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PLC

PLC

EPLAN Training

PLC

Inserting PLC Cards and Connections .......................................................3


1.1

PLC card overview....................................................................................3

1.2

Insert PLC connection points ....................................................................5

Creating PLC Cards and Connection Points ..............................................9


2.1

Create PLC boxes or PLC connection points............................................9

2.2

Place PLC boxes or PLC connection points ...........................................12

Editing the Properties of PLC Cards or Connection Points ....................15


3.1

Edit PLC data in the graphical editor.......................................................15

3.2

Edit PLC data in the navigator ................................................................16

Addressing the PLC Connection Points ...................................................19

Using the Existing PLC Connection Points ..............................................22


5.1

Re-use single PLC connection points .....................................................22

5.2

Use existing PLC addresses blockwise ..................................................23

Using Existing PLC Addresses..................................................................27


6.1

Re-use single PLC addresses.................................................................27

6.2

Use existing PLC addresses blockwise ..................................................28

Importing or Synchronizing Assignment Lists ........................................31

Exporting Assignment Lists ......................................................................34

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

PLC

Inserting PLC Cards and Connections

You can insert PLC cards and connection points on schematic pages and also on
pages of type "Overview". Synchronization occurs between the overview pages and
the schematic pages. All of the PLC connection point data can be entered in both the
overview and in the schematic.

1.1

PLC card overview

A PLC card is represented in the schematic by one or more PLC boxes. To insert a
PLC box, proceed as follows:
1. Select the menu item Insert > Box / connection point / mounting panel >
PLC box.

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2. Draw the PLC box as a rectangle.

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3. In the Properties <...> dialog, enter the device data of the PLC card.

1.2

Insert PLC connection points

You normally place PLC connection points inside the associated PLC box. It is
however possible to place PLC connection points outside a PLC box.

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1. Select the menu item Insert > Box / connection point / mounting panel >
PLC connection point <...>.

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2. Place the PLC connection point in the PLC box.
The PLC connection point adopts the DT of the PLC box. A number of
additional properties are also displayed, but these are not editable.

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3. In the Properties <...> dialog, enter the device data of the PLC connection
point.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

EPLAN Training

PLC

Creating PLC Cards and Connection Points

You can create PLC cards and connection points in the following places:
In the graphical editor (drawn, as described in "Inserting PLC Cards and

Connection Points"
In the navigator dialogs PLC - <Project name> or Device - <Project name>

(here you can also create and re-use unplaced connection points).
The creation of PLC functions in the PLC - <Project name> dialog is described
below.

2.1

Create PLC boxes or PLC connection points

Project data > PLC > Navigator

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1. In the PLC - <Project name> dialog, select Popup Menu > New.

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2. In the Function definitions dialog, select a PLC box or a PLC connection
point and click [OK].

3. In the Properties <...> dialog, edit the properties of the PLC box or the PLC
connection point. For example, enter a new DT for the PLC box.

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4. Click [OK].
The new (unplaced) PLC box or PLC connection point is displayed in the
tree or the list.

2.2

Place PLC boxes or PLC connection points

Project data > PLC > Navigator

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1. Select a PLC box or connection point and then select Popup menu > Place >
Multi-line, to place the function on a schematic page. (Select ...> Single-line
or ...> Overview, to place the function in the single-line display or on an
overview page.)

2. In the Symbol selection dialog, select the symbol to be placed with the
function.

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3. Click [OK].
The symbol hangs on the mouse pointer.

4. Place the symbol in the schematic and click the left mouse button to insert it.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

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PLC

Editing the Properties of PLC Cards or


Connection Points

You can edit the data for a PLC at every position in the project where this data
occurs: On the schematic page, the overview page, in the bus configuration, and in
the navigators. Changing the hardware data (e.g., the connection point designation)
in the schematic does not change this data on the overview page.
In the graphical editor, you edit the properties of placed PLC boxes and

connection points.
In the navigator dialogs PLC - <Project name> or Devices - <Project name>

dialog, you edit the properties of all PLC boxes and connection points in the
project (placed or unplaced).

3.1

Edit PLC data in the graphical editor

1. Double-click a PLC box or a PLC connection point.

2. In the Properties <...> dialog, change the properties of the PLC box or the
PLC connection point.

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3. Click [OK].
The changed properties are adopted.

3.2

Edit PLC data in the navigator

Project data > PLC > Navigator


Project data > Devices > Navigator
1. Select a PLC box or a PLC connection point. (Multiple selection is also
possible.)

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2. Select Popup menu> Properties.

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3. In the Properties <...> dialog, change the properties of the PLC box or the
PLC connection point.

4. Click [OK].
The changed properties are adopted.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

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Addressing the PLC Connection Points

It is possible to re-address specific or entire areas of PLC connection points within a


PLC controller (several PLC connection points, one or more PLC cards). The settings
and formats from the PLC settings are taken into account.
Precondition:
You have selected several PLC connection points in the schematic, or in the PLC <Project name> navigator dialog; or project pages (or a project) containing PLC
connection points are selected in the Pages - <Project name> navigator dialog.
Project data > PLC > Address
1. In the Readdress PLC connection points dialog, select a scheme defining
the settings for the addressing from the drop-down list. Or click [...] to create a
new scheme in the dialog which appears, to save changes to a scheme, copy
a scheme, or delete one. Schemes can also be imported or exported.

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2. Select the Digital connection points and / or the Analog connection points
check boxes to define which connection points are to be addressed.

3. In the Digital start address and Analog start address fields, enter the
starting address for the first digital and analog PLC connection points. The
currently defined addressing format is displayed as an aid.

4. Use the Sorting drop-down list to define the order in which the PLC
connections are to be sorted. The connection points are fundamentally sorted
by the DT of the card; in addition, sorting can occur by the graphical order in
the schematic, in the order of channel designations or in the order of the
connection point designations.

5. Select the Preview of result check box to see a preview of the results before
the new addresses are adopted.

6. Click [OK].

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In the Address PLC: Preview of result dialog the results of the
addressing are shown.

7. Change the new addresses if necessary and click [OK].


The new addresses are adopted in the project.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

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Using the Existing PLC Connection Points

If your project contains unplaced PLC connection points, you can re-use these and
assign their properties to the placed connection points.
At a single PLC connection point, you can use the Properties <...> dialog to re-use
another connection point. In the Use existing PLC connection points blockwise
dialog, you can re-use several connection points at the same time (also for different
placements).

5.1

Re-use single PLC connection points

Precondition:
You have opened the Properties <...> dialog for a single PLC connection point.
1. Select the <Function category> tab and click [...] next to the Displayed DT
field.
In the DT - selection dialog, all PLC connections used in the project are
shown.

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2. Navigate through the tree or list and select an unplaced PLC connection point,
or - depending on the selection - select a new one using [Next].

3. Click [OK].
The DT is inserted in the Properties <...> dialog, and the property is
assigned to the PLC connection point.

5.2

Use existing PLC addresses blockwise

Precondition:
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You have selected multiple PLC connection points in the graphical editor or in the
navigator dialogs PLC - <Project name> or Devices - <Project name>.
Project data > PLC > Use connection points blockwise
1. In the Select unplaced PLC connection points to place them blockwise
dialog, navigate through the tree or list and select the unplaced PLC
connection points that you wish to use.

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2. Click [OK].
The selected unplaced PLC connection points are displayed in the From
table.

3. Use the arrow keys to move the unplaced PLC connection points in the righthand table and assign them to the existing placed PLC connection points in
the left-hand table To.
When moving, the entries may only be moved to another free position; no
change occurs to the unselected, occupied positions.
If the selected quantities are different, then this is balanced by appended
empty lines.

4. In the Use existing PLC connection points blockwise dialog, above the
table From, click [...] if you wish to re-open the Select unplaced PLC
connection points to place them blockwise dialog. Select the desired PLC
connection points and click [OK].

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5. Click [OK].
The PLC connection points are re-used, i.e., their properties are adopted
by the assigned, placed PLC connection points.

Notes:
If, for a function in the schematic, you have also selected the associated function

in the overview page, then the same connection point is re-used for both
functions. Both placements then belong together after this. (If only one
placement was selected, then the relationship is lost!) Only one common entry
is displayed for both placements in the left-hand table. If the addresses of the
two placements are different, then the <<...>> character string is displayed in
the table. The <<...>> character string is also displayed for different
representation types.
If multiple PLC connection points exist in the project (with the same DT and

connection point designation), then both are listed. If the PLC connection point
occurs several times in the schematic and the associated PLC connection
point on the overview page only once, then only the graphically first PLC
connection point in the schematic is assigned to the relevant connection point
in the overview page.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

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Using Existing PLC Addresses

If your project contains free PLC addresses, then you can re-use these and assign
them to the connection points existing in the project.
At a single PLC connection point, you can use the Properties <...> dialog to re-use
an address. In the Use existing PLC connection points blockwise dialog, you can
use several addresses at the same time (also for different PLC connection point
placements).

6.1

Re-use single PLC addresses

Precondition:
You have opened the Properties <...> dialog for a single PLC connection point.
1. Select the <Function category> tab and click [...] next to the Address field.
The Select unplaced PLC addresses to place them blockwise dialog
displays all PLC addresses in the project.

2. Select a processor from the PLC CPU drop-down list.


The PLC addresses assigned to this processor are displayed in the table.

3. Select the desired PLC address from the table.

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4. Click [OK].
The PLC address is inserted in the Properties <...> dialog.

6.2

Use existing PLC addresses blockwise

Precondition:
You have selected several PLC connection points in the graphical editor, the PLC
navigator, or in the device navigator.
Project data > PLC > Use existing addresses blockwise
1. In the Use existing PLC addresses blockwise dialog, above the table From,
click [...].

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2. In the Select unplaced PLC addresses to place them blockwise dialog,
select a processor from the PLC CPU drop-down list.
The PLC addresses assigned to this processor are displayed in the table.

3. Select the PLC addresses that you wish to use and click [OK].
The selected PLC addresses are displayed in the From table.

4. Use the arrow keys to move the PLC addresses in the right-hand table and
assign them to the existing PLC connection points in the left-hand table To.
When moving, the entries may only be moved to another free position; no
change occurs to the unselected, occupied positions.
If the selected quantities are different, then this is balanced by appended
empty lines.

5. Click [OK].
The PLC addresses are re-used and assigned to the PLC connection
points.
At power supply connection points, the address, the symbolic address, and
the function text are only transferred if these properties already contained
values.
If you have also selected the associated power supply connection points
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and representations on the overview pages for a PLC connection point, then
the address is re-used for all representations.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

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Importing or Synchronizing Assignment Lists

Assignment lists can be imported in the Siemens formats *.SDF and *.SEQ, or as
ASCII data *.ASC. In addition to this, files with any file name extension can be
imported if they conform to the structure rules for assignment lists.
Project data > PLC > Addresses / assignment lists > [Extras] > Import
assignment list
1. Select an assignment list from the Select file dialog.

2. Click on [Open].

3. In the Import / synchronize assignment list dialog, define what PLC


controller data is to be read using the PLC CPU field.
All CPUs existing in the project are offered in the drop-down list.
Note:
oIf you wish to perform a pure Import (i.e., without overwriting any PLC

data in the project) enter a CPU here that is not in the project.

oIf you select an existing CPU then the data is Synchronized.

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oIf you do not enter a CPU, the entries from the assignment list are

assigned to the unnamed CPU. If an unnamed CPU already exists in


the project, then existing entries are overwritten according to the
reference value.

4.
5. In the PLC-specific settings field, select a scheme from the drop-down list
defining the settings for the addressing format.

6. In the Language selection field, select a suitable language for the


assignment list.
All languages defined in the translation settings for the project are
displayed in the drop-down list.

7. In the Reference value field, you define the criteria used by the system to
recognize existing entries. The CPU is always compared; within a CPU, either
the address or the symbolic address serve as the base value. Identical entries
are overwritten and the others are added to the list.
Note:
In the case of a pure import (i.e., a new CPU), the value in this field is not
relevant, since no addresses exist for this CPU yet.

8.
9. Select the Import / synchronize all identifiers check box if you want to
import all addresses existing in the assignment list. The designations are not
accounted for, i.e., addresses that are not defined in EPLAN are also imported
(e.g., timer, tag etc.). Otherwise, only the identifiers specified in the PLCspecific settings dialog, in the Addresses tab are defined.

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10. Click [OK].
The addresses in the assignment list are imported according to the project
settings.
Existing addresses or symbolic addresses are overwritten according to the
setting in the Reference value field.

This functionality is only available for certain module packages. Info

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Exporting Assignment Lists

Project data > PLC > Addresses / assignment lists > [Extras] > Export
assignment list
1. In the Export assignment list dialog, in the PLC CPU field, select the CPU
whose assignment data you wish to export. You can create a common
assignment list for all processors, or a separate list for each processor.
All CPUs existing in the project are offered in the drop-down list.

2. In the PLC-specific settings field, select a scheme from the drop-down list
defining the settings for the addressing format.

3. In the Language selection field, select a suitable language for the


assignment list.
All languages defined in the translation settings for the project are
displayed in the drop-down list.

4. In the File name field, enter the name of the file where the exported data is to
be stored.

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5. Click [OK].
The addresses from the assignment list are written to the export file.

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