Opinion: best PLC programming software?

Or, what PLC do you enjoy programming the most?

I enjoy programming software/environments that allow me to mix different languages. I like to do ladder logic for overall program structure, but then use a written language like structured text or any available scripting languages to do more advanced programming, or heavy calculations, etc.

So far I haven't found anything that's completely ideal IMO. I guess if I ask myself the same question, I'd have to say RSLogix 5000 (or whatever they're calling it now, Studio) since you can mix the different languages and for the online editing, etc. I don't like the price for the software or hardware though.

My favorite is Studio 5000 also. I will have to say that the Productivity Suite from Automation Direct is a solid second place of all the packages I have tried.

Let the war begin!!!

Preference is Logix/Studio/Designer 5000, more so because of the ability to import/export files which means I can have scripts/vba generate a bunch of usable code/tags and associated comments. AOIs, UDTs (and UDTs within UDTs) are all a huge bonus plus. I also appreciate the "simple" instruction set. Meaning I don't have to worry about data-type mismatch. I just have 1 single "Less-Than" instruction (LES), where as other platforms it's all based on data type and forced to do conversions. Mitsubishi you have to worry about if the instruction is stand alone, in series or in parallel with something else. Here are the possible "less than" instructions: LD<, AND<, OR<, LDD<, ANDD<, ORD<, LDE<, ANDE<, ORE<, LD$<, AND$<, OR$<. It grows exponentially when you add the variants for =, <=, >=, >,

I also appreciate the ladder editor window is not "fixed" like everyone else, it's dynamic. I don't have to add rung lines to connect instructions, they build themselves. I also appreciate all the ways to edit code via the keyboard and keyboard shortcuts rather then being forced to use the mouse all the time. The rungs self adjust for the length of the tags.

It isn't perfect, but preferred so far.

I was getting into Codesys v3 last year, I suppose that would be my 2nd place at this point. However the ladder editor is just OK but I enjoyed working w/structured text quite a bit.

Each PLC programming package has its ups and downs.
The favorite software is usually the one that you first started out using. In my case it was the Omron LSS . I still remember all of the keyboard shortcuts.

The Click PLC has allot to offer for its size and price. Currently playing around with the Horner XL4 with CSAPE software. XL4- All in one Controller - Nema 4 touch screen - Web Server, Data Logging, Micro USB ports, etc.
http://www.hornercanada.com/products/x-series-controllers/xl4

Regards,

True, but.....

gclshortt said:

Each PLC programming package has its ups and downs.

Click to expand...

Some software/PLCs have fatal flaws. Some software or PLCs are so poorly thought out that there are too many posts about the same topic on this forum.

For me it would be easier to state which PLC I enjoy the least.
The PLC for me would be Telemecanique TSX17 although thankfully now obsolete. In the modern day Mitsubishi GX Works is equally annoying.

Omron for me - CX-Programmer. Quick and easy so I can make some money.

Paully's5.0 said:

I also appreciate the "simple" instruction set. Meaning I don't have to worry about data-type mismatch. I just have 1 single "Less-Than" instruction (LES), where as other platforms it's all based on data type and forced to do conversions. Mitsubishi you have to worry about if the instruction is stand alone, in series or in parallel with something else. Here are the possible "less than" instructions: LD<, AND<, OR<, LDD<, ANDD<, ORD<, LDE<, ANDE<, ORE<, LD$<, AND$<, OR$<. It grows exponentially when you add the variants for =, <=, >=, >,

Click to expand...

Great point. This is how it should be too as microcontrollers are so much more advanced now than 20 years ago for instance, we shouldn't have to do things that are akin to assembly language, we should have features that match that of normal higher-level programming languages.

Another example is the whole idea of having to lay out memory addresses ourselves on some smaller/cheaper PLCs. It makes sense for system registers to have a set layout, but for program tags, it's completely unnecessary to have to map things out like that. Any modern compiler (again from computer programming) does all that for you. It's actually kind of insulting I think.

Logix5000 for interface but UnityPro was a pretty powerful software package and it had a REAL simulator built in... not Rockwells useless piece of ****.

I'll be controversial.. TIA!

(Yes, the idea behind it, not the bugs, and not the speed )

If you are always doing at least a HMI and most of the time a SCADA for the system too, it is heaven compared to the others...

Firejo said:

Click to expand...

Get with the times man!

Used to love ICOM for AB 5/500. But alas they were bought by Rockwell and promptly ruined then dropped. Still have a copy of it running on Win7-32bit. Like gclshortt I still remember most of the keyboard shortcuts.

Logix 5000 is OK. Just hate all the versions. have to have 4 VM's just to cover what I may run into in the field.

GTUnit said:

Logix5000 for interface but UnityPro was a pretty powerful software package and it had a REAL simulator built in... not Rockwells useless piece of ****.

Click to expand...

been using unity since 2006.

It has really grown on me.

Likes:
1) how easy it is to rename a variable
2) the fact that I can write ladder code and put it in the library as a function and call instances of it.
3) ladder is getting less sucky, but no where near as good as rslogix ladder was last time I used it in 2005.
4) when I download I don't lose located data.
5) no battery

dislikes
1) $100 sd card
2) if ethernet is in processor no i/o scanning, and other things i forgot that separate ethernet module can't do.
3) can't do i/o interrupt
4) sfc sucks. wish it worked like codesys