Simulation Software

Hi,

Does any one know or there is simulation software for Controllogix 5000 PLC's.
If there is, is there a website to gather some information.

Thanks already.

Switch to Siemens- I know it has a package called PLC Sim.

Define "simulation"

Are you looking for SIMULATION software, or EMULATION software.

SIMULATION is where you don't have the phyisical machinery, so you create a model of your process, and the PLC interacts with that model. It's possible (fairly simple, in fact), to do the process simulation entirely within the controllogix PLC.

EMULATION is where you don't have the actual, physical PLC (let alone the machinery), and you are interested in using any-old PC to run the logic as if it were a PLC (with limitations, of course.) Rockwell sells an RSLogix 5000 Emulation program (which SCADA programs can read via RSLinx). It's not perfect, but it may do what you need.

I can't recall if this package (Controllogix 5000) allows on-line editing.

If it does, and you are considering a change to your current process, then use your primary processor as the simulator while reading real inputs.

Create "shadow code". Do a search on this site for "shadow".

Be damned careful that you don't actually control any real outputs with the shadow code; use "Dummy" output bits.

If you don't want to use current inputs then use spare inputs as your inputs.

You can find details on how to bring your changes on-line in the search for "shadow".

Re: Define "simulation"

Allen Nelson said:

Are you looking for SIMULATION software, or EMULATION software.

SIMULATION is where you don't have the phyisical machinery, so you create a model of your process, and the PLC interacts with that model. It's possible (fairly simple, in fact), to do the process simulation entirely within the controllogix PLC.

EMULATION is where you don't have the actual, physical PLC (let alone the machinery), and you are interested in using any-old PC to run the logic as if it were a PLC (with limitations, of course.) Rockwell sells an RSLogix 5000 Emulation program (which SCADA programs can read via RSLinx). It's not perfect, but it may do what you need.

Click to expand...

Well I need an emulator then.
Is this availible at the rockwell site?

For simulation of the process I can use always PICS.

guest said:

Switch to Siemens- I know it has a package called PLC Sim.

Click to expand...

I know siemens has it. But its a bit difficult to switch over if the customer demands RSlogix 5000

Switch to Siemens- I know it has a package called PLC Sim.

Click to expand...

I'd be more inclined to switch away from Siemens because of PLCSim - it's lousy!

Shoop, the product you are looking for is:
9310-WED200ENE list price $1,140.00

But a word of WARNING:
I know that Emulate 5 and 500 does NOT allow online editing, check if Emulate 5000 do. If it does not, then it is not worth the expense.

A free alternative is to purchase the PLC hardware in advance and do the simulation with that, with online editing to boot.
While you do your programming, the panel can be built by means of the detachable terminal blocks.

Roy,
why dont you think PLC-SIM is any good ?
Its half price of the Rockwell products, and it has online programming.

Its half price of the Rockwell products, and it has online programming.

Click to expand...

It's precisely the online programming that's the problem, if that had worked properly it would be okay. The trouble is when you record a program so that you can play it back in order to test it's interaction with some particular I/O, it records the data Byte-wise, not Bit-wise. This means that in order to successfully test you can't change any of the Bits that are in Bytes which you have recorded. (By the way, I discovered this problem about 2 -3 years ago, if a newer version of PLCSim has solved the problem, I'd be delighted to hear about it.)

Now I will agree that how you arrange your I/O is a question of philosophy, but coming from a Chemical industry background where many of the processes are batch processes, if I've got a 32 channel digital input card I don't want to use each channel for the Fill valve on 32 different tanks, I want to keep my I/O for one piece of equipment as concentrated as possible, so that if a card dies, there is at least a chance that it doesn't bring the whole plant to a standstill. (I accept that for that to happen, we probably need to switch off Murphy's Law for a while! )

So that's why I don't like PLCSim, without the Programming facility, I find it just too cumbersome trying to drive my DINs for feedback contacts fast enough to keep up with the programme and I don't like having to knock all my supervisory timers out (or multiply them by 10 or whatever), because:

a) you're no longer running under real conditions
b) you can bet I'm going to forget to set one or more of them back!

Wow, I didnt even know there was a playback funktion.
But it can do online editing just like with a real S7 PLC. It works for me, I use it all the time together with Protool simulation.

But thats enough thread tangent for now I think. Sorry Shoop.

PLC Simulation

I know it might cost a few dollars , but why not just but
a micrologix basic plc.

griff,
a Micro is more like an SLC500 'lite' than a ControlLogix.
And a Micro has no online editing anyhow.

Hi,

Thanx all, for the info.

I read the manual of Emulate 5000.
Looks interesting
However I think its quite expensive.

In the project I'm going to run, two 5000 PLC's are available.

I will buy them in advance however it can take a few weeks before ordering is done.

For now I was transfering our S7 standard to Rslogix 5000.
And to test the converted S7 standard functionality I though I could use an emulator.

Think I have to wait untill the PLC's are in.

For now I will continue to make an automatic Source generator for RSlogix5000.