using Controllogix 5000

In the tag table window, is there a way to display only the tags that are actually used in programs, rather than showing all tags that are generated when I add modules?

thanks

What version are you using ?

You can display unused tags

daba said:

What version are you using ?

Click to expand...

sorry about not mentioning that.

RSLogix 5000 V16.04.00 (CPR 9)

robertmee said:

You can display unused tags

Click to expand...

my question was how not to display unused tags.

There are a number of filters you can apply to the tag display. The filters are in a drop down list at the top of the table and you can also use your own filters and wildcards.

Tags generated when you add modules are used tags, unless you delete the module.

TConnolly said:

There are a number of filters you can apply to the tag display. The filters are in a drop down list at the top of the table and you can also use your own filters and wildcards.

Tags generated when you add modules are used tags, unless you delete the module.

Click to expand...

I see the following filter options:
unused
produced
can be forced
alias
consumed

I guess there is no way to select a display that is the opposite of the "Unused."

Thanks.

You could delete the unused tags, leaving you with a display of used ones only.

daba said:

You could delete the unused tags, leaving you with a display of used ones only.

Click to expand...

As a maintenance guy in a plant with over 100 PLCs, I don't think it is timely feasible to delete the unused tags. I just wanted to use something like the filter to narrow the display to the tags that are actually included in the routines. And it looks like I can't do that. Why wouldn't Rockwell include the filter called "used"?

unsaint32 said:

As a maintenance guy in a plant with over 100 PLCs, I don't think it is timely feasible to delete the unused tags. I just wanted to use something like the filter to narrow the display to the tags that are actually included in the routines. And it looks like I can't do that. Why wouldn't Rockwell include the filter called "used"?

Click to expand...

Ideally, if the programmer made use of "Program Scoped" tags, you could use the tag browser in each Program to just view the tags related to that program.

could you possibly open a watch window and select view current routine. This would give you a list of all tags you may interested in viewing

unsaint32 said:

As a maintenance guy in a plant with over 100 PLCs, I don't think it is timely feasible to delete the unused tags. I just wanted to use something like the filter to narrow the display to the tags that are actually included in the routines. And it looks like I can't do that. Why wouldn't Rockwell include the filter called "used"?

Click to expand...

Because a good programmer doesn't leave a tag database full of unused tags, and so the unused tag filter is more helpful when cleaning up a project. I for one never leave any unused tags. Don't see why it's such a huge task to filter by unused and delete them, leaving effectively what you're after...a tag database of used tags. Maybe Rockwell thought the same thing

robertmee said:

Because a good programmer doesn't leave a tag database full of unused tags, and so the unused tag filter is more helpful when cleaning up a project. I for one never leave any unused tags. Don't see why it's such a huge task to filter by unused and delete them, leaving effectively what you're after...a tag database of used tags. Maybe Rockwell thought the same thing

Click to expand...

I see. The thing is, I'm not allowed to delete anything in the program. Also, I'm sure there are some unused tags that are made by the eng dept for future uses.

unsaint32 said:

I see. The thing is, I'm not allowed to delete anything in the program. Also, I'm sure there are some unused tags that are made by the eng dept for future uses.

Click to expand...

If the engineering department have put tags in a controller for "future use", then they should have put references to those tags in the logic, even if it is in a subroutine file that is not called. That would stop them from being deleted.

Best case scenario is that all the tags you see in the database are "in use", so there's no fog to see through.

Worst case scenario is that when the eng dept. come to use a tag they thought they had already created, it won't be there and they'll have to create again.

And, strictly speaking, deleting unused tags is not deleting anything in the program, nor can it affect the program in a any way.

As already stated, a well-written and maintained application will not have anything in the database that isn't needed.

BUT, it is possible that there are tags in the database being accessed externally, eg. HMIs, SCADA, Data-Loggers, etc. The code may not exist in the controller (yet) to service this data, but the external system may be reading writing them. If you delete these tags, you may be affecting other systems.

daba said:

..

As already stated, a well-written and maintained application will not have anything in the database that isn't needed.

Click to expand...

I don't think this is entirely true. Arrays and UDTs can easily have unused elements/members. Standardized UDTs, AOI's may have functionality that may or may not be required pending the process.

For example, a analog input AOI. I built one, and added a weight calculation function. It may or may not be required but it's a feature that could be enabled depending on the analog input and process needs. So, while the UDT base tag is used members of that UDT could go unused, which "generically" speaking the "tag" AnalogInput.Percent might be used but the "tag" AnalogInput.Weight may not be used.

The UDT is technically "used" however not entirely.

We also will create arrays of UDTs as controller-scoped tags. This keeps everything nice and compact, but then alias to other controller-scoped tags or program tags (depending on the function). So it's possible an element of the UDT tag array may or may not be used.

So to me "well-written" means the tag structures are organized, standardized and efficient the trade-off is not everything is used but you have visibility as to what CAN be used, or what functionality COULD be implemented.