PLC viewers

[plcdawg 0]

Does anyone know if AB, Mitsubishi, or Siemens make software for viewing only of PLC programs? Thanks.

[BobLfoot 301]

AB used to make a product called RSladder which shipped with RSlinx and allowed you to view, but not edit PLC 5 and SLC 500 programs. You had to have the RSlogix File for that plc. For the 5000 series you might want Service Edition it is described in note ID 25258 of the knowledgebase.

[paulengr 44]

It depends on what you are trying to do. If the issue is security, then at least AB has a number of options. If the issue is just trying to get a "cheap" viewer, they have some of those, too. Service edition allows you to look, go to remote program/run mode, change data, and use forces. You can't change the ladder logic. It is very inexpensive relative to the rest of the packages. The one downside to service edition is that it is node locked only, if you are in a networked plant. With a PLC 5, you can trivially set up security right in the processor to lock down various functions (who can read, write, force, make program changes, etc.), even right down to specific ladders and data files. There are limits to what you can do with it but not many. With all of them, you can get RSAssetSecurity. Expensive but allows fine grained control over almost everything. It is linked to Windows security. It's not cheap (about $5000 I believe) but very effective. It also logs changes to the system and has a program check in/check out, revision control, and if you get an optional module (another $5K), it can even automatically do a file comparison and give you automatic backup/restore on your PLC's similar to what you get with PC software. I have used RSLadder in the past. It was part of one of the various versions of RS-Linx ("PRO" I think) about 10 years ago. It did exactly what it says. You could view data and the ladder. I can't remember if you could load comment files or if you were stuck with the raw, uncommented ladders. It worked well. Another option for viewing data only (no ladder) is the built-in web server available on PLC 5, SLC, and Micrologix as a minimum. You can set up web pages if you like but right out of the box, you have a pretty powerful system for simple raw data file viewing and control. If you've never done it and your processor is connected to Ethernet, try http://address, and see what happens. You can also configure custom web pages via RS-Logix but I've never actually used this feature since I always had a real HMI available.

[plcdawg 0]

Actually all I want to do is be able to carry a laptop home with some of our PLC programs and be able to open and view the ladder to help with troubleshooting support over the phone (without having to fork out the cash for another license). Thanks.

[paulengr 44]

This is even easier to do. I'll stick with the current licensing scheme (not master disks) since it is slightly more complicated to understand how to move/share licenses around. If you are using node-locked licenses, you can get a USB key for a few bucks and link the license to the USB key. Then the USB key becomes the "license". Set up the license on every machine you want to be able to use Logix on and link the license to the USB key. Then plugging in the key is all it takes to transfer the license around. If you are using concurrent licenses, you pay a little more but there's more flexibility. Pick a server in the plant to hold your license keys and install Logix everywhere you want (or might want) to run it. When you start Logix, it "checks" out the license. Licenses can be set up with a reservation system but the easiest way is to simply make it first come, first served. In addition, you can go to the license screen and "borrow" a license. This temporarily transfers it to a local hard drive with an expiration date. When you come back in the morning/weekend, you can simply "check in" the license to return it. If it hits the expiration date, it will automatically expire on the laptop and re-enable on the server. Finally, you can always move the "compute" power around. I routinely troubleshoot from home. I have the Logix software installed on a server. I VPN into the plant and then use RDP (Microsoft Remote Desktop) to login to the server and run the software from there. Works very reliably. No license headaches involved. You can run RS-Linx/Logix at home linked to the network too but it hasn't been as reliable for me compared to running it on a server. If I was on a dialup connection, I'd reverse that thought and definitely run it from home instead of on a server (bandwidth issues). If you want to locally copy any files without thinking about it, either point everything to a USB memory device, or use the "syncback" program (google it) to automatically keep your copies up to date on the local/networked/USB storage.

[plcdawg 0]

Thanks for all of the info. This should help.

[b_carlton 61]

An even cheaper method would be to do a printout to a PDF file using one of the many free programs that are out there. That is if all you want to see is a static version of the program. You can even do searching in a PDF.

[Steve Bailey 118]

Use your licensed copy of the programming software to print a pdf file of the ladder logic and any other documentation you need. Copy the pdf file to the laptop you'll be using to support the field installation.

[plcdawg 0]

This is the only solution that I could come up with before I posted the question. I just thought that somewhere out there, there might be some kind of software to view PLC programs. I guess I will print and scan and put them on the laptop. This is probably the least expensive option. Thanks.

[kaiser_will 65]

Licensing is the grey area that will limit your ability to have your PLC programming software installed on multiple computers. Your options are... 1. Remote Desktop - have your work programming computer powered up, connected to the internet, and setup to remotely connect from your home computer. Slow. Requires you leave your work computer powered up and plugged in. 2. Use a creative way to copy your programming software license keys. This is typically a violation of your software license agreement, and discussing it on open forums is an MRPLC TOS violation, so tread carefully on this subject.

[Chris Elston 78]

Yes, be careful. Not only could the posters get in trouble, but so could MrPLC.com. All the PLC Vendors including Allen Bradley monitor these forums. They'll send the guys in black suits....I don't wanna see them anymore.

[Ken Moore 23]

If this is the route you chose, rather than print and scan, just print to a PDF file and take the pdf file with you. Much easier and you can carry many programs on a thumb drive. Ken

[plcdawg 0]

Yes, that will be much easier. Thanks.

[BobLfoot 301]

Sooo you did look away when they brought out the silver pen flashy things. Usually you just can't {don't want to} recall they visited. LOL

[paulengr 44]

If it helps, there are a number of freeware "print to PDF" things where a PDF writer is loaded up as a printer driver so you don't have to print, then scan at all. It's one step directly to PDF. And it preserves the ability to do text searches. One such name that I've used is "PDFCreator". Look on Sourceforge.

[plcdawg 0]

Thanks. I talked to my IT guy and he suggested PDF995. I have already used it for some of the programs and so far it works great.

[ssommers 20]

I like PrimoPDF better than PDF995. No pop-up ads! I've PDF'd most of my PLC programs & electrical drawings so I can carry them on a thumb drive & look at them from home. I've also been scanning old hand-drawn drawings on my Microtek ScanMaker 9800XL and saving them to PDF. It saves SO much time when I don't have to search thru a ton of paper!

[TConnolly 13]

I have PDF copies of the PLC programs at home - and I've used them several times at 3:00 am. You can use PDF995 tools or Adobe Acrobat to insert bookmarks into the PDF files to aid in naviagion between subroutines and page titles.

[plcdawg 0]

Good idea on setting up the bookmarks. I will have to try that. Thanks.