Post by ofey on EtherCAT fieldbus ^{CODESYS Forge talk (Post)}
Hi, everyone! I'm trying to set up a PLC controller and a connection to an EtherCAT slave device in Codesys. I want to create a flexible program that I can upload to multiple controllers with different remote IO connected (same program). On one plant i may have 5 AI-cards and 3 DO-cards, and on another I may have 4 AI-cards and 2 DO-cards. For not needing to maintain several different programs wih different devices defined in the program (one for each set up) I thought that using a remote IO would make it easier having a single program. That way I could refer to different memory addresses instead of predefined slots/channels and IO's, that would give me errors if there was a different IO on the plant than what the program expected. When I tried setting up the etherCAT master, I saw that I had to define the etherCAT slave devices with the different IO'cards for me to be able to refer to the memory addresses in a PRG. Exactly what I was trying to avoid. My setup is something like a program that can handle 16 separate pump controls. In a year maybe 6 plans get deployed, and depending on how large the project is, the number of pumps can vary between 4 and 16. And the managers dont want to have IO's for all 16 pumps on every cabinet, and I dont want to maintain 16 separate projects files in case of updates etc. I thought the best way to tackle this was having a single project that read/write data to the different pump IO's by remote IO (fieldbus ethercat) addresses. And the number of pump controls are activated by an external GUI. If pump 1-6 is activated by the GUI, then the PLC-program tries to read/write input/outputs from predefined addresses for the expected IO's. My test setup is a PFC200 WAGO controller and a EtherCAT fieldbus coupler (750-354) with some IO. I hope I didn't explain this too horrible, and if there is a more easy and elegant solution for this challenge I appreciate a feedback on this.
Last updated: 2024-04-08

Post by caspershes on Checking the device tree, not just the code: what else is worth a static check? ^{CODESYS Forge talk (Post)}
I spend most of my time reviewing other people's CODESYS projects before commissioning, and two kinds of defects keep showing up. Both compile clean. Both read fine. One is in the code. A pause timer whose own input gets cleared inside the branch the timer is supposed to gate: rampDelay(IN := run_2); IF NOT run_2 OR rampDelay.Q THEN run_1 := TRUE; run_2 := FALSE; // the timer's own input, cleared right here ELSE run_1 := FALSE; run_2 := FALSE; END_IF Next scan IN is FALSE, the timer resets, the condition is true again, and the second pump starts immediately. A 30-second ramp delay that actually lasts one task cycle. The setpoint is on the HMI, the operator turns it, and nothing changes. The other is not in the code at all. On one site the outdoor temperature read 0.0 °C in mild weather. The ST was correct, the variable was bound to the channel — but the channel's sensor type was left at "disabled", so nothing was ever digitised. Same class: a module with Disable_module = TRUE, or an analog output bound to a variable while its mode is off. Nothing in the project reports any of this, and the code review never looks there, because the configuration lives in the device tree and not in the POUs. That second class is what pushed me to parse the .export format rather than PLCopenXML alone — the export carries the device tree and the visualization, so "nothing ever writes this alarm variable" stops being a guess and becomes a fact you can check against the screen bindings. Three things about the format that cost me time, in case they save you some: the same device parameter can appear three times (template, internal copy, actual configuration) — the last occurrence is the one in effect; the enum value of a parameter is not in the parameter itself, it is one level down in BaseType/Value; a channel counts as used when a variable is bound to SensorValueN.SensorValue — InputStatus is a bad indicator, people deliberately bind it on spare inputs. So the question. What else would you check automatically, given both the code and the device tree? I am collecting rules from sites, not from style guides, and the configuration side feels largely unexplored. For what it is worth, the checker I use for this is free and runs offline (single exe, no install, nothing uploaded anywhere): https://github.com/caspershes/plc-lint — 43 rules at the moment, reads .export and PLCopenXML. Happy to add rules people here suggest.
Last updated: 2026-10-27

Post by r-niedermayer on OPC UA subscriber not operational ^{CODESYS Forge talk (Post)}
Hi. As far as projects in "old version"s are concerned, these can be upgraded to newer versions at any time. To do this, the device must be updated accordingly and the copilers and library versions must be adapted. You can find instructions on how to proceed in the online help/FAQ: https://content.helpme-codesys.com/en/CODESYS%20Development%20System/_cds_changing_compiler_version.html https://content.helpme-codesys.com/en/CODESYS%20Development%20System/_cds_cmd_update_device.html See also 4.3.22.4 "How to open an Example Project" within the following pdf for more details on the single steps: https://forge.codesys.com/lib/counit/tickets/_discuss/thread/3e991befbc/ca97/attachment/Public%20FAQ-v13-20240610_075228.pdf Regaring your OPCUA connection state always showing just "DISABLED", without knowing both sides of the assembly in detail, one can only approach the problem theoretically. We can give a chekclist on how to proceed: Fist, please recheck the communication settings in the OPC UA connection function block to ensure that the server URL, endpoint URL, and other settings are correct and match the configuration of the OPC UA server. Verify that the OPC UA server is running and accessible. -You can try to connect to the OPC UA server using a separate client, such as UAExpert, to ensure that the issue is not related to the OPC UA server itself. Test the security settings in the OPC UA connection function block to ensure that the correct security policy and certificate are selected. If you are using a dynamic connection to the OPC UA server, probe that the connection settings are correctly configured and that the OPC UA client is able to establish a connection to the OPC UA server. Also, please loock into the log files for any errors related to the OPC UA connection function block, these should be listet there. The log files may also provide additional information about the issue and help you to further troubleshoot the problem. FYI - Please see https://content.helpme-codesys.com/en/CODESYS%20Communication/_cds_obj_data_source_communication_opc_ua_server.html: Her you can finde the Communication settings via OPC UA Server -> layout Browse Live Server: The client connects to the server and detects the existing variables and types. From Information Model The client reads the data structure (layout) of the OPC UA Server from the information model set here and as a result receives the information about available variables and types. A connection to the server is not required. The list contains the information models installed in the OPC UA Information Model Repository. "Read Connection" Settings from IEC Variable (option set): - The connection settings used by the device are not read here from the dialog, but at runtime from the IEC variable specified here. - For this possibility, please see the Using a Dynamic Connection to an OPC UA Server (https://content.helpme-codesys.com/en/CODESYS%20Communication/_comm_use_dynamic_opc_ua_server_comm_settings.html) The settings for the communication of a Client-data source to an OPC UA Server can also be dynamically configured from the IEC code and can also be changed at runtime. For such a purpose, a structure is available in the DatasourceOpcUAServer library (For a description of the OPC UA Server, there is one included in the standard installation of CODESYS, https://content.helpme-codesys.com/en/CODESYS%20Communication/_cds_encrypt_communication_data_sources_opc_ua_client.html)
Last updated: 2024-11-04

Post by darko7417 on When running as a service, CodesysControl doesn't write log files to the disk (and other CmpLog related issuess) ^{CODESYS Forge talk (Post)}
I run CODESYS runtime as a service and use CmpLog (the LogAdd2 function) to log different events to a file. I have done this many times before on various projects and hardware, and it works fine. On this particular system, I have CODESYS 3.5.20.40 running on a Windows 11 PC. The CODESYSControlService autostarts (with Local System credentials, the default), and the application runs fine. However, the configuration file is not read (or at least not the one that should be, or not the CmpLog section), and log files are not written to the disk. I would be thankful if anyone knew why this is happening and how to fix it. A note to CODESYS people: you must provide more information on the codesys configuration file, CODESYSControlService.exe and other major components and system behaviour. You created the service and various features (i.e. logging), but haven't explained how they work, which, in my opinion, is below standard for industrial automation software. These are my observations: - When running as a service, the config file is not read (none of them), or at least the CmpLog section is not read. I checked the log using Codesys IDE, and the CmpLog parameters are not the ones I have set in any of the config files. Which CmpLog config values does the service use, and where does it read them from? I have no idea, but it's not the config files. Here are the codesys config files I located on the PC's disk: o C:\Program Files (x86)\CODESYS 3.5.20.40\GatewayPLC\CODESYSControl.cfg (only 2 lines in this config) o C:\Program Files (x86)\CODESYS 3.5.20.40\GatewayPLC\AppDataFiles\CODESYSControlWinV3\CODESYSControl.cfg o C:\Users\SRV\AppData\Roaming\CODESYS\CODESYSControlWinV3\C4DBB537\CODESYSControl.cfg o C:\Program Files (x86)\CODESYS 3.5.20.40\GatewayPLC\tempCFG\CODESYSControl.cfg - When I run codesys as an app (e.g. by clicking the icon), this config file is read C:\Users\SRV\AppData\Roaming\CODESYS\CODESYSControlWinV3\C4DBB537\CODESYSControl.cfg and log files are written ok. The icon target is "C:\Program Files (x86)\CODESYS 3.5.20.40\GatewayPLC\CODESYSControlService.exe" -d o the -d option, I think, starts a cmd-like window showing service debug output (the output shown in log in the IDE) o the -i option, again I think, means install the service - I tried adding -d to service start parameters in the registry, but it started only once and after that it refused to start. Knowing what -d does and which other options are available would be great (e.g. can I make the service read a different config file). - Syslog UDP logging works fine in any case. - These are my CmpLog parameters ~~~ [CmpLog] Logger.0.Name=PlcLog3 Logger.0.Filter=0xFFFFFFFF Logger.0.Enable=1 Logger.0.MaxEntries=10003 Logger.0.MaxFileSize=50003 Logger.0.MaxFiles=33 Logger.0.Backend.0.ClassId=0x0000010B ;sends logger messages to SysOut Logger.0.Backend.1.ClassId=0x00000104 ;writes logger messages in a file Logger.0.Backend.2.ClassId=0x00000135 ;sends logger messages as UDP syslog Logger.0.Type=0x314 ;Set the timestamp to RTC ~~~
Last updated: 2025-02-27

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