searching in controllogix 5000

whats the best way to search for inputs and outputs using in RS 5000? why is it so hard to search words terms? it doesn't find anything.

Use the cross reference instead. Start with the Controller Tag Monitor to find the tag you want to locate in the logic, then right click it and click on Cross Reference. In Logix5k, Find is pretty useless while the cross reference works almost as good as RSLogix5/500 Find.

Similar thread: http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=64847

Uncheck match whole word only and check wrap and try your search again

Change "All Tags" to "All Routines".

As you have it now, it is searching for a tag with the EXACT name of "timer".

so change that, and change the Exact Match option. Then what you want to do is click "Find Within" and then click "Ladder Diagrams" and select each option.

In the "Find What" field type in what you want to search for. Enter a tag name, part of a tag name, a word or phrase in the description or comments. Do not however, type in "timer" and expect it to find anything to do with timer instructions unless the word "timer" is part of the tag name or description.

It is a very powerful search and can be quite useful. Rockwell provides on their web site a series of videos to help you learn these types of things.

Here is the one on searching:
http://www.rockwellautomation.com/s...onents.swf&mediaLang=ENU&defaultMediaLang=ENU

If your version of RSLogix 5000 is version 16 or newer, these videos are built into the Start Page in RSLogix.

OG

RSLogix5000 "Search" attracts so much critiscism, but actually once you understand the basics, it is very powerful, and despite "rumours", it does actually work as it was designed, you just got to know how to drive it.

I take a fair amount of time and effort to get this across in my training lessons, because I have seen so many negative comments on PLC forums.

The keys to using the search facility effectively, is to know WHAT you are searching for, and WHERE you are searching for it.

Not many people know that launching the search from the ladder window is different to launching it when looking in a tag database, the default "Look In" option changes - either Look In Tags, or Look In Routines - even the search window title changes, something that often gets overlooked.

Once you get it, and are mindful of what the search capabilities are, it is a powerful tool, because you can do lots of special things, like searches for partial names (eg. anything with "extractor" in the tag-name, and/or description, and/or rung comment, etc.).

And of course people try to do searches for instructions in the code, eg. TOF, and can't find any, because they haven't sussed out the search options and filters.

I'd like to ask if anyone uses the "Browse Logic" tool. I didn't know about it until I started training, and I'm guessing it's not widely used..... enlighten me ...

daba said:

I'd like to ask if anyone uses the "Browse Logic" tool. I didn't know about it until I started training, and I'm guessing it's not widely used..... enlighten me ...

Click to expand...

The whut?


It has taken a long time for me to adjust to the 5000 search paradigm; it is powerful if tedious.

I still miss "Find All" when looking for instances of a tag oops address.

It still drives me crazy that if I hit Ctrl-F, type in something, and hit enter, the dialog box closes itself 90% of the time.

And being used to PLC5's, it also annoys me that I can't search across routines with the search box at the top of the program window.

Newer versions of RSLogix changed how the search from the toolbar works. It's better now than in earlier versions.

OG

I guess it's "horse for courses", and I have grown up with A-B for over 25 years...

Perhaps it's that history that lets me see that the developers have put just about every search capability into Logix5000, everything you already had in other packages, and everything you wished for, and I for one am happy with the result.

The default search options are fine, and only rarely do I need to change them. An example is needed - If i know that a particular piece of code does some part counting, there is no way I will use "Search - CTU instructions" to find it, because that will mean I have to change the search filtering options, and of course I will find every counting (up) operation in the code.

Instead I will use the search to find something related to the application, not what PLC code might be used to make the application work. So I might search for Part_Count, or PartCount, and won't be worried if its actually called Part_Counter, because I won't have "whole word" checked. The search will look in tag names, rung comments, tag descriptions, routine descriptions etc., so I will be searching for something application related, not PLC related.

Knowing that I have my search options set in a particular way will help me find what i am looking for.

I think the biggest problem is that the search capabilities of RSLogix5000 require a bit of thought in order for them to be used effectively, and users should be aware of the search options and what they mean - which of course is where what I do for a living comes into play.

Crash & Flash - do this for me, in a project that is reasonably well documented, try the Browse Logic tool, I'm not going to give you any clues how to use it, it's easily sussed, but set yourself a target to find where the code is for something you know exists in the project - don't use search, or cross-reference, but try to find your way to the code you need to look at. Challenge set, let me know how you get on with it.

Crash+Flash said:

The whut?


It has taken a long time for me to adjust to the 5000 search paradigm; it is powerful if tedious.

I still miss "Find All" when looking for instances of a tag oops address.

Click to expand...

Then don't use search at all, it will trawl it's way through all your code, taking a long time in big projects...!

Simply right-click a tag in the ladder view, or the database views, and select "cross-reference" - - bingo, instant results.

FYI the x-ref is kept up to date automatically, you don't have to regenerate it before using it.

well, since we're on the subject ...

I really don't want to turn this into an Allen-Bradley bashing session, but here's just one example of an RSLogix5000 search fiasco ... this is one of my personal favorites ...

we're using Version 15.02.00 of RSLogix5000 for this example ...

first, let's suppose that we need to search for FORCES ...

in the screen shot below, we go through the following setup steps:

(1) start by clicking the "Forces" menu button ...
(2) click the "Find All Forces" icon ...
(3) note that the "Find in Routines" search tool pops up ...
(4) confirm that "Limit To" is set up for "Forces" ...
(5) confirm that "Find Where" is set for "All Routines" ...
(6) make sure that "Wrap" is turned on ...
(7) open the "Find Within" window ...
(8) confirm "Ladder Diagrams" has "Instruction Operands" checked ...
(9) click the "Find All" button to start the search ...
(10) confirm that we are "Searching for all forces" ...
(11) note that "2 occurrences were found" ...
(12) note the two "Found" entries ...
(13) note that both found entries refer to "BELT_C" ...

continued in the next post ...

.

and the figure below shows the two forces that were found by the search settings used in the previous post ...

both "finds" refer to the same tag - BELT_C ...

continued in the next post ...

.

the really disturbing thing is that this example project has ANOTHER FORCE THAT HAS NOT BEEN FOUND ...

the trick is that the "Find All Forces" search cannot be set up to search in the Tags ... specifically, the search works ONLY in the "Routines" and will IGNORE any forces for tags that have not yet been programmed in the logic ...

the figure below shows the "mystery" force that the Find All Forces search has missed ...

note that this is the NEW_HYDRAULIC_RAM which was recently installed – but not yet programmed ...

suppose that the installers applied the force in order to exercise the ram and check its alignment ... once their tests were completed, they simply "disabled" the force – but left it in place ...

now suppose that later a technician relies on the "Find All Forces" search – and misses the force on the NEW_HYDRAULIC_RAM ... oops! ... now when he subsequently "enables" the forces for troubleshooting, the ram suddenly extends ...

as disturbing as this "oops-we-skipped-a-force" scenario might be, that is NOT the point of this series of posts ...

continued in the next post ...

.

now let's suppose that the search to "Find All Forces" has been completed – and the technician decides to move on ...

the figure below shows the setup for a new "Right-Click Find All" search for a tag named MARK ...

(1) first we right-click on MARK ...
(2) now we select "Find All MARK" from the popup menu ...
(3) note that the Results shows "Searching for MARK" ...
(4) note that "2 occurrences were found" ...

but ...

(5) note that both "Found" occurrences incorrectly refer to "BELT_C" – not to MARK ...

the fact is that the "Find in Routines" search engine is now stuck in a loop – and will only search for FORCES – REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE SCREEN PROMPTS INDICATE ...

specifically, note the following:

(1) we right-clicked on MARK ...
(2) we selected "Find All MARK" from the menu ...
(3) the results clearly told us that we were searching for MARK ...

but ...

(4) despite the multiple screen prompts, incredibly the search actually looked for FORCES – and NOT for the tag named "MARK" ...

so ...

are we having fun yet? ...

these are the types of bugs that drive technicians batty at 3:00 o'clock in the morning ...

yes, I'll agree that people who work with this software on a day-in-day-out basis can get used to its quirks and foibles ... but ... personally I pity the poor maintenance technician who only fires up the laptop once in a blue moon when all of a sudden the plant's main money-making pump won't run ...

having to figure out what the search engine is REALLY searching for shouldn't be a piece of the troubleshooting puzzle ...

party on ...

.

daba said:

Then don't use search at all, it will trawl it's way through all your code, taking a long time in big projects...!

Simply right-click a tag in the ladder view, or the database views, and select "cross-reference" - - bingo, instant results.

Click to expand...

I agree and that is my new standard procedure.

daba said:

I think the biggest problem is that the search capabilities of RSLogix5000 require a bit of thought in order for them to be used effectively

Click to expand...

I still agree, but without the bells and whistles, it was nice in 5 & 500 to "Find All" and use the up and down arrows to scroll through those references without the results window losing focus. And as I remember, either the top or bottom instance in the results was where you started from. (I can't speak for anybody else, but the more thought I have to put into a process, the less efficient I am)

daba said:

Crash & Flash - do this for me, in a project that is reasonably well documented, try the Browse Logic tool

Click to expand...

I look forward to experimenting.


Ron, that is priceless!