Simatic APT & InTouch

I am starting on a project using APT. Do you have any suggestions about converting APT to any windows based software?

Global1000

I used APT right at it's launch many many years ago (what would that be, 15 years? 18 maybe?) and I still think it was the single most impressive piece of PLC programming software I've ever seen. For process applications it was so far ahead of the alternatives that even now there are features from it that I'd like to see in modern software.

However, it was a DOS-based package. Sure it would run under Windows 3.1, and then 95, and then 98, and then the problems started to creep in. NT wasn't a good environment (you had to frig the installation of APT slightly) and from there on it's not had an easy life.

There are no direct Windows equivalents that I'm aware of. I've never attempted using it under XP and I wouldn't hold out much hope for it.

Converting APT code to modern software could be tricky. Much of the CFC Math language that APT used can be very easily transported to IEC Structured Text, but the embedded objects that APT had (valves, motors etc) all had compiler-generated code associated with them. Unless you know what the logic for these was, taking the code out of context will almost certainly have repercussions in the rest of the program. But there is also the problem of the SFCs and the state language in them.

Thrillseeker,

I think, (think) that Siemens had or have a utility for converting the install.tag file to something for their own WinCC system. The install.tag is just CSV ASCII text so in principle converting to any other database format should be possible provided you know what each of the fields mean. But I've no idea whether anyone had sufficient incentive to translate it other than Siemens. Have you asked WonderWare?

Regards

Ken.

Thank you for that insight, and taking the time to share it with the rest of us.
I have a copy of APT and the software from various operational PLCs. I am very familiar with the process that these PLCs control, so hopefully, I will be able to make a good stab at the "hidden" code. I have about 30 PLCs to replace, so the task is not insignificant, and if it is practical to create a conversion utility during this process, then I shall share it.
Thanks again.

Check the manual for "hidden code"

I fully agree with Ken, APT was an excellent programming environment for a processing environment. It's a shame it wasn't allowed to evolve more.

As for the the "hidden code" for valves and motors, the ladder logic equivalent was detailed in one of the manuals. Sorry I can't remember the manual name (it has been over 10 years since i've used APT).

APT had a wonderful "Safe-State SFC" functionality which allowed SFCs (even those called as subroutine SFCs) to be interrupted, an error handling SFC to be run, and then control could be returned to a specific step in a normal SFC. It made SFC very easy to read and program. If only IEC1131-3 could have included it...

...sorry nostalgia is creeping in (the truth is APT was a memory hungry application which could take hours to compile a program on a DX486 laptop with 4MB memory! Like I said it was 10 years ago.)

Good luck with the conversion.