Twidosoft??

I hope there are some people experienced in Twido Plc's on here that can give me a few pointers.

I have to go online with one shortly and I have never programmed or used one before.

I am lucky in that I have one on my desk and the software and leads because had I tried this 'live' for the first time I would surely have messed it right up.

I tried to put a timer in and it bled across 3 lines of code - connecting to the wrong line and wiping out the logic behind it.
But even worse, when I didn't know the exact syntax for the 'timer done' bit I could go no further. The whole program locked up until it got the correct letters and numbers - and I mean locked up. I couldn't do anything with twidosoft until I pressed ctrl,alt,del to stop it running in task manager.

And going on line to monitor/write is a protracted affair. I'm probably doing it wrong (hence the request for pointers) but it seems you go online (which is called 'animation' then have to go offline to alter anything - or out of animation then back online.

And one last thing - where do I find a list of used and available bits and words etc. Thank you to anyone who helps.

You don't need to know the syntax for timer. Just click on the %TM0 block on the menu and it will insert the first available Timer.

You can find a list of used words/timers/counters e.t.c if you select Program on the top menu and Configure Data on the right menu.
Please see attached images

But even worse, when I didn't know the exact syntax for the 'timer done' bit I could go no further.

Click to expand...

See attached picture for how to use a TwidoSoft bit that means the timer is done. In other words, it is the address of the bit that you connect to the Q output of the timer, in this case %M1 = Timer 1 Done. Also you can use the timer current Value by using a ".V" after your timer addres, for example "%TM1.V" is the address for Timer 1 Value (current time value).

GEOFRA said:

You don't need to know the syntax for timer. Just click on the %TM0 block on the menu and it will insert the first available Timer.

Click to expand...

This is only true for Twidosuite.

On older twidosoft program, if you click %TM block and insert it to rung, it will allways insert %TM0 timer and you need self change it to next available timer.

On both programs twidosoft and twidosuite you can program twido's. Twidosuite is newer and meaned to newer windows platforms.

p.s Twisoft is maded years ago, it will work on Win7 computer with serial port, but it is meanad to install abowe win xp.

(ex. ethernet programming is really slow/not working on twidosft if you use win7 computer)

Lancie1 said:

See attached picture for how to use a TwidoSoft bit that means the timer is done.

Click to expand...

Lancie, your example is from twidosuite. Both programs still have same principle, programming environment is just different.

Thanks for the replies. As people will see from the pictures - the timers are huge and if you try to put one in the line below the logic it will go over the logic above.
I eventually sussed that you must put a timer on a new network and use a 'bit' for the 'timer done' function.

Still struggling along slowly - reading the manual then trying things. I'm sure it will get clearer as I go.

I have noticed recently that these PLC's are becoming more and more prevalent in new machinery. Probably because the units are cheap and the software is free.
So I'd best get my thumb out and master these things.

Thanks again.............and it probably won't be the last thing I ask about them

Can you tell me what the %MW1:X10 etc means in this line

Memory word 1 OK the :Xn part

extract

Thank you again. Got that

Now, next question - How would I make a timer variable
By that I mean, I only see 'preset' that only takes whole numbers with no option to look at another value to use as the preset?

use operate block and wrote inside this:

%TM0.P:=%MW0

if you want use timer's elapsed time somewhere, you can copy it to %mw area with this:

%MW1:=%TM0.V

timer/counter

Hopefully one last question - and I think it is more about technique..... maybe you can enlighten me.

I am studying the program for the machine I have yet to see (they sent me the program)
and I am confused as to why they have used certain 'bits'

As in the example picture I posted above, the original programmer has used exclusively
%MW1:X0....X1....X2 etc for internal bits and coils but only used %M0...M1 twice.

Why has he preferred to use those as opposed to M bits?

Oh, and I still can't find a list of available %MW's or %M's


Thank you

Its a matter of preference. Unless a scada is involved then people use word bits to cut down the tag count. As you can have 16 bits in one word instead of using 16 seperate marker bits %M.

As in the example picture I posted above, the original programmer has used exclusively %MW1:X0....X1....X2 etc. for internal bits and coils but only used %M0...M1 twice.

Click to expand...

Another reason to use bits in addressable words is that the entire word (all 16 bits) can be reset to 0 with one instruction.

Oh, and I still can't find a list of available %MW's or %M's

Click to expand...

See the Schneider Twido PLC Software Reference Guide, Chapter 2, Page 26. Some Twidos have 128 %Mi bits, most of them have 256.

Thanks again

I did suspect that resetting them all with one instruction was the reason even though it is not done in this program.

I went the long way round in finding how many 'M's I had by inserting them in a rung and incrementing the number until I got an unusable device error. (There were 256)

I think I am about 'there' now.............hmmm - so onto the machine.

I actually now, quite like the Twido Plc and the software is ok once you get used to it.

The documentation sucks, and just wait until you have to deal with remote I/O and CANBUS (preferred comms).

However If you are looking for the bits and words used in the program the attachment may help.

Steve