Getting Started with IWS and TwinCAT Contents - InduSoft

Getting Started with IWS and TwinCAT DRAFT — 8 September 2006
Advanced: Importing Your TwinCAT Variables into IWS
Although it is good to know how to manually build a driver worksheet (see page 41), you can also
use the database import wizard in IWS to automatically build a driver worksheet from your existing
TwinCAT program variables and communication settings.
This is considered an advanced technique for a couple reasons. First, you must configure TwinCAT
to export a file that defines all of the variables and settings that you want to import into IWS. Configuring
this export can be tricky, as will be described below. Second, you must carefully review the
variables after you’ve imported them into IWS, to make sure they are correct. You are more prone
to overlook errors in a worksheet built automatically from an import than a worksheet you’ve built
by hand.
Nevertheless, importing your TwinCAT variables into IWS can save a great deal of time.
� Note
– This section assumes that you are already familiar with using TwinCAT to develop and deploy
control programs, and that you have a program ready to import into IWS. For complete
instructions on using TwinCAT, please consult Beckhoff’s documentation.
Exporting a Symbol File from TwinCAT
Before you can import program variables into IWS, you must export them from TwinCAT — or
more specifically, you must export a symbol file (*.sym) that defines those variables.
To export a symbol file from TwinCAT:
1) Start the TwinCAT PLC Control programming software and open your project.
2) From the main menu bar, select Project � Options. The Options control panel is displayed.
3) From the Category menu, select Symbol configuration:
Figure 76: Symbol Configuration Control Panel
4) Enable (check) the Dump symbol entries option.
5) Click the Configure symbol file button. The Set object attributes dialog is displayed.
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