This user manual provides guidance for users and engineers who have used control systems based on one of these two platforms:
• Siemens S7 Controller
• Rockwell Automation Logix Programmable Automation Controller
(PAC)
And in addition:
• have a desire or a need to take advantage of the PAC features, or are in
the early stages of migrating a S7 to Logix.
• have specific STEP 7 program code that they wish to convert to
effective and efficient RSLogix 5000 code.
Use this manual to help you adopt good practices and to avoid common mistakes when converting the project to Logix
The theme of conversion versus translation is one that is repeated in this application conversion guide. Simple translation is focusing only on the line of code and finding an equivalent in the Logix languages. To convert an application optimally, you have to do more than just translate. For instance, you may benefit from choosing a different programming language, utilizing different programming techniques, and designing a different scheduling scheme to solve the same task. So, conversion is performed in a context of a higher level design and knowledge of the strengths of the Logix system.
If you have application code to convert, you will need to understand your STEP 7 program before you start conversion – either by having been involved yourself in its development, or by reading documentation of the program and of the process that it controls. If the program or the process is unfamiliar or poorly documented, proper conversion will be difficult – it will be mere translation and is less likely to succeed. For example, in Logix, there is a global name space, whereas in the Siemens environment there are data blocks that can be loaded/unloaded by application code. Appreciation of this helps you design a strategy for conversion.
In some cases, if the documentation of both the process and program is poor, it may be more efficient in terms of the overall project duration/cost to draw up a new specification and begin your Logix program with minimal time spent on translation from the old program.
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