siemens s7-300 upload

Hi i'm new to the siemens scene (most of my experience
is with Allen Bradley )and need help
uploading a program from a machine.

the setup is the follwing:
a s7-300 (cpu 313) connected to a touchpad
tp 270 via the mpi port.

I connect my computer to the plc mpi port (i have
to disconnect the cable that goes to the tp 270) and
establish an online communication. So far good. I don't
have the project information on my hard drive, so i need to
upload the program into my laptop. Using the view accesible
nodes options i'm able to see the block programs from the plc.
The problem is that the upload and the upload station are grayed
out. Am i doing something wrong? Do i need to put the plc in stop
mode.
I'm able to go into most of the blocks and see the code (execept for
some that apparently are protected).

What is the best way to do input monitoring ? Do i have to be
in a particular block?

Can I acces the plc through the touch screen connectors (this way
I can monitor program and have the touch screen running?


Thanks in advance for any help that you can give me!

Hi there Neto71.

First, create an offline project in STEP7 - any name, doesn't matter at this stage. Just use File / New and enter a name for your project.
Don't attempt to add any hardware, networks etc etc. Just as it is.

Now with this offline project open and available as a receptacle, you should find that you can select PLC / Upload Station to PG (PG is just Siemens-talk for a programming unit or laptop).

This will prompt you for a Rack and Slot number - ignorre this temporarily and click on the View button. Then click OK once the CPU you're connected to has been identified. From here on the hardware configuration and program blocks will be uploaded to the open project.

Watch out - there will be no documentation or symbolic names available. Just absolute addresses.

Good luck

Regards

Ken.

PS - I meant to say - try posting real questions in the correct forum rather than the practice area!

Also, to monitor inputs in the PLC, either go to the blocks in which they're used, or else build a Variable Table (offline Blcoks folder / right-click, Insert / Variable Table) and fill it with whatever addresses you want to monitor - I/O, data blocks, timers, counters etc. You can have as many Variable Tables as you want in a project and they don't consume any space in the CPU.

Ken

thanks,

Thanks for your response Ken M.

I will try your suggestion on the machine this afternoon.
Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.

(sorry new to the forum, still trying to figure out things)

Regards,
Ernesto