Step 7 question

Created new project.
Went online and uploaded to PG.
Got origional copy of program.
Copied symbol table thru simatic manager.
Pasted symbol table into new project.

Now the question...the symbol info is there, but when opening an OB or FC getting an annoying but livable error complaining about not having any symbol information. Any way to get rid of this, or more likely, a better way to copy symbol info from the origional to a copy?

Thanks in advance.

Could it be some language setting between German/English?

Actually, it could be seppoalanen. I didnt even think about that. It looks like the OEM rep. in the U.S. translated the ladder logic, but anything in STL and OB1 are still in German. I'll continue playing around with it...

Probably nothing to do with 'symbols' at all, but rather information held in the blocks.


For example, temp flags within blocks declared in the header or where a jump exists in the block, the programmer would have given each jump label a 4 character name, all the infirmation would be lost and you will get default names.

Have you tried exporting symbol table and importing the symbol table...I think you try like this.

PeterW is correct, this is nothing to do with the symbol table but it is to do with the symbolic names of variables within the blocks. Once you create a project and upload blocks into it, you will not have symbolic variable names with the blocks. To rectify, do a compare between the uploaded project and the original. Each block that is different will have to be given consideration as to how to correct it. The simple but laborious method is to implement each difference in the original program thus maintaining the symbolic variable names.

Now create copy of original project and make blocks comparison online/offline (or between blocks in project you created before and this copy). If comparison will produce time stamps and DB actual value differences only - be happy. You can simple copy all blocks in online window and paste it into offline (to eliminate time stamp differences for future).
If any code diffrence exists, it's worse case. Nevetheless, you can copy from online to offline blocks without code difference. If code difference exists, symbol information in offline block may be valid or invalid for online block. You may open offline and online blocks simultaneously in editor and check differences. If variables and labels structures in blocks are same (you can see symbols in online block), you can copy this block from online to offline too. If symbol information is invalid, you can analize online block in comparison with offline block and create symbols after copying online block to offline folder.
Procedure isn't simple, but working without symbols is worse...

Another point regarding Data Blocks.

Once copied from the PLC, the Data Blocks will contain actual values, if you did not have the actual commented Data Blocks, then the ones you have now are in default, plus the initial values will equal the actual values.

This means no data format and no comments.

Another very important point, if the line was not STATIC and EMPTY at the time you took the copy, depending on what the system is controlling, loading back in could be catastrophic.

A conveying system or something similar should recover OK, if its a batching system then it could be a disaster, as you could load in the memory mid process and totally screw yourself up.

Thank you for all the outstanding info!