Where are the tags Logix5000

[daba]

Your I/O points are embedded in the "module-defined" tags, that always take the format Location : Slot : Tag-Type.

Location - The "name" given in the I/O Configuration tree of the parent of the I/O module for a remote connection. I/O modules in the same chassis as the controller will always be "Local".

Slot - speaks for itself, the slot number of the module in its chassis - 0 to 16

Tag-Type - Can only be I (Input to the Controller), O (Output from the Controller), or C (Configuration tag that is sent to the module to configure its operation).

An Output module will create all 3 tags I, O, and C, but an Input module will only create the I and C tags (there is no data going from the controller to an Input Module).

Inside the I and O tags is an element called "Data". Here you will find your I/O point data.

So, for example, a pushbutton wired to IN-12 of an input module in slot 7, in the same chassis as the controller, will have the "address" of Local:7:I.Data.12. Note the use of colons in the tag-name Local:7:I and dots in .Data.12 to signify "sub-element of".

Using I/O tag "addresses" directly in a program makes it hard to read, so the system allows you to create an "Alias" tag which fetches the data from that I/O tag, e.g. a tag called Start_Button could be created, as an alias to Local:7:I.Data.12, and when used in your ladder logic, makes it much easier to comprehend the code.

Also when you are looking at Tag Databases, there are 2 views.

Check-out the tabs at the bottom called Monitor and Edit.

The Monitor tab displays information on what the tag contains, and the Edit tab displays information on how the tag is constructed.

Switch back and forth between the two views and you will get the idea.

Also, at any time, if it's a white field it can be changed, if it's greyed out - changes not allowed.

 

[jkerekes]

OK. I see the issue now, I think. The example you posted looks to be a conversion from either a PLC5 or SLC. The conversion utility automatically created some of thos alias tags you posted. Was your current project created from scratch and not a conversion?

 

[Tharon]

Once again my apologizes, I'm still working on my terminology. I'll just stick to I/O's for now. I don't see them. I'm not a whiz yet, but I work with this everyday. I know it shouldn't be that hard for me to figure out why not....here's an example of the last 5000 upgrade, before I came onboard.

So what was done so differently with this new project as compared to the this other 1 and the other 7 that's like my examples?View attachment 25775

View attachment 25776

See, in that example, the B3[9].12 is a tag, a tag called "B3".

Someone created a tag called "B3". They defined it as an Array of INTs (or maybe Double INTs). They are referring to the 9th INT, Bit 12.

The "T4[5].DN" means someone created an array of Timers "T4". But they could have called it anything they wanted to really. "TIMER15"

The other things dealing with Is and Os. those tags are Aliased to other Tags...

In your first posts you are looking for the "Addresses" but the Addresses are there already, they are just not written in the SLC/Micro form you seem to be used to.

I know I probably really confused you by not explaining it clearly... sorry.

 

[daba]

OK. I see the issue now, I think. The example you posted looks to be a conversion from either a PLC5 or SLC. The conversion utility automatically created some of thos alias tags you posted. Was your current project created from scratch and not a conversion?

If a Logix5000 project contains anything that looks remotely like PLC5 or SLC data-table addresses, then it almost certainly is a "conversion", either automatic, or done by hand.

No decent programmer would use that "style" by choice in a "new" Logix5000 project.

A converted program is often harder to follow than the original, especially if some descriptions got lost in the process.

 

[Tharon]

A converted program is often harder to follow than the original, especially if some descriptions got lost in the process.

I think this poster has been bitten by that before. If I remember right he posted questions about a previous 5000 project where tags were aliased 3+ tags deep... it was nasty.

 

[daba]

I think this poster has been bitten by that before. If I remember right he posted questions about a previous 5000 project where tags were aliased 3+ tags deep... it was nasty.

Yeah, I bet, and then they run the "DeviceNet Tag Generator" tool on it as well, which puts mapping in as well !!

Very nasty...

 

[daba]

..... But they could have called it anything they wanted to really. "TIMER15" ....

How about a tag-name that actually means something. Something related to the application rather than some obscure numbered reference.

Example : Suppose you need a timer to time the drain-down of the Syrup Tank after the low-level probe goes uncovered ....

Then the timer tag could be called Syrup_Tank_Drain_Down_Timer.

Anyone looking at the code would immediately "see" and understand the function of the timer.

Tag-names can be up to 40 characters long. Enough to allow names so we don't need to add a description of the timer.

On the odd occasion we have to go online to a controller without the offline file that contains descriptions, good usage of meaningful tag-names allows us so much more insight into the logic.

 

[showshocka]

All the line upgrades where conversions from SLC500's.

 

[showshocka]

But they could have called it anything they wanted to really. "TIMER15"

So in other words, in this case, what gathering is, the person who created this chose not to label or create named Aliases for old tags? And if so, how do they refer to whats what, has to be something that I don't have. What I mean is that they're at the server, they could very well have the file with all the base tags and aliases to refer to, to where as though in the PLC, this is what I see, what I posted here, no I/O aliases for tags.

 

[daba]

So in other words, in this case, what gathering is, the person who created this chose not to label or create named Aliases for old tags? And if so, how do they refer to whats what, has to be something that I don't have. What I mean is that they're at the server, they could very well have the file with all the base tags and aliases to refer to, to where as though in the PLC, this is what I see, what I posted here, no I/O aliases for tags.

Is it possible to post the code (zip it first - forum rule). We can try to understand your issues, and offer more helpful suggestions...

I believe from what I have seen, that your physical I/O is "mapped" in code... and then aliases have been made to the mapped tags, not to the actual I/O tags. So you have things like I_1_Bit06 as an alias to I_1.6, and I_1 has been block copied from Local:1:I.Data somewhere in the code (look for routines called Inputs, or Input_Mapping, or similar.

 

[cybrstudd]

On your one screenshot, you're scrolled all the way to the right, and in my copy of Logix, the alias tags are to the left, so maybe just scroll to the left to see the alias tags. The other thing that I and some others do is to do I/O mappings of the tags instead of an alias. Alias tags cannot be changed online, where as if I do a mapping, I can change the I/O on the fly if something goes wrong, plus it causes my inputs to be consistent throughout the entire scan (ControlLogix processors scan I/O asynchronously so an input can change from one rung to the next).

 

[showshocka]

On your one screenshot, you're scrolled all the way to the right, and in my copy of Logix, the alias tags are to the left

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/attachment.php?attachmentid=25800&stc=1&d=1361203818

 

[showshocka]

(look for routines called Inputs, or Input_Mapping, or similar.

Something like this.....?

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/attachment.php?attachmentid=25802&stc=1&d=1361204032

 

[daba]

Something like this.....?

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/attachment.php?attachmentid=25802&stc=1&d=1361204032

Yep, could be, but without seeing if those routines contain any code, just guessing....

 

[rootboy]

It looks like your old versions were ported from a PLC2/3/5. That would explain the "B3", "T4", "I" & "O"'s.

In ControlLogix you can pretty much call your I/O anything that you want. To get the hardwired I/O to do something in the program, you have to copy the "real world" inputs to your internal tags, do your logic, and then copy from your internal tags to the "real world" outputs.

The way that we do it is to (usually) copy the DeviceNet input word to the appropriate tag word, getting all of the bits at the same time. Another way would be to individually map each Input to an internal coil.

The included picture is an example of doing it one I/O at a time.