We don't have any CLX platform machines here so let me start with that. Everything is set up with RSLinx or RSLinx Enterprise.

Now it appears that somehow it should be possible for those programs to pick the tag names out of your PLC 5/500 files (in one of the available formats) if you converted over to it. However no matter what I do, I can't seem to find the magic setting in either Enterprise or RSLinx to make this happen. All I end up with is raw (Nx:y) type references. About the only "convenience" of using Studio ME is that you can point/click to select the addresses when you are just learning the syntax of tagnames in Studio ME.

Is there such a thing? A way to attach your PLC 5/500 files and get automatic tagname interpretation just like what the CLX platform does either natively (at the PLC) or via the program stored offline somewhere?

Not that I know of.
I had to convert (by hand) every single display item on a HMI to the following syntax.

{::[PLC1]N7:83} to dirrectly read a regestry value. Where PLC1 is the device shortcut set up in the communications setup for the project. I am not sure if that syntax would also read a "tag name" in stead of a regester.

Some of the real gurus here may have a better answer.

Paul:

Let me make sure I understand what you are asking. You want to use RSView ME to select tags from a PLC or SLC. In the controller you are using, names have been assigned to the bits.

For example, in your PLC, the name "Motor_Speed" has been assigned to N1:0. Are you asking if it's possible to browse tags in RSView ME so that you pick "Motor_Speed" instead of N1:0?

If this is what you are looking for, then unfortunately, I don't believe you will be able to do this. RSView ME can only browse to information stored in the controller. In the PLC/SLC world, a name such as "Motor_Speed" (called a symbol) is *not* stored in the controller, but in your RSLogix 5/500 file.

Therefore, at this time, you will only be able to see the bit names if you are directly picking tags from the PLC using RSView ME. If you really need to see the symbols, then you can import the tags into the RSView ME HMI tag database, but this eliminates the advantages of direct-tag referencing.


Rick

I think there is a little confusion here with the terms "Tag Name" and "Symbol". PLC-5 and SLC500 do not use tag names, they do use symbols. However, those symbols are not retained in the PLC memory, so they are not of much use as a direct link from StudioME.

You could create HMI tags with the same name as the PLC symbol, but you would still have to link to the PLC address to make them work. This is how a lot of people used to do it for traditional Panelviews. You can still do things this way, but the direct link method is cleaner.

In RSView Studio, use the Tool pull down and select the "Tag Import And Export Wizard" dialog. In the Operation list box is the selection "Import RSLogix 5/500 Address & symbol ASCII files". This wizard can be used to import from a previously exported .EAS file from RSLogix 5/500. I've used it and it works well.

I'm fairly new with the RSView families. I have connected the tag names in Studio the slow way. I have exported both the base RSView tag database and the SLC/PLC dataabses and did some semi-inventive cut and paste. That works but what you have recommended sounds easier.

My biggest is creating a data base that I can import before I use the RSView software. I don't have that intuitive of a look at my processes. I normally write the SLC/PLC program and then go back and modify to make the HMI do what I want. It's more of RPN than I like, but I typically get the jobs done on schedule.

Does RSView32 have the same option?