data export in RSLogix 500

How can I export data values in RSLogix 500? I've got a Micrologix 1200 with a few integer data files, and I'd like to be able to export these data values to an Excel spreadsheet. I've tried using Tools -> Database -> ASCII Export, but this seems to just export symbol names and descriptions and not data values.

I'm using RSLogix 500 Version 6.20. Any ideas? Thanks!

Open RSLinx, then on top menu, click "DDE/OPC" and configure a DDE Topic. Add a new topic, then under "Data Collection" click "Use Symbols", then select a previously saved spreadsheet (saved as a CSV file) for the symbol names.

In RSLinx, a topic represents a specific path to a processor. If you right-click on a station in RSWho and select Configure DDE Topic, or if you select DDE > Topic Configuration, the DDE/OPC Topic Configuration dialog box displays.
A DDE project is a storage container for one or more DDE topics. If you attempt to create a DDE topic without having created a DDE project, a default DDE project is created for you.

If you selected Configure DDE Topic by right-clicking on a station in RSWho, the Topic Name field is pre-filled for you. RSLinx starts with the name of the program running in the processor, and if this DDE topic exists, it adds a number to the end until it finds one that does not exist. If there are any spaces, it converts them to _'s. You can change the topic name RSLinx selected for you.

Thanks, Lancie, I didn't know you could associate a DDE topic directly with a csv export file.

But, what if his program does not have symbols already for the tags he is trying to capture?

And, will that put values in an exported CSV format? Or are there a few more steps?

The symbol file could eqsily be created in excel.

But
[rant]
WHY CAN'T YOU JUST, SELECT, CTRL+C, CLICK, CTRL+V?
[/end rant]

Sorry, you poked at one of my RSLogix pet peaves...

I always did what Lancie said for creating the Topics but I was putting DDE links in excel sheets and then saving as...txt/csv to get a snapshot...

Okie,

Ben does need to do some work on the spreadsheet first, of course. It may require adding the symbols. But I see no way around that, other than type them in. They probably need to be located in the first column of the sheet. The key is to save the symbols as a CSV file, which should be no problem as that is a normal Save Option in Excel.

Thanks for the ideas! I've found that I can just save the program as a .SLC library file, which is a text file and includes all data values. Then I can remove all the lines from the file except the data files I'm interested in and open this file in Excel, importing the data as Fixed-width.

I've never set up data collection before in RSLinx, and I think I'm going to try that next. But for now, since I only need to collect the data one time, this does what I need it to do. Thanks again.