Configuration Software Flexi Soft Designer - Sick

Configuration Software 

Flexi Soft Designer 

Configuration help 

O N L I N E H E L P 

GB

Software status described 

Software / Tool Function Status 

Flexi Soft Designer Configuration software V1.3.0 SP1 

Copyright 

Copyright © 2011 

SICK AG, Waldkirch 

Industrial Safety Systems 

Erwin-Sick-Str. 1 

79183 Waldkirch 

Germany 

Online Help 


This work is subject to copyright. SICK AG reserves the associated rights. Duplication of this work, in whole or in 

part, is only permitted subject to the limits of the statutory provisions of the Copyright Act. Modification or 

expurgation of this work is prohibited without the express written permission of SICK AG. 

2 © SICK AG • Industrial Safety Systems • Germany • All rights reserved 8014174/2011-04-06 

Subject to change without notice

Online Help 


Table of contents 

Table of contents 

1 About this document ......................................................................................................... 4 

2 Flexi Soft Designer – Online Help .................................................................................... 5 

2.1 About Flexi Soft Designer Flexi Soft Designer ..................................................... 5 

3 Hardware configuration .................................................................................................... 6 

3.1 Starting the project ............................................................................................... 6 

3.2 Selecting the main unit ......................................................................................... 6 

3.3 Selecting the expansion modules ........................................................................ 6 

3.4 Selecting the input elements ............................................................................... 7 

3.5 Selecting the actuators/displays/outputs ........................................................... 7 

3.6 Assigning tag names ............................................................................................. 8 

4 Editing the hardware configuration ................................................................................ 9 

4.1 Deleting and moving modules .............................................................................. 9 

4.2 Deleting or editing an element/discrepancy time/test signal ............................ 9 

5 Creating the logical process ..........................................................................................10 

5.1 Positioning the input elements ..........................................................................10 

5.2 Positioning the function blocks ..........................................................................10 

5.3 Positioning the outputs .......................................................................................10 

5.4 Simulation ...........................................................................................................11 

6 Connecting, transferring and verifying .........................................................................12 

7 Report and diagnostics ...................................................................................................13 

7.1 Calling and printing the report............................................................................13 

7.2 Calling the diagnostics ........................................................................................13 

8 Saving the configuration ................................................................................................14 

9 Device status values in the Flexi Soft system ..............................................................15 

10 Flexi Soft Designer Extras ..............................................................................................17 

10.1 Force mode ..........................................................................................................17 

8014174/2011-04-06 © SICK AG • Industrial Safety Systems • Germany • All rights reserved 3 


About this document 

Chapter 1 Online Help 

1 About this document 

Function of this document 

Target group 

Information depth 

Important 


Please read this document carefully if you do not have any 

previous knowledge of Flexi Soft Designer. It will simplify 

your work when dealing with configuration software. 

This document will help you when configuring your Flexi 

Soft Station, or your Flexi Link system. Nevertheless, this 

document is no substitute for the Flexi Soft hardware 

operating instructions (document no. 8012478) or the 

Flexi Soft Designer operating instructions (document no. 

8012480). This document merely serves as a guideline 

and not to provide safety-relevant instructions. 

The target group for this document consists of people in the 

following roles: 

Roles Target group 

Commissioning and 

configuration 

Expert personnel, such as 

technicians or engineers 

This document takes you through the configuration of a Flexi 

Soft Station using the Flexi Soft Designer configuration 

software. 

For information on mounting, installation, maintenance and 

troubleshooting, see the Flexi Soft hardware operating 

instructions (document no. 8012478) and the Flexi Soft 

Designer software operating instructions (document no. 

8012480). 

You can get further information on Flexi Soft safety control 

and Flexi Soft Designer configuration software from SICK AG, 

Division Industrial Safety Systems. 



Online Help Chapter 2 


Flexi Soft Designer – Online Help 

2 Flexi Soft Designer – Online Help 

Simple project configuration 

2.1 About Flexi Soft Designer 

Flexi Soft Designer is a tool that allows you to configure your Flexi Soft Station. It helps you 

when selecting and connecting your modules and elements with simple hardware 

configuration and the logic editor. 



Hardware configuration 


3 Hardware configuration 

3.1 Starting the project 

When you have started Flexi Soft Designer, select Create new project. 

3.2 Selecting the main unit 


Now select a main unit from the Modules section. Use the mouse to drag & drop it into the 

configuration area or click on the desired main unit CPU0 or to CPU1 if you want to 

3.3 Selecting the expansion modules 

connect an EFI-compatible SICK 

sensor. 

After selecting the main unit, select the required expansion modules. You have three selec- 

tion options: gateways for integrating into the PLC, I/O modules, and relays. You can 

choose between 7 different 

gateways, 2 input and output 

modules, 4 relay expansions, as 

well as a speed monitor for 

standstill and drive monitoring. 






3.4 Selecting the input elements 

When you have selected all the modules, click on Elements at the bottom left. 

Now select your sensors/indicators/inputs from the input elements. Use the mouse to 

drag it to the intended module. A green mark appearing on the inputs of the expansion 

module indicates that these 

inputs can still be used. Double 

clicking on the required input 

element automatically uses the 

first free inputs. 

3.5 Selecting the actuators/displays/outputs 

In Elements, select Actuators/Displays/Outputs and drag the selected elements to the 

desired free outputs in the same way as described in 3.4. 





3.6 Assigning tag names 


When you have selected your hardware, click on the circle icon on the left next to 

your CPU to define or change the tag names for the inputs and outputs. You can now 

assign your own names in the 

window that opens next. 





Editing the hardware configuration 

4 Editing the hardware configuration 

4.1 Deleting and moving modules 

To move a module, left click on it and drag it to the desired position while holding down the 

left mouse button. To delete it, drag it to the trash can at the bottom left, or right click on 

the module and select Remove 

module. 

4.2 Deleting or editing an element/discrepancy time/test 

signal 

To delete an element, right click on the element to be deleted and select Remove. To edit 

an element, right click on the element and select Edit. Among other things, this is where you 

can configure the discrepancy 

time and specify whether the 

element is connected to test 

outputs. The discrepancy time is 

the maximum period for which 

both inputs can display disallowed 

statuses during a dual-channel 

evaluation, without the safety 

logic evaluating that status as an 


Subject to change without notice 

error. 

The test signals are used to identify short circuits. Different test signal patterns are 

created for X1 and X2. In the event of a short circuit, only one of the signal patterns arrives 

at the connected inputs, therefore identifying the short circuit.

Creating the logical process 


5 Creating the logical process 

5.1 Positioning the input elements 

5.2 Positioning the function blocks 


In the Inputs window in the logic 

editor, select your input 

elements on the left and drag 

them to the configuration area. 

You can hold down Shift while 

left clicking to select several 

inputs simultaneously. 

When you have positioned the input elements in the configuration area, select the 

5.3 Positioning the outputs 

required function blocks on the 

left under Function blocks and 

connect them with the input 

elements by dragging a 

connection line between them. 

The function blocks can be 

edited by right clicking on them. 

The function block is described 

in the info folder in the Edit 

window. 

Now drag the output elements 

from the Outputs window on the 

left to the configuration area 

and connect it with the function 

blocks. 





Creating the logical process 

5.4 Simulation 

It is possible to simulate the pro- 

grammed logic offline in the 

logic editor. 

Click on the Start simulation 

mode icon ( ) in the toolbar to 

activate the simulation mode. 

The background of the logic 

editor turns green and the simu- 

lation toolbar appears. 

To start a simulation of the logic, click on the green Start button for a full-speed (almost 

real-time) simulation. The timer indicates the time passed. The timer can be reset by 

clicking the blue Reset button. To stop a simulation, click on the red Stop button. 



Connecting, transferring and 

verifying 


6 Connecting, transferring and verifying 


When you have configured the hardware and the logic in Flexi Soft Designer and checked it 

for correctness, click on the Connect button to establish a 

connection to your Flexi Soft system. You can then transfer your project to the Flexi Soft 

system and verify it. Transfer the configuration by clicking on the Transfer button. 

Enter SICKSAFE as the password in the window that appears. Then click on 

Log in. As long as the Flexi Soft system is not verified, the application will not start auto- 

matically when the power is switched on. 

To do this, click on the Receive and Compare Configuration icon. 

The system opens the Upload and verify result window. If the configuration displayed here 

is the one you expected, select Yes for Set device to verified? near the bottom of the 

screen. The system is now verified. 

As soon a project has been verified by an authorized customer, the maintenance techni- 

cian can download the project with his/her password. (For more information on this 

subject, see the Flexi Soft Designer operating instructions 8012480) 





Report and diagnostics 

7 Report and diagnostics 

The standard Report view provides a full report for the current project and all configuration 

settings, including logic programming and wiring. You can define the scope of the report 

for yourself. And you can also enter additional notes on your project. 

7.1 Calling and printing the report 

To call the report, press the Report button. You can then select the scope of the report 

7.2 Calling the diagnostics 

from the list on the left. Press 

the Refresh report button. The 

report is generated and 

displayed on the right. 

The top half of the Diagnostics window has a list all the messages, information, warnings 

and error messages in your system. Clicking on the entries in the list displays details on 

the selected message in the 

lower half of the window. 

Click on the Diagnostics button in the menu bar to switch to the standard Diagnostics 

view. The toolbar contains the following commands: 

Click on Refresh to export the current list of messages from the system. 



Saving the configuration 


8 Saving the configuration 


At the end of your project, you can save it. To do this, click on the Project button and 

select Save. 





Device status values in the Flexi Soft 

system 

9 Device status values in the Flexi Soft system 

The Flexi Soft system recognizes different device status values during operation. Some 

device status values require intervention by the user. The following table provides a 

summary of typical device status values for the Flexi Soft system. 

CPU 

MS LED 

� Red (1 Hz) 

MS LED 

� Red (1 Hz) 

MS LED 

� Green 

(1 Hz) 

CV LED 

� Yellow 

(1 Hz) 

MS LED 

� Green 

(1 Hz) 

CV LED 

� Yellow 

MS LED 

� Green 

MS LED 

� Green 

Expansion 

modules (EM) 

MS LED for all EMs 

� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) 

with firmware V1.xx 

� Red (1 Hz) 


MS LED for an EM 

� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) with firmware 

V1.xx 


� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) with firmware 

V2.xx 

MS LED 

� Green (1 Hz) 

MS LED 


MS LED 

� Green 


� Red (1 Hz) 



� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) 

with firmware ≥ V2.xx 

Q1 … Q4 


Possible reason Actions 

Expansion module missing Add the missing modules as specified 

Module with flashing LED is wrong 

type or wrong version 

Too many EMs connected 

System is idle, 

configuration not yet verified 

System is idle, 

Configuration verified 

System running, no error detected --- 

No power supply for expansion 

module 

by the configuration 

Change the modules so that they 

match the configuration 

Start application in Flexi Soft Designer 

Start application in Flexi Soft Designer 

Check the power supply 

A1 = 24 V / A2 = 0 V 

When the reason for the error has 

been removed, the error disappears 

automatically after around 8 seconds. 



Device status values in the 

Flexi Soft system 


MS LED 

� Green 

MS LED 

� Green 

MS LED 

� Green 

MS LED 

� Red 

MS LED 

� Red 

MS LED 

� Red (2 Hz) 


� Red (1 Hz) 



� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) 


Q1,Q2,Q3 or Q4 



� Red (1 Hz) 



� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) 


I1, I2, I3, I4, I5, I6, I7 

or I8 



� Red (1 Hz) 



� Red/Green 

(1 Hz) 


I1 + I2 or I3 + I4 or I5 

+ I6 

or I7 + I8 


MS LED 

� Red 

MS LED 

� Red (2 Hz) 

MS LED 

� Red 

Short circuit in the output wiring Check the output wiring. 

Short circuit at 24 V in the wiring 

for tested sensors. 

• Defective safety mat 

• Defective testable 


To reset the error, use the logic to 

deactivate the affected outputs or 

reset the CPU module by disconnect- 

ing it from the power source and then 

reconnecting it. 


Subject to change without notice 

sensor 

• Connection between 

cable and safety mat 

interrupted at I1, I2, … 

or I8 

• Short circuit at 24 V in 

the wiring for tactile 

switches 

Discrepancy error for dual-channel 

inputs when the LEDs flash for the 

input pair: I1/I2, I3/I4, I5/I6, I7/I8 

No power supply 0 V for XTIO 

Internal error in the EM 

Internal error in the main unit 

Internal error in the expansion 

module 

Internal error in the main unit or in 

the system 

Check the input wiring. 

Replace the tested sensor. 

To reset the error, use the logic to 

deactivate the affected inputs or reset 

the CPU module by disconnecting it 

from the power source and then 

reconnecting it. 

Check the wiring for the affected input. 

Check the connected sensor to ensure 

that both inputs switch within the 

discrepancy time. 

To reset the error, deactivate the 

affected inputs or restart the CPU. 

Check the power supply for the EM (0 V) 

Restart the system. If the error 

persists, swap the modules 

Check the installation. Restart the 

system. If the error persists, swap the 

module with the flashing LED 

Check the installation. Restart the 

system. If the error persists, swap the 

module with the flashing LED



Flexi Soft Designer Extras 

10 Flexi Soft Designer Extras 

10.1 Force mode 

In force mode, you can use the software to set the inputs for logic function blocks for a Flexi 

Soft system to High or Low while the system is online, regardless of their actual status. The 

logic then behaves exactly as if the affected inputs actually have the corresponding status. 

Click on Connect to connect to your Flexi Soft system. Then click in the Hardware con- 

figuration view on the Start application button. 

Switch to the Logic editor and click on the Start Force Mode button ( ). The system 

opens a dialog in which you can enter the time after which force mode is quitted automa- 

tically if no further actions are triggered. Select the required time from the selection list 

and click on OK. Force mode is started and the background color of the logic editor 

changes to red. Left click on the input to change its status. 



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