String data type

Hello all,

I need help creating a string. The PLC is an A/B L-55 logix controller. The controller receives data from a Sick bar code reader in a SINT array. I have been asked by our customer's SCADA people to format the 14 element bar code data into single string for their database.

I think I have to convert each SINT element into a string element, and then build the final string one element at a time until I have all 14 elements in their proper places. Is this right?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Yes Jeff, you are correct.
What I have done in the past is simply create and call the string that you want to declare, then Concatenate each new SINT with the original string that you previously declared.

You can do it all in one rung, just provide branch outputs one below the next.

Depending on how many DINT that you are adding, you will have one branch with the Concatenate instruction.

I'll need to double-check, but I believe the .Data element of a ControlLogix STRING data-type is a SINT array also.

So I believe you can create a 14-character User-Defined String data-type (theres's a special folder for String data-types in the organiser).

Then your received data can simply be copied (I'd use the CPS instruction), from your received SINT array, into the .Data array of your new String tag.

eg.

CPS
Source = SickData[0] Data-type SINT[14]
Dest = NewStringTag.Data[0]
Length = 14