I've used CCW since version 1. It has come a very long way, but still has flaws.
If you have used Allen Bradley processors in the past, and used CCW, there are many things to dislike. For example:
1. For some unknown reason, the comments don’t attach to the ladder. Yes, you have aliases, but you don’t have actual comments.
2. Even though you can alias, you can’t alias anything at the bit level (for example bit 3 of a DINT) which makes using INTS/DINTS useless for grouping bits together.
3. The timers use a special TIME variable for the values – which is kind of nice for programming. However, you have to convert the values if you plan on using anything in the HMI.
4. The actual timer tags are all local and not global. If you use a timer in one ladder rung, you can’t reference it in another unless you move the timer into another global timer tag. (I haven’t found a way to just use the global timer in a ladder yet – maybe someone has a suggestion)
5. No timer timing bit (but you can make your own if you want)
6. For some reason, the help ‘hover’ disappears after about ½ second. No human can read that fast.
There are other things I’m sure. This is just off the top of my head. They are making some efforts to bridge the gap and have started to include some logix-like features.
If you have worked with other software (such as Siemens, etc) then these probably don’t seem like limitations. However, since you are using an ALLEN BRADLEY processor, you would think it would follow their 500 / 5000 standards.
In order to make the processor ‘usable’ for my customers, I have to use global tags for everything. I use something like Q10_0 for the first bit of an output DINT. This means I have hundreds of tags, even for small projects. I use one ladder rung just to move all of the I/O into the new tags so you can look at the ladder and actually understand it. (By treating the alias like a comment)
I’m sure there are many features I’m not using properly. But it is what the plant guys understand. Because it has the Allen Bradley name on it, I have an easier time getting it accepted, and it is a perfect cost / feature ratio for the small machines we do.