PLC Developer

Modern automation systems solve complex tasks that go beyond the mere control of a plant. Procedural programming according to IEC 61131-3 offers the possibility to solve different tasks in an efficient and structured way. The PLC Developer supports the system programmer in all phases of software development.

Because of the integration of the PLC Developer in the SolutionCenter synergies can be exploited and therefore added value can be created:

• By linking PLC projects in a Solution project with device configurations and templates, they can be combined to form a complete solution and managed as one.
• The version management function using GIT and SVN enables the user to track code modifications easily and provides the basis for a release management.
• The use of extensions, in the form of plugins, which can also be directly installed from the Eclipse Marketplace, simplifies project planning and programming. 
• The use of SolutionCenter scripting API enables the application of modern software development methods such as continuous integration, model-driven development and test-driven development.

The clear and intuitive editors allow a modern and efficient way of working:

• The user-defined syntax highlighting increases the readability of code in the "structured text" (ST) language. 
• The modern and clear design of the user interface for programming in "Continuous Function Chart" (CFC) also permits a good overview in large programs.
• Thanks to the fully available code navigation and call hierarchy, it is also possible to easily identify interrelationships in complex applications. 
• Efficient programming is particularly enhanced by the context-sensitive autocompletion and the predefined and extendable code and file templates. 
• Project management in one workspace enables all changes to the source files to be stored in a local protocol. These can be called again at a later time irrespective of whether the project is version managed.
• An extensive validation function immediately notifies the programmer of programming errors when the code is edited. Quick fixes correct missing program sections such as variable declarations by adding them automatically.
• Information on interfaces and documentation of function blocks or variables can be called and displayed via tooltips without leaving the editor. 
• The project-wide changing of identifiers can be carried out easily and thoroughly. 
• When entering and saving the program, the notation of keywords and identifiers is corrected automatically. 
• The CFC editors can be fully operated via the keyboard. This increases efficiency when creating CFC diagrams.

The PLC Developer is open, flexible and transparent designed to take engineering to a new level:

• All sections of the source code are saved in text form in the project in a defined file format, which opens the possibility for the user to generate modules and configurations. Recurring operating steps can thus be automated and copy/paste errors prevented. 
• The structuring of the program sections can be selected as required and thus enables the application program to have a modular design. 
• In order to ensure a reproducible build, the libraries used are saved in the project. An update produces a clear display of the libraries present in a newer version.
• Creation and debugging of user-defined libraries in ST, CFC, C and C++ languages is possible throughout and particularly supports the reusability of code in other projects. 
• Programming is carried out irrespective of the target platform, which only has to be selected at the time of execution. After compilation, the created application program can be transferred directly to an M200 controller and run. 
• Externally visible variables can be configured clearly in the symbol configuration.

The debug framework of the PLC Developer is extremely helpful during the development of new application programs and to find errors:

• After a debug session is started, the actual variable values can be monitored without stopping the application program. This can be carried out via the clearly designed monitoring table in ST or the inline monitoring in CFC. The individual variables and structures of the application program can also be combined in variable lists and monitored jointly, plotted in a graph and set. 
• Activating the flow control makes it possible to follow the program flow without stopping the processing. 
• An application program can be stopped at any position via a breakpoint and then executed in steps. Breakpoints can be managed jointly and activated or deactivated altogether. 
• When the application program is stopped, the stack frame is displayed by which it is also possible to navigate to the functions called.
• The dynamics of variables can be better assessed by highlighting variable values when they change. 
• Values of boolean variables are highlighted in color in order to better identify the current status of an application. 
• Code modifications can be applied online without stopping the application. The PLC Developer detects during the transfer whether the online change can be carried out. 
• It is possible to debug several application programs simultaneously. When an application program with several tasks is debugged, the active debug task can be selected when connecting and changed during the debug session. 
• PLC Insight is an automatically generated webMI visualization based on selected CFC blocks. It provides users with access to the application logic without the need for an engineering tool. The visualization is installed on the target controller together with the application program. Along with the signal flow, values of exported variables can also be monitored and changed.