Overview

To design the hardware architecture, you need to add equipment from the catalog to the system project. Each instance of equipment that you add represents a device.

You can also create more devices by copying and pasting one or more existing ones.

NOTE: For information on features that are available while working in a physical view, refer to the topic describing how to use workspaces.

Ways to Create Devices

You can create devices in the following ways.

Drag equipment from the TOOLBOX to...

Result

the SYSTEM PROJECT pane.

You can select in which topological folder and in which position inside the folder you create it.

NOTE:

a physical view.

  • You can position the device in the workspace of the physical view.

  • The device is created in the Topology folder of the SYSTEM PROJECT pane. You can relocate it.

Selecting References

For most objects of the catalog (TOOLBOX pane), the reference is predefined by the equipment that you select.

For the following objects, however, you can select a reference manually.

Object type

Reference selection

M580 PACs

In the Select CPU Reference dialog box after dragging the equipment to a physical view or the SYSTEM PROJECT pane.

NOTE: To change the CPU reference once the PAC is created, edit its control project.
Devices that use a device type manager (DTM)

You may need to select the specific reference that you want to use either way:

  • By selecting a DTM from the local DTM catalog in the Select DTM Reference dialog box after dragging the equipment to a physical view or the SYSTEM PROJECT pane. Once the device is created, you cannot change the DTM reference anymore.

  • By selecting a specific part number and version in the PROPERTIES pane after the device is created.

  • By selecting a reference in the DTM window after the device is created. Use the Open context menu command of the device.

TeSys T devices

Refer to the topic describing how to add TeSys T devices.

Modicon managed and extended switches

By selecting a specific part number in the PROPERTIES pane after the device is created.

Adding Devices to a System Project by Using the Physical View

Step

Action

1

Open the system project.

2

Create and/or open the physical view.

3

In the TOOLBOX pane, select the equipment and drag it to the workspace of the physical view.

Result: The corresponding device is added to the system project with properties set to default values and a graphical representation of the device is displayed in the physical view.

Adding Devices to a System Project by Using the SYSTEM PROJECT Pane

To add a device to a system project, proceed as follows.

Step

Action

1

Open the system project.

2

Verify that the SYSTEM PROJECT pane is visible.

3

If required, create the folder in which you want the device to be located.

4

In the TOOLBOX pane, select the equipment and drag it to the folder or between existing devices. Hover over the folder to expand its child structure.

Result: The corresponding device is added to the system project with properties set to default values.

If you drag a device to a folder that contains other devices, it is added in last position.

Adding TeSys T Devices to a System Project

To add a TeSys T device to a system project, proceed as follows.

Step

Action

1

Drag the TeSysT equipment to a physical view or the Topology node of the SYSTEM PROJECT pane.

Result: The device is added to the system project with Part Number and Version attributes blank.

2

Right-click the device and select Open.

3

In the DTM window, select a commercial reference that supports communication by using the Modbus TCP or EtherNet/IP protocol and click OK .

4

To view the I/O profile data of the device (PROPERTIES pane), in the Process Data section of the Parameter List tab, select a value other than None, and apply changes.

5

Close the DTM.

6

Result: The Part Number and Version attributes are populated with the information of the reference you have selected.
NOTE: If you select a reference that communicates by using another protocol (for example, PROFIBUS), a notification opens when you close the DTM, and the device is deleted from the system project when you acknowledge the notification.

Such a device can be added only to a control project after installing the required library and it does not appear in the system project . For example, for a Modbus serial TeSys T device, follow these steps:

  1. Install the Modbus Communication Library on the local computer.

  2. Edit the control project of the PAC that is scanning the device.

  3. In the DTM Browser , add the Modbus Serial Communication DTM to the Host PC node.

  4. Add the TeSys T device to this DTM.

  5. Open the TeSys T DTM and select a reference.