(see page 203) of another interface.

Example for Extending an Interface

If ITF1 extends ITF_base, all methods described by ITF_base will be automatically available in
ITF1.
Extending an interface

Click Add to confirm the settings. The editor view for the new interface opens.

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Program Components

Declaring an Interface
Syntax
INTERFACE <interface name>
For an interface extending another one:
INTERFACE <interface name> EXTENDS <base interface name>
Example
INTERFACE interface1 EXTENDS interface_base

Adding the Desired Collection of Methods

To complete the definition of the interface, add the desired collection of methods. For this purpose,
select the interface node in the Applications tree and execute the command Interface method....
The Add Interface Method dialog box opens for defining a method to be part of the interface.
Alternatively, select the interface node in the Applications tree, click the green plus button and
select Interface Method. Add as many methods as desired and remember that these methods are
only allowed to have input variables, output variables, and input/output variables, but no body
(implementation part).

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 Program Components

Action

Overview
You can define actions and assign them to function blocks (see page 194) and programs
(see page 176). An action is an additional implementation. It can be created in a different language
than the basic implementation. Each action is given a name.
An action works with the data of the function block or program to which it belongs. It uses the
input/output variables and local variables defined and does not contain its own declarations.

Example of an Action of a Function Block

The following illustration shows an action in FB

In this example, each call of the function block FB1 increases or decreases the output variable out,
depending on the value of the input variable in. Calling action Reset of the function block sets the
output variable out to 0. The same variable out is written in both cases.

Inserting an Action
To add an action, select the respective program or function block node in the Applications Tree or
in the Global node of the Applications Tree, click the green plus button, and execute the command
Action.... Alternatively, right-click the program or function block node, and execute the command
Add Object → Action. In the Add Action dialog box, define the action Name and the desired
Implementation Language.
EcoStruxure Machine Expert facilitates object-oriented programming using inheritance within
function blocks: When you execute Add Object on a function block that inherits from another
function block, the Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements used in the base function
block are listed for selection:
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PUBLIC,
PROTECTED, and INTERNAL defined in the base function block are available for selection.
You can adapt the definition for the inherited object. In the inherited object, the same Access
specifier is assigned as to the source elements.
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PRIVATE are not
available for selection because access is restricted to the base function block.

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Calling an Action
Syntax
<Program_name>.<Action_name>
or
<Instance_name>.<Action_name>
Consider the notation in FBD (see the following example).
If it is required to call the action within its own block, that is the program or function block it belongs
to it is sufficient to use the action name.

Examples
This section provides examples for the call of the above described action from another POU.
Declaration for all examples:
PROGRAM PLC_PRG
VAR
Inst : Counter;
END_VAR
Call of action Reset in another POU, which is programmed in IL:
CAL Inst.Reset(In := FALSE)
LD Inst.out
ST ERG
Call of action Reset in another POU, which is programmed in ST:
Inst.Reset(In := FALSE);
Erg := Inst.out;
Call of action Reset in another POU, which is programmed in FBD:
Action in FBD

NOTE: The IEC standard does not recognize actions other than actions of the sequential function
chart (SFC). These actions are an essential part containing the instructions to be processed at the
particular steps of the chart.

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Transition

Overview
You can use transition objects as transition elements in a program or function block implemented
in SFC.
For further information, refer to the description of steps and transitions in the chapter SFC
Elements / ToolBox (see page 381).
EcoStruxure Machine Expert facilitates object-oriented programming using inheritance within
function blocks: When you execute Add Object on a function block that inherits from another
function block, the Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements used in the base function
block are listed for selection:
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PUBLIC,
PROTECTED, and INTERNAL defined in the base function block are available for selection.
You can adapt the definition for the inherited object. In the inherited object, the same Access
specifier is assigned as to the source elements.
 Action, Method, Property, and Transition elements with Access specifier = PRIVATE are not
available for selection because access is restricted to the base function block.

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POUs for Implicit Checks

Overview
You have to add special POUs below an application to provide implicitly available check functions.
They verify array and range boundaries, the validity of pointers and verify the presence of division
by zero during runtime.
NOTE: The availability of the check functions have a runtime performance impact.
NOTE: For the check functions to verify the code of uncompiled referenced libraries, you have to
enter the Compiler defines string checks_in_libs in the Build tab of the Properties dialog box
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help) of the application.
To add monitoring functions under an application, select the application node in the Applications
tree and click the green plus button or execute the command Add Object → POU for implicit
checks....
The dialog box allows you to activate the following check functions for the selected application:

Category Added functions

Bound Checks CheckBounds (for arrays) (see page 740)
Division Checks  CheckDivDInt (see page 775)
 CheckDivLInt(see page 775)
 CheckDivReal (see page 775)
 CheckDivLreal (see page 775)

Range Checks  CheckRangeSigned (see page 749)

 CheckRangeUnsigned (see page 749)
LRange Checks  CheckLRangeSigned (see page 749)
 CheckLRangeUnsigned (see page 749)
Pointer Checks CheckPointer (see page 736)

When you insert a check POU, the option is no longer available in the dialog box to help avoid a
double insertion. If the different types of check POUs have been added below the application, the
Add Object dialog box does not provide the POUs for implicit checks option any longer.

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CAUTION
INCORRECT IMPLICIT CHECKS FUNCTIONALITY
Do not modify the declaration part of an implicit check function in order to maintain its functional
integrity.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in injury or equipment damage.

NOTE: You may, however, add local variables to the declaration part of an implicit check function.
NOTE: After having removed implicit check function (such as CheckBounds) from your application,
no Online Change is possible, just a download. An appropriate message is displayed.

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Section 7.2
Function Block

Function Block

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
General Information 195
Function Block Instance 198
Calling a Function Block 199
Configuring a Memory Reserve for the Online Change of Function Blocks 201
Extension of a Function Block 203
Implementing Interfaces 206
Method Invocation 208
SUPER Pointer 210
THIS Pointer 212

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General Information

Overview
A function block is a POU (see page 171) which provides 1 or more values during the processing
of a controller program. As opposed to a function, the values of the output variables and the
necessary internal variables shall persist from one execution of the function block to the next.
Therefore, invocation of a function block with the same arguments (input parameters) need not
always yield the same output values.
In addition to the functionality described by standard IEC11631-3, object-oriented programming is
supported and function blocks can be defined as extensions (see page 203) of other function
blocks. They can include interface (see page 206) definitions concerning Method invocation
(see page 208). Therefore, inheritance can be used when programming with function blocks.
A function block always is called via an instance (see page 198), which is a reproduction (copy) of
the function block.

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Adding a Function Block

To add a function block to an existing application, select the respective node in the Software
Catalog → Assets or Applications tree, click the green plus button and select POU.... Alternatively
you can right-click the node and execute the command Add Object → POU. To create a function
block that is independent of an application, select the Global node of the Applications tree or
Assets.
In the Add Object dialog box, select the option Function Block, enter a function block Name
(<identifier>) and choose the desired Implementation Language.
Additionally, you can set the following options:

Option Description
Extends Enter the name of another function block available in the project, which
should be the base for the current one. For details, refer to Extension of a
Function Block (see page 203).
Implements Enter the names of interfaces (see page 185) available in the project, which
should be implemented in the current function block. You can enter several
interfaces separated by commas. For details, refer to Implementing
Interfaces (see page 206).
Access specifier For compatibility reasons, access specifiers are optional. Specifier PUBLIC
is available as an equivalent for having set no specifier.
Alternatively, choose one of the options from the selection list:
 INTERNAL: The access on the function block is restricted to the current
namespace (the library).
 FINAL: Deriving access is not possible that is the function block cannot
be extended by another one. Enables optimized code generation.
NOTE: The access specifiers are valid as of compiler version 3.4.4.0
and thus can be used as identifiers in earlier versions.
For further information, refer to the EcoStruxure Machine
Expert/CoDeSys compiler version mapping table in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert Compatibility and Migration User Guide
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert Compatibility and Migration, User
Guide).
Method implementation Choose the desired programming language for all method and property
language objects created via the interface implementation, independently from that set
for the function block itself.

Click Add to confirm the settings. The editor view for the new function block opens and you can
start editing.

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Declaring a Function Block

Syntax
FUNCTION_BLOCK <access specifier> <function block name> | EXTENDS <function block
name> | IMPLEMENTS <comma-separated list of interface names>
This is followed by the declaration of the variables. You can also group the inputs and outputs for
quick fading out and in when the function block is used in an FBD or LD editor. Also refer to the
chapter Attribute Pingroup (see page 705).

Example
FBexample shown in the following figure has 2 input variables and 2 output variables out1 and
out2.
out1 is the sum of the 2 inputs, out2 is the result of a comparison for equality.
Example of a function block in ST

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Function Block Instance

Overview
Function blocks are called (see page 199) through an instance which is a reproduction (copy) of a
function block (see page 195).
Each instance has its own identifier (instance name), and a data structure containing its inputs,
outputs, and internal variables.
Instances like variables are declared locally or globally. The name of the function block is indicated
as the data type of an identifier.

Syntax for Declaring a Function Block Instance

<identifier>:<function block name>;

Example
Declaration (for example, in the declaration part of a program) of instance INSTANCE of function
block FUB:
INSTANCE: FUB;
The declaration parts of function blocks and programs can contain instance declarations.

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Calling a Function Block

Overview
Function blocks (see page 195) are called through a function block instance. Thus a function block
instance has to be declared locally or globally. Refer to the chapter Function Block Instance
(see page 198) for information on how to declare.
Then the desired function block variable can be accessed using the following syntax.

Syntax
<instance name>.<variable name>

Considerations
 Only the input and output variables of a function block can be accessed from outside of a
function block instance, not its internal variables.
 Access to a function block instance is limited to the POU (see page 171) in which it was
declared unless it was declared globally.
 At calling the instance, the desired values can be assigned to the function block parameters.
See the following paragraph Assigning Parameters at Call.
 The input / output variables (VAR_IN_OUT) of a function block are passed as pointers.
 In SFC, function block calls can only take place in steps.
 The instance name of a function block instance can be used as an input parameter for a function
or another function block.
 All values of a function block are retained until the next processing of the function block.
Therefore, function block calls do not always return the same output values, even if done with
identical arguments.
NOTE: If at least 1 of the function block variables is a remanent variable, the total instance is stored
in the retain data area.

Examples for Accessing Function Block Variables

Assume: Function block fb has an input variable in1 of the type INT. See here the call of this
variable from within program prog. See declaration and implementation in ST:
PROGRAM prog
VAR
inst1:fb;
END_VAR
inst1.in1:=22; (* fb is called and input variable in1 gets assigned v
alue 22 *)
inst1(); (* fb is called, this is needed for the following access on th
e output variable *)
res:=inst1.outl; (* output variable of fb is read *)

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Example of a function block call in FBD:

Assigning Parameters at Call

In the text languages IL and ST, you can set input and/or output parameters immediately when
calling the function block. The values can be assigned to the parameters in parentheses after the
instance name of the function block. For input parameters, this assignment takes place using :=
as with the initialization of variables (see page 629) at the declaration position. For output
parameters, => is to be used.

Example of a Call with Assignments

In this example, a timer function block (instance CMD_TMR) is called with assignments for the
parameters IN and PT. Then the result variable Q is assigned to the variable A. The result variable
is addressed with the name of the function block instance, a following point, and the name of the
variable:
CMD_TMR(IN := %IX5, PT := 300);
A:=CMD_TMR.Q

Example of Inserting Via Input Assistant with Arguments

If the instance is inserted via Input Assistant with the option With arguments in the implementation
view of an ST or IL POU, it is displayed automatically according to the syntax showed in the
following example with all of its parameters, though it is not necessarily required to assign these
parameters.
For the previously mentioned example, the call would be displayed as follows.
CMD_TMR(in:=, pt:=, q=>)
-> fill in, e.g.:
CMD_TMR(in:=bvar, pt:=t#200ms, q=>bres);

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Configuring a Memory Reserve for the Online Change of Function Blocks

Overview
You can configure a memory reserve for the online change of function blocks. After you have made
modifications on the declaration of a function block (in particular after you have added a new
variable), and you perform an online change, it is no longer necessary to copy the instances of the
function block to a new memory area. Thus, the online change is performed faster and fewer errors
are detected.
If the memory reserve you configured is depleted, a message is displayed before the online change
is performed.
It is a good practice to configure the memory reserve for a function block before you download the
application to the controller. If you configure the memory reserve when the application is already
located on the controller, then you have to perform an online change that is even more time-
consuming.

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Procedure of Configuring a Memory Reserve for the Online Change of Function Blocks
If you intend to perform later modifications on a function block that would require the function block
instance to be copied to other memory locations when executing an online change, then you can
use the Online Change Memory Reserve Settings command.
By default, the command is not available in the menus. Add this command via the Tools →
Customize menu (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

Step Action Comment

1 Execute the command View → Online Change Result: The Online Change Memory Reserve
Memory Reserve Settings view opens.
2 From the list of applications, select the suitable –
application.
3 Execute the Build command from the Build menu. –
4 Click the button Scan Application. –
5 From the Function Blocks area, select the entry All. Result: The function blocks of the application are
displayed in the middle of the Online Change
Memory Reserve view.
6 Select the function block for which you want to If the application has not been downloaded to the
configure a memory reserve. controller yet, then the input field Memory reserve
(in bytes) is editable.
If the application is already available on the
controller, then click the Edit button in the Enable
editing area.
NOTE: If you modify the memory reserve of an
application that is already available on the
controller, then the instances of all affected
function blocks must be copied.
7 Enter a value for the Memory reserve (in bytes), and Result: The value you entered is displayed in the
click the Apply for selection button. Memory Reserve cell of the table.
8 Execute the Build command from the Build menu. –
9 Click the button Scan Application. Result: The values of the cells Size, Instance
Count, Additional memory for all instances and
Remaining size of memory reserve Memory
Reserve are updated in the list for the configured
function block.

When you download the application to the controller, the memory size that is reserved for the
function block is calculated by the present size of the function block plus the memory reserve you
configured in the Online Change Memory Reserve view.
Future modifications to the function block can be downloaded to the controller with the online
change without having to copy all instances of the function block to a new memory area.

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Extension of a Function Block

Overview
Supporting object-orientated programming, a function block can be derived from another function
block. This means a function block can extend another, thus automatically getting the
methods/properties/actions/transitions and variables of the basing function block in addition to its
own.
The extension is performed by using the keyword EXTENDS in the declaration of a function block.
You can choose the EXTENDS option already during adding a function block to the project via the
Add Object dialog box.
For further information, refer to the sections describing how to add a method (see page 180), a
property (see page 183), an action (see page 189), or a transition (see page 191).

Syntax
FUNCTION_BLOCK <function block name> EXTENDS <function block name>
This is followed by the declaration of the variables.

Example
Definition of function block fbA
FUNCTION_BLOCK fbA
VAR_INPUT
x:int;
END_VAR
...
Definition of function block fbB
FUNCTION_BLOCK fbB EXTENDS fbA
VAR_INPUT
ivar: INT := 0;
END_VAR
...

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Extension by EXTENDS
Extension by EXTENDS means:
 fbB contains all data and methods which are defined by fbA. An instance of fbB can now be
used in any context where a function block of type fbA is expected.
 fbB is allowed to override the methods/properties/actions/transitions defined in fbA. This
means: fbB can declare a method with the same name and the same inputs and output as
declared by A.
 fbB is not allowed to declare function block variables with the same name as used in fbA. In
this case, the compiler will generate an error message.
 fbA variables and methods can be accessed directly within an fbB scope by using the SUPER
pointer (see page 210) (SUPER^.<method>).
NOTE: A function block can implement multiple interfaces, but it can only extend a single function
block.

Example
FUNCTION_BLOCK FB_Base
VAR_INPUT
END_VAR
VAR_OUTPUT
iCnt : INT;
END_VAR
VAR
END_VAR
THIS^.METH_DoIt();
THIS^.METH_DoAlso();

METHOD METH_DoIt : BOOL

VAR
END_VAR
iCnt := -1;
METH_DoIt := TRUE;

METHOD METH_DoAlso : BOOL

VAR
END_VAR
METH_DoAlso := TRUE;

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FUNCTION_BLOCK FB_1 EXTENDS FB_Base

VAR_INPUT
END_VAR
VAR_OUTPUT
END_VAR
VAR
END_VAR
// Calls the method defined under FB_1
THIS^.METH_DoIt();
THIS^.METH_DoAlso();
// Calls the method defined under FB_Base
SUPER^.METH_DoIt();
SUPER^.METH_DoAlso();
METHOD METH_DoIt : BOOL
VAR
END_VAR
iCnt := 1111;
METH_DoIt := TRUE;
PROGRAM PLC_PRG
VAR
Myfb_1: FB_1;
iFB: INT;
iBase: INT;
END_VAR
Myfb_1();
iBase := Myfb_1.iCnt_Base;
iFB := Myfb_1.iCnt_THIS;

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Implementing Interfaces

Overview
In order to support object-oriented programming, a function block can implement several interfaces
(see page 185) which allows you to use methods (see page 180).

Syntax
FUNCTION_BLOCK <function block name> IMPLEMENTS <interface_1 name>|,<interface_2
name>, ..., <interface_n name>
A function block that implements an interface must contain all methods and properties (interface
properties (see page 186)) defined by this interface. This includes name, inputs, and the output of
the particular method or property which must be exactly the same.
For this purpose - when creating a new function block implementing an interface - automatically all
methods and properties defined in this interface will be inserted below the new function block in
the Applications Tree.
NOTE: If afterwards, methods are added to the interface definition, they will not be added
automatically in the concerned function blocks and thus produce compiler errors. Execute the
command Implement interfaces... (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help) to perform this update explicitly.
When you use inheritance for function blocks, consider that if methods or attributes were created
by inheritance of an interface, either implement them, or delete them if the implementation of the
base function block is to be used. Pragma attributes are automatically inserted. They are detected
during compilation and messages are generated to remind you that the inherited methods or
properties have to be verified. Delete the pragma attributes after you have completely implemented
the new function block.
For further information, refer to the description of the Implement interfaces... command
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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Example
INTERFACE I1 includes method GetName:
METHOD GetName : STRING
Function blocks A and B each implement interface I1:
FUNCTION_BLOCK A IMPLEMENTS I1
FUNCTION_BLOCK B IMPLEMENTS I1
Thus in both function blocks the method GetName has to be available and will be inserted
automatically below each when the function blocks are inserted in the Applications Tree.
Consider a declaration of a variable of type I1:
FUNCTION DeliverName : STRING
VAR_INPUT
l_i : I1;
END_VAR
This input can receive all function blocks that implement interface I1.
Example for function calls:
DeliverName(l_i := A_instance); // call with instance of type A
DeliverName(l_i := B_instance); // call with instance of type B
NOTE: A variable of an interface-type must get assigned an instance of a function block before a
method can be called on it. A variable of an interface-type always is a reference to the assigned
function block instance.
Thus a call to the interface method results in a call to the function block implementation. As soon
as the reference is assigned, the corresponding address is monitored in online mode. Otherwise,
if no reference has been assigned yet, the value 0 is displayed within monitoring in online mode.
For this example see in the implementation part of the function DeliverName:
DeliverName := l_i.GetName(); // in this case it depends on the "real"
type of l_i whether A.GetName or B.GetName is called
NOTE: See also the possibility to extend a function block (see page 203) by using the keyword
EXTENDS in the declaration.

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Method Invocation

Overview
Object-oriented programming with function blocks is - besides of the possibility of extension
(see page 203) via EXTENDS - supported by the possible use of interfaces (see page 206) and
inheritance. This requires dynamically resolved method invocations, also called virtual function
calls.
Virtual function calls need some more time than normal function calls and are used when:
 a call is performed via a pointer to a function block (pfub^.method)
 a method of an interface variable is called (interface1.method)
 a method calls another method of the same function block
 a call is performed via a reference to a function block
 VAR_IN_OUT of a base function block type can be assigned an instance of a derived function
block type
Virtual function calls make possible that the same call in a program source code will invoke
different methods during runtime.
For more information and in-depth view, refer to:
 Method (see page 180) for further information on methods.
 THIS Pointer (see page 212) for using THIS pointer.
 SUPER Pointer (see page 210) for using SUPER pointer.

Calling Methods
According to the IEC 61131-3 standard, methods such as normal functions (see page 178) can
have additional outputs. They can be assigned in the method call according to syntax:
<method>(in1:=<value> |, further input assignments, out1 => <output variable 1> | out2 => <output
variable 2> | ...further output variables)
This has the effect that the output of the method is written to the locally declared variables as given
within the call.

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Example
Assume that function blocks fub1 and fub2 EXTEND function block fubbase and IMPLEMENT
interface1. Method method1 is contained.
Possible use of the interfaces and method calls:
PROGRAM PLC_PRG
VAR_INPUT
b : BOOL;
END_VAR
VAR
pInst : POINTER TO fubbase;
instBase : fubbase;
inst1 : fub1;
inst2 : fub2;
instRef : REFERENCE to fubbase;
END_VAR
IF b THEN
instRef REF= inst1; (* Reference to fub1 *)
pInst := ADR(instBase);
ELSE
instRef REF= inst2; (* Reference to fub2 *)
pInst := ADR(inst1);
END_IF
pInst^.method1(); (* If b is true, fubbase.method1 is c
alled, else fub1.method1 is called *)
instRef.method1(); (* If b is true, fub1.method1 is call
ed, else fub2.method1 is called *)
Assume that fubbase of the upper example contains 2 methods method1 and method2. fub1
overrides method2 but not method1.
method1 is called as shown in the upper example.
pInst^.method1(); (* If b is true fubbase.method1 is called, else fub1.
method1 is called *)
For calling via THIS pointer, refer to THIS Pointer (see page 212).

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SUPER Pointer

Overview
For each function block that extends a base function block, a pointer with name SUPER is
automatically available. It points to the base function block instances.
This provides an effective solution for the following issue:
 SUPER offers access to methods of the base function block implementation. With the keyword
SUPER, a method can be called which is valid in the base (parent) class instance. Thus, no
dynamic name binding takes place.
SUPER may only be used in methods and in the associated function block implementation.
Because SUPER is a pointer to the base function block, you have to dereference it to get the
address of the function block: SUPER^.METH_DoIt

SUPER Call in Different Implementation Languages

Implementation Language Example

ST SUPER^.METH_DoIt();
FBD/CFC/LD

NOTE: The functionality of SUPER is not yet implemented for Instruction List.

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Example
Use of SUPER and THIS pointers.
FUNCTION_BLOCK FB_Base
VAR_OUTPUT
iCnt : INT;
END_VAR
METHOD METH_DoIt : BOOL
iCnt := -1;

METHOD METH_DoAlso : BOOL

METH_DoAlso := TRUE;

FUNCTION_BLOCK FB_1 EXTENDS FB_Base

VAR_OUTPUT
iBase: INT;
END_VAR
// Calls the method defined under FB_1
THIS^.METH_DoIt();
THIS^.METH_DoAlso();
// Calls the method defined under FB_Base
SUPER^.METH_DoIt();
SUPER^.METH_DoAlso();
iBase := SUPER^.iCnt;

METHOD METH_DoIt : BOOL

iCnt := 1111;
METH_DoIt := TRUE;

PROGRAM PLC_PRG
VAR
myBase: FB_Base;
myFB_1: FB_1;
iTHIS: INT;
iBase: INT;
END_VAR
myBase();
iBase := myBase.iCnt;
myFB_1();
iTHIS := myFB_1.iCnt;

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THIS Pointer

Overview
For each function block, a pointer with name THIS is automatically available. It points to its own
function block instance.
This provides an effective solution for the following issues:
 If a locally declared variable in the method hides a function block variable.
 If you want to refer a pointer to its own function block instance for using in a function.

THIS may only be used in methods/properties/actions/transitions and in the associated function

block implementation.
THIS must be written in capital letters. Other spellings are not accepted.
Because THIS is a pointer to the function block, you have to dereference it to access an element
of the function block: THIS^.METHDoIt.

THIS Call in Different Implementation Languages

Implementation Language Example

ST THIS^.METH_DoIt();
FBD/CFC/LD

NOTE: The functionality of THIS is not yet implemented for Instruction List.

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Example 1
Local variable iVarB shadows the function block variable iVarB.
FUNCTION_BLOCK fbA
VAR_INPUT
iVarA: INT;
END_VAR
iVarA := 1;

FUNCTION_BLOCK fbB EXTENDS fbA

VAR_INPUT
iVarB: INT := 0;
END_VAR
iVarA := 11;
iVarB := 2;

METHOD DoIt : BOOL

VAR_INPUT
END_VAR
VAR
iVarB: INT;
END_VAR
iVarB := 22; // Here the local iVarB is set.
THIS^.iVarB := 222; // Here the function block variable iVarB is se
t, although iVarB is overloaded.

PROGRAM PLC_PRG
VAR
MyfbB: fbB;
END_VAR

MyfbB(iVarA:=0 , iVarB:= 0);

MyfbB.DoIt();

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Example 2
Function call that needs a reference to its own instance.
FUNCTION funA
VAR_INPUT
pFB: fbA;
END_VAR
...;

FUNCTION_BLOCK fbA
VAR_INPUT
iVarA: INT;
END_VAR
...;

FUNCTION_BLOCK fbB EXTENDS fbA

VAR_INPUT
iVarB: INT := 0;
END_VAR
iVarA := 11;
iVarB := 2;

METHOD DoIt : BOOL

VAR_INPUT
END_VAR
VAR
iVarB: INT;
END_VAR
iVarB := 22; //Here the local iVarB is set.
funA(pFB := THIS^); //Here funA is called with THIS^.

PROGRAM PLC_PRG
VAR
MyfbB: fbB;
END_VAR
MyfbB(iVarA:=0 , iVarB:= 0);
MyfbB.DoIt();

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Section 7.3
Application Objects

Application Objects

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Data Type Unit (DUT) 216
Global Variable List - GVL 218
Network Variable List (Receiver) 220
Persistent Variables 227
External File 229
Text List 231
Image Pool 238

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Data Type Unit (DUT)

Overview
Along with the standard data types, you can define your own data types. You can create structures
(see page 744), enumeration types (see page 746), and references (see page 732) as data type
units (DUTs) in a DUT editor (see page 435).
For a description of the particular standard and the user-defined data types, refer to the description
of the data types (see page 722).

Adding a DUT Object

To add a DUT object to an existing application, select the application node in the Software catalog
→ Assets → Types or in the Applications tree, click the green plus button, and select DUT.... Or
right-click the respective node and execute the command Add Object → DUT. To create an
application-independent DUT object, select the Global node in the Assets or Applications tree. In
the Add DUT dialog box, enter a Name for the new data type unit, and choose the desired type
Structure, Enumeration, Alias, or Union.
To DUT objects of type Enumeration you can add text list support. For further information, refer to
the description of the Add text list support command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).
In case of type Structure, you can use the principle of inheritance, thus supporting object-oriented
programming. Optionally, you can specify that the DUT extends another DUT which is already
defined within the project. This means that the definitions of the extended DUT will be automatically
valid within the current one. For this purpose, activate the option Extends: and enter the name of
the other DUT.
Click Add to confirm the settings. The editor view for the new DUT opens and you can start editing.

Declaring a DUT Object

Syntax
TYPE <identifier> : <DUT components declaration>END_TYPE
The DUT component declaration depends on the type of DUT, for example, a structure
(see page 744), or an enumeration (see page 746).

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Example
The following example contains 2 DUTS, defining structures struct1 and struct2; struct2
extends struct1, which means that you can use struct2.a in your implementation to access
variable a.
TYPE struct1 :
STRUCT
a:INT;
b:BOOL;
END_STRUCT
END_TYPE
TYPE struct2 EXTENDS struct1 :
STRUCT
c:DWORD;
d:STRING;
END_STRUCT
END_TYPE

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Global Variable List - GVL

Overview
A global variables list (GVL) is used to declare global variables (see page 639). If a GVL is placed
in the Global node of the Software catalog → Variables → Global Variables or the Applications
tree, the variables will be available for the entire project. If a GVL is assigned to a certain
application, the variables will be valid within this application.
To add a GVL to an existing application, select the application node in the Software catalog →
Assets → POUs or Applications tree, click the green plus button and select Global Variable List....
Alternatively you can right-click the node and execute the command Add Object → Add Global
Variable List.... If you select the Global node in these views, the new GVL object will application-
independent.
Use the GVL editor (see page 437) to edit a global variable list.
The variables contained in a GVL can be defined to be available as network variables
(see page 963) for a broadcast data exchange with other devices in the network. For this purpose,
configure appropriate network properties (in the menu View → Properties → Network Variables or
Network Variable Sender Properties) for the GVL.
NOTE: The maximum size of a network variable is 255 bytes. The number of network variables is
not limited.
NOTE: Variables declared in GVLs get initialized before local variables of POUs.

GVL for Configurable Constants (Parameter List) in Libraries

The value of a global constant provided via a library can be replaced by a value defined by the
application. For this purpose, the constant has to be declared in a parameter list in the library.
Then, when the library is included in the application, its value can be edited in the Parameter List
tab of the Library Manager of the application. See the following example for a description on how
to do in detail.

Parameter List Handling

A library lib1.library provides an array variable g_Array. The size of the array variable is
defined by a global constant g_c_Arraysize. The library is included in various applications, each
needing a different array size. Therefore, you want to overwrite the global constant of the library
by an application-specific value.
Proceed as follows: When creating lib1.library, define the global constant g_c_Arraysize
within a special type of global variable list (GVL), the so-called parameter list. For this purpose,
execute the command Add Object and add a parameter list object, in the current example named
Param. In the editor of this object, which equals that of a standard GVL, insert the declaration of
variable g_c_Arraysize.

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Parameter list Param in library Lib1.library

Edit parameter g_c_Arraysize in the Library Manager of a project

Select the library in the upper part of the Library Manager to get the module tree. Select Param in
order to open the tab Library Parameters showing the declarations. Select the cell in column Value
(editable) and use the empty space to open an edit field. Enter the desired new value for
g_c_Arraysize. It will be applied to the current, local scope of the library after having closed the
edit field.

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Network Variable List (Receiver)

Overview
A network variable list (receiver) is used in the Software catalog → Variables → Global Variables
view and in the Applications tree. It defines variables, which are specified as network variables in
another device within the network.
NOTE: The maximum size of a network variable is 255 bytes. The number of network variables is
not limited.
Thus you can add a network variable list (receiver) object to an application if a network variable list
(sender) with special network properties (network variable list) is available in one of the other
network devices. This is independent of whether defined in the same project or in different projects.
If several of appropriate network variable lists (sender) are found within the present project for the
present network, select the desired network variable list (sender) from a selection list Sender when
adding a network variable list (receiver) via the dialog box Add Object → Network Variable List
(Receiver). Network variable lists (sender) from other projects must be imported as described in
this chapter.
This means that each network variable list (receiver) corresponds exactly to one network variable
list (sender) in another device.
Dialog box Add Network Variable List (Receiver)

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Description of the Elements

When adding the network variable list (receiver), besides a Name, also define a Task, responsible
for the handling of the network variables.
Alternatively to directly choosing a network variable list (sender) from another device, you can
specify a network variable list (sender) export file *.GVL with the option Import from file. This
network variable list (sender) file has been generated previously from the network variable list
(sender) via View → Properties → Link To File dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help). In any case this is necessary if the desired network variable list (sender)
is defined within another project. For this purpose, select the option Import from file in the Sender
selection list and enter the file path in the Import from file text field (or click the ... button to open
the dialog for browsing in the file system).
You can modify the settings at a later time via the View → Properties → Network Settings dialog
box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
A network variable list (receiver) is displayed by the NVL editor (see page 440), but it cannot be
modified. It displays the content of the corresponding network variable list (sender). If you modify
the basic network variable list (sender), the network variable list (receiver) is updated accordingly.
A comment is added automatically at top of the declaration part of a network variable list (receiver),
providing information on the sender (device path), the network variable list (sender) name, and the
protocol type.

Network Variable List Example

Network variable list

NOTE: Only arrays whose bounds are defined by a literal or a constant are transferred to the
remote application. Constant expressions in this case are not allowed for bounds definition.
Example: arrVar : ARRAY[0..g_iArraySize-1] OF INT ; is not transferred
arrVar : ARRAY[0..10] OF INT ; is transferred
For further information, refer to the Network Communication chapter (see page 963).

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Example of a Simple Network Variable Exchange

In the following example, a simple network variable exchange is established. In the sender
controller, a network variable list (sender) is created. In the receiver controller, the corresponding
network variable list (receiver) is created.
Perform the following preparations in a default project, where a sender controller Dev_Sender and
a receiver controller Dev_Receiver are available in the Devices tree:
 Create a POU (program) prog_sender below the Application node of Dev_Sender.
 Under the Task Configuration node of this application, add the task Task_S that calls
prog_sender.
 Create a POU (program) prog_rec below the Application node of Dev_Receiver.
 Under the Task Configuration node of this application, add the task Task_R that calls prog_rec.
NOTE: The 2 controllers must be configured in the same subnet of the Ethernet network.

Defining the Network Variable List (Sender)

Step 1: Define a global variable list in the sender controller:

Step Action Comment

1 In the Software catalog → Assets View → POUs, The Properties dialog box of the network variable
select the Application node of the controller list (sender) is displayed.
Dev_Sender and click the green plus button. Execute
the command Network Variable List (Sender).
2 Enter the Name GVL_Sender and click Add to create The GVL_Sender node appears below the
a new global variable list. Application node in the Applications tree and the
editor opens on the middle of the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert screen.
3 In the editor, enter the following variable definitions: –
VAR_GLOBAL
iglobvar:INT;
bglobvar:BOOL;
strglobvar:STRING;
END_VAR

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Step 2: Define the network properties of the network variable list (sender):

Step Action Comment

1 In the Applications tree, select the GVL_Sender The Properties - GVL_Sender dialog box is
node, click the green plus button, and execute the displayed.
command Properties...
2 Open the Network properties tab and configure the –
parameters as indicated in the graphic:

3 Click OK. The dialog box is closed and the network variable
list (sender) network properties are set.

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Defining the Network Variable List (Receiver)

Step 1: Define a global network variable list in the receiver controller:

Step Action Comment

1 In the Applications tree, select the Application node The Add Global Network Variable List dialog box is
of the controller Dev_Receiver, click the green plus displayed.
button, and execute the command Global Network
Variable List....
2 Configure the parameters as indicated in the This global network variable list is the counterpart of
graphic. the network variable list (sender) defined for the
sender controller.

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Step Action Comment

3 Click Open. The dialog box is closed and the GNVL_Receiver
appears below the Application node of the
Dev_Receiver controller:

This network variable list (receiver) automatically

contains the same variable declarations as the
GVL_Sender.

Step 2: View and / or modify the network settings of the network variable list (receiver):

Step Action Comment

1 In the Devices tree, right-click the GNVL_Receiver The Properties - GNVL_Receiver dialog box is
node and select the command Properties.... displayed.
2 Open the Network settings tab. –

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Step 3: Test the network variable exchange in online mode:

Step Action Comment

1 Under the Application node of the controller The editor for prog_sender opens on the right-hand
Dev_Sender, double-click the POU prog_sender. side.
2 Enter the following code for the variable iglobvar: –

3 Under the Application node of the controller The editor for prog_rec opens on the right-hand
Dev_Receiver, double-click the POU prog_rec. side.
4 Enter the following code for the variable –
ivar_local:

5 Log on with sender and receiver applications within The variable ivar_local in the receiver gets the
the same network and start the applications. values of iglobvar as currently displayed in the
sender.

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Persistent Variables

Overview
This object is a global variable list (GVL), which only contains persistent variables of an application.
Thus it has to be assigned to an application. For this purpose, it has to be inserted in the
Applications tree via selecting the respective node, clicking the green plus button, and selecting
Add Other Objects → Persistent Variables....
Only those variables which are declared with VAR PERSISTENT and which are contained in this
list are persistent. The Add all Instance Paths command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) adds all PERSISTENT declarations found in other POUs to the list.
Variables declared with VAR PERSISTENT are also retain variables. Retain variables have the
capacity to keep their values after executing a Reset warm command (see EcoStruxure Machine
Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). The difference is, that persistent variables are only
reinitialized upon executing the Reset origin command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) or by a new application download (after the application had been
removed from the controller). An exception is made if you modified their names or data types.
Persistent variable list

For further information, refer to the description of remanent variables (see page 641).
Also refer to the description of the special commands for handling persistent variables
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Edit a persistent variable list in the persistence editor, which corresponds to the GVL editor
(see page 437). The VAR_GLOBAL PERSISTENT RETAIN is already preset in the first line.

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Adding and Declaring Remanent Variables

When you add variables to an application, you can declare some of the variables as remanent
variables. Remanent variables can retain their values in the event of power outages, reboots,
resets, and application program downloads. There are multiple types of remanent variables,
declared individually as retain or persistent, or in combination as retain-persistent.
Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller for information on the memory size
reserved for retain and persistent variables in the different controllers.
To add a global variable list called Persistent Variables to your application, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Select the respective application node in the Applications tree, click the green plus
button, and select Add Other Objects → Persistent Variables....
Alternatively, you can right-click the application node, and execute the command Add
Object → Persistent Variables....
2 In the Add Persistent Variables dialog box type a name for this list in the Name text
box.
3 Click Add.
Result: A persistent variable node is created in the Applications tree. For an example,
refer to the Overview paragraph in this chapter.

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External File

Overview
To add an external file to the Global node of the Applications Tree or Tools Tree, select the Global
node, click the green plus button and execute the commands Add other objects → External File....
Click the ... button to open the dialog box for browsing a file. The path of this file is entered in the
File path text box. In the Name text box, the name of the chosen file is entered automatically
without extension. You can edit this field to define another name for the file under which it should
be handled within the project.
Add External File dialog box:

Description of the What Do You Want to Do with the External File? Section of the Dialog Box
Select one of the following options:

Option Description
Remember the link. The file will be available in the project only if it is available in the defined link path
Remember the link and embed into A copy of the file will be stored internally in the project but also the link to the
project. external file will be recalled. As long as the external file is available as defined,
the defined update options will be implemented accordingly. Otherwise just the
file version stored in the project will be available.
Embed into project. Just a copy of the file will be stored in the project. There will be no further
connection to the external file.

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Description of the When the External File Changes, Then Section of the Dialog Box
If the external file is linked to the project, you can additionally select one of the options:

Option Description
reload the file automatically. The file is updated within the project as soon as it has been changed
externally.
prompt whether to reload the file. A dialog box pops up as soon as the file has been changed externally.
You can decide whether the file is updated also within the project.
do nothing. The file remains unchanged within the project, even when it is changed
externally.

Description of the Buttons

Button Description
Display file properties... This button opens the dialog box for the properties of a file. This dialog
box also appears when you select the file object in the Applications
Tree or Tools Tree and execute the command Properties. In the tab
External file of this dialog box, you can view and modify the properties.
Add After you have completed the settings, click the Add button to add the
file to the Global node of the Applications Tree or Tools Tree. It is
opened in that tool which is defined as default for the given file format.

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Text List

Overview
A text list is an object managed globally in the Global node of the Applications Tree or assigned to
an application in the Applications Tree.
It serves the following purposes:
 Multi-language support for static (see page 232) and dynamic (see page 233) texts and tooltips
in visualizations and in the alarm handling
 Dynamic text exchange

Text lists can be exported and (re-) imported (see page 236). Export is necessary, if a language
file in XML format has to be provided for a target visualization, but is also useful for translations
(see page 237).
Possible formats of text lists:
 Text
 XML

You can activate support of Unicode (see page 236).

Each text list is uniquely defined by its namespace. It contains text strings which are uniquely
referenced within the list by an identifier (ID, consisting of any sequence of characters) and a
language identifier. The text list to be used is specified when configuring the text for a visualization
element.
Depending on the language which is set in the visualization, the corresponding text string is
displayed in online mode. The language used in a visualization is changed by a Change the
language input. This is accomplished by a mouse action that you have configured on the given
visualization element. Each text list must at least contain a default language, and optionally in other
languages that you choose to define. If no entry is found which matches the language currently set
in EcoStruxure Machine Expert, the default language entry of the text list is used. Each text can
contain formatting definitions (see page 236).
Basic structure of a text list

Identifier Default <Language 1> <Language 2> .... <Language n>

(Index)
<unique <text abc in default <text abc in <text abc in ...
string of language> language 1> language 2>
characters>
<unique <text xyz in default <text xyz in <text xyz in ...
string of language> language 1> language 2>
characters>

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Text List Types

There are two types of text usable in visualization elements and correspondingly there are two
types of list:
 GlobalTextList for static texts
 Textlist for dynamic texts

GlobalTextList for Static Texts

GlobalTextList is a special text list where the identifiers for the particular text entries are handled
implicitly and are not editable. The list can be exported, edited externally and then reimported.
Static texts in a visualization, in contrast to dynamic texts, are not exchanged by a variable in online
mode. The only option to exchange the language of a visualization element is via a Change the
language input. A static text is assigned to a visualization element via property Text or Tooltip in
category Texts. When the first static text is defined in a project, a text list object named
GlobalTextList is added to the Global node of the Applications Tree. It contains the defined text
string found in the column Default, and an automatically assigned integer number as the text
identifier. For each static text that is created thereafter, the identifier number is incremented and
assigned to the visualization element.
If a static text is entered into a visualization element (for example, if in a rectangle with property
category of Texts, the string Text Example is specified), this text is looked up in the GlobalTextList.
 If the text is found (for example, ID 4711, Text Example), the element value 4711 of TextId will
be assigned to an internal variable. This establishes the relationship between the element and
the corresponding line in the GlobalTextList.
 If the text is not found, a new line is inserted in the GlobalTextList (for example, ID 4712, Text
Example). In the element, the value 4712 is assigned to the internal variable.
NOTE: If it does not yet exist - you can create a global text list explicitly by the command Create
Global Text List.
If you have exported, edited and reimported the GlobalTextList, it is validated as to whether the
identifiers are still matching those which are used in the configuration of the respective visualization
elements. If necessary, an implicit update of the identifiers used in the configuration will be
implemented.
To update the ID numbers of the texts that are defined for a visualization, you can remove the
GlobalTextList by right-clicking the node and executing the Delete command. Then open a
visualization and execute the command Visualization → Create Global Text List. A new
GlobalTextList node is created in the Applications tree with the static texts of the visualizations
available in the project.
NOTE: In case your GlobalTextList contains translated strings, they will not be regenerated when
the command Create Global Text List is executed.

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Example of a GlobalTextList
Create Global Text List

Textlist for Dynamic Texts

Dynamic texts can be modified dynamically in online mode. The text index (ID), which is a string
of characters, must be unique within the text list. In contrast to GlobalTextLists, you have to define
it. Also in contrast to the GlobalTextList, create text lists for dynamic texts explicitly by selecting the
Global node, clicking the green plus button, and executing the command Add other objects → Text
List....
The available dynamic text lists are offered when configuring a visualization element via property
Dynamic texts / Text list. If you specify a text list name combined with the text index (ID) - which
can be entered directly or by entering a project variable which defines the ID string - the text can
be modified in online mode.
A dynamic text list must be exported if it is needed as a language file for language switching in a
target visualization. Specify the file path in the Visualization Options. Such as GlobalTextList, a
dynamic text list can also be exported for external editing and reimported. In contrast to
GlobalTextList, when you import dynamic text lists, there is no automatic check and update of the
identifiers.

NOTICE
UNINTENDED MODIFICATION OF IDENTIFIERS
Do not modify the identifiers when editing the exported list.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in equipment damage.

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Example of a Dynamic Text List Named ErrorList

Example ErrorList

Detailed Example
This example explains how to configure a visualization element, which displays the corresponding
message when an error is detected in an application that processes error events identified via
numeric IDs assigned to an integer variable ivar_err.
Provide a dynamic textlist named ErrorList where the message texts for error IDs 0 to 4 are defined
in languages German, English, and Default:

Within a table cell, you can add a line break by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Enter.
To use the error IDs in the visualization configuration, define a STRING variable, for example
strvar_err. To assign the integer value of ivar_err to strvar_err, use
strvar_err:=INT_TO_STRING(ivar_err);.
strvar_err can be entered as Textindex parameter in the configuration of the Dynamic texts
properties of a visualization element. This element will display the appropriate message in online
mode.

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The next example is for processing the error ID using project variables and configuration of a
visualization element (Properties), which should display the appropriate message:

Creating a Text List

 To create a text list for dynamic texts (see page 233), add a Text List object to the project in the
Applications Tree. To create an application-specific text list, select an application node. To
create a global text list, select the Global node. Then click the green plus button of the selected
node, and execute the command Add other objects → Text List.... When you have specified a
list name and confirmed the Add Textlist dialog box, the new list is inserted below the selected
node, and a text list editor view opens.
 To get a text list for static texts (see page 232) (GlobalTextList), either assign a text in property
Text in category Texts of a visualization object to get the list created automatically, or generate
it explicitly by command Create Global Text List.
 To open an existing text list for editing, select the list object in the Applications Tree or Global
node of the Applications Tree. Right-click the text list node and execute the command Edit
Object, or double-click the text list node. Refer to the table Basic structure of a text list for how
a text list is structured.
 For adding a new default text in a text list, either use the command Insert Text, or edit the
respective field in the empty line of the list. To edit a field in a text list, click the field to select it
and then click the field again or press SPACE to get an edit frame. Enter the desired characters
and close the edit frame with RETURN.

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Program Components

Support of Unicode Format

To use Unicode format, activate the respective option in the Visualization Manager. Further on, set
a special compilation directive for the application: select the application in the Devices Tree, open
the Properties dialog box, Build tab. In the Compiler defines field, enter VISU_USEWSTRING.
Dialog box with compiler definition

Export and Import of Text Lists

Static and dynamic text lists can be exported as files in CSV format. Exported files can also be
used for adding texts externally, for example by an external translator. However, only files available
in text format (*.csv) can be reimported.
See the description of the respective text list commands (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).
Specify the folder in which the export files should be saved in the dialog box File → Project Settings
→ Visualization.

Formatting of Texts
The texts can contain formatting definitions (%s,%d,…), which allow to include the present values
of variables in a text. For the possible formatting strings, see the Visualization part of the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert online help.
When using text with formatting strings, the replacement is done in the following order:
 The actual text string to be used is searched via list name and ID.
 If the text contains formatting definitions, these are replaced by the value of the respective
variable.

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Subsequent Delivery of Translated Texts

By inserting GlobalTextList.csv in the directory which is used for loading text files, a subsequent
integration of translated texts is possible. When the bootproject is started up, the firmware detects
that an additional file is available. The text is compared with that in the existing textlist files. New
and modified texts are then applied to the textlist files. The updated textlist files will then be applied
at the next startup.

List Components for Text Input

Via the dialog box Tools → Options → Visualization, you can specify a text template file. All texts
of column Default of this file will be copied to a list, which will be used for the List Components
functionality. A template file can be used which has been created before via the Export command.

Multiple User Operations

By use of the source control, it is possible that multiple users work simultaneously on the same
project. If a static text is modified in visualization elements by more than one user, it will cause
modifications to the GlobalTextList (refer to GlobalTextList (see page 232)). In this case, the Text-
Ids may no longer be coherent with the visualization elements. Use the following error detection
and correction methods:
 Use the command Check Visualization Text Ids, such errors may be detected in the
visualizations.
 Use the command Update Visualization Text Ids, these errors may be resolved automatically.
The affected visualizations as well as the GlobalTextList must have write permission.

Use of Textlists for Changing Language in Visualizations

If an appropriate textlist is available, that is, a textlist defining several language versions for a text,
then the language used for the texts in a visualization can be switched in online mode by an input
on a visualization element. The Dynamic Texts properties of the element must specify the textlist
to be used, and an OnMouse.. input action, Change the language, must be configured specifying
the language which should be used after the mouse action has been performed.
NOTE: The language must be specified with exactly this string which is displayed in the column
header of the respective textlist.

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Program Components

Image Pool

Overview
Image pools are tables defining the file path, a preview, and a string ID for each image. By
specifying the ID and (for unique accessing) additionally the image file name, the image can be
referenced, for example, when being inserted in a visualization (configuration of the properties of
an image element, refer to Using Images Which are Managed in Image Pools (see page 241) ).
In a library project, you can create an image pool. If you then declare the library to be a symbol
library, you can use the images it contains inside your project visualizations. To achieve this, right-
click the ImagePool node of the library project, select Properties, and set the Symbol library
settings in the Image Pool tab (by clicking the button Mark library as symbol library and optionally
selecting a Text list for symbol translation).
After you have added the library to your project, the image pool will appear (as you named it) in the
ToolBox when a visualization editor is active.
NOTE: Reduce the size of an image file as much as possible before adding it to an image pool.
Otherwise, the project size and the loading and storing efforts of visualization applications,
including images, can become large.

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 Program Components

Structure of an Image Pool

Example of an image pool:

Element Description
ID String ID (for example logo, y_icon, 2);
A unique referencing of an image is achieved by the combination of image list
name and ID (for example, List1.basic_logo).
File name Path of the image file (for example, C:\programs\images\logo.bmp).
Image formats supported by EcoStruxure Machine Expert:
 BMP
 EMF
 GIF
 ICO
 JPG
 PNG
 SVG
 TIFF

The controller you are using may not support all image formats. Consult the
Programming Guide specific to your controller for further information.
If the image file is stored in the directory for image files (as defined in Tools →
Options → Visualization, you only have to enter the file name in this text box.
Image Preview of the image.
Link type Information on how the image file is linked to the project.
Specify the Link type when you add the image file manually in the dialog box
Select image. Refer to the description Creating and Editing an Image Pool
(see page 240).

NOTE: If the target system does not support images in the vector image format SVG, they are
automatically converted to the format PNG during download. For information on the supported
image formats, refer to the device descriptions provided by your hardware manufacturer.

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Program Components

Creating and Editing an Image Pool

A project can contain several image pools. The automatically generated GlobalImagePool, as well
as manually generated image pools.
GlobalImagePool
Add an image, which is not yet part of an image pool of the project, to a visualization. In doing so,
enter in the element properties a static ID for the image. This results in the automatic creation of a
GlobalImagePool which contains an entry for the respective image file. The Link type is Link to file.
Manually creating an empty image pool:
You can insert an image pool object below an application node or below the Global node of the
Applications tree by clicking the green plus button and executing the commands Add other objects
→ Image Pool.... In the Add Image Pool dialog box, define a Name for the pool.
Adding an image file to an image pool

Adding an image file to an image pool Actions to be performed

By executing the command Insert Image 1. Put the focus into the image pool editor.
2. Execute the Insert Image command
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) from the context menu.
Result: A unique ID is entered automatically,
which is editable.
3. Double-click the field File name in the new line to
specify the path of the image file.
4. For this purpose, you can open the dialog box

Select Image by clicking the button. The

edit fields and options of this dialog box are
explained below this table.
NOTE: If you do not use the dialog box Select
Image, but enter the image file path directly, then
automatically the link type setting Remember the link
is used.
By directly entering the file name In the editor of the image pool, double-click the field
File name of the first empty line. Enter - as described
above for the first option (executing the command
Insert Image) - the path of the desired image file.
Result: The file name is automatically entered as ID.
By drag&drop from the file system In the local file system browser, select the desired
image file and drag it into the image pool editor.
Multiple selection is possible.
Result: The file name is automatically entered as ID.
The link type setting Remember the link is used
automatically.

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 Program Components

Elements of the Select Image dialog box:

Element Description
Image File
Enter the path of the image file or click the button for getting the
standard dialog box for browsing the local file system. Select the desired file
or files. Multiple selection is possible.
What do you want to do with Choose a link type:
the image file?  Remember the link: The file is only available in the project if it is available
in the specified path. Files specified without path must be stored in the
project folder.
 Remember the link and embed into project: A copy of the file is stored
internally in the project. The link to the specified path is stored as well. As
long as the image file is available under the stored path, the update action
as defined below, is valid. As soon as the image file is removed from the
specified location, only the copy of the file stored internally in the project
will be used.
 Embed into project: Only a copy of the file is stored internally in the
project. The link to the external path is not stored.
If you choose the option Remember the link and embed into project, you can
select one of the following update actions:
When the image file changes, then
 reload the file automatically.
 prompt whether to reload the file.
 do nothing.

Using Images Which Are Managed in Image Pools

If the ID of the image to be used is specified in multiple image pools:
 search order: If you choose an image managed in the GlobalImagePool, you do not need to
specify the pool name. The search order for images corresponds to that for global variables:
1. GlobalImagePool
2. image pools assigned to the currently active application
3. image pools in Global node of the Applications tree besides GlobalImagePool
4. image pools in libraries
 unique accessing: You can directly call the desired image by adding the image pool name
before the ID according to syntax: <pool name>.<image ID> (For an example, see
imagepool1.drive_icon in the previous graphic.)

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Program Components

Using an Image in a Visualization Element of Type Image

When inserting an image element in a visualization, you can define it to be a static image or a
dynamic image. The dynamic image can be changed in online mode according to the value of a
project variable:
Static images:
In the configuration of the element (property Static ID), enter the image ID or the image pool name
+ image ID. Consider in this context the remarks on search order and unique accessing in the
previous paragraph.
Dynamic images:
In the configuration of the element (property Bitmap ID variable), enter the variable which defines
the ID, for example, PLC_PRG.imagevar.

Using an Image for the Visualization Background

In the background definition of a visualization, you can define an image to be displayed as
visualization background. The image file can be specified as described previously for a
visualization element by the name of the image pool and the image file name.

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 Program Components

Section 7.4
Application

Application

Application

Overview
An application is a set of objects which are needed for running a particular instance of the controller
program on a certain hardware device (controller). For this purpose, independent objects managed
in the Global node of the Applications tree are instantiated and assigned to a device. This meets
the concept of object-orientated programming. However, you can also use purely application-
specific POUs.
An application is represented by an application object in the Applications tree. Below an application
entry, insert the objects defining the application resource set.
One application is available for each controller. It is not possible to add further applications.
A part of each application is the Task Configuration controlling the run of a program (POU
instances or application-specific POUs). Additionally, it can have assigned resource objects like
global variable lists, libraries, and so on. These - in contrast to those managed in the Global node
of the Applications tree - can only be used by the particular application and children. For the rules,
refer to the description of arranging and configuring objects in the Devices tree (see page 44).

Consideration
When going to log in with an application on a target device (controller or simulation target), two
checks are performed: Which application is currently in the controller? Are the application
parameters in the controller matching those in the application within EcoStruxure Machine Expert?
Appropriate messages indicate mismatches and offer some ways to continue in this case. Also you
have the possibility to delete the application in the controller. Refer to the description of the Login
command (see page 254) for more details.

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Program Components

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Task Configuration
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Chapter 8
Task Configuration

Task Configuration

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Task Configuration 246
Adding Tasks 247

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Task Configuration

Task Configuration

Overview
The Task Configuration defines 1 or several tasks for controlling the processing of an application
program.
It is a resource object for an application (see page 243). It has to be inserted in the Applications
tree below an application node. A task can call an application-specific program POU, which is only
available in the Applications tree below the application. It can also call a program which is managed
in the Global node of the Applications tree. In the latter case, the program that is available globally
will be instantiated by the application.
You can edit a task configuration in the Task Configuration editor (see page 465).
In online mode, the Task Configuration editor provides a monitoring view that presents information
on cycles, cycle times, and task status.
As an additional functionality of the task configuration, if supported by the device, the monitoring
view allows a dynamic analysis of the POUs which are controlled by a task. It supplies information
about the cycle times, the quantity of function block calls and the unused code lines.

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 Task Configuration

Adding Tasks

Introduction
You can add tasks to your application via the Applications tree.

Procedure

Step Action
1 In the Applications tree, select the Task Configuration node, click the green plus
button, and execute the command Task....
Alternatively, you can right-click the Task Configuration node, and select Add Object
→ Task... from the context menu.
Result: The Add Task dialog box opens.
2 In the Add Task dialog box, enter a name in the Name: text box.
Note: The name must neither contain any space nor exceed a length of 32
characters.
3 Click Add.

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Task Configuration

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Managing Applications
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Chapter 9
Managing Applications

Managing Applications

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following sections:
Section Topic Page
9.1 General Information 250
9.2 Building and Downloading Applications 252
9.3 Running Applications 269
9.4 Maintaining Applications 270

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Managing Applications

Section 9.1
General Information

General Information

Introduction

Introduction
To run an application, you must first connect the PC to the controller, then download the application
to the controller.
NOTE: Due to memory size limitation, some controllers are not able to store the application source
but only a built application that is executed. This means that you are not able to upload the
application source from the controller to a PC.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Confirm that you have entered the correct device designation or device address in the
Communication Settings dialog when downloading an application.
 Confirm that machine guards and tags are in place such that any potential unintended
machine operation will not result in personal injury or equipment damage.
 Read and understand all user documentation of the software and related devices, as well as
the documentation concerning equipment or machine operation.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

Preconditions
Verify that your application meets the following conditions before downloading it to the controller:
 the active path is set for the correct controller,
 the application you want to download is active,
 the application is free of compilation errors.

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 Managing Applications

Boot Application
The boot application is the application that is launched on controller start. This application is stored
in the controller memory. To configure the download of the boot application, right-click the
Application node in the Applications tree and select the Properties command.
At the end of a successful download of a new application, a message is displayed asking you if you
want to create the boot application.
You can manually create a boot application in the following ways:
 In offline mode: Click Online → Create boot application to save the boot application to a file.
 In online mode, with the controller being in STOP mode: Execute the Online → Create boot
application command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help) to
download the boot application to the controller.

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Managing Applications

Section 9.2
Building and Downloading Applications

Building and Downloading Applications

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Building Applications 253
Login 254
Build Process at Changed Applications 256
Downloading an Application 257

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 Managing Applications

Building Applications

Overview
EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides different build procedures in the Build menu
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). These procedures serve to
handle syntactical checks, either just on the changed objects or on all objects of the active
application.
You can perform an offline code generation in order to check for compilation errors before
downloading the code to the device. For a successful login, the code generation must have been
completed without detecting any errors.

Code Generation, Compile Information

Machine code is generated in the following cases:
 When the Application (see page 243) project is downloaded to the target device (controller,
simulation target).
 When the Build → Generate code command is executed.

At each download, the compile information, containing the code and a reference ID of the loaded
application, is stored in the project directory in a file <projectname>.<devicename>.<application
ID>.compileinfo. The compileinfo file is deleted when the Clean or Clean all command is executed.
No code generation is performed when the project is compiled by the build commands (by default
in the Build menu). The build process checks the project in order to detect programming errors.
Any detected programming errors are displayed in the Messages view (message category Build).
During code generation, additional errors can be detected and displayed. These errors can only be
detected by the code generator or they are caused by memory allocation.

Messages at Code Generation

At each code generation, additional information on the code and data size (in Bytes), on the
content of the allocated memory areas, and on the highest used address (Byte) is displayed in the
Messages → Build view.
It depends on the controller, in which memory areas the various types of data and the code are
stored. For the addresses %I, %M, %Q memory is allocated, even if no variable is assigned to an
address. After a Clean of the application, the memory is completely reallocated.

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Login

Overview
The Online → Login command connects the application to the target device (controller or
simulation target) and thus changes into the online mode.
The default shortcut is Alt + F8.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Confirm that you have entered the correct device designation or device address in the
“Communication Settings” dialog when downloading an application.
 Confirm that machine guards and tags are in place such that any potential unintended
machine operation will not result in personal injury or equipment damage.
 Read and understand all user documentation of the software and related devices, as well as
the documentation concerning equipment or machine operation.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

If there is an online user management (also refer to the chapter Users and Groups (see page 143))
established on the target device, at login you are prompted to enter the appropriate user name and
password. For this purpose, the dialog box Device User Logon opens.
NOTE: The layout of EcoStruxure Machine Expert views can change when you connect to the
target device because the Online perspective (see page 53) is automatically selected when you
switch to online mode.

Selecting the View of the Communication Settings Tab in the Device Editor
Depending on the option selected for Communication page in the Tools → Options → Device
editor dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help), the
Communication Settings tab of the device editor is displayed in three different modes. Refer to the
description of the different tabs for details:

Mode Communication page setting Dialog of the device editor

1 Controller selection mode (default Communication Settings tab in controller
setting) selection mode (see page 105)
2 Simple mode Communication Settings tab in simple mode
(see page 125)
3 Classic mode Communication Settings tab in classic mode
(see page 128)

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Login Procedure
The steps of the login procedure are identical. They only differ in the presentation of the
Communication Settings tab.
For a successful login, the code generation must have been completed without detecting errors
(refer to the chapter Build Process Before Login (see page 256)).

Step Action
1
Execute the command Online → Login, or click the Login button from the toolbar, or press
ALT + F8.
Result: Since no target address has been set before, the Communication Settings tab of the
device editor opens in the mode you selected. A message box is displayed indicating that a valid
address has not been defined.
2 If only one controller has been detected by EcoStruxure Machine Expert, this controller is used
as target device.
If several controllers have been detected, double-click the controller you want to log in.
NOTE: In controller selection mode and in classic mode, only those controllers are listed that
have the same Target ID as the selected controller. To display all controllers in the list, set the
Filter criterion to None.
3
Execute the command Online → Login, or click the Login button from the toolbar, or press
ALT + F8.
Result: A message box displays to inform you of potential hazards.
4 Click Cancel to abort the login operation or press ALT + F to confirm the message and to log in
to the selected controller.
Result: If you press ALT + F the connection to the controller is established, and you can
download the application (see page 257).

Unsuccessful Login

If... Then ... Comment

If an error is detected during login Then the operation is aborted and In the error message, you can
to the controller, an error message is displayed. display the error details.
If an exception has occurred Then you can execute the This command opens the function
containing the text command Show source code in in the editor with the cursor at the
SOURCEPOSITION in the log editor. position where the error was
message, detected.

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Build Process at Changed Applications

Build Process Before Login

Before Login and if the current affected application project has not been compiled since having
been opened or since the last modification, it will be compiled. This means that the project will be
built correspondingly to a Build run in offline mode and compilation code for the controller will be
generated.
If errors are detected during compilation, a message box opens with the following text: There are
compile errors. Do you want to login without download? You can choose to correct the detected
errors first, or to login nevertheless. In the latter case, you are logged in to that version of the
application which is possibly already available on the controller.
The detected errors are listed in the Messages view (category Build).

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 Managing Applications

Downloading an Application

Introduction
To run an application, first connect the PC to the controller, then download the application to the
controller.
Downloading a project allows you to copy the current project from EcoStruxure Machine Expert to
the controller memory.
NOTE: Due to memory size limitation, some controllers are not able to store the application source
but only a built application that is executed. This means that you are not able to upload the
application source from the controller to a PC.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
 Confirm that you have entered the correct device designation or device address in the
Communication Settings dialog when downloading an application.
 Confirm that machine guards and tags are in place such that any potential unintended
machine operation will not result in personal injury or equipment damage.
 Read and understand all user documentation of the software and related devices, as well as
the documentation concerning equipment or machine operation.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

Preconditions
Verify that your application meets the following conditions before downloading it to the controller:
 The active path is set for the correct controller.
 The application you want to download is active.
 The application is free of compilation errors.

Boot Application
The boot application is the application that is launched on controller start. This application is stored
in the controller memory. To configure the download of the boot application, right-click the
Application node in the Devices view and select the Properties command.
At the end of a successful download of a new application, a message is displayed asking you if you
want to create the boot application.
You can manually create a boot application in the following ways:
 In offline mode: Click Online → Create boot application to save the boot application to a file.
 In online mode, with the application being in STOP mode: Click Online → Create boot
application to download the boot application to the controller.

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Managing Applications

Operating Modes
The download method differs depending on the relationship between the loaded application and
the application you want to download. The 3 cases are:
 Case 1: The application in the controller is the same as the one you want to load. In this case,
no download occurs, you just connect EcoStruxure Machine Expert to the controller.
 Case 2: Modifications have been made to the application that is loaded in the controller in
comparison to the application in EcoStruxure Machine Expert. In this case, you can specify if
you want to download all or parts of the modified application or keep the application in the
controller as it is.
 Case 3: A different or a new version of application is already available on the controller. In this
case, you are asked whether this application should be replaced.
 Case 4: The application is not yet available on the controller. In this case, you are asked to
confirm the download.

Downloading Your Application to the Controller: Case 1

The application in the controller is the same as the one you want to load. In this case, no download
occurs, you just connect EcoStruxure Machine Expert to the controller.

Step Action
1 To connect to the controller, select Online → Login to ’Application[YourApplicationName; Plc Logic]’.
2 You are connected to the controller.

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Downloading Your Application to the Controller: Case 2

Modifications have been made to the application that is loaded in the controller in comparison to
the application in EcoStruxure Machine Expert.

Step Action
1 To connect to the controller, select Online → Login to ’Application[YourApplicationName; Plc Logic]’.
2 In case you modified your application, and you want to reload it into the controller, the following message
appears:

Login with online change Only the modified parts of an already running project is reloaded to the
controller.
Login with download The whole modified application is reloaded to the controller.
Login without any change The modifications are not loaded.

NOTE: If you select the option Login without any change, the changes you perform in the EcoStruxure
Machine Expert application are not downloaded to the controller. In this case, the information and status
bar in EcoStruxure Machine Expert will show RUNNING as operational state and will indicate Program
modified (Online change). This differs from the options Login with online change or Login with download,
where the information and status bar indicates Program unchanged.
In this case, monitoring of variables is possible, but the logic flow may be confusing because the values
on function block outputs may not match to the values on the inputs.
Examples
In LD, contact states are monitored based on the affected variables. This may have the effect that a blue
animated contact followed by a blue link (meaning true) is shown, although the coil connected to this
contact shows it as false.In ST logic flow, an IF statement or a loop seems to be executed, but it is actually
not executed because the condition expression is different in the project and on the controller.
3 Select the suitable option and click OK.

NOTE: Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller for important safety-related
information concerning the downloading of applications.

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Downloading Your Application to the Controller: Case 3

A different or a new version of application is already available on the controller.

Step Action
1 To connect to the controller, select Online → Login to ’Application[YourApplicationName; Plc Logic]’.
2a In case, the controller is not in RUN mode, and you want to load a different application than the one
currently in the controller, the following message appears:

Refer to the hazard messages below before you click Yes to download the new application to the
controller, or No to cancel the operation.
2b In case, the controller is in RUN mode, and you want to load a different application than the one currently
in the controller, the following message appears:

Refer to the build messages below before you click Yes to download the new application to the controller,
or No to cancel the operation.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Verify that you have the correct application before confirming the download.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

If you click Yes, the application running in your controller will be overwritten.

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Downloading Your Application to the Controller: Case 4

The application is not yet available on the controller.

Step Action
1 To connect to the controller, select Online → Login to ’Application[YourApplicationName; Plc Logic]’.
2 In case the application is not yet available on the controller, you are asked to confirm the download. For
this purpose, a dialog box with the following text displays:

Click Yes to download the application to the controller, or No to cancel the operation.

NOTE: Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller for important safety-related
information concerning the downloading of applications.

Online Change
The Online Change command modifies the running application program and does not affect a
restart process:
 The program code can behave other than after a complete initialization because the machine
keeps its state.
 Pointer variables keep their values from the last cycle. If there is a pointer on a variable, which
has changed its size due to an online change, the value will not be correct any longer. Verify
that pointer variables are reassigned in each cycle.

WARNING
UNINTENDED EQUIPMENT OPERATION
Thoroughly test your application code for proper operation before placing your system into
service.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

NOTE: Consult the Programming Guide specific to your controller, chapter Controller States
Description for specific information.
If the application project currently running on the controller has been changed in the programming
system since it has been downloaded last, just the modified objects of the project will be loaded to
the controller while the program keeps running.

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In the Online Change Memory Reserve view (see page 201), you configure a memory reserve for
the online change of function blocks. After you have made modifications on a function block and
you perform an online change, it is no longer necessary to copy the instance variables of the
function block to a new memory area.

Implicit Online Change

When you try to log in again with a modified application (checked via the COMPILEINFO, which
has been stored in the project folder during the last download), you are asked whether you want
to make an online change, a download, or login without changing.
Login dialog box:

Description of the elements:

Element Description
Login with online change This option is selected per default. If you confirm the dialog box by clicking OK,
the modifications will be loaded and immediately displayed in the online view
(monitoring) of the respective object or objects.
Login with download Activate this option to load and initialize the application project completely.
Login without any change Activate this option in order to keep the program running on the controller
unchanged. Afterwards, an explicit download can be performed, thus loading
the complete application project. It is also possible that you are asked again
whether an online change should be performed at the next relogin.
Update boot project This option is by default not selected.
To select this option, activate the option Implicit boot application on Online
Change in the Boot Application tab of the Properties dialog box of the
Application node.
A boot application is then automatically created with an online change.
Details Click this button to obtain the Application Information dialog box (Project name,
Last modification, IDE version, Author, Description) on the current application
within the IDE (Integrated Development Environment, i.e., EcoStruxure
Machine Expert) in comparison to that currently available on the controller.
Refer to the following figure.

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Application Information dialog box

For further information, refer to the Login chapter (see page 254).

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Application Content tab of the Application Information dialog box:

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If the option Download Application Info is activated in the Application Build Options tab of the View
→ Properties dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help), this
tab shows the following: The content of the application read from the controller is shown in the
column Uploaded code for application <App2> and can be compared to the content of the
application in the programming system. To update the left column Last generated code for
application <App2> with the latest version of the application active in the programming system,
click the button Application not up to date. Generate code now?. The contents of the applications
are compared and different objects are marked with colors as they are in the Project → Compare
function (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). This more granular
information can help you to evaluate the effects downloading the new application.
If the online change will affect considerable changes in download code, like for example possible
moves of pointer addresses or necessary redirections of interface references (see page 185)
another message box is displayed after you have confirmed the Online change dialog box with OK
before download will be performed. It informs you about the effects you have to consider and
provides the option to abort the online change operation.

NOTE: After having removed implicit check function (such as CheckBounds) from your application,
no Online Change is possible, just a download. An appropriate message will appear.
Click the Details button in this message box to display detailed information, such as the number
and a listing of changed interfaces, POUs, affected variables, and so on.

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Detailed Online Change Information dialog box

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Explicit Online Change

Execute the command Online Change (by default in the Online menu) to explicitly perform an
online change operation on a particular application.
An Online Change of a modified project is no longer possible after a Clean operation (Build →
Clean all, Build → Clean). In this case, the information on which objects have been changed since
the last download will be deleted. Therefore, only the complete project can be downloaded.
NOTE:
Consider the following before executing the Online Change command:
 Verify that the changed code is free from logical errors.
 Pointer variables keep their value from the last cycle. If you point to a variable which now has
been deplaced, the value will no longer be correct. For this reason, reassign pointer variables
in each cycle.

Information on the Download Process

When the project is loaded to the controller completely at Login or partially at Online Change, then
the Messages view will show information on the generated code size, the size of global data, the
needed memory space on the controller and in case of online change also on the affected POUs.
NOTE: In online mode, it is not possible to modify the settings of devices or modules. To change
parameters of the devices, the application must be logged out. Depending on the bus system, there
can be some special parameters which are allowed to be changed in online mode.

Boot Application (Boot Project)

At each successful download, the active application is automatically stored in a file <application
name>.app in the controller system folder, thus making it available as a boot application. The boot
application is started automatically when the controller is started (booted). To make the download
of the active application the boot application, you must execute the command Create boot
application (available in the Online menu).
You can also create the boot application while in offline mode (see page 257).
If you want to connect to the same controller from the programming system on different PC, or,
retrieve the active application from a different PC, without the need of an online change or
download, follow the steps described in the Transferring Projects to Other Systems paragraph.

Transferring Projects to Other Systems

For transferring a project to another computer, use a project archive (see EcoStruxure Machine
Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
You can transfer a project, which is already running on a controller xy, from the programming
system on PC1 to that on PC2. To be able to reconnect from PC2 to the same controller xy without
the need of an online change or download, verify the following project settings before creating a
project archive.

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Perform the following steps:

1. Verify that only libraries with definitive versions are included in the project, except for the pure
interface libraries. (Open the Library Manager and check entries with an asterisk (*) instead of
a fix version (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Functions and Libraries User Guide).)
2. Ensure that a definitive compiler version is set in the Project Settings → Compile options dialog
box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
3. Make sure that a definite visualization profile is set in the Project Settings → Visualization Profile
dialog box (for more information, refer to the Visualization part of the EcoStruxure Machine
Expert online help).
4. Verify that the application currently opened is the same as that already available on the
controller. That is, the boot project (refer to the Online → Create boot application command
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help)) must be identical to the
project in the programming system. If there is an asterisk behind the project title in the title bar
of the programming system window, the project has been modified but not yet saved. In this
case, it can differ from the boot project. If necessary, before transferring the project to another
PC, create a (new) bootproject - for some controllers this is done automatically at a download -
and then download and start the project on the controller.
5. Create the project archive with the following information: Download information files, Library
profile, Referenced devices, Referenced libraries, Visualization Profile.
6. Log out. If necessary, stop and restart controller xy before reconnecting from PC2.
7. Extract the project archive on PC2 with the same information options activated as listed in
step 5.
NOTE: For login without online change, make sure that you use the EcoStruxure Machine Expert
version that was used to create and download the application in the controller.

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Section 9.3
Running Applications

Running Applications

Running Applications

Introduction
This part shows how to start/stop an application.

RUN/STOP with EcoStruxure Machine Expert

The controller can be started and stopped using EcoStruxure Machine Expert run on a PC
connected to the controller.
Click Online → Start ‘Application [ApplicationName: Plc logic]’ or F5 key or the Start ’Application
[ApplicationName: Plc logic]’ button in the menu bar to start the application.
Click Online → Stop ‘Application [ApplicationName: Plc logic]’ or Shift + F8 keys or the Stop
’Application [ApplicationName: Plc logic]’ button in the menu bar to stop the application.

RUN/STOP Input for Controllers

This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide specific
to your controller (for example, Run/Stop chapter (see Modicon M251 Logic Controller, Hardware
Guide)).

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Section 9.4
Maintaining Applications

Maintaining Applications

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Monitoring 271
Debugging 272
Core Dump 277
Programming Support 279
Refactoring 280
Static Analysis Light 285
Creating an Archive in Your Controller on Download 287

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Monitoring

Overview
In online mode, there are various possibilities to display the current values of the objects in the
controller:
 You can see the values of the objects in a program editor screen while online. For details, see
the description of the respective editor.
 You can view object values in the online view of the declaration editor. For details, refer to the
description of the declaration editor (see page 425).
 You can view objects independently in lists through the command Watch. For details, refer to
the description of the watch view / watch list editor (see page 480). You can insert a variable in
a watch view by selecting it and executing the command Add watchlist from the context menu.
 You can view values via trace sampling: recording and displaying of variable values from the
controller. For details, refer to the description of the trace object functionality (see page 518).
 You can view object values that are contained in recipes: User-defined set of variables for
writing and watching these variables on the controller. Refer to the description of the recipe
manager (see page 495).
For information on monitoring of properties that are inserted beneath POUs or function blocks,
refer to the chapter Property (see page 183).
For information on monitoring of function calls, refer to the chapter Attribute Monitoring
(see page 691).
NOTE: If a value is not valid (for example, the result of calculating the square root of a negative
number), the result may be displayed as NaN (not a number) or INF (infinite value) depending on
the operation, the object, and the particular controller platform. Consult the Programming Guide
specific to your controller for more information.

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Debugging

Overview
To evaluate potential programming errors, you can use the debugging functionality.
For testing purposes, an application can also run in simulation (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert,
Menu Commands, Online Help) without any required link to an actual target device. While
simulation avoids the need to connect to physical hardware, there are limitations to which you may
need to complete debugging online.

Breakpoints for Forcing Execution Stops

A breakpoint that is set in an application program stops program execution. The variable values
can then be seen at the current execution point. The current position can be determined more
precisely using the Call Stack (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
Only the debug task that has just reached the breakpoint is stopped. The other tasks continue to
execute. The possible breakpoint positions depend on the respective program editor. In each case,
there is a breakpoint at the end of a POU.
NOTE: The inputs / outputs handled by the debug task are not updated when stopped at a
breakpoint. This applies even if the option Update IO while in stop is enabled in the PLC settings
tab of the device editor (see page 141).
Refer to the chapter Breakpoints Commands for a description of the commands concerning
breakpoints. The Breakpoints dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help) provides an overview on all breakpoints, allowing you to add, remove, and modify
breakpoints.

Conditional Breakpoints
The stop at the breakpoint can be dependent on the following conditions:
 At the time, a specific boolean expression is TRUE.
 Which cycle number is running.
 Which task is executing.
 When the value of a variable is modified (data breakpoint).

Declaring a specific debug task can help to avoid that several tasks are affected by the error check
(refer to the Breakpoints and Stepping in Applications with Multiple Tasks paragraph
(see page 275)).

Execution Points
In online mode, the Breakpoints dialog box (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help) allows you to change a breakpoint and data breakpoint in such a way that it becomes
an execution point. Then the program does not stop at the position, but the code processing is
initiated.

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Symbols

Symbol Description
Breakpoint enabled.

Breakpoint disabled.

The breakpoint is set in another instance of the function block

that is open in the editor.

Stop at breakpoint.

Conditional breakpoint enabled.

Conditional breakpoint disabled.

Execution point enabled.

Execution point disabled.

Conditional execution point enabled.

Conditional execution point disabled.

Current step position.

Indicated by a yellow arrow before the respective line and a
yellow shadow behind the concerned operation.
Data breakpoint enabled.

Data breakpoint disabled.

Stop at data breakpoint.

Data execution point enabled.

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Symbol Description
Data execution point disabled.

Stop at data execution point.

Conditional data execution point enabled.

Conditional data breakpoint enabled.

Stepping Through the Program

Stepping allows a controlled execution of an application program in online mode, for debugging
purposes. Before you can use stepping commands, the program must be stopped at a defined
program step, for example by setting a breakpoint. Basically, you step from one instruction to the
next by step into an instruction, step over the next instruction or step out of an instruction. Refer to
the chapter Breakpoint-Related Commands (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands,
Online Help) for a description of the stepping commands.
EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides the following stepping functions:
 Step into command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help):
Execution of a single step; this also applies to POUs called within a step.
 Step over command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help):
Execution of a single step; POUs are executed completely within a step.
 Step out command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help): If the
application program does not contain any calls, a jump back to the start of the application is
executed.
 Run to Cursor command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help):
Execution of the program up to a temporary definable position.
 Set next statement command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help): Definition of the next instruction (statement) to be executed.
 Show next statement command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help): Jump to the instruction (statement) to be executed in the next step.
 Call Stack view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help): This view
indicates the currently reached step position with the complete call path.
The possible stop positions when stepping through an application program depend on the editor
type. The current position is indicated by the yellow arrow.
The Call Tree view (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help) shows the
location of the function block in the call structure of an application program even before compiling
the application.

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Example of a Step Into Operation

Starting from the breakpoint you can execute each single command line with the stepping
command.
Step Into, example

Data Breakpoints
Data breakpoints allow you to stop program execution when the value of a variable changes.
This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide specific
to your controller.
The number of data breakpoints you can define depends on the number of registers that is
available in the controller you are using. A message is displayed when you attempt to set a data
breakpoint and the maximum number has been reached.
The following options exist for data breakpoints as for normal breakpoints:
 Linking the halt at the data breakpoint to an additional condition, refer to Conditional Breakpoints
(see page 272).
 Redefining a data breakpoint to a data execution point where the program does not halt, but
processes specific code, refer to Execution Points (see page 272).

Breakpoints and Stepping in Applications with Multiple Tasks

Debugging cannot be performed on multiple tasks at the same time. While you are working on a
task with breakpoints or stepping, breakpoints are ignored in other tasks.
If a breakpoint can be hit by multiple tasks, because the POU is used by multiple tasks, only the
task that executes first will be halted. Consider this in case of single stepping or if you continue
debugging after a halt. If only one certain task should be concerned (debug task), you can specify
it in the breakpoint condition properties (Breakpoints → New Breakpoint dialog box, tab Condition).

Flow Control for Displaying Exact Values When Processing

You can activate flow control to track parts of the application that have already run. As opposed to
standard monitoring, which displays only the variable value between two cycles, the flow control
yields the value for each processing step at the moment it is rendered. Also refer to the Flow
Control description in the Menu Commands Online Help (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).

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Variable Values at Execution Stop

At every execution stop, EcoStruxure Machine Expert displays the values of variables in the
current cycle (monitoring). To determine the current position, you can display the call stack of a
variable. Also refer to the Call Stack description in the Menu Commands Online Help
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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Core Dump

Core Dump for Exceptions

A core dump is a memory snapshot of the application data. When supported by the runtime
system, a core dump is automatically saved to a file <application_name>.core in the application
directory on the controller when an exception is detected.
In online mode, you can also generate a core dump explicitly if the application is currently stopped
at breakpoint or if an exception has been detected. In this case, the core dump file is saved only in
the project directory and not on the controller.
In offline mode, you can load the core dump of the application from the controller to the
EcoStruxure Machine Expert project. Then the application is displayed in its online view with the
data and values at the time when the exception was detected and the core dump was created.
In addition, the log file of the controller can be displayed from the time the core dump was created
in the project.
NOTE: The firmware must support the functionality in order to display the variable values in the
core dump view correctly. In the online view of the application that is created by loading the core
dump into the project, menu commands are displayed as available but do not have any effect in
this status. When choosing one of these commands, a message is displayed.
Refer to your controller programming manual to verify whether it supports the core dump
functionality.
NOTE: Exception handling in the runtime system may overwrite parts of the variable values in the
call stack. As a result, original values may be lost and important information may no longer be
displayed when monitoring for variables in functions and methods.
Consider the following, for creating a project archive:

If... Then...
If you created a core dump explicitly by choosing the then an option is automatically available in the
command Create Core Dump, archive configuration.
If you copied the core dump from the controller, then you can add it to a project archive only by
choosing the function Additional files.

NOTE: A project archive with a core dump must include the download information; otherwise the
dump is unusable.

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Using the Core Dump to Analyze Exceptions

Prerequisites:
 A project is open with an application that has produced an exception on the controller.
 The runtime system is able to create core dumps.
 The application in the project is in offline mode.

Step Action
1 Load the core dump from the controller by executing the command Debug → Load Core Dump.
Result: An online view of the application is displayed. You see the variable values and call stack
from the time when the error has been detected. This also includes the values of the I/O variables
in the mapping dialog of the device configurator and the task configuration. The message Core
dump loaded is displayed in the status line. The core dump file is copied as
<project_name>.<device_name>.<application_name>.<application-Guid>.core to the local
project directory.
2 Execute the command Debug → Load device log from Core Dump to load the device log from
the time the error has been detected into the project.
Result: The log view opens (as in online mode of the device configurator) displaying the events
at the time the core dump was created.
3 After you have completed the core dump analysis, execute the command Debug → Close Core
Dump.
Result: The core dump view of the application closes and the project returns to its views in
normal offline mode.

Manually Creating a Core Dump of the Running Application

Prerequisites:
 An application is in online mode.
 The runtime system supports core dump functionality.

Step Action
1 Execute the command Debug → Create Core Dump.
Result: The creation of a new core dump starts. A progress bar appears in the status line
together with a cancel button.
A core dump file is saved to the local project directory as
<project_name>.<device_name>.<application_name>.<application-Guid>.core.

Programmed Error Handling for Exceptions

As an IEC 61131-3 extension, EcoStruxure Machine Expert supports specific operators (__TRY,
__CATCH, __FINALLY, __ENDTRY) to catch exceptions. You can program statements that will be
executed in case an error is detected instead of stopping the program. For further information, refer
to the description of these operators (see page 860).
This function is not available for all supported controllers. Consult the Programming Guide specific
to your controller for further information.

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Programming Support

Overview
EcoStruxure Machine Expert offers settings, dialogs and functionalities, which facilitate the input
of program code and indicate detected errors at an early stage.
For further information, refer to the descriptions of the following functions:
 Input Assistant (see page 489)
 Intelli-sense (see page 718)
 Auto Declare... (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help)
 Smart Coding (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help)
 Static Analysis Light (see page 285)

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Refactoring

Overview
Generally refactoring is the process of restructuring and improving existing software code without
changing its behavior.
Refactoring in EcoStruxure Machine Expert provides functionalities for renaming object names and
variable names. It allows you to show all usage locations of changed objects and variables and to
get renamed all those at once, or only individual ones. You can configure whether and at which
locations you should get asked for performing refactoring. Explicitly you can use the command
Refactoring → Rename.
For further information, also refer to Options, Refactoring (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).

Command Rename
The command Refactoring → Rename is used for a global, project wide renaming of object names,
and variable names.
It is available in the context menu if you set the cursor on a variable name in the declaration or if
you right-click one of the following objects in a navigator:
 Functions
 POUs
 GVLs
 Methods
 Properties
 Devices

The command is also available if you select variables and unit conversions within the editor for unit
conversions.
The command is not available in online mode.

Process of Renaming
After you have executed the Refactoring → Rename command, a dialog is displayed. It shows the
locations where the concerned name is used: In the right part of the window the particular
locations, in the left part the navigation tree where the concerned object is marked.
You can select the following commands for each location individually:
 Reject/accept this change: Reject/accept single changes in the right window.
 Reject/accept this object: Reject/accept all changes in the concerned object.
 Reject/accept whole project: Reject/accept all changes in the project.

Accepted changes are displayed with a yellow background, rejected changes with gray
background.

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Command Add <variable>

The command Refactoring → Add <variable> allows you to declare variables in a POU and
performs an automatic update at its different points of use.
It is available in the context menu or in the Edit → Refactoring menu if the cursor is placed in a
declaration editor. The Auto Declare dialog box (see page 630) opens.
After you have confirmed the Auto Declare dialog box by clicking OK, the Refactoring dialog box
opens. It consists of the tree structure of the project on the left-hand side. The POUs where the
new variable is used are highlighted in the tree. You can double-click a POU to open the detailed
view on the right-hand side of the dialog box. In this declaration section and implementation of the
POU on the right-hand side, new declarations are highlighted in yellow.
Before you decide which changes you want to accept at which location, select the suitable option
from the list above the declaration section and implementation of the POU on the right-hand side:

Option Description
Add inputs with placeholder Select this option to insert the standard placeholder text _REFACTOR_
text whenever the new variable occurs in the implementation code. You can
search for this standard text later in order to identify the affected locations.
Add inputs with the following Select this option to insert an initialization value whenever the new variable
value occurs in the implementation code. Enter the initialization value in the text box
on the right-hand side of the option Add inputs with the following value.

In order to accept or reject changes, right-click the changed locations or execute the commands in
the left or right part of the dialog box, as described in the Process of Renaming paragraph in this
chapter.

Examples for Adding a Variable

Example 1:
By refactoring, the fun block receives a new input variable input3 with the initialization value 1.
The change has the following effect:
Before refactoring:
fun(a + b, 3, TRUE);
fun(input1:= a + b , input2 :=3 , inputx := TRUE);
After refactoring:
fun(a + b, 3, input3:=1, TRUE);
fun(input1:= a + b , input2 :=3 , input3:=_REFACTOR_,inputx := TRUE);

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Example 2:
By refactoring, the fun block receives a new input variable input3 with the placeholder text
_REFACTOR_:
Before refactoring:
inst(input1 := a + b, input2 := 3, inputx := TRUE);
fun(a + b, 3, TRUE);
After refactoring:
inst(input1 := a + b, input2 := 3, input3 := _REFACTOR_, inputx := TRUE
);
fun(a + b, 3, input3:=_REFACTOR_, TRUE);

Command Remove <variable>

The command Refactoring → Remove <variable> allows you to remove an input or output variable
from a POU. It is removed automatically from the POU at its different points of use.
The command is available in the context menu or in the Edit → Refactoring menu if the cursor is
placed in the declaration editor on the identifier of the variable to be removed. A dialog box opens
that provides information on the removal. If you confirm the message, the Refactoring dialog box
opens.
When you accept the changes proposed in the Refactoring dialog box, the respective input or
output variables are removed automatically from the respective POU at its different points of use.
NOTE: In CFC, only the connection is removed between the removed input or output and the block.
The input or output itself remains in the chart.

Example for Removing a Variable in ST

In a POU, refactoring removes the input4 input variable. It is automatically removed from the
respective POU at its different points of use:
Before removal:
inst(input1 := a + b, input2 := 3, input4 := 1, input5 := TRUE);
fun(a + b, 3, 1, TRUE);
After removal:
inst(input1 := a + b, input2 := 3, input5 := TRUE);
fun(a + b, 3, TRUE);

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 Managing Applications

Command Update Referenced Pins

The command Refactoring → Update Referenced Pins only takes effect on the CFC editor and the
FBD/LD/IL editor. It corresponds to the commands Reset Pins and Update parameters.
The command Refactoring → Update Referenced Pins updates the input and output pins of the
POU, at its different points of use, according to the current POU declaration.
It is available in the context menu or in the Edit → Refactoring menu if the cursor is placed in the
POU name, in the first line of the POU declaration or in the device editor.

Command Reorder Variables

The command Refactoring → Reorder Variables allows you to change the order of variable
declarations within the scopes VAR_INPUT, VAR_OUTPUT, or VAR_IN_OUT.
Example:
VAR_INPUT
invar2 : INT;
invar1 : INT;
in : DUT;
bvar : BOOL;
invar3 : INT;
Proceed as follows to change the order of declarations:

Step Action
1 Right-click the declaration part and execute the command Refactoring → Reorder Variables.
Result: The Reorder dialog box opens with a list of VAR_INPUT variables.
2 Drag the invar1 : INT; entry to the position before the invar2. entry.
Result: The invar1 declaration is at the top position.
3 Click OK to close the dialog box.
Result: The Refactoring dialog box opens. The affected elements are marked in yellow.
4 Click OK to accept the new order of parameters of the function block. Have in mind that the
modified order of the parameters will be reflected also at the call usages of the POUs.

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Managing Applications

Modifying a Variable Declaration and Applying Refactoring Automatically

Refactoring can help you in renaming variables (using Auto Declare) as indicated in the following
example.
As a prerequisite for this example, a function block fb_A with an input iA must be available.

Step Action Comment

1 Execute the command Tools → Options.... Result: The Options dialog box opens.
2 Select the category Refactoring on the left-hand side. –
3 In the Auto Declare section, select the options On –
adding or removing variables, or on changing the
scope and On renaming variables.
4 Double-click the function block fb_A. –
5 Select a variable in the declaration of fb_A, for As an alternative, you can place the
example, iA. cursor before or in the variable.

6 Execute the command Edit → Auto Declare.... As an alternative, use the shortcut Shift
+ F2.
Result: The Auto Declare dialog box
opens. The settings of the variable iA
are displayed.
7 Edit the Name and change iA into iCounter_A. Result: The Refactoring - Renaming
from iA to iCounterA dialog box opens.
The POUs where the variable is used
are highlighted in the tree structure.
8 Click OK to apply the renaming and to close the dialog –
box.

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 Managing Applications

Static Analysis Light

Overview
The static analysis function checks the source code of a project for deviations from certain coding
directives before the project is downloaded to the target system. This follows the basic idea of the
lint analysis tool.
You define the desired set of rules in the Project Settings → Static Analysis Light dialog box
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).
NOTE: The check is automatically performed at each code generation.
Deviations from the rules are displayed as messages of category Build in the Messages view. The
error numbers are displayed as SA<number>.
NOTE: The analysis is only done on the application code in the current project. Libraries are not
regarded.
NOTE: For GVL variables: If there are several applications in the project, then only objects below
the currently active application are checked. If there is only one application in the project, then also
any objects in the POUs pool are checked.

Pragma and Attribute for Static Analysis Light

With the help of pragma instructions, you can exclude parts of the code from the check.
Precondition: The rules must be activated in the Project Settings.
NOTE: Multiple write access on output, cannot be deactivated via pragma.

Pragma {analysis ...}

You can use the pragma {analysis ...} to disable particular coding rules for the subsequent
code lines. For this purpose, place it twice: In the line above the concerned code (disabling), and
in the line below the concerned code (re-enabling); each the numbers of the rule or rules to be
disabled must be specified preceded by a minus sign (–) for disabling or by a plus sign (+) for re-
enabling. Depending on the rule, the pragma can be used in the declaration part or in the
implementation part of a programming object.
Syntax
{analysis <sign><rule number>|,<further sign / rule number combinations
separated by commas>}

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Managing Applications

Example
Rule 24 gets disabled for two lines (that means that it is not necessary here to write, for example,
nTest:=DINT#99), and afterwards re-enabled:
{analysis -24}
nTest := 99;
iVar := INT#2;
{analysis +24}
Specifying multiple rules:
{analysis -10, -24, -18}

Attribute {attribute 'analysis' := '...'}

You can use the attribute {attribute 'analysis' := '<sign><rule number>'} in the
declaration part for enabling or disabling particular rules for a complete programming object:
Syntax
{attribute 'analysis' := '<sign><rule number>|,<further rule numbers se
parated by commas>'}
Example
Rules 33 and 31 get disabled for the complete structure:
{attribute 'analysis' := '-33, -31'}
TYPE My_Structure :
STRUCT
iLocal : INT;
uiLocal : UINT;
udiLocal : UDINT;
END_STRUCT
END_TYPE
Rule 100 is disabled for the array:
{attribute 'analysis' := '-100'}
big: ARRAY[1..10000] OF DWORD;

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 Managing Applications

Creating an Archive in Your Controller on Download

Overview
Creating an archive in your controller allows you to have the complete project in your controller
which is useful for maintenance tasks. The following procedure describes how to create a project
archive automatically with the download procedure.
You can manually create a project archive be executing the File → Source download... command
as described in the Menu Commands online help (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).

Creating an Archive on Your Controller

To create an archive on your controller with the download procedure, perform the following three
main tasks.
1.) Configure the sources to be downloaded.
To define the elements to add to the archive, proceed as follows:

Step Action
1 Execute the command Project → Project Settings.
2 In the Project Settings dialog box, select Source Download → Additional Files...
The following options can be selected:
Option to connect with the uploaded project:
 Download information files

Options which are needed to connect with another EcoStruxure Machine Expert version:
 Download information files
 Library profile
 Referenced devices
 Referenced libraries
 Visualization Profile

For further information, refer to the Project Settings - Source Download description
(see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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Managing Applications

2.) Download the project (sources) to the controller.

To archive your project in your controller, proceed as follows:

Step Action Comment

1 Execute the command Online → Login to connect to A message is displayed.
the controller (see page 254).
2 Select Online → Source download to connected The project is archived and downloaded
device. to the controller.

3.) Upload the project (sources) from the controller by executing the Online → Source Upload...
command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Logic Editors
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Part IV
Logic Editors

Logic Editors

What Is in This Part?

This part contains the following chapters:
Chapter Chapter Name Page
10 Common Features of Graphic Editors 291
11 FBD/LD/IL Editor 293
12 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor 351
13 Sequential Function Chart (SFC) Editor 371
14 Structured Text (ST) Editor 401

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Logic Editors

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Common Features of Graphic Editors
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Chapter 10
Common Features of Graphic Editors

Common Features of Graphic Editors

Common Features of Graphic Editors

Zooming, Panning, Magnifier Tools

The following zooming, panning, magnifier tools are available in the editors of all graphic
programming languages.
The graphical editors for FBD, LD, CFC, and SFC provide a toolbar in the lower right corner of the
editor window:

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Common Features of Graphic Editors

Item Name Description

number
1 Back to standard editing mode The pointer gets the usual shape of an arrow and you get back into the
normal editing mode, in which you can select and edit elements in the
editor window.
2 Panning tool The pointer gets the shape of crossed arrows. You can click somewhere
in the editor window and - while keeping the mouse-button pressed - shift
the visible area of the chart within the window.
3 Magnifier tool This function is useful when you have zoomed down the displayed chart
to less than 100%. It opens a subwindow in the lower right corner of the
editor window. As long as you move the pointer over your chart, this
subwindow shows the respective part of the chart in 100% size.
If you now click the window, the subwindow closes and that segment of
the chart which was shown in the subwindow, is displayed in 100% size.
So, if you want to keep the previously set zoom factor, use the Back to
standard editing mode button to get back to the normal editing mode.

4 Zooming tool The zoom button opens a submenu where you can select one of the
given zoom factors for the chart. To specify another value, click the ...
button to open an edit dialog box. The current zoom factor is displayed
to the left of the button.

To zoom by mouse wheel, press the Ctrl key while scrolling the mouse wheel. The current zoom
level is increased or decreased in steps of 10 percent.

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
FBD/LD/IL Editor
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Chapter 11
FBD/LD/IL Editor

FBD/LD/IL Editor

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following sections:
Section Topic Page
11.1 Information on the FBD/LD/IL Editor 294
11.2 FBD/LD/IL Elements 327
11.3 LD Elements 348

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Section 11.1
Information on the FBD/LD/IL Editor

Information on the FBD/LD/IL Editor

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
FBD/LD/IL Editor 295
Function Block Diagram (FBD) Language 296
Ladder Diagram (LD) Language 297
Instruction List (IL) Language 298
Modifiers and Operators in IL 300
Working in the FBD and LD Editor 305
Working in the IL Editor 310
Cursor Positions in FBD, LD, and IL 316
FBD/LD/IL Menu 320
FBD/LD/IL Editor in Online Mode 321

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

FBD/LD/IL Editor

Overview
A combined editor is available for editing POUs in the languages FBD (function block diagram
(see page 296)), LD (ladder diagram (see page 297)), and IL (instruction list (see page 298)).
Activate the IL implementation language for EcoStruxure Machine Expert in the Tools → Options
dialog box, category FBD, LD and IL editor, tab (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) IL.
Therefore, a common set of commands and elements is used and an automatic internal conversion
between the three languages is done. In offline mode, the programmer can switch between editor
views (View).
Keep in mind that there are some special elements which cannot be converted and thus will only
be displayed in the appropriate language. Also, there are some constructs which cannot be
converted unambiguously between IL and FBD and therefore will be normalized at a conversion
back to FBD; specifically, negation of expressions and explicit/implicit output assignments.
You can define the behavior, look, and menus of the FBD/LD/IL editor in the Customize and
Options dialog boxes. You also have options to define the display of comments and addresses.
The editor opens in a bipartite window. When you edit an object programmed in FBD/LD/IL, the
upper part contains a declaration editor (see page 426), the lower part contains a coding area.
The programming language for a new object is specified when you create the object.
For further information refer to:
 Working in the FBD and LD Editor View (see page 305)
 Working in the IL Editor View (see page 310)

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Function Block Diagram (FBD) Language

Overview
The Function Block Diagram is a graphically oriented programming language. It works with a list
of networks. Each network contains a graphical structure of boxes and connection lines which
represents either a logical or arithmetic expression, the call of a function block, a jump, or a return
instruction.
FBD networks

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Ladder Diagram (LD) Language

Overview
The Ladder Diagram is a graphics-oriented programming language which resembles the structure
of an electric circuit.
On the one hand, the Ladder Diagram is suitable for constructing logical switches, on the other
hand it also allows you to create networks as in FBD. Therefore, the LD is useful for controlling the
call of other POUs.
The Ladder Diagram consists of a series of networks, each being limited by a vertical current line
(power rail) on the left. A network contains a circuit diagram made up of contacts, coils, optionally
additional POUs (boxes), and connecting lines.
On the left side, there is 1 or a series of contacts passing from left to right the condition ON or OFF
which corresponds to the boolean values TRUE and FALSE. To each contact a boolean variable
is assigned. If this variable is TRUE, the condition will be passed from left to right along the
connecting line. Otherwise, OFF will be passed. Thus, the coil or coils, which is/are placed in the
right part of the network, receive an ON or OFF coming from left. Correspondingly the value TRUE
or FALSE will be written to an assigned boolean variable.
Ladder Diagram network.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Instruction List (IL) Language

Overview
The instruction list (IL)is an assembler-like IEC 61131-3 conformal programming language.
This language supports programming based on an accumulator. The IEC 61131-3 operators are
supported as well as multiple inputs / multiple outputs, negations, comments, set / reset of outputs
and unconditional / conditional jumps.
Each instruction is primarily based on the loading of values into the accumulator by using the
LD operator. After that the operation is executed with the first parameter taken out of the
accumulator. The result of the operation is available in the accumulator, from where you should
store it with the ST instruction.
In order to program conditional executions or loops, IL supports both comparing operators such as
EQ, GT, LT, GE, LE, NE and jumps. The latter can be unconditional (JMP) or conditional (JMPC /
JMPCN). For conditional jumps, the value of the accumulator is referenced for TRUE or FALSE.

Syntax
An instruction list (IL) consists of a series of instructions. Each instruction begins in a new line and
contains an operator and, depending on the type of operation, 1 or more operands separated by
commas. You can extend the operator by a modifier.
In a line before an instruction, there can be an identification mark (label) followed by a colon (:)
(ml: in the example shown below). A label can be the target of a jump instruction (JMPC m1 in the
example shown below).
Place a comment as last element of a line.
You can insert empty lines between instructions.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Example
LD BVar1
ST tonInst1.IN
CAL tonInst1(
PT:=t1,
ET=>tOut2)
LD toninst1.Q
JMPC mark1
ST tonInst2.IN

___________________________________________________________

markl:
LD iVar2
ADD 230
For further information, refer to:
 Working in the IL Editor View (see page 310)
 Modifiers and operators in IL (see page 300)

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Modifiers and Operators in IL

Modifiers
You can use the following modifiers in Instruction List (see page 298).

C with JMP, CAL, RET: The instruction will only be executed if the result of the preceding
expression is TRUE.
N with JMPC, CALC, RETC: The instruction will only be executed if the result of the preceding
expression is FALSE.
N with operators according to the Negation of the operand (not of the accumulator).
Operators table below (N in
Modifiers column)
( with operators according to the To be used for complex operands. For details, refer to the list of
Operators table below (( (left use cases for complex operands (see page 302).
parenthesis) in Modifiers column)

NOTE: Generally, it is not good practice to use the statement CALC (/RETC/JMPC) directly after
an STN, S or R operator, as those instructions arbitrarily modify the value of the accumulator and
thus could lead to difficult-to-find programming errors.

Operators
The table shows which operators can be used in combination with the specified modifiers.
The accumulator stores the current value, resulting from the preceding operation.

Operator Modifiers Meaning Example

LD N Loads the (negated) value of the operand into the LD iVar
accumulator.
ST N Stores the (negated) content of the accumulator into the ST iErg
operand variable.
S – Sets the operand (type BOOL) to TRUE when the content of S bVar1
the accumulator is TRUE.
R – Sets the operand (type BOOL) to FALSE when the content of R bVar1
the accumulator is TRUE.
AND N,( Bitwise AND of the accumulator and the (negated) operand. AND bVar2
OR N,( Bitwise OR of the accumulator and the (negated) operand. OR xVar
XOR N,( Bitwise exclusive OR of the accumulator and the (negated) XOR N, (bVar
operand. 1,bVar2)
NOT – Bitwise negation of the content of the accumulator. –
ADD ( Addition of accumulator and operand, result is copied to the ADD iVar1
accumulator.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Operator Modifiers Meaning Example

SUB ( Subtraction of accumulator and operand, result is copied to the SUB iVar2
accumulator.
MUL ( Multiplication of accumulator and operand, result is copied to MUL iVar2
the accumulator.
DIV ( Division of accumulator and operand, result is copied to the DIV 44
accumulator.
GT ( Verifies if accumulator is greater than the operand, result GT 23
(BOOL) is copied into the accumulator; >
GE ( Verifies if accumulator is greater than or equal to the operand, GE iVar2
result (BOOL) is copied into the accumulator; >=
EQ ( Verifies if accumulator is equal to the operand, result (BOOL) EQ iVar2
is copied into the accumulator; =
NE ( Verifies if accumulator is not equal to the operand, result NE iVar1
(BOOL) is copied into the accumulator; <>
LE ( Verifies if accumulator is less than or equal to the operand, LE 5
result (BOOL) is copied into the accumulator; <=
LT ( Verifies if accumulator is less than operand, result (BOOL) is LT cVar1
copied into the accumulator; <
JMP C, CN Unconditional (conditional) jump to the label JMP next
 JMP = unconditional jump
 JMPC = conditional jump if accumulator is TRUE
 JMPCN = conditional jump if accumulator is FALSE

CAL C, CN Unconditional (conditional) call of a PROGRAM or CAL prog1

FUNCTION_BLOCK
 CAL = unconditional call
 CALC = conditional call if accumulator is TRUE
 CALCN = conditional call if accumulator is FALSE

RET C, CN Unconditional (conditional) return of the POU and jump back to RET
the calling POU
 RET = unconditional return
 RETC = conditional return if accumulator is TRUE
 RETCN = conditional return if accumulator is FALSE

) – Evaluate deferred operation –

See also IEC operators (see page 767) and Work in IL editor (see page 310) for how to use and
handle multiple operands, complex operands, function / method / function block / program / action
calls and jumps.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Example
Example IL program using some modifiers:
LD TRUE load TRUE to accumulator
ANDN bVar1 execute AND with negative value of bVar1
JMPC m1 if accum. is TRUE, jump to label "m1"
LDN bVar2 store negated value of bVar2...
ST bRes ... in bRes
___________________________________________________________

m1:
LD bVar2 store value of bVar2...
ST bRes ... in bRes

Using Operands
The table lists use cases for operands:

Use case Description Examples

Several operands Options  Option 1:
for one operator  Enter the operands into LD 2
consecutive rows, separated by ADD 3,
commas in the 2nd column. 4,
 Repeat the operator in 6
consecutive rows. ST iVAR
 Option 2:
LD 2
ADD 3
ADD 4
ADD 6
ST iVAR
Complex For a complex operand, enter the A string is rotated by one character each cycle:
operands left parenthesis ( in the first LD stRotate
column. RIGHT( stRotate
Enter the right parenthesis in the LEN
first column in a separate row SUB 1
followed by the operand entries in )
the following rows. CONCAT( stRotate,
LEFT 1
)
ST stRotate

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Use case Description Examples

Function block Row 1: CAL POUToCall(
call, program call  Column 1: iCounter:=1,
Operator CAL or CALC iDecrement:=1000,
 Column 2: wError:=wResult)
Name of the function block
instance or the program and left LD POUToCall.bError,
parenthesis (. If no parameters ST bErr
follow, the right parenthesis ) is
entered here.
Following rows:
 Column 1:
Parameter name followed by:
 := for input parameters
 => for output parameters

 Column 2:
Parameter value followed by a
comma , if followed by further
parameters.
Enter the right parenthesis )
after the last parameter.
According to the IEC standard
complex expressions are not
allowed here. Assign such
constructs to the function block or
the program before it is called.
Function call Row 1: LD X7
 Column 1: GeomAverage 25
LD ST Ave
 Column 2:
Input variable
Row 2:
 Column 1:
Function name
 Column 2:
Further input parameters,
separated by commas
The return value is written to the
accumulator.
Row 3:
 Column 1:
ST
 Column 2:
Variable to which the return
value is written

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Use case Description Examples

Action call Similar to function block call or CAL POU1.ResetAction
program call.
The name of the action is
appended to the name of the
function block instance or the
program.
Jump  Column 1: LD BVar1
Operator JMP or JMPC JMPC Label1
 Column 2:
Name of the jump label of the
destination network.
 Unconditional jump:
The preceding instruction
sequence must end with one of
the following commands:
 ST
 STN
 S
 R
 CAL
 RET
 JMP

 Conditional jump:
The execution of the jump
depends on the loaded value.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Working in the FBD and LD Editor

Overview
Networks are the basic entities in FBD and LD programming. Each network contains a structure
that displays a logical or an arithmetical expression, a POU (function, program, function block call,
and so on), a jump, a return instruction.
When you create a new object, the editor window automatically contains 1 empty network.
Refer to the general editor settings in the Options dialog box, category FBD/LD/IL for potential
editor display options.

Tooltip
Tooltips contain information on variables or box parameters.
The cursor being placed on the name of a variable or box parameter will prompt a tooltip. It shows
the respective type. In case of function block instances the scope, name, datatype, initial value,
and comment will be displayed. For IEC operators SEL, LIMIT, and MUX a short description on
the inputs will display. If defined, the address and the symbol comment will be shown as well as
the operand comment (in quotation marks in a second line).
Example: Tooltip on a POU output

Inserting, Arranging, and Replacing Elements

 The commands for working in the editor are by default available in the FBD/LD/IL menu
(see page 320). Frequently used commands are also available in the context menu. It depends
on the current cursor position or the current selection (multiselection possible, see below
Selecting (see page 307)) which elements can be inserted via menu command.
 You can also drag elements with the mouse from the ToolBox (see page 328) to the editor
window or from one position within the editor to another (drag and drop). For this purpose select
the element to be dragged by a mouse-click, keep the mouse-button pressed and drag the
element into the respective network in the editor view. As soon as you have reached the
network, all possible insert positions for the respective type of element will be indicated by gray
position markers. When you move the mouse-cursor on one of these positions, the marker will
change to green and you can release the mouse-button in order to insert the element at that
position.

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 If you drag a function block, an operator, or a network from the ToolBox (see page 328) onto
the up arrow or down arrow on the left-hand side of the editor, a new network is automatically
created above or below the existing element.
 To replace an element by another one, draw an appropriate other element on its position.
 To reposition an input connection or an output connection of a box, select the connection pin
directly at the box and put it to the desired other position at the box via drag and drop.
Insert positions in LD editor

 You can use the cut, copy, paste, and delete commands, available in the Edit menu, to arrange
elements. You can also copy an element by drag and drop: select the element within a network
by a mouse-click, press the CTRL key and while keeping the mouse button and the key
pressed, drag the element to the target position. As soon as that is reached (green position
marker), a plus-symbol will be added to the cursor symbol. Then, release the mouse-button to
insert the element.
 For possible cursor positions, refer to Cursor Positions in FBD, LD, and IL (see page 316).
 Inserting of EN/ENO boxes is handled diversely in the FBD and LD editor.
Refer to the description of the Insert Box command for further information (Inserting of EN/ENO
boxes is not supported in the IL editor).

Navigating in the Editor

 You can use the ARROW keys to jump to the next or previous cursor position (see page 316).
This is also possible between networks. The navigation with the ← and → key follows the signal
flow which is normally from left to right and vice versa. In case of line breaks, the following cursor
position can also be left under the currently marked position. If you press the ↑ or ↓ key the
selection jumps to the next neighbor above or below the current position if this neighbor is in the
same logical group (for example, a pin of a box). If no such group exists, it jumps to the nearest
neighbor element above or below. Navigation through parallel connected elements is performed
along the first branch.
 Press the HOME key to jump to the first element. Press the END key to jump to the last element
of the network.
 Use the TAB key to jump to the next or previous cursor position (see page 316) within a
network.
 Press CTRL + HOME to scroll to the begin of the document and to mark the first network.
 Press CTRL + END to scroll to the end of the document and to mark the last network.

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 Press PAGE UP to scroll up 1 screen and to mark the topmost rectangle.

 Press PAGE DOWN to scroll down 1 screen and to mark the topmost rectangle.

Selecting
 You can select an element, also a network, via taking the respective cursor position by a mouse-
click or using the arrow or tab keys. Selected elements are indicated as red-shaded. Also refer
to Cursor Positions in FBD, LD, and IL (see page 316).
 In the LD editor, you can also select the lines between elements in order to execute commands,
for example, for inserting a further element at that position.
Selected line in LD editor

 Multi-selection of elements or networks is possible by keeping pressed the CTRL key while
selecting the desired elements one after the other.

Open a Function Block

If a function block is added to the editor, you can open this block with a double-click. Alternatively,
you can use the command Browse - Go To Definition from the context menu.

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FBD editor

LD editor

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For information on the languages, refer to:

 Function Block Diagram - FBD (see page 296)
 Ladder Diagram - LD (see page 297)

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Working in the IL Editor

Overview
The IL Instruction List (see page 298) editor is a table editor. The network structure of FBD or LD
programs is also represented in an IL program. Basically, one network (see page 330) is sufficient
in an IL program, but considering switching between FBD, LD and IL you also can use networks
for structuring an IL program.
Activate the IL implementation language for EcoStruxure Machine Expert in the Tools → Options
dialog box, category FBD, LD and IL editor, tab (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help) IL.

Tooltip
Tooltips contain information on variables or box parameters.
Refer to Working in the FBD and LD Editor View (see page 305).

Inserting and Arranging Elements

 The commands for working in the editor are available in the FBD/LD/IL menu. Frequently used
commands are also available in the contextual menu.
 Programming units that are elements are inserted each at the current cursor position via the
Insert commands, available in the FBD/LD/IL menu.
 You can drag a Network element from the ToolBox (see page 328) onto the up arrow or down
arrow on the left-hand side of the editor. A new network is then created above or below the
existing element.
 You can use the cut, copy, paste, and delete commands, available in the Edit menu, to arrange
elements.
 See also some information on the programming language Instruction List - IL (see page 298).
 Operators with EN/ENO functionality can be inserted only within the FBD and LD editor.
This chapter explains how the table editor is structured, how you can navigate in the editor and
how to use complex operands, calls and jumps.

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Structure of the IL Table Editor

IL table editor

Each program line is written in a table row, structured in fields by the table columns:

Column Contains... Description

1 operator This field contains the IL operator (LD, ST, CAL, AND, OR, and so on) or a
function name.
In case of a function block call, the respective parameters are also specified
here. Enter the prefix field := or =>.
For further information, refer to Modifiers and Operators in IL
(see page 300).
2 operand This field contains exactly one operand or a jump label. If more than one
operand is needed (multiple/extensible operators AND A, B, C, or function
calls with several parameters), write them in the following lines and leave
the operator field empty. In this case, add a parameter-separating comma.
In case of a function block, program or action call, add the appropriate
opening and/or closing brackets.
3 address This field contains the address of the operand as defined in the declaration
part. You cannot edit this field. Use the option Show symbol address to
switch it on or off.
4 symbol comment This field contains the comment as defined for the operand in the
declaration part. You cannot edit this field. Use the option Show symbol
address to switch it on or off.

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Column Contains... Description

5 operand comment This field contains the comment for the current line. It is editable and can be
switched on or off via option Show operand comment.

Navigating in the Table

 UP and DOWN arrow keys: Moving to the field above or below.
 TAB: Moving within a line to the field to the right.
 SHIFT + TAB: Moving within in a line to the field to the left.
 SPACE: Opens the currently selected field for editing. Alternatively, performs a further mouse-
click on the field. If applicable, the input assistant will be available via the ... button. You can
close a currently open edit field by pressing ENTER, confirming the current entries, or by
pressing ESC canceling the made entries.
 CTRL + ENTER: Enters a new line below the current one.
 DEL: Removes the current line that is where you have currently selected any field.
 Cut, Copy, Paste: To copy 1 or several lines, select at least 1 field of the line or lines and
execute the Copy command. To cut a line, use the Cut command. Paste will insert the
previously copied/cut lines before the line where currently a field is selected. If no field is
selected, they will be inserted at the end of the network.
 CTRL + HOME scrolls to the begin of the document and marks the first network.
 CTRL + END scrolls to the end of the document and marks the last network.
 PAGE UP scrolls up 1 screen and marks the topmost rectangle.
 PAGE DOWN scrolls down 1 screen and marks the topmost rectangle.

Multiple Operands (Extensible Operators)

If the same operator (see page 300) is used with multiple operands, 2 ways of programming are
possible:
 The operands are entered in subsequent lines, separated by commas, for example:
LD 7
ADD 2,
4,
7
ST iVar
 The instruction is repeated in subsequent lines, for example:
LD 7
ADD 2
ADD 4
ADD 7
ST iVar

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Complex Operands
If a complex operand is to be used, enter an opening bracket before, then use the following lines
for the particular operand components. Below them, in a separate line, enter the closing bracket.
Example: Rotating a string by 1 character at each cycle.
Corresponding ST code:
stRotate := CONCAT(RIGHT(stRotate, (LEN(stRotate) -
1)), (LEFT(stRotate, 1)));
LD stRotate
RIGHT( stRotate
LEN
SUB 1
)
CONCAT( stRotate
LEFT 1
)
ST stRotate

Function Calls
Enter the function name in the operator field. Give the (first) input parameter as an operand in a
preceding LD operation. If there are further parameters, give the next one in the same line as the
function name. You can add further parameters in this line, separated by commas, or in
subsequent lines.
The function return value will be stored in the accumulator. The following restriction concerning the
IEC standard applies.
NOTE: A function call with multiple return values is not possible. Only 1 return value can be used
for a succeeding operation.
Example: Function GeomAverage, which has 3 input parameters, is called. The first parameter is
given by X7 in a preceding operation. The second one, 25, is given with the function name. The
third one is given by variable tvar, either in the same line or in the subsequent one. The return
value is assigned to variable Ave.
Corresponding ST code:
Ave := GeomAverage(X7, 25, tvar);
Function call in IL:
LD X7
GeomAverage 25
tvar
ST Ave

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Function Block Calls and Program Calls

Use the CAL- or CALC operator (see page 300). Enter the function block instance name or the
program name in the operand field (second column) followed by the opening bracket. Enter the
input parameters each in one of the following lines:
Operator field: Parameter name
Prefix field:
 := for input parameters
 => for output parameter

Operand field: Current parameter

Postfix field:
 , if further parameters follow
) after the last parameter
 () in case of parameter-less calls

Example: Call of POUToCAll with 2 input and 2 output parameters.

Corresponding ST code:
POUToCall(Counter := iCounter, iDecrement:=2, bError=>bErr, wError=>wRe
sult);
Program call in IL with input and output parameters:

It is not necessary to use all parameters of a function block or program.

NOTE: Complex expressions cannot be used. These must be assigned to the input of the function
block or program before the call instruction.

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Action Call
To be performed like a function block or program call, the action name is to be appended to the
instance name or program name.
Example: Call of action ResetAction.
Corresponding ST code:
Inst.ResetAction();
Action call in IL:
CAL Inst.ResetAction()

Method Call
To be performed like a function call, the instance name with appended method name is to be
entered in the first column (operator).
Example: Call of method Home.
Corresponding ST code:
Z := IHome.Home(TRUE, TRUE, TRUE);
Method call in IL:
LD TRUE
IHome.Home TRUE
TRUE
ST Z

Jump
A jump (see page 333) is programmed by JMP in the first column (operator) and a label name in
the second column (operand). The label is to be defined in the target network in the label
(see page 334) field.
The statement list preceding the unconditional jump has to end with one of the following
commands: ST, STN, S, R, CAL, RET, or another JMP.
This is not the case for a conditional jump (see page 333). The execution of the jump depends on
the value loaded.
Example: Conditional jump instruction; in case bCallRestAction is TRUE, the program should
jump to the network labeled with Cont.
Conditional jump instruction in IL:
LDN bCallResetAction
JMPC Cont

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Cursor Positions in FBD, LD, and IL

IL Editor
This is a text editor, structured in form of a table. Each table cell is a possible cursor position. Also
refer to Working in the IL Editor View (see page 310).

FBD and LD Editor

These are graphic editors, see below examples (1) to (15) showing the possible cursor positions:
text, input, output, box, contact, coil, return, jump, line between elements and network.
Actions such as cut, copy, paste, delete, and other editor-specific commands refer to the current
cursor position or selected element. See Working in the FBD and LD Editor (see page 305).
Basically, in FBD a dotted rectangle around the respective element indicates the current position
of the cursor. Additionally, texts and boxes become blue- or red-shadowed.
In LD, coils and contacts become red-colored as soon as the cursor is positioned on.
The cursor position determines which elements are available in the context menu for getting
inserted (see page 305).

Possible Cursor Positions

(1) Every text field

In the left image, the possible cursor positions are marked by a red-frame. The right image shows
a box with the cursor being placed in the AND field. Keep in mind the possibility to enter addresses
instead of variable names if configured appropriately in the FBD, LD and IL editor Options dialog
box.
(2) Every input:

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(3) Every operator, function, or function block:

(4) Outputs if an assignment or a jump comes afterward:

(5) Just before the lined cross above an assignment before a jump or a return instruction:

(6) The right-most cursor position in the network or anywhere else in the network besides the other
cursor positions. This will select the whole network:

(7) The lined cross directly in front of an assignment:

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(8) Every contact:

(9) Every coil:

(10) Every return and jump:

(11) The connecting line between the contacts and the coils:

(12) Branch or subnetwork within a network:

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(13) The connection line between parallel contacts (Pos. 1...4):

(14) Before or after a network:

You can add new networks on the left-most side of the editor. The insertion of a new network before
an existing network is only possible before network 1.
(15) Begin or end of a network:

You can add contacts and function blocks at the begin of a network on the field Start here. You can
add the elements return, jump, and coil at the end of a network on the field Add output or jump here.

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FBD/LD/IL Menu

Overview
When the cursor is placed in the FBD/LD/IL Editor (see page 295) window, the FBD/LD/IL menu
is available in the menu bar, providing the commands for programming in the currently set editor
view.
FBD/LD/IL menu in FBD editor view:

 For a description of the commands, refer to the chapter FBD/LD/IL Editor Commands.
 For configuration of the menu, refer to the description of the Customize Menu.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor in Online Mode

Overview
In online mode, the FBD/LD/IL editor provides views for Monitoring (see page 321) and for writing
and forcing the values and expressions on the controller.
Debugging functionality (breakpoints, stepping, and so on) is available, see Breakpoint or Halt
Positions (see page 325).
 For information on how to open objects in online mode, refer to the chapter User Interface in
Online Mode (see page 55).
 Keep in mind that the editor window of an FBD, LD, or IL object also includes the Declaration
Editor in the upper part. Also refer to the chapter Declaration Editor in Online Mode
(see page 432).

Monitoring
If the inline monitoring is not explicitly deactivated in the Options dialog box, it will be supplemented
in FBD or LD editor by small monitoring windows behind each variable or by an additional
monitoring column showing the actual values (inline monitoring). This is even the case for
unassigned function block inputs and outputs.
The inline monitoring window of a variable shows a little red triangle in the upper left corner if the
variable is currently forced (see page 324), a blue triangle in the lower left corner if the variable is
currently prepared for writing or forcing. In LD, for contacts and coils the currently prepared value
(TRUE or FALSE) will be displayed down right below the element.
Example for a variable which is currently forced and prepared for releasing the force

Example for a contact variable which is currently prepared to get written or forced with value TRUE

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Online view of an FBD program

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Online view of an IL program

In online view, ladder networks have animated connections:

 Connections with value TRUE are displayed in bold blue.
 Connections with value FALSE are displayed in bold black.
 Connections with no known value or with an analog value are displayed in standard outline
(black and not bold).
The values of the connections are calculated from the monitoring values.
Online view of an LD program

Open a function by double-click or execute the command Browse - Go To Definition from the
context menu. Refer to the description of the User Interface in Online Mode (see page 55) for
further information.

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Forcing/Writing of Variables
In online mode, you can prepare a value for forcing or writing a variable either in the declaration
editor (see page 432) or within the editor. Double-click a variable in the editor to open the following
dialog box:
Dialog box Prepare Value

You find the name of the variable completed by its path within the device tree (Expression), its type,
and current value. By activating the corresponding item, you can do the following:
 Preparing a new value which has to be entered in the edit field.
 Removing a prepared value.
 Releasing the forced variable.
 Releasing the forced variable and resetting it to the value it was assigned to just before forcing.

The selected action will be carried out on executing the menu command Force values (in the
Online menu) or by pressing F7.
For information on how the current state of a variable (forced, prepared value) is indicated at the
respective element in the network, refer to the section Monitoring (see page 321).

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Breakpoint or Halt Positions

Possible positions you can define for a breakpoint (halt position) for debugging purposes are those
positions at which values of variables can change (statements), at which the program flow
branches out, or at which another POU is called.
These are the following positions:
 On the network as a whole such that the breakpoint will be applied to the first possible position
within the network.
 On a box (see page 335), if this contains a statement. Therefore it is not possible on operator
boxes like for example ADD, DIV. See the Note below.
 On an assignment.
 At the end of a POU at the point of return to the caller; in online mode, automatically an empty
network will be displayed for this purpose. Instead of a network number, it is identified by RET.
NOTE: You cannot set a breakpoint directly on the first box of a network. If, however, a breakpoint
is set on the complete network, the halt position will automatically be applied to the first box.
For the currently possible positions, refer to the selection list within the View → Breakpoints dialog
box.
A network containing any active breakpoint position is marked with the breakpoint symbol (red filled
circle) right to the network number and a red-shaded rectangle background for the first possible
breakpoint position within the network. Deactivated breakpoint positions are indicated by a non-
filled red circle or a surrounding non-filled red rectangle.
Breakpoint set and breakpoint reached

1 breakpoint set
2 breakpoint reached

As soon as a breakpoint position is reached during stepping or program processing, a yellow arrow
will be displayed in the breakpoint symbol and the red shaded area will change to yellow.

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Halt positions shown in FBD

Halt position shown in IL

NOTE: A breakpoint will be set automatically in all methods which may be called. If an interface-
managed method is called, breakpoints will be set in all methods of function blocks implementing
that interface and in all derivative function blocks subscribing the method. If a method is called via
a pointer on a function block, breakpoints will be set in the method of the function block and in all
derivative function blocks which are subscribing to the method.

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Section 11.2
FBD/LD/IL Elements

FBD/LD/IL Elements

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
FBD/LD/IL Toolbox 328
Network in FBD/LD/IL 330
Assignment in FBD/LD/IL 332
Jump in FBD/LD/IL 333
Label in FBD/LD/IL 334
Boxes in FBD/LD/IL 335
RETURN Instruction in FBD/LD/IL 336
Branch / Hanging Coil in FBD/LD/IL 337
Parallel Branch 340
Branch Start / End 343
Set/Reset in FBD/LD/IL 344
Set/Reset Coil 345
Execute 346

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FBD/LD/IL Toolbox

Overview
The FBD/LD/IL Editor (see page 295) provides a toolbox which offers the programming elements
for being inserted in the editor window by drag and drop. Open the toolbox by executing the
command ToolBox which is in the View menu.
It depends on the currently active editor view which elements are available for inserting (see the
respective description of the insert commands).
The elements are sorted in categories: General (general elements such as Network, Assignment
and so on), Boolean operators, Math operators, Other operators (for example,
SEL, MUX, LIMIT, and MOVE), Function blocks (for example,
R_TRIG, F_TRIG, RS, SR, TON, TOF, CTD, CTU), Ladder elements, and POUs (user-
defined).
The POUs category lists all POUs which have been defined below the same application as the
FBD/LD/IL object which is open in the editor. If a POU has been assigned a bitmap in its properties,
then this will be displayed before the POU name. Otherwise, the standard icon for indicating the
POU type will be used. The list will be updated automatically when POUs are added or removed
from the application.
The category Other operators contains among SEL, MUX, LIMIT, and MOVE operators a
conversion placeholder element. You can drag and drop this element to the appropriate position
of the network. The conversion type is set automatically, dependent on the required type of the
insert position. In some situations however the required conversion type cannot be determined
automatically. Change the element manually in this case.
To unfold the category folders, click the button showing the respective category name. See in the
following image: The category General is unfolded, the others are folded. The image shows an
example for inserting an Assignment element by drag and drop from the toolbox.

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Only the section General in the toolbox is unfolded:

Insert from toolbox

To insert an element in the editor, select it in the toolbox by a mouse-click and bring it to the editor
window by drag and drop. The possible insert positions will be indicated by position markers, which
appear as long as the element is drawn - keeping the mouse button pressed - across the editor
window. The nearest possible position will light up green. When you release the mouse button, the
element will be inserted at the green position.
If you drag a box element on an existing box element, the new one replaces the old one. If inputs
and outputs already have been assigned, those will remain as defined, but they will not be
connected to the new element box.

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Network in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
A network is the basic entity of an FBD (see page 296) or LD (see page 297) program. In the
FBD/LD editor, the networks are arranged in a vertical list. Each network is designated on the left
side by a serial network number and has a structure consisting of either a logical or an arithmetic
expression, a program, function or function block call, and possibly jump or return instructions.
The IL Editor (see page 298), due to the common editor base with the FBD and LD editors, also
uses the network element. If an object initially was programmed in FBD or LD and then is converted
to IL, the networks will be still present in the IL program. Vice versa, if you start programming an
object in IL, you need at least 1 network element which might contain all instructions, but you can
also use further networks to structure the program.
A network optionally can get assigned a title, a comment and a label (see page 334).
You can switch the visibility of the title, the comment fields, and the network separator on and off
in the FBD, LD and IL editor options dialog box. If the option is activated, click in the network
directly below the upper border to open an edit field for the title. For entering a comment,
correspondingly open an edit field directly below the title field. The comment can be multi-lined.
Press ENTER to insert line breaks. Press CTRL + ENTER to terminate the input of the comment
text.
Whether and how a network comment is displayed in the editor, is defined in the FBD, LD, and
IL editor options dialog box.
To add a label (see page 334), which then can be addressed by a jump (see page 333), use the
command Insert label . If a label is defined, it will be displayed below the title and comment field or
- if those are not available - directly below the upper border of the network.
Comments and label in a network

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You can set a network in comment state. This indicates that the network is not processed but
displayed and handled as a comment. To achieve this, use the command Toggle network
comment state.
On a currently selected network (cursor position 6 (see page 316)), you can apply the default
commands for copying, cutting, inserting, and deleting.
NOTE: Right-clicking (cursor position 6 (see page 316)) titles, comments, or labels will select this
entry only instead of the whole network. So the execution of the default commands does not affect
the network.
To insert a network, use command Insert Network or drag it from the toolbox (see page 328). A
network with all belonging elements can also be copied or moved (see page 305) by drag and drop
within the editor.
You can also create subnetworks (see page 337) by inserting branches.

RET Network
In online mode, an additional empty network will be displayed below the existing networks. Instead
of a network number, it is identified by RET.
It represents the position at which the execution will return to the calling POU and provides a
possible halt position (see page 321).

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Assignment in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
Depending on the selected cursor position (see page 316) in FBD or LD, an assignment will be
inserted directly in front of the selected input (cursor position 2 (see page 316)), directly after the
selected output (cursor position 4 (see page 316)) or at the end of the network (cursor position 6
(see page 316)). In an LD network, an assignment will be displayed as a coil (see page 350).
Alternatively, drag the assignment element from the toolbox (see page 328) or copy or move
(see page 305) it by drag and drop within the editor view.
After insertion, the text string ??? can be replaced by the name of the variable that is to be
assigned. For this, use the ... button to open the Input Assistant.
In IL (see page 298), an assignment is programmed via LD and ST instructions. Refer to Modifiers
and Operators in IL (see page 300).

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Jump in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
Depending on the selected cursor position (see page 316) in FBD (see page 296) or LD
(see page 297), a jump will be inserted directly in front of the selected input (cursor position 2),
directly after the selected output (cursor position 4) or at the end of the network (cursor position 6).
Alternatively, drag the jump element from the toolbox (see page 328) or copy or move
(see page 305) it by drag and drop within the editor.
After insertion, you can replace the automatically entered ??? by the label to which the jump should
be assigned.
In IL (see page 298), a jump is inserted via a JMP instruction. See in this context the description
of the operators and modifiers in IL (see page 300).

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Label in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
Below the network comment field each FBD (see page 296), LD (see page 297) or IL network have
a text input field for defining a label. The label is an optional identifier for the network and can be
addressed when defining a jump (see page 333). It can consist of any sequence of characters.
Position of a label in a network

See the Tools → Options → FBD, LD and IL editor dialog box for defining the display of comment
and title.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Boxes in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
A box, insertable in an FBD (see page 296), LD (see page 297), or IL (see page 298) network, is
a complex element and can represent additional functions like timers, counters, arithmetic
operations, or also programs, IEC functions and IEC function blocks.
A box can have one or more inputs and outputs and can be provided by a library or can be
programmed by the user.
You can group the inputs and outputs of a function block in its declaration via the
attribute pingroup. In the display of the function block in an FBD or LD editor, the groups can
then be faded out and in. For further information, refer to the Attribute pingroup chapter
(see page 705).
If provided with the respective module and if the option Show box icon is activated, an icon is
displayed within the box.

Use in FBD, LD
You can position a box in a LD network or in an FBD network by using the command Insert Box,
Insert Empty Box. Alternatively, you can insert it from the toolbox (see page 328) or copy or move
it within the editor via drag and drop. For further information, refer to the description of the Insert
Box command.

Use in IL
In an IL (see page 298) program, a CAL (see page 300) instruction with parameters will be inserted
in order to represent a box element.
You can update the box parameters (inputs, outputs) - in case the box interface has been modified
- with the current implementation without having to reinsert the box by executing the Update
parameters command.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

RETURN Instruction in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
With a RETURN instruction, the FBD (see page 296), LD (see page 297) or IL (see page 298) POU
can be exited.
In an FBD or LD network, you can place it in parallel or at the end of the previous elements. If the
input of a RETURN is TRUE, the processing of the POU will immediately be exited.
Execute the command Insert Return to insert a RETURN instruction. Alternatively, drag the element
from the toolbox (see page 328) or copy or move (see page 305) it from another position within the
editor.
RETURN element

In IL, the RET (see page 300) instruction is used for the same purpose.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Branch / Hanging Coil in FBD/LD/IL

Overview
In a Function Block Diagram (see page 296) or Ladder Diagram (see page 297) network, a branch
or a hanging coil splits up the processing line as from the current cursor position. The processing
line will continue in 2 subnetworks which will be executed 1 after each other from top to bottom.
Each subnetwork can get a further branch, such allowing multiple branching within a network.
Each subnetwork gets an own marker (an upright rectangle symbol). You can select it (cursor
position 11 (see page 316)) in order to perform actions on this arm of the branch.
Branch markers

In FBD, insert a branch via command Insert branch. Alternatively, drag the element from the
toolbox (see page 328). For the possible insert positions, refer to the description of the Insert
branch command.
NOTE: Cut and paste is not implemented for subnetworks.
A branch has been inserted at the SUB box output in the example shown below. This created 2
subnetworks, each selectable by their subnet marker. After that, an ADD box was added in each
subnetwork.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Network in FBD with inserted branch

To delete a subnetwork, first remove all elements of the subnetwork, that is all elements which are
positioned to the right of the marker of the subnetwork. Then select the marker and execute the
standard Delete command or press the DEL key.
In the following image, the 3-input-OR element has to be deleted before you can select and delete
the marker of the lower subnetwork.
Delete branch or subnetwork

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Execution in Online Mode

The particular branches will be executed from left to right and then from top to bottom.

IL (Instruction List)
The IL (see page 298) does not support networks with branches. They will stay in the original
representation.

Parallel Branches
You can use parallel branches for setting up parallel branch (see page 340) evaluation in ladder
networks.
In contrast to the open branch (without the junction point), the parallel branches are closed. They
have common split and junction points.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Parallel Branch

Overview
A parallel branch allows you to implement a parallel evaluation of logical elements. This is
accomplished via a methodology described as Short Circuit Evaluation (SCE). SCE allows you to
by-pass the execution of a function block with a boolean output if certain parallel conditions are
evaluated to be TRUE. The condition can be represented in the LD editor by a parallel branch to
the function block branch. The SCE condition is defined by 1 or several contacts within this branch,
connected parallel or sequentially.
The vertical connections of short circuit evaluation branches executed in parallel are represented
by a double line in order to differentiate them from OR constructs that are represented by a single
line (see the figure Parallel branch for SCE in a ladder network).
NOTE: The term branch is also used for another element that splits off a signal flow. This branch
(see page 337) as opposed to the parallel branch has no junction point.
The parallel branch works as follows: first it will be parsed for the branches not containing a function
block. If 1 of such branches is evaluated to be TRUE, then the function block in the parallel branch
will not be called and the value at the input of the function block branch will be passed to the output.
If the SCE condition is evaluated to be FALSE, then the function block will be called and the
boolean result of the function block execution call will be passed on.
If all branches contain function blocks, then they will be evaluated in top-to-bottom order and the
outputs of them will be combined with logical OR operations. If there are no branches containing a
function block call, then the normal OR operation will be performed.
To insert a parallel branch with SCE function, select the function block box and execute the
command Insert Contact Parallel above or Insert Contact Parallel below. This is only possible if the
first input and the main output of the function block are of type BOOL.
Below is an example of the generated language model for the given network.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Example for SCE

The function block instance x1 (TON) has a boolean input and a boolean output. Its execution
can be skipped if the condition in the parallel branch is evaluated to be TRUE. This condition value
results from the OR and AND operations connecting the contacts cond1, cond2 and cond3.
Parallel branch for SCE in a ladder network

1 The double vertical connection lines indicate a construct that is subject to an SCE.
2 The single vertical connection line indicates an OR construct.

The processing is as shown in the following, whereby P_IN and P_OUT represent the boolean
value at the input (split point) and output (junction point) of the parallel branch, respectively.
P_IN := b1 AND b2;
IF ((P_IN AND cond1) AND (cond2 OR cond3)) THEN
P_OUT := P_IN;
ELSE
x1(IN := P_IN, PT := {p 10}t#2s);
tElapsed := x1.ET;
P_OUT := x1.Q;
END_IF
bRes := P_OUT AND b3;
The following images show the dataflow (blue) in case the function block is executed (condition
resulting from cond1, cond2 and cond3 is FALSE) or bypassed (condition is TRUE).

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Condition=FALSE, function block is executed:

Condition=TRUE, function block is bypassed:

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Branch Start / End

Overview
The branch start / end element is an LD element.
It allows you to define the start / end point of a branch. If there is no start point defined, you can
use the element to define it. Is the start point already defined the element determines the end point.
For further information, refer to the chapter Parallel Branch (see page 340).

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Set/Reset in FBD/LD/IL

FBD and LD
A boolean output in FBD (see page 296) or correspondingly an LD (see page 297) coil can be set
or reset. To change between the set states, use the respective command Set/Reset from the
context menu when the output is selected. The output or coil will be marked by an S or an R.

Set If value TRUE arrives at a set output or coil, this output/coil will become TRUE
and remain TRUE. This value cannot be overwritten at this position as long as
the application is running.
Reset If value TRUE arrives at a reset output or coil, this output/coil will become FALSE
and remain FALSE. This value cannot be overwritten at this position as long as
the application is running.

Set output in FBD

In the LD editor, you can insert set and reset coils by drag and drop. To perform this action, use
either the ToolBox, category Ladder elements, or the S and R elements from the tool bar.
Example:
Set coil, reset coil

For further information, see Set/Reset Coil (see page 345).

IL
In an Instruction List, use the S and R (see page 300) operators to set or reset an operand.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Set/Reset Coil

Overview
Coils (see page 350) can also be defined as set or reset coils.
You can recognize a set coil by the S in the coil symbol: (S). A set coil will not overwrite the value
TRUE in the appropriate boolean variable. That is, the variable once set to TRUE remains TRUE.
You can recognize a reset coil by the R in the coil symbol: (R). A reset coil will not overwrite the
value FALSE in the appropriate boolean variable. That is, the variable once set to FALSE will
remain FALSE.
In the LD editor, you can insert set coils and reset coils directly via drag and drop from the ToolBox,
category Ladder elements. In doing so, you can also replace already inserted coil elements by
others.
Set coil, reset coil

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Execute

Overview
The Execute element is a block with EN/ENO that you can insert in an FBD or LD network and
that you can fill with ST code. The ST code is executed when the block is activated for processing
with a TRUE signal at the EN input.
Drag the Execute element from the toolbox (see page 328) into the network or execute the
FBD/LD/IL → Execute command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online
Help) to insert the element.

Entering ST Code

Step Action Comment

1 Click the input field with the text Enter ST- The ST editor (see page 403) opens
Code here... in the box. providing the usual functionalities.

2 Enter ST code. The necessary variable declarations are

inserted in the declaration section of the
FBD/LD/IL function block.
3 Complete entering code by clicking out of the block or –
pressing Ctrl + Enter.

Online Mode
In online mode, you can open the ST editor by clicking the plus sign under the EN input on the
function block. The usual online functionalities (monitoring, debugging) are available in the editor.

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Example
Examples for an Execute block in the FBD network.
Offline mode, ST program inserted

Online mode, ST editor open

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Section 11.3
LD Elements

LD Elements

What Is in This Section?

This section contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Contact 349
Coil 350

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 FBD/LD/IL Editor

Contact

Overview
This is an LD element.
In LD (see page 297) in its left part, each network contains 1 or several contacts. Contacts are
represented by 2 vertical, parallel lines.

Contacts pass on condition ON (TRUE) or OFF (FALSE) from left to right. A boolean variable is
assigned to each contact. If this variable is TRUE, the condition is passed from left to right and
finally to a coil in the right part of the network. Otherwise the right connection receives the value
FALSE.
You can connect multiple contacts in series as well as in parallel. Contacts in parallel represent a
logical 'OR' condition such that only one of them need be TRUE to have the parallel branch transmit
the value TRUE. Conversely, contacts in series represent a logical 'AND' condition whereas all the
contacts must be TRUE to have the final contact transmit TRUE.
Therefore, the contact arrangement corresponds to either an electric parallel or a series circuit.
A contact can also be negated. This is indicated by the slash in the contact symbol.

A negated contact passes on the incoming condition (TRUE or FALSE) only if the assigned
boolean variable is FALSE.
You can insert a contact in an LD network via one of the commands Insert Contact or Insert
Contact (right) Insert Contact Parallel (above), Insert Contact Parallel (below), Insert Rising Edge
Contact, or Insert Falling Edge Contact which are part of the LD menu. Alternatively, you can insert
the element via drag and drop from the ToolBox (see page 328) or from another position within the
editor (drag and drop).
You can replace an already inserted contact by a new contact or a negated contact. For this
purpose, drag a contact or a negated contact from the toolbox (see page 328) onto an existing
contact and drop it there.

FBD and IL
If you are working in FBD (see page 296) or IL (see page 298) view, the command will not be
available. But contacts and coils inserted in an LD network will be represented by corresponding
FBD elements or IL instructions.

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FBD/LD/IL Editor

Coil

Overview
This is an LD element.
On the right side of an LD network, there can be any number of coils which are represented by
parentheses.

They can only be arranged in parallel. A coil transmits the value of the connections from left to right
and copies it to an appropriate boolean variable. At the entry line, the value ON (TRUE) or the value
OFF (FALSE) can be present.
Coils can also be negated. This is indicated by the slash in the coil symbol.

In this case the negated value of the incoming signal will be copied to the appropriate boolean
variable.
You can insert a coil in a network via one of the commands Insert Coil, Insert Set Coil, Insert Reset
Coil, or Insert Negated Coil in the LD menu. Alternatively, you can insert the element via drag and
drop from the ToolBox (Ladder elements) or via drag and drop from another position within the
editor. Also refer to Set and Reset Coils (see page 345).

FBD and IL
If you are working in FBD (see page 296) or IL (see page 298) view, the command will not be
available. But contacts and coils inserted in an LD network will be represented by corresponding
FBD elements or IL instructions.

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 EcoStruxure Machine Expert
Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor
EIO0000002854 06/2019

Chapter 12
Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

What Is in This Chapter?

This chapter contains the following topics:
Topic Page
Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Language 352
CFC Editor 353
Cursor Positions in CFC 355
CFC Elements / ToolBox 357
Working in the CFC Editor 363
CFC Editor in Online Mode 366
CFC Editor Page-Oriented 369

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Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Language

Overview
The Continuous Function Chart is an extension to the IEC 61131-3 standard, and is a graphical
programming language based on the Function Block Diagram (FBD) language (see page 296).
However, in contrast to the FBD language, there are no networks. CFC allows the free positioning
of graphic elements, which in turn allows for feedback loops.
For creating CFC programming objects in EcoStruxure Machine Expert, see the description of the
CFC editor (see page 353).

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

CFC Editor

Overview
The CFC editor is a graphical editor available for programming objects in the continuous function
chart (CFC) programming language (see page 352), which is an extension to the IEC 61131-3
programming languages. Choose the language when you add a new program organization unit
(POU) object to your project. For large projects, consider using the page-oriented version
(see page 369).
The editor will be available in the lower part of the window which opens when opening a CFC POU
object. This window also includes the declaration editor (see page 426) in its upper part.
CFC editor

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Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

The CFC editor in contrast to the FBD / LD editor allows free positioning (see page 363) of the
elements, which allows direct insertion of feedback paths. The sequence of processing is
determined by a list which contains all currently inserted elements and can be modified.
The following elements are available in a toolbox (see page 357) and can be inserted via drag and
drop:
 box (operators, functions, function blocks, and programs)
 input
 output
 jump
 label
 return
 composer
 selector
 connection marks
 comments

You can connect the input and output pins of the elements by drawing a line with the mouse. The
path of the connecting line will be created automatically and will follow the shortest possible route.
The connecting lines are automatically adjusted as soon as the elements are moved. For further
information, refer to the description of inserting and arranging elements (see page 363). For
complex charts, you can use connection marks (see page 358) instead of lines. You may also
consider the possibility of modifying the routing.
It may happen that elements get positioned in a way that they cover already routed connections.
These collisions are indicated by red connection lines. If there are any collisions in the chart, the

button in the upper right corner of the editor view gets a red outline: . To edit the collisions step
by step, click this button and execute the command Show next collision. Then the next found
concerned connection will be selected.
For complex charts, you can use connection marks (see page 358) instead of lines. You may also
wish to use the page-oriented version of the CFC editor.

A zoom function allows you to change the dimension of the editor window: Use the button in
the lower right corner of the window and choose between the listed zoom factors. Alternatively, you
can select the entry ... to open a dialog box where you can type in any arbitrary factor.
You can call the commands for working in the CFC editor from the context menu or from the CFC
menu which is available as soon as the CFC editor is active.

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Cursor Positions in CFC

Overview
Cursor positions in a CFC program are indicated by a gray background when hovering over the
programming element.
When you click one of these shadowed areas, before releasing the mouse-button, the background
color will change to red. As soon as you release the mouse-button, this will become the current
cursor position, with the respective element or text being selected and displayed as red-colored.
There are 3 categories of cursor positions. See the possible positions indicated by a gray shaded
area as shown in the illustrations of the following paragraphs.

Cursor Positioned on a Text

If the cursor is positioned on a text and you click on the mouse-button, it is displayed as blue-
shaded and can be edited. The ... button is available for opening the input assistant. Primarily after
having inserted an element, the characters ??? represent the name of the element. Replace these
characters by a valid identifier. After that a tool tip is displayed by positioning the cursor on the
name of a variable or a box parameter. The tool tip contains the type of the variable or parameter
and, if it exists, the associated comment in a second line.
Possible cursor positions and an example of selected text:

Cursor Positioned on the Body of an Element

If the cursor is positioned on the body of an element (box, input, output, jump, label, return,
comment, connection mark), these will be displayed as red-colored and can be moved by moving
the mouse.
Possible cursor positions and example of a selected body:

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Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Cursor Positioned on the Body on Input or Output Connection of an Element

If the cursor is positioned on an input or output connection of an element, a red filled square will
indicate that position (point of connection). It can be negated or set/reset.
Possible cursor positions (gray shadows) and examples of selected output and input positions (red
squares):

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

CFC Elements / ToolBox

Overview
The graphical elements available for programming in the CFC editor (see page 353) window are
provided by a toolbox. Open the toolbox in a view window by executing the command ToolBox in
the View menu.

Select the desired element in the toolbox and insert (see page 363) it in the editor window via drag
and drop.

Besides the programming elements, there is an entry , at the top of the toolbox list. As
long as this entry is selected, the cursor has the shape of an arrow and you can select elements in
the editor window for positioning and editing.

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Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

CFC Elements

Name Symbol Description

page The number of the page is given automatically according to its
position. You can enter the name (Overview in this example) in
the orange field at the top of the page.

control point A control point is needed to fix a manually modified connection

line routing. This helps to prevent the modification from being
reverted by the command Route all Connections. By 2 control
points you can mark a definite segment of a line for which you
want to modify the routing.

input You can select the text offered by ??? and replace it by a variable
or constant. The input assistance serves to select a valid
identifier.
output

box You can use a box to represent operators, functions, function

blocks, and programs. You can select the text offered by ??? and
replace it by an operator, function, function block, or program
name. The input assistance serves to select one of the available
objects.
If you insert a function block, another ??? will be displayed above
the box. Replace the question marks by the name of the function
block instance. If a function block with constant input parameters
is instantiated, then the box element shows a field Parameters...
in the bottom left corner of the box. Click this button to open a
dialog box for editing the input parameters. Refer to the Edit
Parameters... chapter (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu
Commands, Online Help).
If you replace an existing box by another (by modifying the
entered name) and the new one has a different minimum or
maximum number of input or output pins, the pins will be adapted
correspondingly. If pins are to be removed, the lowest one will be
removed first.
jump Use the jump element to indicate at which position the execution
of the program should continue. This position is defined by a label
(see below). Therefore, replace the text offered by ??? by the
label name.
label A label marks the position to which the program can jump (see the
element jump).
In online mode, a return label for marking the end of POU is
automatically inserted.

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Name Symbol Description

return In online mode, a return element is automatically inserted in the
first column and after the last element in the editor. In stepping, it
is automatically jumped to before execution leaves the POU.
composer Use a composer to handle an input of a box which is of type of a
structure. The composer will display the structure components
and thus make them accessible in the CFC for the programmer.
For this purpose name the composer like the concerned structure
(by replacing ??? by the name) and connect it to the box instead
of using an input element.
selector A selector in contrast to the composer is used to handle an output
of a box which is a type of structure. The selector will display the
structure components and thus make them accessible in the CFC
for the programmer. For this purpose, name the selector like the
concerned structure (replace ??? by the name) and connect it to
the box instead of using an output element.
comment Use this element to add any comments to the chart. Select the
placeholder text and replace it with any desired text. To obtain a
new line within the comment, press CTRL + ENTER.
connection You can use connection marks instead of a connection line
mark – (see page 364) between elements. This can help to clear
source complex charts.
connection For a valid connection, assign a connection mark – source
mark – sink element at the output of an element and assign a connection mark
– sink (see below) at the input of another element. Assign the
same name to both marks (no case-sensitivity).
Naming:
The first connection mark – source element inserted in a CFC by
default is named C-1 and can be modified manually. In its
counterpart connection mark – sink, replace the ??? by the same
name string as used in the source mark.The editor will verify that
the names of the marks are unique. If the name of a source mark
is changed, the name of the connected sink mark will
automatically be renamed as well. However, if a sink mark is
renamed, the source mark will keep the old name. This allows you
to reconfigure connections. Likewise, removing a connection
mark does not remove its counterpart.
To use a connection mark in the chart, drag it from the toolbox to
the editor window and then connect its pin with the output or input
pin of the respective element. Alternatively you can convert an
existing normal connection line by using the command
Connection Mark. This command allows you to change
connection marks back to normal connection lines as well.
For figures showing some examples of connection marks, refer to
the chapter Connection Mark.

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Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Name Symbol Description

input pin Depending on the box type, you can add an additional input. For
this purpose, select the box element in the CFC network and draw
the input pin element on the box.
You can drag an input or output connection to another position at
the box while keeping pressed the Ctrl key.

output pin – Depending on the box type, you can add an additional output. For
this purpose, select the box element in the CFC network and draw
the output pin element on the box.
You can drag an input or output connection to another position at
the box while keeping pressed the Ctrl key.

Example of a Composer
A CFC program cfc_prog handles an instance of function block fublo1, which has an input
variable struvar of type structure. Use the composer element to access the structure
components.
Structure definition stru1 :
TYPE stru1 :
STRUCT
ivar:INT;
strvar:STRING:='hallo';
END_STRUCT
END_TYPE
Declaration and implementation of function block fublo1:
FUNCTION_BLOCK fublo1
VAR_INPUT
struvar:STRU1;
END_VAR
VAR_OUTPUT
fbout_i:INT;
fbout_str:STRING;
END_VAR
VAR
fbvar:STRING:='world';
END_VAR
fbout_i:=struvar.ivar+2;
fbout_str:=CONCAT (struvar.strvar,fbvar);

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Declaration and implementation of program cfc_prog:

PROGRAM cfc_prog
VAR
intvar: INT;
stringvar: STRING;
fbinst: fublo1;
erg1: INT;
erg2: STRING;
END_VAR
Composer element

1 composer
2 function block with input variable struvar of type structure stru1

Example of a Selector
A CFC program cfc_prog handles an instance of function block fublo2, which has an output
variable fbout of type structure stru1. Use the selector element to access the structure
components.
Structure definition stru1:
TYPE stru1 :
STRUCT
ivar:INT;
strvar:STRING:='hallo';
END_STRUCT
END_TYPE

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Declaration and implementation of function block fublo1:

FUNCTION_BLOCK fublo2
VAR_INPUT CONSTANT
fbin1:INT;
fbin2:DWORD:=24354333;
fbin3:STRING:='hallo';
END_VAR
VAR_INPUT
fbin : INT;
END_VAR
VAR_OUTPUT
fbout : stru1;
fbout2:DWORD;
END_VAR
VAR
fbvar:INT;
fbvar2:STRING;
END_VAR
Declaration and implementation of program cfc_prog:
VAR
intvar: INT;
stringvar: STRING;
fbinst: fublo1;
erg1: INT;
erg2: STRING;
fbinst2: fublo2;
END_VAR
The illustration shows a selector element where the unused pins have been removed by executing
the command Remove Unused Pins.

1 function block with output variable fbout of type structure stru1

2 selector

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Working in the CFC Editor

Overview
The elements available for programming in the CFC editor are provided in the ToolBox
(see page 357) which by default is available in a window as soon as the CFC editor is opened.
The Tools → Options → CFC editor defines general settings for working within the editor.

Inserting
To insert an element, select it in the ToolBox (see page 357) by a mouse-click, keep the mouse-
button pressed and drag the element to the desired position in the editor window. During dragging,
the cursor will be displayed as an arrow plus a rectangle and a plus-sign. When you release the
mouse-button, the element will be inserted.

Selecting
To select an inserted element for further actions such as editing or rearranging, click an element
body to select the element. It will be displayed by default as red-shaded. By additionally pressing
the SHIFT key, you can click and select further elements. You can also press the left mouse-button
and draw a dotted rectangle around all elements which you want to select. As soon as you release
the button the selection will be indicated. By command Select all , all elements are selected at
once.
By using the arrow keys you can shift the selection mark to the next possible cursor position. The
sequence depends on the execution order or the elements, which is indicated by element numbers
(see page 365).
When an input pin is selected and you press CTRL + LEFT ARROW, the corresponding output will
be selected. When an output pin is selected and you press CTRL + LEFT ARROW, the
corresponding outputs will be selected.

Drag and Drop of Variables

You can directly insert variables from the GVL (see page 218) or a POU (see page 171) as an
input or output element of a function block. To achieve this, select the variable in the GVL or POU,
and drag it to the input or output pin of a function block. The input or output element for this variable
is automatically created and connected to the pin of the function block.

Replacing Boxes
To replace an existing box element, replace the currently inserted identifier by that of the desired
new element. The number of input and output pins will be adapted if necessary due to the definition
of the POUs and thus some existing assignments could be removed.

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Moving
To move an element, select the element by clicking the element body (see possible cursor
positions (see page 355)) and drag it, while keeping the mouse-button pressed, to the desired
position. Then release the mouse-button to place the element. You also can use the Cut and Paste
commands for this purpose.

Connecting
You can connect the input and output pins of 2 elements by a connection line or via connection
marks.
Connection line: You can either select a valid point of connection that is an input or output pin of
an element (refer to Cursor Positions in CFC (see page 355)), and then draw a line to another point
of connection with the mouse. Or you can select 2 points of connection and execute the command
Select connected pins. A selected possible point of connection is indicated by a red filled square.
When you draw a line from such a point to the target element, you can identify the possible target
point of connection. When you then position the cursor over a valid connection point, an arrow
symbol is added to the cursor when moving over that point, indicating the possible connection.
The following figure provides an example: After a mouse-click on the input pin of the var1 element,
the red rectangle is displayed showing that this is a selected connection point. By keeping the
mouse button pressed, move the cursor to the output pin of the ADD box until the cursor symbol
appears as shown in the figure. Now release the mouse button to establish the connection line.

The shortest possible connection is created taking into account the other elements and
connections.
You can drag an input or output connection to another position at the box while keeping pressed
the Ctrl key.
Connection marks: you could as well use connection marks instead of connection lines in order to
simplify complex charts. Refer to the description of connection marks (see page 358).

Copying
To copy an element, select it and use the Copy and Paste commands.

Editing
After you have inserted an element, by default the text part is represented by ???. To replace this
by the desired text (POU name, label name, instance name, comment, and so on), click the text to
obtain an edit field. Also the button ... will be available to open the Input Assistant.

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 Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Editor

Deleting
You can delete a selected element or connection line by executing the command Delete, which is
available in the context menu or press the DEL key.

Opening a Function Block

If a function block is added to the editor, you can open this block with a double-click. Alternatively,
use the command Browse → Go To Definition from the context menu.

Execution Order, Element Numbers

The sequence in which the elements in a CFC network are executed in online mode is indicated
by numbers in the upper right corner of the box, output, jump, return, and label elements. The
processing starts at the element with the lowest number, which is 0.
You can modify the execution order by commands which are available in the submenu Execution
Order of the CFC menu.
When adding an element, the number will automatically be given according to the topological
sequence (from left to right and from top to bottom). The new element receives the number of its
topological successor if the sequence has already been changed, and all higher numbers are
increased by 1.
Consider that the number of an element remains constant when it is moved.
Consider that the sequence influences the result and must be changed in certain cases.

Changing Size of the Working Sheet

In order to get more space around an existing CFC chart in the editor window, you can change the
size of the working area (working sheet). Do this by selecting and dragging all elements with the
mouse or use the cut-and-paste commands (refer to Moving (see page 364))
Alternatively, you can use a special dimension settings dialog box. This may save time in the case
of large charts. Refer to the description of the Edit Working Sheet dialog box (see EcoStruxure
Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help). In case of page-oriented CFC, you can use the
Edit Page Size command (see EcoStruxure Machine Expert, Menu Commands, Online Help).

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Continuous Function Chart (CFC) Edit