In this tab you specify the properties for the selected PLC connection points. In addition to the properties possessed by all functions, further PLC specific properties are shown here.

In the Properties (global) editing mode, you edit the properties for all representations of the PLC connection points at once; in this case the additional tabs PLC box (device), PLC structure data (device), and Parts (device) are displayed for the associated main function.

Overview of the main dialog elements:

Displayed DT:

The displayed DT is displayed in the graphical editor on the component. If you have defined in the project settings that devices are to be automatically numbered when symbols are inserted, then a DT is automatically suggested here. You can accept this DT or overwrite it manually.

In addition you can use the popup menu or the [...] button to create or select a DT.

Full DT:

This field displays the full DT (i.e. structure identifier of the current environment + displayed DT) of the component / item. Use the [...] button to open the Full DT dialog. You can edit the structure identifiers there and select, e.g., another mounting location.

Connection point designation:

This field displays the connection point designations of the current function, as well as the connection point designations of the functions that adopt the DT from the current function. To differentiate between identical connection point designations within a PLC card, you must also enter the plug DT in the Plug designation field. Identifying for the differentiation is the DT of the PLC card, the plug designation (for bus ports: Bus interface name + Plug designation) and the connection point designation.

You can manually change the connection point designations for the function / device or select an entry from the drop-down list. Several connection point designations are separated by a paragraph mark. When manually editing multiple connection point designations keep the following in mind:

• You may change specific individual connection point designations by entering the value at the actual place between the paragraph marks.
• If you overwrite the entire entry with one single value, this value will be assigned to the first connection point. The connection point designations of the other connection points will remain unchanged.
• If you delete the entire entry, all connection point designations will be deleted.

Connection point description:

Enter the connection point descriptions for the function / device here, or select the data from the drop-down list.

Plug designation:

Enter the designation of the plug (for example, -X1) on which the connection point or the channel is located on the PLC card here. As for terminals, the plug designation can be adopted from the left (or above). The table of properties contains the Plug designation (automatic) property, which contains the automatically determined value.

If an automatic assignment is not desired for certain PLC connection points, you can prevent these via the property Plug designation (automatic): Suppress search (ID 20579).

The plug of a PLC card is not shown as an independent object in the navigator. This is only information about PLC connection points or channels that is taken into account when identifying an individual PLC connection point and when building cross references.

Instead of the plug designation the combination of bus interface name and plug designation is used for bus ports when identifying the connection points. The Bus interface: Name (with plug designation) property contains the determined value.

Function text:

Here you enter the function text for the function / device.

Aside from the manually entered function text, there are other (automatically determined) function texts that you will find in the table of properties:

• Function text (automatic): Displays the content of the manually entered function text or, if it is empty, the path function text. If no path function text is found at a PLC connection point, then, according to the Reporting of path function texts the Function text (automatic) property of the connected sensor or actuator is displayed. When this property is displayed on a project page, the line breaks are removed.
• Function text (common): Displays the function text (automatic) of the function or, if it is empty, the function text (automatic) of the associated main function.

Address:

The address can be entered manually or assigned automatically. It is not identifying for the PLC connection point. The address must be unique within a CPU. A CPU is uniquely identified by specification of the CPU name in the form [Configuration project].[Station ID].[CPU identifier].

The (Return) button offers you the option of returning the addresses. This is only possible if the address is not specified on any other display for that connection point (multi-line, single-line, etc.). The address is then entered in the current assignment list as a free address while the Function text (automatic) and the Symbolic address (automatic) properties remain. Manual function texts and symbolic addresses are deleted. If the address is specified in another display of the connection point, it will not be returned.

In the Properties (global) editing mode the address is returned to all connection points at once. Empty spaces in the addresses are not taken into account, i.e., the addresses "E0.0" and "E 0.0" are regarded as identical.

Symbolic address:

Enter the symbolic address for the PLC connection point here.

Apart from the symbolic address entered here, there are additional (automatically determined) properties which you can find in the property table in the "Data" category:

• Symbolic address (automatic): Shows the content of the manually entered symbolic address or, when that is empty, the automatically determined symbolic address.
• Symbolic address (determined): Using target tracking, the connected sensor (for inputs) or actuator (for outputs) is found, and its identifying DT is automatically entered as the symbolic address. If no sensor / actuator is found, the identifying DT of the last connected function before the search was canceled is entered. For the determined symbolic address, information from the connection point logic is used to decide at which connection point of the function the search for a sensor / actuator is to be continued.

Channel designation:

The channel designation can be manually or automatically assigned. A channel must be unique within a PLC card. For power supply connection points, the assignment is usually graphical. You must only manually enter the channel designation when no graphical assignment is possible. The table of properties contains the Channel designation (automatic) property, which contains the automatically determined designation.

If an automatic assignment of the channel designation is not desired for certain PLC connection points, you can prevent these by using the property Channel designation (automatic): Suppress search (ID 20578).

For power supply connection points, the additional data fields for PLC connection points are not evaluated and not automatically filled in.

Function definition:

This field displays the currently selected function definition; click [...] to select, if necessary, another function definition from the Function definitions dialog.

The function definitions for PLC connection points are split into different groups:

• PLC connection point, power supply: For the power supply of sensors and actuators, sorted by potential type.
• PLC connection point, I / O: For analog or digital inputs and outputs.
• PLC connection point, card power supply: For the power supply of the PLC card, sorted by potential type.
• PLC connection point, network / bus cable: For the connection point of bus nodes or devices in a network.
• PLC connection point, variable: For PLC connection points with a variable number of connection points.

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Properties group box

For PLC connection points, the following properties are available, among others:

• Data type: Enter the data type manually or select a value from the drop-down list. Depending on the chosen PLC type, this list offers different data types. By changing the PLC type set on the project, the data type set for an address is not changed.
• Configuration project (indirect): For a PLC connection point, this shows the configuration project of the associated PLC box.
• PLC station: ID (indirect): For a PLC connection point, this shows the workstation name of the associated PLC box.
• CPU (indirect): At a PLC connection point, this shows the CPU name of the associated PLC box.

See also

Tabs <Function category> / <Function category> (Device)

Symbolic Addresses

Dialog Settings: Numbering (online)

Creating Your Own Connection Point Designations and Descriptions