11/02/2016

LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionof
RSLogix500andRSEmulator500
Oneofmymostcommonquestionsis,WherecanIgetafreedownloadofRSLogix500?

ForanyseriousdevelopmentwithSLC500orMicroLogixthereisnofreeoptionbutthereisanice
freeoptionifyouonlywanttolearnand/orprogramaMicroLogix1000or1100.Programminga
MicroLogixisveryverysimilartoprogrammingaSLC500orinthatcaseaPLC5too.
AllenBradleyoffersasafreedownloadasoftwarepackagecalledRSLogixMicroStarterLite
whichisessentiallythesameprogrammingenvironmentasRSLogix500.Ontopofthat,they
alsoofferRSLogixEmulateforfreesothatyoudontevenneedaPLCtorunandtestyour
ladderlogic.KeepreadingandIllshowyouhowtogetthesoftwareandsetitup.

GettingtheSoftware
TheRSLogixMicroStarterLitesoftwareisonlyavailableasadownloadat
http://www.ab.com/programmablecontrol/plc/micrologix/downloads.html.Ifyouarestarting
fromscratchanddonothavetheRSLinxsoftwarethendownloadthekitbundledwithRSLinx
ClassicLite.FYI,IfinditabitconfusingbuttheyalsosellsoftwarecalledRSLogixMicro
StarterwhichsupportsthefullMicroLogixrange.
IfyoudonothaveaMicroLogix1000or1100toplaywiththendownloadtheRSLogixEmulate
500software.YoullbeabletousethistosimulatearealPLC.
NoteforWindowsXPusers:ThebundledversionofRSLinxonlyinstallson
WindowsProandisnotsupportedonWindowsXPHomeversions.Togetaround
thisIdownloadedanolderversionofRSLinxLite2.50fromtheAllenBradley
softwareupdatepagehttp://www.rockwellautomation.com/support/webupdates/
OnceyouvedownloadedthesoftwareandextractedittheninstallRSLogixMicrofollowedby
theRSLinxClassicLitesoftware.Next,installtheRSLogixEmulate500software.

FirstStepswithRSLinx
RSLinxisthesoftwareRSLogixwillusetocommunicatewithyourPLCorinourcasetothe
emulator.
LetsstartbyrunningtheRSLinxsoftwareundertheSTART>AllPrograms>Rockwell
Software>RSLinx>RSLinxClassicshortcut.Followthesestepstosetitup:
1.UndertheCommunicationsmenuselectConfigureDrivers.
2.UndertheAvailableDriversTypesselecttheSLC500(DH485)Emulatordriver
and
clicktheAddNewbutton.
3.YoucangivethedriveranamebutIjustleaveitatthedefaultofEMU5001.
4.LeavetheconfigurationoptionsasStationNumber00andclickOK.
Yourdrivershouldnowberunningandlooklikethepicturebelow.

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LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

Ok,thatsreadytogo.ClosetheConfigureDriversdialogboxandcloseRSLinx.Actually
RSLinxisnowrunninginthebackgroundandyoullprobablyseeitslittleiconinthesystem
tray.

RSLogixMicroStarterLite
Nowforthemomentweveallbeenwaitingforcreatingsomeladderlogic.Openthe
RSLogixMicrosoftwarewiththeSTART>AllPrograms>RockwellSoftware>RSLogixMicro
English>RSLogixMicroEnglishshortcut.CreateabrandnewprojectbypullingdowntheFile
menuandselectingNew.Everyprojectmuststartwithadesignatedprocessor.

InmycaseIvechosenthesimplestMicroLogix1000andthenclickedtheOKbutton.FYI,
ifyoueverworkwiththepurchasedversionofRSLogix500thentherewillbealotmoreitemsin
thishardwarelist.Ablankprojectnowopensup.

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LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

Letsmakeasimplerungtotestinouremulator.Makesurethecursorisontherungwiththe
ENDonitandthenclicktheNewRungiconintheinstructiontoolbar.

NowclickontheExamineifClosed
instructiontoaddittotherung.Doubleclickon
thequestionmarkaboveitandenterI:0/0asitsinputaddress.Justleavethedescriptionpopup
boxemptybyclickingOK.
Next,clickontheOutputEnergize instructiontoaddittotherightsideoftherung.Double
clickonthequestionmarkaboveitandenterO:0/0asitsoutputaddress.Justleavethe
descriptionpopupboxemptybyclickingOK.
Youshouldnowhavesomethinglikebelow.

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LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

ThenextveryimportantstepistoverifytheprojectwiththeEdit>VerifyProjectmenuitem.
Thiswillcompiletheprojectandgetitreadyfortheemulator.

SavetheprojectassomethinglikeTest.RSSinaneasyplacetofindlikeMyDocuments.

RSEmulator500
TheemulatorletsustestourworkbyrunningavirtualPLC.Wellbeabletodownloadour
programtoitandrunitinaverysimilarfashiontoarealPLC.StarttheemulatorwiththeSTART
>AllPrograms>RockwellSoftware>RSLogixEmulate500>RSLogixEmulate500
shortcut.Theemulatorispicturedbelow.Iknow.Itdoesntlooklikemuchbutitgets
thejobdone.

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LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

SelectFile>OpenandopentheRSLogixprojectyoucreatedearlier(InamedmineTEST.RSS).
InthedialogboxthatpopsupputtheStation#as1andclickOk.

Believeitornotbuttheemulatorisnowready.Leaveitrunningandgobacktoyourprojectin
RSLogixMicro.

TestingtheLadderLogic
InRSLogixMicroStarterselecttheComms>SystemCommsmenuitem.Thefollowingdialog
boxwillpopup.

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LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

Inthelefthandpane,drilldownandselectthe01,MicroLogix1000,TEST
processor.
Yoursmightlookalittledifferentifyouselecteddifferenthardwareorgavetheprocessora
differentname.ForgoodmeasuremakesureApplytoProjectischeckedandthenclickon
Download.WhenpromptedtogoOnlineclickonYes.
Ifsuccessfulyoullseetheladderpicturespinningroundontheonlinetoolbar.Toscanthe
ladderlogicputtheprocessorintoRunmodebyclickingonthearrowtotherightofmodestatus
(REMOTEPROGRAM).

Totesttheladderlogic,changetheinputstatebyrightclickingontheaddressandselectingtoggle
bit.

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LearnLadderLogicwithaFreeVersionofRSLogix500andRSEmulator500

Youwillseetheinstructiongogreenindicatingitistrueanditwillmaketheoutputinstructionturn
greenalsoindicatingtheoutputisturnedon.
Thatsit!Yougetallthatforthecostofadownload.Nowbreakoutthemanualsandstart
learningaboutallthedifferentinstructions.

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